KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – On Friday, local and state emergency services had the opportunity to sharpen their skills in a realistic trauma simulation at Green Acres Baptist Church. According to our news partner KETK, the full-scale drill in Tyler brought together more 150 personnel from agencies from around East Texas for disaster exercises. Some of those participating in the drill were Christus Health, Tyler Police and Smith County Fire. The agencies used over 200 volunteer actors and students to act as the victims.

Charles Clanton, Smith Co. ESD 2 Division Chief Of Training In Emergency Medical Services described the drill concept, “A device was trigged of some variety. It was not real clear what the device released in the area of the band concert and so there were a number of injured people. They’ll go through the full process today of how one of these situations would be managed both from a response component and a recovery component. The ability to respond to something, get a command structure in place properly manage it, make sure what we’re dealing with, and then respond appropriately.
Continue reading East Texas ER services in drills Friday in Tyler

TROUP – The Smith County Emergency Services District 2 has reported that an oil tank exploded at a site on County Road 4703 near Troup on Saturday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County ESD2 responded along with with New Summerfield and North Cherokee County Volunteer Fire Departments. No injuries were reported from the explosion.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department said that one person was shot and four others were injured in a shooting at the Belaire Manor Apartments late Friday night. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to call at the apartments in which, “unknown actors” targeted one person specifically and shot them but four others were also injured during the aggravated assault. The five were taken to local hospitals and treat for injuries that were not life threatening. Longview PD will continue to investigate the case. And they asked anyone with information to call them at 903-237-1110 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers, who pays a reward for the first most accurate tip, at 903-236-7876.

TYLER – The Texas Department of Transportation announced on Saturday that the Loop 323 extension near US 271 in Tyler is closed until further notice. According to our news partner KETK, the closure is needed so contractors can safely make repairs in the area for however long they need to. TxDOT said the closure is open-ended and that they will notify the public when the road is reopened.

TYLER – A woman has been sentenced to two years in jail and five years of probation and community supervision in connection to a 2023 Tyler rent scam. According to our news partner KETK, police reports say Sedona Cheayann Francis stole $5,096 for rent payments from seven tenants at a Tyler apartment complex in summer of 2023. She was employed at NuRock property at the time of the theft. The report also states that Francis texted a tenant with a back-to-school half-off rent deal that the tenant then paid to Francis on CashApp. Six other cases with this similar method were reported involving tenants at the apartment complex on Frankston Highway near Earl Campbell Parkway. The tenants that fell for this scam faced eviction because they were not being able to pay rent. Francis was found guilty of theft of property between $2,500 and $30,000 and started her sentence on March 19, 2024.

TYLER – Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a University of Texas at Tyler student to serve on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as a student representative. According to our news partner KETK, appointed by the governor is Luke Schwartz, a Tyler Junior College and Texas A&M University graduate. Luke is pursuing a doctor of medicine degree and an executive master of business administration in healthcare management degree from UT Tyler. He will serve on the board starting June 1.

QUITMAN– A Winnsboro man was sentenced to life in prison after a Wood County jury convicted him of sexual abuse of a young child over a long period of time. According to our news partner KETK, Justin Blaine Sicard was convicted and sentenced on Thursday and will serve a life sentence consecutively after a 15-year sentence he received in 2018 from Hopkins County authorities.
Continue reading Winnsboro man to serve life sentence for child abuse

TYLER — Chapel Hill Independent School District announced the that one of its students is being recognized at a national level. CCHS art student Everett Murrieta will have his art showcased at the Congressional Art Exhibition Reception breakfast in Washington, D.C. June 27. Congressman Nathaniel Moran will present Everett and his artwork to an audience that morning. Following the reception, Everett and his mother, Samantha Hembroughwill enjoy a private tour of the nation’s capital.
Continue reading Chapel Hill ISD student recognized in national art contest

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – TxDOT is warning drivers of puncturing spikes found on I-20 again. This time in Van Zandt County. According to our news partner KETK, 12 caltrops were found May 6 on I-20 westbound near mile marker 533 and eastbound at mile markers 518, 520, 528 and 529. Caltrops usually are four-pronged, heavy gauge steel puncturing spikes that can be thrown or linked together to cause immediate and irreparable failure of tires.

If you have with information on the incidents, your asked to call Lt. Bob Keltner with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Department at 469-576-1274 or call Andrew Fagile with the Texas Department of Public Safety at 90-567-2011 ext. 10914.

TYLER – Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips has been found guilty of misdemeanor interfering with public duties after a March 2023 traffic stop that led to the arrest of her son, his friend and herself. According to our news partner KETK, her trial began on Wednesday, and her sentencing has been scheduled for June 14. Her son Derek was sentenced for the same offense and was sentenced to 30 days in the Smith County Jail. Body cam footage of the incident from KETK shows their confrontation with police which led to their November indictment.

