KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport posted a 14.9% increase in passenger boardings for 2013. According to a news release, the airport recorded 85,069 passengers in 2013 versus 74,019 passengers in 2012. Additionally, officials say, airport rental car businesses have shown impressive increases. Records indicate the on-site airport rental car companies leasing 13,189 cars as of November 2013 compared to 11,457 cars for the entire year of 2012, with December’s numbers expected to be reported on January 20. Private aviation activities have also grown in 2013, with increased aviation fuel sales up 24% from 2012. Continue reading Growth at the Tyler Airport

CHAPEL HILL – The Hester family of Chapel Hill lost everything in a house fire in early January, except for each other — and a giving community. The Chapel Hill Baseball Association held a softball tournament Saturday to raise money: $225 dollars per team. And East Texans have been dropping off extra supplies — food, clothes, cookware, and the like. Homeowner Bobby Hester tells KETK, “What’s important to us is that we have each other and that we have neighbors and friends and a community like this.” Hester says if he won the lottery and was able to move anywhere, there’s no place he’d rather be than in Chapel Hill, with God, family and his community.

TYLER — East Texas school officials get busy addressing the issue after the number of schools falling short of minimum standards doubled from 2012. Seven Tyler schools made the list, which grew because of newer, higher standards. Students do have the option to transfer to a different district if they choose, but Tyler ISD’s Karen Raney tells KETK you don’t see students transfer out of her district too often. Raney says, “It’s a funding incentive to take out of district transfers if they choose, but they don’t in this area.”

MINEOLA — A Two vehicle accident in Wood County his killed one person and injured one. It happened around 10:15 Sunday morning on U.S. Highway 69, about 5 miles north of Mineola. Dead at the scene was Michael Ray Neagle, 56, of Quitman. Injured was Edward Wilburn, 47, of Pecan Gap, Texas. The Department of Public Safety reports Neagle was northbound when he veered into the southbound lane. He was his by an 18-wheeler driven by Wilburn. The accident remains under investigation.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. (AP) — Former Longview resident Matthew McConaughey has won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama for “Dallas Buyers Club.” Born in Uvalde, McConaughey attended high school in Longview. The other nominees Sunday night were Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”; Idris Elba, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”; Tom Hanks, “Captain Phillips”; and Robert Redford, “All Is Lost.”

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

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews on Monday are scheduled to perform pavement-texturing operations on westbound Interstate Highway 20 between Lavender Road and U.S. Highway 69. On Tuesday and for the rest of the week, crews will move to perform the same operation on Farm Road 346 between Blackjack and Troup. A second crew is scheduled to perform edge work on U.S. Highway 69 north of Tyler between Tyler Pipe and Interstate 20. 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 zone. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

MT VERNON — The Northeast Texas Area Crime Stoppers and the Mt. Vernon Police Department are asking for assistance with their Crime of the Week. On Wednesday, December 18, two black females entered the Brookshires in Mt. Vernon and passed a forged payroll check. According to KETK, information later found from Brookshire’s Corporate Office shows those same women are believed to have passed similar checks in Tyler, Gladewater, Overton, Marshall, Quitman, and Commerce. If anyone has any information they are asked to call the Northeast Texas Area Crime Stoppers at 903-577-8477. Web tips can also be be submitted at http://www.netacrimestoppers.org or via text by sending NTX and your tip to 274-637. If the information given leads to the arrest or recovery of stolen property a cash reward of $1,000 could be given.

TYLER — One man is arrested following a Tyler shooting. Police were called to the Rose Valley Apartment Complex, 1007 Loop 323 N NW, just after 9:00 Friday night and found that a 25-year-old woman had been shot in the face. She was taken to ETMC with non life-threatening injuries. She is expected to make a full recovery. After further investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Ke’Avier Jarrod (KJ) Wilson-Hurd, 20, Tyler. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on an aggravated assault charge with bond set at $500,000. No motive for the shooting has been released. Continue reading Woman Shot in Face Expected to Recover, Suspect Remains Jailed

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating an armed robbery. It happened just before 11:00 Saturday morning at the Valero gas station located at 6500 South Broadway. Authorities said an unknown male suspect entered the store, displayed a handgun and demanded money. The clerk gave him an undetermined amount of cash and the suspect fled southbound on foot. The suspect is described as male, approximately 5’08″ tall, wearing a Halloween type mask, green hooded jacket, blue jeans, brown boots and dark gloves. No one was injured during the incident. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or Tyler/Smith County Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and charges filed against the suspects in this case or any other felony case.

LONGVIEW — Two men are behind bars after a drug raid Thursday afternoon. It happened just after 4:30 at a home on Nibilick Steet. Members of the Gregg County Organized Drug Unit and Longview SWAT team raided the home and made several arrests on drug charges. According to KETK, authorities arrested William Bradley Smith, 34, (pictured) and Monta Lamon Sherow, 32, both of Longview for possession of 4 to 200 grams of methamphetamines. They were also charged with possession of marijuana. These men have a long list of previous charges, according to online records. Smith has previous pending charges against him. The two are being held without bond on detainers issued by the U.S. Marshal’s office.

