KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Tyler Maintenance and Special Jobs crews plan to continue mill and inlay operations on FM 15 near Troup. Longview Maintenance plans to continue bridge repairs on structures around the county. Click here for the full rundown.

TYLER — Cambridge Road south of Jeff Davis Drive in Tyler will be closed Monday, July 19, through Friday, July 23 for utility work associated with the Cambridge Oaks Development. Detours will be put in place to navigate traffic around the closure. Southbound traffic on Cambridge Road and Robert E. Lee Drive will be detoured on Ronnette Drive to South Broadway. Traffic northbound on Cambridge Road will be detoured via Harvard Drive, Baylor Drive, Karen Drive, and Ronnette Drive to Robert E. Lee Drive. All residents will have access to their driveways. Motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes. Drivers are reminded to obey all traffic signs and slow down in and around the construction zone.

TYLER – A Tyler man charged with manslaughter for the death of a teenager on Lake Palestine in June 2019 will face a jury next April. According to our news partner KETK, 32-year-old Jeffrey Hampton is accused of running over Roberto Hernandez with his boat while Hernandez was standing on a dock. The case was delayed one month before the COVID-19 pandemic due to Hampton’s lawyer going on maternity leave. One month later, the coronavirus brought the judicial system to a halt for months on end.

TYLER – A man died from unknown causes at a Tyler ISD job site Saturday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, a police department spokesperson said the man died while working at the Tyler Legacy High School tennis courts. Other workers were reportedly present. Tyler PD said the body was sent for autopsy to determine the cause of death. His identity has not been released. Additional details were not available.

TYLER — The countdown to the 2021 Texas Rose Festival is underway following Friday night’s kickoff party. After a year off due to the pandemic, Rose Queen Anna Grace Hallmark is ready to get things going again. She tells KTBB, “I’m so excited to be able to start off again and meet all the new people from out of town and just start off the new year.” As for what makes the Rose Festival so special, Anna says, “I think it brings the community together and gives everyone a chance to come and see what the Rose Festival’s all about.” Continue reading 2021 Rose Festival countdown begins

SMITH COUNTY — During a June inspection of the Smith County Jail, a backup emergency system did not work and some required procedures, including providing inmates clean clothes at all times were not followed. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Larry Smith said the problems are being addressed. Sheriff Smith said that just before the inspection, the county had replaced a backup generator. But, at the time of the inspection, a minor wiring problem rendered it inoperable. It has since been fixed. He also added, the county has spent the money to buy more jumpsuits, so each inmate has two jumpsuits, so they will have clean clothes at all times. Sheriff Smith said the county is implementing and documenting these corrective measures and will ask the state to re-inspect the jail.

TYLER — There are reports of scammers posing as contractors, stealing thousands of dollars from East Texans looking to get their driveways paved. According to our news partner KETK. They often offer cheap and quick service on the condition that homeowners pay cash and up front. But once they receive money they never do the work. Mechele Mills, CEO and president of BBB in Central East Texas, says people should be careful with whom they hire. She says get a contract and as much information about the company. And for payment, use a credit card, instead of cash. In case of fraud, you’ll have a better chance of getting your money back.

TYLER — Tyler residents are asking city council to change rules regarding solar panels. According to our news partner KETK, the council is reviewing a ban on solar panels that was put in place in 2012. The ban restricted the use of these panels. Therefore, they could only be placed where they could not be seen by the public. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas is one of the states with solar energy potential because of its sunny weather.

TYLER — The nationwide rise in COVID-19 cases has hit East Texas. NET Health’s George Roberts says the number of positive cases in the region is increasing. He adds that the number of patients in Tyler hospitals doubled over the last week — going from 45 a week ago Thursday to 85 this past Thursday. Roberts also notes that the Delta variant has arrived in the East Texas region — and appears to be the number one cause of the spikes in his coverage area. He additionally says according to state health officials, the Delta variant is now making up roughly 50 per cent of the state’s positive cases. Roberts’s advice: the same as it’s been for months — get vaccinated.

TYLER – A Tyler man who prosecutors say may have sexually assaulted dozens of teenage girls will likely not have his day in court until at least April of next year. According to our news partner KETK, 24-year-old Luis Ortiz is facing six charges of sexual misconduct. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Ortiz allegedly posed as a teenager online and would reportedly send graphic messages to minors on social media. At a hearing last August, Smith County prosecutors said they were investigating 66 potential victims. At Friday’s status hearing, defense attorney Matt Bingham said he was told by prosecutors that there was still another hard drive worth of data to examine and it would take a significant amount of time.

