KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler is celebrating a record-breaking enrollment year, seeing its largest enrolled freshman class for the third consecutive year. UT Tyler is doing this while increasing retention with new transfer and graduate/professional students. Total fall 2023 enrollment for the university is 9,761 students. First-time-in-college freshmen made up 1,328 of those students, which is a 14% increase over the previous record year of 2021. New transfer enrollment is 1,163 students, which is an overall increase of 9.72%, the highest in the last three years. While graduate/professional programs saw a 21% increase with 692 students, which is the highest within the last five years. Continue reading UT Tyler celebrates record enrollment year

MINEOLA — Mineola ISD recently granted its school the ability to bring in chaplains to help serve students during times of crisis. “We believe the benefit far out ways the concern,” said Mineola Superintendent Cody Mize. This comes after Senate Bill 763 was passed in June. The law allows public schools to use safety funds to employ or use volunteer chaplains. Mineola ISD voted to start using volunteers. Continue reading Mineola ISD approves chaplains as counselors

TYLER – On Wednesday, Sept. 20, the Tyler City Council and Smith County Commissioners Court came together in a joint public meeting to approve the design plan presented by Fitzpatrick Architects for Downtown Tyler’s public spaces. This is the first step of many the City and County will be considering moving throughout this process. The approved design for Downtown Tyler will help grow economic development, increase tourism, improve the quality of life for the community, as well as beautify the area with green space and landscaping. Continue reading Tyler and Smith County approve downtown design plan

WOOD COUNTY – A woman turned herself in to Wood County authorities on Wednesday after her employer reported they suspected her of theft. According to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake Fork Special Utilities District reported a possible theft in late June. The report said the water supply corporation suspected their employee Rachel Sneed, of Mineola, had stolen about $40,000 from them. Officials said that during the investigation it was determined that Sneed had stolen “upwards of $300,000 using various methods over three years between 2021 and 2023. A warrant was issued on Tuesday for Sneed for theft of property, and was released on a $100,000 bond the same day she turned herself in to the jail.

MARSHALL – Marshall man was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance by a jury on Tuesday and sentenced to 40 years in prison. According to the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office and our news colleagues at KETK, this comes after Anthony Byrd, 38, was arrested in March during a drug raid at the Timber Village Apartments. “After officers located and detained Byrd, a search of the apartment was conducted, which uncovered a variety of narcotics,” the district attorney’s office said. “Inside the apartment, officers found marijuana, Xanax, hydrocodone and 469 grams of methamphetamine that had been stamped into pill form mimicking the drug Adderall.” Continue reading Marshall man sentenced for meth possession

TROUP – At Monday night’s Troup City Council Meeting, Mayor Jeff Hale and the Troup City Council adopted the lowest tax rate in Troup since 1986. For the previous three fiscal years, the Troup City Council had adopted a property tax rate that was less than the No-New-Revenue tax rate. Through the leadership of Troup’s Mayor and City Council, the property tax rate of $0.544700 adopted by the Troup City Council at Monday’s city council meeting is 23.43% less than the 2022-2023 property tax rate of $0.710545 and is a reduction of 42.77% in Troup’s tax rate since it peaked at $0.951771 in fiscal year 2012-2013. While lowering the city’s property tax rate by almost 43% since fiscal year 2013, Troup’s Mayors and City Councils have also supported law enforcement by increasing police salaries and benefits by an average of almost 19% in this year’s budget.

CARTHAGE – The Panola County Sheriff’s Office said they detained an escaped inmate who escaped from a work detail while in custody in Louisiana according to our news partners at KETK. Sheriff Cutter Clinton said in a release the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office in Rayville, La. notified them on Monday that Jeremy Dewayne Young escaped from a work release detail and might have fled to Panola County. According to authorities, investigators became aware of a potential location on County Road 328 in DeBerry on Tuesday and observed a vehicle parked at the residence that was reported stolen out of Carthage and was suspected to be involved in the escape. Continue reading Louisiana fugitive arrested in East Texas

