KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — A brush fire over the weekend in Smith County scorches 2 acres of land and destroys a mobile home. According to KETK, it happened just off County Road 384 at the intersection of Morningside Drive. A Chapel Hill fire official says the mobile home was abandoned, no one was injured, and the blaze’s cause is still under investigation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert says the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional because it was a bill for raising revenue that did not originate in the House of Representatives. Gohmert says the president misled the American people about the health-care reform bill. According to Gohmert, “It was not, is not, true that if you like your insurance, you could keep it. People have already lost doctors who were assured if you like your doctor, you keep [him or her]. That was simply not true.” Gohmert has 10 co-sponsors of a new resolution. It says the penalty, or tax, in the bill on people who don’t buy health insurance originated in the Senate — and he says that violates the Constitution.

TYLER — Tyler Police have identified two suspects in a reported aggravated robbery Friday morning. Tevin Montravian Dorsey, 21, Tyler was arrested Saturday morning. Police are searching for David Eugene Ford, 21, Tyler. The incident happened just after 5:00 at Shiloh Pines mobile home park. A woman was reportedly returning home when she was robbed by an armed man. That man reportedly fled the scene as a passenger in a light blue sedan. Authorities said a tip from a concerned citizen provided authorities with the suspect’s license plate, which allowed officials to identify the suspects.

Dorsey was located at the Economy Inn on Mineola Highway where he was taken into custody for the aggravated robbery. Investigators have not been able to locate Ford (pictured) at this time and are actively seeking his whereabouts. An arrest warrant has been issued for Ford for aggravated robbery. If you have information about David Ford’s whereabouts, please contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers, at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).

MINEOLA — Four departments battled a blaze after flames consumed a house in Mineola. According to KETK, no injuries were reported in the fire that was called-in about 12:30 Monday morning in the 700 block of Walnut Street. Neighbors said the house where the fire occurred was vacant. The structure was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Mineola was joined by Quitman, Hainesville and Lindale firefighters. No word on what sparked that blaze.

TYLER — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert shares his thoughts on GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan as his running mate. Gohmert tells KETK, “I love the fact that Paul’s honest, that he is a scrapper, and unlike what we’ve gotten for four years now, if he disagrees with you, he’s not gonna make up some baloney; he’s gonna tell you why he believes what he believes.” Even though he’s disagreed with Ryan on many things, like TARP for instance, Gohmert says Ryan’s word is as good as gold.

JACKSONVILLE — A two vehicle accident in Cherokee County has killed one person and injured three. The wreck occurred just before 10:45 Saturday night on U.S. Highway 175, just under 4 miles north of Jacksonville. Dead at the scene was Raymond Stevenson, 43, of Athens.

The Department of Public Safety reports Stevenson’s pickup was northbound on U.S. 175 and veered into the south lane, hitting a Dodge Caravan driven by Marco Davalos of Jacksonville. Davalos was injured along with Cyvilla Hutton, 44, of Athens and Ladarius Jackson, 7 of Athens. State Trooper Steven Crosby says both Hutton and Jackson were not wearing seat belts.

TYLER — Two persons have been injured following an accident in which Tyler police say two cars were racing. The accident happened around 1:15 Sunday morning at 1500 West Grande Boulevard. Sgt. Paul Robeson says two vehicles, a Volkswagen Jetta and a Dodge truck, were racing westbound on Grande. When the vehicles entered the curve, both drivers were unable to make the turn. Both vehicles drove into the eastbound lanes and crashed into the curb.

Sgt. Robeson said the Jetta remained right side up but the Dodge truck rolled over. The driver of the Dodge truck, Daniel Dodd, was not wearing the seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle rolled over and ended up on top of his legs.

The driver of the Jetta, Luiz Enrique Barajas, age 23, of Whitehouse, who is pictured here, was arrested and charged with DWI 2nd, accident involving serious bodily injury, and racing. Charges are pending for Daniel Dodd, age 28, pending further investigation and lab results.

Dodd and a passenger from the Volkswagen Jetta were transported to East Texs Medical Center for treatment

TYLER — The NAACP’s Texas Conference president encourages East Texans to work at making a difference in their communities. Gary Bledsoe spoke Saturday night at the Tyler NAACP’s 66th annual Freedom Fund Banquet, at Marvin United Methodist Church. Bledsoe says too many people want to roll back the gains made towards greater equality in America over the years. He says part of the answer is to register to vote — and then follow through on election day. Bledsoe also advised looking around and seeing which community leaders can be recruited as allies. Addressing the ongoing challenge of apathy, Bledsoe remarked that there are many good people of all races in any community — “but too many good people sit by and let the bad people do their dirty work.” Bledsoe, an Austin attorney, has held his current NAACP position since 1991

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

TYLER — On Monday and Tuesday this week, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs at the intersection of ESE Loop 323 and Spur 248 (University Drive), and then make additional repairs in various locations along Spur 248.

