Local law agencies today had a search warrant for a house in Roselawn and arrested a man for counterfeiting currency.
The warrant and arrest come after several fake $100 and $20 bills have been showing at stores in the Greater Orange area.
35-year-old Christopher Shaun Drucker was arrested for forgery in connection with counterfeiting U.S. currency. The search warrant was used at 105 Amaryllis Street.
Orange Police Detective Captain Robert Enmon said the investigation is continuing into the manufacturing and distribution of forged money.
Besides the Orange Police Department, the West Orange Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the search and arrest.

The post Man Arrested For Forgery appeared first on KOGT.

Fraud is reaching “epidemic levels” with technology and the internet, but the technology also puts power in the hands of consumers, said Stephen Lee, president and CEO of First Financial Bank, Southeast.

Lee spoke with Gary Stelly during a live broadcast Wednesday on KOGT’s Morning Show.

“We’ve got to be vigilant,” Lee said. The days of checking a paper bank statement once a month are gone. He said people need to check their bank accounts and credit card accounts daily. Catching fraudulent charges early is a key to preventing thefts.

Customers can check their accounts and expenditures online or through automated phone lines. First Financial and other companies offer smartphone apps that will send a text message every time a debit card is used or when a charge is made on a credit card.

“Every time I use a debit card, I get a text alert,” he said. “Every time my wife uses her debit card, I get an alert. She hates that.” However, the feature will let people know if a fraudulent transaction is made.

Lee said banks and credit card companies suffer the losses if a customer is a victim of fraud. The companies will work with consumers to help protect them.

Paper checks are not safer than debit cards, he said. Payroll checks have become one of the leading methods of fraud because computers allow the checks and signatures to be forged. He recommends businesses make direct deposits to employees’ accounts or use cash cards for pay.

The elderly are the most susceptible to fraud, he said.

Lee suggests people get to know their bankers, a lawyer or someone they trust to give advice if they suspect fraud or if they have become a victim.

The post Fraud At All Time High appeared first on KOGT.

The Orange Fire Station No. 2 will be getting an addition soon after the Orange City Council approved a construction contract plus extra money for the project.
The council met Tuesday in a regular session. Fire Chief David Frenzel said the station at 1901 Allie Payne Road was built in 1979 on land donated by Nelda C. Stark. The 3500 square foot station cost $115,000 then.
The low bid to add 750 square feet addition was $122,800, he said. The two bids received were more than the budgeted $97,000. The council agreed to spend $25,000 for the contingency fund to pay for the project. G&G Enterprises of Orange was the low bidder.
The addition will include a fitness center, an additional bathroom to accommodate women plus a separate equipment room.
Though the council unanimously agreed to that expenditure, District 2 Councilor Wayne Guidry balked at using contingency money for unbudgeted computer expenditure. Guidry said the city will be planning a new budget soon and he wants to have public budget workshops to see what city departments need.
Guidry was the only member voting against spending $54,240 from contingency for the computer upgrade. IT Manager Mike Zeto recommended the upgrade from Tyler Technologies. Zeto said the upgrade will include programs that can be used for code enforcement employees and could save money.
District 1 Councilor Pat Pullen, a retired police captain, said he worked with Zeto and trusts him. Besides Pullen, other councilors voting to spend the contingency money were Annette Pernell, Bill Mello and Larry Spears Jr. District 3 Councilor Essie Bellfield was absent.
The council appointed At-Large Position 5 Councilor Bill Mello to an unexpired term on the City of Orange Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. He replaces Mary McKenna, a councilor who lost a re-election bid.
In other business, the council approved a change in garbage pickup schedules and costs for small businesses. The city has 188 small businesses that have been paying $50.20 a month to use the regular residential-sized garbage carts with a twice-a-week pickup schedule. Ramie Howlett, customer service manager, said some of the business owners complained that they do not need pickup two times a week.
Under the new system, the business garbage will be picked up once a week at a cost of $29 a month. Howlett said a business may order an additional cart for a fee.
The council approved on second reading an ordinance to allow day care centers in a commercial special zone. Also, a public hearing, with no comments, was held to make 1,161 acres of International Paper land as industrial. The council approved the change on first reading. Last year, the land was annexed by request from the company.
During a comments period, Councilor Guidry talked about the new splash pad at Navy Park. Earlier in the month, a grandmother complained that the splash pad was only a concrete circle with spray nozzles.
“The kids of Orange love it,” Guidry said. “The adults are not involved. It wasn’t built for them.”
However, he admitted the city could do better for the splash pad. The councilor, who represents Little Cypress, said he took his kids and they played in it for two to three hours. He plans to take them back during the summer.
Mayor Jimmy Sims presented proclamations for Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month and for National Men’s Health Month.

