KTBB News, Weather, Talk

CANTON — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday morning an inmate has died. According to KETK, officials report Jay McEvers, 47, of Canton, was found unconscious in his cell and pronounced dead. He was in a single-occupancy cell when his death occurred. His body has been sent for autopsy, and the Texas Rangers are investigating. Further information wasn’t immediately available.

RUSK COUNTY — Multiple fire departments responded to fires in Rusk County Thursday. According to KETK, county commissioners say the fires broke out near Farm-to-Market roads 782 and 1716. More than 25 acres burned in the area. Officials believe the fires may have started from sparks when a truck hauling a trailer had a chain dragging across the ground. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

LONGVIEW — Three women were arrested in a prostitution sting along East Marshall Avenue on Wednesday after police say they offered to engage in sexual activity for a fee. According to KETK, officials with the County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit arrested Crystal Ann Dangerfield, 35, Stephanie Michelle Wiley, 44 (pictured) and Jamie Lee Marshall, 33, all from Longview. Dangerfield and Marshall were charged with prostitution. Wiley was charged with prostitution third or more offense. All three women remain in the Gregg County Jail on bond: $2,000 for Dangerfield and Marshall, $10,000 for Wiley.

LONGVIEW — A 28-year-old Chicago man was arrested Thursday after reportedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at a Longview apartment and then posting sexually-explicit videos of the teen on Facebook. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, William James Woodall has been charged with sexual assault of a child. He has been booked into the Gregg County Jail on $75,000 bond. Woodall reportedly met the girl using the alias “Wil James” on the social media site Tagged last year. Continue reading Chicago Man Charged with Sexual Assault of a Child

MARSHALL — Chief Jesus “Eddie” Campa and the Marshall Police Department are seeking the community’s assistance in finding one of the agency’s most wanted fugitives. MPD is once again seeking any information related to Antonyo Rivers and his current location. Rivers is wanted by the Marshall Police Department for an outstanding felony warrant for aggravated kidnapping. He’s described as 5’11”, 135 pounds with a thin build. Rivers has black hair and brown eyes and is currently 30 years of age. Rivers has a music symbol tattooed on the left side of his face and also goes by the alias of “AD.” The last known address for Rivers was on Kahn St. in Marshall. Continue reading Marshall Police Seek Suspect in 2015 Kidnapping

TYLER – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced Thursday that five individuals have been arrested following a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas. On Aug. 4, a combined task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement executed federal arrest and search warrants in Plano, Carrollton, Dallas, and Tyler. That happened as a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Drug Administration; the Plano Police Department; the Internal Revenue Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Continue reading East Texan, Others Arrested on Federal Drug Violations

TYLER — After several surgeries and medical rehab following a traffic accident, Sgt. Brian Tomlin is being released from the hospital today. According to a news release, Tomlin and the Tyler Police Department “would like to express our sincere thanks for the community’s thoughts, prayers and kind deeds during this time.” Police encourage motorists to drive carefully, be extra vigilant, and look for motorcycles. They say the extra attention for motorcyclists may save a life. Continue reading Motorcycle Supervisor Being Released from Hospital

TROUP — Three more people, all Troup residents, have been arrested in connection with the July murder of 30-year-old Jordan LaDue in that city. Troup police tell KETK they’re Jana Lang and Casey Luna (pictured), both 28, and Ralph Paul Pressley. Lang was arrested for tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair and booked into the Smith County Jail on $500,000 bond. Luna was jailed for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and a parole violation. Police say they are investigating whether or not the gun found in Luna’s possession is connected to the shooting of LaDue. Lang was booked into the Smith County Jail on $510,000 bond. Pressley was taken into custody on an unlawful possession of a firearm charge. His bond is set at $500,000. Continue reading Three More Arrests Made in Connection with Troup Murder

MINNEAPOLIS (AP/Staff) – A federal appeals court has ruled that the NFL was within its rights when it suspended Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson in 2014 after he was charged with child abuse. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday that an arbitrator acted appropriately by upholding Commissioner Roger Goodell’s suspension of Peterson for six games. U.S. District Judge David Doty had tossed out arbitrator Harold Henderson’s ruling, saying he overreached his authority, but the appellate panel restored it. Continue reading Appeals Court Upholds Adrian Peterson Suspension in ’14 Case

