KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – The Texas Department of Transportation pronounced Vernon Webb, P.E., as the new Tyler District Engineer on Monday. Webb, a native of Jacksonville, will now oversee the eight-county Tyler District and its 316 employees. Webb will supervise planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of the state transportation system in Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. WEbb has served as second in command since 2016 as Deputy District Engineer.

TYLER — Smith County honored the National Watermelon Queen, Paige Huntington on Tuesday. Since Huntington is from Tyler, Wiggin’s Farms donated 100 watermelons to the East Texas Food Bank. Commissioners adopted a resolution in honor of Ms. Huntington and Wiggins Farm’s donation. The 2020 National Watermelon Association Convention was held in Orlando, Florida. Huntington was crowned in February and regularly represents the association at events.

KILGORE — The East Texas Council of Governments announced Monday, the Director of Transportation, Vince Huerta, was celebrated for outstanding performance with the Texas Transit Association. Huerta received the TTA’s Outstanding Public Transportation General Manager Award for 2020. Notable accomplishments during his tenure include a 40% increase in ridership since 2018, drastically increased safety protocols, brought in a customized fleet, and further built procedural and monetary efficiencies. With the help of staff, Huerta was able to initiate fare reduction to $2 per trip and eliminate fares altogether for veterans and active military personnel.

TYLER — Workforce Solutions East Texas announced a new Access Point partner on Monday. According to the news release from WSET, the new location is with St. Louis Baptist Church on Frankston Highway in Tyler. These venues are places where job seekers receive on-site assistance. These sites have a WSET resource area where job seekers can register for WorkInTexas.com, participate in professional development workshops, and access resources during their staffed service hours. This becomes the 5th Access Point location added since 2019, with locations in Emory, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Seven Points and Tyler.

HENDERSON — Henderson ISD transitioned it’s high school campus to online-learning for the next two weeks starting on Monday, Sept. 14. All other campuses will remain in-person. Superintendent Dr. Lamb said the decision to move online was prompted by the daily review of COVID’s impact on the effectiveness of teaching at the campus. “Our top priority is educating students,” said Lamb. “We’ve always said if it gets to a point that we can teach more effectively through an online environment rather than face-to-face, that’s what we are going to do.” Lamb said the current number of active COVID cases among students is still low–right at 3% at the high school and 1% in the district overall. Continue reading Henderson ISD high school classes will be online only for 2 weeks

TYLER — TxDOT is planning more construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District during the week of Sept. 14. Among other things, seal coat operations continue with work in Henderson and Anderson 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 officials. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/033-2020.html for a full rundown of projects around the district.

TYLER — PATH (People Attempting to Help) is moving its annual PATH Week Celebration to digital platforms this year. The virtual PATH Week Celebration will include appearances by PATH Executive Director Andrea Wilson in local media, live streaming videos, and social media interviews with volunteers, families and individuals who have received PATH services. The PATH Week Celebration is an annual fundraising and awareness event designed to highlight PATH’s many programs and services from September 14th through September 18th. Continue reading 35th Anniversary PATH Week

TYLER — East Texas pediatricians and primary care providers have a new ally to address behavioral and mental health issues for their child and adolescent patients. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) is the East Texas hub for the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN), which begins Monday, September 14. According to a news release, CPAN will provide doctors throughout East Texas access to child and adolescent psychiatrists and licensed mental health therapists to assist them in identifying and treating mental health issues in their young patients. Continue reading UTHSCT Child Psychiatric Access Network begins Monday

TYLER — Tyler’s 10th annual Art of Peace celebration began Sunday and runs through September 21, combining in-person and virtual formats. According to its website, Art of Peace “celebrates the United Nations International Day of Peace (officially September 21) and Peace One Day. The aim of Art of Peace is to promote a spirit of creativity, compassion and community through partnerships, fellowship, dialogue, social action, music, poetry, and art.” Go to https://tylerpeace.com/ for a full rundown of activities and how you can be involved.

