KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — With this week’s rainfall, the conditions in the county are finally beginning to trend in a more favorable direction. However, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office reminds citizens that all outdoor burning activity in the county is still prohibited. The recent precipitation in the area has helped, but it is not yet enough to overcome the drought conditions in the county. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) decreased 13 points this morning to 753. The KBDI is a metric used to measure the effects of seasonal drought on fire potential. The actual numeric value ranges from 0 (no moisture depletion) to 800 (absolutely dry conditions). Historically, the County has implemented a burn ban when the KBDI reaches the mid-600 to 700 range. Continue reading Smith County burn ban continues

OVERTON – The Overton High School principal Jeffery Darryl Hogg has been arrested on an assault charge after paddling a student left “substantial bruising”, according to an affidavit and our news partner KETK. On Wednesday, Hogg was arrested for the charge of assault causing bodily injury after an investigation by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. The affidavit stated that the student’s mother made a report to authorities on Aug. 15, one day after the incident. According to the affidavit, the mother gave the school consent to the corporal punishment of three hits “on the butt” and was present for the punishment of her child. The student allegedly told the mother and Hogg after the second hit, she did not want the last one and Hogg told her “it would be a shame to have to go to ISS when [the student] only had one lick left,” the affidavit stated. Continue reading Overton principal arrested after paddling student

HARRISON COUNTY – Three people were arrested on Wednesday at a Waskom home during a search warrant execution after “a lengthy drug trafficking investigation.” According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and our news partners at KETK, the search was a part of the joint Harrison County Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force along with the Harrison County Emergency Response Team, sheriff’s office, Waskom police and Marshall police. Continue reading 3 arrested in drug trafficking investigation

SMITH COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that a 22-year-old was charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle after a head-on wreck in Smith County left another man dead. The wreck happened on State Highway 155, half a mile south of Winona on Sept. 8 at 11:09 p.m. William Chaplinski of Big Sandy was reportedly driving a 2006 Nissan Titan south on 155 when he crossed the center line in an attempt to pass another vehicle. A preliminary crash report from DPS indicates that the Nissan collided head-on with a 2012 Kia Sportage driven by 42-year-old Harry Collins, III of Tyler. Collins was pronounced dead at the scene and Chaplinski was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Continue reading Big Sandy man charged with intoxication manslaughter

UPSHUR COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, District Judge Jerald Dean Fowler II has received a public warning by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for his DWI charge from 2022. Back on Sept. 9, 2022, Fowler was involved in a crash and was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Fowler pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2023 and was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication probation. According to documents, Fowler admitted that he “drank a great deal” of alcohol along with taking two prescription sleep medications before operating his vehicle the night of the crash. The documents later state that Fowler also said he does “not recall” the accident taking place and only has “vague recollections” of the events that occurred after it. Continue reading Public warning for District judge’s DWI charge

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities has been putting together a plan for the future of the city’s water system and what needs to be done to keep water flowing with an outside engineering consultant Halff Associates, according to our news partner KETK. “Here we’ve evaluated this, we’ve put this information into a water model, we’ve predicted what it looks like in the future, where we’re going to need projects to be done,” said Kate Dietz, Director of Utilities, City of Tyler. On Wednesday, Dietz presented the findings from the study to city council members. The big topic of discussion being population growth, and how the master plan would help. “We would be able to use to look at future growth potential issues in the future as far as population demands and water demands,” said Dietz. Continue reading Tyler Water Utilities looks to future of water system

TYLER – The Religion News Service reports that as rumors swirl that Pope Francis may ask for the resignation of Catholic Bishop Joseph Strickland, the firebrand conservative who oversees the Diocese of Tyler in Texas said he has heard nothing from the Vatican but signaled he would not give up his post voluntarily. According to public Vatican records, Pope Francis met on Saturday with Archbishop Robert Prevost, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio, or ambassador, to the United States, among others. What the three discussed in the meeting was not made public, but a conservative-leaning website, The Pillar, has claimed the meeting touched on whether to ask for the resignation of Strickland, who has stoked controversy in recent years for everything from resistance to COVID-19 vaccines to criticizing the pope. The Vatican did not immediately respond to requests to confirm The Pillar’s account of the confab. Continue reading No forced retirement from Bishop Strickland

