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HENDERSON – A Kilgore man is heading to prison after changing his plea during his murder trial. Wednesday afternoon, Marvin Durrell Sanders, 38, of Kilgore pleaded guilty to first degree murder. He then accepted a 40 year prison term. Sanders had been accused of the shooting death of his cousin, Waylon Hunt, 37, of Kilgore. Witnesses told investigators that Sanders just walked up and put a gun to Hunt’s head and shot him. He died during a family gathering as they watched a Dallas Cowboys football game the day before Christmas in 2017.

TYLER – Tyler firefighters walked through neighborhoods Wednesday in what Fire Marshal Paul Findley described as a successful fire safety blitz. Preliminary numbers indicate that firefighters made contact with around 250 houses in the area surrounding a recent fatal house fire on North Grand Avenue. Almost 70 new smoke alarms were installed, with accompanying safety checks and tips from the firefighters. For homes that already had smoke alarms in place, almost 50 batteries where changed, ensuring that they were up-to-date and ready to protect residents in the event of a fire. While firefighters found some homes unoccupied at the time of today’s blitz, over 150 informational tags were placed at the door with information on contacting the fire department if occupants want to schedule an install at a later date.

TYLER – The interim Smith County constable in Precinct 1 has announced his intentions to run for the office. Constable Bobby Garmon announced his candidacy on Wednesday. The former chief deputy for the Smith County Sheriff’s office says he has the training and experience that it takes to be an effective leader and represent the community. Garmon was appointed as Interim Constable of Precinct 1 on December 14, 2017. He was appointed to the post after a judge suspended Henry Jackson. A couple of months earlier, Jackson had reported to federal prison to serve a six month sentence for tax evasion.

MARSHALL – At a ceremony Thursday afternoon, two new Marshall police officers will take their oath of office. Officer Ashley Lakatos, 31, originally from New York, has worked at the Longview Police Department for the past three years. She graduated from the East Texas Police Academy in Kilgore in October of 2013. Officer John Cook, 21, of Henderson, graduated from the East Texas Police Academy in June of 2018. A small reception will follow the ceremony.

TYLER – A donation made in Tyler Wednesday will help in the study of a sports related injury. The Project Rose Institute for Sports Science donated $25,000 to the Institute for Integrated Healthcare. The institute is a part of the UT Tyler College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The money will be used to research treatment, repair and recovery of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries. ACL injuries commonly occur in sports, and, are rising among the general population. Presenting the check to the institute were Tyler natives, and NFL stars Earl Campbell and Gary Baxter.

TYLER – A dozen awards were handed out Tuesday night as the Tyler Police Department held it annual awards banquet. Named as officer of the year was April Molina, who said she was shocked and surprised. She was recognized for her work ethic and commitment to service. It’s not her first award. She previously received a life saving award and an award while serving as a dispatcher. The Plainclothes Officer of the year was detective Doyle Lynch and officer Jackson Hug was named rookie of the year. Continue reading Tyler Police Officers Honored

TYLER – Starting Thursday, Sunnybrook Drive between Azalea Drive and Camellia Street will be closed for the relocation of utilities and the replacement of bridges. Traffic will be detoured around the location onto South Kennedy Avenue or onto North Azalea Drive. It is said that the closure will last 60 days. Sunnybrook Drive is expected to reopen on Monday, April 22.

HENDERSON – A murder suspect has been returned to Rusk County. Randy Buford Winn, 62, was found in Louisiana. He was returned to Henderson on Wednesday to face capital murder charges. A tip from a family member led to his arrest. He was wanted for the Sunday evening shooting deaths of Justin Smith, 31 and Holly Jones, 37. Two persons, who were injured in the shooting, are said to be in stable condition. The shooting occurred at the Oak Manor Apartments on South Van Buren Street in Henderson. The investigation continues as officers try to learn the motive for the shooting.

