KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The Planning and Zoning Committee met on Tuesday, where they unanimously voted down the proposal to bring in a 35-unit residential property to a Tyler neighborhood. According to our news partner KETK, dozens of forms were submitted, 77 total, that expressed opposition to the potential housing development near the corner of Richmond Road and Timberwilde Road. “As one of 77 homeowners who submitted forms in opposition to this zone change, I am thrilled the planning and zoning commission unanimously denied this request,” Mitzi Rusk said. “Many of us presented information that prove R1A, the current zoning, can succeed and is best for our situation.” Continue reading Tyler committee votes against 35-unit housing development proposal

LONGVIEW — Longview ISD announced that the district will be taking additional measures to ensure the safety of their campuses thanks to the unanimous approval of up to $250,000 for glass reinforcement film on all campuses. According to our news partner KETK, the purchase of the materials for the glass reinforcement film is in line with the school safety standards that were put in place in November 2022, according to Scott Fisher, LISD Director of Safety and Magnet Grants. Purchasing the materials had to be approved by the school board since it was more than $50,000, per their policy, according to a release. Continue reading Longview ISD to enhance campus protection

TYLER – A Henderson man was arrested for sexual assault of a child and is in jail with bonds totaling $1 million. According to our news partner KETK, Russell Lewis Evans, 21, was arrested for continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and sexual assault of a child. According to his arrest warrant, Evans’ continuous abuse started when the victim was under the age of 10. His arrest warrant states that after each instance, Evans would threaten his victim if the victim ever told anyone of the abuse, one time even saying he would shoot the child in the head if they told anyone. His warrants were signed on April 5 and he was booked into Smith County Jail the following day. Continuous sexual abuse of a young child is a first-degree felony, punishable by 5-99 years in prison or a life sentence. Sexual assault of a child is a second-degree felony, punishable by 2-20 years in prison.

TYLER — Tyler Police are at the scene of a morning accident at Loop 323 and Broadway Avenue. Officers said an oversized load pulled down the intersection lights. All westbound traffic on the Loop at Broadway Ave is down to one lane only. Drivers should expect traffic delays as crews work to repair the lights, and are encouraged to take alternate routes and avoid the area while the repairs are made.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man was arrested in March for aggravated sexual assault in connection to a serial rape investigation in Smith County that dates back to 2003. Our news partner KETK reports, Vincente Zavaleta, 44 of Tyler, was arrested on March 21 by the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to his arrest warrant, three victims reported to have been sexually assaulted in Smith County and Tyler in 2003, 2012 and 2016. Two of the victims reported they were abducted by their attacker. The warrant said the three victims had been linked to an unidentified DNA profile. Continue reading Tyler man arrested in connection to serial rape investigation

CHEROKEE COUNTY – On Monday, a man was convicted of injury to a child and sentenced to 30 years in prison. According to our news partner KETK, Mark Shuptrine was found guilty of assaulting his 12-year-old son in the 2nd Judicial District Court of Cherokee County after a 3 hour jury deliberation. In accordance with the jury’s verdict, Judge R. Chris Day, sentenced Shuptrine to 30 years for the offense of injury to a child. Shuptrine then waived his right to appeal and plead guilty to two other charges including continuous violence against family and failure to appear, the release stated. Shuptrine will serve his sentence in the Texas Department of Corrections.

