KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The City of Tyler is asking residents to consider following a watering schedule and to practice water-saving habits as warm temperatures and the lack of rain are increasing demand. According to our news partner KETK, the voluntary schedule suggests that residents limit outdoor watering to two days per week and only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Officials add, that following the schedule helps keep water pressure up across the community and reduces evaporation.

Residents whose house address ends with an even number should water on Sundays and Thursdays, while odd-numbered addresses should water on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Continue reading Residents asked to follow watering schedule

SMITH COUNTY — A threat directed at a Chapel Hill school in Texas has been deemed a “swatting” incident and is under investigation as officials take extra precautions on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a shooting threat directed at “Chapel Hill High” in Texas made through a dormant TikTok account on Sunday has been found to be a swatting incident by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). A swatting incident is a hoax threat or call made to incite a large emergency response.

There are two Chapel Hill schools in East Texas — one in Smith County and one in Titus County. The TikTok did not specify which one it was addressing, but both schools took extra precautions on Monday morning. According to Chapel Hill ISD’s (Titus County) Superintendent Daniel Pritchett, the school received information on Sunday night of a TikTok livestream that threatened to carry out an active shooting at a “Chapel Hill High” in Texas. Continue reading ‘Swatting’ aimed at Chapel Hill high schools

CHANDLER – Residents and city administrators met in Chandler on Saturday to discuss a $5.8 million bond proposal to fund a new city hall and storm shelter complex. During a bond open house on Saturday, residents got to hear from Chandler City officials, the project architect and city bond financial advisors about what the bond will fund. For $5,864,000, the bond would fund a new police station, a new fire station, a new city hall and a new city storm shelter that would all be housed within the same complex, according to our news partner KETK.

According to tax information provided by the City of Chandler, if the bond passes, it will be implemented in one of two scenarios that would offset the I&S tax rate increase needed to fund the bond. In scenario one, the I&S tax rate increase will be offset by profits from the lease of the ESD 12 building and in scenario two, the increase will be offset by the ESD 12 lease and funds made from the sale of the current city hall building. The first scenario would lead to a $0.0762 property tax increase while the second scenario would lead to $0.0126 property tax increase. Continue reading Voters urged to pass bond

SMITH COUNTY – One person has died and another person was injured after two vehicles collided into each other in Smith County on Saturday night. According to our news partner KETK, officials with the Smith County Emergency Services District 2 say the crash happened on FM 14 at around 8:30 p.m.

Smith County Justice of the Peace Curtis Wulf told KETK News that he was called out to the accident at around 9:20 p.m. Once there, Wulf found a 54-year-old man who was killed in the crash. After pronouncing him dead, Wulf ordered an autopsy on the deceased. One other person injured was sent to a hospital for treatment.

TYLER – The latest series of ‘No Kings’ protests were held in Tyler on Saturday, as East Texans gathered to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies. According to our news partner KETK, protesters collected at Bergfeld Park in Tyler for the third round of No Kings protests to pop up across the country since Trump’s inauguration. Similar protests were held this past October and last June.

According to Indivisible Smith County, the protests were held to “remind extremists that America has No Kings and the power belongs to the people.”

East Texas organizers shared that No Kings protests were held in Athens, Dallas, Greenville, Jacksonville, Lindale, Longview, Mineola, Paris, Palestine and Tyler on Saturday.

GLADEWATER – The City of Gladewater named Tim Basham as their new fire department chief this week. Basham, who’s replacing outgoing chief Michael Robbins, came out of retirement and completed an agility test in his Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots to be requalified for service. According to our news partner KETK, Basham had previously served in the metroplex before his initial retirement.

“The City of Gladewater is proud to congratulate Fire Chief Tim Basham on his appointment as our new Fire Chief. We wish you continued success and offer our prayers as you move forward in your service to our community,” the City of Gladewater said. “Your extensive experience and knowledge gained from the metroplex will be a tremendous asset to our department and the citizens we serve. We also recognize your dedication and determination- returning from retirement and completing your agility test in true East Texas fashion, wearing Wranglers and cowboy boots, speaks volumes about your commitment and character.” Continue reading New fire chief welcomed

SMITH COUNTY – One person has been transported to a local hospital after two vehicles crashed into each other on FM 14 in Smith County on Saturday. According to Smith County Emergency Services District 2 and our news partner KETK, the crash happened on FM 14 near County Road 328 at around 8:30 p.m. Traffic on FM 14 has been shut down from CR 328 to Marble Road and drivers are urged to avoid the area until the roadway is cleared.

