KTBB News, Weather, Talk

EAST TEXAS — Plans continue for East Texas Christmas parades, with the Rotary Clubs of Tyler putting on the Rose City event and the local AMBUCS heading up arrangements for the Longview attraction. Both are set for December 1 in the cities’ downtowns, with the Tyler parade kicking off at 6 p.m. and the Longview activity beginning at 6:30 in the evening. The Tyler event will be capped by the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree by this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Child. Longview’s parade includes marching bands, floats, and an appearance by Santa. Click here for more on what’s happening in Tyler. Check this link for more information on the Longview parade and other holiday activities around Longview.

GUN BARREL CITY – A six-year-old has died from possible carbon monoxide poisoning following an incident in Gun Barrel City. According to our new partner KETK, police and firefighters responded Saturday to a location on Garret Lane. They said they found a three-year-old girl, two boys aged four and six, and a 28-year-old woman. They say they immediately began trying to save their lives, and all four were then taken to UT Health Texas Cedar Creek Lake. The six-year-old was unresponsive when they arrived and later died, according to officials. The three-year-old and four-year-old were last listed in critical condition and have been transferred to a children’s hospital in Dallas. The woman is reportedly expected to recover. Authorities say the Henderson County Crimes Against Children Taskforce is investigating the incident along with the Gun Barrel City Police Department.

CRAFT – Authorities say a man was shot south of Jacksonville Saturday in a confrontation with law enforcement after he allegedly held his wife and daughter hostage. According to our news partner KETK, DPS Sgt. Adam Albritton says around 11:52 a.m., the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office got a 911 call from a man who claimed to be holding his wife and daughter hostage. When sheriff’s personnel and DPS troopers arrived at the scene, in the area of the Craft community off Highway 69, the suspect allegedly confronted them with a gun in a threatening manner. “Unfortunately, officers had to defend themselves, and the incident ended with the suspect shot,” said Albritton. The alleged hostage-taker was transported to a local hospital, while officials say his wife and daughter are uninjured. There was no immediate word on the suspect’s condition. The Texas Rangers are investigating.

OVERTON — The City of Overton has issued a boil water notice after it experienced a break in a 10″ water main on FM 850, according to the Overton Police Department’s Facebook page. Due to weather and the severity of the break, officials said it would take longer than usual to repair — but the city now says the break has been fixed, though the boil notice will remain in effect until the water has been tested. You may also use bottled water, and the city reported Saturday afternoon that Overton had received four pallets of water by request to the state. If you live inside the City of Overton and are in need of drinking water, officials say they would hand out one case per family starting at 9 a.m. Sunday. Check this link for more details and any updates.

TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District for the week of November 28. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will have a base failure crew on FM 850, west of FM 3226. A second crew will be performing bridge maintenance, first on SH 110 S at the Mud Creek bridge between Whitehouse and Troup, then on FM 346 south of FM 344. Motorists should expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic in all locations. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance crews will continue bridge channel maintenance on SH 31. Expect right lane closures north and southbound with flaggers controlling traffic. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas continues its holiday season advisories as holiday shopping kicks into high gear. The Monday following Black Friday, known as Cyber Monday, has become the second major holiday shopping event of the year. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), approximately 97 million shoppers took advantage of CyberMonday deals in 2021. And even with inflation and price hikes on the minds of consumers, an estimated 166.3 million shoppers were planning to shop during the Thanksgiving holiday, including on CyberMonday. The BBB reminds consumers to be on the lookout for misleading advertisements, lookalike websites, and untrustworthy sellers. Continue reading BBB tip: Cybercriminals will be on the prowl this Cyber Monday

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has scheduled a series of Registration Rally events — including a special Saturday session — for its upcoming winter and spring terms. “We’re excited to offer registration and testing hours on Saturday, for the convenience of those who might be unable to attend on a weekday,” said Claire Mizell, TJC director of admissions, as quoted in a news release. “For those who are not already TJC students, we will also have staff on hand to assist them with starting the admissions process.” Walk-in advising and registration will be held on the second floor of Rogers Student Center, on E. Lake St. on the TJC central campus. On Saturday, Dec. 3, advising and registration will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with TSI testing available from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Continue reading TJC offers Registration Rally for winter, spring semesters