TYLER – The third suspect wanted in connection to a double murder at the Royal Crest Apartment complex in Tyler has been arrested. Lakimbrick Horn, 19,  of Bullard, turned himself in on the capital murder warrant and has been booked into the Smith County Jail. His bond was set at $1,000,000 for the capital murder charge and $250,000 on a possession of marijuana charge. Two other suspects have also been arrested. Aaron Johnson, 20, who was reportedly shot during the incident, was arrested for capital murder with a $2 million bond. Nicholas Hudson, 18, was arrested for two counts of murder, each with a $1 million bond. Continue reading Tyler murder suspect surrenders to police

GILMER – An Upshur County man was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor on Monday. Winston David Tackett, 73, was arrested after one of his victims reported the assaults to a teacher at her school. The teacher contacted Child Protective Services and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office took over the case. “The defendant holds a position and respect in both the community and in his family and used that to hide his crime and keep his victim’s silenced,” Billy W. Byrd, criminal district attorney said. According to a press release, Tackett’s assaults go back to 2020 and each victim was assaulted multiple times. Officials said he will not be eligible for parole until he is 100-years-old. The family of the victims was in court to watch the plea, which required Tackett to waive his right to appeal and officials said the victim’s didn’t need to testify.

LONGVIEW — Longview ISD announced on Monday that Place 5 board member Shandreka “Shaun” Bauer has submitted her resignation effective June 1. The district said in her resignation letter, Bauer cited a new work opportunity that requires her family to relocate. Continue reading Longview ISD school board member submits resignation

TYLER — A group of more than 60 members of a Chinese Christian church will be starting a new life in Tyler after fleeing from China due to “extreme persecution,” according to Freedom Seekers International. According to our news partner KETK, the organization said that the Chinese citizens were previously in South Korea for more than a year, but will no longer be sheltered there due to political pressure from China to return them to “re-education camps.” According to ChinaAid, the group was granted humanitarian parole status by United States authorities. Continue reading Chinese Christian asylum seekers settle in Tyler

TYLER – Preparations are under way for the oldest part of Caldwell Zoo to be refreshed. According to our news partner KETK, Scott Maddox, Caldewell Zoo, COO, says the remodel will be from the ground up. The South American area will be called the Amazon River’s Edge. Maddox added that Amazon River’s Edge will will have a river running through it with an area for giant river otters, a sloth exhibit, a jaguar habitat and an over the top public sidewalk that flows into another habitat. Zoo officials are looking for completion of Amazon River’s Edge by early summer of 2024.

MARION COUNTY – A woman was taken to a local hospital in Marion County Friday morning after being rescued from a submerged Jeep in Lake O’ the Pines. According to our news partner KETK, a fisherman called the sheriff’s office after he found the black Jeep submerged in the south side of the lake. The fisherman told dispatchers that the Jeep was about forty feet from the Woody’s Camp boat ramp. When deputies and a local wrecker crew arrived, officials said they started preparing to remove the Jeep from the lake as they discovered a person was still inside and moving. With the help of the fisherman, wrecker crew and Marion County deputies, officials said that a woman was rescued safely from the vehicle and EMS took her to a local hospital. It was determined that the woman who was rescued was listed as a missing person from the Longview Police Department. The investigation continues.

MARSHALL – A Marshall man has pleaded guilty to the 2019 murder of 22-year-old Tyshun Darty, Harrison County judicial records show. Nathan DeWayne Irving, 24 of Marshall, has been sentenced to 15 years confinement which is running concurrently with a credit for time already served, according to judicial records. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting took place near the 1200 block of Elise Street around 11:30 p.m. on March 18, 2019. A nurse was performing CPR on Darty before he was transported to CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center where he later died.

TYLER — Allison O’Neal, assistant principal of Rice Elementary School, has been named the new principal at Rice Elementary School. She replaces John Smiley, who was recently named the principal of Hubbard Middle School. “Rice feels like home,” Mrs. O’Neal said. “I attended Rice as a student, and my children currently attend Rice. I am honored to accept this position at a campus that means so much to me. I have had the pleasure of learning from many great leaders in Tyler ISD through the years and plan to continue the wonderful things Mr. Smiley has done for our campus.” In her 18th year in education, Mrs. O’Neal joined Tyler ISD in 2008 as a classroom teacher at Andy Woods Elementary School. In 2019, she moved into the master teacher role at Hubbard Middle School. In 2020, Mrs. O’Neal took over the assistant principal position at Rice Elementary.

