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TYLER — A Lindale man is accused of sexually assaulting a child. According to our news partner KETK, 37-year-old Adam Aguirre was arrested just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Aguirre is being held in the Smith County Jail on a bond of $50,000. Aguirre’s first court appearance has not been scheduled. Aguirre was arrested twice since 2018 on DWI charges. However, he was only convicted in the first arrest, where he pled guilty and spent 20 days in jail.

GREGG COUNTY — An East Texas sex offender with a long history of arrests and convictions was killed by a hit and run driver. DPS Sgt. Jean Dark told KTBB Wednesday that Troopers in the Longview Highway Patrol Office are asking witnesses to come forward in the fatal in the investigation of a fatal hit and run. “The crash occurred on Saturday, September 26 at approximately 10:15 p.m. at night two miles west of Kilgore.” Dark went on to say, “We believe it is possibly a small dark sedan, that was traveling West on HWY 135, that then turned left on Peavine Rd. The vehicle involved may have damage to the front including one or both headlamps.” The driver of the sedan fled the crash scene and failed to stop and render aid. Continue reading Registered sex offender killed in Gregg County hit and run

TYLER — A “Shred Day” will be hosted by the Better Business Bureau serving Central East Texas October 10. The service will be provided free from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM at the Lillie Russell Memorial Library in Lindale. The BBB has partnered with the Lindale Area Chamber of Commerce to offer the shredding services as part of the “Launch Local” Festival. Attendees are encouraged to bring paper documents that contain personal and/or financial information to be destroyed. Organizers request items be placed in plastic bags, cardboard boxes will not be accepted. Two “Shred Day” events were held by the BBB in the spring, in Tyler and Jacksonville, leading to over 42,000 pounds of documents destroyed.

SMITH COUNTY — Multiple crews were on the scene of an early morning fire at Coker Enterprises, off Hwy 271. The fire reportedly broke out around 4:20 in the office area of the business. According to our news partner KETK, business owners at the scene said that no one was hurt and it’s not clear how the fire started. The owners also said crews were able to save their workshop. Coker’s website says it has been family owned and operated in Tyler for 43 years.

TYLER – With the second six-week grading period now underway, more Tyler ISD students are back in the classroom. TISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford spoke with KTBB Tuesday about getting back to school during the pandemic. District-wide enrollment numbers show 80 percent of students are in face-to-face instruction with 20 percent opting to Learn@Home. That is an increase of 2,651 students back on campuses since the beginning of the school year. Administrators view the increase over the first grading period as a step in the right direction for getting all Tyler ISD students back onto campuses. Continue reading Tyler ISD In-School learners rises to 80 percent

TYLER — The Workhub in Tyler has been declared as an early voting location for the upcoming presidential election and UT Tyler will be a polling place on Election Day. The decision was officially adopted by the Smith County Commissioner’s Court on Tuesday. Judge Moran urged residents to take advantage of the extra location. “It will be a good centralized location to try to disburse the the great numbers of folks that we anticipate for early voting…Don’t wait until the Election Day to vote. Go early, if you want to avoid the lines. Because there is going to be a large turnout and this is another way that we’re trying to provide you an opportunity to do so at a convenient location.” Continue reading Smith County adds early voting place and additional election day site

LONGVIEW — A New Orleans man has been arrested in East Texas after being charged in the murder of a Longview man, killed in February. Aaron Williams, 36, was arrested Monday evening around 5:45 p.m. According to our news partner KETK, Williams was indicted by a Gregg County grand jury back in July for that shooting. He is charged with a shooting that killed 44-year-old Joseph Pierre Brice February 29, just after 3 p.m., on Mobberly Avenue. A motive has not been released, and police have not said, if the two men had known each other. Williams first court appearance has not been scheduled as of now, but it will be held in the 188th District Court.

