KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — According to documents from the Texas Ethics Commission, Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith broke multiple Election Codes and Ethics Commission Rules. The documents state Sheriff Smith did not disclose campaign contributions, file a timely semiannual campaign finance report, or file campaign finance reports correctly; was improperly reimbursed for political expenditures; and used contributions for personal use. Reports show Sheriff Smith used $3,920.36 worth of political contributions for two books, one of which has been published, “The Christmas Day Murders.” The commission fined Sheriff Smith $1,600 for his violations. Smith wasn’t immediately available for comment.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center has announced its 15th anniversary season. The Distinguished Lecture Series includes An Evening with Senator Fred Thompson September 13 and An Evening with P.J. O’Rourke January 19. Among the other offerings: Disney’s “Beauty And The Beast” on October 22, Huey Lewis and The News October 29, Tony winner Idina Menzel November 19, Mel Brooks’s new musical “Young Frankenstein” on March 16, and Bill Cosby April 14. New season subscriptions are on sale now at http://www.cowancenter.org or at the Cowan Center box office. You can also call 903-566-7424. Box office hours are 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. The deadline to purchase season subscriptions is Friday, August 5.

“We are so proud of the talent and variety we have put together for East Texas performing arts fans to enjoy this season,” Thomae-Morphew said. “A million memories have been created since our center opened its doors in 1997, and we plan to make more great ones with our fifteenth anniversary celebration. Buying season tickets is the only way to assure patrons of getting the best seats at the lowest price. In addition, our subscribers become part of our Cowan Center family with their loyal attendance. We hope everyone will consider subscribing to one, two or all of our series.”

TYLER — A Tyler woman who’d pleaded guilty to manslaughter gets 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence she could have received. Authorities say Jerdene Boyd, 51, had trace amounts of cocaine, marijuana and opiates in her system last September 2 when she ran from police and fatally rear-ended a Plano man. But they say the vehicle was the weapon, and she was not under the influence of the drugs. Authorities say she rear-ended Robert Bass, 55, of Plano, on South Broadway while Bass was stopped at a light. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to authorities, investigators determined that Boyd has never been issued a Texas Drivers License and had no insurance.

LUFKIN — Lufkin police officers are looking for two suspects in a late-night robbery at the Dairy Queen at 301 North John Redditt Drive in Lufkin. Around 11:00 Wednesday night, officers responded to the business in reference to a robbery reported to have just occurred. According to police, employees said that two unidentified suspects appeared at the restaurant as the employees were closing for the day, They said one displayed a handgun and ordered the employees to lie on the floor, stole a cash box containing currency, and then fled on foot from the restaurant.

The employees described the suspects as black males, 5’10″ to 6’00” tall, weighing 150 to 175 pounds, wearing dark-colored, long-sleeve shirts with red text or graphics on the front and back sides, dark-colored Dickie-style pants, dark-colored wave caps on their heads, and blue bandanas covering the lower portions of their faces. The responding officers were unable to locate the suspects but recovered evidence from the area; the incident was referred for further investigation.

MOUNT ENTERPRISE — The fire that killed a 25-year-old woman and her two children Tuesday morning has been ruled undetermined, according to the preliminary report issued Wednesday from the state fire marshal. Rusk County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Viki Penny said the fire marshal spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday investigating the fire, but was unable to determine an official cause. The fire still is under investigation. Penny said a witness told officials that the fire started near a window air conditioning unit and the house didn’t have any smoke detectors installed.

Firefighters from Mount Enterprise, Eastside, Timpson and Garrison volunteer fire departments were dispatched to the house fire in the 4000 block of County Road 3175 about 6:30 Tuesday morning. After the fire was extinguished several hours later, officials found three bodies in the home. Penny said April Nicole Yarbrough was found dead in the home with her two sons, Zi’Quaven Ki’onta Yarbrough, 7, and Tyrell Deshawn Dixon, 3. Sheriff’s department officials encouraged residents to make sure they have working smoke detectors in their home.

EAST TEXAS — A former Winnsboro band director has been sentenced to prison for sexual assault and indecency with a child. During a sentencing hearing in Franklin County, Paul Bramlett’s probation was revoked and he was sentenced to two 15 year prison sentences to be served concurrently. The District Attorney said during the hearing that Bramlett admitted to the crimes and pleaded guilty. He also admitted to having an improper relationship with a student while he was teaching at a private school in Fort Worth.

LONGVIEW — A Longview teen was arrested Wednesday morning after police said he tried to steal a necklace from a convenience store. Dillon Wayne Scott, 17, remained jailed Wednesday on $21,000 bond, charged with theft, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance. Scott was arrested around 1:00 at the Texas Best Smokehouse in the 3300 block of South Eastman Road. During a search, police found 3.6 grams of methamphetamine in his shirt pocket.

