KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — A Tyler apartment complex that has been riddled with violence says it will be working harder to ensure the safety of its residents, many whom are students at UT-Tyler. In the past two years alone, there have been reported shootings, robberies, and brawls at the site. The apartment’s parent company, Peak Campus Management, released a statement to its residents and made the statement available to our news partner KETK. It reads, in part:

“Varsity Place has a zero tolerance policy on crime and is actively joining forces with community partners to make a difference. We ask that you join our effort. If you witness any questionable activity, call the police: 9-1-1 if it is an emergency or at 903-531-1000 for non-emergency issues. After you have called the police, then let us know. We cannot take care of specific problems if we do not know about them.

“Also, we would like to bring to your attention the efforts that we are taking and remind you of some Varsity Place rules and regulations. Varsity Place has partnered with the Tyler Police Department and the UT Tyler Police to enforce a zero tolerance policy on crime or destructive behavior. Tyler Police Department has set-up a 24-7 mobile station on-site. Varsity Place has outsourced courtesy patrol in addition to our four courtesy patrol officers employed. We have partnered with other student housing communities to cross reference files and prohibit problem residents from leasing.

“There is a 10:00pm curfew. No loitering is allowed after 10:00. You are responsible for your guests and their actions. You will be held responsible for any criminal activity committed by your guests. Any violations of the above policies will be grounds for eviction or termination of your lease. You will still be responsible for the amount of your contract.”

TYLER — Early voting will continue through this coming Friday night at seven. But in Smith County, many people aren’t waiting for that deadline. On Monday of this week, Smith County Election Administrator Karen Nelson told KETK that 33,000 voters had voted early. Compare that to the entirety of early voting in Smith County in 2008, which was 49,000, a number Nelson expects to surpass.

LONGVIEW — An oil spill Tuesday morning has shut down a major East Texas road. Longview police say Gum Springs road is completely shut down between Cotton and Eastman Roads. According to KETK, traffic traveling south on Eastman road from Cotton to Gum Springs has been closed down to one lane, while HazMat crews work to clear the scene.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been arrested in connection with a shooting in the 300 block of East Grande. It happened shortly after 4:45 Monday afternoon.

Police say while Jack Davis Stinnett, 51, of Tyler, was riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, he was approached by two men who were also using the sidewalk. He then yelled at them as he was approaching telling them that he was driving by. They moved out of his way but also yelled back at him as he passed. At some point Stinnett turned around and approached the men again.

This time they saw him approaching and moved over. As he passed, they began arguing again from about 10 yards away. Stinnett then stopped and got off of his bicycle. He said he felt threatened by the two unarmed men so he drew a small caliber revolver and fired one shot at them. No one was hit. Officers arrested Stinnett for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

TYLER – A Smith County man has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and failure to stop and render aid in connection with a fatal accident in December of last year. Jared Stinecipher, 26, pleaded guilty Monday in Tyler’s 7th State District Court.

Stinecipher’s pickup and a car driven by Arthur Dewayne Murphey, 50, collided at the intersection of Farm Roads 2767 and 757. Murphey later died at a Tyler hospital. Stinecipher, who fled the scene, was later arrested after the hit-and-run for parole revocation. He was indicted in the fatal accident this past July. He is the son of Smith County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Mark Stinecipher.

He is scheduled to be sentenced December 7th by State District Judge Kerry Russell.

TYLER – A retired Tyler dentist has his murder trial scheduled for November 26th. Dr. Bobby Ray Nichols was it court Monday for a pre-trial hearing. He is accused of killing his wife of 26 years.

This summer, Nichols told the Associated Press he regrets fatally shooting his wife. Dr. Nichols said that he misses and loved his wife. He said, “We just got in a fight and I screwed up and killed her with a gun.”

Tyler police arrested Nichols and charged him with the June 29 death of Rosiland Nichols, 71. Nichols said he’s never been in trouble, but after a few drinks with his buddies he came home and his wife began nagging him. Nichols said he doesn’t really “remember what happened” before the shooting. He said it was “almost like blacking out,” so he had hoped it was only a dream.

