KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating a body that was discovered behind a Walmart in Northwest Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, Detective Andy Erbaugh says officers received the call around 2:30 p.m. Friday and were sent to the Walmart on Highway 64 West. Police said it appears the person likely died of natural causes. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death. The body was not immediately identified. According to police, the area behind the Walmart is known to have many members of the homeless community.

BULLARD — The City of Bullard has a new city manager. According to our news partner KETK, David Hortman was named to the post Thursday by Mayor Pam Frederick. A seven-member search committee consisting of city council members and local stakeholders worked with recruiter Bob Turner of Strategic Government Resources through the hiring process. Continue reading Bullard Names Hortman New City Manager

BULLARD — The Bullard Police Department needs your help identifying a man accused of breaking into several vehicles. According to our news partner KETK, early Thursday morning, a man was seen trying to break into a vehicle between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. This happened on Willow Street in Bullard. Several reports have come from residents nearby that their vehicles were broken into and items were stolen. If you have any information contact Bullard Police at 903-894-7788.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Fire Department will commemorate a new fire engine at Station 10 next Friday. A “push in” celebration will welcome the new fire combatant. A “push-in” is a customary tradition in the fire service industry that reflects back to the horse-drawn carriage era when firefighters would actually push their trucks into the station to wash them them. The fun will take place at Station 10 on Omen road at 9 am.

WISE COUNTY — A power tool theft ring with links to East Texas is busted, and more than a dozen people are arrested. Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin says late last year and early this year, three hardware stores south of Decatur were burglarized — and his investigators were able to track down the bad guys. Akin says, “They were able to connect a group of folks in East Dallas to burglaries all over North Texas.” And those places included Marshall and Tyler. Wise County sheriff’s deputies teamed up with Mesquite police and DPS in raiding a warehouse where they had stored all that equipment. Akin continues, “They were selling that on social media.” In all, they seized more than $100,000 worth of stolen power tools. Ten people are now in jail, and four more have been turned over to ICE. Akin says one store was able to recover $40,000 in stolen equipment.

TYLER — A Smith County K9 officer is saying goodbye to the department. K9 officer Endy retired from service Friday morning. Endy’s partner, Deputy Corey Cameron, made the decision due to recent medical challenges for the 8 year old Belgian Malinois. Endy is described as a cornerstone for the Smith County K9 Unit. Endy stood with Cameron since November 2013. Deputy Cameron will continue in the K9 Unit while the process of selecting a new K9 partner begins. Endy’s new job will be to revel in comfort at home with Deputy Cameron and his family.

KILGORE — Kilgore College rolled out its new framework of eight week classes this week, breaking the mold of typical 16-week semesters. KC is the first college in East Texas to execute the eight-week terms, the new method of instruction, organizers say is proven to increase student success. Rather than one long 16-week fall and spring semester, most courses at KC are now split into two eight-week terms with a short break in between. The concept is not a new one, with colleges such as Odessa College and Amarillo College utilizing the new structuring.

TYLER — A competition between Tyler Lee and John Tyler High School students that has happened for nearly 3 decades has kicked off. The students at both Tyler ISD high schools have a friendly competition each year to help feed hungry East Texans. Students are asking the community for their help by donating non-perishable food items or funds at the school of their choice in the 29th annual Pantry Raid . The food and funds the students collect will benefit East Texas Food Bank’s partners and feeding programs for help. The school that collects the most amount of food will earn bragging rights and proudly display the traveling trophy at their school for the year.

EAST TEXAS — Angelina County Commissioner Bobby Cheshire of Pct. 4 has been arrested on a felony charge of continuous violence against a family member. According to our news partner KETK, Cheshire, 51, also has been charged with misdemeanor counts of assault/family violence and interfering with emergency request for assistance. He was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Judge Billy Ball’s court and was booked into the Angelina County Jail on a bond of $10,000. Cheshire has since bonded out.

WHITEHOUSE — The City of Whitehouse has parted ways with their police chief. According to our news partner KETK, the city announced the decision on Thursday. Chief Ed Morris took over the department in October 2015 after Chief Craig Shelton resigned in May upon allegations of assaulting an officer’s wife. Those charges against Shelton were eventually dropped. Morris leaves the department with more than four decades experience in law enforcement. No announcement on the direction the city will take or who the interim police chief will be.

