KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — An East Texas man was sentenced to 75 years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to intoxicated manslaughter in a 2022 wreck east of Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, Gary Lynn Nichols, 42 of Kilgore, reportedly crashed into four 20 year-olds from Overton after their vehicle broke down at around 11:45 p.m. in January 2022 on Highway 31. Officials said one 22 year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and the three others were taken to the hospital.

Reports said, Nichols was driving a 2008 Cadillac CTS about 13 miles east of Tyler when two victims were attempting to push a broken down 1997 GMC Jimmy when Nichols struck them. Two were taken to the hospital in critical condition and one in stable condition.

According to records, Nichols was arrested at the scene and charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, two charges of intoxication assault with a vehicle and failing to re-register as a sex offender in Rusk County.

GILMER — The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said a 2-year-old child was pronounced dead on Tuesday after being found unconscious in a residential swimming pool. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded to Bear Road around 5:25 p.m. and attempted life-saving measures on the child. The sheriff’s office said the child was found by a parent when they realized the child was missing from inside the home. Officials said the child was pronounced dead at a local hospital and an autopsy has been ordered by a Camp County Justice of the Peace. “This case will be under further investigation,” the sheriff’s office said. “Child Protective Services is also notified on the occasion of the untimely death of a child.”

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine will become a member of the states Alzheimer research wing. According to our news partner KETK, by a unanimous vote , the school will become a member of the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium. The goal of the TARCC, is to expand health care initiatives in East Texas.

Dr. Julie V. Philley, executive vice president and vice provost for UT Tyler health affairs and incoming UT Tyler president, said, “We aim to enhance early detection, treatment and support services for individuals and families affected by these neurodegenerative disorders.”

The release from from the TARCC further explained that Texas ranks second in the nation in the number of Alzheimer’s deaths by population.

TYLER — Smith County officials and first responders have responded to nearly 300 calls for service since 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 28. During and after the storms rolled through Smith County early Tuesday, calls have been responded to by Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Marshal’s Office, Road and Bridge, the Constables offices and Animal Control, as well as Emergency Services Districts 1 and 2. The Smith County Emergency Operations Center has been activated.

The EOC is in constant communication with multiple emergency support function personnel as well as local jurisdictions within the county, Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said.

“We are inundated with calls about downed power lines and felled trees,” he said. “We are working through this process as quickly as possible.” Continue reading Smith County storm update

HENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that a 61-year-old woman was arrested for murder in Henderson County after she allegedly shot her boyfriend. According to the sheriff’s office, Patricia Childs, 61 of Eustace, called them around 8:15 p.m. on Monday and said she had shot her boyfriend and he was not breathing. Deputies responded to the scene in the 15,000 block of Morning Star Circle were officials said they found Troy Aldredge dead with gunshot wounds outside the home. Officials said Childs was found sitting inside the home with a handgun on the floor of the living area. Continue reading Woman arrested for murder in East Texas

EAST TEXAS — With severe weather moving through the area and into East Texas, about 166,239 customers are without power as of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Click here for a full list.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Emergency Operations Center is currently experiencing a high volume of 911 calls concerning weather related activity. Numerous calls of power lines down and associated electrical fires, structure fire (lightning strike) in Lindale 16200 Ridgeview Lane, Major Traffic Accident CR 246 at CR 223 near Arp (Car hit tree in roadway), Major Traffic Accident FM 2767 at CR 211 (Car hit tree in roadway), numerous trees down in roadway across the county, multiple trees down on CR 448 between CR 452 and Hwy 110 (Van Hwy), numerous fire and burglar alarms across county (mostly weather related). Citizens are advised to stay home and avoid driving if at all possible.

TYLER — Multiple traffic signals throughout the City are without power. Drivers are urged to exercise extreme caution when traveling and treat a “dark” traffic signal like a four-way stop – each vehicle comes to a complete stop and takes its turn going through the intersection. The City is asking residents to avoid all non-essential driving. If you must drive, slow down. If you see water over the roadways, turn around.

The following intersection are currently without power: Continue reading Multiple traffic signals without power; treat intersections like four-way stops

TYLER — Lindale native Miranda Lambert’s pet focused nonprofit, MuttNation, awarded over $130,000 toward spay and neuter programs throughout Texas, including several in East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the grants were awarded as a part of their “It Takes Balls” program to prevent pet overpopulation.

According to their website, MuttNation is a nonprofit started by the Lindale native country singer and her mother Bev, the nonprofit has “raised over $9 million since inception with a mission to promote the adoption of shelter pets, advance spay & neuter; and educate the public about the benefits of these actions.” Continue reading Miranda Lambert’s nonprofit awards grants for animal services in East Texas

LAKE PALESTINE — Many in East Texans were out on the water at Lake Palestine for Memorial Day, but one side of the lake is still facing difficult challenges. According to our news partner KETK, they’re continuing the cleanup from the EF1 tornado that touched down on Thursday right before the holiday weekend.