Also this week in Smith County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to work on various Interstate Highway 20 service roads, including those serving Farm Road 757 and Willow Branch. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid
delays.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue approximately three weeks of pavement-repair work on U.S. Highway 80 between Farm Road 859 in Edgewood and State Highway 19. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue seal coat operations on Farm Road 312 between Winnsboro and Pine Mills. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application.

GREGG COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on Farm Road 1845 between Farm Road 2605 and the Upshur County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on Farm Road 23 south of Rusk, then move to perform the same work on Farm Road 343 east of Rusk. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on Farm Road 322 between Loop 256 and State Highway 294 south of Palestine. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 3273, between Farm Road 3441 south of Cross Roads and the end of state maintenance. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

JACKSONVILLE (AP) — Texas’ oldest junior college will resume classes this fall with only a handful of faculty and a gutted enrollment base. This comes after a failed effort at Lon Morris College to have a new football program save it from mounting debt. The East Texas college decided in 2009 to resurrect its football program after nearly 70 years in hopes it would increase enrollment and revenue. Although the program helped more than triple enrollment to about 1,000 by 2010, Lon Morris was burdened with waves of new students who couldn’t pay the bills and overwhelming football expenses. Now the 158-year-old private two-year college has filed for bankruptcy, cut all its sports programs and furloughed all but about a half dozen faculty. Officials estimate about 100 students remain enrolled at the Jacksonville campus.

LONGVIEW – -A Kilgore man has been arrested and charged with possession and promotion of child pornography. Arrested around 6:15 Thursday night in the 100 block of Rothance Drive in Longview was Bobby Lee Fleet, 38. He is currently on five year probation for a 2010 conviction for failing to register as a sex offender.

Investigators say they found child porn images on the computer at his home on Spinks-Chapman Road in Kilgore. Among the images were said to be several files of of a nude girl around 7 or 8 years of age. Fleet was booked into the Gregg County Jail and his bond set at $150,000.

GILMER — A Big Sandy woman is free on a $60,000 bond following her indictment by the Upshur County grand jury. Taken into custody Thursday was Judy Lynn Langford, 35. She has been charged with sexual assault of a child and online solicitation. The incidents are said to have occurred last November.

MARSHALL — A Marshall boarding house has been damaged by fire, displacing nine persons. The two story home at 212 West Bowie Street, was reported on fire just before 1:00 Thursday morning. The house is operated under the “My Friend’s House” ministry. Someone came home from work and noticed the fire and alerted the residents. All were able to escape unharmed. It appears as if the fire started on a porch and spread to the attic. What started it remains under investigation.

MARSHALL — Westbound traffic on Interstate Highway 20 in Harrison County was shut down for a while Friday as state troopers tried to stop a Louisiana man. The 80-year-old man from Webster Parrish, Louisana suffers from Alzheimers and his family was concerned about his safety. Authorities say the elderly man just got into a car and headed west. When the man wouldn’t stop for officers, they contacted Onstar who shut down the man’s car. He was taken to an area hospital.

TYLER — Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler has been granted a three-year term of accreditation in Nuclear Cardiology by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). According to a Mother Frances news release, accreditation by the IAC means that the hospital has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. Hospital officials say The IAC grants accreditation only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review.

TYLER — Authorities are trying to learn who called in a bomb threat at Tyler Pounds Regional airport and the reason for the threat. The Tyler Fire Department responded to the threat just before 9:30 Friday morning. Authorities say a call was received at the Jet Center of Tyler indicating that there was a bomb on a plane. According to a fire department news release, “No other specifics were included in the call, and the airport staff initiated standard protocol for this type of situation, beginning proactive measures to ensure the safety of the employees and visitors at the airport.”

Investigators with the Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office, along with the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshals, FBI, Tyler Police Department and airport officials are assisting in the investigation. Officials say there were no commercial flight delays reported and all operations ran normally.

