KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – It was a packed house Thursday at the W T Brookshire Conference Center, as Mayor Don Warren addressed the 900 attendees about Tyler today, and it’s future. Warren said, “One of the best decisions I ever made was coming back home to Tyler. This city raised me, and I’ve spent the last 11 years on Council and as Mayor working to ensure that every part of Tyler has the chance to thrive.”

He explained that the city is creating a foundation for long-term success. He gave examples of park upgrades to fixing city streets. Also, a new downtown parking garage is complete. A new courthouse is under construction and construction will soon begin on a complete streetscape redesign. The redesign, includes wider sidewalks, roundabouts, restored two-way traffic, and more room for outdoor dining. The City is also working closely with the Valencia Hotel Group on a proposed 144-room full-service hotel.
Continue reading Mayor Warren gives state of Tyler address

LONGVIEW – A 19-year-old has been arrested in Longview after allegedly robbing a business on Tuesday evening, according to our news partner KETK.

Officers from the Longview Police Department arrived at the 1500 block of Pine Tree Road after receiving reports of a robbery. Officers learned that the suspect had demanded cash from the clerk. The suspect was believed armed with a deadly weapon, according to officials.

The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Bryson Lewis from Longview, who was subsequently arrested on Wednesday. Lewis was charged with aggravated robbery and is being held on a $90,000 bond.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — A Van Zandt County inmate has died after experiencing a medical emergency while working with a road repair crew on May 12.

According to our news partner KETK and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, Andrew Mark “Tubby” Harris of Grand Saline had a medical emergency and was immediately given CPR before dying at a hospital soon after. Harris was a “trustee” inmate working with Van Zandt County’s Precinct 3 Road repair crew while under supervision.

An investigation is underway and the cause of death has not been announced.

UPDATE: Tyler PD arrested 34-year-old Joshua Isiah Malina on Tuesday for the murder of 28-year-old Karsen Lynn Stewart. Malina is being held at the Smith County Jail on a $2 million bond.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is seeking answers following the murder of a 28-year-old woman on Saturday.

According to our news partner KETK, officers arrived on the scene in the 400 block of S. Confederate Ave in Tyler after receiving calls regarding a homicide. According to officials, the victim was Karsen Lynn Stewart from Mineola and her family has been notified. Tyler PD said Stewart had multiple stab wounds and was found in the roadway near her car.

The case remains under investigation and anyone with any information is asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

CHANDLER – According to a report from our news partner KETK, a man was hospitalized after being hit by a train on Tuesday in Chandler.

Chandler Police Department Chief Kalon Rollins said the man driving a truck was attempting to cross the tracks into a private driveway area when he was hit by the train. Rollins said the man got out of his truck with minor injuries before being taken to a local hospital. The incident remains under investigation.

HAWKINS – The Hawkins mayor was booked into the Wood County Jail on Wednesday after tampering with government records, arrest documents show, according to our news partner KETK.

After only being the Hawkins mayor for a little over a year, starting in February 2024, Deborah Lynn Rushing of Hawkins was arrested and charged with tampering with governmental records on Wednesday.

In recent months, this East Texas town with a population of less than 1,300 people, has been rocked by resignations, calls to disband the police department, a lawsuit and now an arrest of the current mayor. Continue reading Hawkins mayor arrested for tampering with government records

JEFFERSON – According to our news partner KETK, the Jefferson Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify a man who they believe committed wire theft, possibly causing signal and service disruptions across the area.

Video footage of the suspect was obtained through a tactical game camera. Officials are now looking for the public’s help to identify the man seen in the video as they believe he could have caused poor signal and service disruptions for residents in the area.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity is asked to contact the Jefferson Police Department at 903-665-2432.

FLINT — What was intended to be a quiet stay at ‘The Oasis on Valley,’ a Flint Airbnb, took an unsettling turn when gunshots echoed through the neighborhood, prompting concerns about who is renting these properties and whether short-term rentals belong in residential areas, according to our news partner KETK.

