KTBB News, Weather, Talk

EAST TEXAS — There’s a call to re-sentence an admitted East Texas arsonist who is serving life plus 20 years. Jason Bourque set a string of church fires in early 2010. His attorney Mike Snipes says Bourque is very sorry and says the sentence is way too long. He says some from the clergy have expressed forgiveness. Snipes, who presided as judge over the Kaufman County district attorney murder cases notes, “The getaway driver/accomplice and planner, that being the wife of Eric Williams, who slaughtered two district attorneys and then planned to kill others, got 40 years.” He asks how this case is more egregious than that case? Snipes said prescription drugs Bourque took led him to set the fires and says he is in no way a future danger.

KILGORE –Texas Mutual Insurance Company has awarded a $100,000 grant to Kilgore College to fund the KC Risk Management Institute. It provides workplace safety courses for community employers, workers and the general public. This is the ninth-straight year that Texas Mutual has given the $100,000 grant to KC to sustain the Risk Management Institute. The institute started in 2008. Since then, employees from more than 800 companies have traveled to KC from 79 Texas counties to take advantage of these free courses. More than half of these employees lived in KC’s four-county service area of Gregg, Harrison, Rusk and Upshur counties. The school sets course topics in response to the needs of area businesses and industries. Courses offered periodically at the Risk Management Institute include accident investigation, OSHA training, Spanish for safety supervisors, defensive driving, fleet safety management and small business safety, among others.

LINDALE – The Lindale High School Speech and Debate Team won first and second at the State UIL Debate Meet this past weekend. All four students that competed at the Meet placed in the final four round. Both Alec Ramsey (Senior) and Jonas Thrasher Evers (Junior) won gold. Sophomores Ronak Desai and Anthony Wyatt won silver. Jonas and Alec, who were undefeated for the entire tournament, are the first two-time debate state champions in Lindale history. Jonas is also the first two-time golden gavel winner in Lindale history. Jonas even stayed behind to help clean the debate auditorium after preliminary results were posted this past Friday.

LUFKIN – An Angelina County man has been arrested after being accused of trashing his motel room. Arrested Sunday at the Motel 6 on South Timberland Drive was 30 year old Jonathan Brian Winicki, of Huntington. Police were called when the man refused to leave his room at the noon checkout time. In his room, officers found almost all the electrical wires and light fixtures had been ripped out, the air conditioning unit had been dismantled, plumbing fixtures had been removed from the bathroom and the television had been broken. Winicki reportedly told officers he had taken a methamphetamine and thought there were spying devices in his room. It’s estimated he did around $5,000 worth of damage to the room.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department is asking for the public’s help in solving a long standing missing person’s case. They are looking for any information related to the current location of Teresa Lanette Barnett, who went missing nearly 28 years ago. On August 7, 1987 Barnett’s husband, Wayne Barnett let his wife out around 10:30 that morning the 200 block of East End Boulevard, which at the time was the Eckerd Drug Store. He left the vehicle at the store for his wife to use to return home. When she didn’t return, he went back to the store. The car was where he left it, but there was no trace of his wife. Her purse was located days later at the intersection of South Washington and Lakeview Dr. South. Barnett was 30 years of age when she went missing. Continue reading Marshall Police Seek Missing Person

HOUSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review an appeal from an Ore City man on death row for killing two men days apart during a crime trek across the state more than 14 years ago. The high court made no comment Monday in its decision on the appeal from 32-year-old Clinton Lee Young. The ruling upholds a federal appeals court’s rejection last summer of arguments that Young had deficient legal help at his 2002 trial in Midland and that prosecutors improperly withheld evidence. Young was convicted and condemned for the November 2001 fatal shootings of Doyle Douglas in Longview and then Samuel Petrey a day or two later in a Midland oilfield after carjacking him in Eastland, about 53 miles east of Abilene.

TYLER — Authorities identify a pedestrian killed Sunday morning after being struck by a vehicle as Cuong Huy Nguyen, 42. According to KETK, Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Jean Dark said the incident happened along Interstate 20 East in Smith County, just east of the Highway 110 exit. Dark said the call came in just before 5:00. Nguyen was pronounced dead at the scene. Further details have not been released.