KILGORE — The Kilgore College Foundation recently received a $45,000 private gift to upgrade technology in the Deana Bolton-Covin Rangerette Gym and the Rangerette Museum. “This is a gracious gift in these challenging times and demonstrates the lifetime connections the Rangerette organization fosters,” said Michael Hageloh, KC’s chief development officer, in a news release. Continue reading KC receives gift to upgrade technology in Rangerette museum, practice gym

AUSTIN — Three Tyler physicians have begun terms of service in Texas Medical Association (TMA) leadership positions, while caring for patients and managing medicine’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The physicians are responsible for studying health care-related issues and making recommendations on important health care policy affecting Texas patients and their physicians, according to a news release. Continue reading Tyler physicians start serving in TMA leadership positions

TYLER — According to official counts, students showed up in record numbers to participate in UT Tyler’s fall hybrid-model classes. For undergraduates, 6,703 students are enrolled in fall classes, besting the previous record of 6,636 set in 2018. As previously announced, this undergraduate class includes 1,069 first-time-in-college students, also a record for the University and a 25 percent increase over last year. Students transferring into a UT Tyler undergraduate program from a community college or other university totaled 1,215. Continue reading UT Tyler enrolls record-sized undergraduate class

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been arrested and charged in the shooting death of a 10-year-old child. David Russell Stice, 50, was booked into the Gregg County Jail Thursday on a charge of making a firearm accessible to a child causing death. According to our news partner KETK, he was released Friday on a bond of $20,000. Stice’s arrest stems from an incident on August 9. According to police, they were called to a residence in Longview for a shooting. When they arrived, they found a child with what they described as “life-threatening injuries.” The child died in a local hospital. The case remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW — The view at Stamper Park will soon change no longer include the scene of derailed train cars in Longview. According to a press brief from the city, the Longview Fire Department has maintained a training facility adjacent to the park, since the 1950’s. In the late 1990’s, the department added several rail cars to teach emergency response to a train derailment. The Fire Department has hosted numerous firefighters from around the United States at the unique facility. The train cars were moved to a new location on Friday morning as part of the 2018 voter approved bond package, which includes the development of a new Fire and Police Training Center and the renovation of Stamper Park. Continue reading Train cars removed from Stamper Park

TYLER — Smith County has recently completed a Road Bond project in the New Chapel Hill area. Road improvements were made to County Road 2249, located across from Chapel Hill High School; and County Road 2267, also known as Timber Creek Drive and Timber Creek Circle, across from Kissam Elementary School. The project included four residential streets and cost $387,305. Work included grinding and cement treating the existing roadway and then overlaying it with 2 inches of hot mix asphalt. Continue reading Smith County road projects

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — An East Texas man was sentenced for drug trafficking Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Timothy Dwayne Henson, 52, pleaded guilty in January for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Henson was sentenced to 65 months in prison. Henson also sold methamphetamine twice in July 2018. On September 9, 2018 officials searched his home in Van Zandt County and recovered methamphetamine. The Edgewood native admitted to being involved in a conspiracy to obtain and distribute meth. He said he was also responsible for the distribution of at least 500 grams. He was indicted in Aug. of 2018 and charged with federal drug trafficking crimes.

TYLER — Free COVID testing sites are available to residents from any city in East Texas. These locations are offering local testing sites. who can receive a free test at any of these locations. Each person being tested will need to provide a working cell phone number when they go to any of the listed sites, as results will be sent via text message. The COVID-19 tests are being administered by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), the agency that will also contact each tested person to notify them of their test results. Complete details available by clicking the link. https://www.nethealthcovid19.org/testing Continue reading Free COVID-19 testing sites continue for East Texans

