KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – Arguments were heard Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Tyler regarding a hazing lawsuit against Brownsboro ISD involving the varsity baseball team. That’s according to our news partner KETK. The lawsuit alleges that long-time hazing traditions within the baseball team ranged from upperclassmen having new teammates carry equipment to sexual assault. The hearing involved BISD’s second motion to dismiss the case after the first motion to dismiss was denied. The lawsuit holds the district liable for the alleged inaction of the baseball team’s head coach. Punishment was reportedly handed out to seniors in an incident said to have been caught on video. The judge said the ruling on the second motion to dismiss will be made available as soon as possible.

TYLER — The COVID numbers continue to go up in East Texas — and they’re rising “exponentially,” according to NET Health’s Russell Hopkins. Hopkins says people are picking these cases up in such places as retail outlets, churches, and businesses. And he tells us it won’t get better any time soon. According to Hopkins, “We’re behind the gun now…on mitigation measures,” so the numbers will keep going up “for the foreseeable future.” And he says the worst effects will be seen in hospitals and in those who are vulnerable to the virus. Continue reading NET Health’s Hopkins comments on “exponentially” rising COVID numbers

TYLER – The family of former constable Curtis Traylor-Harris is speaking out after the Smith County District Attorney’s Office released the bodycam footage from the incident relating to his charges. That’s according to our news partner KETK. “There’s been a lot said about Constable Harris that’s just not accurate or true,” said Benet Embry, Traylor-Harris’s brother-in-law and the spokesperson for the family. “He’s not the demon that the media and social media has portrayed.” Traylor-Harris (pictured) had a pre-trial hearing on his theft of property and official oppression charges Thursday morning, and is currently scheduled on the plea agreement docket for August. Continue reading Family of former Smith County constable speaks out

QUITMAN — A grand jury has formally indicted an Alba woman after she was arrested in January for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 from the city of Quitman. Amber Raelynn Highnote, 35, of Alba, has been accused of theft by way of unlawfully acquiring and exercising control over property of the city of Quitman, which reportedly went on between February 2018 and July 2021. Highnote’s official charge is theft of property more than $2,500, less than $30,000, which is a state jail level felony. According to our news partner KETK, Highnote worked as the city water clerk from February 2017 to July 2021, at which point she apparently resigned from her position. Continue reading Alba woman indicted for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 from the city of Quitman

COFFEE CITY – The 10-day-old baby, Ryder Williams, from Coffee City that was at the center of an Amber Alert was taken in by CPS at 10 p.m. on Thursday, according to our news partner KETK. Coffee City police were contacted around 3:30 p.m. after CPS could not locate the child. CPS decided to request the Amber Alert after the parents did not cooperate to turn the child over, said authorities. Officials then started investigating and found that an uncle of the father lived in Tyler. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office went to the Tyler residence to check for all three people, but they only located the father. He was taken back to Coffee City for the investigation and then released. Later, officials got a call that the mother had decided to turn her baby into Hunt County law enforcement. The baby was then taken to CPS. Police said the parents were allowed to go home. The couple also took drug tests, and they are awaiting the results. If the parents’ drug tests come back positive for methamphetamine, officials say they will be issued a warrant for their arrests for the endangerment of a child.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Morris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Todd Freeman (pictured) received a citation for allegedly attending a cockfighting ring in Cherokee County in May, according to Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson. According to our news partner KETK, Dickson said law enforcement is also working to get a warrant for an ex-commissioner from Houston County. That person’s name is not being released pending arrest. Officials recently arrested a new person in connection to the incident and issued 50 citations. Deputies are additionally trying to get nine more warrants. Dickson said all the roosters used in the fights will be put down due to orders from a judge. Officials discovered the cockfighting ring on CR 2638. 97 roosters were seized by authorities as well as two trucks and nine trailers.

TYLER – A Winona teen charged with posting a terroristic threat of a school shooting has been found incompetent to stand trial. That’s according to our news partner KETK. The 18-year-old, whom police identified as Tyler Tate, was arrested in December after the FBI National Threat Operations Center received a tip about a possible shooting threat at Winona High School. According to the sheriff’s office at the time, evidence was gathered including documentation of credible threats of death and/or serious bodily injury to individual students at the high school. An arrest warrant was signed by Judge Austin Reeve Jackson for terroristic threat, a third degree felony, and issued for Tate. Tate is still in jail and has been held on a million-dollar bond since his initial arrest in December. The jury trial has been canceled with the court’s incompetence finding.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office says a missing person has been found. Officials had earlier sought help finding George Ethan Black. They now say Black has been located alive and well in Rusk. He had checked into a healthcare facility there and an employee called the sheriff’s office after seeing him on a media outlet.

