KTBB News, Weather, Talk

MARSHALL – A Marshall man, said to have been intoxicated, has been arrested for hitting a pedestrian. Charged with assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury was Aaron Callaway, 49. He was booked into the Harrison County Jail under a $50,000 bond. The accident occurred October 25 at the intersection of West Pinecrest Drive and Washington Avenue. The pedestrian, who had serious injuries, and Callaway, who was also injured, were taken to the hospital. Continue reading Man Arrested for Driving Drunk and Hitting a Pedestrian

TYLER – Church security and safety is the topic of a meeting scheduled in Tyler Thursday. The town hall meeting starts at 5:30pm at the Smith County R.B. Hubbard Facility, also know as The Hub, at 304 East Ferguson. A letter was sent to area churches about the meeting, but the public can also attend the free event. Conducting the meeting will be Precinct 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton; Precinct 1 Constable Bobby Garmon; and Gary Pinkerton, Director of Pre-Trial Release and Personal Bond Office.

TYLER – The Smith County Animal Shelter has started a dog blood donor program. Shelter dogs Casper, Allistar and Lane donated two units of blood and two units of plasma to save another dog’s life. They are now known as Hero Dogs. The Smith County Animal Control is partnering with Tyler Animal Emergency Clinic and Tyler Junior College Clinic Vet Tech Program in the project. Hero Dogs are approved by in depth testing to become a blood donor. The blood will supply the veterinarians in the area as they work to save animal’s lives. Approved Hero Dogs need to be available to donate blood for a minimum of four times a year. In return, they will received Heart-Guard heart-worm preventative medicine and rabies vaccinations for life. Continue reading Tyler’s Dog Blood Donors

GREGG COUNTY — Longview police arrested a woman Monday on suspicion of beating her 9-year-old son with an extension cord. According to the Longview News Journal and our news partner KETK, Alicia Denise Palmer, 25, of Longview, is free on bond after being charged with injury child/elderly/disabled person with intent to commit bodily injury. Palmer was arrested after an officer responded Monday evening to a convenience store on South Eastman Road. A naked boy said he ran away from his mother, who had beaten him. The boy sustained welts on his left arm and buttocks. The boy’s mother, Palmer, told police that she made him take off his clothes before she gave him a “lick” with an extension cord because he had gotten into trouble at school. Palmer also faces payment plans on warrants from Longview police for speeding 15 to 19 mph in a 30 mph zone and for no driver’s license.

TYLER – Tyler police are asking the public’s help in identifying an auto burglary suspect. He is said to have burglarized an auto at the Children’s Park on East Dobbs on Sunday. He then is said to have tried to use a stolen credit card at Walgreen’s to purchase a Visa gift card, but was declined. He was seen driving a 4-door white SUV. If you can identify this man, you are asked to contact Detective Tekell at 903-531-1046 or call Tyler Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER – Centerpoint Energy has closed the intersection at Sunnybrook Drive and Robertson Avenue in Tyler till 2:00 p.m. Wednesday to cap off a natural gas line at the bridge. Sunnybrook Drive will be closed to thru traffic between Old Jacksonville Highway and South Azalea Drive. Robertson Avenue will be closed to thru traffic between Powers Drive and Hamvasy Lane. All people who live in the work zone will be allowed access to their homes.

TYLER – The East Texas Communities Foundation is taking applications from East Texas students for scholarships to be awarded for the 2019-2020 academic year. There are a total of 64 scholarships that will be handed out. They range from $500 to $5,000. A student may apply for every scholarship for which they meet the eligibility guidelines. The deadline for submission varies, but it is clearly marked on the applications. All of the applications must be submitted online. You can go to https://etcf.org/scholarships for detailed eligibility criteria and links to the applications.

ATHENS – The Athens School District is considering going to a four day school week. School district employees learned about it during a district wide meeting Monday afternoon. In order to comply with the state’s requirements for a minimum number of instructional minutes during a school year, the instructional day would increase by 50 minutes. They have been studying a possible change for the past six months. This includes discussions with district leadership in other states that have implemented a four-day school week. District officials stress, this remains only a proposal at this time, and, if implemented, it would be launched as a three-year pilot program.

TYLER – A new constable has been appointed in Smith County for Precinct 2. Smith County commissioners have appointed Deputy Constable Josh Black, on the left in the picture, to the post. He is replacing Constable Andy Dunklin who is stepping down to become Justice of the Peace. He ran unopposed for the position in both the primary and the general election. He steps down as constable December 31st and takes over his new duties on January 1st. Black served briefly in the Texas State Guard before he worked at the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, first in the jail and then on patrol. He became Dunklin’s deputy constable just over 4 years ago.