TYLER – Daniel Hartley and his wife bought tickets to see Bob Dylan in Tyler, but after finding out the show has been sold out for a while, the $1300 they paid is out the door. According to our news partner KETK, David’s wife bought two tickets for $1300 and printed them out but to their surprise, they didn’t have their name on them and listed prices of $135 each.

“The people that are out there now are just absolute pros. They can make anything look perfect and get your dough and be gone out the back door before you can do anything,” Hartley said. Continue reading There’s a Bob Dylan ticket scam

PALESTINE – Westwood ISD has named its new interim superintendent. According to the district and our news partner KETK, Lawrence Coleman will serve as interim superintendent. Coleman is expected to begin serving the district on April 1.

Westwood ISD said Coleman’s bringing 35 years of experience to the district as their new interim superintendent. Coleman’s lived with his wife and children in Henderson for the past 16 years and has served as a teacher, assistant principal, instructional leader and administrator.

“I am looking forward to serving as Interim Superintendent for this outstanding district,” Coleman said.

SMITH COUNTY, – The Smith County Junior Livestock Show concluded with its annual sale day, where FFA and Four-H students auctioned animals they raised over the past year. According to our news partner KETK, the event raised more than $200,000 to support student projects and future education for the upcoming year or for graduating seniors to use toward their higher education.

The sale marks a year of work for participants who raise and show their animals before selling them to local buyers.
Continue reading Student livestock show nets 200K

TYLER – A gang member was arrested in Tyler on Thursday after authorities executed a search warrant at his home and found various illegal drugs. According to our news partner KETK, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant was issued at a home on Tenaha Avenue in connection with a search for a wanted gang member, Bryan Mayfield, who was believed to be staying at the house.

Once authorities arrived at the home to issue the search warrant, several people fled from the home and one person was immediately taken into custody. During the search, Mayfield fled into the backyard of a nearby residence, dropping a handgun before unlawfully entering the home. Once inside the home, Mayfield held two people against their will, prompting officers to enter the home and take Mayfield into custody and charge him with two counts of evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance, according to officials.
Continue reading Gang associate jailed for drugs

PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department said a crash that happened on North Loop 256 on Friday has reportedly left at least one person with injuries. According to Palestine PD, the crash happened the intersection of East Palestine Avenue and North Loop 256 at around 3:25 p.m. on Friday. Drivers are asked to use caution when driving through the area as law enforcement responds to the crash.

LONGVIEW – Officials have confirmed that City of Longview employee Buddy Powell died earlier this month during a “workplace accident” when he was hit in the head with a high-pressure water hose. According to our news partner KETK, Gregg County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace B.H Jameson said, the cause of Powell’s death was determined to be blunt force trauma after being struck by the hose. Powell was pronounced dead at a local hospital following the incident. It is unknown at this time what caused the incident and whether or not negligence was involved in Powell’s death.

LONGVIEW – One person was taken to the hospital following a shooting in Longview on Friday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Longview Police Department officers responded to a call on South High Street and Marion Drive at around 12 a.m. after receiving multiple reports of a shooting. Once on the scene, officers saw several people leaving the area and found a man inside a vehicle who had been shot.

The victim was taken to a hospital for injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, according to officials. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the department at 903-237-199 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867

MARSHALL — Following a week of water outages and reduced pressure due to a major water main break, the City of Marshall is taking steps to strengthen its water infrastructure. According to our news partner KETK, at Thursday’s city council meeting, officials unanimously approved a contract with Smith Pump Company to purchase a solar pump for the raw water pump station. The $356,118 project will add a fourth pump to the system, marking the final step in restoring full pumping capacity.

