KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The city of Tyler is responding to severe weather that hit East Texas Friday evening. City officials say streets and storm-water crews will respond and intervene during a severe weather event where roads have washed out and other public facilities may be compromised. If you have an emergency, you’re asked to call 9-1-1, stay on the line, and not hang up until your call is answered. Officials say you should answer all questions and follow instructions. The Tyler Police Department’s non-emergency line (903) 531-1000 should be used for all other calls and notifications to include traffic signal issues. Click here for more information.

TYLER — Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford updates the State of the District for the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. Crawford says recent developments in the district show “a lot of great things are happening in Tyler, Texas, especially in Tyler ISD.” He notes that in 2021-22, the district had its best year academically in recent times. He also cited the support of the community in passing a recent bond proposal. As for what lies ahead, Crawford tells KTBB the district has “a lot of great systems in place to take care of student achievement, no matter what Austin, Texas throws at us.” He adds that the district’s priority is to make sure that everyone on campus is “safe and secure” — and that he’s “very proud” of upgrades made in that area. Each year, the Chamber hears presentations on the state of the district, the city, and the county.

EAST TEXAS – Some East Texas school districts announced early releases due to severe weather expected on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the Brownsboro, Eustace, Frankston, Fruitvale, Grand Saline, Martin’s Mill, Van, and Winona ISDs were among those giving students, faculty, and staff an early start on the weekend. Straight-line wind gusts up to 70 mph were the main concern, with tornadoes possible along the line.

HENDERSON – The Rusk County deputy who was under investigation following a fatal officer-involved shooting on Sept. 14 was no-billed by a grand jury on Thursday, according to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. The grand jury decided there was not enough evidence to indict the deputy for the incident, and the case will no longer be prosecuted. According to our news partner KETK, a custodial report on the incident says the victim was allegedly struggling to conceal drugs and resisting arrest. The document claims the deceased Timothy Michael Randall, 29, “attempted to conceal contraband” during a pat-down after a traffic stop on CR 4125 near SH 64 in Henderson. Continue reading Deputy no-billed in officer-involved shooting

ANDERSON COUNTY – Missing person Courtney Dollgener has been found, according to Anderson County Sheriff Rudy Flores. Flores said deputies and a property owner found her in a cement storm shelter near the intersection of FM 1817 and FM 2419 “uninjured and in relatively good health.” According to our news partner KETK, she was examined by EMS, and Flores said afterwards she would be reunited with her family. It was reported Thursday afternoon that an active search for Dollgener was being conducted after she was reported missing on Nov. 2. The sheriff said Dollgener has a “diminished mental capacity” and a habit of wandering from her residence and seeking shelter in unoccupied buildings and structures.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department announced Thursday that they have arrested a student after they were alerted to a possible verbal threat to Foster Middle School and Judson Middle School. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Authorities said they arrested a Judson Middle School student on a charge of “terroristic threat” and that the student was taken to the Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center. In a prepared statement, the department says, “The Longview Police Department encourages parents and guardians to visit with their children regarding school safety. Statements of violence towards any of our campuses will be taken seriously and investigated to the fullest extent by the police department.” The student’s identity hasn’t been released. Continue reading Student arrested for alleged terroristic threat against two middle schools

LONGVIEW — Longview city leaders gathered Wednesday, giving the community an inside look at the state of the city. According to our news partner KETK, the event highlighted the growth of Longview. And according to Mayor Andy Mack, the state of the city is good. Officials say their goal has been keeping their citizens happy and home, with a focus on bringing young people back to Longview. Many plans are in place for the city, which include building an amphitheatre. Mayor Mack says, “It’s a very viable option for Longview. I think it’s something that would be very beneficial to us, but there’s still a lot of exploration that has to take place. But we don’t need to close our eyes to the fact that the opportunity is in front of us. We need to take advantage of it if we can and see where it leads us.”

