KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department said they are searching the area near Green Meadows Apartments for juveniles who were allegedly involved in a shooting that injured a woman on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, the authorities responded to shots fired at the apartment complex around 2:45 p.m. where a woman was bleeding from her leg after being hit by bullet. Witnesses told police four Black juveniles fled the scene and there was a dispute between the people involved, Lufkin PD said. The police department said two of the four suspects were detained and the investigation is ongoing.

LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Police Department said they are seeking the public’s help in locating a man suspected of robbing a bank at gunpoint on Thursday afternoon. Longview PD responded to a call at 2001 Judson Road for a bank robbery. Police said the suspect entered the bank, waved a firearm and demanded money. The suspect then reportedly fled the scene in a stolen vehicle. The police department said the vehicle was found a short time later. Now, officers are searching for the suspect, described as a white man wearing a dark colored hooded jacket, dark colored jeans and black shoes. There were reportedly no injuries and the suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money.

If anyone recognizes the suspect or know any information, they are asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1110, Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP (7867) or provide information online at greggcountycrimestoppers.org.

MARSHALL – A Marshall man has been given a 25 year prison sentence for first-degree murder. According to our news partner KETK, 23-year-old Jakeous Jamal Johnson received that sentence in the death of 50-year-old Cedric Eugene King. King was shot to death early morning Thursday June 17, 2021. Johnson was arrested at the scene and booked for first-degree murder. Johnson pleaded guilty to that charge Wednesday and sentenced the same day.

TYLER – The Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary in Tyler has come to a settlement in an Endangered Species Act lawsuit brought against them by the Animal Legal Defense Fund in March of 2022. The settlement forces Tiger Creek, to make “significant changes to the facility and level of care being provided to the animals” in order for them to come in full compliance with the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA) standards with in two years. According to the ALDF, an agreed upon neutral third party auditor will make visits to the sanctuary in the lead up to their two year deadline to become AZA compliant. Tiger Creek, who continues to claim the allegations against them are baseless, has also reportedly agreed to become AZA accredited within five years of the settlement’s execution. If Tiger Creek fails to make the necessary changes required to become AZA compliant, all of their endangered and threatened animals will be transferred to the facilities of ALDF’s choosing, per their agreement. Continue reading Tiger Creek agrees to comply with standards

TYLER – Caldwell Zoo announced on Wednesday that they had been made aware of a scam involving fraudulent tickets. According to our news partner, zoo officials said in release the best way to be sure your tickets are real is to get them from Caldwell Zoo. You can do this in person at the zoo or online here.

KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department asked for the your help and found a woman with dementia, who her family thought was missing . According to our news partner KETK, 77-year-old Dortha Jackson Wilson was seen turning onto I-20 near Kilgore near noon. Officers were notified they say, “She is fine, and her family has been contacted.”

TYLER – A report from the City of Tyler on Thursday announced that Bergfeld Park has been recognized by the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association as a Great Public Space and joins the Rose Garden as the second Tyler location to earn the honor. The land for the park was initially purchased by the city in 1913 and has seen many additions and renovations since.

EAST TEXAS — Early voting for the March primary ends Friday. Our news partner KETK took a look at voter turnout in East Texas counties ahead of election day. Early voting started last week and Gregg County Elections Administrator shared that the turnout is lower than they’d like to see. “So far during early voting we had 4,372 check-ins, and in 2022 for the governor primary we had 6,762 for the entire early voting period,” Jennifer Briggs, Gregg County elections administrator, said. Briggs explained how they’re not the only Texas county experiencing lower turnout. “I have been conversing with other elections administrators for the state of Texas and they’re kind of saying the same thing. So the turnout is a little bit slower than it was in 2022 for the governor primary,” said Briggs. Continue reading Early voting numbers low

TYLER – The Texas Baptist Men are getting together to aid those who are affected by the ongoing fire in the Texas Panhandle. According to our news partner KETK, the Texas A&M Forest Service latest count as of Wednesday has over 600,000 acres of active wildfires in Texas with the majority being in the Panhandle.

David Wells, director of disaster relief for Texas Baptist Men, said, “These wildfires, a lot of them covered a lot of ground. It did hit the city of Fritch. And then for some of these homeowners, it’ll take a while for their insurance to figure out everything. So for a lot of these homeowners, you’re like six months to a year, if not more, out. You know, that they have full recovery.”

The Texas Baptist Men said that they are planning to set up a temporary help center for residents in Fritch that have been hit by the fire.

TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office needs your help in finding a missing teen. Missing is 15-year-old Armani Gatewood. Currently he is listed as a runaway. His parents report that Armani ran away from home Feb. 5. Gatewood is a black male, 5’05’, 120 lbs. He has been seen several times with other juveniles in the area of The Ranch apartments in Tyler on Paluxy Drive. On those occasions he ran away when approached. If you have information on the location of Armani Gatewood, call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600 or go to their website here.

RUSK – Rusk Rural Water Supply Company announced that they have rescinded a boil notice that they had posted Tuesday. Officials from the RRWSC say they have taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by the public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use. The Rusk Rural Water Supply thanks their customers for their patience.

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the SPCA of East Texas announced on Wednesday that they are closing their animal intake for the time being, due to full shelters and intensive cases. SPCA of East Texas said that they already have over 200 animals in their care, with many of them being medical cases. They also recently had a case of critical rescue from neglect where it was later discovered that some of the animals were pregnant, increasing the strain on their resources. Due to these factors, SPCA of East Texas is asking for the help of the community. They encourage the public to consider adoption, donation, or fostering as ways to contribute to their mission. Continue reading SPCA of East Texas exceeds capacity

AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received an increasing number of complaints about a phone scam targeting those who use Lone Star Cards and receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

The HHS Office of Inspector General is reporting their Fraud Hotline is getting 10-15 complaints per day about the new telephone scam that involves a technique called spoofing. The scam mimics the Lone Star Card Help Desk, lulling victims into a false sense of security. Victims of this scam report getting a call that lists the Lone Star Card Help Desk caller ID (800-777-7328). The caller, sometimes a prerecorded voice, asks for the client’s PIN, Social Security number and date of birth in exchange for new or increased benefits.
Continue reading State warns about Lone Star Card scam