TYLER — In July a design day for Gassaway Park was held; on September 21 those visions will become a reality. Volunteers from the community, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and the City of Tyler Parks and Rec will join KaBOOM! to transform an empty site into a kid-designed, state-of-the-art playground. The upgrade at Gassaway Park will transform an empty site into a kid-designed, state-of-the-art playground in just six hours. Continue reading Gassaway Park Build on September 21

SHREVEPORT — An East Texas woman was sentenced on Wednesday for setting her ex-boyfriend’s Shreveport home on fire. According to our news partner KETK, Caddo Judge Ramona Emmanuel sentenced Bridget Nicole Ebarb of Henderson to three-years probation for starting the 2017 fire. The 37 year-old was convicted in July on a charge of simple arson. The judge also ordered Ebarb to under-go a mental evaluation and treatment. She was not ordered to pay restitution and was released. Ebarb had faced up to 15 years in prison.

TYLER — Starting on Friday, the Tyler Police Department will be adding additional officers on patrol and utilizing the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. Officials say this plan of action will run through Monday. This approach is based on crash data in the city limits of Tyler that allows officers to pin point target areas that are historically a problem. Tyler police remind the community with increased traffic conditions for Labor Day weekend, officers will be watching for hazardous infractions such as impaired drivers, speeding, intersection enforcement, and seat belt violations.

JACKSONVILLE — The City of Jacksonville has purchased a new fireboat. According to our news partner KETK, the craft will be used for fire rescues and operations on Lake Jacksonville. A team of firefighters are training this week on the boat and will have it out and patrolling the lake Labor Day weekend. Looking forward Jacksonville FD will use the boat on holidays and weekends.

TYLER — Tyler’s Gallery Main Street, on the downtown square, marked its 10th anniversary Wednesday with a celebration, a new art exhibit — and information about its impending move. The city of Tyler’s Main Street Department — including the gallery — will soon join the non-profit Heart of Tyler and Visit Tyler in the nearby Plaza Tower, currently undergoing major renovations. The city’s Stephanie Franklin says it’s all about “creating a space that has synergy for tourists.” Visitors will find maps, general visitor info, and local merchandise, along with the gallery. Franklin says it’s a ten-year lease arrangement, and she hopes to have the move complete by early November.

EAST TEXAS — Pittsburg police say their building was struck at least four times by gunfire Wednesday night. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting happened at around 10:45 Wednesday night. The building was occupied at the time. No injuries have been reported. Police are working to determine who the shooter is and how many people are involved in this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 903-843-3131 or the Pittsburg Police Department at 903-856-3330.

GLADEWATER — Gladewater police need help learning a man’s identity in connection to an ongoing investigation. According to our news partner KETK, the man is wanted for questioning in connection to counterfeit bills found in circulation. GPD says the fake bills are mostly $100 bills. The U.S. government provides this visual guide for identifying counterfeit bills. Anyone with any information about this individual or who has received fraudulent money is urged to contact Gladewater police at 903-845-2166 or report anonymously at https://local.nixle.com/tip/city-of-gladewater.

WISE COUNTY — Among the new laws taking effect on Sunday is one that originated in Overton. It allows kids to operate lemonade stands without the fear of having them shut down by police. House Bill 234 makes it legal for kids to operate lemonade stands on private property without having to obtain a permit. It sailed through both houses of the Legislature, and Governor Abbott signed it into law earlier this summer. Similar incidents have played out in recent years across the country. James Asher, whose two daughters operated a lemonade stand at their Wise County home earlier this summer without incident, says he’s glad the Legislature stepped in to put an end to that practice in Texas.

JACKSONVILLE — A GoFundMe page has been created to help provide a future college fund for the children of late Jacksonville ISD assistnat principal Elgin Johnson. Johnson died at his home Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, tributes have poured in from parents, faculty, and former students. The contributions have reached over half of the $10,000 goal. If you would like to donate, click the link below. https://www.gofundme.com/f/elgin-johnson-memorial-fund. Visitation for Elgin is set for Friday from 5-8 p.m. at Corinth Missionary Baptist Church in Bullard. The funeral will be Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Tyler.

TYLER — Mountain Bike Trails of Texas has ranked Lindsey Park in the top 10 of biking trails in the state. According to our news partner KETK, the popular website ranked the local trail the 7th best out of 861. The ranking was given based on their difficulty level and ratings among viewers. Lindsey Park is rated as an intermediate trail with a 4.5/5 star rating. The biking trails is 15.1 miles in length with a 2% elevation grade. Dogs are allowed on the trail but must be leashed. The trail is managed by the Tyler Bicycle Club and the City of Tyler Parks and Recreation Department.

ALTO — Alto ISD released their students early Wednesday afternoon after severe rain and winds created distress on the school campus. According to our news partner KETK, school officials said some buildings experienced flooding and water leaks. AISD administration and staff worked through out the morning to ensure students had a safe, dry place to conduct class. Students were released at 1:00 p.m. School officials felt confident that classes would resume to normal the rest of the week, but will notify parents Wednesday night about classes for Thursday. The district is hopeful to begin work on long term roofs for the district next week.

