KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – More than 2,800 Tyler ISD staff members joined together to kick off the new school year on Friday at the district’s annual convocation. According to a report from our news partner KETK, this year’s convocation included speeches from administrators, music, the unveiling of a new district logo and the performance of a new song written specifically for Tyler ISD.

“It’s always about continuous improvement and we had a great year last year. We jumped back up into a B-rating overall,” Tyler ISD Superintendent Marty Crawford said. “As a school district, we’re striving to become that A-rated district… and we have had a lot of great stories within a lot of our campuses. Looking forward to seeing what they can build on this coming year.”

The event was held at Green Acres Baptist Church from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Friday. Tyler ISD’s school year officially starts on Wednesday.

TYLER – With back-to-school around the corner and hot deals on the table, stores are gearing up for the tax-free weekend in East Texas, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

“They’re buying their back-to-school supplies, apparel and footwear,” Tyler Academy Store Director Randy Smiley said. “It’s just a fun day for us here at Academy.”

Academy is one hot spot for Tyler shoppers, Smiley said Friday started pretty slow, but as soon as it hit lunchtime, hundreds of shoppers began entering their stores. He expects even more people to come through their doors this weekend. At Broadway Square Mall in Tyler, several businesses said they picked up just as much traffic on the first day of the tax-free weekend as well. Continue reading Tax-free weekend kicks off for back-to-school shoppers

HENDERSON – Our news partner KETK reports that the Henderson Police Department is currently trying to identify a man potentially involved in an assault that they say happened at a local gas station on Thursday.

According to the department, the man pictured to the left was involved in an assault that happened at the Fast Stop South in Henderson on Thursday at around 8 p.m.

The department described the man as a Hispanic male with black hair, a black beard and mustache, wearing a green long sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information on the assault is asked to called detective Randolph at 903-657-3512.

LINDALE — A boy is in the hospital and a family dog is dead following a Lindale house fire that engulfed a residence around 11 a.m. on Friday, officials said.

According to Lindale Assistant Fire Chief Troy Prichard, a single story residence located at the 12900 block of County Road 474 was almost fully engulfed with flames when fire crews arrived around 11:18 a.m. Crews discovered that the home and a nearby car were on fire, along with downed power lines at the scene.

Assistant Fire Chief Prichard said a 13-year-old boy was sent to a local hospital in stable condition to be treated for possible smoke inhalation and a family dog died as a result of the fire. Prichard also believes the home is a “total loss” and the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Smith County Fire Marshalls.

ATHENS – Our news partner KETK reports that the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens announced an “emergency closure” Thursday night, just weeks after it reopened to the public.

According to TFFC, the fishery will be closed to visitors until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances and safety concerns. This announcement follows just five weeks after they reopened to the public on July 1. The fishery said that they look forward to welcoming back the public soon and they apologize for any inconvenience.

KILGORE – An East Texas father was sentenced to 20 months in jail after his son died from a swimming accident at a Kilgore hotel in 2021, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On April 25, 2021, 2-year-old Luke Wayne Killough was about to go swimming with his sister at the Kilgore Holiday Inn and Suites when he fell into the hot tub. Luke’s sister tried to save him, but was unable to, so she ran and got her father, Scotty Wayne Killough, who was nearby, making a bottle for his baby. She told her dad that her “boogie,” a nickname for her brother, was floating face-down in the hot tub. According to the mother, Dominique, Scotty ran over, pulled Luke from the water and performed CPR until medical personnel arrived. He was then care-flighted to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, where he died five days later due to brain trauma. Continue reading Father gets 20-month sentence due to toddler’s death

TYLER – Two lanes are currently closed going north on Old Jacksonville Highway due to a three-vehicle crash, according to a report from our news partner, KETK.

The crash took place on Dueling Oaks Drive and Old Jacksonville Highway, and one vehicle is currently on its side. First responders are currently on the scene. The condition of the vehicles’ occupants remains unknown.

Updates will be made as soon as they become available.

ANDERSON COUNTY – A suspect has been taken into custody on Thursday afternoon following a fatal shooting in Tennesse Colony, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Following the shooting, the Palestine Police Department spoke with a witness who identified the suspect as 23-year-old Cyrus Johnson, who allegedly told her he had killed a woman and left her there. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office later received information from a caller who found the victim’s body in a parking lot near the intersection of State Highway 321 and FM 246. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Kia-Patrick Roushelle Walker, who had previously dated Johnson, law enforcement confirmed.

Investigators found Johnson on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. at a rest stop on U.S. Highway 69 near Jacksonville, and he was taken into custody after being charged with murder. Officials then took a vehicle into custody and recovered a firearm during the arrest.

The sheriff’s office said there are no further details regarding the case available at this time.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department said that a 45-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly approaching an 11-year-old girl while he was wearing a diaper and a pacifier, according to press release from the Tyler Police Department.

Tyler Police officers responded to Andy Woods Elementary School on Fry Avenue in Tyler on July 29 because of a report that a man was making lewd comments to an 11-year-old girl while wearing only a diaper and a pacifier. The girl quickly rode away from the man on her bicycle, Tyler PD said.

