KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The City of Tyler announced their outdoor warning siren vendor will be performing test announcements this week starting on Monday. Officials said the tests are to adjust the sound levels of the digital voice message. The test will provide sound from the sirens, and will start with dinging sounds and then a message. “Please be aware that this is only a test for them to adjust the sound levels coming from each siren and will continue until all sirens are tested,” authorities said.

KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Department said that two people were arrested on Saturday after 2,500 suspected fentanyl pills, a bottle of “lean” and two firearms were seized. According to Kilgore PD and our news partner KETK, a search warrant was executed at 1223 East North Street by the ProActive Community Engagement (PACE) Team and some members of the North East Texas Regional Swat Team. The items reportedly include 2,500 pills of suspected fentanyl and two fire arms, one of which was allegedly stolen.

Kylan Timothy Earl Johnson and Kaeleigh Rei Richardson, 24 of Kilgore, were arrested in connection to the search.

Johnson and Richardson were both charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance between 200 grams and 400 grams, theft of a firearm, possession of a dangerous drug and possession of marijuana less than two ounces.

Johnson was also arrested for a Gregg County warrant, according to Kilgore PD.

Continue reading 2,500 suspected fentanyl pills, guns seized in Kilgore

GILMER – Gilmer Police Department said that they arrested seven people on Saturday as a part of their prostitution investigation “Operation Dear John”, according to our news partner KETK. “Prostitution often comes with drug use and distribution, as well as, human trafficking. Gilmer Police take an active role in deterring such criminal activity.” Gilmer Police Department

The following seven individuals were reportedly arrested in connection to the operation: Continue reading Gilmer Police arrest seven in prostitution investigation

PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department said they arrested a 19-year-old man for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to a stabbing on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, at around 2:21 a.m. on Monday a Palestine PD officer responded to Palestine Regional Medical Center-East Campus and reportedly found someone transporting a stabbing victim. According to Palestine PD, the officer helped medical staff put the victim on the gurney before they were taken for emergency treatment.

Then Palestine PD officers reportedly went to the 500 block of Fort Street to investigate the stabbing and speak with anyone involved. Marvin Osarius Villalobos-Flores, 19 of Palestine, was identified as a suspect in the assault and officers also found a kitchen knife reportedly used to do the stabbing. Palestine PD said the stabbing victim is expected to survive.

Villalobos-Flores was booked into the Anderson County Jail on the charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

TYLER – For almost fifty years Mike Tucker and The Caldwell Zoo have grown up together. Mike started working for the zoo when he was in high school. And, Friday May 31, he retired on his own terms.

In his forty-eight years at Caldwell Zoo, Tucker has worked in every part of the zoo’s operation. He has been an animal keeper, curator and head of Guest Services. When he started, Caldwell Zoo had 7 total employees. Now, that number is at over ninety. Many of these employees Mike has hired and trained. “Really, I’ve only had one job my whole life,” he reflects. “I really did grow up with the Zoo. We’ve been through a lot together.”

In Tyler Mayor Don Warren’s proclamation, “As Mike retires, we celebrate his incredible journey and dedication to our beloved zoo. Although he will miss the responsibilities and details, he’s looking forward to spending quality time with his family and returning to some old hobbies. He is excited to travel with his wife and do a little more fly fishing. Join us in honoring Mike’s massive commitment to every part of the Zoo. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement, Mike! We will surely miss you.”

TYLER – A man accused of attempting to kidnap and rape a woman running at the Rose Rudman Park in 2019 was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, an unidentified woman was running at Tyler’s Rose Rudman Park when she noticed James Earl Roberts Jr. She believed he looked suspicious and ran away. Officials say Roberts reportedly tackled her, put his hands over her face and dragged her into the woods.

Continue reading Life sentence for attempted kidnap and rape

SMITH COUNTY – The Dogwood Estates community, which is north of Arp is without water and electricity due to the recent storms. According to Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said late Wednesday night that after losing power, the water tower would not operate. This left Dogwood Estates thirty homes without water.

SWEPCO was able to restore power Thursday, but it went out again Thursday night. Starting Friday afternoon, bottled water was being distributed to the community, as well as non-potable water for animals. The Smith County Emergency Services District 2, Arp Fire Station 2, on County Road 246 South, is the location for water distribution.

Moore said they are working to get a generator to power the water tower. However, there is currently no estimated time for the power to be restored.

CARTHAGE – The Panola County Sheriff’s Office said they are investigating the drowning of a 2-year-old child who died early Friday morning according to our colleagues at KETK. The sheriff’s office said they responded to Private Road 7000 near Carthage at 6:11 a.m. with UT Health EMS. A 911 caller had reported that CPR was being done on a 2-year-old child but it was unsuccessful. Precinct 1 and 4 Justice of the Peace was contacted and an autopsy has been ordered from Dallas. The sheriff’s office Criminal Investigation Division and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services are investigating the death. “We extend our condolences to the family in their time of grief,” officials said.

