KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The City of Tyler will start its disinfection conversion process for about a month. The run time begins Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 18. Officials do not expect any noticeable changes in water quality as a result of the temporary alteration. However, some individuals may notice taste and odor changes and a slight discoloration to the water. The city will convert from chloramines back to free chlorine. This is a very routine practice industry wide. Tyler began using this process for annual, routine maintenance in October 2014.

LONGVIEW — Engineering students from LeTourneau University have acquired the top spot in the Engineering World Health International Competition. The award winner was handed out for a hand-held, non-invasive, low cost, and rugged device. It’s designed to diagnose iron deficiency in patients in developing countries. This was the first year that LETU had entered the competition. The win puts LETU in good company. Purdue University, had won first place in the previous two years. Past top 3 finishers include Vanderbilt University, University of New South Wales, University of Toronto, University of Texas at Austin, Virginia Tech and Cornell University.

KILGORE — Kilgore College Community Education announces a community class entitled “Photography Basics” starting Oct. 29. The classes will meet on Tuesday nights through Dec. 3. Instruction will cover the essentials of using a 35mm or digital camera. Textbook information will be given at registration. Students must supply his or her own 35mm or digital camera. Cost of the community education (CE) class is $85. CE classes are short-term, non-credit courses. Continue reading Photography Fundamentals to be Offered in Kilgore

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man is accused of sharing more than 400 photographs and videos of child pornography over his Tumblr account, according to an arrest warrant obtained by our news partner KETK. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation in March after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip flagged 49 photos shared by the Tumblr account “youngisbetterr.” Investigators served a subpoena to Suddenlink Communications where they discovered a laptop that uploaded the videos belonged to the wife of Matthew Landua. Landua, 25, was interviewed by authorities in April when a search warrant was executed on his house and confirmed that the “youngisbetterr” account belonged to him. Continue reading Tyler Man Arrested on Child Porn Charges

KILGORE — Kilgore Police have arrested one person after an incident left two women dead. According to our news partner KETK, around 3 p.m. Wednesday, officers and detectives responded to Stone Creek Apartments on Pine Burr Lane following a 911 call. Authorities found two women dead inside one of the apartments. An unidentified man was arrested a short time later near the area. Several apartments are being considered crime scenes. The names of the victims have not been released. Kilgore PD say they believe they have the man responsible for the murders in custody and do not believe there is any threat to the community.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Precinct #2 Constable Josh Black has announced he is running for re-election. Black has served as Precinct #2 constable since December 2018. He was appointed by the Smith County Commissioner’s Court to fill the unexpired term of Constable Andy Dunklin after Dunklin was elected Precinct #2 Justice of the Peace. Black worked in the constable’s office prior to his appointment. Black lives in Flint with Melissa, his wife of 10 years, and their 9-year-old daughter Blair.

MARSHALL — A Marshall teenager has been arrested for allegedly making threats of violence toward Marshall ISD last week. According to our news partner KETK, Quincy Earl McCollister, 17, was charged Wednesday with two counts of making a false alarm or report. Superintendent Jerry Gibson acknowledged that McCollister was a student at the district at the time of the threats. Last Thursday, Oct. 3rd, the school district received multiple phone calls threatening multiple buildings. Two lockdowns were issued over the course of two hours. If convicted, McCollister will face up to two years in prison for each count.

TYLER — During a recent board meeting, Smith County Emergency Services District 2 Board of Commissioners recognized the not long passed retirement of Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson. According to the ESD 2 facebook post, the district honored her for 26 plus years of service to the citizens of Smith County and affirmed her for the lives she touched while serving at the Fire Marshal’s office. The board thanked her for unselfish service to her community, and determined dedication to Smith County and Emergency Services District 2.

TYLER — The Corkscrew Wine Run is coming back to East Texas for its 3rd year in 2019! The run will start and end at Kiepersol’s Winery and Distillery. The race starts Saturday at 7:30 am. This years race has newly drawn routes based on input from previous years. With the run being at a winery, people should not be surprised that swag bags include wine. The race will also have support from the City of Bullard and local fire department. Organizers say they could not have the run without their help.

TYLER — There are 2 new additions to the Beauty and the Box program. The latest traffic signal boxes on display can be found at the corner of South Broadway and East Heritage Drive, and East Front Street and Old Henderson Highway. The City of Tyler Beauty and the Box program is a beautification program that began in 2016 to take utilitarian traffic boxes and transform them into works of art from local artists. A pilot program of 10 boxes in the Downtown Business Arts and Culture District Continue reading Beauty and the Box Program Wraps Two New Boxes

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Another contestant has announced their intentions to enter the Cherokee County Sheriff’s race. According to our news partner KETK, Roy Cavazoz Jr. issued his plans on a Facebook post. Cavazoz was born and raised in Cherokee County and is a graduate of Jacksonville High SChool. He began his career in law enforcement as a jailer for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in 1988. Roy and his wife Janet, have been married for 27 years and have two daughters.

