KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY – Portions of two Smith County roads have been closed because the recent rains have caused wash outs. In Precinct 2, west of Troup, CR 2186, from CR 2138 to County Line Road bordering Cherokee County, is closed until further notice due to a washed out pipe. In Precinct 3, northwest of Overton, CR 26 is closed between CR 29 and the city of Overton, due to a washout behind the bridge. It will also be closed until further notice. Drivers will need to seek alternative routes.

TYLER – In the wake of the weekend city elections in Tyler, a candidate has come forward for the elections next year. A life long Tyler resident, Don Warren, has announced he is running for mayor. Warren, who is in the oil and gas business, currently represents district 4 on the Tyler city council. He says his immediate focus will be on infrastructure, including water, wastewater, streets and drainage. Warren also said he will work with the city council to add the latest traffic technology to keep up with the rapid growth Tyler is experiencing. He wants to succeed Martin Heines, who, because of term limits, will be unable to run again. He becomes the second person to announce for the position. City councilman John Nix resigned in March and announced he was running for mayor.

KILGORE – Kilgore police and the U.S. Veterans Memorial Association want the persons who caused some damage over the weekend. They damaged the Veteran’s Memorial in the city park. Sometime Saturday night, someone drove a vehicle into the park and crashed into the Veterans Memorial wall, a bench, and a sign. They then drove through the park and left near the northern parking lot next to Driller Stadium. Tire tracks indicate the vehicle may have struck a tree stump before leaving the park. They have estimated the damage at up to $5,000. Investigators feel it was not an accident, but the act was intentional. Continue reading Kilgore Vandals Sought

KILGORE – Removal of the pedestrian bridge at BU 259 at Kilgore College was completed and the roadway opened to traffic Sunday afternoon. TxDOT reminds drivers to use caution at this location due to pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians and drivers should remain alert for the safety of everyone, according to a news release. The bridge received severe damage when it was hit by an oversized load on April 27. TxDOT says the contractor set-up its field operations Saturday and downed the bridge on Sunday. Continue reading Pedestrian Bridge at Kilgore College Torn Down, Road Reopened

SMITH COUNTY – One person is in custody following a chase with state troopers and Smith County sheriff’s deputies. It started with a domestic disturbance call on Ravenwood Drive. Sheriff’s department PIO Larry Christian told our news partner KETK that the suspect took a car from the home without permission. State troopers were chasing the car when it wrecked and rolled over on Toll 49 near State Highway 31. The driver tried to run away but was arrested by sheriff’s deputies. He was treated for minor injuries at the hospital. The suspect, whose name has not been released, is facing a couple of charges.

LONGVIEW – Curbside recycling services will not be available in Longview through Thursday of this week. The change to regular recycling service is due to scheduled maintenance at Rivers Recycling, which is the local material recovery facility. During that time, contents from curbside recycling carts will be taken to the landfill with regular trash rather than being recycled. If customers prefer, they may choose to hold their recycling, until the week of May 13th, including any excess recyclables that cannot fit inside the cart. Trash collection, yard waste collection, bulky item pickup, and the compost site will continue to operate as normal during this time. You can get more information at LongviewTexas.gov/Recycle or by calling 903-237-1250.

MARSHALL – Starting Wednesday, the City of Marshall Municipal Court on West Burleson, the old police and fire building, will close to begin relocating to the Business Development Center, 110 South Bolivar Street, Suite 200 It will reopen on Wednesday, May 15. Those with unpaid tickets or pending cases will not be penalized during the relocation period and will be able to take care of their court business when the new courtroom opens. The new court is comprised of a modern judicial bench, plaintiff/counsel area, jury table, witness box and public seating area, as well as advanced technological and security features.

TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work throughout the district during the week of May 6. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. In Tyler, expect night work on the Turn Lanes Project at South Donnybrook as the contractor places the final surface at this location. The final surface will also be placed on U.S. Highway 69 at Cumberland Road during daytime operations. Expect lane closures and delays at both locations. Alternate routes are suggested to avoid delays. Continue reading TxDOT Roadwork Update

TYLER – The National weather service says April was the 5th wettest April on record with 9.28 inches of rain recorded. The month ended with Tyler recording 4.01 inches of rain over a two day period. Staring the Month of May, last Friday and Saturday, the rainfall total was 3.81. The May 3 and 4 rainfall was not the most recorded on those days. You have to go all the way back to 1887 for the record when 7.70 inches of rain was recorded.