TYLER – Each winter, thousands of visitors travel to Tyler for holiday shopping and to celebrate the season at one of their many “Rose City Christmas” events. One of the area’s most beloved Christmas traditions is the Azalea District Trail of Lights, where local residents deck the halls to share with onlookers during December. According to officials with Visit Tyler, it’s a shining showcase of Tyler’s historic charm and Texas-sized hospitality. Homeowners in the District are encouraged to participate by decorating their homes for the holidays. There is a homeowner’s decorating contest with a chance to win prizes donated by local sponsors. Continue reading Tyler residents spread holiday cheer with Azalea District Trail of Lights

LONGVIEW — An East Texas business suffered thousands of dollars in damages after an 18-wheeler hydroplaned and crashed into their food truck on Oct. 28. According to our news partner KETK, Heather Goettle, the owner of Crawfish Cove at 4934 Estes Parkway in Longview, said the crash knocked down their sign and sheared off their gas line. She believes the damages were worth more than $100,000. Goettle said she could have died if they had been working and had a fire inside the trailer because the gas line was broken off. But, no one was inside the business when the wreck happened. There is also a hole in the bottom of the trailer where it was separated. Continue reading East Texas food truck business suffers major damage after 18-wheeler crashes into it

TYLER — Drivers should take note of more gantry maintenance on Toll 49. The work from SH 64 to I-20, originally set for Thursday and Friday of last week, is now set for Thursday, November 3, and Friday, November 4, from 7 p.m. till 5 a.m. Toll 49 will be closed in the affected area during the maintenance times.

TYLER — The public is invited to attend an open house Thursday to update the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). According to a news release, that’s a short-range budgeting document that provides details on how federal transportation funding dollars will be spent on planning, design, and construction of highway and transit improvements over the next four fiscal years. The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will host the open house from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Tyler Development Center’s Large Conference Room on West Ferguson Street. The public will be notified of changes to the proposed schedule for constructing several TXdot highway projects. Continue reading Open house Thursday on TxDOT construction projects

TYLER — A Tyler man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 years in prison in a Smith County court on Wednesday for the death of a woman in September 2021. According to our news partner KETK, Javier Valenzuela-Avila, 21, was sentenced for the murder of Laura Garcia, who was 25. Garcia’s body was found on Sept. 4, 2021, when police responded to a welfare concern on East Dawson Street. Valenzuela-Avila was admitted to a local hospital under police watch for self-inflicted wounds. He was arrested on Sept. 5, 2021 and booked into the Smith County Jail on a murder warrant with a $1 million bond.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – East Texas native Kelcy Warren has been named as one of the Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Warren, a White Oak High School graduate, was listed as the 227th wealthiest American by Forbes with a real-time net worth of $4.8 billion as of Wednesday. He co-founded pipeline company Energy Transfer in 1996 with fellow billionaire Ray Davis, but stepped down as CEO in 2020. He remains executive chairman of the board of directors for the company. According to Forbes, despite protests in 2017 criticizing the company’s Dakota Access Pipeline, Energy Transfer finished building the $3.8 billion pipeline after an executive order by President Donald Trump. Continue reading East Texas native listed by Forbes as one of America’s wealthiest

TYLER — Tyler Animal Control and Shelter is offering no-cost adoptions for dogs and cats with a donation of 12 new fleece blankets for November. According to a city news release, the blankets will be used for animals at the shelter. Blankets that are 50″x60″ are preferred to fit a pet’s kennel. Animals adopted from Tyler Animal Services are spayed/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. The standard adoption fee for dogs is $120 and $80 for cats. To adopt, view available animals or submit an application, visit this link. Call (903) 535-0045 for more information.