ATHENS — A Henderson County Deputy Jimmy Moseley is being hailed as a hero for his actions that saved a man’s life from a burning vehicle. According to our news partner KETK, Deputy Moseley, with the help of another passerby, pulled the man away from the wreck which had now set the ditch it crashed into on fire. The man was taken to the hospital. Moseley was treated for flash burns across the left side of his face and arm. Mosley elected to go home instead of to the hospital. Continue reading Henderson County Jailer Saves Man From Burning Car

MARSHALL — Marshall police have arrested a Marshall ISD bus driver following a hit and run on Monday morning. According to our news partner KETK, there were no children on the bus at the time of the accident. A witness told police that an MISD bus hit a parked car. The investigation lead police to question driver Mareida McCay of Marshall, who said she looked down and thought she hit a curb before continuing on her route. Investigators believe she had to have known the impact was more than striking a curb. McCay was placed under arrest for duty on striking an unattended vehicle.

EAST TEXAS — A raid in Tyler Tuesday night uncovered a massive drug operation. It happened around 10:30 at an apartment complex on Old Omen Road. Officers seized a half-pound of meth, along with black tar heroin, suspected cocaine, crack and marijuana. Scales, baggies and other items commonly used to distribute the drugs were also confiscated at the scene. Four suspects were arrested. The investigation started in Henderson County following a large meth bust last week. Continue reading Drug Raid Uncovered Massive Operation

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man has been charged with promotion of child pornography after confessing to police that he distributed it through his Facebook account, according to an arrest warrant obtained by our news partner KETK. Andrew Armstrong, 27, was investigated for more than a year by the Tyler Police Department on different occasions where they received tips that he was distributing child porn. Armstrong uploaded multiple images of child pornography, according to Tyler police. One of them included a girl, aged 8-12. Continue reading Tyler Man Charged with Promoting Child Porn

EAST TEXAS — The founder of Pine Cove, Bill McKenzie, died Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, McKenzie envisioned Pine Cove in 1963 while standing on his father’s land. The camp began with two 20-bed cabins on seven acres of land. Now the camp has 12 locations in Texas and South Carolina. “I didn’t have any special ability to start a camp—only my availability. I didn’t know any better than to believe God.” Bill McKenzie. Pine Cove has invited the public to attend the memorial service and visitation for McKenzie. The visitation will be at Stewart Family Funeral Home in south Tyler on Monday, September 2 from 4-6 p.m. The service will be held in the chapel at Green Acres Baptist Church on Tuesday, September 3 at 11:00 a.m.

TYLER — Smith County 114th District Court Administrator Tammy Camp-Miller was celebrated for 25 years of service on Tuesday to the county. Mrs. Camp-Miller began working as a tax clerk for County District Clerk’s Office in August of 1994, at the age of 25. She went to work for the 114th District Court as the Assistant Court Coordinator in 1997. Eventually she moved to position of Court Administrator. Mrs. Camp-Miller said she has enjoyed working directly with District Attorney’s Office, defense attorneys and law enforcement in helping serve the citizens of Smith County. Continue reading Smith County Employee Recognitions

LINDALE –Lindale PD are searching for a woman who they say was involved in a hit-and-run parking lot at the Walmart parking lot. According to our news partner KETK, it is unknown if anyone was hurt in the accident or what damage was caused by the collision. The woman is driving a Maroon colored SUV, that could be a Kia Sportage. If you know this persons identity, contact Detective Curtis Philpot by email at [email protected] or call 903-882-3313.

TYLER — Smith County property taxes are going up after the Smith County Commissioner’s Court approved the measure Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the measure passed 4 to 1. After the final public hearing was held on the balanced budget, the Commissioners Court approved the FY2020 Budget and Tax Rate. The goal for the county is to raise more revenue to balance out expenses. Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran said earlier this month that the county has been dipping into its savings account for years. The increase will ramp up from 33.7 cents to 34.5 cents per $100 of value. Smith County will still have the 12th lowest tax rate out of all 254 counties in Texas, despite the escalation.

LONGVIEW — Buckner Children and Family Services has named Shelly Smith as the nonprofit’s Executive Director in Longview. Smith will take on her new role on Aug. 30. Smith comes to Buckner after leading East Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates as its executive director for the last six years. Prior to her work at CASA, Smith held multiple supervisory roles at the Gregg County Juvenile Probation Department and has 22 years of actionable experience with children and families.