KTBB News, Weather, Talk

HARRISON COUNTY— Residents near the H.W. Pirkey Power Plant in Hallsville can expect to hear a loud explosion on Wednesday morning, according to our news partner KETK. However, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office has advised residents this is a planned and controlled explosion. Officials say this is not open for the public to view. Residents are urged to avoid the area.

“This is part of a scheduled maintenance procedure and is being done with the utmost safety precautions in place,” county officials said. “There will be minimal disruption, but please be aware of some noise in the area.”

PANOLA COUNTY— Two people have been hospitalized following crash between a truck and train on Tuesday morning in Panola County.

According to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office and reports from KETK, a call came in from a passenger in a trash truck who said he and the driver were involved in a collision with a train on the County Road 129 and County Road 127 crossing in Gary.

Once authorities arrived at the scene, both occupants were taken to a local emergency room and the driver was airlifted for a higher level of care. The crash remains under investigation by the Texas Highway Patrol and BNSF Railroad Police.

TYLER— The New Summerfield Police Department  responded to a high-speed chase on Tuesday morning in Cherokee County that left a Pennsylvania man injured. According to our news partner KETK, the high speed chase occurred at around 7 a.m. on Highway 79 west of Highway 110 in the direction of Jacksonville. Chief Fred Butler attempted to initiate a traffic stop after noticing an SUV going well over the speed limit. The driver has been identified as a man from Pittsburgh, Pa.. police said.

The driver fled from Butler at a dangerous speed before he crashed his vehicle in route to Jacksonville. The suspect was taken to a local hospital for their injuries and once released, the suspect will be booked into the Cherokee County Jail.

ATHENS — Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) and Abilene Christian University (ACU) announced a partnership to provide TVCC students with a pathway to continue their education at ACU.

TVCC students can now transfer completed coursework to ACU without losing credit, creating a simple transfer process for achieving educational goals as both undergraduate and graduate students.

“This partnership highlights the vital role community colleges play in higher education and demonstrates the power of collaboration between distinguished institutions,” TVCC President, Dr. Jason Morrison said. “TVCC is thrilled to partner with ACU to create more opportunities for our students to succeed. This agreement underscores our shared commitment to helping students achieve their goals and prepare for the future.”

According to reports from our news partner, KETK, TVCC currently has partnerships with 14 different universities to help students including the University of Texas at Tyler, the University of North Texas(UNT), Lamar University, Columbia College, and Texas Tech University.

TVCC commented, saying the ACU partnership reflects their mission to foster educational excellence and provide students with the resources needed to succeed.

MABANK– A family of nine was displaced on Saturday after a fire burned their home near the Cedar Creek Country Club in Mabank.

Ashley and Brooks Zabojnik along with their seven children have lived in their Mabank home since 2021, but in just one afternoon their house was reduced to rubble. “Lost a lot of sentimental things that can’t be replaced,” Brooks said. “But I know we were the most important thing and nobody was hurt or injured, but lost everything.”

Payne Springs Fire Rescue said they were called out to assist the Mabank Fire Department with a fire burning multiple structures and vehicles on Saturday afternoon. When firefighters arrived on scene they found the home, a carport, a detached garage and two vehicles on fire. Continue reading East Texas house fire displaces family of nine

TYLER— Two students at Tyler ISD were recognized as winners in the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest, organized by Optimum and co-sponsored by the Univision Foundation. The contest spans 21 states and honors students who demonstrate creativity and the connections with Hispanic culture. The recognition highlights the importance of celebrating cultural identity and the power of storytelling.

Catie Espiricueta, a junior at Tyler ISD’s Early College High School, was awarded the Grand Prize in the high school category for the West region. As part of her win, Espiricueta received $3,000 that she plans to use to pursue her educational goals at the University of Chicago, where she will major in sociology or political science. In her essay, Espiricueta reflected on a simple yet deeply significant dish, which has been passed down through generations. Continue reading Tyler ISD students recognized for Hispanic heritage essay

TYLER — Customers of Optimum Cable Television lost local and national channels over the weekend in an ongoing rate dispute. Several cities in Texas have local television stations that are owned by Nexstar Media Group, which owns the most television stations in the U.S. They are among 63 Nexstar stations that are no longer accessible on Optimum. That includes local Nexstar stations serving Waco, Tyler/Longview, Midland/Odessa, Lubbock, Bryan/College Station, and the suburbs of Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Additionally, Optimum has dropped the Newsnation channel. Bryan/College Station is among the Optimum markets that also lost Nexstar’s antenna television channel.