LONGVIEW — A Gladewater man was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge after police said he was found passed out in his truck in the Whataburger drive-thru. Leon Charles Gearhart, 49 was released from jail on $5,000 bond, charged with driving while intoxicated, third offense. Longview Police arrested Gearhart around 2:45 Tuesday morning after a Whataburger employee in the 2400 block of Gilmer Road reported that a man was passed out in his vehicle in the drive-thru.

Officials said when police arrived, Gearhart was found asleep in a truck with the vehicle still in drive. The officer put the truck in park, turned off the truck and woke up the driver. Police said he refused part of a sobriety test. Gearhart was transported to the jail for suspicion of driving while intoxicated and a mandatory blood sample was drawn because he had two prior convictions.

NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches man has been arrested and charged with falsifying evidence that helped overturn the capital murder conviction of a Cushing woman. Arrested Tuesday night was James Patrick Capps, 31. Investigators say they have evidence that Capps forged documents regarding Marcia Kelly’s murder-for-hire case; He has been charged with two counts of falsifying evidence.

TYLER – A Mexican national has appeared in Tyler federal court to be sentenced to for drug trafficking violation in East Texas. Gabriel Hernandez Rodriguez, who was illegally living in Tyler, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Rodriguez was also ordered to submit to forfeiture in the amount of $50,000.00.

Federal prosecutors say, from an unknown date to January 13, 2010, Rodriguez conspired with Jose Zavala of Whitehouse to distribute methamphetamine in East Texas. Rodriguez also possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Rodriguez was arrested last September 28 and charged with federal drug trafficking crimes.

Zavala pleaded guilty last July and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison on March 28, 2011.

TYLER — Tyler ISD is holding a public hearing on its redistricting plan this afternoon at 5:30 in the Birdwell Elementary School cafeteria, 2010 Talley Avenue. Officials say residents are invited to address proposed redistricting Illustrative Plan 1 concerning new boundaries for TISD trustee districts. Officials say the board will receive comments but will not discuss the plan or its relative merits. According to the 2010 Census data, the school district’s trustee districts are not of sufficiently equal population and must be redrawn in order to comply with the “one-person, one-vote” principle established by the U.S. Constitution. The hearing will be followed by the regular monthly school board meeting, also to be held in the Birdwell cafeteria.

TYLER – A Dallas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug violations in East Texas. Jose Gaona-Arroyo pleaded guilty on June 1, 2010, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison yesterday by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis.

According to federal prosecutors, beginning in 2007, Gaona-Arroyo conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Dallas County, which was then transported through the Eastern District of Texas to be delivered elsewhere. Gaona-Arroyo was arrested in Smith County on July 23, 2009, in possession of approximately one pound of methamphetamine. Gaona-Arroyo and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 5, 2009.

TYLER – A 33-year-old Henderson woman has been sentenced to federal prison for drug violations in the Eastern District of Texas. Marianna Matthews pleaded guilty on Dec. 8, 2010, to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison Wednesday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis. According to prosecutors, from April 2009 to February 2010, Matthews purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at various stores in Kilgore, Tyler, Longview, and Henderson. The pills were purchased in furtherance of Matthews’ conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine with others. Matthews and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2010.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has voted unanimously to accept an agreement with the City of Lindale that will establish Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) boundaries for both communities. Due to annexations by both cities, their extraterritorial jurisdictions have reached each other. Officials say representatives of both cities have had discussions and arrived at an exchange of extraterritorial jurisdiction area resulting in a north boundary for Tyler and south boundary line for Lindale. Officials say that’s in order to provide for orderly development — particularly along the I-20, Loop 49, and U.S. Highway 69 corridors — and to provide for a mutually agreeable settlement. “We have been working with our neighboring communities to ensure there is agreement on where the ETJ is for each of us,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass (pictured). “We want to work together to do what is best for the region.”

A community’s ETJ is typically established by the number of residents in a community. Tyler’s current ETJ extends five miles while Lindale’s is one mile from the city limit line; as annexations occur, the city limit line moves, which results in a community’s ETJ also extending. An ETJ is considered a future planning area and is an anticipated area of growth for a community. “As both of our cities grow, we will need to work together,” said Lindale City Manager Owen Scott. “The agreement we have reached is in the best interests of both communities.”

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas has recently been alerted of a scam that is again plaguing local hotels and their guests, in which a scam artist obtains the credit card information of hotel guests over the phone. The calls are typically made in the middle of the night. The caller indicates he or she is a hotel employee and the hotel computer system has crashed. In order to complete the hotel audit, the caller says he or she must have the call recipient’s credit card number. Many times, the caller also offers a discount on the room for the inconvenience. BBB officials say these callers are very convincing, and many hotel guests do fall for this scam. Whether the scam artist is actually a guest in the hotel, or whether the calls are coming from outside the hotel and the scammer has obtained the direct number to each room, has not yet been determined.

Hotel managers are being asked to alert their guests of this scam and remind them not to provide their credit card information over the phone during their stay. The managers are asked to let guests know if there is ever a problem with billing, the hotel staff will handle it at the front desk and not over the phone. To report a fraud or scam, you can call the BBB Hotline: (903) 581-8373.