KTBB News, Weather, Talk

PALESTINE — Palestine police arrested a man they said tried to evade arrest after stealing his mother’s vehicle. According to our news partner KETK, authorities said that on June 10 at 11:18 a.m., they received information from a Houston County woman who said her son could be in Palestine with her stolen vehicle. “The complainant also stated that her son, identified as Brandon Bennett, 43, had warrants for his arrest,” Palestine police said. Corporal Yvette Durbin gathered information and confirmed that the vehicle in question had been reported stolen out of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. Just minutes after that, Officer Tim Green saw Bennett and the vehicle at the Clean Scene car wash on Crockett Road. Continue reading Man arrested in Palestine for allegedly stealing his mother’s vehicle

RUSK COUNTY – Rusk County officials are looking for two suspects after a reported home invasion and assault.

According to our news partner KETK Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident took place on Wednesday at an address located off of Highway 79 East. Officials said they currently have, “a patrol shift, investigators and a TDCJ search team on scene conducting an investigation.” The release stated that the possible suspects are described as two males wearing dark clothing.

“Anyone with information pertaining to this incident are urged to contact the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at (903)-657-3581 or Rusk County Crime Stoppers. No further information will be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation.” The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office

TYLER – Wednesday, the Tyler City Council voted for a new ordinance to limit the consumption of alcohol on certain public areas of Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. According to our news partner KETK, this included parking lots, boat ramps and within 15 feet of city-owned properties. Tyler Police will be enforcing the new ordinance right now. And, violators will be tagged with a Class C misdemeanor. This ordinance has been designed to keep drinking alcohol off city property and to make the lake more family friendly. Tyler PD says they will look at the ordinance every six months and see if it is effective or not.

TYLER – It is sooner than later for Tyler Independent School District. According to our news partner KETK, TISD has put across the board teacher raises ahead of the 2023-2024 school year. Officials from the district in a press release say the starting pay has been increased to $50,500. Teachers with 10 years or more of experience will receive $60,000 a year or more. Deputy Superintendent Ronald Jones said, “We value our teachers and everything they do for the children of Tyler ISD. We know that their work goes well beyond the academics they teach in the classroom. We are doing everything we can to give them the compensation they deserve.” TISD is also working to extend their teacher incentive program called TOP, district-wide. The Tyler Optimal Performance program gives teachers a chance to earn more dollars in addition to their salary.

KILGORE- The Kilgore Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individuals that burglarized the local Super Food Mart. According to our news partner KETK, on June 7 around 4:30 a.m., individuals are seen on surveillance footage stealing from the Super Food Mart located at 206 SH 31. Officials said the suspects left the scene heading east on Kings Highway in a white SUV. The Kilgore Police Department said, “If you have any information as to these person’s identity, please contact Detective Justin Murphy at 903-218-6904 or Justin.Murphy@cityofkilgore.com. Please reference case number 2306-0550.”

TYLER – A Longview man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs Wednesday. Dimitri Aaron Reynoso, 48, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. According to information presented in court, Reynoso was trafficking various types of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and pills laced with fentanyl in and around Longview and Tyler. During the course of a joint state and federal investigation, law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Reynoso on multiple occasions. On January 25, 2022, Reynoso sold 82.63 grams of methamphetamine for $1,000. Continue reading Gregg County Man Sentenced for Trafficking Meth

The $1 million project will provide a more comfortable, private and quiet space to care for patients, according to the release. “We’re really proud of the fact that where we are and that we’re basically what that means is we’re equipped to take care of just about anything that may come in through our doors. We are acute stroke ready, which means we can take care of strokes. We are also E.R. pediatric ready, which means we have the people, the talent, the technology to take care of even the smallest of patients,” said Administrator Barry Loftquist. The newly expanded ER renovation started about a year ago and is now open for all emergency needs.

TYLER – Severe thunderstorms came through East Texas Tuesday bringing severe thunderstorm warning across East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, A total of 10,199 outages were reported by Oncor, SWEPCO, Upshur County Rural Electric and Wood County Rural Electric. Some counties experienced flood advisories and many saw large hail. KETK’s Chief Meteorologist Carson Vickroy said historically, June is a month East Texas will see hail storms. “All of that potential energy from those warm temperatures results in large hail stones from strong updrafts, as we know can create a lot of damage,” said Vickroy. After the storm left Tyler, people and businesses checked every vehicle and rooftop for damage. Vickroy said to stay weather aware and get you and your cars to safety ahead of the storm. “We have all modes of severe weather pretty much year-round in East Texas and the best thing to do when there is a big hail threat in the forecast is asking ‘How am I going to protect first my life? and if the storm is going to be a threat to my property?,’” said Vickroy.