DALLAS (AP/Staff) – A judge has handed a 35-year federal prison sentence to a man with Tyler connections who admitted being the “Handsome Guy Bandit.” Steven Ray Milam pleaded guilty in Dallas last May to 11 federal counts of bank robbery, admitting responsibility for 11 North Texas bank holdups. U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay sentenced the 45-year-old on Monday. Reports have listed Milam as having residency in both Tyler and Richardson. The “Handsome Guy Bandit” got his name from tellers at the banks he robbed, who described the mask he wore. Milam was arrested Jan. 3 in Mississippi after a chase on Interstate 10 in which a sheriff shot out a tire on the vehicle Milam was driving. Prosecutors had said Milam could have received from 32 years to life in prison.

TYLER — A new medical director of emergency medicine, an interventional cardiologist, and an internal medicine physician have joined The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. They are Paul B. Roberts, MD; Sridevi Pitta, MD; and Riad Kesiry, MD, MSBS.

Dr. Roberts returns to UTHSCT as medical director of emergency medicine after spending seven years as an emergency physician with Texas Health Resources in the Dallas area. He completed his family medicine residency at UTHSCT and then held positions as an emergency medicine physician and medical director of emergency services at UTHSCT for 11 years. Dr. Pitta, an assistant professor of medicine, joins UTHSCT after two years in private practice as an interventional cardiologist in San Antonio. Dr. Kesiry, an assistant professor of medicine, comes to UTHSCT after serving as chief of staff at Morton General Hospital in Morton, Wash. He is board certified in internal medicine.

KILGORE — The Kilgore Fire Department worked to clean up an oil spill along Highway 135 (Gladewater Highway) that occurred Monday afternoon. KETK reported the spill was affecting the following intersections:

Highway 135 and Highway 31
Highway 135 and Highway 42
Industrial and Watson

Officials encouraged drivers to avoid these intersections until the conclusion of cleanup, anticipated by sometime Monday evening. There’s no word on the cause of the spill at this time.

LONGVIEW — A Longview family is alive and well after a near-death encounter with carbon monoxide poisoning over the weekend. According to KETK and Longview Fire Marshall Johnny Zachary, the Middletons had been exposed to carbon monoxide since Thursday night. After several family members passed out Saturday morning, they called 911 for help and were immediately rushed to a local hospital. They were treated with pure oxygen and have since recovered. Zachary says the carbon monoxide levels at the house were 200 and 300 parts per million. Exposure above 100 ppm can be dangerous to a person’s health. The average level in a home is .5 to 5 ppm. Officials recommend the public safeguards their home from carbon monoxide poisoning with detectors and making sure your appliances are serviced by a qualified technician.

TYLER – Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics is forming a major alliance with a key Dallas-based facility. Officials with Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler and Children’s Medical Center Dallas signed a relationship agreement Monday. Officials say it’s expected to bring pediatric cardiology, urology, telemedicine, other subspecialties, and educational services to Tyler and the surrounding area.

“This relationship agreement is a natural fit for these…medical entities that share a mutual respect for each other and have worked collaboratively for many years,” said Lindsey Bradley, FACHE, president, Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics. “It is a privilege for us to support the long history of outstanding care at Trinity Mother Frances through this unique collaboration,” said Christopher J. Durovich, president and CEO, Children’s Medical Center. Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler and Children’s Medical Center are Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) hospitals. They are two of approximately 170 hospitals throughout North America that provide care for 14 million children and benefit from the Children’s Miracle Network organization.

EAST TEXAS — Authorities say they may have located an East Texas bank robber. The “Lone Ranger Bandit” may have resurfaced in Mississippi. Authorities in Madison told KETK about a bank robbery there that they say may be the infamous bandit. If it is the suspected “Lone Ranger,” he’s suspected of robbing Tyler’s Ultra Federal Credit Union off Troup Highway and the Compass Bank located on south Broadway.