“In the evening, my relative went to bed and heard firecrackers going off around midnight. Come to find out they were driving up and down the streets, shooting towards each other,” a concerned relative, David said.

Just down the street from the Airbnb house, holes are visible in the stop sign. The owners said they have not had this issue in the past, and the customer told them they would only have four visitors in the home, but according to neighbors, there were more than 30 at the house. Continue reading Local Airbnb shooting prompts calls for stricter vetting

CROCKETT- A routine traffic stop in Crockett on Monday morning led to a police chase and an arrest for drug possession, according to our news partner KETK.

Officers initiated a traffic stop and the driver, Josue Luis Delagarza, chose not to stop his vehicle which forced authorities to pursue Delagarza along city streets as he drove recklessly, according to officials. Delagarza eventually turned onto a dead-end road and attempted to flee on foot before officers managed to arrest him on Parkway Street. During the arrest, cocaine was found in Delagarza’s possession, according to officials.

Following his arrest, Delagarza was charged with evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance along with several outstanding misdemeanor warrants, according to officials.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin woman was arrested on Sunday after a two-year-old boy was brought to a hospital in Lufkin for a THC overdose in April, an arrest affidavit reveals. According to our news partner KETK,  the boy was brought to a local hospital by his mother, 19-year-old Brianna Rene’ Lawrence, and another woman because he was not “waking up.” The toddler was found not alert by ER staff and was only responding to painful stimuli, officials said.

While an officer was speaking with Lawrence she allegedly admitted to using different THC products including THC gummies, marijuana and THC vape pens. After officers searched a white KIA SUV she used to transport the toddler to the hospital, they found marijuana with THC in the center console, the court documents said. The vehicle used wasn’t owned by Lawrence but the owner told the officer that the marijuana was Lawrence’s. Continue reading Two-year-old tests positive for THC at Lufkin hospital

TYLER — Colm Conneen of Tyler, a May 2025 graduate of The University of Texas at Tyler, has received a one-year U.S. Fulbright fellowship to conduct post-graduate research beginning this fall at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. While there, Conneen will study microbial microcosms in pitcher plants, which is a continuation of his interests in community ecology and mathematical ecology. Fulbright selection is based on academic excellence and previous research experience.

“We congratulate Colm, who is a prime example of the excellent students we have in biology who go on to do amazing things,” said Dr. Neil Gray, UT Tyler College of Arts and Sciences dean. “I also want to thank Dr. Joshua Banta for being a tremendous mentor and supporter.”

A UT Tyler professor of biology, Banta previously taught Conneen and served as his undergraduate faculty research adviser in the lab. They collaborated on research focused on the ecological niche modeling –– which is predicting a species distribution area with statistical methods –– of Texas crayfish. Continue reading UT Tyler alum named international Fulbright research fellow

RUSK COUNTY – A man was arrested Monday morning after reportedly breaking into a woman’s home in Rusk County and assaulting her with a cooking pan. According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, deputies received an early morning call about a home burglary in progress and when they arrived on scene they heard screaming from inside.

Officials said deputies forced their way inside and found the suspect, Christopher Lee Heard, who had broken into the home, and then assaulted a woman with a cooking pan. Deputies arrested Heard for burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit a felony (aggravated assault), and he is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Rusk County Jail.

The victim was transported to a Tyler hospital where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

TYLER – According to our news partner, KETK, The Texas Department of Transportation held an event in Tyler on Monday to launch their annual ‘Click It Or Ticket’ driver safety campaign. The campaign means law enforcement is increasing their efforts to ensure that drivers buckle up while on the roads. From Monday until June 1, all drivers caught not wearing a seat belt in a moving vehicle will be given a ticket, not a warning or an exception like many drivers may be used to.

“We want to make sure that everyone is safe. We don’t want anyone to be in a crash and not go home to their families, friends, coworkers, what have you,” said Tyler traffic safety specialist with TxDOT Heather Singleton said. “We’ve estimated that we’ve saved almost 10,000 lives by doing this event.”

To learn more about the campaign, click here.

