KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – Visit Tyler is joining the nationwide movement to celebrate local businesses as it takes part in Small Business Saturday. According to a news release, Shop Small Saturday was founded in 2010 and happens annually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. That makes it the perfect time to start your holiday shopping at local small businesses, according to organizers, who say those businesses are the heartbeat of the Rose City. The Visit Tyler Visitor Center and Boutique Shop is hosting a special Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Shop from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. inside Plaza Tower in Downtown Tyler. Continue reading Tyler celebrates Small Business Saturday

TYLER — Eight-year-old Romio Hernandez and 11-spentyear-old Aiden Moreno spent their Thanksgiving giving back, according to our news partner KETK. “To help the homeless people, maybe they don’t have a house, so we are giving them food to help out, and invite them here, and give them food, serve them, give them drinks so they can feel welcomed,” said Aiden. They volunteered at the Tyler Salvation Army serving hot meals to those in need, putting a smile on everyone’s face. Continue reading Children spend their Thanksgiving feeding those in need

SMITH COUNTY – Drivers continued to face big challenges on part of I-20 in Smith County Thursday following a late morning accident. DPS reported late Thursday afternoon that the westbound lanes remained shut down after a tractor-trailer overturned in the left lane near the Highway 110 interchange. Traffic was being diverted onto other highways at the Highway 110 exit, and drivers were advised to avoid the area. You can use this link to stay up to date on this accident and others around East Texas.

EAST TEXAS — Plans continue for East Texas Christmas parades, with the Rotary Clubs of Tyler putting on the Rose City event and the local AMBUCS heading up arrangements for the Longview attraction. Both are set for December 1 in the cities’ downtowns, with the Tyler parade kicking off at 6 p.m. and the Longview activity beginning at 6:30 in the evening. The Tyler event will be capped by the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree by this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Child. Longview’s parade includes marching bands, floats, and an appearance by Santa. Click here for more on what’s happening in Tyler. Check this link for more information on the Longview parade and other holiday activities around Longview.

TYLER — Black Friday means the usual crush of shoppers, along with countless special deals, and the Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas has some advice for anyone hitting the stores. Topping the list: Start early. Many retailers have posted their Black Friday deals. This makes it easier to plan ahead and have a strategy. Check Black Friday store hours and sales ahead of time. Certain stores may also offer discounts or deals during different times. Another tip: Plan ahead. This includes making a shopping list and creating a budget to help avoid impulse purchases. It also means doing your research. Read product reviews, and check out this link for Business Profiles and customer reviews to make sure you are purchasing from a reputable company. Continue reading Black Friday shopping tips

ELKHART – A man at the center of a Silver Alert was found on Wednesday, according to Texas DPS. The alert was issued for 72-year-old Charles Milford on Wednesday after he was last seen on Nov. 22. According to our news partner KETK, DPS says 72-year-old Charles Milford is roughly 5’2″ and weighs 150 pounds, and was last seen on the 7200 block of Highway 294 in Elkhart. He was wearing a gray button-down shirt with blue jeans. He wears a black toupee and has gray hair underneath. His vehicle is a white 2015 Chevrolet Colorado with Texas license plate number PRT6582. Silver Alerts are designed to notify the public of missing older adults with a documented mental condition, according to DPS.

TYLER – As holiday travel season kicks off, Steve Thompson, the manager at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, says the location is full of energy. According to our news partner KETK, the aviation industry is overcoming the impacts of the pandemic. The number of people flying is now the same as pre-pandemic numbers. “An interesting fact is when we looked (at) the numbers we had significant higher numbers of people traveling to Tyler for this holiday week than people traveling from Tyler,” said Thompson. He says with heavier foot traffic, this is the perfect time for city officials to show off their facilities and convenience. “We have ample curb space that enables quick loading and unloading of folks. We have TSA precheck to facilitate people getting through the airport quickly here,” said Thompson. Continue reading Tyler Pounds Airport seeing pre-pandemic traveling numbers during holidays

KILGORE — The Kilgore College Rangerettes will perform alongside pop superstar Mariah Carey Thursday in the finale of the 96th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Rangerettes are marching in the parade this year in their traditional red, white, and blue uniforms, and will be in special costumes for their performance with Carey. Also, a group of the Rangerettes Forever helped to open the parade in maroon cheer uniforms.