NACOGDOCHES — An infant is fighting for her life after a gun allegedly accidentally discharged in Nacogdoches around 2:00 this morning. According to KETK, emergency crews were dispatched to an apartment at Oak Hill Plaza, located in the 1500 block of Dolph Street. When officials arrived, they found an 8-month-old baby girl with a single gunshot wound to the face. Investigators discovered several people were in the apartment at the time of the shooting. A 19-year-old was reportedly seated holding the child when a 21-year-old man was unloading a 9 mm pistol. The gun fired, hitting the man in his left hand, striking the female holding the infant in her left hand and then hit the baby in her face. The bullet ended up lodged in a piece of furniture next door. No one was injured in the neighboring apartment. The baby has been transferred to a Houston hospital and is in serious condition. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. So far, no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.

CANTON — Van Zandt County authorities have caught a man suspected of assaulting a 97-year old woman and stealing her car Thursday night in the Callender Lake community. The suspect has been identified as David Wayne Taylor, 26, Chandler. He’s being held at the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office on charges of Evading and Aggravated Robbery. No bond has been set at this time pending arraignment.

Officials tell KETK a high speed chase started in Smith County late Saturday, and ended just outside Van Zandt County. Choppers and dogs were then called in to help once the man ran from law officers, according to authorities. Officials say he was later found and detained early Sunday morning. Taylor was taken to a local hospital and was treated for minor injuries reportedly sustained during the foot chase.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

TYLER – Texas Department of Transportation contractor R.K. Hall is continuing approximately two months of pavement repair and resurfacing operations on State Highway 110 south of Tyler between Shiloh Road and Toll 49.

Also this week in Smith County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to perform pavement repairs on Interstate Highway 20 near the Willow Branch Road exit (Exit 544) just east of the Van Zandt County Line. Crews will be making repairs in both eastbound and westbound lanes.

Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation this week are scheduled to conduct fog-seal operations on the following roadways in the coming days:
*FM 1803 between SH31 and FM 773;
*RM 3225 in Tool between SH 274 and the end of state maintenance;
*RM 3273 between FM 59 and the end of state maintenance;
*FM 59 from FM 753 (Shady Oaks) to Anderson County line;
*FM 1615 between SH 19 and the end of state maintenance.

Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid the long delays associated with fog seal operations.

HENDERSON — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement repairs on State Highway 43 between the Henderson Star and Farm Road 1251 in New Prospect. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin resurfacing operations on SH 243 between SH 198 in Canton and the Kaufman County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

WOOD COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 1799 between U.S. Highway 80 and Farm Road 779 in Golden, and edge repairs in various locations on Farm Road 1801 east of Mineola, and Farm Road 1643 near Lake Winnsboro. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

LONGVIEW – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue pavement repairs on Spur 502 (Judson Road) between Loop 281 and U.S. 80 Highway (Marshall Avenue). Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on U.S. Highway 84 on Monday and Tuesday, the move to Farm Road 1990 just south of the South Loop 256/U.S. Highway 79 intersection in Palestine. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to resume shoulder work on Farm Road 855 between U.S. Highway 69 in Mount Selman and U.S. Highway 175 near Cuney. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

REKLAW — Cherokee County officials are investigating a Saturday plane crash. Authorities tell KETK it happened on Highway 204 near Reklaw. Officials didn’t immediately provide further details. More information is anticipated by sometime Monday.

TYLER — Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ted Cruz stopped in Tyler Friday to campaign at an event with Grassroots America – We the People. According to KETK, Cruz says this year’s election is unlike any other year and a choice between two very different paths. He said this year’s election is a choice between spending money America doesn’t have or fiscal responsibility and getting out of debt. He said, “We need to get our economy going, we need to get small business going, we need to get America back to work.” Cruz is challenged by Democrat Paul Sadler, Libertarian John Jay Myers, and the Green Party’s David B. Collins.

TYLER — A Smith County woman has been sentenced to 85 years in prison for possession of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone. KETK reports 32-year-old Daphne Dakeisha Ausborne was arrested on June 14th for the charge and was sentenced on Thursday. Ausborne has a history of theft and possession charges. According to Smith County Judicial, a motion to withdraw has been set for a hearing on Monday, October 29th.