LONGVIEW — You’ve most likely been seeing yellow pollen dust on your car windshield, and it’s making things hard on those suffering from allergies. Warm and windy weather is sending allergy symptoms into overdrive for many across the Lone Star State. Dr. Todd Holman is with a Longview allergy and asthma clinic and says that once your allergies begin affecting your quality of life, it’s time to see a doctor. Holman comments, “I think if you’re taking a lot of Benadryl and you’re groggy, and you feel drunk in the morning, you need to do something different, because there’s no reason to be miserable — not in today’s world.” And Holman says that the best way to control your allergies is avoidance, although that isn’t always the easiest option.

TATUM — Tatum ISD has accepted the resignation of a teacher who officials say is being investigated for multiple inappropriate relationships with students. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, district officials refused to release the name of the teacher, and it is not clear whether any criminal charges have been filed. Superintendent Dee Hartt said the district first was alerted to the inappropriate relationships Monday evening, and the district started an independent investigation beginning Tuesday morning. Hartt said it was then, during the investigation, that the educator in question resigned, effective immediately. Continue reading Tatum Teacher Resigns Amid Allegations

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County man wanted for several outstanding warrants has been arrested by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Friday. According to KETK, Jaaquan Colelyn Brown, 21, was wanted for two probation violations for burglary and assault of a public servant. In February of last year, Brown assaulted two Tyler Police Officers while being arrested. Authorities received information leading investigators to a house on Maxwell Street and while the deputies were approaching the residence, Brown ran into a nearby junkyard. He was apprehended a short time later. In addition to his current charges, Brown was also charged with evading arrest. He was booked into the Smith County jail.

LONGVIEW — A plane crash in Longview is under investigation. Injured was the plane’s pilot, Brian Mahan, 48, of Longview. He is said to have over 20 years flying experience. Mahan was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center. His injuries were said to have been non-life threatening. The Longview Fire Department reported responding to the crash just after 8:00 Friday morning north of the 2200 block of East Marshall Avenue. Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sylvia Jennings told the Longview News Journal, the pilot realized after taking off that heavy cloud cover would prevent him from flying so he turned around to land. Continue reading Longview Man Injured in Friday Morning Plane Crash

LONGVIEW – The family of Kristiana Coginard, 17, killed inside Longview Police Department in January, 2015, have settled a $10 million federal lawsuit with the city. According to city spokesman Sean Hara, a mediation agreement was made to settle the case for $15,000. The family had initially sought $10 million. The suit alleged the city failed to properly train officers. The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool handled the case on behalf of the city. It’s expected that the formal documents will be finalized in a few weeks. Continue reading Dead Teen’s Family Settles Lawsuit with Longview

TYLER – Some area roads remain closed because of the heavy rains of last week. The Texas Department of Transportation reports Farm Road 1804 in Smith and Wood counties remains closed due to flood waters. With the opening of Farm Road 2087 in Longview Friday, Farm Road 1804 is the only road in the Tyler District still holding water. Crews will continue to monitor this location so that when the water recedes, it can be inspected for damage and opened to traffic. Continue reading Area Road Update

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man has been arrested after being accused of injuring his wheelchair-bound wife. James Michael Cook, 50, has been charged with injury to a disabled person. Lufkin police say the incident happened around 7:30 Thursday night in the parking lot of K-Mart. His wife told officers Cook got angry with her, accusing her of stealing his tablet. He is said to have first tried spinning her out of the chair. When that didn’t work he is said to have thrown her from the chair. She is said to have suffered injuries to her wrists, a knee and her back. At last report, her husband remained in the Angelina County Jail.

TYLER – More Smith County roads, inundated by last week’s rains, are back in service. A report from the county says County Road 165, between County Road 166 and Farm Road 2493, has been repaired and reopened. Also, County Road 455, County Road 420 and County Road 2180 no longer have high water over them and all have been reopened to drivers.

MARSHALL – A fatal two vehicle accident in Marshall remains under investigation. The crash happened around 2:15 Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Loop 390 and the Karnack Highway. Pronounced dead at the scene was Jose Ivan Garcia Moreno of Marshall. His wife is hospitalized in stable condition. The driver of the other vehicle was taken to a Marshall hospital for treatment. Witness tell Marshall police the southbound vehicle crossed over into the northbound lane and hit Moreno’s car.

