KTBB News, Weather, Talk

AUSTIN – During a Natural Resources Committee hearing on Thursday, Texas State Representatives voted unanimously in favor of House Bill 27, which looks to protect East Texas aquifers. According to our news partner KETK, the bill will shut down production and export permits of certain aquifers for 16 months while the Texas Water Development Board conducts a thorough study on East Texas groundwater.

The proposal was added to the Special Session two agenda by Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday evening and he explained that the bill is intended to protect East Texas aquifers.

Before the bill was passed, State Rep Cody Harris (R-Palestine) said the proposal solidifies a promise he made to East Texans to protect their water rights.

“We need to ensure appropriate studies are conducted to protect the health of East Texas aquifers,” Abbott said in a statement Wednesday. Continue reading Committee passes bill intended to protect ETX aquifers

PALESTINE, Texas – Palestine ISD trustees this week approved calling for a $60 million bond election to be held this November. District officials quoted that a new career and technology education center, renovations to aging facilities, traffic flow improvements, and safety upgrades would be funded through the bond. The impact on someone in a home valued at $200,000 in Palestine ISD with a homestead exemption would be about $5 a month according to the district. Find more information on the bond here.

Update: KTBB confirmed Thursday afternoon with the Longview Police Department that all power has been restored.

LONGVIEW – Our news partner KETK reports that power outages in the Longview area have caused some city and school district facilities to close operations for the day.

According to the City of Longview, the Development Services office, Green Street Recreation Center and Parks and Recreation Administration building are currently without power.

Longview ISD said the LEAD Academy and the DADE center experienced a power outage. They say SWEPCO expects power to be restored later today, but the afternoon classes are canceled. Students were dismissed starting around 10:15 a.m. with buses running.

Both the district and city said they would update residents when power has been restored.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson is seeking another stay of execution and a new trial after claiming the Anderson County Judiciary acted unconstitutionally multiple times in his case, citing new evidence brought to Roberson’s legal team in June.

Roberson was convicted in 2003 of killing his chronically ill 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, by violently shaking her before taking her to a hospital. A 125-page petition filed Wednesday in the 3rd District Court in Anderson County claims Nikki was taken off life support at the direction of her grandparents — despite Roberson being her sole conservator — only after representatives with the Anderson County Judiciary falsely told hospital staff the couple was Nikki’s legal conservators. Roberson was arrested for capital murder after Nikki died. Continue reading Robert Roberson claims judicial misconduct in bid for new trial

CHEROKEE COUNTY- A Jacksonville convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the Acting U.S. Attorney’s office.

According to information presented in court, on November 17, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a call regarding reckless driving. When they arrived at the location, they were shown doorbell security camera footage of an individual later identified as Eric Pryor, 52, stepping out of a car and firing four shots at a truck. The truck went through the front yard of the residence to avoid the shots. The two vehicles were soon located on Highway 135 and Pryor admitted to firing the handgun at the truck. Continue reading Cherokee County man sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

LONGVIEW –According to a press release from the office of the Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs, a Mexican national illegally living in Longview has been sentenced for unlawfully returning to the United States.

According to information presented in court, on August 13, 2024, Jose Refugio Jara-Palafox, 45, was arrested in Gregg County. Following the arrest, it was determined that he had been deported on five prior occasions and has multiple convictions including two DWIs, indecent exposure, leaving the scene of an accident, and presenting false documentation at a port of entry.

Jara-Palafox pleaded guilty to illegal reentry following removal, and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on August 21, 2025. Jara-Palafox will be deported once he has served his sentence.

TYLER – Drivers may want to take a closer look at the cars around them, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Texas Department of Public Safety has rolled out new low-profile patrol vehicles across East Texas, designed to blend in with everyday traffic while watching for unsafe driving.

Known as “slick-top ghost-letter units,” the vehicles carry subtle markings and fewer visible lights than traditional patrol cars. DPS officials say the design gives troopers an advantage in spotting reckless drivers, impaired motorists and other roadway dangers without being easily recognized right away.

The ghost units are part of DPS’s broader push to make Texas highways safer, especially as speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving continue to be leading causes of deadly crashes statewide.

MARSHALL – UPDATE: According to Marshall PD, Highway 59 South and Travis Street have reopened after a multi-vehicle accident on Thursday morning.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Marshall Police Department is asking the public to avoid Highway 59 South and Travis Street on Monday morning while they are working a multi-vehicle accident, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Marshall Police officers are currently investigating the cause of the crash that led to multiple lanes being blocked.

As they work to clear the scene, police are encouraging the public to avoid the area. More information will be released as updates becomes available and when lanes open back up.

