KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — What are your hopes and visions for the Longview Parks and Recreation department for the next 5 to 10 years? The city will host a community workshop on the topic at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 27, at the Broughton Recreation Center. Officials invite residents to come, hear about ongoing updates to the Parks Master Plan, and provide their input. The city is in the process of updating the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan, which was a chapter in the Longview Comprehensive Plan adopted in March 2015. Click here for more details.

UPSHUR COUNTY — The 6th Court of Criminal Appeals in Texarkana has affirmed the 99-year prison sentence handed to Charles Lance Taylor in an Upshur County case. That’s according to a news release from the Upshur County DA’s Office. Last May, a jury found Taylor guilty of retaliation against a witness in a January 2021 incident, and the 99-year sentence followed. According to our news partner KETK, officials say Taylor broke into the Morris County house of a woman he previously dated on June 23, 2020, and assaulted and strangled her. Morris County placed Taylor on three years’ probation for the assault, then revoked the probation and sentenced him to three years in prison. The retaliation verdict and 99-year sentence followed Taylor’s threats to kill the victim if she testified against him — which she did in spite of the threats. Continue reading Sentence affirmed in Upshur County death threat case

TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District for the week of March 13. In Smith County, 
Tyler maintenance will have a crew performing edge repairs on FM 2607, from SH 64 to FM 850. A second crew will be performing ditch work on FM 850, from SH 31 towards Overton. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic in both locations. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance will continue blade laying on FM 2906, both northbound and southbound, from SH 149 to where state maintenance ends in Easton. Expect lane closures with flaggers and a pilot car controlling traffic. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

LONGVIEW – An early Sunday morning pursuit between law enforcement and a suspect, ended in the shooting death of that individual. According to our news partner KETK, Danny Ray Jackson, 47, of Longview led officers from White Oak, Longview and DPS on a high speed chase that started in White Oak and ended near the intersection of State Highway 31 and West Loop 281 in Longview. At that intersection, gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and law enforcement. Following the officer-involved shooting, Mr. Jackson was taken to a local hospital where died of his injuries. Details are limited at this time. Texas Rangers are investigating the case.

TYLER — This past week, for the second time this year, vandals struck Tyler’s Southside Park. According to a Tyler Parks and Rec Facebook post, several pieces of playground equipment were ripped out or broken. Several signs were pulled up and thrown over bridges into creeks, and trash cans were overturned, with litter left all over the grounds. If you have any information on this incident, you’re asked to call or message the Parks and Rec Department. If you live in the neighborhood and have a camera system and notice anything out of the ordinary, officials ask you to send it to the department. Continue reading Southside Park vandalized again; officials seek leads

TYLER – A UT Tyler pole vaulter from East Texas is a First Team All-American for the second time. According to our news partner KETK, Abeni Kratzmeyer from Mineola finished seventh in the NCAA division two indoor track and Field Championships Friday. Kratzmeyer vaulted a height of 3.95 meters, breaking a school mark by .03 meters. She missed her second vault of the meet and finished seventh nationally overall, thus securing her second All-American team placement.

TYLER – Tyler police arrest a man in connection to the 2022 murder of 53-year-old Anthony Wilson. According to our news partner KETK, Authorities say that Christian Navon Whitney-Polk, 20, was apprehended March 10th and currently is in the Smith County jail. Whitney-Polk is charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence. He is being held on $2,500,000 bond.

TYLER–29 teachers in the Tyler ISD will get excellence in classroom bonuses from $6,000 and $23,500. According to our news partner KETK, these teachers have been designated TOP teachers. That means they meet Tyler Optimal Performance criteria. The criteria for evaluating teachers includes student attendence, growth metrics, educator observations and student surveys. The 29 teachers being recognized are. Continue reading 29 TISD teachers to be bonused up to 23-5K

MARSHALL – A Marshall woman has been found guilty and sentenced for the killing of her boyfriend back in 2020. According to our news partner KETK, Charlene Keigi, 63, of Marshall was found guilty of murder on Thursday in the 71st District Court. Keigi was arrested back on September 14, 2020 for the death of Terry Thomas. The sheriff’s office said Keigi called 911 at about 4 p.m. to report that her recently separated boyfriend was on her property. The call was then disconnected. Officials then said she called back a short time later saying she had shot Thomas, and that she’d be in the front yard waiting for them to arrive. When deputies responded to the scene, they reportedly detained Keigi and began rendering first aid to Thomas until EMS arrived. Thomas was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injures. Keigi was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty.

PAYNE SPRINGS – The police chief and an officer with the Payne Springs Police Department have been arrested on drug charges, officials confirmed on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says Payne Springs Chief of Police April Meadows and Officer Jonathan Hutchison (pictured) were arrested Thursday morning after search warrants on their homes revealed controlled substances inside. Hillhouse said authorities are still investigating and there is no evidence at this time showing that either suspect took drugs previously seized by the Payne Springs Police Department, but that they were dealing them “under the pretense of their professional capacity.” Both suspects have been charged for the delivery of a controlled substance and money laundering.

ATHENS – A new trial date was set on Wednesday for an 82-year-old driver in a fatal Athens ISD bus crash case. According to our news partner KETK, John Stevens was charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child after the January 2019 crash with a Union Pacific train killed 13-year-old Christopher Bonilla and injured nine-year-old Joselyne Torres. The case, which has been repeatedly delayed, had previously been set for a jury trial on Feb. 22, 2022. Stevens’s new trial date is Oct. 16, 2023.

TYLER — City Councilman Bob Westbrook and Fitzpatrick Architects share this year’s Brick Award, handed out each year by Heart of Tyler. According to a news release, Westbrook, a longtime restaurateur, spent “countless hours” helping organize two events benefiting the local restaurant scene, specifically downtown. The release says the HOT August Nights dinner raised money for the city’s downtown facade grant and the Rose City Music Festival featured offerings from some 30 restaurants after Westbrook called on them to participate. Heart of Tyler officials say Fitzpatrick Architects “has an active role in almost every ongoing project in the downtown area” and is now based on the downtown square. Continue reading Heart of Tyler honors two with Brick Award

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing 15-year-old. Eric Duran is a listed runaway juvenile who was last seen on February 24. He is described as a Hispanic male, brown hair, brown eyes, 5’04, and 110 lbs. Eric does have ties to the immediate Tyler area. If you have any information as to his whereabouts, call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 566-6600 or or Detective Jennifer Stockwell at 903-533-1880 ext 26. Officials reiterate that anyone who harbors a child and is criminally negligent about whether the child is younger than 18 years of age, and has voluntarily left home without the consent of a parent or guardian, can be charged with harboring a runaway, a class A misdemeanor.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office seeks your help finding Latravion Dewberry, a listed runaway juvenile who ran away from his residence on February 19. He is described as a black male, black hair, brown eyes, 5’09, and 145 lbs. Latravion was involved in an incident in which he was shot multiple times in December and is still healing from his injuries. Officials say Latravion’s mother is clearly concerned for her son’s welfare and safety and worries that he is around further situations where he’s at risk of death or further bodily harm. It is unknown where Latravion went, but he does have ties to the immediate Tyler area. Continue reading Officials seek missing gunshot victim