EAST TEXAS — A silver alert has been discontinued after a missing elderly woman with a cognitive impairment showed up on her family’s doorstep in Lindale. Before she turned up in East Texas, Mont Belvieu police say Doris Bunselmeyer, 85, was last seen at 5:00 p.m., Friday evening in the 9700 block of Inwood Circle. According to KETK, she was seen driving a red 2009 Toyota Corolla with a Texas License Plate 1CRWZ. Bunselmeyer used to be a teacher at Whitehouse ISD and could be headed to her relative’s home in Lindale. Viewers told KETK, Mrs. Bun used to be a Physical Education teacher and the drill team director at Whitehouse.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to a one vehicle accident Friday night around 7:15 at 1200 E Front Street. Officers said a black Dodge Ram, driven by a 16 year old girl, slid off of the road and crashed into a utility pole. The pole was knocked over and the lines fell onto Front Street. Front Street was shut down for a brief time while Oncor removed the lines from the roadway.

TYLER – A 38-year-old Tyler man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations. Mark Rushton Lawless pleaded guilty on September 5, 2013 to possession of child pornography, transportation of a child to engage in sexual activity, production of child pornography, and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Lawless was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison Friday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider. Continue reading Smith County Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of Children

TYLER – A 42-year-old Farmersville man has been sentenced to federal prison during a Tyler proceeding. Craig Marcus Cooper pleaded guilty on Sep. 11, 2013, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Friday by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider. According to information presented in court, on Jan. 13, 2012, Cooper and a co-defendant, Colten David Barrow, traveled together to the Dukes Truck Stop on Highway 64 in Van Zandt County to meet an individual interested in purchasing a fully-automatic machine gun and silencer for $10,000. The prospective buyer was an undercover federal agent and Cooper and Barrow were arrested at the scene. Continue reading Collin County Felon Sentenced for Federal Firearms Violation

LONGVIEW — A Longview man who is on probation for bigamy was jailed after warrants accused him of assault. KETK reports Joseph Lederle Seastrunk, 42, was arrested Wednesday, after outstanding warrants revealed he was being accused of injury to a child, elderly person, or disabled person and assault by strangulation. Seastrunk was arrested in January 2011 on the bigamy charges. He was given five years’ probation as his sentence in the bigamy case but now faces jail time if his probation is revoked. He was released Thursday night on $10,000 bond.

LONGVIEW — Fire officials say a Thursday night blaze has displaced four in Longview. Around 10:31 p.m., the Longview Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 3507 Gene Drive. KETK reports the flames affected both sides of the duplex. No injuries were reported. The cause was a cooking-grease fire which caused approximately $75,000 in damage. The Red Cross was contacted to assist the residents.

KILGORE — Kilgore Police are seeking two individuals accused of fraud. The two are suspected of fraudulently writing checks on a closed bank account. The checks, originally stolen in Tyler, have been passed in Tyler, Kilgore, Overton, and New London. KETK reports the female suspect reportedly has a fairly large scar on her face, possibly from a car accident. If you have any information regarding the identity of the suspects, contact Detective Tim Dukes at 903.983.1559 or you can call Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903.236.STOP or text your anonymous tip to 847411+KILGORE+your tip.

KILGORE — Kilgore officials are searching for individuals connected to numerous acts of vandalism in the area. Between January 7 and 9, Kilgore police responded to multiple acts of vandalism in various parts of the city. KETK reports these crimes consisted of damage or destruction of mailboxes and causing water damage to private property. All reported incidents occurred during the nighttime hours. Anyone with any information regarding the identities of the actors in these offenses is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 903-236-STOP (7867) or TIP411 or call the Kilgore Police Criminal Investigation Unit at 903-983-1559.

TYLER — The Tyler Independent School District announces the hiring of Maya Bethany as the executive director of the Tyler ISD Foundation. Bethany has been approved by the foundation’s board of directors and joins the Tyler ISD Foundation from the Lindale Independent School District, where she currently serves as the district’s communications specialist and executive director of the Lindale ISD Education Foundation. She is a familiar face to many in Tyler as she previously worked as a news reporter and sports anchor for KLTV from 2004-2009. An Emmy-winning journalist known on-air as Maya Golden, she has also earned several Texas Associated Press Broadcasters awards. Continue reading New Chief for TISD Foundation

TYLER – Smith County authorities are still on the hunt for a suspect in a burglary last fall. On November 6, 2013, a Smith County deputy was dispatched to a burglary of a building call at Bulldog Storage, located in the 11000 block of Highway 64 East. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered that entry to the office building had been gained during the evening hours on November 5, by breaking a front window. Surveillance video shows what appears to be a light-complected man, possibly in his 20s or 30s, average build, wearing jeans, a bandana over the bottom of his face, and gloves. Authorities say the suspect took an undetermined number of items. If you know anything about this burglary or the identity of the suspect, contact Detective Matthew Christian at the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-590-2968.

