KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — Republican J. Scott Herod won the 2024 Smith County Precinct 3 Commissioner Republican runoff with 1,773 votes on Tuesday. According to officials, Herod received 90% of the votes with 1,773 and incumbent Terry Phillips with 10% at 198 votes. In the March primaries, Herod won with 2,968 votes. Herod is an East Texas businessman and rancher. He said it is time for a new voice in the Smith County Commissioner’s Court as Phillips has held the position since 2009.

“I think new perspective, new point of view, is key. And the ability to bring those relationships that we can accomplish business in the county is very important,” Herod said. Herod said earlier in May that his plan is to focus on where county dollars are spent.

“Smith County for example is $160 million a year business so we need to have awareness of what’s going on with those dollars and it is those commissioners who have the responsibility of working together along with the county judge to set the budget,” Herod said.

TYLER — An East Texas man was sentenced to 75 years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to intoxicated manslaughter in a 2022 wreck east of Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, Gary Lynn Nichols, 42 of Kilgore, reportedly crashed into four 20 year-olds from Overton after their vehicle broke down at around 11:45 p.m. in January 2022 on Highway 31. Officials said one 22 year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and the three others were taken to the hospital.

Reports said, Nichols was driving a 2008 Cadillac CTS about 13 miles east of Tyler when two victims were attempting to push a broken down 1997 GMC Jimmy when Nichols struck them. Two were taken to the hospital in critical condition and one in stable condition.

According to records, Nichols was arrested at the scene and charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, two charges of intoxication assault with a vehicle and failing to re-register as a sex offender in Rusk County.

GILMER — The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said a 2-year-old child was pronounced dead on Tuesday after being found unconscious in a residential swimming pool. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded to Bear Road around 5:25 p.m. and attempted life-saving measures on the child. The sheriff’s office said the child was found by a parent when they realized the child was missing from inside the home. Officials said the child was pronounced dead at a local hospital and an autopsy has been ordered by a Camp County Justice of the Peace. “This case will be under further investigation,” the sheriff’s office said. “Child Protective Services is also notified on the occasion of the untimely death of a child.”

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine will become a member of the states Alzheimer research wing. According to our news partner KETK, by a unanimous vote , the school will become a member of the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium. The goal of the TARCC, is to expand health care initiatives in East Texas.

Dr. Julie V. Philley, executive vice president and vice provost for UT Tyler health affairs and incoming UT Tyler president, said, “We aim to enhance early detection, treatment and support services for individuals and families affected by these neurodegenerative disorders.”

The release from from the TARCC further explained that Texas ranks second in the nation in the number of Alzheimer’s deaths by population.

TYLER — Smith County officials and first responders have responded to nearly 300 calls for service since 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 28. During and after the storms rolled through Smith County early Tuesday, calls have been responded to by Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Marshal’s Office, Road and Bridge, the Constables offices and Animal Control, as well as Emergency Services Districts 1 and 2. The Smith County Emergency Operations Center has been activated.

The EOC is in constant communication with multiple emergency support function personnel as well as local jurisdictions within the county, Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said.

“We are inundated with calls about downed power lines and felled trees,” he said. “We are working through this process as quickly as possible.” Continue reading Smith County storm update

HENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that a 61-year-old woman was arrested for murder in Henderson County after she allegedly shot her boyfriend. According to the sheriff’s office, Patricia Childs, 61 of Eustace, called them around 8:15 p.m. on Monday and said she had shot her boyfriend and he was not breathing. Deputies responded to the scene in the 15,000 block of Morning Star Circle were officials said they found Troy Aldredge dead with gunshot wounds outside the home. Officials said Childs was found sitting inside the home with a handgun on the floor of the living area. Continue reading Woman arrested for murder in East Texas

EAST TEXAS — With severe weather moving through the area and into East Texas, about 166,239 customers are without power as of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Click here for a full list.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Emergency Operations Center is currently experiencing a high volume of 911 calls concerning weather related activity. Numerous calls of power lines down and associated electrical fires, structure fire (lightning strike) in Lindale 16200 Ridgeview Lane, Major Traffic Accident CR 246 at CR 223 near Arp (Car hit tree in roadway), Major Traffic Accident FM 2767 at CR 211 (Car hit tree in roadway), numerous trees down in roadway across the county, multiple trees down on CR 448 between CR 452 and Hwy 110 (Van Hwy), numerous fire and burglar alarms across county (mostly weather related). Citizens are advised to stay home and avoid driving if at all possible.

TYLER — Multiple traffic signals throughout the City are without power. Drivers are urged to exercise extreme caution when traveling and treat a “dark” traffic signal like a four-way stop – each vehicle comes to a complete stop and takes its turn going through the intersection. The City is asking residents to avoid all non-essential driving. If you must drive, slow down. If you see water over the roadways, turn around.

The following intersection are currently without power: Continue reading Multiple traffic signals without power; treat intersections like four-way stops

TYLER — Lindale native Miranda Lambert’s pet focused nonprofit, MuttNation, awarded over $130,000 toward spay and neuter programs throughout Texas, including several in East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the grants were awarded as a part of their “It Takes Balls” program to prevent pet overpopulation.

According to their website, MuttNation is a nonprofit started by the Lindale native country singer and her mother Bev, the nonprofit has “raised over $9 million since inception with a mission to promote the adoption of shelter pets, advance spay & neuter; and educate the public about the benefits of these actions.” Continue reading Miranda Lambert’s nonprofit awards grants for animal services in East Texas

LAKE PALESTINE — Many in East Texans were out on the water at Lake Palestine for Memorial Day, but one side of the lake is still facing difficult challenges. According to our news partner KETK, they’re continuing the cleanup from the EF1 tornado that touched down on Thursday right before the holiday weekend.

On any typical Memorial Day there would have been hundreds of people on the lake taking off from the Lake Palestine Resort but this year it is quite different.

On the west side of the lake, some visitors had to adjust plans and take off from the Lake Palestine Marina because of the extensive damage seen on the other side. Continue reading Lake Palestine tornado cleanup continues

ZAVALLA — According to our news partner KETK, the Huntington Volunteer Fire Department responded to a church fire in Zavalla suspected to have started from an explosion. The Huntington Police Department announced on Monday that the fire department responded to a call at Solid Rock Baptist Church on FM 2109 in Zavalla. Officials said the church was under construction when calls came in of a fire. Huntington PD said it appeared “to have been an explosion,” causing a door and debris to be thrown up to 100 feet from the building.

The Huntington Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by other volunteer fire departments from Angelina County. The incident is being investigated by the Zavalla Fire Department and the Zavalla Police Department.

LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Economic Development Corporation will hold a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss a proposed bio mining process facility on 2120 E. Loop 281. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall to approve of a “bio mining process facility to extract precious metals and other elements from recycled materials in heavy commercial zoning district.”

According to the city, a vessel fabrication shop previously occupied the space but now the newly proposed facility would “recover precious metals and other elements from recycled materials in a low-carbon biotech process.”