On any typical Memorial Day there would have been hundreds of people on the lake taking off from the Lake Palestine Resort but this year it is quite different.

On the west side of the lake, some visitors had to adjust plans and take off from the Lake Palestine Marina because of the extensive damage seen on the other side. Continue reading Lake Palestine tornado cleanup continues

ZAVALLA — According to our news partner KETK, the Huntington Volunteer Fire Department responded to a church fire in Zavalla suspected to have started from an explosion. The Huntington Police Department announced on Monday that the fire department responded to a call at Solid Rock Baptist Church on FM 2109 in Zavalla. Officials said the church was under construction when calls came in of a fire. Huntington PD said it appeared “to have been an explosion,” causing a door and debris to be thrown up to 100 feet from the building.

The Huntington Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by other volunteer fire departments from Angelina County. The incident is being investigated by the Zavalla Fire Department and the Zavalla Police Department.

LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Economic Development Corporation will hold a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss a proposed bio mining process facility on 2120 E. Loop 281. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall to approve of a “bio mining process facility to extract precious metals and other elements from recycled materials in heavy commercial zoning district.”

According to the city, a vessel fabrication shop previously occupied the space but now the newly proposed facility would “recover precious metals and other elements from recycled materials in a low-carbon biotech process.”

LOG CABIN – The City of Log Cabin in Henderson County has declared a local state of disaster because of recent severe weather according to our news partners at KETK. The city said in a post that they’ve had a loss of power, downed power lines and blocked roads after being hit by weather on Saturday. Currently, the city park is closed and city personnel are responding around town with law enforcement and local fire departments.

TROUP – The Troup Police Department said they’ve arrested a 17-year-old in connection to reports of shots fired in the city on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, the Troup PD, after the reports of shots fired came in on Saturday, they were able to find several people involved at a residence on Railroad Street with the help of Smith County Sheriff’s Office and other near-by agencies. They took several people in the home into custody and learned about other alleged criminal activities. They also found several firearms in the area. Latravion Dewberry, 17 of New Chapel Hill, was arrested on Sunday for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to Saturday’s “shooting incident”, according to Troup PD.

Troup PD said that their investigation into the incident is ongoing and more charges are pending.

TYLER – UT Tyler’s College of Arts and Sciences ceased operations of the KVUT 99.7 FM radio station at 5 p.m. Friday. UT Tyler started broadcasting on KVUT back in 2021.

Dean of UT Tyler College of Arts and Sciences Neil Gray said in a release, “This move aligns with our core mission and allows us to reinvest in our academic programming, offering more educational opportunities to students, particularly in our Department of Communication. “I want to thank the KVUT team, donors and listeners for their support. Reinvesting in our students is crucial for fostering the next generation of communicators, journalists and media professionals.”

KVUT’s broadcast ended with ‘Take Five’ by the Dave Brubeck Quartet and the station’s hourly announcement at 5 p.m.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County issued a disaster declaration on Friday following Thursday night’s storms. According to our news partner KETK, declaring a disaster allows officials to access additional resources and support that will also be made available to residents. The Bullard and Emerald Bary areas were affected by a severe storm at around 8 p.m. on Thursday. There were reports of downed power lines and uprooted trees. County officials said in a release, that road and bridge crews worked overnight Thursday to clear about 20 trees that had fallen on roads. They added that Monday, a recovery center located at Bullard City Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bullard city officials say they will have resources offered to those affected by the weather.

County Judge Neal Franklin said residents on county roads can place storm debris in the right-of-way of their road and it will be picked up by crews. The state of disaster will continue for no more than seven days unless the Smith County Commissioners Court decides to continue or renew it. To report damage, people are urged to complete the Texas Division of Emergency Management damage assessment form. You can find your copy here.

TYLER — Because of severe weather Friday, many school districts in East Texas have rescheduled or delayed their graduations. Our news partner KETK hass a list of graduations that have been rescheduled here.

UPSHUR COUNTY – The Union Hill ISD, located 9 miles northwest of Gilmer, has recently announced that the district will be making $700,000 in cuts in an attempt to recover from financial hardships. According to our news partner KETK, interim superintendent John Booth in a video, that can be found here, said the district faced “close to a $1 million in deficits back in February.” Multiple employees have been cut including multiple fine arts and athletic programs at the high school, junior high and elementary levels. Booth also stated that there were no signs of money stolen or any other signs of financial malpractice.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road and Bridge crews have been working throughout the night and morning to clear roads with downed trees in the Bullard and Emerald Bay area.

