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TYLER — TxDOT was in Tyler Tuesday with a 17-foot-tall Click It or Ticket display board reminding motorists to buckle up. TxDOT says 10 percent of Texas motorists still fail to use seat belts routinely. The annual “Click it or Ticket” campaign launched Monday and will continue through Thanksgiving Weekend, with officer’s stepping up efforts to ticket unbelted motorist.TxDOT reports 925 traffic fatalities in Texas last year involving people not wearing a seat belt. In 2019, there were 7 motor vehicle traffic crashes in Tyler in which unrestrained occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries. These crashes resulted in 4 deaths and 5 serious injuries.

TYLER — The deadline to join UT Health East Texas EMS is approaching. Open enrollment will close this Friday. Membership costs $60 for one year; current members can renew for $50. The average cost of an ambulance transport is $750 and most insurance, including Medicare, will not cover the full amount of an ambulance bill. For those with insurance, UT Health East Texas EMS membership includes full coverage of billed emergency transport charges and medically necessary non-emergency transportation to or from a hospital or nursing home. For more information or to enroll, call 1-800-642-JOIN (5646), or visit online at uthealtheasttexas.com/EMSmembership.

TYLER — A six-figure grant awarded to Tyler Junior College will allow for the creation of two math labs on campus. According to our news partner KETK, the grant from the Texas Success Center, is for $105,000. Texas Success Center supports the efforts of Texas community colleges with a goal to improve student success. TJC says the labs will offer additional technology including computers and graphic calculators. Dr. Belinda Prihoda, the school’s Director of Institutional Effectiveness, said the grant will greatly help struggling students.

TYLER — The 2020 Rotary Clubs of Tyler Christmas Parade has been announced and thanks to the pandemic, it will look a little different. New this year is the parade format and extended route. The Rotary Clubs of Tyler will host a reverse parade with entrants remaining static and parked along the parade route, while attendees walk or drive along the route. This year’s parade theme is “Together, We are Rose City Strong.” The drive-thru event is free and will be held in downtown Tyler at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 5th. So far, there are over 60 entries, with a limit of 80 due to social distancing guidelines. Late registration is open. $50 for commercial entries and $30 for non-commercial entries. No fee for first responders. Continue reading Drive-thru Christmas Parade planned in Tyler

TYLER — Tyler attorney Stuart Hene announces his run for City Councilman, District 1, to fill Linda Sellers seat when her term expires in 2021. Stuart is Co-Founder and Partner at Tarry & Hene, PLLC and is also President of Prestige Energy Consultants. He is a graduate of Baylor University and Oklahoma City University School of Law. Stuart’s campaign platforms include conservative balanced growth, infrastructure, and public health and safety. If elected to serve, Stuart plans to focus on conservative, balanced growth in District 1 by voting for practical, positive economic development, and for the continuation of the Half Cent Pay-As-You-Go Program. The city council election for District 1 will be held in May 2021. Stuart is married to Sarah and together they have two young boys. They are members of Marvin United Methodist Church. To learn more about Stuart and his campaign, visit his website at http://www.stuarthene.com.

UPSHUR COUNTY — Multiple gunshots were fired early Monday, striking an Upshur County Deputy. The initial shoot-out took place at a convenience store. According to our news partner KETK, the deputy, was treated and released from Longview Medical Center. The suspect was wounded in the shootout as well and was treated at Longview Medical Center. At about 1:40 a.m. Monday, Gilmer P.D. officers and Upshur County Sheriff’s deputies rushed to the CEFCO at U.S. Highway 271 and State Highway 300 in Gilmer. No one at the store was injured. Law officers spotted the shooter, which set off a chase that extended from Upshur County into northern Gregg County, the sheriff said. Continue reading Multiple gun-fights result in injured Deputy and suspect

TYLER — Tyler police say a driver, that caused a wreck killing two people has received a citation, but will not face additional criminal charges. Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh told KTBB, “In Texas, you can be charged with intoxicated man-slaughter if you are drunk or high and cause the death of somebody during a traffic accident. So, when you hear from the detective that all they were charged with is failure to yield-right-of-way, then there were neither drugs or alcohol involved; otherwise, there would have been a much higher charge.” Christopher Little and Edythe Lewis, from Arp, died in the accident at the intersection of New Copeland Road and Loop 323. The driver was cited for failure to yield right-of-way.

TYLER — The Texas Division of Emergency Management is offering FREE COVID-19 tests for East Texans, with or without symptoms. Results will be provided by the Texas Division of Emergency Management. All TDEM testing locations are walk-in sites and require a face mask. These locations will be closed from November 21st through the 29th. Valid ID is required & contact info will be requested when you are tested, not while you wait in line. Also,persons must provide a working cell phone number and results will be provided to you by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and not by NET Health. Continue reading Free COVID testing continues this week, new location added in Henderson

HENDERSON COUNTY — An early morning fire on Sunday destroyed 2 homes and claimed a life in Enchanted Isle on Cedar Creek Lake. According to a post on the Facebook page of Payne Spring VFD, the fire happened just after 2:30 a.m. A cold front blowing in produced strong winds coming off the lake and spread to a neighboring house. PSVFD says 10,000 gallons of water were applied in the first 15 mins of the fire with little effect. One person died in the fire, their identity has not been released at this time. Ten other departments responded to the fire.