WASHINGTON – Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc. will receive a federal grant of nearly half a million$483,332 to help recruit, train, and retain more women in quality pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced on Tuesday. The award funding comes through the U.S. Department of Labor and will be administered by the Department’s Women’s Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration. Continue reading Goodwill Industries of East TX to receive nearly $500K grant

NACOGDOCHES — Stephen F. Austin State University is investigating a cheerleader’s frightening claim. Seven-teen year old Christin Evans, along with her attorney and parents are speaking out over what they say happened on September 14th. The teenager says she was sleeping her dorm room when university police with guns drawn came in. Christine Evans says, “I was looking forward to making friends and having a good time on the cheer team, but since this has happened it has made it really, really, really hard.” Continue reading University Police investigating false claim on SFA campus

TYLER — The city of Tyler and Smith County are updating and recapping local COVID-19 testing availabilities. Officials say the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) are providing free walk-up COVID-19 testing opportunities for anyone with or without COVID-19 symptoms. St. Louis Baptist Church on Frankston Hwy. in Tyler began offering the tests Monday; they’ll continue there through Friday, Oct. 30. Testing will occur on Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Continue reading COVID-19 testing in East Texas

TYLER — The owners of the People’s Petroleum Building in downtown Tyler announce the upcoming addition of a new restaurant to occupy the second floor. According to a news release, Prime 102 will open late this fall for weekday lunches and dinner service Monday through Saturday. The space was formerly occupied by Jack Ryan’s, which recently closed. Operating Partner Steve Barnhart took a moment Monday to visit with KTBB. He told us the menu includes “prime steaks, excellent seafood, lighter fare as well, lunch, salads and sandwiches, pasta dishes.” He says he’s “very excited to bring great hospitality and service to the downtown area.” Continue reading New restaurant to open in People’s Petroleum Building

LONGVIEW — Longview Mayor Andy Mack announced Monday morning that he will be seeking a third and final term. According to our news partner KETK, Mack was first elected in May 2015 and again in 2018. He replaced Rep. Jay Dean, who had led the city for the previous 10 years. Mack is a native of Longivew and attended Stephen F. Austin State University, where he earned a B.S. in Biology. He then studied at the Baylor College of Dentistry, where he earned a Doctorate in Dental Surgery.

TYLER – TxDOT has kicked off another week of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District. Seal coat operations continue with work in Anderson and Van Zandt counties. Motorists should expect lane closures and delays during this work to seal and protect roadways from water and to provide a longer life cycle, according to a news release. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/037-2020.html for a complete rundown of work throughout the district.

ATHENS — Using an aerosol can and a lighter as a torch, a LaRue man burned two people Sunday and was arrested by Henderson County deputies, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Mark Anthony Negrete, 18, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when he was arrested at a residence off FM 804. He confessed that he burned a juvenile female in the face and another victim, according to the release. According to officials, an investigation discovered Negrete used a canister of starter fluid and a lighter to create a torch. The juvenile female went to the UT Health Hospital in Athens with burns to her face and hair. This investigation is said to be ongoing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump announced the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States. Congressman Louie Gohmert told KTBB, “It’s going to be a very difficult time for the country going through this confirmation because of the bias and hatred for Christian beliefs, but for the good of the country, we have got to move forward. Of course, Biden and others have said we need to wait until a new President is sworn in, and my thought is is that we can’t wait four and a half years.” Continue reading Gohmert: ‘Precedent is clearly there to move forward on confirmation’

LONGVIEW, Texas (AP) — An East Texas county commissioner and three other people have been indicted on charges that they fraudulently solicited mail-in votes from able-bodied voters by claiming they were disabled, often without the voters’ knowledge or consent. Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown and three paid workers of Brown’s 2018 Democratic primary campaign are charged with multiple counts of election-related fraud and record tampering. Penalties for the various violations range from six months in jail to 99 years in prison. All four defendants have been released on their own recognizance. Court records listed no attorneys for the four on Saturday.

TYLER — A man who led Upshur County Deputies on a motorcycle chase eventually escaped their pursuit, but was later detained in Smith County. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County troopers attempted to stop the man on the motorcycle, Friday on HWY 271. Dylan Alexander Taylor, 27, lost control of the bike and went down on FM 344 at CR 187. Taylor, of Frankston, was transported to the Smith County Jail without incident. According to officials no one was injured, in the incident.