Smith County Engineer Frank Davis said there were about 20 county roads that had trees down after Thursday night’s storms. There have been crews working throughout the night to clear the roads. Many roads still have trees on them but at least one lane has been cleared for drivers to pass through, he said.

For Smith County residents living on county roads – you can place your storm debris in the right-of-way of your county road (not on the road) and Road and Bridge crews will pick it up. It may take several days to be picked up. Smith County Road and Bridge crews will only pick up storm debris left in the right-of-way of county roads. They cannot go on private property or pick up debris on city or state roads.

If you received property damage due to last night’s storm, please report it here.

EAST TEXAS — Downed trees and structure damage has been reported in Coffee City as severe weather hit the area on Thursday. According to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse and our news partner KETK, one person has been taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. As of Thursday evening, no other injuries have been reported.

South Rather Street between Cain Street and West Main Street will be shut down for thru traffic until further notice, City of Bullard officials said.

A temporary shelter has been set up at the Coffee City Civic Building and they are working to get power turned on there with a generator. The Henderson County Senior Center at Regional Fair Park is also opening up as a shelter, according to Henderson County officials. Continue reading Shelters open for displaced residents following severe weather

TYLER – Severe weather hit our area again Friday night and more than 4,038 are without power across East Texas as 1:52 p.m. Sunday. Our news partner KETK has a list of power outage numbers that have been compiled from various power companies and electricity cooperatives. You can find the current list here.

TYLER — Wednesday, a Tyler man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14. According to our news partner KETK, 69-year-old Newell Milton Vandergrift of Tyler was arrested Nov. 2022, after authorities were told of Vandergrift’s multiple solicitation attempts of minors around East Texas.

Law enforcement constructed a sting operation in October of the same year. On Oct. 13, a person posed undercover as a 13-year-old girl as part of a decoy “for the predator sting” where she spoke to a man named “Mike” via the application Meet24. A meet was set up at a Tyler gas station. When Mike showed up to meet the girl, other members of the sting operation approached, and he left. The Tyler group told officials they identified Mike as Vandergrift from another sting two months before in Big Sandy.

Law enforcement was able to view “Mike’s” Meet24 profile photo and make confirmation it was Vandergrift using his Pennsylvania driver’s license.

GREGG COUNTY – A Kilgore man is sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs and supplying methamphetamines in East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, 39-year-old Rodney Dewayne Fagans, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. In a release from United States Attorney’s Office, Fagans reportedly admitted to selling large quantities of meth in Gregg County. The attorney’s office said 15 other people involved in the drug distribution network have been sentenced to federal prison.

TYLER – The board of Southside Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Southside Bank, unanimously voted to appoint a new president for the company and bank. According to our news partner KETK, Keith Donahoe was appointed as the president of Southside Bancshares Inc. and Southside Bank on May 16. In a release from Southside, Donahoe joined the bank in 2021 and has over 20 years experience in bank leadership.

Lee Gibson, Southside Bank CEO said, “Keith brings an extensive wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to this position, having demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication in his role as the Bank’s Regional President of Central Texas over the last three years. His deep understanding of our industry, our culture and his vision for Southside’s future make him the ideal candidate to serve as President.”

LINDALE – Lindale High School was named the 2024 Conference 4A UIL State Academic Champions. According to our news partner KETK, for Lindale ISD, this championship is their fourth UIL Academic State Championship in the past eight years, earning the title in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2024.

Jeremy Chilek, Lindale High School principal, said, “I cannot begin to express how proud I am of our students and staff in LHS capturing the 4A UIL Academic State Championship. We have phenomenal students and relentless coaches who have worked tirelessly over the course of this entire school year toward this goal. This is something our entire campus can celebrate, as so many have had a hand in this tremendous accomplishment!”

The UIL Academics State Meet consisted of events including math, science, one-act play, spelling, current events, computer applications, accounting, journalism and speaking.

TYLER – The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of the City luncheon on Thursday, at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center. Mayor Don Warren shared achievements from the past year in a question-and-answer session. Warren also provided information on upcoming projects, opportunities, challenges and future goals for Tyler. Mayor Warren emphasized how the City is becoming “Future Ready” through initiatives that were in the early planning stages years before and are now complete or moving forward.  

He went over the timeline for improvements to Downtown Tyler, which will be transformed by 2027. Increasing connectivity, ease of walking, parking and public spaces are part of the improvement efforts to the downtown area. The Mayor also shared the progress that’s already taking place with new businesses opening. 
Continue reading Tyler Mayor talks “Future Ready”