KTBB News, Weather, Talk

COMMERCE — Congressman Ralph Hall has finalized the donation of his personal papers and memorabilia to Texas A&M University-Commerce. It came yesterday in a signing ceremony with President Dan R. Jones at the A&M-Commerce at Rockwall facility. “I hope the papers in this collection are valuable to you, and I hope they’re a good resource to the students at A&M-Commerce. They are a reflection of my life in public service, and it’s an honor to be a part of the future of this university,” said Congressman Hall. Continue reading Congressman Ralph Hall Finalizes Donation of Papers to A&M-Commerce

TYLER — Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass has appointed a task force to make recommendations to the City Council regarding the potential use of parts or all of the S.A. Lindsey Building at Elm and Broadway as an art center. “We envision this art center serving our art community as well as becoming a tourism destination for the region,” said Bass. The S.A. Lindsey Building was gifted to the City of Tyler in 2010 by the R.W. Fair Foundation and the Fair Estate. It is located at 123 S. Broadway and is currently vacant. The structure has eight floors and more than 50,000 square feet of space. Continue reading Mayor Appoints Arts Task Force

TYLER — Due to what’s termed the overwhelming generosity of the Tyler community, on July 8th The Salvation Army will reinstate the community lunch Monday through Friday 12:15-1:00. This lunch is open to those who are in need but do not reside in the lodge at The Salvation Army. Continue reading Salvation Army Reinstates Community Lunch Meals

SHREVEPORT LA. — Shreveport authorities say an Anderson County man has died after being hit by several cars. Dead at the scene was Curtis Bentley, 51, of Palestine. Investigators say his car hit several curbs and veered down an embankment along Interstate 220. He got out of the car when it came to rest on the shoulder of the interstate. It was then he was hit by up to 5 vehicles. The accident occurred around 11:00 Sunday night. The accident remains under investigation.

TYLER – The Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas reports new activity for a phone scam that’s making the rounds in which the caller claims to be from Microsoft, a trusted household name. The caller offers to repair a wifi network problem or remove a computer virus, all in an effort to gain remote control access to the consumer’s computer. Consumers in East Texas have contacted the BBB to report receiving a phone call from a “Microsoft employee” who told them they ‘detected’ a virus on their computer. The callers identify themselves as being from Microsoft tech support, and claim the consumer’s computer has contracted a virus. They then provide the consumer with instructions on how to get rid of the virus by convincing them to allow remote access to the consumer’s computer. Continue reading BBB Warns of Microsoft Phone Scam

GILMER — A Gladewater woman has been sentenced to 10 years’ probation for theft from Union Grove Water Supply Corporation. KETK reports Janna L. Goza, 45, had pleaded guilty in Gilmer’s 115th District Court to theft of a property over $20,000 but less than $100,000. Continue reading Woman Gets Ten Years’ Probation in Theft from Water Supply Corporation

LAKE FORK — Two people are dead and a 12-year-old child is critically injured after a boating accident in Wood County. KETK reports the wreck happened just before 8:45 Monday night when two boats collided on Lake Fork. The boats were moving fast on a plane just north of the 115 bridge, according to officials. Both boat drivers were killed, and the child was flown to Dallas for care. Names of the victims will not be released at this time due to general policy by the game warden. Both boats have now been recovered from the lake.

CHANDLER — The Chandler Volunteer Fire Department reports three firemen have been taken to a local hospital after a fire erupted in the Point Royal addition. KETK reports the firefighters are believed to be suffering from heat exhaustion or smoke inhalation. Fire crews from Chandler, Westside, Brownsboro and Coffee City all responded to the fire.

TYLER — East Texas cardiologists are the first in Texas to implant an investigational bioresorbable vascular scaffold, similar to a stent except it eventually dissolves, for patients with heart disease as part of a national clinical trial. That’s according to a news release from East Texas Medical Center. Absorb, manufactured by the healthcare company Abbott, is a small mesh tube that is designed to open a blocked heart vessel, restore blood flow to the heart, and then dissolve into the blood vessel over time. The trial is being conducted by physicians of Tyler Cardiovascular Consultants and is being performed at the ETMC Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Robert Carney with Tyler CVC is the principal investigator and Dr. Frank Navetta performed the first implantation in the trial June 21.

TYLER — Some East Texans could be looking for a new place to live after their home in Tyler caught fire. According to KETK, it happened in the 800 block of South Turner Street around 3:00 Tuesday morning. Neighbors apparently made the call for help when they spotted smoke. So far, no injuries have been reported.

LONGVIEW — Two persons have been injured, one critically in a motorcycle accident in Longview. It happened around 9:30 Monday night at the intersection of Loop 281 and Bill Owens Parkway. KETK reports one of the persons sustained life threatening injuries.