TYLER — Gov. Greg Abbott proposed stripping cities reducing police budgets of annexation powers and allowing annexed residents to depart from those cities on Thursday. In a Friday interview with KTBB, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen said, “There are very few professions in America where you go to work and you may not come home. This is one of them. Today is Patriots Day. Today is September 11th. It is called Patriot’s Day because we did not want today to be remembered for the devastation and the tragedy and the loss of life and more that occurred. We will honor that memory. But, we also want to honor the memories of the brave law enforcement officers, fire-fighters, and EMT’s, who you and I know, went into that building, knowing they may not come out.” Continue reading Bonnen: “make your support known for law enforcement”

SMITH COUNTY — DPS Troopers are investigating an accident that left a pedestrian dead Thursday night in Tyler. According to the DPS officials, it happened around 9:25 on US-69, just south of CR 4132. Carolyn Nguyen, 29, of Tyler was traveling southeast on US-69 when she struck the pedestrian, who was walking west across the roadway. He was identified as Donnie Louise Johnson, 53, of Tyler. The driver was not injured.

TYLER — A former Lindale High School coach and standout UT Tyler baseball player has been indicted for an allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student. According to our news partner KETK, Blake Maddox, 24, was arrested in February upon the district becoming aware of the allegations on January 28. He was an assistant football and baseball coach. Maddox was a pivotal player on the UT Tyler baseball team during the 2018 national championship campaign. He also played his senior year in 2019. Maddox is from East Texas and graduated from Brook Hill High School in 2015. Maddox is facing a second-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

TYLER — A free drive-in movie is coming on Saturday to the Harvey Convention Center parking lot. The event is being hosted by the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department and will begin at 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot at 2000 W. Front St. They will be showing the 2019 live-action version of The Lion King.There is no admission cost for this event. In order to hear the movie, each car will need a radio to tune in to a station that will be announced on the screen prior to the movie beginning. Concessions will not be available, and families are being asked to stay in their cars and practice social distancing. For questions, contact Debbie Isham at (903) 531-1214.

KILGORE — Fire units and police responded Wednesday,to the scene of a structure fire at Popeyes Chicken on Business 259 in Kilgore. According to our news partner KETK, first responders noted fire and smoke were coming from the roof. The fire was quickly knocked down and fire units were able to get the flames under control. The restaurant just opened their doors a few weeks ago. No injuries were reported, and the investigation into what caused the fire has not been released at this time. The damage from the fire is still being assessed.

MINEOLA — A murder in Wood County has resulted in the arrest of Timell Tiquan Jones. Mineola police and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jones Wednesday in connection with the death of Dustin James Thomas, 20. Authorities believe Thomas died Sunday night or early Monday on CR 2800 in Wood County. Jones has been arraigned for murder and is in Wood County Jail on a $1 million bond.

TYLER — A community is remembering “Jay” Rumbelow after the owner of Bruno’s Pizza and Pasta, died Tuesday. John “Jay” Walter Rumbelow III was 65 and graduated from Bullard High School in 1973, and earned his Bachelor of Arts from UT-Tyler. The Rumbelow family opened the first Bruno’s on Vine Street in 1976. The family opened a second location on Old Jacksonville Road. Rumbelow began running the family business following his father’s death in 1991. Visitation will be Friday at Lloyd James Funeral Home in Tyler, 5-7 p.m. Funeral services will be at First Baptist Church in Bullard Saturday at 11 a.m. Continue reading Owner of crowd pleasing restaurants in Tyler dies

LONGVIEW — A virtual meeting is scheduled for the city of Longview. On Thursday, the Public Works Department announced citizen input is being sought on median improvements to US 80/East Marshall Avenue, between Eastman Road and Nansemond Way. The online forum will be next Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Instructions and direct links to view the meeting or to speak during the meeting can be found by clicking the link. https://longviewtexas.gov/4005/Meetings-via-Teleconference. Organizers say, there will be an opportunity for public comments during the meeting and for 14 days after. Contact Longview’s engineering consultant for more information at [email protected] or 903-617-5368.