KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man charged with capital murder from a shooting that killed a teenager last year will await the results of DNA testing before his case can continue. According to our news partner KETK, 20-year-old Andres Urrutia is one of two men charged with killing 17-year-old Jesse McNeely. He was shot at a home on Omega Drive, a neighborhood near downtown Tyler last June. Urrutia was arrested days later along with 21-year-old Lorenzo Martinez in Galveston. They are being held on bonds of more than $1 million. Continue reading Prosecutors await DNA testing in Tyler capital murder case

RUSK — Two East Texans charged in the 2020 disappearance of 18-year-old Tyress Gipson appeared in a Rusk courtroom Monday afternoon for brief pre-trial hearings, with a trial currently set for July. According to our news partner KETK, Breonna M. Jimenez and Cameron D. Shead, both Palestine natives, were arrested two years ago, roughly two weeks after Gipson was last seen. They were charged with aggravated kidnapping. Nearly 21 months since his disappearance, Gipson has still not been found. The defendants will both be due back in court on June 6. Also charged in the case was Derrick D. Hicks, a Palestine native as well. He was not scheduled for court Monday afternoon. A fourth person, who was 16 years old at the time, was also arrested. That person’s name was not released. Continue reading Trial set for summer in case of missing Jacksonville teen

CANTON – A man was arrested outside the Van Zandt County Courthouse Sunday evening after allegedly making a threat to the courthouse on social media. According to our news partner KETK, authorities say David Anthony Damate-Graves was making threats of violence with a firearm on a Facebook post. Canton police and the county sheriff’s office worked together to get warrants and attempted to locate Damate-Graves. When they didn’t initially find him, the sheriff’s office, Canton PD, and the Precinct 2 Constable’s Office took positions in the Canton Square. Authorities say at approximately 7:50 p.m., Damate-Graves was seen in front of the courthouse and immediately arrested without incident. He was charged with terroristic threat. “He did have a plastic toy firearm in his possession modified to resemble a real firearm,” said a sheriff’s office post.

TYLER — TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. In Gregg County, the Spur 63/McCann Road Bridge Project continues. The traffic will be reduced to two lanes to allow the contractor to build half of the bridge. In Smith County, work has been scheduled on SH 135 in Arp at the four-way stop, on SH 64 east of Chapel Hill, and on US 271 near FM 2908. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful are sponsoring a free bulky item collection for residential customers (excluding multi-family home communities and businesses) from Monday, May 2, through Friday, May 6. Participants should place bulky items on the curb by 7 a.m. May 2 and no sooner than 5 p.m. April 29. After crews have collected on your street, officials ask that you not place more bulky items on the curb. These items will be charged a special pickup fee. Click here to learn more.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is investigating a shooting in the parking lot of the Electric Cowboy on McCann Rd. At approximately 1:42 a.m. on Friday, officers were dispatched to the location in reference to multiple shots being fired. As they arrived, officers were directed toward a nearby convenience store. They found a vehicle that had been involved in a collision with the storefront sign and discovered a shooting victim outside the vehicle. Police say officers immediately began performing lifesaving aid on the victim, who was transported to a local hospital with what were termed life-threatening injuries. If you have any information on this matter, you are encouraged to contact Longview Police at 903-237-1110 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP(7867) or online at this link.

PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department is searching for a man who has been missing for more than a week. According to our news partner KETK, police are searching for 43-year-old Patrick Delomon Turner. According to officials, Turner last spoke with his family on April 20. His vehicle was found abandoned in a rural area in Anderson County. If anyone has any information about Turner and his whereabouts, they should call the Palestine Police Department at 903-731-2254.

TYLER — New Orleans-based NORF Companies has closed on three additional redevelopment projects in downtown Tyler. The firm is now getting to work on the Fair, Lindsey, and Wilcox buildings, all on Broadway a short distance south of the downtown square. That follows last September’s closure on the former Carlton Hotel, which the company says is currently in design and undergoing interior demolition and abatement. NORF’s current plan is to fully renovate The Lindsey and Wilcox buildings into mixed-use/multi-family, adding some 80 new rental units to the downtown Tyler market. In addition, NORF says it intends to remodel areas of the Fair and continue to operate it as office space, while seeking a tenant for the ground floor retail space. Continue reading NORF continues downtown Tyler revitalization efforts

CANTON (AP) — An East Texas sheriff says he will resign following his arrest and indictment on allegations he lied to investigators about witnessing one of his deputies punch a handcuffed inmate in the face. Van Zandt County Sheriff Steve Hendrix said in a resignation letter that he will step down May 14. Prosecutors say Hendrix, Chief Deputy Jerry Wood and Sgt. Blake Snell were indicted last month for giving a false statement to a peace officer about the actions of former Chief Deputy Craig Shelton. In January, Shelton admitted to the Texas Rangers that he hit Nicholas Crouch in September without justification. Hendrix faces up to six months in jail if convicted.

EAST TEXAS — Law enforcement agencies throughout East Texas plan to collect hundreds of pounds of unwanted and expired prescription drugs at the semi-annual DEA Take Back event April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To see a location near you, visit this link. According to Tyler-based Next Step Community Solutions, residents are encouraged to bring their unneeded prescription drugs (no sharps or aerosols will be accepted) to one of these events so they can safely and anonymously dispose of prescriptions and keep them out of the wrong hands. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, two-thirds of teens who misused pain relievers in the past year say that they got them from family and friends.

STARRVILLE – A boil water notice was issued for the Starrville area on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, it’s due to a prolonged reduction in distribution system pressure along with a water main break. Customers with Starrville-Friendship Water Supply Corporation in the following areas will have to boil their water prior to consumption: County Road 3104, County Road 373, Farm-to-Market road 16, and related parts of Highway 271. Customers will have to boil their water prior to washing their hands and face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc. Children, seniors and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria and all customers should follow those directions. Continue reading Boil water notice in Starrville area

TYLER – A Tyler man is booked into the Smith County Jail on several arson charges. According to our news partner KETK, online judicial records show 37-year-old Stanley Wilson Jr. is charged with one count of arson intending damage at a habitation and two counts of arson that “recklessly causes another person to suffer bodily injury or death.” According to an arrest warrant, the fire was allegedly set April 15 after an argument with a woman. The warrant says the woman made it out of a Mockingbird Lane house, removing her fire-struck jacket — but the house was destroyed, along with a car next door. Wilson has numerous misdemeanor convictions for criminal trespassing. His bonds on the arson charges total $1.8 million.

TYLER — Working with other agencies, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office has performed a sex offender residence compliance check of all sex offenders who are registered with the Sheriff’s Office. Of the 459 individuals who were checked April 27 and 28, 454 were found to be in compliance, and five were found to be out of compliance with warrants to be issued. Officials said verification checks of this type are unannounced and comprehensive. “Verification checks send a message to all sex offenders that they will be arrested if they are out of compliance with their sex offender registration requirements,” said Sheriff Larry Smith as quoted in a news release. To report information on a sex offender, call 903-590-2680.

TYLER — To help restock its Pet Food Bank, Tyler Animal Services will waive adoption fees for dogs and cats with the donation of two 35-pound or larger bags of dog food for the month of May. According to a news release, the Pet Food Bank was established in 2015 so that families in need or those who could not afford to feed their pets would have a safety net in order to keep pets in their homes. If you would like to adopt, see all pets available for adoption and submit an application on this web page. For more information, click here or call (903) 535-0045.