KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – Two people were arrested after a Tyler apartment shooting left one man injured Wednesday night.

According to the Tyler Police Department and our news partner KETK, around 10 p.m. officers responded to a shooting at Southwest Pines Apartments on 3220 Walton Road where they located one victim with a gunshot wound to the leg. Officers were able to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and he was taken to a local hospital.

Officials said the suspect was located in a vehicle after a short pursuit and was stopped on Woodland Hill Drive, but the driver ran into a wooded area next to The Grove Restaurant. Officers later located the suspect, along with the gun used. Officers identified the driver of the vehicle as 23-year-old Oguist Williams and the passenger as 22-year-old Jourdan King.

Williams was arrested for evading arrest/detention in a vehicle, while King was arrested for aggravated assault and a felon in possession of a firearm. Both men were booked into the Smith County Jail.

UPDATE: The Lufkin Police Department has identified the body recovered from Kurth Lake as Clay Thomas Legg, 64 of Pollok. According to the preliminary autopsy results, Legg drowned and no foul play is suspected.

LUFKIN – According to our news partner KETK, the Lufkin Police Department said they’ve recovered the body of a man who was reported missing from his boat at Kurth Lake on Tuesday. The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Lufkin PD, divers with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, the Lufkin Fire Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens responded to reports of a man missing from his boat at around 1 p.m. The boat was found empty in a cove on Kurth Lake prompting first responders to deploy rescue boats and drones to search the water for anyone who had been on the boat.

Divers responded to Kurth Lake and a man’s body was found not too far away from where the boat was discovered, Lufkin PD said.

CROCKETT – The Crockett Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying individuals involved in armed robbery while using a stolen truck, according to a report by our news partner KETK.

On Wednesday morning, the Crockett Police Department notified the public via a Facebook post that a 2020 Ram 3500 was stolen overnight from the 300 block of Cordell Street.

Shortly following the post, a deputy with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle that had been abandoned in Grapeland on U.S. Highway 287 near the intersection of FM 227 in front of Grapeland Apartments.

After further investigation, detectives with the Crockett Police Department obtained information from the Grapeland Police Department that the stolen truck had been used in an armed robbery that occurred in the 1100 block of U.S. 287 in Grapeland, at the Ranch Express Convenience store. According to authorities, two individuals displayed handguns, stole the cash drawer and fled the scene in the stolen vehicle. Continue reading Police searching for suspects after stolen truck used in robbery

LONGVIEW – Almost three weeks after pleading guilty to a 2022 charge of sexual assault against a child, a Longview doctor was found dead on Tuesday by the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the suspension order from the Texas Medical Board, two of Hipke’s former patients, both boys under 17, accused him of sexual assault. This led the Texas Medical Board to investigate Hipke and suspend his license. Hipke had a sentencing hearing set for Friday for this charge.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to the Bella Terra subdivision in North Longview, and found Matt Elza Hipke, 62 of Longview, dead at the scene. The Gregg County Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 soon arrived, and pronounced Hipke deceased and ordered an autopsy.

Officials say this incident remains an open investigation and no other information will be released at this time, but the sheriff’s office doesn’t believe there is any danger to the community.

LONGVIEW – An East Texas man was arrested after a fatal shooting on Tuesday afternoon making the incident the first homicide of the year in Longview, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

According to the department, around 2:47 p.m. officers responded to a shooting in the 900 block of Toler Road where they found Jonathan Ragland shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said that the shooter left the scene before officers arrived, and later identified the suspect as Dalton Chandler Lawrence, 26 of Longview. Lawrence was arrested for murder, along with two outstanding warrants from Wood County.

“This is the first homicide of the year in Longview,” Longview Police Department said. “We do ask that if you saw anything in this area or know anything, please contact Longview Police.”

LUFKIN – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Lufkin Police Department has found the body of a man who was reported missing from his boat at Kurth Lake on Tuesday.

According to officials, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Lufkin PD, divers with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, the Lufkin Fire Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens responded to reports of a man missing from his boat at around 1 p.m. The boat was found empty in a cove on Kurth Lake prompting first responders to deploy rescue boats and drones to search the water for anyone who had been on the boat.

Divers responded to Kurth Lake and a man’s body was found not too far away from where the boat was discovered, Lufkin Police said. Angelina County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Rodney Cheshire has ordered an autopsy.

TYLER – Dollar General recently announced that they donated more than 1.2 million pounds of food to the East Texas Food Bank in 2024, according to our news partner KETK.

On April 17, Dollar General said they’ve partnered with Texas Feeding America to donate 3.5 million pounds of food to 12 Texas food banks, including the East Texas Food Bank. Dollar General’s announcement comes after the East Texas Food Bank said they’ve lost over $850,000 worth of food from presidential cut backs.