LONGVIEW — The U.S. Postal Service is investigating reports of vandalism at collection boxes in the Longview area. According to a postal inspection officer, it’s been going on for the past two weeks. As we told you last week, the White Oak Police Department reported that a box in front of the post office was broken into. According to our news partner KETK, the number of thefts is unknown at this time. Anyone convicted of mail theft faces a maximum of five years in prison per stolen item.

LONGVIEW – A man accused of a Friday shooting in Longview is in the Gregg County Jail. Justin Glenn Littrell, 29, of Longview is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Jail records show his bond is $50,000. He is charged with the early Friday morning shooting outside the Jaguars Gold Club on Estes Parkway. One man was wounded. Another man was injured after he rolled under a truck to keep from being shot. The driver drove off, not knowing someone was under his truck. Littrell was arrested Friday morning when he turned himself in at the police department.

TYLER – There is less than a week left in the Salvation Angel Tree program in Smith County. There are still a lot of angels on the tree. There are nearly 900 Angels remaining. In addition to the hundreds of Angels still in need of adoption, there are currently over 1,300 Angels needing to be returned by the deadline. Donors can adopt an Angel at the Broadway Square Mall, both Tyler Slim Chicken locations, Hideaway Country Club, Galaxy Vape Lounge and The Cotton Patch. The deadline to return the angels and their gifts is this Sunday at 6:00pm.

NACOGDOCHES – The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in East Texas in locating a wanted fugitive. He is Royce Earl Sessions 41, of Nacogdoches. Last week, Sessions is said to have forced his way into the residence of his estranged wife. She was able to get away and to seek help, but a man was stabbed. He remains hospitalized. If you know where Sessions can be found, you are asked to contact the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency.

TYLER – The Tyler Junior College Medical Laboratory Technology program has received accreditation for 10 years. That is the highest possible number of years awarded for continuing accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. The medical laboratory technology profession combines medicine and science. Technicians perform a variety of laboratory procedures in both public and private labs within the health care sector. According to TJC, the job outlook is favorable as the need for registered lab techs is projected to grow by 26% over the next 10 years. TJC’s program currently has a three-year average of 89% Board of Certification pass rate, a 95% graduation rate, and a 100% placement rate.

MARSHALL – A friendly battle is underway in Marshall. It is the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive. The two day drive ends Tuesday evening at 7:00. It is being hosted by the Marshall Police Department in conjunction with Carter BloodCare. It pits the police department against the fire department. It’s being held at the Marshall Visual Arts Center on East Burleson Street. There will be free T-shirts, snacks and daily door prize drawings. Donors are encouraged to donate blood and cast their vote for one of the departments. The losing chief will be required to wash a vehicle belonging to the winning chief.

TYLER – Two honors students at the University of Texas at Tyler have won top awards for research presentations at the 2018 National Collegiate Honors Council Conference. Biochemistry senior Savannah Seely of Fort Worth and civil engineering senior Arthur Oenning Fagundes of Curitiba, Brazil, received Best Research Poster awards at the Boston, Massachusetts, event. Seely was awarded in the health sciences division for her poster titled “Investigating Programming of a Virus-Like Particle for Cell Specific Chemotherapy,’’ which was based on her research with Dr. Dustin Patterson, assistant professor of biochemistry. Fagundes was awarded in the business, engineering and computer science division for his poster titled “City of Tyler Hub-and-Spoke Bicycle Lane Network,’’ which was based on his work with Dr. Mena Souliman, assistant professor of civil engineering.

TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work throughout the district during the week of December 3. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.

Highlights:
-Traffic switch set for Monday on US 79 at UPRR Overpass project in Palestine
-New widening project is underway on US 79 in Cherokee County
-Landscaping project starting in Lindale

You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/050-2018.html to find details on these and other work projects in TxDOT’s northeast Texas District.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest and indictment of four suspects on Federal drug and firearm related charges. Suri Rivera-Zuniga, 24, Kevin Russ Ivy, 57, Angelica Jaimes-Loredo, 30, and Stephen Paul Barton, 54, (pictured) were indicted November 14th, 2018, by a Federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Texas. According to officials, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Investigators, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration launched a long term investigation into the distribution of dangerous drugs in Smith County as well as surrounding counties. The investigation lasted approximately seven months. During the course of the investigation, approximately four kilograms of Methamphetamine and two firearms were seized.

