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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Country singer Doug Supernaw, who had hits in the early ’90s with “I Don’t Call Him Daddy,” and “Reno,” has died. He was 60. A representative from his management team said Supernaw died in Texas on Friday. The Houston-raised singer announced in February 2019 that he had lung and bladder cancer and he entered hospice care in October after the cancer spread. After working on oil rigs and as a concert promoter in Texas, Supernaw moved to Nashville in the late ’80s to work as a staff writer for a music publishing company, but moved back to Texas where he could perform more. He began opening for national acts that came through Tyler and gained a wider following, eventually attracting the interest of Nashville label BNA Entertainment. Continue reading Doug Supernaw dead at 60

ATHENS — Athens Masonic Lodge #165 is hosting Carter Bloodcare for a Community blood drive Saturday at Brookshire’s in Athens from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Donors are asked to bring a government-issued photo ID to donate, as well as eat breakfast or lunch before arriving. Carter Bloodcare is providing COVID-19 antibody testing for all donors as a gesture of thanks. Donors may call Carter Bloodcare for more information: 903-504-0812. They may also visit the Carter Bloodcare website to schedule a donation time-slot: http://www.carterbloodcare.org.

KILGORE — Kilgore College has partnered with Workforce Solutions East Texas to open a permanent Access Point location on the Kilgore campus. A grand opening and open house for the new site will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Wednesday, in the lab in the Student Support Building. Access Point locations, which are open to the public, are service locations for job-seekers to receive on-site assistance. The WSET Access Point on the Kilgore campus is open each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MARSHALL, Texas – In September, a Cass County attorney plead guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On Thursday, Bryan Lee Simmons, 50, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison. According to the office of Stephen J. Cox, Simmons agreed that he would not practice law for three years following his release. Information from the court showed that beginning in July 2019 and continuing through August 2019, Simmons agreed with other people to distribute methamphetamine in the Cass County Jail. In August 2019, he went to the Cass County Jail and pretended to meet with a client, officials shared. Simmons hid methamphetamine on his body that he planned to distribute.

TYLER — A virtual town hall event will take place next Thursday. Next Step Community Solutions will host the meeting for parents on how to talk to your kids about substance abuse. The meeting will happen on the zoom platform at 6 p.m. The event will cover research on use rates of the four substances most used by teens in East Texas: alcohol, e-cigarettes, marijuana, and prescription drugs. The speakers will also cover little-known dangers and research-based tips for how to talk to teens. While the coalitions cover a specific area in East Texas, anyone is invited to attend. You can register by clicking the link: https://bit.ly/351zNtO. Organizers will email a link to the Zoom to those who register. There’s a space on the form to submit questions, and they will also take questions during the event.

RUSK — Construction crews are busy on a nearly $200 million project to build a modern 227,000 square-foot patient complex and replace the administration building at Rusk State Hospital. In a press brief Thursday, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced crews had placed the last beam atop the administration building. Officials say they are on a pace that would complete 50 percent of the building by next February. The construction team has also completed demolition work at the site of the new patient complex and have begun laying plumbing and installing electrical infrastructure. The patient complex will include a 100-bed maximum-security unit and a 100-bed non-maximum-security unit. Continue reading Progress continues for New Rusk State Hospital

BULLARD — A Bullard resident has laid claim to a $1 million dollar jackpot. According to the Texas Lottery, the winner wants to remain anonymous, but purchased the winning scratch off ticket at a Fast Fuel gas station in Tyler on HWY 155. Officials say this was the third of four top prizes in the $1 million Monopoly 200X game. Overall odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.45, including break-even prizes.

