KTBB News, Weather, Talk

PALESTINE – The Texas State Railroad has decided to increase local management. Named as general manager of excursion operations and guest experiences is Daniel Adair. Named as sales and marketing associate is Jennifer Price. Adair comes to East Texas by way of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Price has spent most of her life in East Texas

GILMER – Two persons have been charged with capital murder in the death of a Longview woman, whose body was found last Sunday. At a news conference Friday afternoon, Upshur County sheriff Larry Webb announced Lindsey McFadden, 29, of Longview and Carlton Grant, 37, from the Metroplex, have been charged with the death of Rachel Rhoads, 24. She was reported missing March 31st. Her body was found a day later off Farm Road 726, just north of Highway 154 in Upshur County. Officials say they can’t discuss the autopsy results because of a gag order in the case. They did say, they filed capital murder charges in the case because Rhoads was killed as she was being kidnapped.

BIG SANDY – A shelter in place alert has been lifted in the Big Sandy school district. It was issued Friday morning following a threat made on social media. The school district said on its Facebook page, treating the threat very seriously, all students were kept in their first period classes as a safety precaution. When they felt confident that there was no threat at the school, the shelter in place alert was lifted early in the second period. No word on what type of threat was made.

HENDERSON — Henderson officials have pulled the body of 17-year-old Carlisle High School student Jonathan Cano from a lake after he reportedly tried to help a person in distress. According to KETK, police say the teen died at Lake Forest Park on Highway 64 near the Henderson Police Department. Police say they were called around 7:10 Thursday evening to the park’s gazebo after reports of a possible drowning. The body was recovered around 8:40 p.m. Authorities say two fishermen were able to save the other person. The Carlisle ISD is offering its condolences. School officials added that counselors would be available beginning Friday and in coming days to students and staff who need to deal with their grief.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office seeks a suspect in a predawn March 25 attack at a home on County Road 192 near the Hayes soccer fields. Deputies say a woman suffering from multiple injuries told them 24-year-old Michael Xavier Medlock had entered the residence while she was asleep. She said he put his hands around her neck and began choking her, pulling her back as she tried to escape through a window. She said Medlock took off after he saw a large amount of blood coming from her arm. The woman was taken to a hospital. An arrest warrant obtained Thursday charges Medlock with aggravated assault; bond is $200,000. Authorites believe Medlcok is in the Tyler area. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Hill at 903- 590-2720.

LONGVIEW — Longview police urge you to be on the lookout after a card skimmer was found at the Walmart gas station on Gilmer Road. A victim contacted our news partner KETK, saying her card was compromised and $400 had been charged to her account. Police say to be proactive when using credit cards at gas pumps. You’re urged to avoid pumps at the end of the line at gas stations. They are often too far away for the store clerk to have a clear view of the pump. You should also check for tampering, loose credit card readers, or broken seals. Another suggestion: turn on your cell phone’s Bluetooth and search for a device. If you see a long string of numbers, that could indicate a skimmer in the area.

TYLER — Police say a woman went to the hospital early Tuesday after she was hit by a city of Tyler vehicle around 6:30 that morning. According to our news partner KETK, police say she was struck when the city marshal was driving east on Houston Street and turned onto Beckham. They say she had the right of way in the crosswalk. The woman was wearing all black clothing. Her condition is unknown, and her identity has not been released.

TYLER — Congressman Louie Gohmert of Tyler follows up on some comments he released Wednesday evening in favor of President Trump’s plan to send troops to the Mexican border. Noting that such actions have been taken before, Gohmert singled out Woodrow Wilson, who did likewise in the early 20th century during the era of revolutionary Pancho Villa. Gohmert also comments that the border needs to be secured — not sealed. He told KTBB, “We need to have people coming in. It’s a good thing to have immigration, but it has got to be lawful — and there’s the distinction.”

PALESTINE – A student has been arrested for a recent threat against Palestine High School. Detectives have arrested Daniel Hayes, 17, and charged him with false alarm or report in a public secondary school, which is a state jail felony. He was taken to the Anderson County Security Center. He is charged with the threat that occurred on Tuesday. Two similar incidents at the school, on March 27 and April 5, remain under investigation. A threatening note found on the campus around 8:30 Thursday morning caused a lockdown. According to the school district, the note is “of a more specific nature than last week’s threat and will be able to be investigated in less time.” Nothing was found and the lockdown was lifted at 10:30.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is heading to prison for attacking an elderly couple in their home last April. Malique Makail Henderson, 21, was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison. He is said to have hit an elderly woman in the head with a rock and forced his way into her South Green Street home. He is then said to have hit an elderly man. After stealing some items from the house, he ran away. Neighbors chased him and help police locate him. They found the items taken from the couple’s home.