PALESTINE – Texas lawmakers and East Texas school leaders visited Palestine for a school safety forum on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, the event was hosted by District 8 State Rep. Cody Harris and Palestine Independent School District Superintendent Jason Marshall. It was a conversation between educators and law enforcement on how to prepare for and prevent a tragedy. These conversations are very prevalent following the mass shooting in Uvalde. At the forum, different topics were addressed such as, the security children and teachers should feel, identifying characteristics of a school shooter and being aware of surroundings. Continue reading State lawmakers meet with East Texas school leaders, discuss shootings at school safety forum

TYLER – The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is hosting a meeting to inform the public about Tyler Transit’s intent to use federal funds to buy land for and construct a new transit facility. Although a future site for the facility has not been determined, adding an amendment for the proposed property purchase and future project to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) allows the city to begin actively looking for potential sites, according to a news release. The public meeting will be held Thursday, July 14, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Tyler Development Center on West Ferguson St. Staff will be on hand to answer questions. If you can’t attend, there are other options for submitting input. Click here for more details.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday authorized the city manager to execute construction contracts for improvements to the Southside and Westside Wastewater Treatment Plants and sewer system upgrades. The wastewater treatment contract comes to about $3.66 million, with the sewer system pact totaling some $3.32 million. It’s all being done under a 2017 consent decree with the EPA to address what’s termed the city’s aging wastewater collection system and resulting discharges. Meantime, some news for drivers as the council slates a new traffic signal for West Grande Boulevard and Old Noonday Road, the product of a recent traffic signal study. The design process is estimated to take about six months, and the construction process is estimated to take about a year.

TYLER – A second former sergeant has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice following the plea agreements of two other former Van Zandt County officers. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Blake Snell, 28, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to felony obstruction of justice in federal court, and submitted a binding plea agreement that once accepted will sentence him to one year of probation. Charges were filed in the federal court on July 1 after his criminal charges in Van Zandt County for the same offense were dropped earlier this year. Snell was charged in Van Zandt County for the alleged misdemeanor of giving a false report during the investigation of former Chief Deputy Steven Craig Shelton. Continue reading Former Van Zandt County sergeant pleads guilty to federal felony

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court heard Tuesday from several agencies requesting a portion of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for water and sewer projects in a workshop-styled meeting. According to a news release, no final action was taken in court Tuesday and no money was allocated to any project, but the workshop served to narrow down the existing requests for funding to targeted water and sewer projects likely to be funded. After hearing nine presentations, the Commissioners Court targeted four capital improvement projects to move forward at the present time. The affected entities are Wright City Water Supply Company, Star Mountain Water Supply, the city of Winona, and the city of Lindale. Click here for additional information.

TYLER — Tyler City Council Wednesday received a presentation and recognized the new Downtown Tyler Historic District. The new district was created May 21 by the Texas Historical Commission State Board of Review and will be accepted into the National Register of Historic Places, according to a news release. The designation allows for contributing properties to apply for state and federal tax credit programs, an effort that will fast-track many revitalization projects, according to the release. “It is an exciting time for Downtown and the Tyler community,” said Main Street Director Amber Varona as quoted in the release.The district’s rough boundaries are Front Street, Border Avenue, the Cotton Belt railroad tracks, and Fannin Avenue.

TYLER — The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office issued its first citation Tuesday after brush burning got out of control southeast of Lindale, damaging several properties, according to a county news release. Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said the property owner off County Road 35 (Lavender Road) was burning four brush piles Tuesday morning. Firefighters were called out, doused the fires with water, and asked the landowner to stay with them until completely out. At 2:08 p.m., the Lindale Fire Department was dispatched to the same property because the fires had gotten out of control, according to the release. Hogue said the fire spread behind neighboring residents’ properties and across a pasture and burned about a quarter mile down County Road 492 (Ann Campbell Road) near the Swan community. The fire burned 20 round bales of hay, threatened houses, and damaged two vehicles. Horses also had to be relocated, Hogue said. Continue reading Fire marshal’s office issues citation for burn ban violation