The decision comes after widespread disruptions tied to a March 17 water main break that forced closures across the community. Marshall ISD canceled classes and many local businesses temporarily closed down as water pressure dropped and outages spread. Continue reading Council approves final pump purchase

TYLER — A Smith County judge denied a motion to lower the bond for Dayton Morgan, who was charged with murder in connection to a fatal road rage shooting earlier this year.

According to our news partner KETK, in Friday’s hearing at the 114th District Judicial Court, a grand jury indicted thee 23-year-old Morgan, of murder for allegedly shooting a man on Feb. 13 during a Tyler road rage incident. Morgan plead not guilty to the charge, the criminal court coordinator Taylor Moss confirmed. Morgan’s bond remains at $1 million, as Smith County Judge Austin Reeve Jackson denied a motion to lower the bond to $100,000.

Morgan was arrested on Feb. 13 after 29-year-old Trevor Julian, died by gunfire in a reported road rage incident. According to an arrest affidavit, a Tesla “stopped abruptly” in front of a pickup Morgan was driving at the intersection of E. Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive. Julian was in the passenger seat of the Tesla, which his wife was driving. Morgan told investigators that he opened his truck door but remained seated as Julian exited the Tesla and approached the truck. The two men began yelling at each other. Continue reading No reduction of bond for road rage

MARSHALL — A Marshall man was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison after using an illegal firearm in a 2024 armed robbery. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Texas, 20-year-old Jaquallon Tyjuan Hargett was arrested in 2024 after robbing a person of $100 at an ATM in Daingerfield using a pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device. The conversion device, often referred to as a glock switch, can be attached to the rear of a firearm, allowing a semi-automatic weapon to be converted into a fully automatic machine gun.

“This case demonstrates why we cannot, and we will not, allow Glock-switches to proliferate on the streets of East Texas,” U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs said. “This sentence, 100 months in prison for robbing $100 from a citizen of our community, shows that crime simply does not pay on our watch. Law enforcement conducted an excellent investigation that led to this criminal being brought to justice. They have my sincere appreciation.”

The Daingerfield Police Department, the Marshall Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak.

AUSTIN — Less than two months before the May runoff, U.S. Senator John Cornyn has locked down a wave of support, with more than a dozen elected Republican lawmakers lining up behind his bid for the U.S. Senate.

Cornyn edged out Paxton by just 1.2% in the March election, sending the race to a May runoff. Since then, he has added endorsements from 19 more Texas Republicans, including East Texas U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, bringing his total to more than 500 current and former Texas elected officials.

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of many longtime friends in Texas politics, who I have gotten to know during our time in office and with whom I’ve been proud to work,” Cornyn said. “I’ve always worked hard to earn the trust of our elected officials, so we can roll up our sleeves and work together for the betterment of all Texans. I look forward to continuing our important work together upon my re-election to the United States Senate.” Continue reading Moran endorses Cornyn’s Senate bid

BULLARD – The Bullard board of trustees approved a project on Monday to renovate an old middle school into an early childhood campus. The facility is expected to be completed by 2027. The new campus will serve students in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade. Funding for the renovation is provided by a bond measure that voters originally approved in May 2022.

According to our news partner KETK, the decision to repurpose the facility followed a review of student enrollment data and campus capacity by district officials. The Bullard interim superintendent noted that the move was made after evaluating the current space available to accommodate the growing student population. This analysis was conducted to ensure the project meets the district’s long-term facility needs for its youngest learners.

The renovation was included as a component of the school district’s original bond proposal from May 2022. By shifting the former middle school to an early childhood model, the district intends to better manage population distribution across its campuses. The board of trustees finalized the approval for the change during their regular meeting on Monday.

The renovation project is expected to be completed by Aug. 20-27. The district will begin accepting students for the new pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade programs once the facility is ready for the start of the school year.

HENDERSON COUNTY — One man has died and another person injured in a crash early Thursday morning in Henderson County. The Texas Department of Public Safety said law enforcement was called to a single-vehicle crash on rural Henderson County at around 2:06 a.m. According to our news partner KETK, a preliminary investigation revealed that a Chevrolet pickup truck was heading west on FM 317 when the truck approached a left-hand curve at an unsafe speed, left the roadway and hit a tree. The driver, 20-year-old Daniel Rivero, of Athens, was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 19-year-old passenger was transported to a local hospital. DPS said the investigation is ongoing.