TYLER – The National weather service says April was the 5th wettest April on record with 9.28 inches of rain recorded. The last rain event in Tyler saw 4.01 inches of rain fall. The one just before that saw 3.81 inches of rain fall. The May 3 and 4 rainfall was not the most recorded on those days. You have to go all the way back to 1887 for the record when 7.70 inches of rain was recorded

GLADEWATER – A woman has died after being hit by a train in Gladewater. It happened shortly after 6:45 Saturday evening. She has been identified as Heidi O’Brien, 39. Gladewater police say she was spray painting on the side of the track when the train hit her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

EAST TEXAS – Complete and unofficial returns
It will be a runoff between Shirley McKeller and Pamela Phoenix for the city council seat.

Tyler City Council District 3
Dalila Reynoso133
Shirley McKeller 234
Pamela Phoenix 173 Continue reading Unofficial Election Returns

TYLER – A student research assistant in the Department of Biology at the University of Texas at Tyler has been recognized for her research work that focuses on lung disease. UT Tyler junior biology major Shandis Fancher of Lindale received second and third place awards in pathogenic microbiology research at this year’s American Society of Microbiology and the Beta Beta Beta Honors Society Conferences. Fancher plans to attend medical school after graduating from UT Tyler next year.

LONGVIEW – On Monday, June 10, at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Jim Taylor will lead a chorus of more than 130 voices, including members of two ensembles he directs, in the New York premiere of his own composition, Cambridge Songs Suite No. 2. It will be the first performance at the historic venue of a work by Dr. Taylor, and his first appearance there as a conductor. The LeTourneau Singers and the Longview Civic Chorus will be taking part in the concert.

East Texas — Water levels are high at lakes across East Texas. Lake Tylerand Lake Cherokee are closed. Lake Gladewater, which had been reopened, has been closed again because of rising water levels. The city of Jacksonville has reopened Lake Jacksonville.

TYLER – The Tyler Junior College Student Senate brought home several group and individual honors from the Texas Junior College Student Government Association Convention held in Dallas. TJC senate member Brooks Melton, of Tyler, was named state president for 2019-2020, which will also be the 50th anniversary year of the organization. TJC senate secretary Hannah Lair, of Carlinville, Illinois, served as state secretary of the organization this year. Continue reading TJC Student Senate Earns Honors

KILGORE – The Texas Department of Transportation is preparing to remove the pedestrian bridge at Kilgore College and reopen Business US 259 to traffic. Weather permitting, they plan to have the job completed by Monday. The bridge received severe damage when it was hit by an oversized load last Saturday. The roadway has remained closed for the safety of motorists. TxDOT says the contractor set-up its field operations Saturday and will conduct bridge removal activities today. Additional cleanup work will be conducted Monday before BU 259 is opened to traffic. That is the plan unless the work is delayed by unforeseen conditions. Continue reading Pedestrian Bridge at Kilgore College to be Torn Down

AUSTIN – A bill to strengthen power line safety inspections has been given unanimous support by the Texas House of Representatives. It is called the “William Thomas Heath Power Line Safety Act.” It was co-authored by representatives Chris Paddie of Marshall and Jay Dean of Longview.The vote was 145 to zero. The bill stems from a deadly accident on Lake O’ the Pines in August of 2017. Three boy scouts were sailing on the lake when their mast came in contact with a low hanging power line. The three boys were electrocuted. The measure now heads to the senate, where a positive vote there would send it to the governor.

TYLER – Tyler is seeking input about city parks now, and in the future. It is part of the city’s 1st comprehensive planning process for, not only parks, but also about open spaces, historic preservation and future land use and annexation. One of the ways you can make your thoughts known is at an open house next week. It will be held Tuesday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Tyler Minicipal Rose Garden. The purpose of the open house is to seek resident input on the implementation and status of the selected areas of focus. It will also look at the city’s future needs. City officials will analyze the input and incorporate the resident feedback into their decision process during the Tyler 1st Comprehensive Plan update. Continue reading Planning for Tyler’s Future Parks Needs

KILGORE – Kilgore has reported an unauthorized discharge from its wastewater treatment plant. It happened between 4:00 and 9:00 Thursday morning. The 5 inch rain dropped an excessive amount of water into the system. Since several valves were closed because of construction at the plant, wastewater went over the tops of several of the units. They estimate between 400,000 and 600,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater flowed into Big Head Creek and then into Rabbit Creek. The city says there appears to be no threat to public health as this area is remote and unpopulated and the spill was very diluted in the flooding of Bighead Creek.

