KTBB News, Weather, Talk

PALESTINE – A Palestine shooting remains under investigation. It happened shortly before 6:45 Sunday evening as officers were sent to the intersection of South Jackson and Dye Streets on reports of shots being fired. Several witnesses told officers the shooting occurred on South Jackson Street. The victim was later found at Palestine Regional Medical Center where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to his arm. The shooting remains under investigation and more information will be released at a later date.

LONGVIEW – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division continues its investigation into a Friday death. The death is that of Jerry Wayne Milam, 51. He was said to have fallen from a moving vehicle around 2:30 Friday afternoon. Arriving EMS personnel said Milam was dead at the scene. The accident happened on State Highway 42, south of the Sabine River. The vehicle he was in stayed on the scene and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division has identified and interviewed all occupants of that vehicle. Sheriff’s department Public Information Officer Joshua Tubb says this remains an active investigation and at this time there is no other information they can release.

TYLER – Jury duty in Smith County on Wednesday has been cancelled. Smith County residents who were planning to report for jury duty Wednesday with their yellow cards don’t have to make the trip to the courthouse. No new panels will be needed on Wednesday. Smith County Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett said, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court on Wednesday, you must still report. This cancellation for jury duty is Wednesday only. Jury duty is scheduled, as usual, for Tuesday.

TYLER – Tyler police are reporting traffic lights are out at Front and Glenwood and Front and Lyons. It was caused by a tree falling on power lines. Police spokesman Don Martin says it’s possible the signals may be out for several hours. Power lines crews are are assessing the damage and will then start the repairs.

TYLER – There was a small fire in the kitchen area of The Met in the University Center at the University of Texas at Tyler. The building was evacuated for about 45 minutes. At last report, the Met remained closed. Hannah Buchanan at the university said the fire was quickly contained and extinguished, but it set off the sprinklers and the smoke alarm. There were no injuries. Water damage was contained to back of The Met. Environmental Health and Safety at the school is currently waiting on the health department to come and authorize them to open The Met.

SMITH COUNTY – One westbound lane of Interstate Highway 20 west of Hideaway Lake has been reopened following a truck fire. The truck is near State Highway 110. KETK reports the truck was hauling vehicles. There is no report of injuries. The initial word is the fire started from a tire or a bearing on the truck.

KILGORE – The new deputy director of Kilgore College’s East Texas Police Academy in Kilgore is Dan Reigstad. Reigstad began his career in law enforcement in 1992 with the Longview Police Department after serving almost nine years in combat and combat training units in the U.S. Army. Reigstad retired from LPD in 2015 with more than 20 years of experience processing crime scenes throughout East Texas. He began as a part-time Instructor with the ETPA in 2002 and became a full-time Instructor in 2015. Continue reading New Deputy Director of KC’s East Texas Police Academy

TYLER – Tyler school trustees have a called a meeting tonight. The executive session is at 6:00 and the open session at 7:00 deals with a proposed bond election. The discussion centers around $198 million in renovations for John Tyler and Robert E Lee High Schools. Even though John Tyler was 95% rebuilt in 1981, by today’s standards, it is still outdated. Under the proposal, students will no longer have to walk out in the open from building to building between classes. At Lee, the campus will be nearly totally rebuilt and the campus pushed southward. The only buildings to remain will be the auditorium, varsity gym and the field house. If approved tonight, it will go to the voters May 6th.

GREGG COUNTY — Longview Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a woman’s death. Officers were dispatched to a Check Welfare call in the 600 Block of Avalon Avenue Sunday evening. According to KETK, the officers were told that no one had been able to get in touch with the resident of the apartment for several days. The body of Ivory Wilson, 57, Longview was found inside the apartment. Police are investigating Wilson’s death as suspicious.

SMITH COUNTY — One student was taken to the hospital for evaluation following a Whitehouse ISD school bus accident. According to KETK, it happened Monday morning around 7:30 when school bus 022 reportedly clipped an unoccupied, parked car while turning around. One student complained of back pain. They were assessed by EMS and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. There were no other injuries reported and the remaining students were taken to school.