TYLER – Texas Parks and Wildlife is reporting several bear sightings across East Texas and encouraging people to stay away from its path. According to our news partner KETK, it’s a rare sight for East Texans to spot a bear because the last few bears in the state are predominantly found in the southwest; however, one bear is being spotted all across the piney woods.

“We believe it’s a male, young male, subadult,” Texas Parks and Wildlife District biologist Ruben Gay said. “It has a signature upside-down Nike swoosh in a way that looks like it is on the right side of his face, so that’s helping us verify it.” Gay said with over 14 reported sightings across East Texas, they’ve been able to track his travels as he moves loosely.

“We first started tracking it in the park’s Texas area near Mud Creek, kind of over there near 204 and 110 area in Cherokee County on July 15th,” Gay said.

Seemingly every corner of East Texas has seen this bear with sightings in Anderson, Cherokee, Rusk and Panola counties. This youngster has potentially found the bare necessities in the piney woods. Continue reading Bear sightings in East Texas prompts caution

AUSTIN– Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Wednesday evening that he will be adding three items to the Special Session two agenda, including a proposal that protects East Texas aquifers.

According to our news partner KETK, the proposal will shut down production and export permits while the Texas Water Development Board conducts a thorough study on East Texas groundwater.

State Rep Cody Harris (R-Palestine) says the proposal has been tied to House Bill 27 and will be heard on Thursday in the House Natural Resources Committee, which he chairs. “I made a promise to you that I wouldn’t stop fighting big-money interests trying to profit off East Texas water, and this is the next big step,” Harris said.

In Abbott’s message to the Texas Legislature, he explained that the agenda item is intended to protect East Texas aquifers. “We need to ensure appropriate studies are conducted to protect the health of East Texas aquifers,” Abbott said.

BULLARD – The former bookkeeper for an East Texas construction company was arrested after she allegedly stole over $67,000 from that company. According to our news partner KETK, the owners of the unnamed company contacted the Bullard Police Department and said that the bookkeeper, Danielle Marie Stanley, had been skimming money from the company over the past year. The owners said Stanley had wrote herself unauthorized checks from two business accounts totaling $67,670.84.

Authorities said she was able to conceal unauthorized withdrawals by manipulating the accounting software the company was using. The owners also told police that the checks written by Stanley were forged with their signatures. This was verified by police. Stanley was arrested on August 13th for theft of property, but posted a $100,000 bond the same day.

Tyler — In an initiative to fight impaired driving ahead of Labor Day weekend, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) staff and volunteers are partnering with law enforcement in Texas for “Saturation Saturday” on August 23, 2025. This coordinated effort aims to save lives by intensifying impaired driving enforcement during one of the year’s busiest travel periods. Labor Day weekend celebrations often lead to a dramatic rise in fatal impaired driving crashes. In 2022, there were 490 crash fatalities nationwide over the Labor Day holiday period — 39% of which involved a drunk driver, according to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In an effort to prevent these devastating tragedies, MADD Texas volunteers and staff are teaming up with Bullard PD, Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson County DPS, Mineola PD, Troup PD, and Tyler PD to host increased DUI patrols. Saturation Saturday also aligns with the annual National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which mobilizes its Labor Day high-visibility enforcement efforts in August and September.
Continue reading MADD teams up with law enforcement for Labor Day

JACKSONVILLE – On August 20, 2025 Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was notified by Jacksonville Police Department that they had received reports of a woman lying in the roadway on Cr 4209. Jacksonville Police Department and Jacksonville Fire arrived on scene and found a female to be critically injured lying in the roadway. EMS took her to a local hospital where she was subsequently flown to a Tyler hospital. During the same time frame an individual called Jacksonville Police Department wanting to report a criminal mischief to his vehicle. After an investigation, it was determined that the vehicle in question was involved in the incident on Cr 4209. Investigators responded to both locations and it was determined that Danny Porras 22, of Jacksonville was involved in a disturbance with his spouse on the county road where she was found. During the course of the disturbance Danny intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury to another with his vehicle. Also, during the course of the disturbance, a 2-year-old child was left unattended inside the residence. Continue reading Jacksonville man arrested for family violence

Tyler – Having a last will and testament is important. But safeguarding it is vital. Smith County has a service that does this and its inexpensive. Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips talked to KTBB and explained the filing procedure.

“All they have to do is come in, with will in hand, with 11 dollars and their drivers license. They fill out an envelope. The envelope has name, address, listed there three times. They have to have three people and their attorney that drew it up for them. We give them a case number and then we give them a piece of paper that has my name on it. It’s got the signature of the deputy and it has their case number written in. if someone finds that, they can see that has been deposited in the county clerks office for safe keeping.”

The Smith County Clerk’s Office is located on the third floor of the Smith County Annex, at 200 East Ferguson Avenue. To get more information go here.