CHANDLER — Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the City of Chandler has been designated by the Texas Music Office (TMO) as a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community. According to our news partner KETK, the Music Friendly Texas program was created in 2016 to foster music business-related economic development and job creation in cities and communities. The city will host a ceremony alongside TMO, Chandler Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Chandler of Commerce on Thursday during the Chandler Chamber/EDC luncheon.

“Being a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community will make Chandler an even more desirable location to be a part of. As a community that supports many local events, this partnership will help play a role in the continued growth in our musicians within our schools, community, and neighboring areas. Exciting times are here in the ‘City with a Heart,’” Chandler Chamber of Commerce President Mike Yates said. Continue reading Chandler named Music Friendly Community

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview held a celebration for longtime mayor, Andy Mack who’s been in leadership for nine years, on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Mack’s remaining weeks in office are wrapping up with a reflective tone as countless people in the community showed up to share their gratitude. The Longview mayor played an instrumental role in projects to promote economic growth with lasting benefits for the community. The 2018 bond included $52 million for police and fire facilities, $27 million for infrastructure projects and $24 million for park projects.

“It’s been an honor,” Mack said.

First responders and department leaders expressed their gratitude toward Mack and their ability to work together to keep citizens safe. Continue reading Longview celebrates longtime mayor

TYLER – UT Tyler announced that 15 mass communication students have won 34 awards at the 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention. TIPA is Texas’s largest college level mass communication organization and they regularly recognize students for their achievements in written journalism, photojournalism, broadcast journalism, videography, public relations and publication design.
Continue reading UT Tyler mass communication students earn over 30 TIPA awards

TYLER – Stephen Dinger and Petra Hawkins’ race for Tyler City Council District 2 will be heading to a June runoff election. Neither candidate was able to earn the majority with Dinger winning 45.65% of the vote, Hawkins with 36.52% and Dexter Floyd in third with 17.83%. Our news partner KETK reports that according to Dinger and Hawkins, low voter turnout was a “big factor” ahead of their June 15th rematch. You can learn more about the candidates’ backgrounds here.

TYLER – The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously to name Julie V. Philley, MD, the next president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Philley currently serves as the university’s executive vice president for health affairs and vice provost and is a board-certified physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Philley will begin her appointment on June 1, 2024, succeeding Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, following his retirement on May 31. A native of Overton, Philley returned to East Texas in 2012 as an assistant professor of medicine at UT Health Tyler. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and studied medicine at UT Health Houston’s McGovern Medical School. Philley and her husband, Richard Lee, are engaged in numerous Tyler activities, where Lee is the Music Director of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and the Tyler Civic Chorale.

TYLER – ERCOT issued a “weather watch” due to high temperatures and a high level of expected maintenance outages that could lead to the potential for lower reserves. According to our news partner KETK, a weather watch is issued during times of expected high demand, mainly during the summer or winter months. Jason Blakeney, owner of Blakeney Hardware, has spent years working in the energy industry and believes there is simply too much demand on our state’s power grid.

“When that happens and you have the housing industry build up as fast as it has it puts a strain on our already strained power supply,” Blakeney said.

According to census data, Texas added more people than any other state in the last year, growing by half a million people. Continue reading ERCOT warns of potential strain on power grid

TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, Gov. Greg Abbott released a letter on Wednesday “instructing” the state’s higher education leaders to ignore revisions made to Title IX, a federal law prohibiting public schools from discriminating based on sex. Rep. Nathaniel Moran spoke in Congress claiming East Texans are against the new regulations.

Moran spoke to Congress on Tuesday, claiming the new regulations, which are set to take effect on Aug. 1, are an attack on women’s sports. Moran said that East Texans feel the new rules are “an inexcusable federal assault towards girls and women that has no place in schools.” Moran said Title IX rule is immoral and offensive to women across the country.

Title IX, a regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Education, “strengthens vital protections for students in our nation’s schools and provides clear rule to help schools meet their Title IX obligation to eliminate sex discrimination in their education programs and activities.”

According to Moran, Van ISD said in a letter, “the changes to Title IX forces schools to treat boys as if they were girls and to accept every student’s self declared gender identity.” KETK’s request to Van ISD for the full letter has not yet been returned. Continue reading Moran says East Texans are against new Title IX regulations

TYLER – The Tyler City Council voted on Wednesday to approve more than $3.2 million for improvements for asphalt and street repairs. According to our news partner KETK, contracted for these improvements is Reynolds and Kay LTD. Cost for the 2024 Asphalt Enhancement Project is $3,203,701. The project will reportedly have 16 “lane miles” of city streets, alley paving, replacing the Bois D’Arc Avenue storm sewer and street and the streets at Lake Tyler.

