KTBB News, Weather, Talk

HARRISON COUNTY – The FAA has headed to the scene of a fatal Saturday plane crash near Hallsville. According to our news partner KETK, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed one person was on the plane and is confirmed dead. According to Harrison County Chief Deputy B.J. Fletcher, the general area of the crash is around FM 968, FM 450, Waldron Ferry Road, and Hut Horton Road, but he says the wreckage is in the woods, far off any roadway. Deputies initially responded to reports of a loud boom, but didn’t find anything. The crash was discovered in the woods by hunters Saturday evening. No information about anyone on board was immediately available.

TYLER – An unprecedented number of aspiring artists from local schools will have their first opportunity for a full museum exhibition with the Tyler Museum of Art’s 15th Annual High School Art Exhibition. It opens Sunday, March 31, and continues through May 5 at the museum, on the Tyler Junior College main campus. Admission is free. According to information from the museum, this year’s juried competition tops the previous record of 2018, featuring 109 students from a best-ever 20 high-school campuses in Tyler and nearby cities. You can check the April 2 entry on the ktbb.com Calendar of Events for additional information.

AUSTIN — State Representative Chris Paddie of Marshall has filed legislation linked to a fatal accident in August 2017. Three Boy Scouts were killed on Lake O’ The Pines when their boat’s mast came in contact with a 12,000-volt power line. According to our news partner KETK, electric utilities in Texas are currently not required to establish regular maintenance programs or carry out routine inspections of power lines and poles. In addition, the Public Utility Commission does not require utility companies or cooperatives to provide reports on accidents involving power lines. Paddie’s bill addresses both issues and some other requirements. Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative, the power source in the area of the accident, recently announced that the power lines responsible for it have been buried in an underground tunnel.

TYLER — Two men are dead following a head-on crash early Sunday on Toll 49 in Tyler involving the men’s pickup and a charter bus from Bullard’s Brook Hill School. 22-year-old driver Jeffrey Dalton Aynesworth of Rusk and 24-year-old passenger Payton Joseph Raymond of Flint were dead on police officers’ arrival. Police got the call shortly after 4 a.m. about the crash, a quarter-mile east of Broadway. The bus was returning from a trip to Orlando, Florida, with 32 people on board, including 25 students. Among the bus occupants, the driver, two other adults, and two students went to the hospital with minor injuries. Continue reading Two Men Dead in Crash Involving Charter Bus from Brook Hill School

LONGVIEW — A Longview police officer has been deemed at fault in a crash involving a motorcycle on East Loop 281 in Longview. According to the police department’s Facebook page, Officer Tyler Stroschein was in his patrol car facing a green light as he made a left hand, northbound turn onto Eastman Rd. shortly before 6:30 Friday evening. The motorcycle, operated by 35-year-old Jonathan Stephens of Longview, was westbound on the Loop. Stephens was taken to a local hospital with what are termed non-life-threatening injuries. Police say an accident investigator with the police department determined that Stroschein failed to yield right of way.

TYLER – There was a brief pretrial hearing in Tyler Thursday for a capital murder suspect. Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 26, appeared in state district court. Legal proceedings are moving toward his trial, which is set for July 15th. They are still waiting for some DNA results in the case. They are expected to be in sometime next month. His next pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 4th, at which time his attorney will be filing several motions. One is to seek a change of venue in the case. Zavala-Garcia is accused of kidnapping 10 year old Kayla Gomez from a Bullard church in November of 2017. 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 – There is no mascot change at the University of Texas at Tyler. For about a year, U-T Tyler has been considering the possibility of selecting a new mascot. But, Friday morning, school president Dr. Michael Tidwell announced Swoop will remain. School officials saw how much the students and community loved the eagle mascot, so they decided not to make a change. But Swoop will be getting an outfit update this spring.

LONGVIEW – A 2018 aviation graduate from LeTourneau University has received a $10,000 scholarship. Meyeon “Cecelia” Kim received the Air Wisconsin Airlines Airline Transport Pilot Certificate Training Program Scholarship through Women in Aviation. The scholarship is for classroom and simulator training required to be eligible to take the Airline Transport Pilot knowledge test. The training is provided by Air Wisconsin to four winners from flight programs around the country. She will attend the Women in Aviation conference in Long Beach, California, next week, to be presented with the scholarship. Kim is currently training to become a flight instructor.