LONGVIEW – Some Longview residents are making efforts to fight local gang activity, with a city department helping lead the charge. KETK reports Lyndell McAllister is the Mentoring and Bridges program director under the auspices of the city’s Partners in Prevention initiative. “If we’re gonna do prevention we’re particularly thinking about elementary and middle school,” says McAllister. “By high school students have figured out which way they’re gonna go.” The program offers mentorship and a new initiative, “Hope for Youth,” aimed at keeping children involved in positive activities. Continue reading Longview Residents Address Gang Problem

HAWKINS — A trustee of Jesus Christ Open Altar Church in Hawkins says the city is wasting taxpayer dollars on a lawsuit over the “Jesus Welcomes You To Hawkins” sign. Mark McDonald claims the city has spent more than $50,000 suing the church to have the controversial sign removed. McDonald says he’s started a petition to help gain support for the city to drop the lawsuit and to protect religious rights. Continue reading Jesus Sign Controversy Continues in Hawkins

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the Tyler TxDOT district during the Week of February 13, 2017. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.

In Tyler, motorists are encouraged to avoid the Loop 323 project at SH 31 with nighttime demolition operations being implemented at 7 p.m. Sunday, February 12, to remove the shoofly bridge. The work will cause major delays with traffic being moved for safety purposes to the alternate lanes of where work is occurring. Continue reading TxDOT’s Weekly Roadwork Update

TYLER – Tyler was in the picture as GOP town halls were held across the state Saturday so U.S. senators could discuss Obamacare – and hear concerns and comments from people in their states. KETK reports Senator Ted cruz had a lot to say to health care professionals as he visited the Rose City. He says the country has many problems in the area of healthcare, but there are solutions. He says the first thing to be done to move healthcare in the right direction is to remove Obamacare. Continue reading Ted Cruz Visits Tyler, Discusses Future of Healthcare

TYLER – A new hospital is open in south Tyler today. The south campus of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital opened at 7:00 on South Broadway at Cumberland Drive. Dr. Mark Anderson, Chief of Emergency Medicine, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, says it’s a state-of-the-art, 41, 200-square-foot hospital. He says the state-of-the-art facility offers a 24|7 emergency room, eight inpatient beds, onsite imaging and lab services, and five surgical suites. Continue reading A South Tyler Hospital Opens Its Doors

TYLER – A promotion and two retirees will be recognized by Tyler Fire Department. The fire department will promote District Chief Michael Frost to the position of Assistant Fire Chief at a ceremony Monday afternoon at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Chief Frost will be assigned to the Administrative Division, and will be responsible for the planning of budgets, grants and emergency management training and drills. Two retires will also be recognized. Captain Daniel Ledkins recently retired after serving for more than 34 years. Driver/Engineer Mark Hockman has served the City for almost 30 years.

LONGVIEW – Some lanes will be closed on Longview’s Hawkins Parkway starting Monday. Hawkins Parkway will be reduced to three north lanes between Eastman Road and the first set of driveways at the Target/theater retail center. This closure is scheduled for 2 months. Then, the construction will be moved to the north side of Hawkins Parkway. The lane closure will allow for street repairs of the dip on Hawkins Parkway at U.S. Highway 259. Drivers are encouraged to use the shopping center’s driveways on US 259 for access to the Target/theater shopping center to avoid construction and delays. The closures will be effective to August.

BULLARD — One woman is dead after a wreck involving a motorcycle Saturday afternoon. According to KETK, the DPS says 52-year-old Robert Hart was driving down FM 346 near County Road 185 in the Bullard area when he failed to follow a curve. The motorcycle left the road and hit a tree. Mr. Hart was thrown from the bike along with 52-year-old passenger Vicki Hart. Mrs. Hart was taken to the hospital and later died. Mr. Hart was hospitalized with serious injuries. An investigation is underway.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – A former Wood County jail administrator is currently being held on charges in the Hopkins County Jail. According to KETK, judicial records show David Jawayne McGee, 40, has been arrested on Wood County charges of permitting/facilitating escape from a corrections facility and tampering with government records. His bonds total $200,000, $100,000 for each offense. This arrest came after the Texas Rangers uncovered additional allegations of misconduct. Officials say a document was forged which allowed an inmate, identified as Samantha Melvin, to be released. Melvin was re-arrested and booked into the Wood County Jail on $50,000 bond on an escape charge. Continue reading Former Jail Administrator Arrested