CARTHAGE — As the USDA announces a historic round of investments in meat and poultry production, an East Texas packing plant reaps the benefits. BRK Meats in Carthage was given over $500,000 as the Biden Administration makes the effort to ramp up meat and poultry processing. BRK Meats partners with over 200 independent cattle producers. With the money, they’ll add an in-house slaughter facility and a distribution center to their current location — and will be able to look at expanding their area too. The improvements ought to let BRK Meats more than double their employee base.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court passed a resolution unanimously to designate the Smith County Emergency Operations Center after Judge Jack Skeen Jr. on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the building will now be known as the Jack M. Skeen Jr. Emergency Operations Center of Smith County. Smith County Judge-Elect Debbie Gunter and Judge Diane DeVasto came up with the idea to honor Skeen, who has served the county and city of Tyler for 50 years. Skeen graduated from Baylor Law School and was the Assistant District Attorney for Smith County, then he became the city attorney and a municipal court judge. In 1982, he was named as the Smith County District Attorney and served for six terms. Continue reading Commissioners approve naming Emergency Operations Center after Judge

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court Tuesday approved an agreement with the City of Winona and the East Texas Municipal Utility District to pay for a nearly $3.7 million water/sewer project with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The project will help fix a “significant” water/sewer issue for Northeast Smith County residents, according to a county news release. Smith County was allocated more than $45 million in ARPA funds by the federal government, intended as relief funding from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. The Commissioners Court has held workshops to discuss water/sewer projects in rural areas, as well as other needed projects. Officials say they have considered benefit-to-cost ratio and their long-term impact to the community. Click here for more details.

SMITH COUNTY — On Monday, 4,028 Smith County residents early voted and 10 mail-in absentee ballots were received – for a total of 33,546 ballots. Smith County has 153,855 registered voters. Early voting continues this week. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today through Friday, November 4. Election Day is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 8. Continue reading Over 33,000 early votes counted so far in Smith County

TYLER — The race to be the next governor of Texas appears to be tightening up, at least according to the latest poll out of the University of Texas at Tyler. Just a month ago, Governor Abbott held a 9-point lead, according to the UT Tyler September poll of registered voters. Now when polling likely voters, O’Rourke gains ground. Gov. Abbott now holds a 6-point lead 50-percent to 44. UT Tyler Political Science Professor Mark Owens says the top two issues for Texans are the border and the economy, which does favor Gov. Abbott. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has a 9-point lead over Democrat Mike Collier. Democrat Rochelle Garza is just 4 points back of Attorney General Ken Paxton.

TYLER — A pedestrian was killed Saturday morning after he was struck twice by two separate vehicles on State Highway 31, six miles east of Tyler, according to DPS and our news partner KETK. Officials said Haley C. O’Brien, 23, of Bullard, was driving her 2021 Toyota Prius west on State Highway 31 when she struck a pedestrian who DPS identified as James E. Young, 58, of Longview, who was walking in the westbound lane. After being hit by the Prius, the pedestrian was hit by a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze who officials said was driven by Justin M. Tracey, 28, of Flint. Young was declared dead at 7:50 a.m. by Dr. Louis Fernandez of UT Health Hospital in Tyler. The other two drivers were treated at the scene.

LONGVIEW — Longview police arrested a student accused of making a terroristic threat toward a junior high school on Monday. According to Longview police and our news partner KETK, officers were advised on Oct. 30 that a possible threatening text and picture message about a school campus was shared on social media. Authorities said they investigated the situation, interviewed witnesses and looked at several social media accounts. On Monday, police verified that a student made threats toward the Pine Tree Junior High School campus. The student was later detained on a charge of terroristic threat, said law enforcement. They were not on school property at the time. Continue reading Longview student arrested for allegedly making threat to junior high

TYLER – 37-year-old Sharena Seay of Jacksonville, Florida, has been indicted in a purported cryptocurrency money laundering scheme in the Eastern District of Texas. She appeared in Tyler federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to the indictment, Seay is alleged to have laundered the proceeds of her drug trafficking operations through cryptocurrency. Authorities claim she supplied alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP), which is often called “flakka,” and similar synthetic cathinones, such as Eutylone or alpha-PiHP. Seay allegedly distributed alpha-PVP and other controlled substances to various customers across the United States. Continue reading Officials: Florida woman indicted in cryptocurrency money laundering scheme