TYLER — As cooler weather moves back into our community, now is the time to start preparing for the season, according to local officials. While freezing temperatures have not yet arrived, the Tyler Fire Department reminds residents of a few important safety tips as the area experiences colder temperatures. According to officials, preparation is of key importance, and now is the time to consider giving your home a check-up.

· Furnaces should be inspected and serviced by qualified professionals each year;
· Chimneys and vents should also be inspected and cleaned annually;
· Portable space heaters should never be left unattended and should never be used with extension cords;
· Heaters need adequate space. Keep all combustibles at least 3 feet away from fireplaces, stoves, and space heaters;
· Never leave candles unattended;
· Ensure that you have adequate protection provided by working smoke alarms. These life-saving devices should be located on every level of your home, in each bedroom, and outside of each sleeping area;
· Carbon monoxide detectors should be tested regularly;
· Make sure that you have practiced your home fire escape plan with your family.

Safety presentations are available upon request. Additionally, the Tyler Fire Department’s Smoke Alarm Installation Program will be ongoing for the rest of year. For more information about this program, contact the Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office at 903-535-0007.

TYLER — The man accused of beating his wife to death last Thanksgiving in Smith County is now back in jail. Kelly Gage, 50, was arrested Thursday for allegedly violating his probation. Gage spent 90 days behind bars for allegedly beating his wife, Patti McHugh Gage. McHugh later died from her injuries, which her son Nicholas claimed were caused by Gage. However, authorities failed to gather enough evidence to charge Gage with the crime, and he was released on February 28, 2012, after his bond was reduced from $1 million for aggravated assault to a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.

Upon his release, Patti Gage’s son, Nicholas McHugh, and his younger brother, Caden, both took out protective orders against Gage. At the time, Nicholas told KETK, “I’m really scared of any type of retaliation. He’s really nuts and he’s threatened my life and my grandmother’s life particularly in the past.” The investigation into the case is ongoing. There is no word at this time exactly how Gage allegedly violated his probation. He is being held in the Smith County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

CANTON — Authorities in Van Zandt County seek an aggravated robbery suspect. On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a call in the Callender Lake community. At approximately 9:30 p.m. an unknown male suspect entered the home of an elderly female. The suspect assaulted the female and drove away in her tan 2005, 4-door Camry with the license plate of BY8N961. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 903-567-4133.

TYLER — Tyler Police need your help in identifying two Hispanic suspects responsible for stealing approximately $6,600 dollars of merchandise from two CVS Pharmacy’s. On October 4, around 4:30, a male and female Hispanic couple entered the CVS Pharmacy at E. Fifth and Loop 323. They reportedly stole 69 boxes of Mucinex worth $1,600 and $900 worth of assorted cosmetics from the business.

On October 17, at 2:30, the same couple entered the CVS Pharmacy at Fifth and Broadway. They reportedly stole over $4,000 of Revlon cosmetics by concealing them in a large black bag and leaving the store without paying. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tyler Police Department or call Smith County Crime Stoppers.

TYLER – Tyler Police arrested the woman suspected of impersonating an officer on two occasions earlier this month. Jennifer Louise Cowser, 39, Tyler, was taken into custody Thursday morning. She was charged with two counts of impersonating a public servant, a 3rd degree felony. Cowser was transported to the Smith County Jail on a $150,000 bond for each charge. She has since posted bond and was released from jail Thursday. Tyler Police served a search warrant at her home and found clothing fitting the description of the suspect, but no badge was found.

Authorities said, on two occasions, she propositioned the victims for sex, presented a badge and robbed them. The first incident occurred at D&N Grocery on W. Bow Street October 7. The suspect asked for $10, and when she was told no, she allegedly took the victim’s wallet out of his pants and then left in a small gray Nissan car. According to an earlier police report, a man said a woman claiming to be a police officer stole some items from his car. It happened at a car wash at 5030 Highway 31 West. The Hispanic male told Tyler officers he was parked near the car vacuums when the woman approached him and presented a badge. She told him she was going to search his car or he was going to be arrested. After searching his car, she stole a few unknown items from him and then left in a dark colored compact vehicle.

