KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — Four people are in critical condition after a vehicle crashed into a Longview building “at a high rate of speed,” according to our news partner KETK. Authorities said that on Saturdaym May 13, four Longview fire ambulances responded for treatment and transport of the victims. The building’s structural integrity was found “extremely compromised” after the incident, officials said, and the LFD Special Operations Technical Rescue teams worked to prevent further collapse of the building. The total operation took four hours.

TYLER – The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science program at University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing ranked first in Texas, according to RegisteredNursing.org. “I am incredibly proud that our School of Nursing’s RN-BSN program has been recognized as the top in the state,” School of Nursing Dean Dr. Barbara Haas said. “We have always strived to provide the highest quality education and resources for our nursing students, and this recognition reaffirms our commitment to excellence in nursing education.” The university said the criteria for the ranking includes whether the program is part of an accredited institution that officers online programs, total nurse program completions, annual tuition and graduation rate. Continue reading UT Tyler School of Nursing RN to BSN program ranked No. 1 in Texas

LONGVIEW – Longview police said on Saturday they are searching for a missing 18-year-old woman who was last seen on May 6. Officials said Hosanna Faith Shipton was last seen in Longview driving a black 2012 Volvo XC60 with Texas license plate number SCS8874. She is 5’7″, about 130 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. KETK reports that police said she also wears colored contact lenses, and her family has not seen or heard from her in a week. Anyone with information on her location is asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1170.

HENDERSON – One person is in custody after a 14-year-old was killed after being struck by a truck Friday night in Henderson. Henderson police said they responded to a pedestrian crash around 11 p.m. on West Main Street. The truck suspected to be involved in the crash was seen on surveillance footage obtained by authorities. The white flatbed truck with a brush guard is believed to have struck a 14-year-old boy and fled. Officials said the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

After their arrest, the suspect was booked into Rusk County Jail according to our news partner KETK.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Henderson Police Department at 903-657-3512.

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas – One person is dead after a shooting Friday morning in the Hallsville area. Officials said deputies with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene in the 9000 block of Highway 80 West early Friday morning and found a person who had died from their injuries. Our new partner KETK reports the investigation is ongoing and officials said further information will not be released pending the notification of the next of kin.

TYLER – An East Texas death row inmate has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the courts decision in his involvement in the death of his 2 year-old daughter. Robert Roberson took his daughter in January of 2002 to Palestine Regional Medical Center with severe head trauma. He said he found his daughter unresponsive after falling off the bed. Hospital personnel suspected child abuse; shaken baby syndrome. His Daughter, Nikki Curtis died the next day. Roberson was charged in her death. He was convicted and sentenced to death row in 2003.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department has gotten a huge upgrade for their investigation efforts. They now have a new Crime Scene Building. According to our news partner KETK, In 2021, the Tyler City Council gave the department $275.000 to fund efforts for the new building. That locations previous tenant was an AT&T store. The new building has a specialized photography room. Also, the team added a garage to help with testing and processing of vehicles. Now the crime scene investigators can work several cases at one time. Which means that cases can get solved more quickly. The Tyler Police Department says the new crime scene lab wouldn’t have been possible without the people of Tyler and the city.

TYLER — When Tyler Police Officer Bianca Smedley began working for the Community Response Unit in 2021, she wanted the Hispanic community to benefit from the many opportunities and resources the Tyler Police Department has to offer. She made it her mission to reach out to Spanish-speaking Tyler residents with information and resources. This is how “Comunidad” was born. “Comunidad” is a community meeting hosted by TPD entirely in Spanish. Continue reading Tyler Police Department hosts first community meeting in Spanish

TYLER – A Tyler woman pleaded guilty Thursday to injury to a child and was given a six year prison sentence. According to our news partner KETK, authorities say that 27-year old Katelyn Schengeli endangered her four children by having them in living conditions they said were “extremely inadequate for children.”

At the time of her arrest in 2021, law officers said Schengeli was under the influence of alcohol. They were alerted to this by her 8-year-old son who found his mother unconscious and non responsive. Emergency personnel then found an 11-month-old infant in a crib covered in feces and 4 year-old twin girls locked inside of a large room with the door blocked.. The four children were removed from the home to a safe environment. The children’s father Corey Evans was also arrested in 2021 and indicted as well on of four of counts of child endangerment. His outcome is still to be determined.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council approved a $58,000 contract with ERI Consulting Inc. on Wednesday for the demolition of the former Tysen House. According to our news partner KETK, the city said the abandoned property has been an ongoing problem and poses public health and public safety risks for community members and first responders. Since December 2021, the property has caught fire three times with four firefighters being injured during one of them. The most recent fire happened on April 28. The former Tysen House was ruled by the Planning Director to have no significant historical value. ERI Consulting will begin asbestos removal in six weeks and demolition will begin in eight weeks after abatement. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

TYLER — Damien M. Diggs took office to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, which represents part of East Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. Diggs was nominated by President Joe Biden on February 2, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 4 and took the oath of office on May 7. Diggs is from Frisco and is the chief federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of Texas which includes 43 counties from the Texas-Oklahoma border to the Gulf of Mexico. The district has six fully staffed offices in Tyler, Lufkin, Texarkana, Beaumont, Plano and Sherman. Diggs is responsible for the prosecution of federal criminal offenses in the district, according to a release. Continue reading New U.S. Attorney sworn in for Eastern District of Texas

TYLER — A 75-year-old man died after a four-vehicle crash in Tyler at the intersection of Pointe North Drive and WNW Loop 323, near the intersection of Highway 69. According to our news partner KETK, the crash happened in the eastbound lanes of WNW Loop 323 around 3:08 p.m. on Wednesday. Jimmy Hayes, 75, of Tyler, died following the crash. The investigation determined that three vehicles were in the eastbound turn lane of Loop 323 waiting to turn north onto Pointe North Drive. Officials said that Hayes was heading eastbound in his Ford F-150 when he veered left and struck the rear vehicle stopped in the turn lane, causing it to hit the next two vehicles in front of it. Tyler Police said that one of the occupants of the other vehicles was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

NACOGDOCHES – The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents accepted the retirement of President Steve Westbrook on Wednesday and named an interim president. Gina Oglesbee, vice president for finance and administration, will serve as interim president starting June 1. The university said she will not be a candidate for the permanent position. Oglesbee participated in the system affiliation evaluation process last fall, and the university said she has been closely involved with the transfer of management and control of the university into the UT system. She has been a part of the SFA community for over 20 years. “She is an ideal candidate to lead SFA in its transition to The University of Texas System,” SFA Board of Regents Chair Karen Gantt said. The search for the next president will be conducted by the UT Board of Regents after legislative approval for SFA’s affiliation with the system. The legislation currently awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.

TYLER – Three Tyler city councilmembers took their oaths of office on Wednesday morning. Newly-elected District 5 Councilmember Lloyd Nichols, re-elected District 1 Councilmember Stuart Hene and re-elected District 3 Councilmember Shirley McKellar were sworn into office and District 6 Councilmember Brad Curtis was elected Mayor Pro Tem. This will be Lloyd Nichols’ first term as a Tyler councilmember. He came to Tyler in 2000 while working as Area Vice President for Luby’s Cafeteria. In 2007, Lloyd left Luby’s and opened The Diner, which he operated for 15 years before selling it in 2022. Continue reading Tyler councilmembers sworn in, Mayor Pro-Tem selected