TYLER — A virtual town hall event is scheduled for November 19th. Rebecca Smith told KTBB on Monday, “We know that parents are the number one deterrent for their teens using substances. A lot of parents think oh my teen doesn’t listen to me. They just roll their eyes when I talk to them about this, but when we talk to teens, they say that parents are actually the number one factor in their decision making, on whether or not they are going to use drugs and alcohol.”Next Step Community Solutions will host the meeting for parents on how to talk to your kids about substance abuse on the zoom platform Thursday at 6 p.m. Register by clicking the link: https://bit.ly/351zNtO.

TYLER — The owner of Greenberg Smoked Turkey in Tyler is offering his thanks to the community after a fire destroyed the company’s shipping facility November 6. Sam Greenberg says he’s received offers of help from all over the state. He comments, “This is unparalleled for our little company. The outpouring is just unbelievable. And the people who have called me to offer me their facilities to try to recoup the season, it’s just — it’s unbelievable.” Greenberg says investigators with the insurance company are still trying to determine what caused the fire. He adds, “They have speculations, but they don’t know. It was not nefarious, but it was a catastrophic failure in something.” The fire will prevent the company from filling orders for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, but Greenberg says they will definitely be back in business by this time next year.

TYLER — March of Dimes supporters in Tyler are urging residents to “Go Purple for Preemies” Tuesday, November 17. That’s World Prematurity Day, and a flyer suggests that you “wear purple to show your support.” According to Tyler March of Dimes chairperson Dorinda Williams, November is Prematurely Awareness Month. Williams encourages everyone to take a picture in their purple and send it to [email protected] for posting on the Healthy Me Healthy Babies Coalition website. Go to https://www.mynethealth.org/services/wic-women-infants-children/healthy-me-healthy-babies-coalition/ for further information.

TYLER — Two people died Saturday in a Tyler accident that tied up traffic for an extended period. Police say they responded around 4 p.m. to the intersection of Loop 323 and Copeland Road. According to a news release, a minivan was traveling east on the Loop and turning northbound onto Copeland on a blinking yellow light. A motorcycle occupied by two people was traveling west on the Loop with a green light. Police say the driver of the minivan turned in front of the motorcycle, failing to yield right of way, causing the motorcycle to strike the van. Both occupants of the motorcycle were dead on scene. Names were withheld pending notification of next of kin. As of 6:24 p.m. Saturday, police remained in the roadway directing traffic, but traffic was flowing smoothly in all directions. The scene has since been cleared. We’ll update this story as more information is released.

TYLER — Two downtown Tyler businesses have been honored as part of the Texas Downtown Association’s annual President’s Awards Program. According to a news release from the city, Fitzpatrick Architects was named Best Downtown Partner. Plaza Tower received the People’s Choice award in the category of Best Economic Game Changer. Tyler Main Street Director Amber Varona cited Fitzpatrick for “continuing to push the momentum forward for Downtown.” She added that Plaza Tower’s award “speaks volumes of the huge impact it has made on our Downtown community as a whole.” Continue reading Downtown Tyler businesses receive awards from Texas Downtown Association

AUSTIN — Republican State Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola has co-filed legislation aimed at reducing what he terms the cycle of trauma that many children experience in foster care. Joining him in the filing is GOP state Representative James B. Frank of Wichita Falls. Specifically, according to a news release, the bill seeks to protect children and families from serious actions by the Department of Family and Protective Services — including removal of children from their families and termination of parental rights — for normal, everyday activities by amending the state definition of “neglect” in Texas Family Code. It includes other provisions as well. Hughes and Frank say removal from family is sometimes needed but that too many Texas children are removed from their homes unnecessarily.