TYLER — A come-and-go Easter event is scheduled at the Glass Recreation Center on Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tyler Police Officers and Shorty the Squirrel will be in attendance to take pictures and pass out free eggs to children. Children must bring a basket or container to carry their eggs. For more information about the above-mentioned event or about the Glass Recreation Center, click here or visit the Tyler Parks and Rec Facebook page, or call Glass Recreation Center at (903) 595-7271.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department asks for help identifying a suspect in a vandalism case at the Southside Park restrooms. The damage occurred on March 22. The bathrooms were damaged in January 2023, but were repaired before the March incident. If you recognize this person, please contact Det. Dickerson at 903-533-2088 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER — Residents have until April 30 to submit ideas to city staff for projects they want to see included in the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) program. The projects, if approved, would be funded through the Half Cent Sales Tax Program. The projects will be reviewed and scored, then ranked with the existing projects. Funding will be updated, and the top projects will be funded as revenue allows. Residents can also attend a public meeting on Thursday, April 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Tyler Development Center large conference room, 423 W. Ferguson St. The Engineering Department will be available to discuss upcoming projects and any ideas for projects they would like considered for inclusion in the City’s annual work plan. Continue reading City of Tyler wants projects ideas from public

CANTON — Canton ISD is stepped up security on Thursday because of what they called a “sensitive social media post.” Our news partner KETK reports, Canton ISD Police and Canton Police Department provided extra security throughout the day. “Providing a safe learning environment for Canton ISD students and staff is always a top priority,” Superintendent Brian Nichols said in a letter to Canton ISD families. “We will continue to be open, honest and transparent with out staff, parents and community in order to provide accurate and timely information as it becomes available.”

RUSK COUNTY– Two people were arrested for multiple charges on Wednesday after the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said they were wanted for abuse of a corpse, and a third person is now being sought in the case. According to our news partner KETK, officials say on March 30, a body had been found on CR 169D and the person was believed to have died somewhere else and taken to that location “in an attempt to conceal the cause and location of the death.” The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Cory Murphy. William Welch, 36 of Kilgore, and Stephanie Kravis, 36 of Carthage, were named as persons of interest by the sheriff’s office and on March 31, officials announced warrants had been issued for their arrests. Continue reading Suspects arrested in Rusk County abuse of corpse case

HARRISON COUNTY — A man in Harrison County was allegedly scammed out of $29,000 after he received a call from someone claiming to be an attorney out of Georgia, according to our news partner KETK. The scammer said that the man’s grandson was in jail and facing some serious charges. He was told to gather clothes, wrap the money in them and mail it off. The sheriff’s office said the man sent the money and later realized his mistake. To prevent situations like this, the FTC recommends contacting the family member who the scammer said is in trouble on a phone number that you recognize. If you’re unable to get in contact with that person, check with another friend or family member if you’re unable to reach them, and never send cash by mail, gift card or wire money to someone who is demanding it. Continue reading East Texas man scammed by bogus attorney

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — After fentanyl was reportedly being sold in at least one Van Zandt County school, District Attorney Tonda Curry held a press conference Wednesday to announce the formation of a new task force. According to our news partner KETK, the new Van Zandt County DA Fentanyl Response Task Force is made up of officers from county and state law enforcement agencies committed to making an immediate and aggressive response to the presence of fentanyl in the county. Continue reading East Texas county creates Fentanyl Response Task Force

WOOD COUNTY — A Winnsboro woman was arrested Tuesday after reportedly shooting her husband in the face. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the shooting on FM 312 around 4:15 Tuesday, where they found the man awake and coherent. He was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment. Michelle Denise Freudiger was booked into the Wood County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Her bond has been set at $100,000. The victim remains in a Tyler hospital, and is expected to survive.