TYLER — Tyler Recycles Day is back in 2022 on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8 a.m. to noon. Officials say the event is Keep Tyler Beautiful’s most popular community collection event, joining thousands of local organizers holding recycling events across the country to celebrate America Recycles Day. During Tyler Recycles Day, community members may bring acceptable recyclables to the Downtown Recycling Center on N. Bois D’Arc Ave. Ark-La-Tex Shredding Company and Interstate Batteries will be providing special services for the duration of the event. Ark-La-Tex Shredding will offer free personal document shredding for individuals and businesses. There will be a collection station for all types of batteries hosted by Interstate Batteries. Continue reading Tyler Recycles Day 2022

LONGVIEW — Curbside recycling in Longview will not be available Oct. 31 – Nov. 2. Officials say the change to regular service is due to necessary maintenance at Rivers Recycling, the materials recovery facility that processes the recyclables collected by the city. During this time, contents placed in curbside recycling carts will be taken to the landfill with regular trash. If customers prefer, they may choose to hold their recycling until the week of Nov. 7. Trash collection, yard waste collection, bulky item pickup, and the compost site will continue to operate as normal during this time. For more information, contact the City of Longview Sanitation Division at 903-237-1250.

CANTON — Funeral services are set for former state Representative Dan Flynn of Van, who died this past Friday at 79. Flynn was part of the Texas Legislature from 2003 through 2021. During his time there, he chaired the Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the Pensions Committee. Governor Greg Abbott says Flynn leaves behind a legacy of leadership and service to the people of Texas. the funeral for Flynn will be this coming Friday in Canton.

TYLER — The followup continues after a Saturday evening fire caused what officials term “significant damage” at a historic structure at Broadway and Houston in Tyler. Our news partner KETK went inside the Ramey House and saw just how extensive the damage was. Jacob Law is co-owner of Stonewater Roofing, the business operating out of the Ramey House. He says, “Tyler Fire Department was able to minimize damage past the third floor with regards to fire. But with tens of thousands of gallons of water going through the building, there’s a big mess in there we’ve got to get started cleaning up, and being a historic building, it’s going to take some challenges.” Continue reading Work continues after fire at historic structure

TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will have a base failure crew on SH 31 West near Loop 323, towards Greenbriar Rd. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. A second crew will be performing bridge maintenance on FM 1804 near the county line. Flaggers will be controlling traffic there as well. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance is scheduled to begin bridge repair work on South Loop 281 at Birdsong St. Motorists should expect lane closures eastbound and westbound. Crews will also continue herbicide operations throughout the county. Click here for a complete look at roadwork around the district.

TYLER — The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department is beginning renovations to P.T. Cole Park on S. Vine Ave. The park will be closed starting Monday, Oct. 31, and will remain closed until construction is completed, according to a news release. Officials say the park will be receiving renovated restrooms, a new pavilion, playground equipment, basketball courts, and a splash pad. These renovations will be paid for by the Community Development Block Grant and should be completed by February, according to the release. For more information about this and other Tyler Parks and Rec improvement projects, visit this link or call (903) 531-1370.

ELKHART — Officials announced Saturday that an infant, 12 students, and two faculty members were injured and transported to Palestine Regional Hospital after an Elkhart school bus rollover on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, Elkhart ISD officials say the bus was three miles west of Elkhart on Highway 294 when it entered a curve in the road that had standing water on it and rolled over into a ditch. The school district announced Friday evening that the bus was carrying cheerleaders to a game in Clifton. The district says the injuries were minor. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said Friday’s weather and road conditions were causing dangerous road conditions at the scene. DPS and school officials were also on the scene, according to ACSO.