DALLAS— Volunteers from Kilgore, will be at the State Fair of Texas for “Destination Day.” Kilgore’s day to shine is October 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Promotion items of Kilgore will be on full display to encourage people to visit. This weekend is historically the second busiest weekend at the State Fair of Texas right after the opening weekend. Each year, Kilgore has a strong presence at the State Fair of Texas as the Kilgore College Rangerettes perform at the opening ceremonies and attend various weekends for many activities during the duration of the fair. The State Fair of Texas runs for 24 days and had more than 2 million visitors in 2018.

TYLER — The winners of Tyler’s top awards express their surprise and appreciation at Tuesday’s annual meeting of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. Longtime civic leader Bob Garrett was honored as Tyler’s outstanding citizen with the T.B. Butler Award. He told the attendees, “So many of you…you live authentic lives. And that that has inspired me, for whatever I’ve done…I’ve done it because I wanted to be like you.” Among other things, Garrett leads Fair Oil Company and the Fair Foundation. He serves as board chair of Southside Bank. Continue reading Winners React to Tyler Area Chamber Awards

QUITMAN (AP) — A man previously accused of involvement in a Louisiana cattle theft ring has been indicted in Texas on charges he also stole cows from a rancher there. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said in a news release Monday that Texas authorities arrested Justin Glenn Thompson last week on an additional felony cattle theft charge. He was indicted on three related charges last month as part of a joint investigation by the raisers association and Louisiana’s Agriculture Department. Investigators say in this case, Thompson purchased cattle from a Texas rancher by saying he was a representative from a Louisiana-based feeding company. But authorities say he doctored invoices and wrote bad checks to divert profit to himself. Continue reading Louisiana Cattle Theft Suspect Faces More Charges in Texas

TYLER — Businesses in the Broadway MarketCenter are still closed as of Tuesday due to plumbing issues caused by kitchen utensils found inside the sewer lines, according to our news partner KETK. The shopping center is located at the corner of Rice Road and Broadway. “The plumbing issues at Broadway Market Center are due to a back-up the primary sewer line that runs the entire length of the affected businesses,” says Ruben Veloz, the Commercial Property Manager of Dunhill Properties, the managers of the Broadway Market Center. “Utensils found in the sewer line contributed to the blockage. Although these pipes are maintained periodically, issues like this will happen.” Continue reading Broadway MarketCenter Stores Remain Closed Due to Sewer Line Issues

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County resident was scammed out of $17,000 after a New Jersey woman claimed to be a family member asking for money. According to our news partner KETK, In September, a woman reported being contacted through Facebook who identified themselves as a family member. The person then convinced the victim that she was eligible to receive a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund Program. Over the several weeks of communication, the victim sent a total of $17,000 to the suspect with the promise of getting a check for $75,000. Continue reading Smith County Woman Defrauded out of $17,000

TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, Breast Cancer Awareness month is taking on a new meaning for students and faculty at Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler this year. The school colors officially are red white and black, but on Tuesday morning students and teachers gathered on the campus quad in effort to “Turn Robert E. Lee Pink”. Everyone wore their pink gear in support of Dr. Kristen Walls. Walls is an assistant principal of student and faculty services and has been fighting breast cancer over the last several months. Walls colleagues describe her as a mentor, and someone I look up to. Dr. Walls was part of the “Turn Tyler Pink” event on Tuesday night.

LINDALE — The Lindale Chamber of Commerce is putting the finishing touches on the upcoming Countryfest event. The fun takes place this Saturday at the Picker’s Pavilion from 9am to 4pm. Event organizers invite you to stroll through the arts and craft booths, tame the mechanical bull, take in the Car Displays, enjoy live entertainment, taste the variety offered from food trucks, and bid on auction items. Children can spend the day at a variety of activities including a climbing wall, an array of carnival games and the Kids ID Booth with Lindale Police. For more information click the link. https://lindalechamber.org/events/details/countryfest-2019-66

TYLER — The City of Tyler recognized Building Services Supervisor Gary Smith on Tuesday with the Blueprint Blue Ribbon Award. The council highlighted Smith at the city council meeting for his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. Smith is described as innovative and continually working to improve community facilities and teams to benefit the residents of Tyler. Smith has served the city for over 29 years.