“At Dollar General, we understand the challenges our neighbors may face in accessing affordable, nutritious food to provide themselves and their families,” Dollar General vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy Denine Torr said. “With more than 47 million people in the U.S. currently facing hunger, we are committed to being a part of the solution through our partnership with the Feeding America network of partner food banks.” Continue reading Over 1 million pounds of food donated to the East Texas Food Bank

TYLER – East Texas State Rep. Brent Money took to social media on Tuesday to express his disappointment that HB 2127 won’t be getting a public hearing this session.

According to our news partner KETK, the bill, which would amend the Texas Penal Code’s definition of homicide to include all abortions, was initially scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday but was then pulled from the schedule.

Abortion was made illegal in Texas in 2022 when the state’s “trigger law” went into effect following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overruling of Roe V. Wade.

On Monday, Money took to X and claimed that he was told the bill was pulled by the office of the Texas Speaker of the House which claimed it was pulled by Rep. John Smithee, the chair of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. Continue reading East Texas Rep’s bill to classify abortions as murder withdrawn

TYLER – U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran held a town hall forum on Tuesday night in Tyler where several attendees quickly became hostile according to our news partner KETK. The forum was initiated for Moran to speak on issues he is covering in D.C. However, hecklers quickly began interrupting the presentation and question and answer portion of the event.

“I expected to have a setting like we saw tonight,” Moran said. “I know folks want to engage personally and a lot of people want to set this up and a lot of members of Congress are not doing in person townhalls but I think it’s our responsibility to the constituents to do those face-to-face town halls to engage, to be transparent, to be accountable. I expected some emotions tonight and that’s what we saw.”

Attendees became upset as Moran did not answer their questions when they pressed him on issues, including abortion, due process and immigration policies.

Ryan Nichols, who considered running against Moran in the upcoming May elections, was seen shouting at Moran over his due process policies. Continue reading Attendees vocalize displeasure with Rep Moran during town hall

TYLER – A Tyler man has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a minor in exchange for nicotine devices, according to our news partner KETK. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office became aware of the case after being contacted by a girl’s guardians on March 4. One of her guardians revealed to a sheriff’s deputy that they discovered she had been having an improper relationship with a grown man while going through the girl’s phone.

According to officials, one of the victim’s guardians said text messages from the victim’s phone revealed she was having explicit conversations and spoke about having sexual relationships with a man whose contact name was ‘J’.

Further text messages revealed the victim was offering to give the man sexual favors in exchange for vapes and other nicotine devices. Text messages also revealed the two parties making arrangements to meet at a nearby oil field in regard to their deal. Continue reading Man arrested for alleged sexual relationship with minor

TYLER – The Houston Chronicle reports that Edward Estrada’s client already had admitted to skimming — installing devices inside gas pumps to steal customers’ credit card information. But the Tyler lawyer wanted to make sure jurors understood that it didn’t rank with more serious financial crimes. As he prepared for the 2019 sentencing hearing, Estrada settled on a comparison. His client wasn’t nearly as bad as Enron, the giant Houston energy company whose executives misled investors for years, he stressed. While his client’s crimes cost victims collectively more than $150,000 — much of it reimbursed by banks — Enron lost billions. The Smith County jury apparently took the differences into account, but not in the way Estrada hoped. Enron executives faced sentences of 45 and 24 years. For his skimming, the jury sentenced Felipe Manuel Nieves-Perez to life in prison — “striking and alarming,” Estrada said. Continue reading Life in prison for credit card skimmer

TYLER – Children’s Fest 2025 will provide free vaccines for children under 2 years old on Wednesday at 815 North Broadway Avenue in Tyler, according to our news partner KETK.

Children’s Fest will include family-friendly activities such as games, vendors, prizes and health services provided by local health agencies. Children under 2 years old can get free vaccines to help reduce or eliminate many diseases, such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough, according to NET Health.

“Childhood vaccinations are one of the best ways for our community and us as parents to protect our children against vaccine-preventable diseases,” RN and Director of Immunization for NET Health Sylvia Warren said.

For more information about childhood vaccinations, visit MyNETHealth.org or call the NET Health Immunizations Department at 903-510-5604.

TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that an East Texas woman was arrested on Monday after reportedly providing Jell-O shots with vodka to 5th graders at a Tyler elementary school Christmas party. According to a Smith County arrest affidavit, multiple children were throwing up, and one was unable to stand up after consuming six shots.

On Dec. 20, 2024, at around 11:15 a.m., a Tyler ISD police officer received a phone call from the Jones Elementary and Boshears Center assistant principal that said she believed a parent had brought Jell-O shots to a class Christmas party. The officer asked the suspect, Teresa Isabel Bernal, to come to the principal’s office. The officer said he saw on the conference table in the principal’s office a cafeteria boat containing four Jell-O shots.

While the officer was interviewing Bernal, she said the Jell-O shots came from a local business she found on Facebook. “The business is run out of a house, so she went by the house and purchased the Jell-O shots and brought them to the school for the Christmas party,” the affidavit said. When asked if the Jell-O shots contained alcohol, Bernal said, “They do taste different.” Continue reading Parent arrested for giving vodka-laced Jell-O shots to elementary kids