TYLER — Tyler fire investigators have arrested an 89-year-old male in connection with a fire that broke out November 6 in a vacant structure on South Beckham near the Elm Street intersection. Kermit Francis Gabel, who has a decades-long criminal record, was arrested for 1st degree felony arson on Wednesday and booked into the Smith County Jail. The Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate a number of recent fires in vacant or abandoned structures, and will release information as new details are available, according to a press release. Continue reading Man arrested in Tyler fire has long criminal record

MARSHALL — The identity of a person killed in Marshall has been released. According to our news partner KETK, the victim was Payton Blalock, 19. The Marshall teen, was killed after an 18-wheeler hit the truck he was driving while attempting to make a turn. Marshall Police released a statement saying: “The men and women of the Marshall Police Department offer our deepest condolences to the Blalock family during this unimaginably difficult time.“ Payton is the brother of Hayden Blalock who died in September of 2019, after an accident in the same county.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Country singer Doug Supernaw, who had hits in the early ’90s with “I Don’t Call Him Daddy,” and “Reno,” has died. He was 60. A representative from his management team said Supernaw died in Texas on Friday. The Houston-raised singer announced in February 2019 that he had lung and bladder cancer and he entered hospice care in October after the cancer spread. After working on oil rigs and as a concert promoter in Texas, Supernaw moved to Nashville in the late ’80s to work as a staff writer for a music publishing company, but moved back to Texas where he could perform more. He began opening for national acts that came through Tyler and gained a wider following, eventually attracting the interest of Nashville label BNA Entertainment. Continue reading Doug Supernaw dead at 60

ATHENS — Athens Masonic Lodge #165 is hosting Carter Bloodcare for a Community blood drive Saturday at Brookshire’s in Athens from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Donors are asked to bring a government-issued photo ID to donate, as well as eat breakfast or lunch before arriving. Carter Bloodcare is providing COVID-19 antibody testing for all donors as a gesture of thanks. Donors may call Carter Bloodcare for more information: 903-504-0812. They may also visit the Carter Bloodcare website to schedule a donation time-slot: http://www.carterbloodcare.org.

KILGORE — Kilgore College has partnered with Workforce Solutions East Texas to open a permanent Access Point location on the Kilgore campus. A grand opening and open house for the new site will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Wednesday, in the lab in the Student Support Building. Access Point locations, which are open to the public, are service locations for job-seekers to receive on-site assistance. The WSET Access Point on the Kilgore campus is open each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MARSHALL, Texas – In September, a Cass County attorney plead guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On Thursday, Bryan Lee Simmons, 50, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison. According to the office of Stephen J. Cox, Simmons agreed that he would not practice law for three years following his release. Information from the court showed that beginning in July 2019 and continuing through August 2019, Simmons agreed with other people to distribute methamphetamine in the Cass County Jail. In August 2019, he went to the Cass County Jail and pretended to meet with a client, officials shared. Simmons hid methamphetamine on his body that he planned to distribute.

TYLER — A virtual town hall event will take place next Thursday. Next Step Community Solutions will host the meeting for parents on how to talk to your kids about substance abuse. The meeting will happen on the zoom platform at 6 p.m. The event will cover research on use rates of the four substances most used by teens in East Texas: alcohol, e-cigarettes, marijuana, and prescription drugs. The speakers will also cover little-known dangers and research-based tips for how to talk to teens. While the coalitions cover a specific area in East Texas, anyone is invited to attend. You can register by clicking the link: https://bit.ly/351zNtO. Organizers will email a link to the Zoom to those who register. There’s a space on the form to submit questions, and they will also take questions during the event.

RUSK — Construction crews are busy on a nearly $200 million project to build a modern 227,000 square-foot patient complex and replace the administration building at Rusk State Hospital. In a press brief Thursday, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced crews had placed the last beam atop the administration building. Officials say they are on a pace that would complete 50 percent of the building by next February. The construction team has also completed demolition work at the site of the new patient complex and have begun laying plumbing and installing electrical infrastructure. The patient complex will include a 100-bed maximum-security unit and a 100-bed non-maximum-security unit. Continue reading Progress continues for New Rusk State Hospital

BULLARD — A Bullard resident has laid claim to a $1 million dollar jackpot. According to the Texas Lottery, the winner wants to remain anonymous, but purchased the winning scratch off ticket at a Fast Fuel gas station in Tyler on HWY 155. Officials say this was the third of four top prizes in the $1 million Monopoly 200X game. Overall odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.45, including break-even prizes.

TYLER — A free drive-in movie has been scheduled a courtesy of The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department and Liberty Hall. The media brief states the movie will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21. The movie will be shown in the parking lot of the Harvey Convention Center, on W. Front St. They will be showing the 2019 Disney film, Frozen II. Audio will be provided through a radio station announced on the screen before the movie starts. Due to COVID-19 precautions, families are asked to remain in their vehicles at all times. Concessions will not be available. Families are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy while watching the movie. For questions, contact Special Events Supervisor Debbie Isham at (903) 531-1214.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank has announced the cancellation of the 11th Annual Charlie Brown Thanksgiving event at Bergfeld Park in Tyler. On Thursday, Lauren Barnes told KTBB, “So unfortunately, NET Health released some new data that put us in the highest risk category, and that is really all around community spread of large scale events. So, just out of an abundance of caution the East Texas Food Bank decided to cancel this event this year. And we are urging everyone to follow the safety guidelines that are put out by our local health authorities.” Continue reading Annual Charlie Brown Thanksgiving event at Bergfeld Park canceled