Wesley Worl, 45 of Tyler, was arrested on Thursday at his workplace without incident, and charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and criminal trespassing in connection to the incident at Andy Woods. He is currently being held at the Smith County Jail on a total bond of $600,000.

SMITH COUNTY – The 2026 proposed budget will keep property taxes the same, but organizations will receive the same amount as last year, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Smith County Historical Society is one of 15 organizations that currently get money from the county.

They receive a little more than $3,000, which goes to lawn and trash maintenance. At last week’s commissioners court meeting, they requested nearly $13,000 more to fix up Camp Ford.

“What we submitted was just the bare minimum of what’s needed to kind of keep the place safe for visitors,” Andy Bergfeld, president of the Historical Society, said. Continue reading Smith County budget won’t increase donations to non-profits

TYLER – On Wednesday, August 6th at approximately 11:45am officers with the Tyler Police Department responded to a child left in a vehicle at Stanton Optical on S. Broadway Ave. According to a press release from the Tyler Police Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, it was determined that an 8-week-old child had been left in a car that was not running by her mother during an eye appointment. The mother was identified as Adasia Henderson, a 22-year-old female from Tyler. The child was in the car for over an hour when police were notified. The child was transported to a local hospital by EMS for treatment and observation.

Henderson was arrested for Abandoning/Endangering a Child, a felony offense.

TYLER – A new wholesale store is coming to East Texas after the City of Tyler approved BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to expand into the Rose City, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

BJ’s is the newest wholesale store to arrive in Texas and offers food, electronics and tire services. The store will be opened at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and West Cumberland Road and is expected to include 16 gas pumps and 453 parking spaces in total.

There are currently no BJ’s stores in Texas; however, four new locations are expected to open up in the state in Forney, Waxahachie, Grand Prairie and Southwest Fort Worth.

PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department is still searching for a K9 officer who escaped from his enclosure after Sunday night’s storm. According to our news partner KETK, police K9 Hondo managed to escape from his handler’s enclosure in the Fort Houston addition area of Palestine. Hondo is not kept outside and was not outside during the time of the storm.

Despite the heat of the day, Palestine resident Justin Smith continued searching. “As soon as I saw the post, I threw my shoes on and got in my car and started driving around and see if I could find him,” Smith said. Smith is one of many Palestine residents looking to bring Hondo back home. “This is not just a dog, this is a police officer,” Smith said. “So I feel like as a community, we should be grouping together, try to help out any way we can, just like the police do for us.”

Smith is creating a social media page, hoping to coordinate people’s efforts and bring as many boots on the ground as possible. Continue reading Palestine PD still searching for missing K9 officer

LINDALE – On Wednesday, August 6, at 8:35 pm, an individual called 911 to report an active shooting at a residence on CR 4116, just north of Lindale. Upon arriving to the location with DPS Troopers, a Smith County Deputy contacted the victim, Russell Lee McKinney, 35, of Lindale, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. The suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputies secured the crime scene while a Trooper applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg.

An additional Deputy responded to the 800 block of N. Main, in Lindale, where the suspect had been detained by a Lindale officer. The suspect was identified as Justin Wayne Hayes, 28, of Troup. A handgun was recovered from Hayes. Continue reading Suspect jailed following shooting near Lindale

>
Update: Rusk Rural Water Supply boil water notice was rescinded Friday afternoon.

RUSK – The Rusk Rural Water Supply Company issued a boil water notice for more than 30 county roads and areas on Wednesday.

According to the company, the boil water notice was issued after a water main leak. Our news partner KETK has compiled a full list of the affected areas and roads. Any customers living on the roads and areas listed are required to bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.

To view the full list of affected roads and areas, click here.

Rusk Rural Water Supply said they would notify customers when the boil water notice is no longer required. Any questions can be directed to the company by phone at 903-683-6178 or in person at 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.

TYLER – The City of Tyler announced that East 6th Street will be closed for the next six months as part of the 2025 Stormwater Repair Project, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

City officials said that since Monday, East 6th Street has been closed from South Sneed Avenue to South Wall Avenue to complete the replacement of an inlet box and to repair the culvert over the next six months.

“During construction, residents will still have access to areas east of the creek from South Sneed Avenue and west of the creek from South Wall Avenue,” the City of Tyler said. “Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.”

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has set a special-called meeting for 10 a.m. Friday, August 8, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the court discussed the proposed tax rate and scheduled public hearings. They took a record vote to set the proposed tax rate, unanimously voting to keep it the same as last year, which is 0.364231 cents. The public hearings on the proposed tax rate are set for 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 2.

“I don’t want to increase that tax rate. We have a lot of residents in the same fix as our employees,” County Judge Neal Franklin said, referring to higher cost of living prices on groceries, etc. He said county departments have been working to cut costs where they can. Franklin said he would still like to see a 3 percent cost of living raise for county employees this year. Continue reading Commissioners discuss tax rate, set budget workshop and public hearings

JACKSONVILLE – A regional SWAT team has arrested a 23-year-old with a history of violent crimes in connection with a burglary involving a stolen AK-47 firearm in Jacksonville on Tuesday, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Jacksonville Police Department said officers were dispatched to a reported burglary at around 7:47 a.m. involving an AK-47 firearm that was stolen. The suspect, who was captured on surveillance footage, has been identified as 23-year-old Jayden Duane Hopson.

