KTBB News, Weather, Talk

GILMER — An East Texas couple has been indicted in federal court for allegedly stealing identities to collect multiple stimulus checks that were provided by the CARES Act. According to our news partner KETK, Dalton Brewer and Emilee Fenton, both 24, are charged with theft of government money and aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that the two stole more than $3,600 worth of stimulus checks from two victims. The CARES Act was passed back in March to distribute stimulus checks due to the financial impact of hutdowns from the coronavirus pandemic. Most amounted to $1,200 for individuals along with an extra $500 for every child under 17.

TYLER — With Tyler ISD students going back to school earlier this week, the District is reminding students observing the Learn@Home option that breakfast and lunch meals are available via Curbside service. Meal costs will remain based on the student’s qualifying rate (i.e. Free/Reduced Lunch Program or standard meal costs). Contact your campus for Curbside meal times. Students must be present to purchase meals. For the latest Return to Learn updates and information, click the link. https://www.tylerisd.org/returntolearn. Continue reading TISD breakfast and lunches available for home learners

TYLER — Smith County residents have more than a month left to register to vote to be able to cast ballots in the November 3, 2020 General Election. Monday, October 5, is the last day to register to vote in Smith County. It is also the last day to change your address if you have moved since the last election to be able to vote in the correct precinct. People can register to vote in person at the Smith County Elections Office, at 302 E. Ferguson in Tyler. They can also visit https://www.smith-county.com/government/departments/elections/voter-registration or http://www.votetexas.gov, fill out the voter registration application, print, sign and mail or drop it off at the Elections Office. If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, call 903-590-4777.

EDOM – D.P.S. Troopers responded to a call on CR 4807 in Van Zandt County at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. The crash took place approximately a half a mile northeast of the city of Edom. Preliminary reports indicate Eddie Reed Wood, 63, of Ben Wheeler rounded a curve to the left and struck a pedestrian that was walking on the roadway. The pedestrian was identified as Bailie Renee Phillips, 18, of Ben Wheeler. Phillips was transported to CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Francis – Tyler where she later died. The crash remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW — The arrest affidavits for a former Longview physician accused of sexually abusing children who were his patients provide details on the alleged abuse. According to our news partner KETK, Matt E. Hipke, 58, was arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail Friday on two charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14. He was assessed bonds totaling $1 million, and released the same day. Hipke was a certified in internal medicine by the Texas Medical Board and specialized in adolescent medicine. He had practiced as the sole physician at the Adolescent Care Team in Longview. Continue reading New details following allegations of child sexual assault against Longview doctor

TYLER — The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award announced its sixth high school scholarship winner on Wednesday. A $5,000 scholarship has been awarded to Jacob Beaumont, class salutatorian from Whitehouse High School. Jacob will begin his fall semester at Texas A&M majoring in Civil Engineering. The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose High School Scholarship was established by SPORTyler, Inc. in 2014. This scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors from Smith County high schools that participated in varsity athletic programs. The intent of The Earl Campbell Scholarship is to encourage student athletes to succeed on and off the field. Continue reading The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award awarded to Beaumont

TYLER — Wednesday was the first day of school for Tyler ISD, much different from previous years. What was once Robert E. Lee High School is now Tyler Legacy, and the former John Tyler is now back to its original name, Tyler High. That follows school board action over the summer. Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said, “About 70% of our kids are actually in-person today, 30% virtual. We could not have done that with out the CARES Act. We purchased, 9,000 plus chrome books to go to students to fill the gap. We have 18,000 plus students in our school system, we already had about 9,000 of those devices in our school system. With the CARES act funding we were able to actually direct that towards purchasing those devices.” Continue reading 70% of students on campus for in-person learning at TISD

TYLER — Senator John Cornyn spent Wednesday morning in Tyler. The U.S. Senator volunteered at the East Texas Food Bank, toured the facility, and announced that various entities in the ‘Rose City’have been allocated over $77,000,000 in federal coronavirus relief resources from Congress. Cornyn observed first hand how Washington’s role has helped locally, “You know when we voted on the CARES Act in late March, we didn’t know exactly how this was going to play out. We did not how long this pandemic would play out. We didn’t know whether the way we allocated the money was the right way to do it. But, it really is encouraging to me to see here that the folks at the local level have stepped up. Frankly, it’s gratifying to see how much the money that we have appropriated has helped.” Continue reading ETFB hosts Senator John Cornyn for first hand view of CARES dollars at work

WINNSBORO — A $1,000 reward has been offered in a case of missing cattle. According to Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Larry Hand, during the late evening hours of July 30, four head of cattle marked with yellow back tags were stolen from Winnsboro Livestock and Dairy Auction. The animals were consigned to be sold the next day. During the same time frame, additional cattle were stolen from another cattle company at the same location. Hand, along with Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Bo Fox, have been investigating the case and are now asking the public for help. Continue reading Reward offered in Winnsboro cattle theft case