TYLER – Tyler Salvation Army volunteers and staff present their annual community Thanksgiving meal. The Salvation Army was planning on feeding up to 1,000 guests Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Celebrating “family,” the current residents of The Salvation Army are having their meal served by volunteers, according to a news release. The volunteers are serving the community at the Salvation Army’s corps buildings in the breezeway between the dormitory and fellowship hall. Over 110 volunteers signed up this year to help with the Thanksgiving meal. Continue reading Tyler Salvation Army holds annual community Thanksgiving meal

LONGVIEW — A man who was accused of using a stolen check at an East Texas Lowe’s was arrested with the help of social media.According to our news partner KETK, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said a generator was bought with the check in Longview on Oct. 31. Then, 30 minutes after officials shared photos on social media of the man involved in the incident several people started sending tips. Jason Walker was arrested on Monday in Grayson County and released after he paid his bond. Deputies said the other man in the photo was not connected to the case. “Great job, Facebook you never disappoint,” said the sheriff’s office.

TYLER – A five-year-old boy who was at the center of an Amber Alert on Monday after being abducted from Overton has been returned home, and his alleged abductor has been charged with kidnapping. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith says Pamela Medlock, 59, was arrested Monday after being stopped by a Texas State Trooper on I-20 near Colorado City, Texas. “She was supposedly headed to Arizona,” Smith said. Officials said she was arrested after detectives interviewed her, and a recommended bond has been set at $250,000. She remained in Mitchell County as of midday Tuesday. Continue reading Woman charged in kidnapping that spurred Amber Alert

EAST TEXAS — As usual, city offices in Tyler and Longview will be closed for Thanksgiving Day. But the city of Tyler also wants you to know all non-emergency city offices will be closed as of noon on Wednesday. Solid waste collection is just one of a number of services that will be affected. Click here for more information on the Tyler schedule, and visit this link for additional information from Longview.

TYLER – The United Way of Smith County will host their third annual “Tyler Gives” online fundraiser on November 29th, which falls on International Giving Tuesday. According to a news release, the event is aimed at meeting local needs by providing United Way’s partnering local nonprofit agencies with a generous gift at the end of the year. More than 400 individuals came together last year and raised over $230,000 on TylerGives.org in a matter of hours. Thanks to Tyler Gives sponsor Express Employment Professionals and its subsidiary Specialized Recruiting Group, all fees associated with the event are covered, allowing 100% of the donations to go directly to meeting needs. United Way and the event sponsors are providing a $75,000 match for Tyler Gives this year. Continue reading United Way to host third annual Tyler Gives event with $75,000 match

TYLER — Cooking is the biggest cause of home fires and fire injuries, and Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are more than three times as many cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day as there are on any other typical day of the year. So, there’s no better time to focus on safety. The Tyler Fire Department urges citizens to cook with caution and follow a few safety tips that can help to prevent fires. “No matter how many years you’ve been cooking, or how many Thanksgiving feasts you’ve served, you still need to make safety your main ingredient,” says Paul Findley, Tyler Fire Marshal/PIO. Continue reading The Tyler Fire Department offers cooking safety tips

EAST TEXAS — Several East Texas hospitals have been given “A” safety grades for fall 2022. Our news partner KETK reports the ratings come from The Leapfrog Group. That’s described as a national nonprofit that aims to save lives by evaluating hospitals based on the performance of harm prevention systems and the hospital’s amount of errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Each hospital is given a numerical score that is then converted into an letter grade of A, B, C, or D, with “A” being the safest. UT Health North Campus Tyler, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler, UT Health Athens, and UT Health Henderson are among those receiving “A” grades. Click here for more details.