TYLER — The City of Tyler has appointed Kate Dietz director of utilities. Dietz has served as the Tyler Water Utilities Systems manager for the last 3 years. Her appointment will be ratified by the City Council at its next meeting on July 28. In her new position, Dietz will direct all engineering and activities of the city’s Water and Wastewater Departments, according to a news release. Dietz currently serves as the Northeast Texas Trustee to the Texas American Water Works Association and is a board member of the East Texas Regional Water Planning Group.

KILGORE — Kilgore College will host COVID-19 vaccination clinics for the community, with the first one from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 19. It’s set for the carpeted gym of Parks Fitness Center on the Kilgore campus. Additional dates for the KC clinics are Monday, Aug. 9; Tuesday, Aug. 31; and Tuesday, Sept. 21. Both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available. Face coverings are required inside the clinic. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. Click here for more information.

LONGVIEW — The Longview City Council has passed a resolution denouncing a white unity event purportedly scheduled in the Longview area later this year. According to our news partner KETK, postings from white-power.org of the Aryan Freedom Network indicate a White Unity Conference is set for Sept. 25. Mayor Andy Mack says the event is “non-verifiable” but that the city wants to take a stand against hate.

TYLER — Tyler police say a second suspect has turned himself in on a murder warrant in the June 25 shooting death at New Orleans Flavors Daiquiris in Tyler. 22-year-old Dycorrian Wayne Lofton of Jacksonville is jailed on $750,000 bond. Jaderick Willis, 21, also of Jacksonville, remains jailed on the same bond. Police say the investigation continues in the case, in which a woman was killed. Witnesses said a disturbance occurred in the parking lot and people began shooting.

SMITH COUNTY — Nearly 30 people attended the third Smith County Citizen Input Meeting in Lindale Thursday evening to discuss the six-year Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project, according to a news release. “It was a wonderful turnout,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips said. “This is what we hope for when we hold community meetings. It was great to hear from our citizens about the roads that are important to them.”Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran and County Engineer Frank Davis explained the road bond program with the crowd of 27 people, and answered questions about specific roads. Continue reading Smith County hosts citizen input meeting in Lindale

TYLER — After 24 months, First Christian Church-Tyler will have a new cross on its steeple. Rising more than 110 feet, it replaces the cross originally installed when the church was built in 1965. Senior Minister Dr. Chris Pulliam says the old cross was removed when it was found to be listing slightly. The rebuilding of the church began in 2014, evolving from an air conditioning issue to a larger renovation project. First Christian Church has been a landmark on East Texas’s busiest corner — South Broadway at Loop 323 — for more than 55 years. It serves not only as a center for congregational worship but also welcomes dozens of community groups and organizations to the campus, according to a news release. The installation of the cross is tentatively scheduled for Monday morning.

TYLER — The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Board of Trustees has reaffirmed the accreditation of Tyler Junior College until 2031. According to a news release, the decision was made during the Commission’s June meeting, and TJC received its official notification letter earlier this month. The SASCOC board offered no recommendations or issues, essentially giving TJC a clean bill of health for the next 10 years, according to the release. The reaffirmation enables TJC to continue awarding credit, granting degrees, and accessing state and federal financial aid for students. Accreditation also ensures quality control, assessment of outcomes, and a focus on continuous improvement; and retaining accreditation requires careful attention to fulfilling the institution’s mission and meeting published standards, according to the release.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank announces a strategic plan for $11.8 million in investments across its 26-county service area. According to a news release, the plan will work to ensure that the one in five East Texans who are facing hunger have access to the nutritious food they need. CEO Dennis Cullinane says it’s a timely move, pointing to “a heightened awareness of hunger in East Texas” brought about by the pandemic. The new strategic plan comes after philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife to Jeff Bezos, announced an unsolicited investment in the East Texas Food Bank in December. Continue reading Food Bank unveils strategic plan

TYLER – Tyler ISD trustees have named Dr. Kristen Walls the new principal of Tyler Legacy High School. Walls served as academic dean and assistant principal at the school, then known as Robert E. Lee, from 2017 through 2020. In 2020, she became the principal at Hogg Middle School. Walls succeeds Daniel Crawford, who resigned and was then arrested in a drug case that emerged in early June. Gary Brown has been serving as interim principal.