TYLER – Visit Tyler is joining the nationwide movement to celebrate local businesses as it takes part in Small Business Saturday. According to a news release, Shop Small Saturday was founded in 2010 and happens annually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. That makes it the perfect time to start your holiday shopping at local small businesses, according to organizers, who say those businesses are the heartbeat of the Rose City. The Visit Tyler Visitor Center and Boutique Shop is hosting a special Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Shop from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. inside Plaza Tower in Downtown Tyler. Continue reading Tyler celebrates Small Business Saturday

TYLER — Eight-year-old Romio Hernandez and 11-spentyear-old Aiden Moreno spent their Thanksgiving giving back, according to our news partner KETK. “To help the homeless people, maybe they don’t have a house, so we are giving them food to help out, and invite them here, and give them food, serve them, give them drinks so they can feel welcomed,” said Aiden. They volunteered at the Tyler Salvation Army serving hot meals to those in need, putting a smile on everyone’s face. Continue reading Children spend their Thanksgiving feeding those in need

SMITH COUNTY – Drivers continued to face big challenges on part of I-20 in Smith County Thursday following a late morning accident. DPS reported late Thursday afternoon that the westbound lanes remained shut down after a tractor-trailer overturned in the left lane near the Highway 110 interchange. Traffic was being diverted onto other highways at the Highway 110 exit, and drivers were advised to avoid the area. You can use this link to stay up to date on this accident and others around East Texas.

EAST TEXAS — Plans continue for East Texas Christmas parades, with the Rotary Clubs of Tyler putting on the Rose City event and the local AMBUCS heading up arrangements for the Longview attraction. Both are set for December 1 in the cities’ downtowns, with the Tyler parade kicking off at 6 p.m. and the Longview activity beginning at 6:30 in the evening. The Tyler event will be capped by the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree by this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Child. Longview’s parade includes marching bands, floats, and an appearance by Santa. Click here for more on what’s happening in Tyler. Check this link for more information on the Longview parade and other holiday activities around Longview.

TYLER — Black Friday means the usual crush of shoppers, along with countless special deals, and the Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas has some advice for anyone hitting the stores. Topping the list: Start early. Many retailers have posted their Black Friday deals. This makes it easier to plan ahead and have a strategy. Check Black Friday store hours and sales ahead of time. Certain stores may also offer discounts or deals during different times. Another tip: Plan ahead. This includes making a shopping list and creating a budget to help avoid impulse purchases. It also means doing your research. Read product reviews, and check out this link for Business Profiles and customer reviews to make sure you are purchasing from a reputable company. Continue reading Black Friday shopping tips

ELKHART – A man at the center of a Silver Alert was found on Wednesday, according to Texas DPS. The alert was issued for 72-year-old Charles Milford on Wednesday after he was last seen on Nov. 22. According to our news partner KETK, DPS says 72-year-old Charles Milford is roughly 5’2″ and weighs 150 pounds, and was last seen on the 7200 block of Highway 294 in Elkhart. He was wearing a gray button-down shirt with blue jeans. He wears a black toupee and has gray hair underneath. His vehicle is a white 2015 Chevrolet Colorado with Texas license plate number PRT6582. Silver Alerts are designed to notify the public of missing older adults with a documented mental condition, according to DPS.

TYLER – As holiday travel season kicks off, Steve Thompson, the manager at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, says the location is full of energy. According to our news partner KETK, the aviation industry is overcoming the impacts of the pandemic. The number of people flying is now the same as pre-pandemic numbers. “An interesting fact is when we looked (at) the numbers we had significant higher numbers of people traveling to Tyler for this holiday week than people traveling from Tyler,” said Thompson. He says with heavier foot traffic, this is the perfect time for city officials to show off their facilities and convenience. “We have ample curb space that enables quick loading and unloading of folks. We have TSA precheck to facilitate people getting through the airport quickly here,” said Thompson. Continue reading Tyler Pounds Airport seeing pre-pandemic traveling numbers during holidays