The post Council Discusses Fire And Garbage appeared first on KOGT.

A 62-year-old man was seriously injured Tuesday night when he was hit by an SUV in the 2900 block of 16th Street. Police said the man was wearing dark clothing and either standing or walking in the turn lane.
Harry Williams Peeples suffered incapacitating injuries was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont by Acadian Ambulance. The 76-year-old driver of the GMC Jimmy was not injured.
Officer T.P. Pruitt said the SUV was traveling southbound on 16th Street in the inside lane. The driver went into the turn lane to go to the Jack-in-the-Box. The officer reported Peeples was wearing a black shirt, black pants and blue shoes. He said Peeples was in the area between O’Reilly Auto Parts on the west side of the street or Red’s Liquor on the east side.
The driver of the SUV was not given a citation.

The post Man Struck On 16th Street appeared first on KOGT.

Attorney Joe Alford, who had a private practice and represented several public entities, died early Thursday from cancer.

He was currently the city attorney for West Orange, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD and the Orange County Appraisal District. He has been the only lawyer for the appraisal district since its inception nearly 40 years ago.

Alford grew up in West Orange and graduated from West Orange High. After graduating from law school, he moved back and began working as an assistant in the district attorney’s office.

Survivors include his wife and high school sweetheart, Charlotte, who is director of the Orange Camp Fire Council. He is also survived by his son, Joseph, daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Sam Watters, and one grandson, Ronan.

KOGT will have more information later.

The post Longtime Local Attorney Passes appeared first on KOGT.

A Vidor man who was at the house where a woman was shot Sunday was arrested on drug charges Wednesday evening.
Orange County Sheriff’s Investigator Janois Grizzaffi said 52-year-old Randy L. Wasnak was arrested on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance.
Law officers arrived at his house at 3575 East Railroad Street in Vidor at 5:40 p.m. Grizzaffi said Wasnak was in the yard of the house. The officers had a search warrant and found 13 grams of methamphetamine along with drug paraphernalia.
Wasnak now faces two charges of possession with a total of $100,000 bond, $50,000 on each count.
The search was conducted by the sheriff’s Special Services Division and the Orange Major Crimes Division.
Deputies went to the house Sunday afternoon when a 9-1-1 call reported an accidental shooting. Grizzaffi said investigators later determined the shooting was not accidental. No charges have been filed in connection with the shooting.
A 50-year-old woman was shot twice, including a shot to her upper body. She was taken by medical helicopter to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont where she remains in stable condition after surgery. Grizzaffi said the woman is not cooperating with investigators.

The post Drug Arrest After Shooting appeared first on KOGT.

Orange police are investigating an incident that happened early Wednesday morning to a worker at the Flying J truck stop off Interstate 10 at Highway 62.
Patrol officers were called about 4 a.m. to the store. The police report says a 9-1-1 call was made about a possible assault.
The clerk says a woman with a Russian accent told her that she needed to go with her outside to see a man that was waiting in a van. When the clerk refused the woman grabbed her and began dragging her towards the door. Another employee was able to help her get away from the woman’s grasp. The woman left in a car and the man drove away in the van.
Detective Captain Robert Enmon said investigators have obtained surveillance video from the store and other businesses in the vicinity. They are also talking to witnesses. He said at this time, there is no evidence of an organized group being involved in the incident.

The post Two Women Have Altercation appeared first on KOGT.

The post Can You Identify This Man? appeared first on KOGT.

On May 26, 2016, at approximately 8:45 p.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety received a report of a two vehicle crash on Interstate 10 near Adams Bayou in Orange County.

A Penske moving truck towing a passenger vehicle was traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 near Adams Bayou. A Mercury passenger vehicle was traveling on the eastbound service road of the Interstate. For an unknown reason, the driver of the Mercury drove across the grass median, traveled onto the interstate and was struck in the driver-side door by the Penske truck.