SMITH COUNTY – Impacts from the conflict with Iran are reaching East Texas farmers as the prices of fuel and fertilizer are on the rise. According to our news partner KETK, with Iran’s disruption of global shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, costs for key agricultural supplies, diesel fuel used to power delivery trucks, and fertilizer components are becoming hot commodities.

“Delivery is causing everything to go up because everything that comes by rail or trucking,” Smith County Farm Bureau Board Member Malcom Williams said. “Most fertilizers are a petroleum product, so you get that impact immediately.”

Petroleum is found in fuel, some fertilizer and several everyday products. A price jump in the supply chain could hurt customers.
Continue reading Farmers concerned over rising costs

tYLER – Starting this April, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP will no longer allow purchasing candy or drinks with more than 5 grams of sugar or artificial sweetener. 
Items that can no longer be purchased through SNAP next month include:

– Candy
– Soda
– Energy Drinks
– Yogurt and chocolate-covered fruit
– Gum

However, SNAP card shoppers will still be able to purchase electrolyte drinks, coffee creamers and any ingredients on the baking side.
Continue reading New SNAP rules begin next month

SMITH COUNTY – A babysitter was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly committing a series of sexual assaults against a child over five years in Whitehouse. According to our news partner KETK, arrest documents from Smith County revealed that a parent had called the Whitehouse Police Department in February to report that her child had been sexually assaulted by John Bonner. He had babysat her two children for about five years, and the abuse had occurred at his residence.

Authorities interview the children and found that Bonner had sexually assaulted one of the children throughout that time. During an interview with the Whitehouse Police Department, he reportedly admitted to being aroused when he babysat and that he had kissed and sexually touched one of the children. Bonner was arrested on Tuesday for continuous sexual abuse of a child, a victim under 14, and booked into the Smith County Jail. He is being held on a $750,00 bond.

MOUNT PLEASANT- In February 2026, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division received a tip about an individual uploading Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM). On March 6, the Texas DPS CID executed a search warrant at a residence in Mount Pleasant, owned by Wayne Renning.

During the search of the residence, multiple devices were seized and later determined to contain CSAM. An arrest warrant was obtained, and Wayne Renning was arrested on March 25, on the charges of Possession of Child Pornography, Possession of Visual Material Depicting the Sexual Assault of a Child.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division was assisted by the Titus County Sheriff’s Office and the Collin County Child Exploitation Unit in the arrest of Wayne Renning. Renning is currently held in the Titus County Jail.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Council of Judges has accepted the resignation of district clerk Penny Clarkston and has appointed her successor. Clarkson formally resigned from her position on Tuesday, citing personal family reasons. Following Clarkson’s resignation, it was announced that paralegal Gaye Boynton has been appointed to complete Clarkson’s term, which runs through the end of the year.

Boynton recently defeated Clarkston in the March Republican primary election and is currently running unopposed in the general election this November.

Prior to running for local office, Boynton served in several leadership positions, including as President of the Tyler Area Association of Legal Professionals (TAALP), and had more than 10 years of experience in the Women’s Ministry at Green Acres Baptist Church.

LUFKIN — The family of a man who was killed in a Lufkin car crash on Jan. 17 is suing the pediatrician, George Fidone. A family is seeking $1 million from Lufkin pediatrician, George Fidone, for allegedly driving while intoxicated and killing husband and father, D. Marcus Hadnot, in a January car crash.

The crash occurred on College Drive when a Mercedes, driven by Fidone, crashed into Hadnot’s Kia at around 10:15 a.m. Hadnot and his dog, who were in the car, were later pronounced dead following the crash. Fidone told officers he was on his phone and allegedly admitted that the crash was his fault before heading to the hospital for minor injuries. He was later arrested after blood collected from the crash reported a 0.14 blood alcohol level, an arrest affidavit stated.

He was booked into the Angelina County Jail and charged with two counts of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle. Continue reading Crash victim’s family sues doctor