Due to his criminal history, including charges of murder and aggravated robbery, the Cherokee County Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated. Continue reading SWAT team arrests burglary suspect with violent history

UPSHUR COUNTY – According to a press release from the Criminal District Attorney of Upshur county, a man has been sentenced to a 99 year life sentence

On February 2, 2024, a search warrant was executed by the Upshur County Sheriff’s office for the home of Jimmy Wayne Skinner, 51. During the search, officers discovered methamphetamine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia, along with loaded guns near a recliner where Skinner had been sitting.

As he was exiting his living quarters, Skinner immediately closed the door behind him, and was non-compliant with officers’ orders to get on the ground. He stated that he, “ain’t afraid to go to jail”, and attempted to block the door to prevent officers from entering. He was subsequently arrested. Continue reading Upshur County man sentenced to 99 years in prison

EAST TEXAS – With classes beginning in most school districts, CHRISTUS Health reminds parents about required immunizations needed. State law requires children to be vaccinated against several diseases before attending school, including Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis A and B, and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis among others.

“In the simplest of terms, immunizations are helping the body build an immune response,” said Dr. Evelyn Chou, family medicine physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “Vaccines help your body understand what is dangerous and needs to be fought so that if you come across that illness in the future, your body knows what to do.”

Parents who may have questions about the vaccination status of their child are encouraged to speak to contact their family doctor as well as local school districts regarding any vaccination requirements that they have.

GUN BARREL CITY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man is accused of sexually touching his girlfriend’s young daughter earlier this summer and has since been put behind bars. The 32-year-old man claims it was ‘all a misunderstanding.’

In a Henderson County arrest affidavit, on June 14 to June 15, the victim and her mom were staying at Daniel Joseph Rodgers’ house in Gun Barrel City.

The young girl explained that when it was bedtime, she was lying on the floor while her sisters were on the couch with the babies. Rodgers then went into the living room and told the victim that she could go to sleep in another room because he didn’t want her to sleep on the floor. Continue reading Henderson County man arrested for touching girlfriend’s daughter

SMITH COUNTY — A California man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Smith County teen who has since been found, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a 15-year-old from the Bullard area was reported missing after last being seen on July 26 at around 11 p.m. She was later found across state lines and her suspected kidnapper, Brian Chavez, was arrested in Placentia, Calif., on July 30 at around 3 a.m.

Authorities said Chavez now faces three criminal charges in Smith County involving sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 16, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Continue reading Suspected kidnapper arrested for sexual abuse

LONGVIEW – A Longview Facebook post sparked controversy Tuesday morning after a McDonald’s was vandalized with pro-Palestinian and swastika graffiti, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The McDonald’s located at 128 W Loop 281 was vandalized with red spray paint, including damage to the camera, drive-through sign and walls of the business. The vandal(s) wrote multiple pro-Palestinian rhetoric, such as “free Palestine” and “kill the billionaires.” Continue reading East Texas McDonald’s vandalized with pro-Palestinian graffiti

SMITH COUNTY – Over the weekend, fifty-one House Democrats went to Illinois to stall a meeting that was scheduled to take place Monday at 3 p.m. for a redistricting vote. This move by Texas Democrats has ignited fiery reactions nationwide from both sides of the aisle.

Some Republican lawmakers believe the current map does not correctly represent specific groups, specifically in the state’s two largest cities, Dallas and Houston. Democrats are concerned that this could heavily favor the GOP in elections. Smith County Democratic Chairman Hector Garza said this is all a power play to give five new Republican seats in the U.S. House.

District nine representative, Trent Ashby, says efforts to redraw the map are to make it more ‘constitutionally effective’. Continue reading Local officials react to Texas redistricting

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A 16-year-old boy with autism died early Sunday morning after he was hit by a pickup truck. According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chris Williamson, the incident occurred near Farm to Market Road 856 where the boy was struck by a 2025 Toyota Tundra pickup truck around 5:20 a.m.

Williamson said the boy was run over in the roadway and pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. The teen’s body was taken to Forensic Medical Management Services in Tyler for an autopsy.  The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. DPS is investigating the incident.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a 51-year-old man has died, and another person was hospitalized on Saturday following a motorcycle crash in Cherokee County.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Chris Williamson, a group of motorcyclists was traveling Northbound on US Highway 69 around 12:30 p.m. when the driver of the motorcycle and a passenger were thrown from the vehicle. Williamson said the others in the group claimed the motorcycle O’Neal was driving experienced a “death wobble,” which describes when the front handlebars begin to shake violently.

Both were taken to local hospitals, where one man identified as Owen O’Neal, was pronounced dead. The other passenger’s condition is unknown at this time.The incident is currently under investigation to determine the cause.