KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County shared that the Southern Utilities Company lifted a boil water notice for their customers in Smith and Cherokee counties on Saturday.

AUSTIN – Homeowners and renters in Coryell, Falls, Leon, Smith and Van Zandt counties are now eligible for FEMA
assistance after the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding April 26-June 5. Eligible applicants may qualify for serious needs assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other
eligible expenses related to storm damage. Continue reading FEMA Assistance available

TYLER – As East Texans continue to clean up damage from recent storms, the next step for many is to file an insurance claim according to our news colleagues at KETK. The Insurance Council of Texas said before a claim is filed to take advantage of the few days of sunshine and document the damage to your property. The documentation can be photos and videos and then you have to set up temporary repairs to avoid further damage. Continue reading Storm damage advice for filing insurance

LIVINGSTON — Lake Livingston Water Supply Corporation has issued a boil water notice for Sandy Ridge, Harbor Lights and Sandy Creek subdivisions. According to our colleagues at KETK, due to a line break in the system, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the company to notify all customers to boil their water prior to consumption. Continue reading Boil water notice: Lake Livingston

TYLER – As East Texas cities continue to work through large debris after storms hit earlier this week, some people have grown concerned about the number of trees uprooted, according to our news partners at KETK. “With 70-60 mph winds, it’s kind of just a recipe for disaster,” Luke Alfaro, the City Of Tyler arborist. said. After strong winds and excessive rainfall, trees across the City of Tyler were uprooted and toppled over. Continue reading Cleanup continues after heavy rain and strong winds

TYLER – The City of Tyler Friday, released a summary of clean-up and recovery operations ongoing due to the severe weather that pummeled East Texas earlier this week. Officials are asking residents to report personal property damages to the Texas Division of Emergency Management through the iSTAT Damage Surveys. iSTAT reports could release funding from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management System directly to those affected. To find the survey, click here. Tyler/Smith County’s Heat Response Plan is now available with this link. Authorities also provided information for those needing phone charging, garbage service operations, solid waste disposal and city park conditions.
Continue reading Recovery and storm clean-up continuing across Tyler

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A former ER physician has been sentenced to 33 years in state prison for 58 counts of continuous sexual assault of a child. Karl Kauffman was arrested in March 2022 after two warrants for continuous sexual abuse of a child were issued following a search of his home. Kauffman served as an emergency room physician at several Cherokee County hospitals before his medical license was suspended by the Texas Medical Board. In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency revoked Kauffman’s DEA Certificate of Registration.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County has only a handful of roads closed from storm damages, as flooded roads have receded as of Friday morning. The Smith County Road and Bridge Department has been working around the clock for the past two weeks, clearing more than a hundred county roads that had trees down from the recent severe weather. CR 452 had been closed this week because of flooding but is now open to drivers. County Roads 429, 1303 and 2133 still have trees down with powerlines in them so they will remain closed until Oncor can safely remove the power lines. Continue reading Smith County roads update

LONGVIEW – Our news partners at KETK report the City of Longview has tabled a vote on a nearly $20 million investment for a proposed biomining facility. If passed, the facility would be built at 2120 E. Loop 281 and used to recover precious metals from broken computers and outdated tech devices. Residents who oppose the proposed location of the facility held a rally on Thursday ahead of next weeks vote by city council. More than 50 people showed up to the rally held just feet away from the property in question, to take a stand against the proposed location. Some residents said they don’t like the idea that chemicals involved would be used so closely to their neighborhoods. Continue reading Rally in Longview against proposed biomining

MINEOLA – The City of Mineola announced that they are beginning budget planning for the upcoming year and want the community’s input, according to our news partners at KETK. The mayor of Mineola, city council and city staff will be holding a meeting on June 20 at 5:30 p.m. to hear from Mineola residents regarding what they would like to see included in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The City of Mineola also has a budget input survey on their website for residents to fill out.

VAN – The SPCA of Texas is offering a cash reward for information that will lead to the arrest of the person or people who abandoned 10 newborn puppies at a Van car wash. According to our news colleagues at KETK, the Van Police Department responded to a call on Wednesday at around 7 p.m. to a car wash on Cedar Street and found the puppies in a wire crate without food or water access. Van PD cared for the puppies overnight and then contacted the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit the next day. The puppies are currently at the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center receiving veterinary care, SPCA of Texas said. Continue reading SPCA offers $5,000 reward after puppies dumped

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue released the cause of a Lindale house fire that resulted in the deaths of a mother and daughter. On Sunday, March 18, 2024, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office was called in by the Lindale Fire Department to investigate a structure fire in Lindale, involving the death of two individuals. They were later identified as mother, Ruby Martinez, 83, and daughter, Gloria Clark, 67.

“After thoroughly investigating the fire scene, autopsy and toxicology results, and lab results of submitted forensic evidence, it was determined that Ms. Clark died from a natural event, causing an accidental fire, which resulted in the death of Ms. Martinez,” Hogue said. “The cause of the fire was accidental in nature. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”

SMITH COUNTY – The POD (Point of Distribution) centers in Lindale and Chapel Hill closed 3 p.m. Friday. Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore reported that an estimated 1,452 people remained without power in Smith County as of 8:30 a.m. Friday. Southern Utilities customers in Smith County Cherokee County remain under a boil water notice.

Saw crews from the Texas A&M Forest Service’s Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System are continuing to help the City of Tyler and Smith County to clear trees from roadways. He reported that out of the more than 300 trees down on 100 county roads from Monday night’s storm, nearly all Smith County roads were cleared enough to be accessible by Thursday afternoon.
Continue reading Smith County storm recovery information

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, in January, Krystle Medeiros, 38 of Tyler, was driving on the wrong side of the roadway causing a head-on crash. Both Medeiros and her 9-year-old daughter were taken to the hospital where her daughter later died from her injuries. A subpoena for Medeiros’ medical records showed her blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.35. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08. Medeiros was originally charged with intoxication manslaughter but a grand jury indicted her with murder on March 28. She’s being held at the Smith County Jail on a bond totaling $250,000.