TYLER — A 33-year-old former preacher at the Lake Highlands Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs has been sentenced for child exploitation offenses. Chad Calhoun of Longview was convicted by a federal jury on Dec. 10 for receiving and possessing child pornography. He was sentenced Wednesday in Tyler to 135 months in federal prison. Upon his release from custody, Calhoun will serve a term of supervised release of 10 years and will be required to register as a sex offender. Continue reading Former Pastor Sentenced for Child Exploitation Violations

NACOGDOCHES — A Stephen F. Austin State University fraternity is irate after a young woman claimed to have been sexually assaulted by several people. According to KETK, in May, a young woman said she was sexually assaulted by several people during a fraternity party earlier that month. However, authorities say an investigation into the incident didn’t support the young woman’s claim. They say the woman also had inconsistencies in her story. Continue reading Officials Say Inconsistencies in SFA Sexual Assault Claim

CHEROKEE COUNTY — The search for a man who was involved in an altercation with a police officer in Cuney is still ongoing at last report, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. According to KETK, officials say the manhunt began Tuesday after multiple deputies responded to the scene of a residence off Highway 175 in Cuney. James Robert “Robbie” Clary, 44, is accused of assaulting his girlfriend Monday night and a protective order had been issued against him. Continue reading Cherokee County Manhunt Continues

TYLER — The Women in Tyler Planning Committee announced the 2017 Women in Tyler luncheon theme, “Women Who Make an Impact!” on Wednesday at the McClendon House. According to a news release, the community is encouraged to send in nominations for the annual award by Aug. 22 to P.O. Box 1432, Tyler, TX 75710. Honorees will be announced in January 2017 and will be honored at the Annual Women in Tyler Luncheon on March 23, 2017, at the Rose Garden Center. Continue reading Women in Tyler Planning Committee Announces Theme, Seeks 2017 Nominees

KILGORE – Kilgore College has entered into an articulation agreement with Public Health Studies at Texas A&M Health Science Center in College Station. According to a KC news release, the agreement will guarantee students who complete the Associate of Science degree in Biomedical Science at KC will have a seamless transition into a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Studies at the Health Science Center. Under the agreement, KC students are required to complete the approved A.S. in Biomedical Science degree plan at KC with at least a 3.0 GPA with no grades below a “C” in science or math courses in order to be granted admission as a junior to the bachelor’s program at TAMU. The agreement will commence with the beginning of the fall semester with a commitment from TAMU of five years.

LONGVIEW — If you drive in Longview, you can soon hop on a new route. KETK reports two segments of the George Richey Extension could be open by late September. TxDOT announced on Monday this will be the new completion date for contractors to finish both segments of the road, also known as FM 2275. The two segments go from McCann Road to U.S. 259 at Henderson Lane. The wet weather slowed down the project.

LONGVIEW — A Tyler woman has now been missing for ten years. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report that On August 3, 2006, recent Chapel Hill High School graduate Brandi Wells took a trip to a Longview nightclub and went missing shortly after midnight. Police found her car along Interstate 20, a few miles down from the club. The car had an empty gas tank, and police found Wells’s ex-boyfriends’s cell phone and her purse. Wells did have a cell phone, and activity on the device would lead Longview police to briefly detain three men, one of whom failed a polygraph test that was given to each of them. Police released the men and have not named a suspect in Wells’s decade-old disappearance. Due to time passing and a lack of evidence, the case went cold. However, investigators believe her disappearance may be linked to sex trafficking. Continue reading Woman Still Missing Ten Years after Disappearance

TYLER – Motorists are encouraged to avoid travel on Spur 248 in Tyler today, if at all possible, as the contractor continues efforts to shift traffic to the westbound lanes for a construction project. Today’s work requires closing the roadway between FM 848/Old Omen Road and SH 64 and will take most of the day to complete, according to a TxDOT news release. Following a traffic shift at SH 64, the work from FM 848/Old Omen Road will continue through much of the afternoon. Traffic on both ends of the project can expect to be stopped by flaggers providing traffic control. Law enforcement is also assisting during this effort. Once striping and other necessary work is completed, traffic will be moved to its new configuration in the westbound lanes. Continue reading Traffic Advisory for Spur 248

SMITH COUNTY — Surveillance video has been released as the Smith County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating the early Tuesday morning robbery of a local gas station. Officials say the call came in around 2:20 a.m., reporting a man entered the Food Fast on Highway 64 West at Thompson Lane, armed with a knife, and demanded money. The caller described the suspect as a black male approximately 5’7” and about 150 pounds, clothed in all black and wearing a black mask partially concealing his face. Officials say the robber left the gas station with an undisclosed amount of cash from the cash register. If you have any information about this case, contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 566-6600.