GILMER – An illegal alien, who has been wanted for four years, is back in jail in Gilmer. Noe Paz-Aguillon, 31, was charged in 2014 with intoxication manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was released to federal authorities for an ICE detainer in February of that year. They put him in house arrest in Dallas, and he fled back to Mexico. He had previously been deported twice from the U.S. He illegally entered the courty again and was arrested in Oklahoma on Wednesday. He is currently in jail awaiting trial on the two felony offenses. No bond has been set.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been found guilty of prostitution and human trafficking charges. During a bench trial, state district judge Judge Kerry Russell found Dekenndrick Lekeith Ross, 41, guilty. He could get up to 20 years in prison when sentenced later this month. Last June, Ross and Crystal Leshae Lilly, 26, also of Tyler, were arrested following a Department of Public Safety investigation of a human trafficking organization in the Tyler area. They were booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of trafficking of a person for benefits from forced labor and promoting prostitution. Lilly’s trial date has not yet been set.

HOUSTON – A former Tyler resident is reported missing in southeast Texas. She is 36 year old Greta Payne. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, she was last seen around 1:00am on March 17th. She is said to have left her apartment in Houston and did not return. She was driving a pearl white 2005 Cadillac Escalade ESV with a sun roof and Texas license plate number JTD 1593. The report says she is 7 months pregnant. If you know where she can be located, you are asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-274-9360. Her case number is HC-18-43545.

LIBERTY CITY — The pastor of Liberty City’s First Baptist Church says he is increasing security after the destruction of three buses by fire in the church parking lot. According to our news partner KETK, the vehicles caught on fire about 5:00 Monday morning. The Sabine Fire Department quickly put out the flames. An official cause was not immediately released, but Pastor Paul Michael Vacca says he has no reason to believe it’s a hate crime.

LIBERTY CITY – Investigators are continuing their probe in Gregg County into a fire that destroyed a church’s 3 buses. The vehicles caught fire around 5:00am on March 26th. The vehicles were in the church’s parking lot. The fire was quickly put out by the Sabine Volunteer Fire Department. At the time, the church’s pastor Paul Michael Vacca said he had no reason to believe it’s a hate crime. Investigators say they know the fire was started by someone, but they have not determined at this time if was accidental or intentional.

AUSTIN – An East Texan is one of among 5 persons Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed to the Texas School Safety Center Board. Among those reappointed to the panel is Nacogdoches lawyer Paul Robbins. They were appointed for terms set to expire on February 1, 2020. Robbins, who has his office in Lufkin, serves as a regional attorney for the Texas Municipal Police Association. He is also immediate past president of the East Texas Peace Officers Association. The board reports to the Governor, the legislature, the State Board of Education, and the Texas Education Agency regarding school safety and security, and advises the center on its function, budget, and strategic planning initiatives.

PALESTINE – For the second time in a week, Palestine High School was on lockdown. A threatening note found on the campus around 8:30 this morning caused the lockdown. According to the school district, the note is “of a more specific nature than last week’s threat and will be able to be investigated in less time.” Nothing was found and the lockdown was lifted at 10:30.

LONGVIEW – A fatal Longview fire has been ruled accidental. The fire occurred the night of March 9th in a duplex on Cherie Lane. Killed were Randall Russell and his daughter, Lisa Russell Tesmer. A woman was arrested as she stood outside the burning home holding a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. At the time, arson was suspected. But the fire marshal’s office said Thursday the fire was accidental and there will be no criminal charges filed against the woman.

TYLER — Police officers on UT Tyler’s campus now have new rifle-resistant vests. According to our news partner KETK, the UT system police force received the vests through a grant. Officers now have an upgrade on their level of protection. They say they hope they never have to be used, but just in case, they’ll be ready.

ATHENS — A Wednesday drug raid by an eight-member team of deputies south of Chandler ended with a woman in jail, facing decades in prison. Veronica Wortman, 49, was charged with a first degree felony for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. The substantial amount of methamphetamine she’s accused of processing for sale carries a penalty of up to $10,000 and up to 99 years in prison, according to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse. Hillhouse sent the team to a home on Hillcrest Drive, near the Sunrise Shores subdivision.