The city has provided a table of the streets included in the project. To view it, click here.

City officials say they expect the Asphalt Enhancement Project to begin later this month and to be finished in February 2025.

KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department said on Tuesday, a traffic stop led to the arrest of a felon after finding a handgun and meth in a chip bag according to our news partners at KETK. According to a release, an officer saw a suspicious driver and pulled them over due to a reported traffic violation. During the stop, police confiscated a “large amount” of meth hidden in a chip bag and the driver was also in possession of a handgun. “We can’t be any more clear, if you sell or traffic dope in our city you are going to jail for a long time,” Kilgore PD said.

TYLER — Tyler Independent School District celebrated the opening of the new Hubbard Middle School on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the new building is part of a nearly $90 million bond that passed in 2022. The new three-story campus sits right next to the old building that was originally built in 1964, and was funded by $63 million of the bond. The building is complete with up-to-date security, safety improvements and improved traffic flow. The community was invited to tour inside of the state of the art, science labs, theater, library, outside area and cafeteria during the celebration.

Tyler ISD said the district has been working for nearly 20 years to invest and transform facilities while keeping the tax rate as low as possible.

“We have really touched every school in Tyler, so that all of our students have equal opportunities across the district in terms of access to programming and state of the art facilities,” Jennifer Hines, Tyler ISD director of communications, said. Continue reading Tyler ISD holds ribbon cutting for new school

TYLER – Monday, workers from Tyler’s largest union, IUE-CWA 86782, held an informational picket at their union hall across from the Trane Technologies plant. According to our news partner KETK, the union stressed the informational picket is not a strike. It’s a membership drive and an opportunity for union members to use their own time to spread the word about what they want from the company without having to stop working.

IUE-CWA 86782 recording secretary Tierra Zhane provided the following list of demands they have for their union’s contract with Trane. Livable wages. Affordable insurance. The ability to use personal time without having to provide documentation. And, no unaffordable surcharges to insurance that “eat up” a proposed 45 cent pay increase.
Continue reading Trane workers hold informational picket

LONGVIEW – Authorities in Longview are investigating truck crashing into a house Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Fire Marshall said the accident happened around 10 a.m. with a report of a truck having crashed into a home on Mill Run Drive, near the Compassionate Hearts Alliance. The Fire Marshall said the driver had non life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

ATHENS – Texas State Sen. Robert Nichols was honored by Raise Your Hand Texas on Monday for his defense of public education and opposition to school vouchers, according to our news partners at KETK. The group is honoring 100 Texas state legislators as Public Education Champions for their “steadfast commitment to Texas public schools, teachers and students.” In addition to his defense of public schools and teachers, the group said that Nichols has “remained steadfast in opposition to school vouchers which would defund local public schools and siphon taxpayer dollars to private schools and vendors with no accountability and transparency.” Nichols was recognized by Will Holleman and Deann Lee of Raise Your Hand Texas and Dr. Janie Sims, superintendent of Athens ISD, in a ceremony at Central Athens Elementary on Monday.

TYLER – City of Tyler officials say their non-emergency offices and facilities will be closed Friday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6 through May 10 is Public Service Recognition Week. With the exception of emergency and essential services, the city will be doing their part in recognizing their employees Friday. Public Service Recognition Week has been celebrated since 1985. It’s goal is to honor the men and women who serve as federal, state, county and local government employees.

WHITE OAK — A Longview woman charged with first degree felony murder of a 66-year-old man pleaded guilty on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Regina Massie, 40, pleaded guilty to the 2021 murder of Steve McDowell, of White Oak. McDowell had reportedly hired Massie and her boyfriend Brandon Gilliam, 42 of Longview, to repair his pickup truck but then McDowell discovered money was missing.

Documents show, Massie told investigators that McDowell confronted Gilliam about the theft and she saw Gilliam hit McDowell in the head with a foot-long pipe and try to suffocate him by covering his nose and mouth.

Massie will be sentenced on June 5. Gilliam was also charged with first degree felony murder in connection to the case.

TYLER — A man accused of attempting to kidnap and rape a woman running at the Rose Rudman Park in 2019 pleaded guilty on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a woman finished running at Rose Rudman Park when she saw the suspect, James Earl Roberts Jr., and thought he looked suspicious and began to run again. She heard him running behind her when Roberts reportedly tackled her, put his hands over her face and dragged her into the woods, officials said.

Police said Roberts pulled a knife from behind the victim and cut her throat numerous times. Documents also stated Roberts punched the victim multiple times when she fought back. The victim was able to wrestle the knife away from Roberts and threw it aside. Roberts “suddenly got up and took off running.” She then reportedly crawled out of the woods and another woman came to her aid. Continue reading Man pleads guilty to attempted kidnapping, rape