KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – Officials with Tyler and Smith County have signed a resolution which supports a bill creating a utility district in southern Smith County. The utility district would be in an area between the cities of Tyler and Bullard, an area that is predominately serviced by private utility companies. The area would be known as the Rose City Municipal District, or MUD. The bill was introduced in the current legislative session by State Representative Matt Schaefer of Tyler. The proposed district would have the authority to issue bonds, impose fees, and provide sewer and wastewater services and contract with the City to operate and maintain the district’s sewer and wastewater facilities. Officials feel, if the new district becomes a reality, residents in the area may one day see better sewer and wastewater services at lower costs. Continue reading Work On a South Smith County Utility District

WHITE OAK – A man picked up in White Oak, following a domestic dispute, is now facing a weapon’s charge. Arrested was Fabian Hugo Castro, 19, of Longview. A search of the man, after he was placed in handcuffs, turned up an Uzi submachine gun. It had 24 rounds in the clip and it had a retractable stock, which would allow the user to turn it into a rifle. They feel the weapon may have been stolen, since the serial number had been filed off. Now, besides the weapons charge, Castro also has outstanding warrants from Smith and Gregg Counties. He remains in the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $30,000.

TYLER – Tyler city employees who go above and beyond the call of duty are presented the Blueprint Blue Ribbon Award. That award has been given to Lauren Justice, City of Tyler accounting manager. Justice began her career with the city as an accountant in June 2012. She is currently an accounting manager and the staff liaison regarding both internal and external audits and works closely with the city’s Audit Committee.

NOONDAY – Smith County Road 1133, northwest of Noonday, is closed until further notice for a culvert replacement. The part of the road that is closed is between County Road 1131 and Farm Road 2661, in Precinct 1.

TYLER – Three Tyler Junior College students have been accepted for paid summer research fellowships. The funds come from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. Jeannie Nghiem, a TJC biology and chemistry major from Tyler, has accepted a fellowship at The University of Texas at El Paso, a Division 1 research institution. Martin Morales Alvarez, electrical engineering major and Marco Rodriguez, engineering major, both from Tyler, will both be participating in summer fellowships at UT Tyler.

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County sheriff’s office has completed a compliance check of registered sex offenders who live in the county. Sheriff Larry Smith said it took two days to conduct the check with around 40 officers from 8 different agencies. Of the 406 persons who were checked, four were found to be out of compliance and two others were not at home and notices were left. The unannounced and comprehensive residential verification checks of this type are conducted on a regular basis in the county. The sheriff said sex offenders have strict requirements. If they violate any of their registration requirements, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.

SAN ANGELO – A former Smith County youth minister is heading to prison for sexually assaulting a teen. Before Clinton Douglas Brackett, 34, was the director of youth ministries at First United Methodist Church in Lindale, he was employed at a church in Ballinger. It was there where he began a sexual relationship with a girl younger than 17. The San Angelo Standard-Times reports that Brackett, on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to one of the four counts of sexual assault of a child. In a plea agreement, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He will now have to register as a sex offender.

TYLER — A Smith County deputy is being treated for injuries following a rollover crash Wednesday evening on Toll 49 at Hwy 64. According to our news partner KETK, the deputy was responding to a call to assist another deputy when the wreck happened. The deputy reportedly lost control of his patrol vehicle when it hydroplaned, left the road and rolled. The unnamed deputy is being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.

TYLER – A state trooper with the highway patrol in Athens is now a Texas Ranger. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that Justin Cuellar has been promoted to a Texas Ranger, Texas Rangers-Company “D”. Ranger Cuellar, who joined the DPS in 2007, will be stationed in Beeville starting the first of next month.

TYLER – A Tyler jury has found Daniel Aylor, 34, guilty of driving while intoxicated, second offense. In May of last year, he had been stopped in Smith County for speeding and failing to maintain a single lane. A blood sample showed his alcohol concentration was twice over the legal limit. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22nd.

TYLER – A portion of a proposed large development in south Tyler has received city approval. The development, proposed by the Genecov Group, is in the Hollytree subdivision. The approval was for 294 of the proposed 318 acres. What was not approved was around 20 acres of apartment buildings. The vote came following several hours of comments from the area residents. Many of then felt that the Gennecov proposal would adversely affect their property values.