WASHINGTON – Tyler congressman Louie Gohmert says he supports President Trump’s decision to send national guard troops to the southern border of the United States. In a statement released by the congressman, he said he thought the president’s decision was ” sensible, prudent, and has plenty of precedence.” Gohmert said not only will the troops aid in the defense of our law, it also will prevent gang members, drug smugglers, sex traffickers, or terrorists from hiding among, what he called, the “civilian invaders.”

LONGVIEW – Two persons have been arrested by Longview police in connection with the death of a child. A warrant was served Wednesday on Ciara Channel Dison, 27, of Longview, for murder. Shaglenda Denise Reddix, 31, of Longview, is charged with injury to a child. On January 6th, the police assisted EMS with a child call on East Hawkins Parkway. They were told a year old girl was not breathing. She died later that evening. The warrants were served Wednesday morning in the case. Investigators determined that Dison’s action resulted in the death of the child and that Reddix failed to seek the necessary medical treatment to protect the youngster. Both remain in the Gregg County Jail. Continue reading Two Charged in Child’s Death

LONGVIEW – A Longview shooting suspect has turned himself in to police. Gary Lee Nelson 29, showed up at the police department around 6:15 Wednesday evening. He was booked into the Gregg County jail on an aggravated assault charge. He is accused of shooting a woman around 45 minutes earlier on 8th Street. A police report said the woman was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

TYLER – City and school elections are coming May 5th. You must be registered at least 30 days prior to the election to vote. If you need you need to register, or file a change of address to vote, today is the final day to do so. You can register at the Smith County Elections Office, 304 East Ferguson in Tyler. You can also go to http://www.votetexas.gov and fill out a registration form. But you still need to bring or mail the form to the county election’s office. Early voting in the May elections runs April 23rd through May 1st.

TYLER – The Smith County capital murder trial for Gustavo Zavala-Garcia is still set, at least for right now, to begin in October. During a Wednesday pretrial hearing, State District Judge Jack Skeen said he will not sign the defense’s motion for continuance until he hears if additional DNA testing is needed. That could be answered with some trace results that are expected to be released at the end of the month. Zavala-Garcia is accused of kidnapping Kayla Gomez from a Bullard church in November of last year. Her body was found days later in a well on the man’s property. According to an arrest affidavit, a witness said they saw the man with Kayla shortly before she disappeared.

TYLER – A man threatening to jump from a Smith County bridge is now safe. After negotiating with him for around two hours, officers were seen putting handcuffs on him. The confrontation took place on the Toll 49 bridge on Highway 69 south.

LONGVIEW – Two Longview residents have been busted. Andrew Clements Trimble, 40, and Linda Gaile Hyatt, 33, were arrested Tuesday at the Lone Star Motel on East Marshall Avenue. As the officers served a narcotics search warrant, they found in the motel room drug paraphernalia and over 47 grams of methamphetamine. Trimble has been charged with the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. Hyatt was arrested on an outstanding Gregg County warrant for possession of a prohibited weapon. Both remain in the Gregg County Jail. Continue reading Two Jailed on Drug and Weapons Charges

KILGORE – Kilgore has recorded a traffic fatality. Donald Jacobs, 49, of Las Vegas, Nevada has died in a Shreveport hospital following a two vehicle accident last Thursday. The accident happened shortly before 11:00 that morning at the intersection of U.S. Highway 59 and Post Oak Road. Investigators say Jacob’s van pulled into the intersection and was hit by a car driven by Cameron Griffin, 18, of Houston. Griffin was treated for minor injuries at a Longview hospital. Kilgore police say the accident remains under investigation.

TYLER — The Army Corps of Engineers says it’ll be July when crews begin removing undetonated bombs left over from Tyler’s World War II-era Camp Fannin. According to our news partner KETK, after the camp was sold to private landowners, people began discovering equipment left behind by the soldiers who trained there. The most common items found have been mortars and sharp pieces of metal. For more than 40 years the Corps has done research to find where most of the undetonated bombs could be, and what it would take to safely remove them. The process of removal will happen in stages. If they find a sharp piece of metal, crews will leave it in place. If it’s a bomb, they will conduct a controlled detonation. The project’s due to wrap up by 2021.