GILMER – A Titus County man, accused of shooting a woman and then driving around for several hours, is heading to prison. Steven Seth Rosewell, 32, of Cookville, changed his plea to guilty prior to his trial in Gilmer Tuesday morning. He asked for the jury to set his punishment. The panel deliberated about 30 minutes before sentencing him to 15 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Continue reading Man Sentenced to Prison for 2016 Shooting

TYLER – Seven educators are being honored with Arts in Education Awards. Young Audiences of Northeast Texas announced the 2019 award winners. Individual arts educators from public and/or private schools within the Region 7 geographic area were eligible to be nominated. Finalists were selected by a panel of local arts professionals and community members. The winners will be honored at an award ceremony and dinner to be held in April at Tyler’s Willow Brook Country Club. Continue reading Art Awards Announced

PALESTINE – The University of Texas at Tyler will break ground for a $1 million building for its University Academy in Palestine on Wednesday. The new 15,000-square-foot building will house 12 classrooms, with restrooms and a separate office area. This will allow the academy to expand by three grade levels, adding kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms. The school opened in 2012 to 100 students in grades third through sixth. It had to later move from its West Spring Street location when the fire marshal said it was unsafe. Wednesday morning’s ceremony will start at 10:00. No word on when they expect the building for the charter school to be completed.

LONGVIEW – One person is in jail in connection with the deaths of two women in Longview. The shooting was reported shortly after 12:30 Tuesday morning on Loring Lane. Killed were Lori Perez, 58, and Kristy Perez, 38. The two Longview women were dead at the scene. Arrested, after witnesses were able to help police identify the suspect, was Troy James Rider, Jr., 43, of Longview. He has been charged with capital murder. Investigators say a legal dispute over a car may have led to the shooting.

TYLER – Tyler Firemen will be conducting a fire safety blitz on Wednesday. The Tyler Fire Department reports that the risk of dying in a home fire is about 50% lower in homes that have working smoke alarms. So, firefighters will go door-to-door to check smoke alarms, replace batteries, and install free smoke alarms in the homes that need them. They will also be handing out home fire safety information. The Fire Safety Blitz, which will run from 9:00am till 1:00pm, is planned for the neighborhood surrounding the recent house fire on North Grand Avenue in which 3 persons were killed.

MARSHALL – Marshall police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect in a drive-by shooting. It happened late at night on February 15th in the 100 block of Johnson Street. The shooting was recorded on a neighbor’s home video surveillance. The video shows a dark-colored, 2-door sedan driving down the street and a person in the vehicle firing multiple rounds at a house. No injuries were reported, but the home sustained moderate damage. If you have any information about the shooting you are asked to contact Marshall police.

RUSK COUNTY — State Highway 42 in Rusk County has been reopened. Motorists had been urged to avoid the area of State Highway 42 at County Road 146 due to downed power lines. A truck tractor towing a semi trailer struck the lines, causing them to fall into the roadway. The roadway, which had been closed for hours, has now been reopened.

TYLER — An East Texas newborn continues to improve after an extremely delicate surgery in Dallas. When Alexandrea Campos of Tyler was 15 weeks into her pregnancy, she started having serious stomach pain. Subsequent testing found her unborn child had both spina bifida and excess fluid in the brain. They were referred to Medical City Dallas, where Dr. Timothy Cromblehome and his team did what’s called a fetal intervention — surgery performed while the unborn child is still in the womb. The operation — only the second open fetal procedure performed at the Dallas hospital — was a success. Baby Amari is now nearly a month old and thriving.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office has released the names of a mother and daughter who died in a house fire last week. Alejandra Mayorga Chavez, 66 and Herlinda Beltran, 35, died the Tuesday, February 12. Smith County Assistant Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said there was no foul play suspected and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Chapel Hill, Jackson Heights, Winona and Red Springs Fire Departments all responded to the scene.

LONGVIEW – Karl Rove, former top advisor to President George W. Bush, and Andrew Roberts, British historian and best selling author, are in Longview on Tuesday. They will be speaking to LeTourneau University students, Longview ISD students and the public.

The lectures start at 9:30am at LeTourneau University where Roberts will be lecturing on leadership. Rove will be lecturing on President Trump and the realignment of GOP politics. The lectures will be live-streamed on the KTBB Facebook page. Continue reading Karl Rove and Andrew Roberts Appearing in Longview

TYLER – Filings have closed for candidates running in the May 4th elections. The Tyler school district has two contested races. District 3 board member Jean Washington decided not to run again. Filing for her post is Tyler ISD Foundation director and local banker Marc Loredo and retired Tyler school principal Freeman Sterling. In District 6, school board president Reverend Fritz Hager Jr. is being challenged by Lisa McClure. The district 1 school board member, Wade Washmon, did not draw a challenger. The last day to register to vote in the election is April 4th. The first day for early voting is April 22nd.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is heading to prison for a fatal Longview accident. Chad Palmer Malone, 20, received three 12 year sentences which will be served concurrently. The Longview News Journal reports Malone entered into a deal and received the sentences for two charges of racing causing death and one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. It stems from his part in a fatal wreck in 2017 that killed his sister and his fiancee. A Hallsville man, who was racing Malone at the time of the accident, is scheduled for trial next month.