TYLER – A Chapel Hill School District employee has been arrested for election fraud. Arrested by Smith County sheriff’s deputies was Carolyn Lewis, 68 of Winona, who turned herself in at the county jail. The problem stems from 4 absentee ballots that were witnessed by the same person, which is a violation of the Texas Election Code. The ballots were for a position on the Chapel Hill school board. When an investigator contacted her in the parking lot of the high school, Lewis was in possession of two additional absentee ballots and appeared to be filling them out. The school district has placed Lewis on leave, pending an investigation. She has been charged with unlawfully witnessing absentee application, which is a Class B Misdemeanor and is currently free on a $500 bond.

ALTO — Victims of tornadoes in Cherokee County are finding hope through a Facebook page. Many people lost their homes and belongings during the tornadoes that ripped through Alto. Now, a Facebook page called “Tornado of 4/13 Lost and Found” is helping people find some of their lost belongings. Missy Whittington is posting items on the page. She found someone’s teddy bear. She says, “I’m taking care of it. I’m gonna foster him until I find his home.” And someone with a metal detector is offering to help as pictures of jewelry, family recipes, and tattered toys show up online — with the hope of connecting these with families who have lost so much in the storms.

TYLER — Due to a traffic crash at N. Broadway and Gentry Parkway in Tyler, the traffic control signals are not working. The lights are now flashing red in all directions until they are operational again. Expect delays if you choose to drive in that direction.

JACKSONVILLE – OSHA is investigating a fatal accident at the Stryker Creek Power Plant in Cherokee County. Our news partner, KETK, reports a man was working on a crane Tuesday afternoon when he came in contact with a voltage box and was electrocuted. His body has been sent to a Tyler lab for an autopsy. The man’s name has not been released.

TYLER – Two teens have been arrested by Tyler police following an attempted robbery. Keith Whittington, 17, is charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest. A 16 year old boy was charged with robbery. They are said to have tried to grab purses by force from a mother and daughter, knocking both to the ground and injuring the mother, but not seriously. The teens ran off and were chased by several persons who witnessed the incident. They caught both suspects before they were able to leave the area. They were both brought back to the scene on East Erwin, in downtown Tyler, where the 17 year old fled again and was later arrested by officers.

TYLER – Tyler police are asking the public’s help in identifying a woman who spray painted the Green Acres Baptist Church building. She rode up on a bike and spray painted the building with blue paint. It happened last Thursday shortly after 11:15pm. If you can identify her you are asked to call Detective Mike Kieny at 903-531-1045 or call Tyler crime stoppers at 903-597-2833.

LONGVIEW – The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing teen. He is Stacey David Ravencraft, 16. He lives in the portion of Longview which is in Harrison County. He left home on Friday and has not been heard from since then. The sheriff’s department says he is a runaway and believe he could be staying with some friends. They describe him as being 6′ 3″ tall, weighing 250 pounds and has blond hair and blue eyes. You are asked to contact the sheriff’s department if you know where he can be found.

GRAND SALINE – A Grand Saline man has been arrested following a high speed chase through several counties. The chase started Monday afternoon when a Grand Saline officer saw a stolen pickup. The driver would not stop and led the officer at speeds that topped 115 miles an hour. The chase went through Van Zandt, Smith and Wood counties. The stolen rental truck finally stopped just outside Mineola. After the vehicle stopped, the driver was observed putting on a camouflage jacket, like he was intending to run and hide. The officer then shot out the back window with a bean bag round. It was then that Anthony Lee Rodriguez, 30, was arrested. Rodriguez remains in the Van Zandt County Jail in lieu of a bond totaling $175,000.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is in jail on capital murder charges. Arrested Monday was Jordan Malik Carter, 21. Carter, who is a known gang member, is charged in the shooting deaths of Melekia Montgomery, 25, and Alexis Johnson, 23, both of Longview. It occurred on Johnson Street in August, 2016. He was indicted by the Gregg County grand jury last September. Jail records show he is charged with capital murder of multiple persons. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond.