SULPHUR SPRINGS (AP/STAFF) – The body of a 44-year-old woman has been found in a Hopkins County drainage ditch after her car became stranded in high water. The accident came after severe thunderstorms passed through the area. Killed was Martha Patricia Torres-Regalado of Sulphur Springs. She and another woman were driving late Wednesday when their car became stuck in a flooded drainage ditch. The second woman went to seek help and when she returned Torres-Regalado was gone. Her body was found the next day in a drainage ditch blocks away.

SMITH COUNTY – City and school elections are scheduled in Smith County on Saturday. Voters will select persons to serve on the Tyler city council and school board. There are three city council positions on the ballot, but only one race is contested. That is for council district 3 in northwest Tyler. Wanting the post is Dalila Reynoso, Shirley McKeller and Pamela Phoenix. There are two contested school board races. Retired TISD principal Freeman Sterling is up against banker and TISD Foundation director Marc Loredo in District 3. The District 6 race features Fritz Hager seeking re-election against Lisa McClure. Continue reading The Polls Are Open

LUFKIN — Lufkin police are investigating what they say appears to be the accidental shooting death of 2 year Axton Richardson. He was at a family member’s home in the Inwood Terrace subdivision when the accidental shooting occurred around Thursday night. Paramedics rushed the boy to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The incident remains under investigation.

EAST TEXAS – Only one Tyler road remains closed following the thunderstorms that moved through the area Thursday morning. Old Hickory Road will be closed to thru-traffic from Cumberland Road until further notice while crews work to repair a sinkhole. People living past the road closure on Old Hickory will be able to access their homes from Skidmore Lane by way of Paluxy Drive. Residents who observe the flooding of streets, creeks, overwhelmed or clogged storm inlets, or sinkholes are urged to contact City of Tyler Streets and Stormwater Management at 903-531-1393. For after-hours emergency issues, please call the City of Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

TYLER – A Smith County murder suspect’s pre trial hearing has been delayed. The attorney for Kristian Perdomo, 25 had requested the delay. He said his expert in the case has not yet met with Perdomo and they are still awaiting some DNA results. Plus, he still needed time to go over some of the evidence in the case. The hearing was reset for July 11th. Perdomo was arrested in a string of gang related shootings in which five persons died over a ten day period in Smith County last December.

KILGORE – Over night storms brought flooding to East Texas and the high water rescue of four persons in Rusk County. The two adults and two children, one an infant, were stranded on top of their car off County Road 1114 at the Rabbit Creek Bridge near Kilgore. Their car had been swept off the road and into some trees. New London, Kilgore Fire, and Kilgore Rescue units were called out for the swift water rescue. Around 9:00 Thursday morning it was reported all four had been rescued and all were unharmed.

TYLER — Tyler Mayor Martin Heines Thursday welcomed hundreds to the city’s 28th annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at Harvey Convention Center, in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer. This year’s theme was “Love One Another.” A variety of speakers and guests focused on ending homelessness, combating sexual exploitation, mentoring youth, adoption and foster care, corporate prayer and worship, and general blessing. Attendees also got a preview of this fall’s CityFest East Texas, featuring evangelist Andrew Palau. In his closing remarks, Heines drew attention to the difference faith-based institutions and nonprofits make in the community. He said, “I am so thankful and proud as mayor that I get to represent people that have that compassion and understand the importance that it plays in the community.”

SMITH COUNTY – Polls will open Saturday in city and school board races in Smith County. During early voting for the city and school elections in Smith County, 2,145 ballots were cast. The break out looks like this, in the Tyler city council and school board races, a combined total of 826 people voted. In the Bullard school board races, 439 people voted. The Winona city and school board races saw 193 persons vote and in the Chapel Hill school board election, 687 people voted. The polls will open Saturday morning at 10 polling sites around the county.