KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – A Rusk County Game Warden was recognized by Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission during its January meeting for his contributions to the agency. According to our news partner KETK, Game Warder Kirk Clendening was named the 2024 Fish and Wildlife Agencies Texas Officer of the Year.

The TPW Commission said in a release, “A hardworking and proactive officer, Clendening consistently excels in marine patrol operations, investigations and public outreach. Both locally and for wardens across the state, he leads by example through his work ethic and teamwork on a daily basis.”

Clendening is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in criminology in 2010 and began his tenure with TPW Department when he was accepted into the 56th Texas Game Warden Academy in 2011. He has previously served in Val Verde County, Smith County and was a full-time member of the Marine Tactical Operations Group in Corpus Christi. Clendening then moved to Rusk County and has served there for over seven years.

HENDERSON COUNTY- Our news partner, KETK, reports that two Gun Barrel City residents were arrested after narcotics officers allegedly found methamphetamine inside their home on Tanglewood Drive in the Gun Barrel City area.

According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, around 6 p.m. narcotics investigators and a K9 executed a search warrant. While officers were searching the home, they found a quantity of methamphetamine that was packaged for distribution along with several baggies and scales. Several preloaded syringes filled with liquid methamphetamine that were ready for sale were also discovered. Upon completion of their investigation, residents John Joseph Stuart and Melissa Leigh Lenox were taken into custody and booked on Controlled Substance Charges. Stuart on the charge of possession of a Controlled Substance, and Lenox for the Manufacture or Delivery of a Controlled Substance.

RUSK — Rusk Rural Water Supply has issued a boil water notice for customers on 14 roads in Cherokee County on Thursday.

If customers have any questions, contact Rusk Rural Water Supply at 903-683-6178 or visit 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.

This boil water notice was issued after a main line leak. Any customers on these roads should bring any water to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes. Our news partner, KETK, has a full list of the roads in question. To view that list, click here.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler held a kickoff event to celebrate the School of Nursing’s 50th anniversary. The event paid tribute to the school’s beginning in 1975 as the Division of Nursing under Texas Eastern University, which became UT Tyler. Some highlights of the last five decades include the first class of traditional BSN students beginning in 1982 and the Palestine Distance Initiative being approved as UT Tyler’s first off-campus instructional site in 1995, followed by the Longview expansion in 1997. In 2008, the school introduced the PhD in nursing, the first doctoral program at UT Tyler.

“The School of Nursing has been a cornerstone of UT Tyler since its inception,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD. “It’s truly an honor to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and we couldn’t have gotten here without support from the UT System and the East Texas community.” Continue reading UT Tyler celebrates School of Nursing 50th Anniversary

GILMER — Our news partner, KETK, reports that the City of Gilmer has issued a boil water notice for residents on four streets on Monday evening. The boil water was issued after major water repairs. Any residents on the following streets should boil water until further notice for consuming and cooking: Pinecrest, Hollybrook, Woodway, Briarwood. Residents can call 903-843-2552 with any questions or for an after hours water emergency call 903-790-7556.

TYLER — The Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) will be hosting the first of several community meetings on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors Headquarters located at 2772 SSE Loop 323. The meeting will be come-and-go format and will feature information stations with Water Customer Service Representatives to answer individual account questions.

Customers are encouraged to attend the meeting in order to learn more about TWU and to voice any questions or concerns they may have. Residents attending the meeting should have a copy of their water bill with them. Each council member will have a meeting for their respective district, according to our news partner KETK. Continue reading Tyler Water Utilities prepares for first of several upcoming meetings

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Officials said three men were arrested in Kaufman in connection to an early Sunday morning feed store burglary in Van Zandt County, according to our news partner KETK. The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the scene of a burglary at a feed store on State Highway 243 at around 3 a.m. on Sunday. While at the scene, deputies were reportedly notified that a vehicle matching a description they were given was stopped in the city of Kaufman by the Kaufman Police Department and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office.

A Van Zandt County deputy went to Kaufman and identified three people stopped in the vehicle with people seen in video footage from the crime scene in Van Zandt County, according to a Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office press release. Continue reading Three arrested after Van Zandt County feed store burglary

SMITH COUNTY – The deadline to pay your Smith County property taxes is Friday, January 31, 2025. The line at the Smith County Tax Office is very long today so Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber is urging people to pay their property taxes online. Payments can be made by scanning the QR code on your statement — it will take you directly to the payment page on your account.

“It has been a game changer in how people pay their property taxes,” Barber said of adding the QR code.

Those who pay online will immediately receive a receipt. For taxpayers who are mailing, go to the post office to make sure payments are postmarked on or before January 31. If they are dropped in the mail and are not postmarked, they most likely will not make it to the Tax Office in time to avoid late penalties, Barber said. The Tax Office mailed out 183,312 property tax statements in early November. Continue reading Smith County property taxes due January 31

Tyler – More than 30 local businesses are lending their expertise to help more than 400 junior and senior Career and Technical Education (CTE) students prepare for the future. The Career and Technology Center is hosting its annual Student Resume Workshop with one-on-one resume review sessions, Tuesday, January 28 at 10:00 a.m. The event will be held at the Career & Technology Center at 3013 Earl Campbell Parkway. Students will present their resumes to human resources professionals from various industries to receive valuable feedback in preparation for the upcoming Opportunity Fair in April. For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man is facing numerous charges following a raid at a Longview home. According to the Longview Police Department, on Friday Jan. 17, Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement (CODE) Unit and the Special Investigations Apprehension (SIA) served a warrant at a residence on McCann Road.

According to our news partner KETK, arriving law enforcement agents reportedly located and seized 1,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, 2500 xanax pills, hydrocodone, cocaine, percocet fentanyl pills and over $11,000.

Ladarrin Rayson, 36, was arrested and charged with five counts of manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance officials said. Rayson was booked into the Gregg County Jail. His bond was set at $350,000.

ATHENS — Our news partner, KETK, reports that three people were arrested after officers found suspected meth in an Athens home over the weekend. According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday around 8:10 p.m. officers conducted a narcotics search at a home on County Road 1502. During the search, Terry Frank Alotto was found with a quantity of suspected meth that was packaged in a gallon sized bag, baggies to manufacture and distribute narcotics, a firearm and cash officials said.

Christi Lynn Pass and David Wayne Balser were also found with suspected meth. Alotto was charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of firearm by a felon. Pass and Balser were both charged with possession of a controlled substance.

All three were booked and transported into the Henderson County Jail.

MABANK – Firefighters from Payne Springs Fire Rescue were dispatched to the scene of a home burning in the Hidden Hills Harbor near Mabank on Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the single-wide trailer was totally engulfed when the first Payne Springs Fire Rescue crew arrived at the scene. When a second crew arrived a short time later, officials said the fire was able to be extinguished. The home’s heavy metal roof required Henderson County Precinct 2 to respond to the scene with a backhoe. Gun Barrel City Fire Department, Long Cove Fire Department, Log Cabin Fire Department, Malakoff Fire Department, the Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office, UT Health EMS and the American Red Cross also responded to the scene.

Payne Springs Fire Rescue said one adult and two children were treated for minor injuries by EMS. They were all reportedly released before the firefighters cleared the scene.