TYLER — A free drive-in movie has been scheduled a courtesy of The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department and Liberty Hall. The media brief states the movie will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21. The movie will be shown in the parking lot of the Harvey Convention Center, on W. Front St. They will be showing the 2019 Disney film, Frozen II. Audio will be provided through a radio station announced on the screen before the movie starts. Due to COVID-19 precautions, families are asked to remain in their vehicles at all times. Concessions will not be available. Families are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy while watching the movie. For questions, contact Special Events Supervisor Debbie Isham at (903) 531-1214.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank has announced the cancellation of the 11th Annual Charlie Brown Thanksgiving event at Bergfeld Park in Tyler. On Thursday, Lauren Barnes told KTBB, “So unfortunately, NET Health released some new data that put us in the highest risk category, and that is really all around community spread of large scale events. So, just out of an abundance of caution the East Texas Food Bank decided to cancel this event this year. And we are urging everyone to follow the safety guidelines that are put out by our local health authorities.” Continue reading Annual Charlie Brown Thanksgiving event at Bergfeld Park canceled

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University’s jazz band is performing a concert at 7 p.m. Thursday. The venue will be socially distanced in the Belcher Center on the university campus, on S. Mobberly Avenue in Longview. The LETU Jazz Band, directed by local jazz icon George Faber, will perform Christian and jazz standards. Joining the jazz band will be guest artist, saxophonist Dorsey Summerfield, a former member of the Ray Charles Orchestra. This socially distanced concert is presented by the LETU Fine Arts department and is open to the public and free of charge. For more information contact George Faber at (903)530-4863 or [email protected].

AUSTIN — Time is ticking for gas pumps across the Lone Star State to prominently display the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation consumer information stickers. TDLR said in a press release that the stickers must be in place by Dec. 1. The stickers have a Texas shape and include information about the amount of state and federal taxes charged for every gallon of fuel sold, as well as a telephone number and a QR code that consumers can use for complaints with TDLR regarding the quality or quantity of fuel. Merchants must also remove the old Texas Department of Agriculture stickers once the new ones are installed.

TYLER — Following a gift from the city of Tyler, The Texas African-American Museum will be getting a new place to call home. According to a press release on Wednesday, the city donated the old Fire Station No. 4, located on W. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., to Empowerment Community Development Corp. The ECDC is a nonprofit organization, that operates the museum on N. Border Ave. For more information, click the link. http://www.texasaam.weebly.com.

TYLER — The city of Tyler is expanding a plan that will build a 10,500-square-foot skatepark in Faulkner Park. Wednesday, the council approved paying Evergreen Skateparks up to $350,000 for the construction. Builder’s say the park will have an expansive street terrain with ledges, rails, ramps and more. According to a press release from the city, the layout’s design allows for “flow and speed lines” accommodating multiple users. Upon completion Faulkner Skate Park will have more than 14,000 square feet of skating space.

TYLER — Camp V hosted an event to honor Veterans Wednesday. The event was held at the American Freedom Museum, on the Brook Hill Campus, in Bullard. A tribute of recognition was held for soldiers deemed Missing In Action and those Killed In Action. Festivities included patriotic songs, with the crowd offering a standing ovation for a poem written by a Bullard ISD student regarding their dad’s deployment. Bullard Mayor Pro-tem Bryan Willis and United State Air Force Major Beverley Russell spoke at the Celebration of Veterans. Vicki Patzold, a recent guest of ‘KTBB’s In Focus’, says CampV is based in Tyler with a mission “integrate military and civilian resources into a central campus.” To hear the program click the link. https://www.ktbb.com/infocus/.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Mayor-elect and city councilmembers were sworn into office Wednesday morning. Those taking their oath of office included newly elected Mayor Don Warren, Councilman James Wynne – District 4, Councilman Brad Curtis – District 6 and the re-elected Councilman Broderick McGee – District 2. Following the swearing-in, the council held its first meeting where they elected Councilmember Broderick McGee as Mayor Pro Tem.

