KTBB News, Weather, Talk

Winter Weather Closings and Delays – Even with wintry weather easing up in East Texas, some school districts, colleges and businesses have cancellations and delays in effect. Our news partner KETK has the complete up to date list here.

SMITH COUNTY – Even though the current winter weather cycle is diminishing, the Smith County Office of Emergency Management is offering tips and information to keep residents safe and informed. Our news partner KETK spoke with Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore. He outlined resources and tips available to residents. For example, Tyler and Smith County have a Cold Weather Response Plan, which serves as a guide to provide useful information to the public. It includes tips on avoiding exposures, recognizing the signs of cold-weather related emergencies and highlights resources available to residents. “If your power goes out, we do have options,” Moore said. “So Tyler and Smith County created a winter preparation plan, and you can just Google Tyler winter weather plan and it identifies warming centers and also warming shelters. If the need arises, the cities and/or county will open centers or shelters depending on the need.” Continue reading Office of Emergency Management has winter weather tips

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK TxDOT started winterizing East Texas highways on Friday. “Most traveled roads, and so I20 is one of those, so we hit that in Gregg County, Smith County, Van Zandt County,” Jeff Williford, TxDOT Tyler District Public Information officer. TxDOT officials also assisted with Toll 49, despite it not being their roadway. Officials were treating streets with a saltwater solution.

Their number one advice is to slow down. “Roads can still get slick when it’s on there, it does help slow the process down of freezing when that precipitation hits,” said Williford. Officials also suggest checking car battery life and tires. Continue reading TxDOT monitors roadways for winter weather

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK an Arctic front arrived Saturday night, bringing a light wintry mix late Sunday into Monday and around 50+ hours of consecutive hours of below freezing temperatures. Lows are predicted to fall into the teens both Tuesday & Wednesday morning. At this time, this will be the coldest air that we’ve witnessed in East Texas since the morning of December 23rd, 2022 when we fell to 10 degrees at Tyler Pounds Airport. The lowest we’ll get temperature wise will be Tuesday morning (13 degrees). Wind chills Tuesday morning may drop below zero, mainly north of I-20. Continually updated details on coming winter weather can be found here.

TEXARKANA — According to our news partner KETK two drivers have been arrested in connection to a fatal crash from Dec. 18, 2023. According to a release, the Texarkana Police Department arrested Christopher Daniel, 25, and Robert Culpepper, 23, and were both charged with racing on the highway involving death. They were booked into the Bi-State Jail and their bonds were set at $1 million each. Linda Reed, 66, died after her car was hit when she attempted to cross North Stateline Ave. from East 9th St. to Hazel St. around 7:20 p.m. Officials said evidence showed that Culpepper and Daniel were driving southbound on Stateline “at an extremely high rate of speed.”

TYLER — It was successful search for a missing Tyler boy. According to our news partner KETK, 9-year-old Jordan Pickett went missing around 3:45 p.m. Thursday. Initial police reports say Jordan jumped out of family member’s car at an apartment complex on S. Fleishel Ave. However, he was found safe and unharmed shortly before 11:00 p.m.

LAIRD HILL– The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said that they seized what they suspect to be heroin and methamphetamines during an investigation Wednesday in Laird Hill. According to our news partner KETK, arrested was Roy Westley Lick of Overton. Charges against Lick are manufacture and delivery of a substance, possession of a controlled substance, both penalty group 1. He was also charged with resisting arrest, search or transport. Lick is being held in the Rusk County Jail on a $102,500 bond. Officials said that they expect more arrests in this ongoing investigation.

TYLER – With extreme cold weather settling into our area, several locations are already to open as shelters and warming centers. Our news partner KETK will be continuously updating the list of available locations here.

TYLER – After Thursday night storms, several thousand people in East Texas are without power. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of counties with power outages from ONCOR, SWEPCO, and several electric co-ops. You can find the list here.

RUSK – Rusk Rural Water Supply Company issued a boil water notice affecting a portion of their customers. According to our news partner KETK, customers of Rusk Rural WSC are affected on Highway 69 N, FM 2972, Meadowlark Lane and the following roads.1501, 1502, 1503, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1523, 1524, 1525, 1526, 1527, 1528 , 1536, 1537, 1539, 1540, 1541, 1608 , 1609, 1618, 1619 and 1620.
Continue reading Boil water notice for some Rusk Rural customers

LONGVIEW – In a report from the City of Longview, their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March will be held despite winter weather predictions. In the release, the march is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. Due to expected weather conditions participants have the option to march or drive a vehicle from Broughton Park to Mt. Olive Baptist Church. The march will be immediately followed by an Interfaith Service.

DENSON SPRINGS – The Anderson County Emergency Management Office announced on Thursday a boil water notice was issued for Slocum Water Supply Corporation customers in the Denson Springs Well 2 Route 2 area between County Roads 1212 and 1215. According our news colleagues at KETK, a major water line break happened in the area and until it’s repaired its advised to boil any water for consumption for at least two minutes. The Anderson County Emergency Management Office said that officials will notify the public when the notice is rescinded.

SMITH COUNTY– All non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed Monday January 15. observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. According to a press from the county, offices will be back to normal business hours on Tuesday January 16.

CASS COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report two people on a motorcycle are dead after striking a wild animal Tuesday night on the roadway. According to DPS, a 2004 Honda VTX motorcycle was heading west on U.S. Highway 67 when it struck a wild animal in the roadway “knocking the driver and a passenger onto the road.” The driver, identified as Benny Dan Snyder, 53 of Redwater, and the passenger as Darlene Green-Hurst, 40 of Maud, were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the two were not wearing helmets.