The driver of the Mercury, 39-year-old James Kemp of Houston, was transported by ambulance to St. Elizabeth hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Penske truck, 29-year-old Andrew Westerguard of Del Rio, was not injured in the crash.

This is an ongoing crash investigation as Troopers work to determine the factors that contributed to this crash.

The post I-10 Accident Seriously Injures One appeared first on KOGT.

Graduations at Orangefield, Bridge City, and West Orange-Stark were moved from the stadium to the gym Friday night because of a line of thunderstorms that started just before graduation began. Deweyville was already scheduled for the gym and Vidor graduated at the Montagne Center in Beaumont. LCM will graduate Saturday afternoon at the Montagne Center.

WOS

Vidor

Bridge City

Deweyville

Orangefield

The post Graduations Forced Inside appeared first on KOGT.

Spectators watch the launching of the five-masted wooden schooner “City of Orange” at a local shipyard during World War I. The ship burned in Marseilles, France, on May 29, 1919.

A war had taken over Europe and “boys” from Orange were fighting “the Huns.” When Memorial Day 1918 arrived, people in Orange weren’t going on picnics or barbecuing. “In compliance with the president’s proclamation for Thursday, May 30, shall be a day of fasting and prayer in Orange. Stores will be closed and divine services will be conducted,” the Orange Daily Leader reported on May 29, 1918.

Memorial Day was not held on a Monday in those days, but was always on May 30. In Orange, a service was to be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Baptist Church with the Reverend E.T. Drake presiding. Drake was the pastor at nearby First Presbyterian Church. “The hour will have suitable music, short address, prayer and meditation,” the paper said.

At 8 p.m., citizens could gather at the corner of Sixth and Main for open air services featuring several ministers. Also, a sergeant was to speak on “over the top and how it feels.”

The paper encouraged people to “pray for our soldiers” and fly the U.S. flag at half staff from sunrise to noon, and a full staff from noon to sunset.

The writers at the paper referred to the “boys” in the American Civil War. “Memorial Day this year means more to us. It means that we should not only think of the sons of ’65, but that we should bear in mind that our boys are now fighting in France for us.”

The writer asked “citizens of Orange let’s get together and make this a day of fasting and prayer for the success of our boys in France.”

The main headline in the paper was “Allied Air Raiders Smash Mannheim.” “The Huns” were still moving across France, but not at a quick rate. Fighting was fierce. It would be another six months until the armistice was made.

Though the World War II population boom is well-known, the town also grew rapidly during World War I with wooden ships being constructed at yards along the Sabine River. A headline read “Orange Needs More School Room” over a story “Since the shipbuilding industry has started in Orange, the scholastic census has increased nearly 50 percent and a congested condition is the result.”

The story reported Superintendent Stover was traveling to meet with the state education commissioner to talk about what Orange needed.

Housing became precious. A large advertisement on Page 2 reported “A group of Orange men, financially strong, organized to response is going to build several hundred houses just as quickly as they receive orders.” People interested in getting a new house were told to “see Lee Woodward over at the Orange National Bank. Tell him what you want and where you want it.” The Orange Development Company had L. Miller as president with Woodward as vice president.

Even with the request for prayers and fasting on Memorial Day, recreation was still part of the lives of Orange residents. The Airodome theater was showing “Cyclone Higgins, D.D.” starring Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne. The American Film Institute website says the silent movie is about a minister and his Chinese servant going to a “rough southern town” to convert the population. The minister gets in a feud with a deputy sheriff and saves the young woman.

Mary Pickford opened on May 30 (Memorial Day” at The Princess in “M’Liss,” a story of “the early days of the Gold Rush in California.” Pickford played “a ragged, unkempt girl battling with the shrewd, strong men of that day, and finally wins out by the sheer lovableness (sic) of her personality.”

People might want to enjoy a bottle of Galvo. Or maybe they didn’t enjoy it. It was a “non-alcoholic” drink bottled by the Galveston Brewing Company and described as “a non-intoxicating cereal beverage.” Apparently it was short lived.