Cowser was arrested October 12th in Smith County for possession of dangerous drugs, and in Whitehouse June 1 for possession.

TYLER — A minor wreck involving a school bus has been cleared on Greenbriar Road just south of Spur 364 in Smith County Friday morning, according to DPS. The wreck happened at around 6:30. 13 children were on board the bus at the time of the wreck. No one was injured and no word on the cause of the wreck.

SMITH COUNTY — Three people, including a State Trooper, were hurt in a Thursday night crash. It happened along highway 64 just after 10:00 near Greenbriar road. According to authorities on the scene, the driver of a pickup crashed into the trooper’s vehicle. All three of the injured were taken to a local hospital. According to KETK, their injuries were not serious.

LONGVIEW – A woman arrested in Longview has been returned to Mississippi where she is accused of embezzling funds from her employer and then faking her kidnapping. Arrested Thursday morning was Linda Gale Reed, 66. She was picked up during a traffic stop.

Mississippi authorities at first thought she had been kidnapped. Her bloodied SUV was found in a wooded area on a logging road off Interstate Highway 55. She was last seen April 29th at a Wal-Mart about 20 miles South of Jackson. She was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work April 30.

As investigators looked into her disappearance, $20,000 was found missing from a petty cash fund to which she had access. She had been working as a bookkeeper for Moore Fabrications in Gallman, Mississippi. At the time of her arrest, she had been working in Longview as a bookkeeper. In Mississippi, Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones says Reed was using her real name and Social Security number as she worked in Longview.

TYLER – The firms that will head up the construction of the new nursing and health science center at Tyler Junior College have been selected by school trustees. Named Thursday for the $1.8 million project were HGR Contractors of Tyler and Turner Construction of Dallas. The school hopes to open the new facility in the spring of 2015.

TYLER — Authorities have captured a man said to have been leading them on a three-county chase. The chase started as a motorcycle pursuit in Wood, Smith, and Van Zandt Counties. But it turned into a foot chase at Wood County Road 2220 in the Mineola area, according to the Mineola Police Department. KETK reports Michael Paul Koch, 32, of Grand Saline is behind bars in Smith County. He faces numerous charges, including evading arrest. Bail is set at $40,000. No injuries have been reported.

LINDALE — An alleged East Texas bank robber has been brought back to America after he was caught in the Philippines. The Lindale Police Department and FBI went to DFW International Airport Thursday, and with the assistance of U.S. Customs agents. Anthony Rios, 43, of Lindale, was arrested as he exited an airplane after arriving from the Philippines. KETK reports the accused criminal was transported to the Smith County Jail after he was processed in Grapevine. Rios was booked in for the aggravated robbery committed on September 12 at the Capital One Bank on South Main Street in Lindale.

Rios, who was wearing a towel wrapped around his face, allegedly entered the bank armed with a handgun and robbed it. He had last been seen making off with what officials term an unknown sum of money in his car, headed south on Highway 69 toward Tyler. The alleged thief’s car, which authorities say was covered in red from a dye pack explosion, was found afterward at the airport parking garage in Dallas. According to officials, law enforcement authorities suspected he was en route to the Philippines and were able to pinpoint the flight he had boarded.

TYLER — Smith County is now accepting applications for two positions on the Emergency Services District #2 Board, set to expire on December 31, 2012. Emergency Services Districts are political subdivisions of Texas that are entrusted with providing fire services to many unincorporated areas of the state. Applications will be accepted through November 15. An ESD is governed by a board of commissioners who are appointed for two year staggered terms. All members must own real property or be registered voters in the district where they serve.

You’re asked to visit the Smith County Website at http://www.smith-county.com if you’re interested in submitting an application. Applications can be found by selecting the “Government” tab on the home page, selecting the “Commissioners Court” page, then clicking on the tab labeled “Boards and Commissions.” You may direct any questions to the Smith County Public Relations Office at 903-590-4607.