TYLER – New details have been released regarding a September 2016 shooting on the Tyler Junior College campus. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office tells our news partner KETK two additional people, identified as TJC students and football players, were arrested in December and have been indicted in connection with the shooting. Lorenzo Hicks was arrested in Dallas County and Anthony Mitchell was arrested in Harris County. Both men were charged with possession of a handgun without a license on a college campus. Both football players were part of TJC football’s 2016 signing class. This makes three arrests in this case. Continue reading Two More TJC Footballers Indicted for September Shooting Incident

LONGVIEW – Longview police have released photos of two bank robbery suspects. They held up the Austin Bank on East Loop 281 shortly after 2:30 Thursday afternoon. The two entered the bank and demanded money. They left with an undetermined amount of money. No injuries were reported. If you have information on the identities of one, or both, of the suspects please contact Detective Rebecca Reeves at 903-237-1170 or Gregg County Crimestoppers at 903-236-7867.

LONGVIEW – The Gregg County grand jury has handed up a capital murder indictment against a man charged in a double homicide. Named in the indictment was Christopher Marvin Bell II, 21, of Longview. He had been charged in the November deaths of Freddie Allison, 41 and Deandra Allison, 38, both of Longview. Their bodies were found last November at the Huntington Hills Apartments on North Eastman Road. Continue reading Capital Murder Indictment Returned in Longview

LONGVIEW – The number of gang members in Longview is increasing. Longview police detective James Bray said the number of gangs operating in Longview has increased to 42, with 274 documented members. The Longview News Journal reports Bray’s comments came Friday at a community meeting hosted by Partners in Prevention, Pine Tree ISD Student Services and the Pine Tree PTA focused on drugs, gangs and sex trafficking in the city. Continue reading Gangs Growing in Longview

KILGORE – Kilgore College is announce its spring enrollment is up nearly 7%. The unofficial enrollment taken on the twelfth class day this semester was 5,354 students. That compares to 5,006 students certified for spring 2016. Of the students enrolled this spring, 1,484 are high school dual credit students. Last spring’s dual credit enrollment was 1,288, marking a 15.2% increase in dual credit students since last year. A news release from the college quotes school president Dr. Brenda Kays as saying, “We’re extremely pleased with our enrollment numbers this semester. I attribute the increase to the progressive vision of our board of trustees and a lot of hard work by our faculty, staff and administrators.”

TYLER – The fifth annual Smith County Warrant Round Up started Friday. The Smith County Judicial Compliance Department mailed out more than 1,800 lavender flyers to people with outstanding arrest warrants for delinquent, court-ordered fines and fees. The people have until February 25 to take care of the outstanding warrants or be subject to arrest and/or a hold on their driver’s licenses. If someone with outstanding warrants are pulled over in their vehicles, they could be arrested and their vehicles impounded, resulting in additional towing and storage fees. Continue reading Smith County Warrant Roundup Underway

JACKSONVILLE – A man wanted in a Jacksonville shooting has surrendered to authorities. Darel Hamilton, 25, of Jacksonville (pictured) surrendered to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department. He had been named in a warrant for aggravated assault. He was wanted in connection with a Wednesday shooting on Skyline Street. Wounded was Carlton Johnson, 27, of Jacksonville. He is hospitalized with at least two gunshot wounds. Police say the shooting followed an argument between the two men.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to a report of a single car accident on Gentry Parkway Thursday night. It happened around 7:40 when a vehicle traveling northwest Gentry veered across the southeast bound lanes, left the roadway and struck a guide wire for a telephone pole. The vehicle rolled and struck a building on the corner of Shawnee Boulevard. Five people were said to be in the vehicle, one back seat passenger was pronounced dead. He was identified as Harold Wayne Coleman, 58, Tyler. Four others were hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries.

TYLER –Tyler Police arrest a suspect in an aggravated robbery. According to KETK, Kendrick Shaun Warfield, 22, of Crockett, was arrested around 10:45 Thursday morning in the 1500 block of Gay Avenue. Judicial records show Warfield was booked into the Smith County Jail on one count of aggravated robbery and one count of theft of property. His bond was set at $155,000.