TYLER — Authorities have released the name of a little Smith County girl killed in a tragic accident earlier this month. According to KETK, she has been identified her as two year old Abbie Spaccia who was injured March 6th in the 18,000 block of County Road 2323 near Whitehouse. A driver, on the way to a grocery store, ran over the youngster with their van. She was first taken by a private vehicle to a local hospital where she was in critical condition. She was later flown to Children’s Hospital in Dallas, where she died. The death has been ruled accidental.

LUFKIN – A little Lufkin girl has died after being left in a car for a lengthy period of time. Justice of the Peace Billy Ball has identified the victim as seven month old Peyton Hale-Williams. She was found in a car seat in her grandmother’s car in the parking lot of the State Supported Living Center. Her grandmother works at the center. The Angelina County Sheriff’s Department the said the girl had been in the car several hours before being found just before 5:00 Tuesday afternoon. She was rushed to a Lufkin hospital, where she later died.

TYLER — Smith County Judge Joel Baker remains under scrutiny, with a computer forensics expers now weighing in. A woman who wishes to remain anonymous claims Baker friended her on Facebook and sent her lewd messages and obscene pictures of himself. She asked computer forensic investigator Tim McLemee to prove it was him. McLemee responded, “The photographs, the countless messages on the Facebook, and the multiple telephone calls — there’s absolutely, positively no way that this is not Joel Baker. I honestly did not want it to be him when we started. I’m taking no pleasure in being involved in this.” Continue reading Baker Remains under Scrutiny; Computer Forensic Expert Weighs In

ATHENS — ATHENS — Two teenagers have been shot during an attempted robbery Wednesday night. According to KETK, just after 9:00 at the Game X-change on East Tyler Street in Athens, four suspects entered the store, pulled a gun and ordered the employees and customers to the floor. While the four were taking money from the register, an off-duty officer attempted to stop the robbery and shot two of the suspects. They were detained until officers arrived. A 16-year-old was flown to a Tyler hospital. The other teen was treated at the scene. Leroy Horton, 18 and Troy Horton, 17 (pictured) were both taken to the Henderson County Justice Center. All four suspects face charges of aggravated robbery.

EAST TEXAS (AP) – Four more counties have been added to the Texas disaster declaration area following last week’s storms that have led to thousands of evacuations and possibly two deaths. Gov. Greg Abbott says people in Henderson, Shelby, Smith and Walker counties join 21 other counties in being eligible for government disaster help. The amended disaster proclamation was signed Wednesday after Abbott toured communities in the flood-ravaged region. The declaration for the other 21 counties was announced March 14, after East Texas was slammed by as much as 20 inches of rain over four days last week. Steadily rising waters along rivers prompted evacuations beginning last weekend. The flooding has led to intermittent closures of stretches of Interstate 10, one of the country’s major transportation arteries.

TYLER — A Tyler teen has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child. Taken into custody was 17 year old Montravion Mapps. A woman said she caught the teen in bed with her six year old granddaughter. She said after being caught, Mapps jumped out of bed and started pulling up his pants. The little girl was in bed with her pants down. After an investigation, the teen was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail. Bond was set at $400,000.

MINEOLA – A former manager of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce is going to Jail. Pam Franklin has been sentenced to 10 years for forgery and two years for each credit card abuse count, to be served concurrently. Both sentences were probated and will serve 180 days in the Wood County Jail under a plea agreement. She has also forfeited her vehicle to the Police Department and has repaid around $25,000 in restitution to the city.

MARSHALL – One person has been killed and two injured in a head-on collision in Marshall. The crash happened around 2:15 Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Loop 390 and the Karnack Highway. The driver of one of the vehicles was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the injured was to a Louisiana hospital. The other injured person was taken to Good Shepherd Hospital-Marshall. Names have not been released and the cause of the accident remains under investigation.

TYLER – A Smith County Jail inmate is hospitalized after he was found hanging in his cell. He is 32 year old Thomas Haley of Lindale. He was found hanging by a towel in the shower of his cell shortly after 6:45 Tuesday evening. Sheriff Larry Smith said Haley was found 26 minutes after his last check. State standards require inmates, such as Haley, to be checked every 30 minutes. Haley, who had been in jail since last October, was being held for nonpayment of child support and evading and resisting arrest. He is currently listed in critical but stable condition.