TYLER — Tyler ISD is combining their customary campus book fairs to create one gigantic district wide online book fair. According to a media brief from TISD, the theme of the school year is “Adapt and Deliver”. Moving to one district wide online book fair is the latest example of adapting processes to deliver “positive results”. Proceeds from the online book fair will not only help individual school libraries, but will also help stock campus digital libraries. Anyone who wants to shop the virtual book fair can do so through October 4 by clicking the link. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/tylerindependentschdist. There is also a link to the online book fair on each campus website.

LONGVIEW — A Gregg County Grand Jury indicted four defendants on election offenses earlier this week. Friday evening, State Senator Bryan Hughes told KTBB, “Mail-in ballots are prone to cheating, they are more prone to fraud than any other method of voting.” Gregg County Precinct 4 Commissioner Shannon Brown had 23 felony counts brought against him from the 2018 Democratic Primary, in all the 4 arrested in the alleged voter fraud scheme, had 134 felony counts against four defendants. Continue reading Senator Huges: ‘foolish to expand mail-in ballots’

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has recently been made aware of another warrant scam in the area. The Department said in a news brief, that the fraud had been attempted with several phone calls to citizens on Friday. involves involves several phone calls that have been received by several Smith County citizens this morning. The caller is identifying himself as Sgt. Larry Christian with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. In one particular instance, the caller informed the victim that she failed to show up for a court date and she needed to post a $2,500 surety bond. Continue reading Warrant scam circulating in Smith County

Athens — A Henderson County Narcotics Investigator arrested two alleged methamphetamine dealers and a wanted woman on Thursday night. According to a media brief from Sheriff Botie Hillhouse on Friday, Larry Dean McCullough, 40, was found with a substantial amount of meth hidden in the hubcap of a wheel on his vehicle. Wendy Applin, 38, was wanted on an outstanding warrant and was in McCullough’s vehicle. In a separate incident, Ryan Jay Harris, 38, was arrested with meth when a vehicle he occupied was stopped for a vehicle equipment violation. The two men were charged with dealing drugs and the woman was arrested for the outstanding warrant. All three were transported to the Henderson County Jail.

AUSTIN — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed that giant salvinia can once again be found in Lake Athens and Lake Gilmer after they surveyed the bodies of water. According to our news partner KETK, Lake Athens was checked earlier this month. All giant salvinia found during the survey was treated. At Lake Gilmer, some giant salvinia was identified near a boat ramp and removed by hand. The lake was surveyed by boat, and no other plants were found. It will soon be searched more extensively. Continue reading Lake Athens and Lake Gilmer see giant salvinia

LONGVIEW — A Gregg County Grand Jury indicted four defendants on election offenses earlier this week. According to court documents the charges are based on allegations committed during the 2018 Democratic primary race for Gregg County Commissioner Precinct Four. On Friday State Representative Jay Dean told KTBB, “The folks that harvest these votes they are professionals…They will go to someone’s mail box and remove the ballot from the mailbox. They are professionals so I think I would encourage everybody to be very careful. If you see anything suspicious; at all, regardless of how big or little it is, you should contact local law enforcement to have it checked out.” Continue reading State Rep Dean: ‘Mail-in ballot fraud happens’

TYLER — Fall officially arrived earlier this week, and on Saturday morning, Lane Chapel’s church parking lot was transformed into a pumpkin lot. Pastor Jeff Cage told KTBB Friday, “People ask me how may pumpkins do we get? I say a lot. I don’t really know. We used to try and count them. Last year, I looked on the bill or ticket on a truck and there were over 20,000 lbs of pumpkins and we did that many twice. Because we will get an 18-wheelers full Saturday morning, and then another 18-wheeler full on October 10th. We will have pumpkins and squash and gords. We will have all sizes and shapes, and colors. There will be stars and green, white, orange, speckled ones. It really is amazing what God can do with a pumpkin.” Continue reading Fall is in the air and the ‘pumpkins are here’

TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful will sponsor a FREE bulky item collection for residential customers (excluding multi-family home communities and businesses). On Friday organizer’s said that residents participating should have their bulky items on the curb by 7 a.m. Oct. 5, and no sooner than 5 p.m., Oct. 2. After crews have collected on your street, do not place more bulky items on the curb. These items will be charged a special pickup fee. For more information click the link. https://www.cityoftyler.org/government/departments/solid-waste/solid-waste-calendar.