Fishing was recreation and a way to put food on the table. “The water at Sabine Lake is clearing up. Red fish and trout are biting in the East, West and Middle Passes. But don’t go down there without first stocking up” on rods, reels, lines, hooks and sinkers at Sabine Supply Company, read one ad.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-

The post War Brought Day of Fasting, Praying appeared first on KOGT.

City of Orange Public Works Director, Jim Wolf, and Project Engineer, Don King with Fittz & Shipman recently confirmed timelines for an infrastructure project located at W. Allie Payne Road. The project includes the extension of water and sanitary sewer lines along with a new lift station for the purpose of future economic development.  Local developer, David Hinds is proposing a new residential development project, Oak Alley Development, at W. Allie Payne Road and west of White Oak Road, which will feature Acadian style homes in the $250,000 range. 

The proposed project completion timeline is early 2017.  For additional information concerning this infrastructure project, please contact Jim Wolf at 409.883.1082.

The City of Orange Economic Development Corporation (EDC), in an effort to encourage new residential development, is offering a $5,000 incentive to developers to offset closing costs for any new residential project in the City of Orange.  “The City of Orange appreciates the opportunity to partner with developer, David Hinds on this new Oak Alley residential project. In addition to efforts to attract new industry and retail, residential growth is a key component of economic development,” says Jay Trahan, Director of Economic Development.  For additional information please contact EDC Director, Jay Trahan, at 409.883.1077.

The post City Offering Money For New Developments appeared first on KOGT.

On May 30, 2016, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) received a report of a two vehicle crash on FM 1442 at Cajun Way in Orange County.

A 2014 Dodge pickup truck was traveling southbound on FM 1442.  A 2003 Colt motorcycle was traveling northbound on FM 1442.  The driver of the Dodge pickup truck was attempting to make a left turn onto Cajun Way.  The Dodge failed to yield the right of way while making a left turn and struck the motorcycle.  The driver of the motorcycle was wearing a helmet.

The driver of the motorcycle, 28-year-old John Michael Castillo of Vidor, was transported by medical helicopter to St. Elizabeth hospital with serious injuries.  At 12:46 Tuesday morning, Castillo was pronounced dead at the hospital.  The driver of the Dodge, 62-year-old Todd Longron of Orange, was not injured in the crash.

The post Man Dies In Accident appeared first on KOGT.

The Commissioners Court met Tuesday with only three of its members present. Not attending the meeting were County Judge Brint Carlton and Commissioner Barry Burton.
The Court approved up to $30,000 for the Road and Bridge Department to rent road repair equipment. Road and Bridge Engineer Clark Slacum said his department is beginning its annual road repair season. The primary piece of equipment that will on occasion need renting is a Bomag Recycler. Slacum indicated his request would preempt his having to wait permission until the following week from the Commissioners if his department’s Bomag breaks down while doing road repairs. He added that the rental equipment supplier is in Houston and normally it takes a day to get the equipment to Orange when it is in stock.
Maintenance Director Kurt Guidry requested the Commissioners approve his purchasing of a band saw for his department. Guidry informed the Court that his department has a couple of projects at the jail and airport involving the construction of cabinets which a band saw will be very useful inside the carpenter shop. The request was approved for the $549 purchase of a Delta Model 14-inch steel frame band saw.
The Court was to hold a discussion about a possible animal shelter for Orange County. Commissioner David Dubose who chaired the meeting asked the item be tabled until further notice because the group that requested it be on the agenda contacted him asking for more time before the idea of a county animal shelter is discussed.

The post Commissioners Meet appeared first on KOGT.

Bicyclist Hit by Pickup off Interstate 10 Monday

A 50-year-old bicyclist was serious injured Monday evening when he was hit by a pickup truck on the Interstate 10 access road near Happy Home Drive. Orange police report the bicyclist’s injuries are incapacitating, but not considered life-threatening.

Police said Raymond Smith was on the bicycle on the outside lane of the north side access road about 7:30 p.m. He was hit by a GMC Sierra C3500 pickup driven by 84-year-old Rucie Odom of Orange. According to the report, Odom was given a citation for failure to yield right of way.

Smith was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, police report.

Two teenagers sustained minor injuries Friday morning when their car was hit by a pickup truck on FM 1130 at the intersection with FM 1078. Orange police report the teens’ car veered off the road, crossed a ditch and ended in the front yard of a house.