LONGVIEW – Several agencies have been investigating massage parlors in Longview. The investigation has led to several arrests. The investigation began after the police department received numerous complaints on the businesses. Thursday, officers visited the six businesses. They checked to see if the employees were licensed as massage therapists. They also checked to see if the business had the appropriate license to operate as a massage parlor. Three persons were arrested for operating without a massage license. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation will open additional investigations on several of the locations due to record keeping. The information was forwarded to the city’s Developmental Services for consideration on removing the certificate of occupancy from several of the locations. Continue reading Joint Operation On Massage Parlors

AUSTIN – Area unemployment has gone up slightly. The Texas Workforce commission reports Tyler’s January unemployment rate was 4%. It was 3.8% in December and 4% in January a year ago. For Longview, the unemployment rate went from 3.8% in December to 4.4% in January. But, it was 4.7% a year ago. The state’s unemployment rate rose to 4.2%. January marked the 105th consecutive month of annual growth for total non farm employment in Texas.

ARP – One person has died as the result of a one vehicle accident that occurred Tuesday morning near Arp. Paul James Wade, 47, of Arp died at a Tyler hospital two days after the accident. The Department of Public Safety reports his pickup was heading north west on County Road 294 when it left the road, hit a tree and overturned. Wade, who was not wearing his seat belt, was partially ejected from the vehicle.

ATHENS — A clerk for Justice of the Peace Precinct Four in Henderson County has been arrested. According to our news partner KETK, Dana Work is charged with abuse of official capacity. She was arrested on March 4. She is facing felony charges. No other details were immediately available on what her charges are connected to.

LONGVIEW — The Cuney police chief has been released from the Gregg County Jail without bond. According to our news partner KETK, jail records say Gregory Sinkfield was booked into jail Monday on two felony warrants for tampering with government records. He was released with the disposition going to the criminal justice information services. No details were immediately available on the nature of the charges.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College. It’s a name that has stood for over 90 years. and for some it’s a legacy. But others claim the name is a burden. According to our news partner KETK, a meeting was held on campus Thursday night to hear both sides of the argument. Former and current students and staff weighed in. According to one individual, “I think that changing the name and dropping the “Junior” is an important leap in this institutions’ future.” Another added, “If you care at all about this institution and its students I urge you to please be for the name change.” Continue reading Debate Continues over Possible TJC Name Change

SMITH COUNTY — A Chandler man gets a lengthy sentence for possession and trafficking drugs. Anton Stewart Jr., 26, was sentenced by a Smith County jury Thursday to 45 years in prison. The evidence at trial showed that after a traffic stop and search of Stewart’s vehicle, he was found to be in possession of around 7 grams of meth, over 1 gram of cocaine, 79 Xanax pills and two digital scales. The jury also heard about his lengthy criminal history, as well as the fact the defendant absconded from his original trial date and had to been tracked down and re-arrested. Based on his criminal history, the range of punishment was 15 years to life in prison.

EAST TEXAS — Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, March 16, at First United Methodist Church in Rockwall for longtime Congressman Ralph Hall. Visitation will take place from 6:00 to 8:00pm on Friday, March 15, at Rest Haven Funeral Home, also in Rockwall. Hall’s longtime strategist, Ed Valentine, says the Texas Republican died of natural causes at his home in Rockwall Thursday morning. The oldest-ever member of the U.S. House was 95. Hall became the oldest member of the U.S. House in 2012, breaking North Carolina Rep. Charles Manly Stedman’s record. Hall was 91 when he left office in 2014. Hall was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1980. He became a Republican in 2004, backed by his friend, George W. Bush. Hall won the 2012 Republican primary despite a tea party challenge. But he lost in a primary upset in 2014.

TYLER – Repairs have been completed on a water main break in Tyler. It was reported around 2:00 Thursday afternoon at 1260 Rice Road. Those affected by the outage are encouraged to “flush” the water in their house by running the water in bath tubs and sinks for 5-10 minutes. Because of air in the lines from the repairs, customers may experience cloudy looking water. Flushing lines should remedy this issue. If the problems persist, the water service center may be reached at 903-531-1285.

MARSHALL – An East Texas fire department is accepting donations to help a fireman who is the victim of a fire. The donations are for Hallsville fireman Terry Richardson. Fire broke out in his home on Walkers Mill Road, north of Hallsville, shortly before 3:15 Tuesday afternoon. The roof of the home is completely gone and two rooms have been gutted. The fire, which started in the home attic, was fanned by strong winds. What caused the fire has not been announced. The Marshall News Messenger reports donations may be taken to the Hallsville Fire Department on North Central Street, which is open 24 hours a day.