FORT WORTH — Gov. Greg Abbott announced a legislative proposal Tuesday, where any city that defunds police departments will have its property tax revenue frozen at its current rate. Abbott, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spoke out against the Austin City Council’s decision to chop $150 million from the police budget during the news conference in Fort Worth. Speaker Bonnen spoke to KTBB after the news conference, “What it simply goes back to is the horrific-ness that is going on in our country today. We have socialist politicians who believe that police are to be used for political cannon fire. And the Governor, and the Lieutenant Governor, and I stood up today [Tuesday] and said we will not stand by and watch that happen in Texas.” Continue reading Abbott: Proposes cities that de-fund police have property tax revenues frozen

TYLER — The Smith County elections office announced Tuesday, the addition of two new early voting locations. According to our news partner KETK, this is an attempt to help ease the traffic of voters in the lead-up to the presidential election. Elections Administrator Karen Nelson said that Workhub on South Broadway in Tyler and the Chapel Hill Fire Department will be used to allow for more social distancing for those who wish to cast their ballot ahead of November 3. With the presidential election, voter turnout is expected to be high. The two locations may not be used again for future elections. But, the two new polling places will be utilized for early voting, as well as election day. Continue reading 2 polling places added for upcoming election in Smith County

KILGORE — The Kilgore College Foundation has awarded the sixth “Summer $ix” scholarship to Cullen Ray. The graduate of Kilgore High School, Ray, is majoring in cosmetology/barbering. For the last six weeks, the “Summer $ix” registration campaign has given students who register for KC classes during the week a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship for the fall semester. The fall semester at KC begins Aug. 24. For more information on academic advising and registration, visit http://www.kilgore.edu/advising.

TYLER — Belly rubs, head scratches and smiles were in abundance during a recent shift change at UT Health Tyler. Caregivers coming on or off duty stopped to interact with Therapet dogs, who lined the hallway of the hospital’s skywalk. “Nowadays it’s really stressful, so it’s great to see dogs,” said Ashley Meador, occupational therapy assistant, as she stopped to pet one of the therapy dogs after her shift ended. “I really want a dog, so it made all the difference.” Therapet partners with UT Health East Texas to serve patients on a regular basis. Continue reading UT Health caregivers get a lift from Therapet visit

LONGVIEW — CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Emergency Center on Hawkins Parkway in Longview will be the site for a hot car demonstration on Wednesday at 1 p.m. Organizers say it on takes a matter of minutes for a car left in the summer heat to become dangerously hot inside. The heat index is expected to be more than 100 degrees. A doll and a thermometer are part of the presentation. ‘Look before You Leave’ is geared towards not only educating the public about the dangers of leaving children in a hot car, but also how to prevent tragedy. Texas often leads the nation in hot car deaths among children. Continue reading Hot car demonstration to be held at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Historical Museum’s free summer lecture series will feature Clent Holmes this Thursday. Holmes will present the “1919 Longview Remembrance Project”at 2:30 p.m. at the Ann Lacy Crain Exhibit Center. This project is an effort to reshape the narrative around how a significant historic event is remembered in Longview, which is often referred to as the 1919 Race Riots. Holmes is hoping to bring honor and peace to the forgotten by installing a historical marker to remember a troubling aspect of Longview’s past and creating a documentary that chronicles these efforts and highlights oral histories from Longview’s citizens.

KILGORE — Kilgore police now know the identify a man wanted in a theft over the weekend. Police were asking the community for help in learning who the individual is, and they have come through. According to the departments facebook page, the man has been identified. The man, who’s identity has not been released at this point, is suspected of stealing a car from Zippy J’s gas station this past Saturday. Police are reminding residents not to leave your vehicle running, and unlocked when entering a store.

TYLER — The Tyler Economic Development Council, Inc., will receive a grant from the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance fund. Felicia Herndon tells KTBB, “This is a new Revolving Loan Fund, $682,000 has been allocated to TEDC. This is going to target those small businesses that have been directly impacted by COVID-19. In doing so, this is going to allow us to branch out and do a little more than what we we’re able to do with the original Smith County Revolving Loan Fund.” For more information click the link. https://www.tedc.org/news. Continue reading TEDC gets grant to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19

TYLER — A free drive-thru distribution, originally scheduled for Friday, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, from 1-3 pm. Organizers said the give-a-way will take place at the East Texas State Fairgrounds, in front of Harvey Hall. Attendees will receive free produce and fresh items, pending availability, on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are no eligibility requirements or paperwork needed to receive the items. Attendees will need to enter off Front St., follow traffic control guidance and stay in their car. Multiple households can ride together. To pick up produce for someone else, a hand-written note is required from that person with their name, address, permission for you to pick up for them and their signature. Continue reading Produce distribution rescheduled for this Wednesday

SMITH COUNTY — A newborn reported missing last week by Child Protective Services has been found safe. According to our news partner KETK, the one-month-old is reported in good health and doing fine. Shari Pulliam, a CPS spokeswoman, said that the baby boy was found late Saturday night. Details about him being found are still coming in. When DPS attempted to remove the child, Chelsea Baker, the child’s mother, ran with him. It is unclear at this time if Chelsea or Kenny Baker will face criminal charges.