TERRELL — The funeral will be held later this week for a DPS trooper from East Texas. Authorities say Senior Trooper Rex Akin, 67, died of a heart attack Saturday night in Terrell. Funeral arrangements for Trooper Akin are being made for this Friday. Officials say he was a 38-year veteran with the department, and Akin was well-known for giving self-defense tips to female truckers at the Great American Trucking Shows. Trooper Akin’s son is also a DPS trooper, in Wood County.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert was less than pleased with the response of Attorney General Eric Holder when he recently met with the House Judiciary Committee. According to KETK and Fox News, Gohmert says Holder, under oath, denied knowledge of the intentional prosecution of a Fox correspondent or other reporters. It was later discovered that Holder signed off on the original warrant for the secret search of the reporter’s email. According to Gohmert, “Well, now we have an attorney general who is saying, ‘No, I didn’t lie to you, because I never intended to prosecute,’ which means the documents they submitted to the court were a lie; it was a fraud on the court.” Gohmert also said we need to clean house of judges willing to sign anything regardless of whether there is sufficient evidence.

GREGG COUNTY — Longview police are looking for a man who stole a vehicle late Sunday, with a 4-year-old girl sleeping in the back seat. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, police said the man stole the 2007 Dodge Durango at 10:37 p.m. Sunday when the driver left the car running to enter a store in the 1700 block of Mobberly Avenue. The vehicle was located a short time later in the parking lot of an apartment complex in with the child still asleep and unharmed. Continue reading Police Search For Suspect Who Stole SUV With Child Inside

ATHENS — An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for a 2012 murder. KETK reports Jackie Martez Guthrie, 23, of Frankston, drew the sentence after pleading guilty last month to the July 2012 death of Chantel Barrett. Barrett was found dead outside Coffee City by police last July 19 while they responded to a call about gunshots. Guthrie was identified as a suspect and a manhunt was initiated. Guthrie is believed to have also kidnapped Tiffany Hurd, 19, who was eight months pregnant at the time with Guthrie’s child. 24 hours later, Guthrie was found by a former classmate in Galveston and was taken into custody without incident. Guthrie had in his possession what is believed to be the weapon used to shoot Barrett. Continue reading East Texan Sentenced to Life for 2012 Coffee City Murder

LONGVIEW — He’s waiting for answers to a handful of key questions before finalizing his proposed spending plan for 2013-14, but Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt is sure of one thing. “This much I can tell you: we’re not raising the tax rate,” he said Friday. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Stoudt is planning to continue honing the county budget this week, but there are still many unknown elements. Those include how national health care reform will affect insurance premiums. And final property values won’t be certified until later this summer, when all taxing entities will know what tweaking a tax rate up or down will do. Continue reading Upcoming Gregg County Budget Filled with Questions

TYLER — Lindale resident Austin Reeve Jackson Monday filed the paperwork necessary to officially pursue the Republican nomination for Smith County District Attorney. Jackson is a double board certified, third-­generation Smith County attorney. He says he made the decision “after much encouragement and consideration.” He cited his family’s “history of service to this county, state, and nation.” Jackson adds, “I look forward to sharing my ideas for safer towns and lower taxes as well as hearing from the community over the next several months.” Continue reading Smith County Attorney Pursuing Run for DA

TYLER — In an effort to bring closure to unresolved warrants, the Tyler Municipal Court has begun participation in a “Warrant Special.” It kicked off Monday and continues till July 13. Municipal Court will open Saturday, July 13, from 8:00am to 1:00pm to take last minute payments. Any person paying his or her warrants in full will have the warrant fees removed, a savings of up to $50 per warrant. The special price does not apply if the person was already contacted, is in custody by the City Marshals or Police, or is appearing before the judge. Continue reading “Warrant Special” Begins

TYLER — Tyler Police Investigators are continuing to follow up on an apparent homicide. Investigators Monday identified the deceased victim as Rodney Earl Walker, 52, of Tyler. Walker’s body will be sent to Southwest Institute of Forensics in Dallas for an autopsy. The suspect, a 39 year old Tyler man, is currently in a local hospital in critical condition from an apparent attempted suicide, according to police. His identity is being withheld at this time. Investigators say they’ve determined that the two men had known each other for some time. Authorities said they responded to a possible shooting at 311 East First Street shortly after 3:00 Monday morning. Upon arrival, officers found a deceased man inside the home. They said he died from an apparent gunshot wound.

TEXARKANA (AP) – An East Texas sheriff’s office is trying to find homes for nine donkeys found abandoned throughout the county. Bowie County sheriff’s Lt. Stanley Cowley tells the Texarkana Gazette that state law requires the animals to auctioned, but no one bought them. The animals have now been in the custody of Bowie County for several months. The animals are being kept at different locations while waiting for homes. There is no charge to adopt them. Cowley says the animals were “about starved to death” when the county found them, but have been gaining weight and are recovering nicely. Cowley says large animals like donkeys are abandoned in the county year-round. He says that so far in 2013, about fifty or sixty large animals, including a few horses, have been abandoned.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man remained in jail on $50,000 bond after he was arrested for assault twice in one day. According to KETK, Eric L. Hill, 37, posted $2,500 bond after being booked into jail Saturday on a charge of assault/ family violence causing bodily injury. A couple hours later, Hill was booked again on the same charge. He was also being held on $5,000 bond on a charge of criminal trespass.