LONGVIEW – On Friday, Industrial Drive will be closed to through traffic between Marshall Avenue, U.S. Highway 80, and Cotton Street to allow for railroad track maintenance. The railroad crossing on Industrial Drive will be closed to all traffic. Drivers are encouraged to use Eastman Road as an alternate route.

TYLER – Keep Tyler Beautiful has handed out two Beauty and Business awards. The third quarter award for 2018 has gone to The Genesis Group on Eagles Nest Boulevard. For the fourth quarter Holiday Edition, Keep Tyler Beautiful presented the award to Hospitality Health ER on the Old Jacksonville Highway. Both of the winners were nominated by the public for these awards and were selected by the Keep Tyler Beautiful board as the winners. The award recognizes businesses in the community for their improvement, upkeep, cleanliness and beautification efforts. Continue reading Two Beauty and Business Awards Presented

TYLER – Many Texans want a border wall. That’s the results of a survey conducted by the Center for Opinion Research at UT Tyler. The poll was conducted over a two week period beginning on February 11. They asked whether they agree or disagree that a wall along the Texas-Mexico border is “necessary for a safe border.” The results showed 48% of respondents either “agreed” or “strongly agreed,” while 41% either “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed.” The results showed that 11% took a neutral position. The question produced responses along party lines, where Democrats strongly disagreed, 56% nearly as much as Republicans who strongly agreed, by 64%, with the statement.

GRAND SALINE – A missing Van Zandt county girl has been found. The sheriff’s department reported Thursday that Emily Marie Rosamond, 15, has been found and is safe. She had last been seen last Sunday between the hours of 10:00pm and 1:00am at her home. When she left home, she did not take any extra clothing, food, personal items or her medication. No word on how she was found or where she had been.

EAST TEXAS – A deadly hazard at Lake O’ the Pines has been removed. Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative has confirmed that low-slung power lines over Alley Creek have been buried. In 2017, three scouts from a Hallsville Boys Scout troop were killed when the mast of their sail boat came in contact with a power line. The lines were about 13 feet below clearance for the mast of most sailboats. The get rid of the problem, workers burrowed beneath the water and then laid some 1,600 feet of electric line through the tunnel.

TYLER – TransCanada is conducting a field emergency response exercise at Lake Tyler at Lake Tyler Marina. It started on Wednesday from noon till 5:00pm. It will resume on Thursday and run from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Residents can expect to see TransCanada staff with trucks and other emergency response equipment conducting mock response activities such as deploying boom on the lake.

SMITH COUNTY – Motorists can expect slow-moving traffic and delays on Interstate highway 20 Thursday night. The NET RMA contractor will be working to realign the Toll 49 Bridge that was hit during a crash in July. The inside lanes of the interstate, both eastbound and westbound, will be closed to traffic from 7:00pm to 5:00am. Drivers are reminded to slow-down and pay attention when traveling through this work zone.

MCKINNEY – A Longview man has been convicted of a Collin County murder. The jury in McKinney deliberated around 3 hours before convicting Ronald Rosser, 55, of capital murder. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Rosser is accused of taking more than $5,000 to kill McKinney businessman Richard Moore. He was shot five times in the head with a handgun in February four years ago. Investigators believe Rosser was hired by Moore’s estranged wife and her lover to kill more. They are still awaiting trial on charges of capital murder.

AUSTIN – Tyler’s sales tax allocations from the state continues to look very healthy. The state comptroller’s office is sending out the March tax allocations. The figures are based on sales made in January. Tyler’s March check is for $3,408,604.53. This is an increase of 9.23% over the same period last year. The year to date tax allocations come to $11,695,166.33. This is an increase of 6.47%. Longview’s March check is for $2,368,663.09 for a 1.41% decrease. But for the year, Longview’s sales tax allocations are up 2.64% at $8,555,617.00.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department will be conducting an Enhanced Community Outreach Program on Thursday. Officers will be going door to door introducing themselves and reaching out to citizens to ask what they can do for them. The police say the program is one of many community police programs aimed at becoming closer to the community and addressing problems that residents may have in their specific neighborhoods. Continue reading Police Outreach Program