TYLER — Participants from all over East Texas can join together to create a healthier East Texas community. The kickoff event for Lighten Up East Texas will be held at the Broadway Square Mall in Tyler. Registration got underway Friday from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. and continues Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Registration tables will be located inside the mall on both days. Free health screenings and prize giveaways will be available on Saturday. Continue reading Lighten Up East Texas Kicks Off

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) — Texas education authorities say the number of schools falling short of minimum standards and placed on the Public Education Grant list doubled from 2012 because of newer, higher standards. A number of East Texas campuses are named. A total of 892 schools were listed statewide in 2013, up from 456 in 2012. The list allows students to transfer from substandard schools to other campuses. Continue reading Number of Failing Texas Schools Nearly Doubles; Many in East Texas

LONGVIEW — Longview Police have identified the body of a man that was found in a creek Thursday afternoon. Police tell KETK the body is that of Timothy Liles, 25, of Longview. Around 1:00 p.m., a meter reader stumbled upon Liles’s body in the 2400 block of Loop 281. This is in the area of Brandon Avenue, across the loop from Goodwill. Authorities originally believed Liles was from Winona before confirming his Longview residence. Liles had been staying at the Hiway 80 Rescue Mission for the past few nights.The case remains open pending autopsy results. Officials do not immediately suspect foul play is involved, but they are waiting for the results of the autopsy before it is completely ruled out.

TYLER — A 46-year-old Grapeland man pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. Robbie Newby entered the plea in Tyler federal court. According to authorities, in March 2012, Newby coerced or persuaded a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating child pornography. Newby faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

TYLER — 49-year-old Alvin Westley of Palestine pleads guilty in Tyler federal court to possession of child pornography. According to prosecutors, Westley was found with child porn in January 2011. During the investigation, it was revealed that he’s a registered sex offender, having been previously convicted of three counts of indecency with a child. Westley faces a minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

TYLER — The queen of the 2014 Texas Rose Festival is Kathryn Elizabeth “Katie” Peltier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert James Peltier. The announcement came at the Tyler Rose Museum’s annual Winter Gala. Katie says she’s excited about the honor. She tells KTBB, “I don’t think anyone really realizes, if they’re not from Tyler, how much goes into this…It’s great for our economy, it’s great for our rose industry…It truly is more than just girls standing around in pretty dresses.” This year’s festival runs Oct. 16-19. The theme, also announced at the Winter Gala, is “Cirque de la Rose.”

LONGVIEW — Longview police say the death of a woman whose body was found near a creek on Sabine Street back in October was not a homicide. The body was that of Maria Raquel Johnson, 41, of Longview. Witnesses reported seeing an SUV parked on the side of the road in the 1000 block of Sabine Street the day before the body was found. The witnesses say they saw a Mexican male come out of the woods near the vehicle. It is thought to have been an early 2000’s model Chevrolet Suburban or similar SUV. If anyone has seen this vehicle, you are asked to contact Longview Police.

TYLER — A woman wanted by Smith County authorities since August of last year has been arrested in Wood County. The U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested Elizabeth Ann Frowley, 33. She was found hiding in a freezer in the garage of a relative’s home in the Enchanted Lakes community near Mineola. She was wanted on four felony charges, two warrants for felon in possession of firearm, bond forfeiture for manufacture or delivery of Methamphetamine, and Failure to Appear for court. Another wanted person was also at the home where Frowley was arrested. Taken into custody was David Eugene Walker, 31. He was wanted for probation violations/original charge possession of controlled substance in Van Zandt County.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have arrested a man who is accused of sneaking into a house to have sex with a 12 year old girl. Javier Eduardo Ramirez, 29, of Mount Pleasant was arrested after the girl’s parents contact authorities. According to a report in the Longview News-Journal, the parents had intercepted text messages between the two in which Ramirez said he was on his way to the girl’s house. Police reports say the man went through a window of the house to meet the girl. Instead, he found the girl’s parents. A police officer was waiting nearby. Ramirez has been charged with burglary of a habitat with the intent of committing a sexual offense. He was booked into the Gregg County jail under a $50,000 bond.

TYLER — This flu season, there have been two confirmed deaths in Tyler as a result of the contagious virus, one at ETMC and another at Mother Frances. KETK reports these flu numbers for ETMC Tyler:

Week of December 8, 2013 – 20 patients tested positive for the flu.
Week of December 14, 2013 – 46 patients tested positive for the flu.
Week of December 22, 2013 – 59 patients tested positive for the flu and one tested positive for H1N1.
Week of December 30, 2013 – 42 patients tested positive for the flu and one person died.

Mother Frances in Tyler reports 57 patients tested positive for the flu, nine were admitted to the hospital, and one person has died. 98.6 percent of cases at TMF have been flu-related. Continue reading Flu Concerns on the Rise; Two Deaths Reported in Tyler