KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — The City of Troup is alerting residents of a prominent fundraiser they may receive in the mail, calling it a scam. The fundraisers are sent by an organization known as the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association (USDSA), which presents itself as a non-profit dedicated to supporting local law enforcement and the community. In recent mailings, the group requests donations for their Troup Area 2025 Fund Drive, claiming that they provide police agencies in Troup with bulletproof vests, helmets and other lifesaving equipment.
Continue reading Scam alert from the City of Troup

Update: KTBB received an email from from Sergent Pedro Maya of the Tyler PD, informing us the accident has been cleared up.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is currently working a Major Traffic Accident at East Front Street and South Porter Avenue. At this time, all west bound traffic on East Front Street is being re-routed onto Old Henderson Highway, all east bound traffic is being re-routed onto South Palmer Avenue. East and West bound lanes on East Front Street are currently closed between Old Henderson Hwy and South Palmer Avenue. Officials said the scene remains active and officers are on-site directing vehicles. Drivers are urged to find alternative routes and use extra caution due to poor weather conditions.

TYLER — With the Christmas season here, so are the parades! But incoming weather has caused multiple parades to be postponed. Our news partners at KETK, have provided a list of Christmas parades in east Texas. Continue reading East Texas Christmas parades

TYLER — A tanker truck stalled on Troup Highway, causing temporary traffic delays on Monday morning. According to our news partner KETK, officials with Smith County ESD2, the truck stalled along Troup Highway near Toll 49, blocking traffic. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the tanker’s stoppage was not immediately released

TYLER — The Christmas season is here. And so are the Christmas parades. Our news partners at KETK, have a running list for you. You can see it here.

SMITH COUNTY— An 18-wheeler rolled over on Highway 110 North, south of Swan, Monday morning in Smith County. According to our news partner KETK, crews were out clearing the scene as boxes from inside the 18-wheeler were also thrown alongside the road. Traffic delays have also happened.

ZAVALLA – The Huntington Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene of a house fire that was started by lightning on Saturday night. According to our news partner KETK, Huntington VFD were called out at around 11:37 p.m. on Saturday to assist Zavalla Volunteer Fire Department with a fire burning a home on Massey Road near FM 1270. The fire reportedly started when lightning struck the home’s roof, burned a hole in the side of the attic, allowing winds to spread the flames faster than the firefighters could stop it. After fighting the fire for 4 hours, the roof collapsed and most of the items inside the home were destroyed.

Angelina River Fire Rescue and the Colmesneil Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the scene on Saturday.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department said that a sinkhole caused part of East Grand Avenue to collapse on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, Marshall Police are asking drivers to avoid the area where the roadway collapsed in the 900 block of East Grand Avenue. Officials said that Marshall Public Works Crews are working with the Texas Department of Public Transportation to asses the damage to the road.

TYLER — A pedestrian was struck by a train in downtown Tyler Thursday. According to the Tyler Police Department and our news partner KETK,  the individual was hit on the tracks near Goodwill and the intersection of Bonner Avenue and Locust Street. The person has transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities have not released details about what led to the crash or provided an update on the victim’s condition.

HENDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, recent federal funding cuts have put Henderson County’s plans to expand high-speed internet access into jeopardy. The county, Texas was originally slated to receive $3.3 billion from the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program but that amount was recently cut down to $1.3 billion.

“This reduction directly jeopardizes the county’s plan because Phase III relies on the federal BEAD money,” Henderson County said on Friday. “The county’s plan was designed to connect every resident to high-speed internet. Officials chose to split the work into three phases because the overall project is large and costly.”

County officials explained that the project’s second phase is currently in the process of connecting nearly 5,000 locations in rural Henderson County, thanks to $2.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and other state funds. Continue reading Henderson County internet expansion threatened by cuts

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — A Thursday afternoon fire in Van Zandt County resulted in the loss of one of the Whitton Volunteer Fire Department’s brush trucks. According to our news partner KETK, the fire reportedly broke out between FM 316 and FM 3080 in Mabank as multiple departments worked to protect a nearby structure. Whitton VFD confirmed that one of their brush trucks was destroyed in the response, the largest equipment loss the department has experienced.

Equipment losses can significantly affect how small volunteer departments operate. Whitton VFD is funded through county stipends, community fundraisers and donations, which help support daily operations and future emergency responses.For more information about the department or how to donate, you can visit the Whitton Volunteer Fire Department online or call them at 903-848-0260.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Curtis Wulf has announced his intention to run for re-election in 2026. According to our news partner KETK, Judge Wulf leads one of the county’s busiest justice courts, handling a caseload that includes traffic violations, civil matters, evictions and Class C criminal offenses. His duties also require him to remain available around the clock for inquests and support for law-enforcement agencies.

“With more than two decades of experience in the justice system—including my earlier service as a peace officer—I recognize the importance of a court that is both fair and firm,” Wulf said. “My goal has always been to apply the law impartially, treat everyone with respect and help keep our community safe.”

During his first term Wulf said his court built a strong reputation for professionalism and dependability, providing officers with timely judicial decisions, clear communication and consistent application of the law. He also said he’s become known for setting appropriate bond amounts, particularly in cases involving violence or threats to public safety.

TYLER – In honor of Rosa Parks, a seat on each Tyler Transit bus will be reserved in her memory on Monday, Dec. 1. This day marks the anniversary of a milestone in the Civil Rights movement. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the “colored” section of the bus for a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. After refusing the bus driver’s order to move, she was arrested for civil disobedience. 

Rosa Parks’ action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted 381 days until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation on public transit systems was unconstitutional. The boycott helped end segregation of public facilities in the United States, and Rosa Parks became known as the “mother of the freedom movement.”

To more get information from the City of Tyler website, click here.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – The principal of Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center in Sulphur Springs, Sherry Sinclair has passed away, according to Sulphur Springs ISD. The district said that Sinclair died on Thanksgiving morning. As principal, Sinclair led the district’s Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center, a campus which focuses on head start and pre-kindergarten classes.

Deana Steeber Ed.D. Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent said in a press release, “It is with a heavy heart that I share that Mrs. Sherry Sinclair, Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center Principal, passed away this morning. She never missed an opportunity to share the incredible work being done at Douglass. She was so proud of her staff and students. Mrs. Sinclair dearly loved her Douglass ECLC family, and she loved being a Wildcat. She demonstrated everything it means to be a Wildcat. Today, we are so very thankful for Mrs. Sinclair and the many lives she touched.”

Steeber asked the community to pray for Sinclair’s family and the students and staff of Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center.