HARRISON COUNTY — A missing Harrison County man was found dead Saturday after dozens of East Texas families, including the man’s family members, spent days searching. According to our news partner KETK, Howard “Howie” Waldon, 34, of Uncertain, was found in Jeem’s Bayou in Louisiana early Saturday morning after friends, family and volunteers spent the past week searching for him, Waldon’s wife Amanda Waldon said on Saturday. “They said a fisherman found his body in the water in Jeems Bayou, off of LA Highway 2,” Waldon said. “It looks like he wrecked and ran off into the Louisiana side of Caddo Lake off of Highway 2.” It appears he ran off the road. Waldon was last seen leaving a restaurant in Jefferson around midnight April 13.

TYLER – It’s time for the Tyler firemen’s annual fill the boot campaign. From Tuesday through Sunday, Tyler firemen will be at 7 locations around Tyler asking you to put money in those big boots. The funds go toward helping kids and adults suffering from muscular dystrophy and other muscle-debilitating diseases. The money will provide the MDA with funds that goes to support groups and care centers. It will also help kids attend the MDA Summer Camp at no cost to their families. The firemen’s goal this year is to raise $70,000. Continue reading It’s Time to Fill the Boots

TYLER – Tyler Junior College has announced sophomore students Justin Crowe and Hannah Lair as the recipients of its annual Rotary Young Citizens and Watson W. Wise Incentive awards. Recipients are chosen by a vote of TJC faculty and staff.

The Rotary Young Citizens Award goes to two TJC sophomores each year, based on qualities including: dependability, service, honesty, courtesy, loyalty, leadership, sportsmanship and scholarship. Justin Crowe is a chemistry/pre-med major from Jacksonville. After graduating from TJC, Crowe plans to transfer to The University of Texas at Tyler and then attend medical school. Continue reading TJC Award Winners Announced

EAST TEXAS – The East Texas Auto Theft Task Force is warning area residents about the sale of stolen vehicles. The suspects are predominately targeting the Hispanic community. They are posting vehicles on-line in Spanish and Spanish Web sites. The vehicles listed to be sold are extremely below market value to attract buyers. Then, they have the buyer travel to the Houston or Dallas area to complete the cash sale from the town where the vehicle was originally stolen. The task force suggests, if you decide to buy such a vehicle, have them drive to your town so that you won’t make a wasted trip, because they will more than likely not be there to meet you. Continue reading Stolen Cars Being Sold in East Texas

TYLER – A public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to get citizen input on the proposed expansion of the Old Jacksonville Highway. The proposal calls for widening the existing four-lane roadway to six lanes with a raised median. Bike and pedestrian facilities will be proposed where possible. The project limits are from Loblolly Lane and Woodland Hills Drive, north of the Tyler loop, south to Saline Creek Road and Farm Road 2813. The come-and-go meeting will be held from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Tyler’s Harvey Convention Center.

ALTO – It was back to school on Monday for students in Alto following the April 13th tornado. The gym at the high school and elementary were declared a total loss and other buildings suffered damage. The Rusk school district has offered some portable classrooms to help complete the school year. High school students found a creative use of facilities as they returned to class. Some classes were held in conference rooms, library and even the teachers’ lounge at the middle school and elementary campuses. School officials are faced with a decision, repair the high school or accelerate a 5 year plan to build a new one.

LONGVIEW — Longview Police are investigating a Sunday night homicide. According to the department’s Facebook page, officers responded to the Belaire Manor Apartments on Young Street just after 11:00. Marcos Solis, 23, was found dead at the scene. One person was detained for questioning. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and is being considered a domestic violence incident.

TYLER — Authorities in Smith County are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified three victims. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were dispatched around 1:30 Saturday morning to a deadly conduct call on Tidwell Drive, off NNE Loop 323 on the outskirts of Tyler. Deputies describe a “chaotic” scene involving “a large number of individuals.” Authorities say the deputies were quickly able to control the scene and began speaking with witnesses. It was determined that three victims had been shot during a gathering at the location. Keyundta Devor Barrett, 20, of Tyler, died at a local hospital. His body has been sent for autopsy. Kentrell Marquie Miller, 21, and Ira Brown Jr., 18, both from the Tyler area, were shot during the incident but sustained non-life threatening injuries.