PALESTINE – A man was arrested for arson in Palestine after he reportedly set a garage on fire and assaulted one of the residents on Sunday night according to our news partners at KETK. Police officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Brierwood Drive for a residential fire. At the scene, the officer made contact with a resident who “witnessed one of the residents pour gasoline on the garage door and then light the surface on fire.” Officials said the resident also reported he was assaulted by the person who lit the fire, who reportedly placed his hands around his throat Larry Rhone, 46 of Palestine, was found at the scene and placed under arrested after the initial investigation and officers at the scene reported to observe Rhone had a strong odor of gasoline on his clothes. Rhone was booked into the Anderson County Jail for arson intend to damage habitation and assault of a family/house member to impede breath. His bond was set at a combined $210,000.

SMITH COUNTY – There are only two Smith County roads that area closed Monday, June 3, after being washed out from the recent storms. County Road 381, which runs southeast of U.S. Highway 271, is closed just south of the railroad crossing because of a wash out. Smith County Engineer Frank Davis says it would take about three weeks, depending on the weather, to replace the culvert.

County Road 498 also remains closed so Road and Bridge crews can replace two culverts. The project was already scheduled for later this summer, but recent rains have undermined the structures, requiring an emergency replacement. Davis said the section of CR 498 that is closed is 0.65 miles east of CR 431. He also expects the project to take about three weeks, depending on the weather.

Smith County recently launched an interactive map that lists all of Smith County road closures. You see them by clicking this.

WHITEHOUSE — A Whitehouse man was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to stabbing his mother to death in October 2021. According to our news partner KETK, at around 5:15 p.m. the Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call of a woman being stabbed by her son in a neighborhood south of Whitehouse off Highway 110. Before deputies arrived to the scene, dispatch received a second call from the victim and reportedly told officials her son had stabbed her and had stolen her Honda CRV. When deputies arrived, they took her to a local hospital where 60-year-old Bernice Slabaugh, later died from her injuries. Officers with the Tyler Police Department located the car on Golden Road and pulled it over. The driver was detained and later identified as Carson Aaron Epifano, 26 of Whitehouse, and the son of the victim.

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – With severe weather moving through the area and into East Texas, about about 14,086 customers are without power as of 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. At it’s peak on Tuesday, more than 150,000 customers were without power in the local area.

Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of counties with power outages from ONCOR and SWEPCO’s power outage maps, as well as several electric co-ops. You can view that list here.

HENDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, a 25-year-old man was charged with possession of child pornography on Thursday in Henderson County. The arrest affidavit indicated he used Snapchat to solicit images of minors by stating to be a part of a “modeling agency.” According to records, a Snapchat user later identified as Aaron Alvarado, 25 of Gun Barrel City, solicited children online for nude images by starting each chat with the following message:

“Hello, my name is Taylor Davis, I work for a technology based modeling agency called Models&Dancers. Looking for anyone interested in modeling, we pay are models about $7,500-$12,750 a week, if your truly interested or have questions, please message me back.” Continue reading Gun Barrel City man solicited child porn on Snapchat

TYLER – Former president Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts by a jury in his hush money case and politicians from across Texas are reacting to this historic conviction. According to our news partner KETK, Rep. Nathaniel Moran, a Republican who represents Tyler in the House of Representatives, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to give his thoughts on the verdict: “Today in NY, we saw a politically motivated travesty of justice and a mockery of the American legal system. This verdict must not stand,” Moran said.

State Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican Texas State Senator who represents Mineola, shared a black and white image of Trump and the following message on X: “The democrats set a dangerous precedent today: If you can’t win at the ballot box, then try and put your opponent in jail. This is not the American way. It is a horrible abuse of the justice system. The real verdict will be delivered by the American people in November. #trumpverdict #txlege,” Hughes said.
Continue reading Texas politicians react to Trump’s guilty verdict

SMTIH COUNTY – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a runaway teenage girl. They are looking for 15-year-old Anslie Dawn Lair of Lindale. Her mother told deputies Tuesday that Anslie had ran away from home. Anslie had reportedly run into a wooded area at Darden Park in Lindale. Smith County Sheriff’s Deputies searched the area and were not able locate her.

Anslie is described as a white female, 5’03”, 120, brown hair, possibly a ponytail, blue eyes, and wearing prescription glasses. She was last seen wearing a green hoodie, black shorts, white Nike shoes with red markings, and carrying a black backpack.

If you have any information on Anslie Lair’s location, please call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 566-6600.

TYLER – A pedestrian was reportedly hit and killed by a pickup truck near a Dollar General on Highway 31 west of Tyler on Wednesday, the Department of Public Safety confirmed. According to our news partner KETK, Vanessa Hill, 61, was crossing Highway 31 heading north at around 2:30 p.m. when the truck, which was heading east, hit the pedestrian. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene and DPS said they will release their identity once their family has been notified.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department is asking for help in locating a woman after her 4-year-old child was found alone near a park in Marshall.According to our news partner KETK, Labrittani Grant is wanted by authorities on a felony warrant for endangering a child. MPD said this is in connection to an incident in April when a resident spotted Grant’s child alone near City Park that evening .