LONGVIEW — A young girl, the object of an Amber Alert in Longview, was found after a brief search. Kaylynn Howard-Dudley, 4, was asleep in a rear seat in a SUV when the driver stopped at a convenience store in the 1700 block of Mobberly Avenue shortly after 10:30 Sunday night. The SUV was left running when the driver went inside. While inside the store, a man drove the vehicle away with the child inside. The vehicle was located a short time later in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Longview. The child was still asleep in the vehicle and was unharmed. Continue reading Missing Longview Girl Located; Suspect Still Sought

TYLER — More developments in the case of the East Texas woman indicted over the ricin letters, and her husband. John Delk, Nathan Richardson’s attorney, says Shannon Richardson may have tried to harm her husband. Delk says, “We’ve got reason to believe that not only was she trying to frame him, but that the poison was also put in the area that he stored his lunch.” Shannon’s lawyer, Tonda Curry, says she hasn’t heard that accusation before. In fact, says Curry, “She believes that…Nathan was trying to poison her.” Curry says Shannon has been indicted for mailing the letters — not for making the ricin — and says from the government’s evidence it’s equally possible Nathan made the poison. Continue reading Latest in the Ricin Letters Case

KAUFMAN — The woman accused of helping her husband kill the Kaufman County district attorney may be preparing to testify against her husband. Kim Williams filed for divorce last week. She and her husband, Eric Williams, each face three capital murder indictments in the shooting deaths of Kaufman County DA Mike McLelland; his wife, Cynthia; and Assistant DA Mark Hasse. According to investigators, Kim confessed to helping her husband plan the murders, information Dallas attorney Pete Shulte says prosecutors will probably want to include at trial. According to Shulte, “If they were married at the time that the trial went forward, the state could not call either one of them to testify against the other.” Shulte says that by filing for divorce, Kim may be looking to be a witness for the prosecutors. He says, “She is taking steps to try to differentiate herself from her husband.”

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

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 2661 in and around its intersection with State Highway 31. A second crew is scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 757 near U.S. Highway 271 near Starrville. Elsewhere, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to perform edge work on Farm Road 2710 east of Lindale, between Farm Road 16 and Farm Road 14. 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. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches Police were called to the scene of a traffic stop for a weapons offense. According to KETK, it happened shortly after 4:45 Saturday afternoon in the 3200 block of southwest Stallings Drive when authorities made contact with Matthew Paul Pusko, 29, for speeding. While running a check on his license, officers found that Pusko had several warrants out for his arrest. During a search of his vehicle, officials found drugs and a firearm. Pusko was arrested at the scene and is now in Nacogdoches County Jail. He has been charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

HUNTINGTON — A motorcycle crash in Angelina County ends with one dead Saturday afternoon. It happened just after 4:00 p.m. on Farm to Market Road 1818 just an eighth of a mile from U.S. Highway 69. According to KETK, a motorcycle driven by William Arthur Harrison, 72, of Huntington was driving north bound on Farm to Market Road 1818 when he failed to negotiate a turn and lost control of his vehicle. Harrison was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace, Brad Stringer. Upon further investigation it was found that Harrison was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man wanted in connection with a home-invasion robbery in April is being held in the Gregg County Jail on $150,000 bond. According to the Longview News-Journal, Adam Ray English was arrested Thursday night. His arrest stems from a warrant issued May 2 by Gregg County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson. Linda Robinson told police English knocked on her door about 10:00 April 23 in the 100 block of Shofner Drive, according to the warrant. The woman let English in because she recognized him as the neighbor she once babysat for and whose child was friends with her son. English then pushed the door open, knocking Robinson over a chair and a fan before taking $900, a credit card and Robinson’s ID from her purse, the warrant said. English is charged with burglary of a habitation.

LONGVIEW — Longview Police Chief Don Dingler has released the identities of two police officers cleared of wrongdoing in fatal shootings this past month. According to KETK, Officers Danny Stroud and Kerry Higginbotham were no-billed Thursday by a grand jury in the fatal shootings of Candace Jackson on May 9 and Jose SiFuentes on May 20 after hearing testimony from Texas Rangers who conducted investigations in each incident. “I am pleased that the grand jury cleared these two officers and they have now been returned to regular duty,” Dingler wrote in a statement. The department has not specified which incident each officer was involved in. Both officers have been with the department for at least three years.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a hit and run accident. It happened around 10:00 Saturday night in the 400 block of North Beckham. According to authorities, the victim was attempting to cross the street on foot when he was struck by a car traveling south. The suspect vehicle failed to stop and fled the scene in an unknown direction. The vehicle was described as a white newer model Dodge Charger. The pedestrian was transported to East Texas Medical Center with minor injuries. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).