EAST TEXAS — Two of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted offenders are back in custody following their arrests in Mabank and Tyler last month. Santos Ramirez, 47, was captured on March 16 in Mabank. Ramirez had been wanted since April 5, 2022, after the Midland County Sheriff’s Office issued warrant for his arrest for continuous sexual abuse of a child, continuous violence against the family, stalking, two counts of violation of bond/protective order, interference with emergency request for assistance, and failure to identify. His arrest was the result of tip information received through Texas Crime Stoppers and a reward was paid. Continue reading Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives Captured in East Texas

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for a $35 million expansion for their School of Nursing building. UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife was present, along with UT Tyler President Kirk Calhoun, UT Tyler Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Julie Philley and UT Tyler School of Nursing Dean Barbara Haas. Calling this expansion “critically important,” Calhoun said it will allow UT Tyler to expand the number of nurses and the various disciplines and expertise they bring to the table. According to our news partner KETK, the college of Nursing is the largest college on the UT Tyler campus with roughly 2,000 students, Calhoun explained. He expects the program to get even larger in the future. Continue reading UT Tyler hosts groundbreaking for $35 million nursing school expansion

TYLER — On Tuesday, a man pleaded guilty to evading arrest in a Smith County court and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. In November 2022, Rick Dixon, 61, was involved in a multi-county chase with officers that exceeded speeds of 100 mph, our news partner KETK reported. Dixon was reportedly driving a truck with a stolen U-Haul trailer attached when he failed to stop for officials attempting a traffic stop. Officials said he continued down I-20 into Gregg County, where the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and DPS deployed spikes in front of the truck on Interstate 230 before the truck exited onto Highway 42. The truck had to be spiked a second time after authorities said Dixon blew through several red lights while sparks began to fly from the tireless rims of the truck and trailer. Continue reading Man pleads guilty to evading arrest after leading authorities on chase

SMITH COUNTY — In the Smith County State of the County address Tuesday, Judge Neal Franklin broke down the county’s plan for construction on the new courthouse and parking garage in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, The first phase will be on the parking structure and is expected to be completed in August of 2024. The second phase will be for the construction of the new courthouse to be completed by September 2026. The third and final phase will be the transition from the existing courthouse to the new one which is expected to be complete by 2027. Judge Franklin added that the 2027 projection is just an estimate, as there are often delays in projects like this.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Clerk, Karen Phillips, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly interfering with a Smith County deputy’s duties on March 28. According to our news partner KETK, around 9:45 p.m. on March 28, officials said a deputy initiated a traffic stop on Cody Voss, 28, who allegedly did not pull over until he reached the Phillips residence. Derek Phillips, 36, was traveling in front of Voss. Once they reached the residence, authorities said that Derek Phillips started interfering with the traffic stop. Soon after, his mother, County Clerk Karen Phillips, 65, allegedly came out of the residence and officials said she started interfering with the stop as well. Voss was arrested on charges of failure to identify and held on a $250 bond before being released on March 29. Derek Phillips was arrested on charges of evading arrest/detention, interfering with public duties and resisting arrest/search/transport and was held on a collective bond of $4,500. He was also released on March 29. Continue reading Smith County Clerk arrested for reportedly interfering with arrest

LONGVIEW – A shooting late Monday night killed one man in Southeast Longview. 44-year-old Derrick Spearman, was shot multiple times and died later at a local hospital. Longview police arrested Shannon Marshall, 22, of Longview in the shooting. He is in the Gregg County jail on a murder charge. Longview Police are still seeking information in this case.

GREGG COUNTY – Thrive Longview is one of more than 40 nonprofit organizations from Gregg County that are participating in East Texas Giving Day this year. According to our news partner KETK, the even it put on by the East Texas Communities Foundation and this year’s online donation event will be April 25. Thrive Longview works with middle schoolers to teach principles of community, stewardship and mentorship. They provide after-school programming from Monday through Thursday during the school year, an eight-week summer camp and leadership development programming on middle school campuses.