Initially, Marshall Police and Child Protective Services were unable to locate a parent or guardian. However, through Facebook, they were able to locate family members for the child.

Marshall PD is asking for help in locating Labrittani Grant. If you have information your asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575.

GREGG COUNTY – A Longview man pleaded guilty to tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse on Tuesday and a related murder charge was dismissed. According to our news partner KETK, Adam Nguyen, 24, was charged for his part in the death of 21-year-old Brantravious Williams in 2021. Officials responded to reports of gunfire at Williams’ Second Street home at around 11:17 a.m. Police found Williams dead in the home. Nguyen was at the time charged with murder, tampering, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana. Three years after his arrest, Nguyen pleaded guilty to tampering and the other charges were dismissed. Nguyen will be sentenced on June 10.

LUFKIN — Lufkin Police arrested Robert Harris, 47, of Center, following a bank robbery and chase. Harris was taken into custody around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 69 south. According to Lufkin Police, the incident began at 1:10 p.m. when Harris entered Cadence Bank on Brentwood Drive and handed a teller a note demanding money. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, he fled on foot across Whitehouse Drive to the Belk Department Store parking lot, where he left in an older-model green Toyota Tacoma, according to a witness.

About 20 minutes later, officers spotted Harris’s vehicle on Casey Road and initiated a pursuit which continued through the Fuller Springs area and onto U.S. 69 South. The pursuit, reaching speeds up to 70 mph, ended near Garrison Drive after a Lufkin Police officer performed a PIT maneuver, stopping Harris’s vehicle. Continue reading Suspected bank robber arrested

UPSHUR COUNTY — The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 64 year-old-woman. According to our news partner KETK, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information regarding Donna Leah Johnson, 64, who is missing. Officials provided pictures of Donna and her vehicle, a red Kia SUV. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Johnson is asked to contact the investigator at 903-680-8255.

WILLS POINT — Wills Point ISD announced that summer will come one day early as their their last day of school is canceled due to power outages. According to our news partner KETK, the district is canceling classes for Thursday, their last school day of the year, because of issues caused by power outages.

“The safety and comfort of our students is important, and with only partial air conditioning functioning, it is not feasible to continue classes under these conditions.” – Wills Point ISD

WASKOM — A Waskom man has been charged with federal dogfighting violations. According to our news partner KETK and a release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Jesus Allen Stephens, 34, made his initial appearance in court on Wednesday after being indicted. According to the DOJ release, Stephens allegedly hosted and organized a “large-scale dogfighting event on family owned property in Harrison County on Nov. 13, 2021.”

Court documents allege that Stephens and others arranged to fight dogs at the event for the purposes of gambling and entertainment, and that Stephens had announced a series of up to 14 matches and sent GPS coordinates of the property to multiple individuals. Continue reading Harrison County man charged with federal violations

SMITH COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that three people were arrested on Tuesday after a pursuit with Smith County authorities led to the seizure of more than 90 grams of methamphetamine. According to authorities, a Smith County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable attempted to make a traffic stop on southbound US 271 North and the car “fled at a high rate of speed.” The driver continued to evade law enforcement before officials said they pulled into the parking lot of the Texas Best Smokehouse on US 271 at I-20 and dropped off a female passenger before continuing to evade authorities. Continue reading 3 arrested after Smith County pursuit

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road and Bridge crews continue to clear roadways following Tuesday’s storm. According to a release from the county, crews spent all day Tuesday, May 28, clearing more than 40 roads that had downed trees from an early morning storm. Calls were received Wednesday morning that newly downed trees were over two County Roads 446 and 1230. CR 113 has been barricaded and closed due to water over the road. Road and Bridge crews are waiting on Oncor to safely remove the power lines before they can clear the trees on County Road 382. CR 2326 is closed due to a power line across the road.

A group of about 30 volunteers from the International ALERT Academy will be working in Smith County Thursday to help clean up damage left by the storms. Smith County Emergency Management personnel will be giving the group a list of people who have requested help with cleaning up damage and debris on their property.

Smith County residents who live on county roads and have tree debris from Tuesday’s storm can place it in the right-of-way and Road and Bridge crews will pick it up. Continue reading Smith County roads update and debris removal

SMITH COUNTY — Republican J. Scott Herod won the 2024 Smith County Precinct 3 Commissioner Republican runoff with 1,773 votes on Tuesday. According to officials, Herod received 90% of the votes with 1,773 and incumbent Terry Phillips with 10% at 198 votes. In the March primaries, Herod won with 2,968 votes. Herod is an East Texas businessman and rancher. He said it is time for a new voice in the Smith County Commissioner’s Court as Phillips has held the position since 2009.

“I think new perspective, new point of view, is key. And the ability to bring those relationships that we can accomplish business in the county is very important,” Herod said. Herod said earlier in May that his plan is to focus on where county dollars are spent.

“Smith County for example is $160 million a year business so we need to have awareness of what’s going on with those dollars and it is those commissioners who have the responsibility of working together along with the county judge to set the budget,” Herod said.