TYLER – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce 5-star accreditation. According to our news partner KETK, an area chamber must meet minimum standards in certain areas to receive accreditation. U.S. Chamber VP Raymond P. Toole said, “This rigorous review includes all aspects of a chamber’s policies, operations and programming. Accredited chambers are recognized for their continued advocacy of free enterprise and for their commitment to serving members and their local business communities. Congratulations on this tremendous accomplishment.”

Henry Bell, Tyler Area Chamber President said, “Accreditation is important to our Chamber because it allows us to examine how we are viewed every five years by peers in our industry. It is a way to assure we are staying focused on our mission and vision purpose.” The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce’s main mission is to enhance the business environment, economic well-being and quality of life for the Tyler area.

PALESTINE, Texas – According to our news partner KETK, A man was arrested after a traffic stop allegedly led to a drug bust with approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine being seized.

On June 11, around 2:30 a.m. Corporal Nathan Perkins and his K9 partner Hera with the Palestine Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with an expired registration on Crockett Road just north of the southern Palestine city limit. Robert Robison, 46, identified himself using a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) offender card. Robison was arrested for driving with a suspended license.

An open-air sniff check on the vehicle reportedly led to a search of the vehicle after Hera alerted to the presence of the odor of a controlled substance. During the search, officials said Perkins was able to locate a syringe loaded with methamphetamine under the center console and several blue pills suspected to be counterfeit Alprazolam located in a backpack in the passengers seat. A search at the Anderson County Jail revealed four bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 80 grams located in a sunglasses bag that Robison had concealed in his groin area.

TYLER – Southside Bancshares Incorporated, the parent company for Southside Bank of Tyler has been awarded the Raymond James Community Bankers Cup for 2022. President and CEO of Southside Bancshares, Inc, Lee Gibson, said , “Southside is proud to be recognized as one of the top performing community banks in the country. We appreciate Raymond James acknowledging our commitment to remaining a strong community bank our customers can depend on, as well as our continued dedication to creating long-term value for our shareholders.” Southside is the only Texas-based institution awarded a Bankers Cup. The Raymond James Community Bankers Cup Award is awarded to the top 10% of community banks nationally.

UPSHUR COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a Winnsboro man prosecutors deemed a habitual offender was sentenced to 40 years in prison in Upshur County Court. Terry Davis, 50, was charged with possession of more than one gram but less than four grams of methamphetamines. On Jan. 5, officers saw a vehicle pass them with an expired registration and followed the vehicle to a gas station where they met Davis. Authorities said they noticed “a pink bag hanging out of his pocket that he was trying to conceal.” At the time of that arrest, Davis had just been released weeks earlier from prison for the same crime in a different county.

LONGVIEW – Our news partner KETK reports that the Longview Board of Trustees have approved the a plan to convert old school busses into food trucks and to engage the services of architects for facility improvements and inspections.

Board members unanimously approved the plan brought to them by San Antonio-based Cruising Kitchens to convert two of their older school busses into food trucks, but the plan is pending funding approval from the TDA and/or USDA. If the funding is approved, the cost of the project would not exceed $432,583.77 and will not require the use of local funds.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler is offering free dementia and brain-related screenings to the East Texas community. According to our news partner KETK, the screenings will be conducted at 3531 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. To make an appointment or get more information, you can call 903-630-7479 or email marc@uttyler.edu. expect an appointment to last anywhere from five to eight hours, as the length of interviews and testing vary from patient to patient.

TYLER – Severe thunderstorms came through East Texas Tuesday bringing severe thunderstorm warning across East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, A total of 10,199 outages were reported by Oncor, SWEPCO, Upshur County Rural Electric and Wood County Rural Electric. Some counties experienced flood advisories and many saw large hail. KETK’s Chief Meteorologist Carson Vickroy said historically, June is a month East Texas will see hail storms. “All of that potential energy from those warm temperatures results in large hail stones from strong updrafts, as we know can create a lot of damage,” said Vickroy. After the storm left Tyler, people and businesses checked every vehicle and rooftop for damage. Vickroy said to stay weather aware and get you and your cars to safety ahead of the storm. “We have all modes of severe weather pretty much year-round in East Texas and the best thing to do when there is a big hail threat in the forecast is asking ‘How am I going to protect first my life? and if the storm is going to be a threat to my property?,’” said Vickroy.