GILMER — An Upshur County state trooper has been hospitalized following a two-vehicle wreck near Gilmer. According to the Upshur County Department of Public Safety around 11:00 Friday morning, a state trooper was involved in a two-vehicle wreck on U. S. Highway 271 just a few miles south of Gilmer. KETK reports that Trooper Drew Nipp was taken to a Longview hospital with minor injuries. The truck driver was taken to a Gilmer hospital.

EAST TEXAS — Extensive power outages were reported in East Texas following thunderstorms that moved through the area Thursday night. There was also notable damage, with the Longview Heights area among those hardest hit. KETK reports homes were damaged, trees blew over, and power lines were knocked down in the eastern part of Longview near Mona Avenue.

Southwestern Electric Power Company says over 17,000 customers were without power at one point, including over 12,000 in Gregg County. Crews have succeeded in restoring much of the power, and they are continuing to work on the problems. As of late Friday, though, many homes in Longview Heights were still without electricity, and it wasn’t clear when they’d have it back.

TYLER — The Tyler Salvation Army is putting out an emergency plea for support as hot summer weather continues. According to a news release, for many residents “the summer is not only very stressful, but potentially very deadly. Hundreds die of heat stroke each year, with children and the elderly being especially vulnerable. As temperatures climb, the number of those seeking shelter and assistance through The Salvation Army in Tyler is climbing as well, but donations are woefully down.

“July 2012 was the hottest recorded month in U.S. history! As temperatures soar, the Center of Hope, The Salvation Army in Tyler’s 200 bed facility located at 633 N. Broadway Ave., is reaching full capacity. Our Emergency dorm is entirely full, and we’ve begun expanding beds into our Community Center in order to meet the overwhelming need for shelter during this sweltering heat. Our Family Dorm is also at capacity, and is currently home to 22 of our community’s children. Just as the number of seeking shelter has drastically risen, so has the need for basic assistance, especially food and fans. We are currently serving over 5,000 meals every week, a 45% increase from just two months ago. At this rate, we will begin experiencing a food shortage in just a few weeks. Our supply of emergency fans has already run out.

“This is an urgent plea for donations of food and monetary support…for the 5,000 men, women, and children we serve each year. Even a small contribution will alleviate the suffering and potentially save the life of someone in desperate need. ‘Tyler is unique in the way the community rallies together to meet the needs of their neighbors. Once again we come to you relying upon your generosity,’ says Major Doris Lawrence, Commanding Officer.” Donations may be made via post, at http://www.salvationarmytyler.org or in person at 633 N. Broadway.

RIPLEY, TENN. (AP/Staff) – Authorities in West Tennessee have arrested a man suspected of killing a couple in East Texas. Ripley police Lt. Lynn Gould says officers with several West Tennessee law enforcement agencies were looking for Donny Lee Greenhow in Lauderdale County on Thursday afternoon. Greenhow was arrested in Ripley, Tennessee, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department. Gould says Greenhow was identified after leaving his driver’s license at a gas station in Ripley on Thursday morning. An officer ran his license and found that Greenhow was wanted in connection with a double murder in Van Zandt County. A capital murder warrant for Greenhow was issued after the bodies of Peter Shick, 74, and his wife, Latricia, 55, were found in their mobile home last week. Officers have found Greenhow’s pickup truck abandoned near a fish camp.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a reported armed robbery in the Shiloh Pines Mobile Home Park. It happened just after 5:00 Friday morning According to authorities, the victim said she was returning home when she was approached by a young black man armed with a handgun. The suspect reportedly stole the woman’s purse and fled the scene, as a passenger, in a light blue sedan. The woman was not injured. The suspect is described as heavy set, in his early 20′s with a blue bandana covering his face, wearing a grey shirt and black jeans. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tyler Police or Crimestoppers.

NACOGDOCHES — A man wanted for a South Texas murder has been arrested in East Texas. David Cantu, Jr., 24, was arrested in Nacogdoches less than 45 minutes after an alert was issued for his arrest. Cantu is the 4th person to be arrested in connection with a gang shooting in Alice, Texas on July 22nd. The shooting left four men dead.

A patrolman noticed Cantu’s vehicle around 7:15 Wednesday night. It matched the vehicle named in the alert issued by the U.S. Marshal’s office. The vehicle was stopped at South Street and Loop 224 and the suspect was taken into custody.

LONGVIEW — Longview police are renewing an advisory not to leave pets and children alone in cars. During the past week, the Longview Police Department has responded to at least four incidents of children and pets being left in vehicles unattended. Luckily, none of the incidents in Longview have resulted in death or serious injury to those involved.