LONGVIEW — Longview ISD is hosting numerous town hall meetings to gather input from parents about receiving a district-wide charter status. According to our news partner KETK, the district currently has six charter schools operated by the nonprofit East Texas Advanced Academies. The charter status means the school is still part of a public school education, but has the opportunity to receive more state funding. Continue reading LISD Hosts Series of Town Hall Meetings on District-Wide Charter Status

GREGG COUNTY — Elections will be held on the 1st Tuesday in November and new voting machines will be used in Gregg County at the polls. According to our news partner KETK, if you missed the chance to practice on Tuesday evening at Braughton Recreation Center, you will have another opportunity Thursday at Greggton Community Center. The displays will be up and running from from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. The new machines will print out a ballot for you to confirm before you place it in a scanner, which will read and count your vote.

TYLER — Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas has received two Outstanding BBB Awards – one for Outstanding Marketing/Branding Program and another for Outstanding Social Media Program. The awards were presented from the International Association of Better Business Bureaus at the 49th International Assembly of BBBs in Grand Rapids, MI. The distinctions recognize outstanding overall communications by a local BBB. The Better Business Bureau system was founded in 1912.

ALTO — The Alto Bond Committee will be hosting their last town hall meeting on Tuesday to discuss the proposed $10.5 million bond package. According to our news partner KETK, the bond is designed to address security issues and damaged facilities due to tornadoes that ripped through the city in April. To discuss the proposal, the meeting will be held on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Booker T. Washington Community Center. The bond election is slated for November 5.

PITTSBURG — Pittsburg police received a report of a runaway teen, Jacob Wesley Perry on October 7 and are asking the public for information regarding his whereabouts. According to our news partner KETK, Perry, 17, was last seen in a 2008 white Dodge pickup bearing a TX license plate BT14248 which was found abandoned in Holbrook, Arizona. He is described as a white male weighing 160 lb. and is 5’7″ tall. Police state there is no signs of foul play and ask if you have any information to call the Pittsburg Police Department at (903)-856-3330.

CROCKETT — A East Texas man was taken into custody after he confessed to robbing a bank the day before his wedding. According to our news partner KETK, Heath Bumpous, of Crockett, robbed a Citizens Bank so he could pay for the wedding ring and the venue for the nuptials. The 36 year old pillaged the Citizens State Bank by implying that he had a weapon, and demanded money. He then fled with the cash and drove down back roads. Bumpous’ fiancee called him and convinced him to turn himself in to police after she saw his image in security footage circulating on social media. Most of the stolen money was recovered.

TYLER — Tyler Firefighters are inviting the community to paint the town pink on Tuesday. The 11th annual Turn Tyler Pink Cancer Awareness event will be held at the T.B. Bulter Plaza in downtown Tyler from 5-7 p.m. The event is completely free and provides numerous educational booths for women about cancer awareness and early detection. The Tyler Professional Firefighter’s Association created the Tyler Firefighter Cancer Awareness & Relief Effort (C.A.R.E.) to fundraise for local firefighter families Continue reading Turn Tyler Pink Event Tuesday

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler has announced the release of its first edition of “A Patriot’s Guide to Success: Words of Wisdom from East Texas Leaders.’’ Contributing guidance and inspirational stories from a broad-range group of about 60 East Texas leaders, the book was produced as a companion piece for UT Tyler’s annual Career Success Conference, which brings together business and industry leaders from across the nation, including UT Tyler alumni, to share their success stories. It is the first book published by the UT Tyler Press.For more information, contact the UT Tyler Office of Career Services or send an email to [email protected].

TYLER — The Tyler Senior Center was closed on Monday for emergency repairs after discovering a leak. The necessary repairs were completed this afternoon so the center on Garden Valley Road plans to be open for their regular hours and activities on Tuesday.

TYLER — With more than 660 faculty and nearly 13,000 students per semester, TJC awards more than 2,500 degrees and certificates each year. With that current reality in mind, the school looks back as it prepares to inaugurate President Dr. Juan E. Mejia on Friday. Tyler Junior College has had 7 presidents in the past 93 years. Continue reading TJC Prepares to Inaugurate New President

TYLER — People unemployed or underemployed in Tyler and Smith County can often feel like they will never get beyond those barriers. The East Texas Human Needs Network aims to remove those obstacles by giving hundreds of individuals a leg up. “Take the Step: A Job Skills Event” is being offered free and will take place from 10 am. to 2 p.m., on October 22 at St. Louis Baptist Church in Tyler. A brief and private intake assessment and referral process will identify each individual’s barriers and assist on-site agencies in offering assistance. http://www.takethestep.today/. To make “Take the Step” accessible, ETHNN partner Champions for Children will provide free on-site childcare for children ages 2 to 12.