KTBB News, Weather, Talk

NACOGDOCHES – A professor at Stephen F. Austin State University has been named a Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-2025 academic year. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Roslyn Fraser, an associate professor of sociology at SFA, was named to participate in the program.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. Government’s flagship program for international educational and cultural exchange. University faculty members and professionals are selected to do research, teach and produce projects in other countries. As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Fraser will spend 10 months in Port Louis, Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, researching and teaching graduate courses at the University of Technology, Mauritius

Dr. Fraser said this about receiving the recognition, “It is an honor to be selected to travel to another part of the world to represent our university, our country and the discipline of sociology. That level of recognition has real weight to it. It feels like being told ‘You’re doing good things. Keep it up.’”

TYLER – 11 East Texas hospitals have been given “A” safety ratings for the spring of 2024, which has improved from eight A ratings in Fall 2023. The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit that studies hospitals across the country for errors, injuries, accidents and infections twice a year in the fall and spring. Our news partners at KETK have put together the following list of East Texas hospitals which were rated on an A to F scale, with A being the safest: Continue reading Spring 2024 safety ratings released for East Texas hospitals

LONGVIEW – Thursday morning, law enforcement was seen stationed at the business location of a murder suspect’s son. According to our news partner KETK, vehicles from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and DPS were parked outside the Judson Road office of Dr. Kayvan Kamali’s Rheumatology Association of Longview. Kayvan’s father, Reza Kamali, was recently charged in the 2016 murder of Ron Horaney.

Sources say Gregg County is leading the investigation, some DPS troopers were called to assist at the scene. A DPS spokesperson said he believes this event is in connection to the murder investigation of Ron Horaney, in which three people have been charged so far. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office was not able to comment on the situation because of a pending judge-issued gag order.

TYLER — The hemp market in Texas is growing and with it comes competition to get products on the shelves first. According to our news partner KETK, some of the most popular items found on shelves are delta-8 and 9, which are different versions of THC, a cannabinoid found in a cannabis plant. Both naturally occur in marijuana with delta-9 being more potent.

“The majority of the delta-8 or virtually all the delta-8 that you’re finding in products is manufactured from CBD,” Leo Welder, a strategic consultant, said.

Welder a consultant with LJW3 Operating, owned his own cannabis and hemp testing lab in California before moving back to Texas. He said California had stricter rules on what hit the shelves, but Texas is lacking in that department. Continue reading Lack of cannabis regulation sparks debate in East Texas

GREGG COUNTY —  An 18-wheeler crash is causing delays Thursday morning in Gregg County on I-20 near Kilgore. According to TxDOT and our news partner KETK, the 18-wheeler crashed and caught fire in the eastbound lane of I-20 near mile marker 583, between SH 135 and FM 2207, just south of Liberty City. The inside lane is open, but officials said the outside lane is closed with an estimated reopen time of about 1 p.m.

TYLER — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a disaster declaration for Texas communities affected by severe weather including many portions of East Texas. Texas counties in the disaster declaration include Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine and Tyler. The Trinity Fire and Rescue responded to multiple storm related calls including homes destroyed by a tornado and multiple calls of people trapped in flooded cars and houses.

According to our news partner KETK, on Tuesday Trinity County Judge Danny Martin issued a disaster declaration after determining that measures had to be taken to “alleviate the suffering of people and to protect and rehabilitate property.”

People can apply online and download applications on the SBA website. Applicants can also call SBA’s customer service center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information in disaster assistance. Continue reading Disaster relief loans now available for East Texans

HOUSTON COUNTY – The Houston County Water Control and Improvement District has rescinded a boil water notice for the City of Crockett. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Crockett city officials thanked residents for their patience.

TYLER — East Texas Representative Nathaniel Moran’s Rural Weather Monitoring Systems Act, also known as H.R. 4654, passed in the House on Tuesday, as part of a bill to ensure that U.S. weather systems are at the forefront of reliable weather forecasting and prediction, according to reports from our colleagues at KETK. H.R. 4654, introduced by Moran in July 2023, addresses key challenges with rural weather monitoring systems including geographical differences in availability, effectiveness of rural weather monitoring systems and the number of rural areas currently affected by unreliable or unavailable monitoring systems to help track life-threatening weather events. Continue reading Moran weather bill passes

MABANK – Mabank Independent School District is seeking the approval of a $116 million bond that if passed on Election Day, will increase student capacity and prepare the district for future growth. According to the school district and our colleagues at KETK, the projects that the bond will fund include: Continue reading Voters to decide on $116M school bond for Mabank

MARSHALL – Wednesday, the Marshall Police Department announced that they have arrested three people in connection to the murder 13-year-old Tristan Phelps of Marshall According to our news partner KETK, taken into custody and charged with murder were, 35-year-old Donyan Dillard, Devin Hurd, 22 and 21-year-old Jaquavious Robinson, all three are from Marshall. They are currently in the Harrison County Jail.

Authorities say the shooting happened early Sunday on Sanford Street, near University Avenue. Police were called in after a report of 20 to 30 shots fired. When they arrived, they found Tristan Phelps shot. Phelps was transported to a local hospital where he died that afternoon.

Marshall PD thanks those giving them information on the case. However, they are still investigating the murder. You call them if you have information at 903-935-4575 or to leave an anonymous tip at 903-935-9969.

HENDERSON – The Henderson Police Department released a sketch made by a DPS sketch artist of a suspect in an aggravated robbery that took place on April 26. According to our news partner KETK, the robbery occurred at Rosita’s Conexion Latina on West Main Street in Henderson. Police say the robbery suspect said he had a sick family member and needed money. The owner of the business was shot during the robbery, but was treated for his injuries and released. Henderson Police ask if you have information on the identity of the person in the sketch, to call them at 903-657-3512.

TYLER – Authorities are searching for a man who has been missing since April 26. According to our news partner KETK, 44-year-old Jose Alejandro “Alex” Perez last known location was the Towne Oaks Apartments on Hollytree Drive. Detectives found Perez’s Hyundai Sonata on April 29 at that apartment complex. He is described as 6’1, 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Tyler PD asks if anyone with information on the location of Jose Perez to please call them at 903-531-1000.

TYLER — In a confrontation between police and protesters at UT Austin late Monday, 79 people involved were jailed, according to the Travis County sheriff’s department. Most were charged with criminal trespass. About 150 protesters sat on the ground as state troopers and police encircled them, with hundreds of others shouting when officers dragged someone away. After police cleared the original group of demonstrators, hundreds of students and protesters ran to block officers from leaving campus. Protesters pushed in on officers, creating a mass of shoving bodies before police used pepper spray and set off flash-bang devices to clear a path for a van to take those arrested off campus.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife Tuesday released the following statement:

“As I have previously stated, any attempt to shut down or disrupt UT operations will not be tolerated. There is no rationale whatsoever that justifies the endangerment of our students and campus environments. Massive crowds of students, along with outside groups with absolutely no connection to UT, have intentionally caused disturbances with plans to harm our campus community. In fact, the majority of arrests to date have occurred with agitators who are not UT students. These activities will not be allowed. Continue reading UT Regents Chairman responds to campus protests