It is a class C misdemeanor to leave a child under the age of 7 in a vehicle alone for more than 5 minutes and not attended by a person 14 years of age or older. This includes a vehicle left running with the air conditioner on. Unknowingly, police say, a vehicle thief may take off with more than just a person’s valuables; the thief may have that person’s child or pet in the car. To avoid this and other potentially tragic situations, police advise that you simply take your children or pets inside with you or wait until you have made other arrangements for your children or pets to be taken care of.

Other tips to help end children and pets left in cars:
– Place an item, such as a purse, briefcase, diaper bag, cell phone, etc. near the child to remind the driver to pick up the child as well.
– Practice a “look twice before you leave” routine to scan the vehicle’s interior each time you get out of the vehicle.
– Make a plan with the child care provider to call you if your child does not show up on time.
– If you see an unattended child or pet in a hot vehicle call 9-1-1 immediately.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview say they’ve taken two burglary suspects into custody. Just after 8:00 Wednesday morning, officers were dispatched to the 1700 Block of Swan Street for a residential burglary that had just occurred. When officers arrived, the victim told police she had been sitting at her table when an unknown male kicked her door in. She said the male spoke to her and then left the house. The suspect reportedly left his phone in the driveway, and police were able to identify him as Michael D. Usery, 18, of Hallsville. Usery was found a short time later, arrested for burglary of a habitation, and transported to the Gregg County Jail without incident. During the course of the investigation a male juvenile was also detained with Usery and taken to the Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with burglary of a habitation.

AUSTIN — Texas Education Agency officials said Wednesday there is an open investigation against a Union Grove ISD assistant coach and teacher. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. The state is investigating Steven Mulkey, said Debbie Graves Ratcliffe, director of communications for the TEA. Ratcliffe said there is a note on Mulkey’s certification that notes he is under review by the State Board of Educator Certification’s professional discipline unit. Ratcliffe would not comment on why Mulkey is being investigated. She said the length of an investigation by the Texas Education Agency varies, but it is typically quicker if law enforcement agencies are involved. She could not say whether law enforcement agencies are assisting with Mulkey’s case.

Union Grove ISD placed Mulkey on paid administrative leave “pending further review” in late July. Superintendent Brian Gray said Wednesday the district does not intend to hire anyone to fill Mulkey’s position. Mulkey was hired earlier this year to coach and teach history this fall semester, Gray said.

TYLER — A Tyler man has been arrested by Tyler police for alleged improper photography or visual recording. Booked into the Smith County Jail was Dennis L. Brown, 55. Officers received a phone call that a male was seen taking pictures of women behind Woodcreek Athletic Club at 6110 South Broadway. Bicycle officers working in the Rose Rudman Park area arrived at the location and contacted the suspect. Officers talked to the suspect and say they were able to locate pictures on his phone. According to police, the pictures of clothed women were randomly taken at the location and at Robert E. Lee High School. Brown reportedly officers he took the pictures specifically for his own personal sexual gratification.

LONGVIEW — A pregnant woman told Longview police that her boyfriend beat her with an unplugged alarm clock and punched her in the face during a fight late Tuesday night. Shahzad Imtiaz, 27, of Longview was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 3600 block of McCann Road after police responded at the Budget Inn. According to KETK, Imtiaz became violent and pushed the woman. She told police she tried to call 911, but he yanked the phone away from her. Imtiaz then grabbed an alarm clock and reportedly beat her. The girlfriend told police she is four months pregnant with his child. Imtiaz was charged with assault causing bodily injury family violence and interfering with an emergency call. He’s in the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $2,000 and an INS detainer.

MOUNT PLEASANT — A Mount Pleasant police officer has resigned after being charged with sexual assault of a child. Arrested Tuesday was Eric Jason Campbell, 41. His bond has been set at $250,000. Investigators are trying to determine if this was a one time incident or if there were other incidents.

WHITE OAK — A home in White Oak has been extensively damaged by fire. It was reported Wednesday afternoon in the 100 block of Archer Drive. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

GRAPELAND — An Anderson County man has died in a two vehicle accident in Houston County. Dead at the scene was Timothy John Ronnebaum, 54, of Tennessee Colony. He was killed when hiscompact car ran a stop sign and collided with a pickup driven by Kenneth Anderson, 42, of Elkhart. Anderson was not injured. The Department of Public Safety reports the wreck occurred around 1:00 Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Farm Roads 2423 and 2022, about six miles east of Grapeland.