TYLER – November in Tyler was cooler and wetter than normal. The thirty-day outlook for November 2018, issued on October 18, had called for above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. The October 31 revision called for near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. According to the National Weather Service, compared with November 2017, the month was 9.0 degrees cooler and 4.52 inches wetter. The year-to-date rainfall, through month’s end, was 3.53 inches greater in 2018 than in 2017. Continue reading Temperature Record for Tyler

LONGVIEW – Someone is calling Longview residents saying they are soliciting donations on behalf of the Longview Fire Firefighter’s Association. But the fire department says it is a hoax. The person identified himself as “John” and had called from the phone number 903-829-3059. But the fire department says neither they or the Longview Firefighter’s Association would use this type of fundraising platform to solicit donations of any kind. If you have concerns about any attempt to solicit donations on behalf of the Longview Fire Department or the Longview Firefighter’s Association, please contact the Longview Fire Administration Office at 903-237-1210.

SHREVEPORT – A Longview kidnapping suspect has been arrested in Louisiana. Arrested at a home in Shreveport was Desmond Ossie Edwards, 32. He is accused of kidnapping a woman from her High Street residence around 7:15 Friday morning. Officers were told Edwards had come to the victim’s apartment and forced her to get into his vehicle. Shreveport police later located the vehicle. The victim was released unharmed. The suspect surrendered to authorities a short time later. Edwards has been charged with aggravated assault.

MARSHALL – Because of severe thunderstorms in Friday’s East Texas forecast, the City of Marshall rescheduled its Christmas parade to Sunday evening at 6:00. The Wonderland of Lights Lighted Christmas Parade featured an abundance of lighted floats and vehicles as well as several school bands, cheer and dance groups, and other local organizations. Director of Community and Economic Development Wes Morrison said, “With these weather predictions, we felt it best to postpone the Lighted Christmas Parade not only for the safety of attendees and participants, but also to provide the best opportunity for the community and visitors to be able to enjoy it.”

TYLER – A teen has been charged with a Tyler robbery. The robbery occurred the evening of October 27th. A person with a black hand gun robbed a gas station on West Gentry Parkway. They left with an undisclosed amount of money and other items. When investigators developed a suspect, they told him to turn himself in. The 15 year old turned himself at the Tyler Police Department Friday morning. He was then transported to the Juvenile Attention Center.

SMITH COUNTY – One person has been arrested following an accidental shooting in Smith County. It was reported shortly after midnight Friday morning at a residence on Spur 248. A woman was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after being shot in the chest. Jordan Lavar Roberson, 32, of Tyler told investigators he was taking a pistol apart to clean it and it accidentally fired. Investigators say the evidence is consistent with an accidental discharge. Roberson was taken into custody and booked into the Smith County Jail for felon in possession of a firearm as well as warrants for parole violation and possession of marijuana. There were five minor children inside the residence and CPS was notified.

TYLER – One person has been killed in a Tyler accident. It occurred just before 7:00 Thursday night on WSW Loop 323 at Kinsey Drive. Dead at the scene was Dustin Woodruff of Tyler. His motorcycle collided with a vehicle making a U-turn at the intersection. Tyler police say the driver of the vehicle failed to see the motorcycle which was entering the intersection on a green light.

SMITH COUNTY – Two persons have died in separate Smith County Accidents. The first occurred around 8:15 Thursday morning on County Road 370 just north of County Road 3100, northeast of Tyler. Dead at the scene was Ramsey E. Carrell, 75, of Winona. The Department of Public Safety says his pickup was heading south when, for an unknown reason, he drove off the left side of the roadway and hit a tree. The second accident happened about six hours later on County Road 1261, 8 miles southwest of Tyler. Dead at the scene was Connie Sorie Dana, 73, of Flint. Her compact SUV left the road, hit a culvert, overturned, and then caught fire. Both accidents remain under investigation.

SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man has died in a one vehicle accident. The crash occurred around 8:15 Thursday morning on County Road 370 just north of County Road 3100, northeast of Tyler. Dead at the scene was Ramsey E. Carrell, 75, of Winona. The Department of Public Safety says his pickup was heading south when, for an unknown reason, he drove off the left side of the roadway and hit a tree. The accident remains under investigation.

TYLER – Only one of five persons arrested in a Smith County murder last year is still charged in the case. Judicial records show that the murder charges against Nathan Ryan Garcia, 20, of Whitehouse, and Colton Wade Tate, 21, of Tyler, were dismissed earlier this week. They had been charged in the November 2017 shooting death of Andrew Carpenter. He was shot at a home on Deerwood Drive. Two other persons arrested in the case had previously had charges against them dismissed. That leaves only Martin Wesley Reynolds Jr., 21, of Whitehouse (pictured) still charged in the death. He remains in the Smith County Jail under a $750,000 bond

TYLER – A third picture has been added to a special display at the Tyler Police Department. It honors three retired officers. They are recognized as the only three sworn officers of the Tyler Police Department who had served 40 years. The display had the pictures of Lieutenant Joe Elliott, who served from 1931 to 1974, and officer J.D. Smith who served from 1974 to 2014. Added to the display is the picture of Officer David Swain who served from 1975 to 2018. He retired at the end of September.