KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LANEVILLE — A family in Rusk County had their home destroyed by fire Thursday morning. According to a post by the Rusk County Office of Emergency Management; multiple departments, including, Laneville, Mt. Enterprise, New Salem, and Carlisle Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the blaze on FM 1662. Officials say no one was inside the house at the time of the fire.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help locating a woman missing since March. According to our news partner KETK, Ashley Lynn Ballenger, 33, is 5’3″ and 130 pounds. She may also go by the last name Pierce. Ashley has brown hair and blue eyes, has a Hello Kitty tattoo on her thigh and scorpion tattoo on her back. She was last seen on March 10 in Longview. If you know of Ashley’s whereabouts, you are asked to contact David Falco at (903)236-8438 or Gregg County Criminal Investigation Division at (903)236-8408.

TYLER — The Tyler Economic Development Council is preparing for their annual meeting. This year the gathering will be done virtually for members July 13. On Thursday, Tom Mullins told KTBB the future is bright, “The state demographer, Dr. Lloyd Potter, who is at the UT San Antonio campus, has projected that the population growth and strong economy driving that growth in Tyler Smith County will change the whole growth pattern of the state of Texas.” Continue reading TEDC annual members meeting to be held virtually

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Two people were injured, two others have been taken into custody following a shooting in Van Zandt County late Wednesday night. According to our news partner KETK, deputies were responding to a shots fired report in the area of FM 198 and FM 1651, just south of Canton. When they arrived on the scene, they found the two victims and applied emergency first aid. One victim was flown to Dallas while the other victim was sent to a Tyler hospital.Two suspects were located a short time later, and are being held at the Van Zandt County Detention Center. The Sheriff’s Department said more information will be released as it becomes available.

HUNTSVILLE (AP) – A Texas inmate has been put to death for fatally shooting an 82-year-old man nearly three decades ago. That ends a five-month delay of executions in the nation’s busiest capital punishment state because of the coronavirus pandemic. Billy Joe Wardlow received a lethal injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the 1993 killing of Carl Cole at Cole’s East Texas home. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to stop the 45-year-old man’s execution. Wardlow was the first Texas inmate to be executed since Feb. 6. He was the second inmate in the U.S. to be put to death since the country began to reopen.

KILGORE — The Kilgore College Rangerettes announced the 32 newest members to the infamous high kicking squad. The announcement was made Wednesday after an abbreviated version of “tryout week” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 80 hopefuls that tried out for a position on the 81st Rangerette line. The new freshmen will join 34 sophomores to make a team of 66. The line came into being in 1940.For more information, visit http://www.rangerette.com.

TYLER — Smith County Deputies are looking for help in identifying those responsible for scattering caltrop devices. The devices have been located on I-20 from 69 in Smith County to FM 314 in Van Zandt County. The gear is about three inches in size and the welded rebar is sharpened at every point and painted black. According to a release Wednesday from the department, over thirty have been collected in the past week. Continue reading Smith County Sheriff’s Office seeking assistance

TYLER — A Tyler man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. According to our news partner KETK, Ronnie Lee Rinehart, 34, came home from work last November and became aggressive towards his wife and their kids. Rinehart tied them up and pulled a knife on his family. The wife was able to free herself and began to fight Rinehart off. She then stabbed him in the back and ran from the apartment and called the police. Continue reading Tyler man sentenced in family abuse case

FLINT — Pine Cove Christian Camp has suspended camps following positive cases of COVID-19. According to our news partner KETK, Pine Cove in Flint, has five different camps there, based on age. The organization says the current camp is operational, but that some sessions have been canceled out of an abundance of caution. To date, Pine Cove has had eight staff members and nine campers test positive for COVID-19. The camp has had 8,500 campers and summer staff take part this year. Continue reading Campers and staff test positive for coronavirus at Pine Cove

TYLER –The former head of the East Texas Center for Independent Living admitted to making 369 cash withdrawls totaling $118,000, according to court documents from Tuesday. Rottab also admitted to using ETCIL’s corporate credit card, totaling debits of $526,000 in federal funds that were intended for clients. Jessica Rottab, 33, awaits sentencing later this fall. There will also be an unspecified fine attached to the deal. The amount for the fine was not revealed during the hearing, but federal law allows for up to $250,000 or two times the amount gained from the crime.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Historical Museum’s free summer lecture series continues Thursday. According to a brief from the organization, Ellen Gordon and Lynette Goodson are scheduled to speak on the “Restoration of the Rucker-Campbell House.” The home was constructed in 1872 by Asa Rucker who owned a large saw mill. The house was originally built in a Beaux Arts style and was converted to a Queen Anne Victorian in 1903. After this conversion three additions were done to the house over the years. Continue reading Lecture series continues Thursday in Gregg County

KANSAS CITY — Former Whitehouse standout and current NFL Super Bowl MVP for the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes has signed a 10-year contract extension. Mahomes still has two years left on his current deal. The expanded contract will keep him with the Chiefs through 2031. According to Adam Schefter, the elongated deal is worth 427 million dollars, over the life of the arrangement.

KILGORE — The city of Kilgore has temporarily closed the city pool, as a precautionary measure, after a notification of two positive coronavirus cases by pool employees. In a post on social media, the city announced Monday, that they have notified patrons who had direct contact with those two individuals. Anyone else who attended the pool should simply continue following CDC guidelines. No date has been released for the reopening.

TYLER — Longtime community leader and the first African-American Smith County commissioner, Andrew Melontree died at 89. According to our news partner KETK, Melontree served as precinct 4 commissioner for 20 years from 1983 to 2002 and was a Tyler councilman from 1979 to 1982. Melontree broke the color barrier in being the first County Commissioner, he was also the first African-American to work at Medical Center Hospital and the East Texas Tuberculosis Hospital. Continue reading First African-American Commissioner in Smith County dies at age 89

TYLER — Repairs are scheduled for a storm sewer pipe under parts of East Grande Blvd. The City of Tyler began work Monday that is expected to run through the 20th. The eastbound lanes of East Grande Boulevard are closed from Rhones Quarter Rd to HWY 110 through out the project. Eastbound traffic on East Grande Boulevard will be detoured north and south onto Rhones Quarter Road. Westbound traffic will not be affected by this closure.

TYLER — The second week of early voting restarted Monday for the primary runoffs that were postponed due to the coronavirus. The amended voting day is July 14 . Early voting paused for the Holiday weekend . Polling sites will be available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday. Gov. Abbott extended the voting period earlier this year to allow for more social distancing as cases of coronavirus spike across much of the state. Election Day is Tuesday, July 14.

TYLER — A staff member of the Discovery Science Place in Tyler has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to our news partner KETK, the attraction will be closed through July 10. The staff member has not been at the museum since last Wednesday and they will remain closed for the safety of everyone. Extensive cleaning beyond day-to-day operations will take place during the time of closing.