Police said 17-year-old Octavia Weimer was driving a Mazda 3S westbound on FM 1130 about 8:50 a.m. Friday. A Chevrolet Silverado driven by 46-year-old Jimmy Block Jr. was traveling northbound on FM 1078.

Police said the pickup had a stop sign and pulled out in front of the Mazda. Weimer and her passenger, 18-year-old Joshua Dunn, had minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene, according to the report.

Block was not injured. Police report he was given a citation for failure to yield right-of-way.

A burglar alarm likely scared away someone from breaking into a house on Bear Trails Sunday evening. Orange police report a patrol officer went to the house at 7:52 p.m. because of an alarm. The officer found a broken glass door in the back of the house, but nothing was reported missing.

On Friday morning, a resident in the 400 block of West Cypress Avenue reported a new pistol was stolen. Orange police report the owner suspects a woman he knows took the gun.

The man called police at 11:22 a.m. Friday. According to the police report, the man locked the house and went to visit his next-door neighbor. He saw a white Chevrolet sedan parked in front of his house, but did not see anyone in the car or around his property.

When the man returned home, he saw his front door open. He had left with the house locked. After going inside, he discovered that a .32 caliber Arminius long revolver was missing. Police report the man had bought the pistol two days earlier for $190. The gun was in a black, glove-like case.

The post Orange Police Reports appeared first on KOGT.

Construction has been completed as part of a Community Development Block Grant in Pinehurst. City Administrator Robbie Hood is pleased to announce the work is done on Lark Street. Hood said the contractors did pipe bursting on the sewers along Lark Street to improve the water and sewer drainage for that neighborhood. Upon completion of the sewer work the road surface of Lark was covered with an inch and a half overlay of asphalt. The total project cost about $300,000 with the bulk of that being covered with block grant funds.

The post Lark Street Complete appeared first on KOGT.

A man killed Sunday morning during a mass shooting in the Houston Memorial area is a graduate of Bridge City High School.

Police Monday identified 56-year-old Eugene Linscomb as one of those killed at the Memorial Auto and Tire Shop Sunday.

Linscomb’s obituary said he was a 1977 graduate of Bridge City High School and was a star on the golf team. He was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur before his family moved to Bridge City.

After graduating from high school, Linscomb joined the Navy. Then he went to the University of Texas and received a degree in petroleum land management. He spent years working in that profession.

He is survived by his wife and 10-year-old daughter.

Linscomb went to the auto shop and was killed by a gunman who was armed with an AR-15 and a pistol. Police report the man fired 212 shots, killing Linscomb and injuring six others.

A police SWAT member killed the shooter, who was an army veteran.

The post BC Grad Shot In Houston appeared first on KOGT.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has fined Signal International of Orange for not filing a permit compliance certification. The fine will be submitted to the court handling the company’s bankruptcy.
TCEQ assessed a $2,813 fine last week for the former Orange shipyard on the Sabine River on Front Street at Green Avenue.
Signal filed for bankruptcy last year after well-publicized litigation filed by workers from India who said they were sold into indentured servitude to work at shipyards in Orange and Pascagoula, Mississippi.
A New Orleans court awarded $14 million to the workers and the company settled more suits for another $20 million. The company then filed for bankruptcy.

The post TCEQ Fines Former Local Company appeared first on KOGT.

The soil was so wet Thursday morning that the ceremonial ground-breaking at Lamar State College-Orange was moved inside to the Student Center gym. Dry dirt was placed on plastic sheets so the officials could put on their hard hats and shovel the dirt to kick off the construction of a new all-purpose academic building.

Dr. Michael Shahan, president of the college, said the multi-purpose building will be 31,000 square feet with seven modern classrooms with the latest technology. The building will also include a grand room to be used by the college and the community. The room will have space for a sit-down dinner for 400 or a lecture for more than 700.

The design will allow the room to be divided into three smaller rooms to allow meetings of varying sizes.

Dr. Shahan praised State Senator Robert Nichols and State Representative Dade Phelan for getting the Texas Legislature to approve the money for the new building.

Senator Nichols said Representative Phelan managed to get on the House Appropriations Committee his freshman year in the legislature last year. Nichols during the session got on the Senate Finance Committee. With the two of them working on finances, they assured the funding for the building was kept in the state budget.