TYLER — Admission is now open for The University of Texas at Tyler’s newest master of business administration degree program. With a specialized concentration in healthcare management, this executive MBA program is designed for professionals with at least three years of managerial work experience, according to a UTT news release. EMBA students are engaged through an accredited 36-hour curriculum across six semesters in a face-to-face cohort model. Visit http://www.uttyler.edu/emba/ for more information or to apply.

TYLER — Tyler police say no evident signs of foul play were found regarding a body recently found on Loop 323. That’s after investigators received the preliminary report from the Dallas County Medical Examiner. According to authorities, investigators were able to retrace the whereabouts of 49-year-old Richard Wayne Farmer on the night before he came up missing and determined that no criminal activity surrounding his death was detected. Investigators were also advised that he was in poor health. Continue reading Police: No Foul Play Evident after Body Found

KILGORE — Kilgore Police have arrested a suspect in connection to a burglary in progress early this morning. According to authorities, officers responded to a tripped alarm around 3:30 at Petrowax on Watson Road. Authorities said they searched the area and found the suspect, identified as Gregory Scott, 22, Arp, hiding in bushes nearby. Police said found several items on Scott that had been stolen from the building. Scott has been charged with burglary.

EAST TEXAS — Monday, August 1, marked the start of campus carry on public universities across the state of Texas. On a local level, that means students and faculty at UT Tyler with concealed handgun licenses can carry on campus, KETK reports. “This changes nothing except allows those of us who have conceal and carry licenses to defend ourselves if something bad should happen on campus,” says UT Tyler senior lecturer Dr. James Newsom. They will not be allowed in areas including laboratories, the Innovation Academy, the University Health Clinic, formal hearing areas and ticketed sporting event premises. “It’s a privilege to be able to do it and we want to preserve that privilege,” says Dr. Newsom. The law won’t go into effect for 2 year colleges like Tyler Junior College until August 1, 2017.

TYLER — If you have a Smith County jury summons requesting your presence for duty at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 2, you do not have to report. Smith County residents who were planning to report for jury duty Tuesday with their yellow cards don’t have to make the trip to the Smith County Courthouse. No new panels will be needed on Tuesday. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.

EAST TEXAS — Two similar robberies in two East Texas towns remain under investigation, and video has been released in both. In Tyler, the Jack in the Box on far South Broadway was robbed. Tyler police said that robbery happened around 4:00 when the suspect surprised an employee in the office, pointed a semi-automatic pistol at her and demanded money from the safe. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money. Based upon surveillance video, the suspect is described as a white male about six feet tall and weighing 180 to 200 pounds. He was wearing all black and had his face covered with a red bandana. The employee suffered minor injuries when the suspect struck her in the face with the pistol. Contact authorities with any information. Continue reading Video Released in Weekend Jack-in-the-Box Heists

AUSTIN — Single-family home sales for the second quarter of 2016 are on the rise in top East Texas markets compared to the same period last year. That’s according to the latest information from the Texas Association of Realtors. In Tyler, sales increased 7.3 percent to 777, while median price grew 2.9 percent to $175,500. Single-family home sales in Longview saw even greater growth, jumping 13.8 percent to 537, while median price grew 4.3 percent to $150,000. Statewide, home sales grew 4.4 percent year-over-year to 91,418. You can go to https://www.texasrealestate.com/uploads/files/general-files/TQHR-Q2-2016.pdf for more complete information.

LONGVIEW — An East Texas man is behind bars after being arrested over the weekend for alleged methamphetamine possession. KETK reports that on Saturday around 9:05 a.m., a deputy with the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office was at the intersection of West Loop 281 and Enterprise Street when he saw a vehicle that had no registration sticker. The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the car and spoke with the driver, who identified himself as Timothy Alan Scott, 53, of White Oak. Continue reading East Texan Arrested for Meth Possession

TYLER — Funeral arrangements are complete for Louis Walter Owen, 82, of Tyler. Services for the philanthropist and businessman will be held Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Flint with Father Timothy Kelly officiating. Interment will be at Rose Lawn Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Owen died July 28 at Hospice of East Texas in Tyler after a long illness. In 2006, Owen and his wife, Peaches, established the Louis and Peaches Owen Family Foundation. According to the obituary on the funeral home website, the foundation has provided critical funding to many organizations across East Texas and the Twin Cities, Minnesota area.