LOG CABIN – A body found in a car at Cedar Creek Lake has been identified as that of Brenda Montanez, 25, of Addison. She was reported missing by Addison police on January 27th. Her body was found Friday afternoon. The body was sent to a Dallas lab for autopsy. Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse told our news partner KETK the preliminary autopsy report showed there was no trauma to Montanez’s body and that water was found in her lungs. This would indicate that she had drowned. They are now awaiting a toxicology report, which could take up to 12 weeks.

HENDERSON – A suspect has been arrested in a fatal shooting in Henderson. The Longview News Journal reports Randy Buford Wynn, 63, was arrested in Louisiana. The arrest followed a Sunday night shooting at the Oak Manor Apartments on South Van Buren Street. Killed were Justin Smith, 31 and Holly Jones, 37. The ijured, who are said to be in stable condition, are Billie Pyers, 65, and Cassandra Shaffer, 26. Wynn is facing two capital murder charges in Henderson. What led to the shooting has not been released.

TYLER – Thanks to a Crimestoppers tip, a Tyler robbery suspect is in jail. Arrested was Jerry Lewis Cox Jr., 19, of Tyler. Officers found him Saturday and, after questioning, he was arrested for last Thursday night’s robbery of the Metro Food Mart on West Gentry Parkway. He is said to the the man who pointed a handgun at the clerk, demanded money and ran off with an undisclosed amount of money. He has been charged with aggravated robbery and is in the Smith County Jail under a $75,000 bond.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/Staff) – Lindale’s own Miranda Lambert celebrated Valentine’s Day weekend with the announcement that she secretly got married. A representative for the star country singer confirmed the marriage after Lambert posted photos on social media Saturday showing her in a white lace gown with her new husband, Brendan Mcloughlin. She wrote that in honor of Valentine’s Day, she wanted to share that she “met the love of my life. And we got hitched!” It’s unclear when the marriage occurred. The two-time Grammy winner was previously married to country star Blake Shelton, but she hadn’t spoken publicly about her relationship with Mcloughlin before Saturday. Lambert, who is also a member of the group Pistol Annies, has had hits with songs like “The House That Built Me,” “White Liar,” “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and “Gunpowder and Lead.”

TYLER — Friday was the last day to file for the May municipal elections in Texas, and the city of Tyler has issued a final list of the candidates for city council. The District 3 race is the only one contested. Shirley McKellar, Pamela Phoenix, and Dalila Reynoso will vie to succeed Ed Moore, who is retiring due to term limits. District 5 incumbent Bob Westbrook and current District 1 Councilmember Linda Sellers are unopposed.

TYLER — The Golden Road Water Treatment Plant remains offline as the city of Tyler works to finish construction. According to a news release, officials are currently estimating four weeks before the plant can be brought back online, provided all work proceeds without complication. To further minimize the impact of the geosmin compound on water taste and odor during this time, the news release says staff continues to feed the maximum amount of ozone and powdered activated carbon at the Lake Palestine Water Treatment facility. Officials add that crews are flushing hydrants across the city to move the treated water through the system quickly. Continue reading Golden Road Water Treatment Plant Remains Offline

TYLER — The name change debate continues for Tyler Junior College. The college is up for re-accreditation in 2021. And according to our news partner KETK, the accrediting body wants to know beforehand if TJC is going to change its name. So a survey was sent out to students, staff, and alumni, asking them about the Tyler Junior College name. More than 1,200 people responded to the survey. Because TJC offers four-year degrees and workforce programs, school leaders want to know if “junior” is sending the wrong message to future students. teachers. even job recruiters. Mike Metke, Chancellor for the College District of TJC and Chief Executive Officer, says, “Junior college carries a different meaning, and so, when students leave our bubble here, the college doesn’t have the same amount of prestige that it does in our area of influence.” Continue reading TJC Considers Name Change