KTBB News, Weather, Talk

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – One person is dead after a small plane crashed in a Van Zandt County neighborhood on Tuesday night. According to our news partner KETK and Sgt. Adam Albritton with the Texas Department of Public Safety, a small plane crashed into the side of a house off CR 3119 around 6 p.m. near the Tailwind Airpark. The home is on Private Road 7005 and was unoccupied at the time of the crash. Sgt. Albritton identified the pilot who died at 60-year-old Roger D. Turner of Edgewood. Federal Investigators are at the crash to find the cause of it.

NACOGDOCHES – With the retirement Chief Sandra Murray, Nacogdoches ISD named their new police chief last week. According to our news partner KETK, the district has named Joel Barton Jr. as its police chief. Barton is a former officer with the Nacogdoches Police Department with nearly 20 years experience in law enforcement.
Continue reading New police chief for Nacogdoches ISD

WASHINGTON – A Carthage man last week waived his right to a jury trial and instead will have a bench trial for this participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. According to our news partner KETK, 36-year-old Alex Harkrider is facing multiple federal charges including civil disorder. He was arrested in January 2021, when he posted photos and videos to social media bragging about being at the Jan. 6 riots in Washington, D.C. A bench trial means a judge decides the outcome of his case instead of a jury. The bench trial for Alex Harkrider is set to begin Jan. 2 in Washington.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY – The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office is searching for Mary Parker, 69 of Nacogdoches, after she went missing around 9:30 a.m. on Monday. According to our news partner KETK Parker suffers from memory issues and may not know where she is or why she’s travelling. Officials said she left her home in the 500 block of County Road 534 on Monday morning. Parker is around 5 feet, 6 inches tall with green eyes and was last seen wearing a pullover sweatshirt and pajama pants. She is reportedly driving a dark grey 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with the license plate number JyY-4397. The Jeep was seen going south on U.S Highway 59 south around 10 a.m. and was last seen near Interstate 45 and FM 646 north near Dickinson around 3 p.m. Anyone with information about where Parker is is asked to call Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office at 936-559-2607.

TYLER – After all the holiday fun, getting rid of the empty packages of your new gifts can be a chore but Tyler Police Department said that boxes out on the curb can make you a target for a potential break in. “That tells anybody who wants to come and take advantage of people not being home for Christmas or leaving after Christmas or anything like that or just being gone during the day that they can go in there and they know what’s in your house,” said Andy Erbaugh, the Public information officer for Tyler PD. According to our news aprtner KETK, taking your trash to recycling centers can keep thieves from knowing what you got for Christmas, and fitting everything into your garbage will help. “Break it down as much as possible and get it in that trash can,” said Erbaugh. Erbaugh also said to not leave new Christmas gifts out in your car or in your front yard. Continue reading Use caution when you throw out Christmas trash

TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public of a scam where a caller pretending to be a deputy will ask you to pay a fine through Bitcoin machines at Tyler Vape shops. According to our news partner KETK the caller reportedly claims to be “Deputy Smith”. He allegedly tells people that they have a warrant and have to immediately pay a fine by depositing money into Bitcoin machines that can be found at local vape shops. Officials said they’ve also had reports that a caller will identify himself as Captain Craig Halbrooks, the SCSO patrol commander. The caller will reportedly ask for $10,000 to $20,000 dollars at a time and has allegedly obtained around $50,000 doing this alleged scam. Continue reading Smith County officials warn of Bitcoin phone scam

LONGVIEW – The City of Longview is asking the community to help various non-profits collaborating with the city for Homeless Resource Day on Jan. 25. According to our news partner KETK. Mayor Andy Mack’s Task Force on Homelessness is asking residents to help with Homeless Resource Day by giving directly to a local organization, giving to the Mayor’s Go Giver Fund or by donating items for Homeless Outreach Bags. The city is also asking for volunteers to work directly with local homeless service organizations and on Homeless Resource Day. The city also suggested that people could help by get others involved in volunteering and by encouraging local businesses to take part in the Homeless Work Program.Visit the of Longview online to see a full list of organizations to support, information about the Go Giver Fund and a list of items needed for Homeless outreach bags.

ANDERSON COUNTY – TOur news partners at KETK report that two people are dead after a crash Wednesday morning on US 287 north of Elkhart. According to a preliminary DPS report, a 2022 Toyota Tacoma towing a trailer was traveling south on the highway when it approached a curve and the trailer began to sway. Officials said this caused the truck to lose control and cross into the northbound lane, striking a 2018 Nissan Armada that was traveling north. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Tacoma was identified as Alfred Velma, 62 of Seagoville, and the driver of the Armada was identified as 32-year-old Celsey Lively, of Elkhart. Lively was reported by officials to not have been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

COFFEE CITY – Frank Serrato was booked into the Henderson County Jail Friday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, the 53-year-old Serrato was charged with six counts of tampering with with government records with intent to seal, defraud or cause harm. He was held on a $900,000 bond. Serrato posted bond this afternoon. This comes after the recent arrest of former Coffee City Police Chief JohnJay Portillo and the deactivation of the Coffee City Police Department in September. Serrato resigned from his position of mayor in August of 2022 after the resignation of three Coffee City Council members and the city secretary.

Christmas can get hectic, so to save East Texans time KETK put together a list of local restaurants, grocery stores and movie theaters open on Christmas Day 2023. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of places to eat and and shop that will be open for Christmas this year. Please click here to view the list.

COFFEE CITY – Henderson County Sheriff’s Department said that Frank Serrato, former mayor of Coffee City is wanted for tampering with government records. According to our news partner KETK, also wanted along with Serrato on the same charge is former Coffee City police officer Lonnie Hicks. Serrato resigned from the mayor’s office August of last year. In September of this year, the police department was dissolved and its Chief Of Police JohnJay Portillo was arrested.
Continue reading Former Coffee City mayor wanted for record tampering

LONGVIEW – Our news partner KETK reports that Seth Estes Vanover, aged 52 of Diana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan to a period of 12 years and 11 months in federal prison. Additionally, Vanover has been mandated to undergo a 15-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and surrender four phones. In July of 2022, undercover agents began an operation designed to lure people into meeting minors for sexual acts. The FBI arrested Vanover in October of 2022 and he resigned from the police department that same day. His patrol car was searched and a cellphone was found. Procecutors said the device contained, “at least 234 videos and 133 photos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants, toddlers, and other young children.”