TYLER — Hit the Bricks Tyler continues Saturday, partially online, while all downtown restaurants and stores have reopened to the public. The monthly event will update their Facebook page with more information. Hit the Bricks is a coordinated effort to grow support for Tyler’s businesses by being part of Visit Tyler’s Rose City Strong campaign.
Activities
Experience the works of Featured Artist, Dolph Miller, in person at Gallery Main Street in the Plaza Tower Atrium or online at DowntownTyler.org. All art is available for purchase. Gallery is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Continue reading ‘Hit the Bricks’ coming up Saturday in downtown Tyler

TYLER — COVID-19 numbers are on the rise across East Texas. NET Health said in a press brief on Wednesday that the number of new coronavirus cases in the last week has been significant within 5 of the counties covered by the NET Health Disease Surveillance Division. “The NET Health 7-Day Rolling Rate of COVID-19 calculates the average number of all COVID positive cases from the previous seven days, divides the total by the population of the county, then multiplies that answer by 100,000,” says George Roberts, NET Health CEO. Continue reading COVID numbers up across East Texas

KILGORE — School leader’s are inviting students to take advantage of online December Mini classes at Kilgore College to earn quick college credit over the holidays from the comfort of your home. Registration has begun for the three-week classes set for Dec. 14-31. Online classes will be offered in biology, drama, English, geography, government, history, kinesiology, music, philosophy and psychology. For additional information, visit http://www.kilgore.edu/december-mini or call (903) 983-8209.

TYLER — A bigoted vandal attacked the home of a South Tyler couple over the weekend. With Veteran’s Day on Wednesday, it was difficult for the couple to awake finding Swastikas painted on their mailbox and on a Biden-Harris sign in the lawn. Bill Brown is a combat Veteran, serving in Vietnam. Brown told our news partner KETK, he had not felt that kind of hate since returning home from active duty. The incident left him asking questions. “Why would you do that to another human being? Because you live in this neighborhood, you’re black? They don’t like you? Or they don’t like you because you have a Biden sign? And that’s cheap. Anyone can display the sign. This is my own personal yard. If I want to display the sign, what’s wrong with displaying the sign?” Brown’s neighbors saw the damage and immediately jumped in to help with clean-up. Continue reading Racist symbol painted on Veteran’s mailbox in South Tyler

TYLER — The Texas Division of Emergency Management is providing FREE COVID-19 tests for anyone in East Texas, with or without symptoms. Results will be provided by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and not by NET Health. All TDEM testing locations are walk-in sites and require a face mask before entering. Valid ID is required & contact info will be requested when you are able to be tested, not while you wait in line, persons must provide a working cell phone number and results will be provided to you by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and not by NET Health. Continue reading Free COVID-19 testing announced for East Texans

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank is preparing for a socially-distanced screening of “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” ETFB said the 11th annual event will happen on Friday at Bergfeld Park in Tyler. Festivities start at 5:30 and the movie will begin at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. ETFB asks that attendees bring plastic jars of peanut butter to donate for the families it serves. Attendees will also get snack bags that will be filled with all of the goodies the children bring to Thanksgiving in the holiday special, including jelly beans, pretzels, popcorn and toast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSDLdq3FDtk&feature=youtu.be

TYLER — One Smith County Elections Office employee has tested positive for COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, six others are awaiting testing. However, in a Tuesday press release, Smith County says the Elections Office remains open. One employee did not have contact with the COVID-19 patient and does not have symptoms is still working. The office has undergone a thorough cleaning and has been disinfected. Smith County Elections is working to bring the ballot board members together for a safe meeting to qualify and count the needed ballots. By state statute, the deadline for a ballot board to meet to qualify and count the ballots is next Monday. The deadline to canvas the election is next Tuesday.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler kicked off “Vet Week 2020” honoring veterans designated as “Missing in Action” or Prisoners of War. According to our news partner KETK, Texas State Rep Matt Schaefer, was among multiple speakers to share the stage, Monday. A Navy reservist, Schaefer, spoke about the many ways that active troops honor those considered MIA, including by always leaving a table open at mealtime. Schaefer went on to say, his passion to join the military was sparked by talking to veterans of World War II and the Korean War. There are currently 86,532 MIA veterans since World War I. Continue reading Ceremony honored MIA & POW at UT Tyler