TYLER – Two men planning the kidnapping, rape and murder of a Texas woman have been arrested according to our news partner KETK.

In the fall of 2022, the woman said she broke up with Dustin Adlai Yates, and blocked him on her phone and email. However, Yates would allegedly keep trying to contact her by using different phone numbers. By 2023, the woman filed a case of family violence with the Houston Police Department and a detective called Yates in October of that same year to warn him not to contact his ex-girlfriend again. A year later, the woman contacted the Smith County Sheriff’s Office after Yates started emailing her again on Oct. 31, 2024. She said she didn’t read all nine threads of emails he sent but he did mention one of her addresses.

Then on Dec. 1, 2024 at 12:30 a.m., Yates allegedly started messaging her with a 903 area code phone number and told her that “her expiration date was soon,” “she had a predictable schedule and daily driving routes.” Continue reading Two men arrested in Smith County for conspiracy to murder

BULLARD – The Brook Hill School in Bullard celebrated their Founder’s Day on Sunday by opening their new fine arts center, the Soules Center for the Arts. According to our news partner KETK, the multi-million dollar center was made possible by a gift from the Soules family, known for the John Soules Foods brand. The center includes facilities like classrooms for vocal, instrumental, dramatic and visual arts instruction, an orchestra room, a drama room, a choir room and an auditorium that will also serve as a chapel.

Braxton Brady, Head of The Brook Hill School, said in a release, “It’s very humbling. It’s humbling to know that we have a group, a community of donors, a founder that are willing to sacrifice and give of their resources so that our students can have the best, and I really truly believe, I’ve been in private school education for 30 years, and I’ve never seen a space as good as this one.”

The Brook Hill School is a private PreK-12 Christian school that was founded in 1997. Their Founder’s Day celebration was attended by musician Michael W. Smith and actor Kirk Cameron, who gave the event’s keynote speech

TYLER – A search is underway for three suspects who allegedly stole jewelry from Zales at the Village at Cumberland Park on Monday. Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said the theft happened at 1:25 p.m. when two Black men dressed in black came into the Zales and smashed two cases of jewelry with hammers. While they were inside, a Black woman reportedly stood watch outside. Officer Erbaugh said the two men were in-and-out in less than a minute. Investigators believe the suspects must have left in a vehicle after heading further into the shopping center to the East. Anyone with information on the three suspects can contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

TYLER — Elkhart High School senior Jayden Chapman was recognized on Friday for reaching 1,000 points during his varsity basketball career.

Texas State Rep. Cody Harris recognized Chapman presenting him with a certification of recognition acknowledging his extraordinary achievement and stellar career to this point. Harris spoke highly of Chapman and praised his strong work ethic and dedication:

“I was proud to honor Jayden with a certification of recognition from the Texas House of Representatives for this outstanding achievement,” Harris said. “His dedication and hard work are inspiring. Keep making East Texas proud, Jayden!”

Chapman is a senior at Elkhart High School. He is a two-sport athlete, as he was a wide receiver for the Elkhart High School football team this past fall. During his junior year, Chapman was also a member of the All-District first team for football.

Chapman and the Elkhart team will continue their season as it nears the end of the regular season. Elkhart has a 7-14 record and six games left before its season concludes on Feb. 11

UPDATE: The Houston County Sheriff’s Office said Joe Cryer was arrested on Tuesday and has been booked in the county jail.

HOUSTON COUNTY — The Houston County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man wanted for violating his parole and evading arrest near the Anderson County line on US Highway 287 North. According to our news partner KETK, Houston County deputies, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Crockett Police Department are reportedly searching the area for Joe Cryer, 44.

Cryer was reportedly last seen wearing a camo jacket and could possibly be armed, the sheriff’s office warned. Anyone who sees Cryer is asked to not approach him and to call 911.

Officials asked the residents on US Highway 287 near the Anderson county line to make sure their cars are locked and to report any suspicious people to to the sheriff’s office at 936-544-2862.