Neal Barton Biography
Neal Barton is an American Journalist who has done every job in the newsroom, including sports, reporting, anchoring, and weather. In fact, Neal delivered forecasts for more than 20 years in major markets like Dallas, Seattle, Nashville and was a guest meteorologist on ABC’s “Good Morning America” for years. During his time on the weather wall, Neal has won various AP awards for the best meteorologist and even an Emmy for best coverage of the Handly Fort Worth tornado at KTVT in the DFW market. He has also completed the course for a broadcast meteorologist and received the seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society.
Neal Barton Age
Barton was born in 1959. He is 60 years old as of 2019.
Neal Barton Personal Life
Neal and his wife Renee were happy to get back to East Texas in 2003. They live in Tyler with their cats: Abi, Cali and Uncle Lew. They also have a Great Pyrenees, Bernie. His family enjoys spending much of their free time at their farm in Trinity County, near Lufkin.
You can watch Neal, weekdays at KETK Live @ Five, KETK News @ 6 pm and KETK News at 10. His commentary, My Point of View, also airs Friday’s @ 5 pm and on the following Monday during KETK Today.
Neal also loves to shoot skeet and sporting clays when he’s not delivering the news. He is also an NRA certified pistol and home defense instructor.
Neal Barton’s Article
Manufacture and distribution of East Texas meth has gone international
HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – Stories about drug abuse lead Americans to believe fentanyl opioids are king. However, methamphetamine is the most dangerous drug here in East Texas.
Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that is illegal and affects your central nervous systems, according to the National Institue of Drug Abuse. “Meth is your prime problem in the county,” said Boatie Hillhouse, Henderson County Sheriff.
While home-brewed meth labs are large safety problems, most of the drugs come straight from the border, shipped by cartels to big cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin. From there they spread to small cities and towns, including East Texas.
“We used to see a lot of meth labs and we don’t see them anymore,” said Hillhouse. “The cartels have taken over and lowered the price and we’re seeing a finished product.”
One example is an arrest Hillhouse made along with Tyler police, where 53-year-old Teresa Michelle Steppe of Chandler was found with possession of methamphetamine. Steppe had half a pound of meth, which sells for $22,000 on the street.
Just a week earlier, Hillhouse arrested her for a quarter-pound of methamphetamine which she bonded out for and went right back to her old habits.
Hillhouse said in August alone they picked up almost $60,000 worth of meth off the streets, but that’s just a fraction of the supply. While officials deal with heroin and fentanyl, they find that meth is rampant in East Texas.
Long-term use has multiple negative consequences including:
- Addiction
- Severe dental problems
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Sleeping problems
- Violent behavior
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- The sheriff said meth has been an ongoing problem long before he got into law enforcement 20 years ago.
He says it’s important to shut down illegal drug dealers because where there are dealers, crime continues to escalate with buyers which could lead to firearm-related offenses.
“If you address this type of crime aggressively, then you can help reduce other crimes,” said Hillhouse.
As meth continues to find its way into Texas, law enforcement is up against an ongoing problem and evolving criminal techniques.
Neal Barton Angel In The Sky
Article by Neal Barton;
Right after high school John Mustard left the farm and joined the Army. He wanted to fly. So, in 1960 he joined the National Guard. After Officer Candidate School he was stuck in artillery.
But finally, the Army sent him to Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells, west of Fort Worth in 1963 to learn how to fly helicopters. Because that was what the Army needed – helicopter pilots – as things heated up in Vietnam.
“I flew H-23 helicopters. It was the trainer.” Once he mastered that, he went on to fly the iconic Huey helicopter. “General Stillwell started the first gunship company, and that was it.”
In 1964, flying a chopper in Vietnam was so primitive the only weaponry on board was a crew chief and gunner using Army rifles. There was no mounted machine gun.
“Finally they gave me a platoon. And four helicopters. And we flew colonels and medevac primarily in the Pleiku area close to the border with Laos.” It was there he saw and was involved first- hand in the horror of war.
Flying over mountains which changed the atmosphere up so much they hampered the lift you needed sometimes to fly a helicopter.
“It was a hillside and I couldn’t touch down, so I turned sideways. My blade was one foot off the ground, and I held it while the crew chief stood on skids to pull the wounded guy up.”
Ask any Vietnam vet who was in the stuff, so to speak, and they will tell you the “whoop whoop” the giant Huey blades made were as welcome as a letter from home, flying the wounded out of a combat area and bringing help.
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