TYLER – The city of Tyler Wednesday approved contracts the for installing safety improvements on Shiloh Road. According to our news partner KETK, there is going to be an LED warning system on Shiloh Road at Sweetbriar Lane, going through the reverse curve between New Copeland Road and Donnybrooks Avenue. This area has had number of traffic accidents. Construction cost estimates are $61,035 with federal funds covering 90% of the cost and the city covering the other 10% through the Half-Cent Sales Tax program. The project is scheduled to be let for construction in August 2024.
Continue reading Tyler approves contracts for Shiloh Road safety improvements

JACKSONVILLE — Former Smith County Fire Marshal Paul Findley was announced on Wednesday as the incoming Jacksonville Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management. According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Commissioners Court accepted Findley’s resignation on Tuesday, about two months after his appointment as fire marshal. Findley got his start in the fire service in Jacksonville, and the city said in a release that he is expected to start in mid-October. “I am incredibly honored to serve my beloved hometown as fire chief. Leading the men and women of the department forward in service to this community is a humbling assignment,” Findley said. A public welcome reception for Findley will be held on Oct. 24 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex. Continue reading Newly resigned fire marshal announces new position

CHANDLER — After a long and heated city council meeting, the City of Chandler has made their decision to not become a sanctuary city for the unborn. According to our news partner KETK, the goal of this measure was to ultimately pass an ordinance outlawing abortion within their city limits. Tuesday night’s meeting was packed with more than 20 residents taking the microphone during the public comment session. After hearing from everyone in this three-hour meeting, Chandler City Council members took up the resolution and it didn’t pass. A second and amended version of the ordinance was also introduced by one council member, but it failed to receive a second motion to be put it up for a vote. Continue reading Chandler votes against sanctuary for the unborn

LONGVIEW – The Texas Medical Board announced on Monday they had disciplined 27 physicians at their August meeting, including two Longview doctors. According to our news partners at KETK, Dr. Jorge Eduardo Massare-Rodriguez entered an agreed order on Aug. 18 that requires him to have a chaperone anytime he performs a physical examination on a female patient. He must also pass the Medical Jurisprudence Exam within one year and three attempts. “The Board found Dr. Massare-Rodriguez admitted that he examined two patient/employees outside of the clinic, did not create a medical record and failed to establish a formal physician-patient relationship,” the medical board said in a release. Continue reading 2 Longview physicians disciplined by Texas Medical Board

TYLER — An inmate in the Smith County Jail was accidentally freed instead of being taken to prison for a seven-year sentence. According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said inmate Mark Tyrone Johnson was released by mistake on Jan. 5, 2022. He was supposed to have been returned to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division to complete his previous seven-year sentence for assault family/household member with a previous conviction.  After his release, a warrant was subsequently issued for Johnson for escape from custody in June 2022. Continue reading Mistakenly released inmate involved in stand-off

COFFEE CITY — The City Council of Coffee City voted to deactivate the Coffee City Police Department and terminate Chief of Police JohnJay Portillo at their meeting on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the council’s meeting agenda said these were matters to be considered during their executive session of their Monday night meeting. During that executive session they have reportedly gone through with the decision to deactivate their police department and terminate the employment of Chief Portillo. “We voted to fire and terminate him as the chief of police here at coffee city, effective immediately,” said councilman, Keith Skender. This decision came after an investigation by a Houston television station detailing Portillo’s past record. Continue reading Coffee City Police Department deactivated, police chief terminated

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department said that three juveniles were reportedly shot in a vehicle near Lake Lamond and West Marshall Avenue on Saturday. According to Longview PD, and our news partner KETK, officers responded to the 200 block of West Cheryl Street at 11:55 p.m. to talk to three juvenile shooting victims who were shot at another location. Longview Fire EMS took the victims to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Longview PD said this is an ongoing investigation and detectives are collecting information. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1110.

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that one person was injured in a shooting Sunday night at the Marabella Apartments in Tyler. According to police, they responded to the scene after receiving a call about gunshots and found that one person had been taken to a local emergency room with a gunshot wound. The person was later taken to a hospital for surgery, and police said there is evidence to suggest the shooting was not random. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work the case.