TYLER — Tyler police have arrested three more suspects following a shooting on New Copeland Road, near Rose Rudman Park, on August 28. Willie Ogilvie, charged with deadly conduct and Anjaylee Goodwyn, charged with tampering with evidence, were booked into the Smith County Jail on Tuesday September, 19. A juvenile suspect has also been charged. On September 19, Tyler Police were notified that Angel Lopez was arrested by the U.S. Marshall’s Service on warrants in this case and booked into the Harrison County Jail for deadly conduct and tampering with evidence. Jace Ogilvie (pictured) was booked into the Smith County Jail on a deadly conduct charge August 29. He was charged September 1st with tampering with evidence. According to Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, further arrests and charges are pending as the investigation continues. Continue reading Additional arrests following August Rudman shooting

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – The shooting death of a woman on I-20 may be a case of road rage. The shooting happened around 1:20 Tuesday afternoon in Van Zandt County, near Canton. An unidentified woman traveling east was shot by a driver in a tractor-trailer rig, also going east. Jason Rashad Williams has been charged with murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Williams was booked into Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. His bond has been set at $1.75 million. Van Zandt County Sheriff Joe Carter says that road rage is suspected as the motive in the shooting, but the investigation is still underway.

LONGVIEW – The East Texas Food Bank will open The East Texas Food Bank Longview Resource Center in mid-October. With this expansion ETFB is doing its primary mission; getting more food to more people. The Longview Resource Center is located on Interstate 20 at 2900 Signal Hill Drive. David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank said, “We are committed to addressing the issues of hunger and eliminating barriers in Gregg County. We estimate that ETFB will provide 936,000 meals annually at the Longview location.”
Continue reading East Texas Food Bank to open Longview center

LONGVIEW – After a remarkable tenure of leadership and dedication, Dr. James E. Wilcox, Superintendent of Schools for Longview ISD, has announced his retirement, effective December 31, 2025. Dr. Wilcox’s decision to retire is driven by his and his wife’s desire “to embark on new adventures,” as well as to allow the LISD Board of Trustees “ample time to chart the future course of the district.” “I will give every ounce of leadership and caring to our students until my last day with LISD,” he said. “I want the parents of our students to know that I truly do appreciate them sharing their most prized possession and God’s greatest gift to us all: their children.”

MARSHALL – Marshall Police are investigating an accident that resulted in the death of a child on Monday night. At 6:40 p.m. on Sept. 18, Marshall Emergency Communications received a call that a child had been struck by a vehicle in the 2000 block of Lower Port Caddo Road. The child was riding a battery-powered toy car when the accident occurred. The driver remained on the scene and no charges have been filed at this time. The investigation is ongoing. Continue reading Child dies in traffic accident in Marshall

TYLER – The Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, September 19, voted to unanimously appoint Smith County Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Hogue to serve as Fire Marshal. After Commissioners Court, Hogue was sworn into the position by County Judge Neal Franklin.“Chad Hogue has proven his dedication and commitment to the Fire Marshal’s Office,” Franklin said. “In my mind’s eye, I believe he’s the man for the job for the future of our Fire Marshal’s Office.” Hogue said he was thankful for the opportunity. “I love Smith County and I love the Fire Marshal’s Office,” he said. Continue reading New Smith County Fire Marshall appointed

HENDERSON – USDA Rural Development State Director Lillian Salerno will visit Henderson Wednesday morning September 20 at 11 to highlight a historic investment to expand high-speed internet infrastructure for more than 1,200 rural locations in Cherokee and Anderson counties. Salerno will talk about $25 million in funding through the USDA’s ReConnect Program. The USDA feels the ReConnect Program will help close he digital divide in rural areas and further econmic prosperity. This event is free to attend at 3675 U.S. Highway 79 South in Henderson.

WILLS POINT – The Wills Point Police Department confirmed Edgewood Chief of Police David Hammonds died on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a Will Points PD spokesperson said that Hammonds had served in law enforcement and in Edgewood for several decades. They also said, “Tonight we ask for prayers for the Hammonds family and everyone with the City of Edgewood. Chief Hammonds was not only a great man with decades dedicated to law enforcement, he was also actively involved in the community!!! We will miss you sir.”
Continue reading The Edgewood Police Chief has died