KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The Blackstone Hotel, with Valencia Hotel Group, is coming back to Tyler and bringing 60 full-time jobs with it. According to our news partner KETK, the new full-service, luxury hotel is being built under a 3-year plan, on the corner of Broadway and Fergueson, promising at least 60 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of $2 million.

This economic boosting promise is why Smith County Commissioners took up a vote for a 10-year tax abatement of 50% for Blackstone Hotel, as long as Valencia Hotel Group upkeeps their promise of 60 full-time employees.

Scott Martinez, President of Tyler Economic Development Council, says his organization will be the monitor of this agreement. “So the hotel will give a quarterly and annual report on their employment numbers and their investment, as well as their sale sets to the city,” Martinez said. “So we can track to make sure they’re following through with what they committed to do.” Continue reading Tyler’s new luxury hotel to add 60 jobs

BULLARD — According to our news partner KETK, a state death report reveals neighbors believed a Bullard man was attempting suicide by cop, which led to a deadly Bullard SWAT standoff on Dec. 8.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 53-year-old Shawn Turner Sr. of Bullard, who was firing a gun from the front porch of his home. Neighbors told law enforcement they were in fear and believed he was attempting suicide by cop. The state report revealed that Turner “retrieved an AR-style rifle and began firing at officers, at which point officers returned fire.”

Turner then allegedly went back into the house, where he continued firing at officers until he changed weapons and killed himself. Turner would have been charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon. The Texas Rangers are currently investigating the case.

CASS COUNTY — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended one of its troopers following a Sunday arrest for driving while intoxicated. According to our news partner KETK, 43-year-old Trooper Decori Charles Birmingham was suspended from his duties after being arrested by a fellow DPS trooper and charged with DWI. He was booked into the Cass County Jail without incident.

This comes after Birmingham was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Cass County at the intersection of State Highway 8 and State Highway 77 on Saturday. Birmingham was off duty at the time of the crash and was driving his personal vehicle. Birmingham has been with the Texas Department of Public Safety since 2014 and is stationed in Linden.

“DPS takes these allegations very seriously and the department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has also launched a separate administrative investigation,” a DPS spokesperson said.

TYLER — An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges after being involved in transporting three minors across state borders into Texas, where they were forced into prostitution. According to our news partner KETK, The United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas said that 44-year-old Rolando Alexis Bravo transported the minors from Lawton, Oklahoma to Dallas on Nov. 16, 2023, where he met with a co-conspirator. There, the co-conspirator allegedly obtained hotel rooms in Tyler where the children engaged in prostitution.

Bravo could potentially face life in federal prison and a sentencing hearing will be scheduled once the presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office is complete. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Tyler Police Department. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, launched in 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

TITUS COUNTY — A Mount Pleasant man was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of sexual assault against a child. According to our news partner KETK, 36-year-old Fernando Santos was arrested on Feb. 23, 2022, and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Following the arrest, Santos was placed into the Titus County Jail and his bond was set at $1 million.

On Tuesday, Santos received his sentence and is expected to pay a $10,000 fine, according to the Titus County District Attorney’s Office. He was found guilty by a jury after pleading not guilty. Santos was previously charged with several different assault charges and was also previously charged with making a terrorist threat.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County authorities are seeking help locating a 21-year-old woman who went missing last week. Our news partners at KETK report that Aumarie Deleon was last seen walking on County Road 376 (Morningside Drive) on Dec. 11. She is described as a Hispanic female, 5 feet 2 inches tall, 175 pounds, with black shoulder-length wavy hair and brown eyes. Deleon was reportedly wearing a black beanie, black sweater, dark blue jeans and black tennis shoes. She has a blue tattoo on her left hand. Deleon’s family noted that she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ADHD and PTSD, but that she had been off her medication for more than a year. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Office

EAST TEXAS — The Texas Health and Human Services is reporting 5,124 influenza hospitalizations so far this month. According to our news partner KETK, these numbers have gone up by 2,000 since Nov. 15. Longview healthcare specialists and pharmacists said the majority of cases they see are people coming in with are COVID-19 and Influenza A. Multiple school districts in deep East Texas cancelled classes this week due to flu outbreaks, including the Cushing and Shelbyville ISD’s.

“We are definitely having an uptick in it in the last several weeks,” Family nurse practitioner at Hospitality ER Judson Lawerence said. “Our numbers have increased in both flu and COVID. But the earlier you can come in get treatment the better.”

Pharmacist at Louis Morgan, Shawn Sams, knows finding the right medicine to combat your symptoms can be a daunting task. Sams said if you have a wet cough, “This particular product is Mucinex, so it’s going to help break up the chest congestion and it’s also going to suppress the cough. So the idea is your cough less often, but when you do it, hopefully it’s more productive and you can get that mucus out of your chest.” Continue reading Influenza A, COVID-19 on the rise

CENTER — Due to ongoing illnesses impacting students and staff, Excelsior ISD announced on Monday that its campus will be closed for the remainder of the week. The district said the decision was made to protect the health and well-being of the school community while ensuring students are safe during the upcoming holiday break. All activities and events will also be cancelled.

“This decision was made with the safety of our students, staff and families as our top priority,” Excelsior ISD said. “We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we take this precautionary step.”

NACOGDOCHES — According to our news partner KETK, a 36-year-old man was arrested on a murder charge following a stabbing late Saturday night in Nacogdoches. Nacogdoches Police Sgt. Brett Ayres said officers responded to a medical call just after midnight in the 300 block of East Main Street, where a person was reported to be bleeding. Officers located the victim, who had been stabbed multiple times in the chest, and EMS transported the victim to a local hospital, Ayres said.

Witnesses led police to Cruz De La Luz Vargas Nava, 36, of Nacogdoches, as the suspect. He was found shortly after and taken into custody on probable cause. The victim later died at the hospital, police said. Vargas Nava was subsequently booked into jail on a murder charge. The investigation remains ongoing.

GLADEWATER – Classes were canceled Monday for Sabine ISD elementary students after reports of an unknown gas odor. Our news partners at KETK report that emergency personnel were called to the elementary campus to investigate the odor but did not detect any gas. Out of an abundance of caution, officials evacuated the campus and transported students to the high school auditorium for parent pickup.

NACOGDOCHES — A 36-year-old man was arrested on a murder charge following a stabbing late Saturday night in Nacogdoches. According to our news partner KETK, Nacogdoches Police said officers responded to a medical call just after midnight near the intersection of East Main and South Fredonia Streets, where a person was reported to be bleeding. The officers found the victim, who had been stabbed multiple times in the chest, and EMS transported the victim to a local hospital.

Witnesses led police to 36 year-old Cruz De La Luz Vargas Nava, of Nacogdoches, as the suspect. He was found shortly after and taken into custody on probable cause. Police said the victim later died at the hospital. Vargas Nava was subsequently booked into jail on a murder charge. The investigation remains ongoing.

TYLER – As East Texans get ready for the return of cold weather, several locations around East Texas are opening up as warming shelters and centers, according to our news partners at KETK. KETK News has put together the following list of locations opening to the public: Continue reading Warming shelters open across East Texas

SHELBY COUNTY – Texas’ first confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza of the year was found in a Shelby County commercial poultry flock this week, according to our news partners at KETK. The case was confirmed by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory on Thursday after a “considerable mortality” was found in a Shelby County flock, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) said they’re working closely with the federal animal health officials to respond to the affected area, which has been quarantined. The TAHC added that they’re also monitoring areas nearby the quarantined flock. Continue reading First case of bird flu in Shelby County