Dr. Shahan said he tried to get the funds in 2013 but was unsuccessful.

Dr. Brian McCall, chancellor of the Texas State University System, which oversees LSC-O, was scheduled to fly from Austin for the event. Bad weather Thursday morning made the pilot cancel the trip.

Senator Nichols said he had been in Austin and was planning to fly with the chancellor. After looking at the weather forecast last night, he and his aides decided to drive to Orange to assure he could attend.

The contractor for the project is SpawGlass, which has an office in Orange. Jerry Vandervoort of Orange is in charge of the local office.

The new building will be on Main Avenue at Second Street, north of the Allied Health Building. The LSC-O Foundation, a non-profit group of local citizens, helps acquire land for expansion. Dr. Shahan credited foundation board member Shane Johns for negotiating to get the property.

Foundation board members present Thursday were John Cash Smith, Shawn Oubre, Johns, Ross Smith, State Judge Courtney Arkeen, David Jones, Kathy Gunn and Stephen Lee. Dr. Shahan said board chair emeritus Carlton “Corky” Harmon was unable to attend.

The post LSCO Breaks Ground Indoors appeared first on KOGT.

In an unusual legal move, an Orange County prosecutor convinced a judge that 29-year-old Joshua Latham killed Tami Diane Higginbotham, even though Latham wasn’t on trial for murder.

Friday, 163rd District Judge Dennis Powell revoked a burglary probation for Latham and sentenced him to prison for 20 years. Judge Powell stacked the sentence on a five-year sentence out of Newton County for bail jumping and added a $10,000 fine to the total of 25 years.

Assistant District Attorney Krispen Walker said a probated sentence can be revoked for any violation of state laws. After Newton County dropped a murder indictment against Latham, Walker decided to prove Latham killed Higginbotham as a way to revoke the probation and send him to prison.

The case goes back to February 2013 when Higginbotham disappeared. The 41-year-old woman from Vinton, Louisiana, told her family she was going to Orange to sell a cell phone. She was reported missing the next day when she never returned home. Her abandoned car was found at Blue Bird Fish Camp on Simmons Drive.

Walker said Latham had been a suspect from the time Higginbotham disappeared because she was supposed to meet him. He told police and Higginbotham’s family that he never saw her, Walker said.

After initially talking to police, Latham left Texas. He was on deferred adjudication from a burglary conviction in Orange County. Deferred adjudication is a kind of probation often given to first offenders. If the offender completes the terms of the probation, the offense is removed from their criminal record.

When Latham disappeared, Orange County authorities issued a motion to revoke his probation and an arrest warrant was issued. Police in Maryville, Tennessee, arrested him. He was reported to be at a house in the town with his girlfriend and infant child.

Her body was found February 15, 2013, in a wooded area in Newton County north of Mauriceville after local police talked to him. An autopsy report showed she had been strangled. He was brought back to Orange by an Orange Police Department detective and a Texas Ranger.

A Newton County grand jury indicted Latham for murder in July 2013 and he was released on a $125,000 bond. But when his trial was ready to begin in February 26, 2015, he did not appear for court. Another warrant was issued and he was arrested April 28, 2015, in Starks, Louisiana.

Walker said the Newton County prosecutor got a conviction of bail jumping with a five-year sentence, but dropped the murder indictment. “A tremendous amount of work went into the case” by Orange police, the Orange County District Attorney’s investigator and the Texas Rangers, she said.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office decided to use the evidence that Latham killed Higginbotham in a hearing to revoke his probation, she said.

The presentation before Judge Powell started Thursday and continued Friday. The evidence included a demonstration by DA Investigator K.C. Brashears on how Latham disposed of Higginbotham’s body. Brashears used Walker to portray Higginbotham in the courtroom demonstration.

Also, police obtained a surveillance video from the Mobile station at Simmons Drive and Interstate 10 near Blue Bird fish camp. The video showed Higginbotham with Latham as he bought gas. The video showed he was lying when he said he had never seen her.

Walker said Higginbotham’s family was grief-stricken after the murder charge was dropped, but they are pleased with Judge Powell’s decision to establish that Latham killed Tami Higginbotham.

“Even though it’s not a murder conviction, they are happy, happy, happy” she said.

The post Latham Sentenced To 20 Years appeared first on KOGT.