KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank has a new resource center opening later this month that they say will allow them to serve more people than ever. According to our news partner KETK, they plan to serve 500 families per week and provide 756,000 meals each year with the new Tyler Resource Center at Robertson Road. The Tyler Resource Center will include a “Healthy Food Pantry” as well as access to other services to help families reach self-sufficiency. Other services include health screenings, rental assistance and help with SNAP benefits. “It’s just really all of the type of services that are available in the community,” East Texas Food Bank CEO David Emerson said. “We’re able to bring them here because we’re going to have 500 families every week showing up to get services and so they’re going to be able to learn about these other services. And we can then cooperate with those other partner agencies to get them everything, hopefully, that they need.” Continue reading New ETFB Resource Center to help Smith County residents in need

TYLER – Tyler Police closed a portion of Loop 323 Monday following a report of a suspicious package. According to officials, Tyler police and fire responded to a call of a suspicious property condition around 11:30 a.m. in the Whataburger parking lot located at 345 SSW Loop 323. The bomb squad was called to the scene. Around 2:20, the “suspicious property condition investigation” has been determined by Tyler PD to pose no real danger, and Loop 323 has been reopened. Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said the item was an empty safe that was open with wires exposed that were likely connected to the keypad before the safe was pried open.

PALESTINE — A Palestine woman has been arrested and booked into the Anderson County Jail after leading police on a chase that ended on a dead-end road. According to our news partner KETK, Shelby Lynn Beckham, 32, had an active warrant for alleged possession of a controlled substance in Navarro County. After running a stop sign, an on-patrol officer attempted to stop Beckham. She then attempted to evade the officer down a dead-end road before being arrested for her warrant. Palestine Police in a statement said the found Beckham was in possession of a methamphetamine pipe and a trace amount of methamphetamine in a small plastic container.

ANGELINA COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety said that one man is dead and another is injured after a 2015 Ford pickup truck crashed on FM 819 on Sunday accordeing to our news colleagues at KETK. Officials said the crash happened around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning when the Ford was traveling southeast on FM 819 near FM 2108. According to DPS, the Ford went off the left side of the road and hit a concrete culvert before hitting another concrete culvert and turning over. Bradley Napier, 42 of Lufkin, was ejected from the truck and pronounced dead at the scene by an Angelina County Justice of the Peace. Winston Conway, 38 of Lufkin, was taken to be treated by a local hospital after being ejected from the truck.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Texas Department of Public Safety has announced two upcoming lane closures on I-20 in Van Zandt County this week. On Monday and Tuesday, the eastbound and westbound outside lanes at I-20 and FM 859 will be shut down as a part of a bridge replacement project at FM 859. According to DPS, this is east of Splash Kingdom in Canton. According to our news partner KETK, the eastbound and westbound outside lanes at I-20 and FM 47 will be shut down Wednesday and Thursday as a part of a bridge replacement project at FM 859.

SMITH COUNTY — An East Texas county rules that a Jewish menorah cannot be displayed on a public square. Commissioners in Smith County decided not to permit the display of the Jewish symbol during the observance of Hanukkah. County Judge Neal Franklin said in recent years the county has allowed only secular holiday decorations on the downtown Tyler Square to avoid lawsuits and demands from fringe religious groups demanding to display symbols. Tyler Rabbi Neal Katz says the menorah has been displayed in the past without controversy, but the display broke a few years ago and was only replaced this year. Katz says the decision is “antagonistic” to the Tyler Jewish community.

HEMPHILL – The Six Mile Volunteer Fire Department said that Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Highway 87 in Hemphill is a total loss after a fire burned the church on Saturday night. Six Mile VFD Chief Lonnie Johnston said that firefighters arrived on the scene around 10 p.m. on Saturday and were able to put out the fire by 12:30 a.m. Six Mile VFD and the State Fire Marshall’s Office are at the scene today trying to determine why the fire started.

CUNEY – Cherokee County Justice of the Peace Rodney Wallace has confirmed to our news partners at KETK that two people died and several others were injured in a crash on Highway 175 in Cuney on Friday night. The crash was a head on collision between two vehicles that caused a third vehicle to go airborne and roll. The two who died in the crash were a 70-year-old man and a 28-year-old-man. Both men were declared dead at the scene by Wallace. Several others, including an infant, were reportedly injured in the crash and had to be taken to hospitals in Tyler and Jacksonville.

ANGELINA COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety said that one man died and a woman was injured in a crash on State Highway 63 at State Highway 147 around 9:25 p.m. on Friday, according to our news partners at KETK. Earl Knockaert, 79 of Grapeland, was driving a Chevrolet SUV west on SH63 when DPS said he took a curve at an unsafe speed and left the roadway causing the vehicle to overturn. Continue reading Grapeland man dead, woman injured after crash

LIVINGSTON — Our colleagues at KETK report that Livingston ISD and community members mourn the loss of one of their students who died after being struck by an 18-wheeler when leaving a school bus. “Our district lost a member of its family. At times like this, we are reminded how precious life can be and how fragile each life truly is. It is sad when our district loses a member of its family. It is even more tragic when such a young life is taken away from us. We extend our thoughts and sincere condolences to family and friends. Continue reading Community mourns death of Livingston student

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that police responded to a report that someone had been shot in their car near Tyler High. Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh spoke with KETK about a reported shooting on the roadway near Tyler High and New Life Church. The caller told Tyler Police that they had been shot on the roadway and pulled into the parking lot of Tyler High where they awaited EMS. Continue reading Man reports being shot at Tyler intersection

LUFKIN – Three schools in Texas Friday received email bomb threats with the sender claiming to be a Russian terrorist. According to our news partner KETK, school districts in Lufkin, Hudson and Huntington received the email threat Friday morning as school began. The sender said they were partners in a terrorist organization and they planted bombs set to explode at a set time in retaliation in giving support to Ukraine. Authorities quickly determined that this was a hoax. The FBI, Texas DPS and other law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation into this matter.

RUSK – The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a 16-year-old runaway. Her name is Madison Clark. According to a press release from the Cherokee County SO, Madison was last seen at her home on CR3904. She is white, 5”8′ and 110 pounds. Madison is believed to have left with an unknown male. Sheriff Brent Dickson reminds everyone that harboring a runaway is punishable by a year in jail and a $4000.00 fine.

DANGERFIELD – The Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to a call Wednesday at Priefert Manufacturing in Mount Pleasant. According to our news partner KETK, that call concerned an alleged stabbbing. When police arrived they were told two victims were transported to an ER, while the suspect left the scene. Law enforcement identified the suspect as 43-year-old Skip Springer of Daingerfeld. They obtained two warrants for Springer’s arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Thursday night, the Mount Pleasant PD was contacted by the Daingerfield Police Department with information on Springer’s location. The Dangerfield PD and Morris County Sheriff’s Office went to the Daingerfield address where Springer was.
Continue reading Man arrested in Daingerfield after assault and hostage situation