AUSTIN — The Texas Senate has passed its election integrity bill, but Republicans there say Democrats in the House are wasting their time with their flight to Washington. Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola wrote the measure, and he says the bill actually includes more options to vote by adding early voting hours and requiring employers to let their workers off to vote early. The bill would ban drive-thru voting and stop county elections departments from sending out unsolicited vote-by-mail applications.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an ATM robbery at a local bank early Thursday morning. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to an alarm just after 3 a.m. at American State Bank on Loop 323 and New Copeland Road. A silver pickup truck that is believed to belong to the robber was abandoned at the scene and investigators said they are trying to track him down on foot. The truck was left behind with the keys still in the ignition and the engine running. It is unclear how much money was stolen from the ATM or how many people were involved.

TYLER – A Tyler man who allegedly raped a woman more than 100 times over a four-year period requested a jury trial for next year at a hearing in Tyler on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, 55-year-old Angelo O’Neal is charged with sexual assault of a child. The victim, now in her twenties, alleged that O’Neal raped her at his home more than 100 times between 2011 and 2015. O’Neal was required to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty in Henderson County to charges of indecency with a child in 1996. He was sentenced to eight years of probation.

MARSHALL — East Texas Baptist University has achieved a goal by raising more than $6 million for the Great Commission Center campaign. ETBU last summer received a $1.5 million challenge grant from the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation, requiring the university to raise $6 million by mid-July 2021, in order to receive the challenge grant funds. Achievement of the $6 million goal brings the total amount to over $7.5 million. The challenge grant marks the Mabee Foundation’s largest gift to ETBU. Among other things, the 23,500 square foot Great Commission Center will be home to one of ETBU’s largest academic programs, the Fred Hale School of Business, according to a news release.

TYLER — Lots of news to report following Wednesday’s Tyler City Council meeting. The city authorized $12.8 million to rehabilitate its sanitary sewer system and pay for emergency sewer repairs. It’s all part of a 10-year agreement to deal with wastewater issues that went into effect in 2017. The Council also agreed to move forward after receiving a grant to extend its Legacy Trail 2.2 miles. The project will add 1.7 miles of shared-use path and half a mile of sidewalks from Peete Elementary connecting with Stewart Park along the roadway rights-of-way and through Winters Park. Continue reading City council addresses a range of topics

EAST TEXAS — Workforce Solutions East Texas announces its first in-person hiring events since 2020, to be held this month in Tyler and Longview. For the last 14 months, all WSET hiring events have been held virtually. The upcoming “Recharge, Reset, and Reemploy East Texas” events will take place on Thursday, July 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Workforce Solutions office in Tyler, and on Thursday, July 29, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Infinity Center in Longview. Click here for all the details.

LONGVIEW — The Longview City Council has finalized a resolution denouncing a white unity event purportedly scheduled in the Longview area later this year. According to our news partner KETK, the resolution is set to be taken up at the Council’s July 15 meeting. According to postings from white-power.org of the Aryan Freedom Network, a White Unity Conference is set for Sept. 25. Mayor Andy Mack says the event is “non-verifiable” but that the city wants to take a stand against hate.

AUSTIN — Tyler state Representative Matt Schaefer is anything but pleased with the Democrats’ walkout from Austin over a controversial election bill. He says they bolted to Washington in the name of what he terms “a big lie.” Referencing their concerns about voter suppression, he says, “Read the bill — it’s not there.” Schaefer adds that there’s a lot at stake besides the election measure — like border security and retirement pay for teachers. He adds, “Democrats need to show up for work and fulfill their oath to faithfully execute their duties.”

LONGVIEW — As of Tuesday, July 13, the traffic signal at Loop 281 and Nealy Way in Longview has been set to flash. The signal will be fully operational beginning Tuesday, July 20. Drivers are encouraged to use caution at this intersection. This project consists of constructing a new 4-way traffic signal at the intersection. If you have any questions related to construction, call Zack Shaner, P.E., at 903-237-1321.

HENDERSON – Dozens of roosters that were seized by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office last week in an illegal cockfighting ring were released Tuesday morning to organizations that will rehabilitate the injured birds. According to our news partner KETK, the organizations taking in the animals to nurse them back to health will be Rusk County Pets Alive and the Humane Society of the United States. Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez says some of the roosters will then be adopted by various residents to raise them. Most were malnourished or seriously injured when they were recovered. The ring was busted on the Fourth of July. It was the second cockfighting ring busted in Rusk County over the last several weeks. Deputies also seized nine vehicles and an undisclosed amount of money.