TYLER – A Tyler woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday after a deputy found fentanyl inside her 6-month-old’s diaper during a traffic stop in 2024, according to our news partner KETK. Around 11:30 p.m. on May 5, 2024, a Smith County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over a vehicle near Van Highway and Loop 323 for a traffic violation. Officials said when the deputy pulled over the driver, Dre-Darian Taerondrick Ester, they smelled marijuana from the vehicle, resulting in a search.

The deputy then asked the child’s mother, Jada La Nae Speight, who was in the passenger seat, to change the baby’s diaper, officials said. At this moment, the deputy saw a “bottle of pressed fentanyl” inside the diaper.

Ester pleaded guilty to manufacturing/delivering of a controlled substance on Oct. 21, 2024, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On Friday, Speight pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

TYLER – A potential bill is being proposed which would expand the sale of ungraded eggs, according to our news partner, KETK.

If passed, Bill 1864, which is in the House Agriculture and Livestock committee, would expand the sale of ungraded eggs. Currently, the only way you can sell wholesale is to grade your eggs. Which are inspected by a certified grading station.

“It’s not a safety issue. It’s not that a grade B egg is not as good as a grade A egg. It just has to do with size and weight and things like that,” State Rep. Brent Money said. Representative Money serves on the committee and says this would open a lot of doors for small East Texas egg producers.

“Any time you can expand the market and make it easier for them to sell their products, it’s better for their business and it’s better for the consumer,” Money said. Continue reading Bill proposed to allow small egg producers to sell ungraded eggs wholesale

TYLER — Gantry maintenance on Toll 49 will cause a single lane closure between Hwy 155 and FM 2493 (Old Jacksonville Hwy) from 9am-4pm Tuesday, May 20. Drivers should expect short delays.

TYLER – Tyler Police have identified a suspect in the murder of a 28-year-old woman on Saturday. Joshua Isaiah Malina, 34, was arrested Tuesday, May 20 and booked into the Smith County Jail on a warrant for murder. His bond was set at $2,000,000.

According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to Confederate Avenue after receiving calls regarding a homicide. According to officials, the victim, 28-year-old Karsen Lynn Stewart, from Mineola, was found in the roadway near her car with multiple stab wounds. The case remains under investigation.

TYLER — Smith County Emergency Services District 2 responded to a residential garage fire on Saturday that was caused by a lightening strike.

According to our news partner KETK, the fire occurred at a residence in Cook’s Crossing off Old Bullard Road in Tyler. Smith County ESD2 said engines 161, 151, 166, 156 and Battalion 1 along with Whitehouse Fire Department, chief 3 and other support crews worked to put out the fire. All of the home’s residents made it to safety and no injures were reported.

GUN BARREL CITY – According to our news partner KETK, a man was sentenced to ten years in state prison last week in connection to a motorcycle chase that started in Gun Barrel City, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office.

A deputy with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on a blue motorcycle in the 300 block of West Main Street of Gun Barrel City on Aug. 10, 2024, a press release from the district attorney’s office said. The motorcycle accelerated towards Mabank after the deputy turned on their emergency lights and siren. As the motorcycle sped towards Mabank, it went on the wrong side of the roadway at over 140 miles per hour, according to the press release. As the sheriff’s office, the Gun Barrel City Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety pursued the motorcycle, it attempted to drive on the grassy shoulder of FM 316 and crashed. The motorcycle driver then attempted to evade officers by leaving the wrecked motorcycle but was taken into custody.

Henry Lee Hyde II, who the attorney’s office identified as the driver, was then sentenced to 10 years in state prison by 3rd District Court Judge Mark Calhoon for the charge of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.

TYLER – The City of Tyler announced that there will be base repairs to the Fair Park Drive foundation Tuesday, May 20. Work will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting. Repairs will be from West Front Street to Rose Park Drive. The road will be closed to through traffic. Drivers are asked to follow any posted detours and to allow for an additional 15 to 20 minutes of travel.

TYLER – According to a media release from Smith County, all non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed for business on Monday, May 26, 2025, for Memorial Day.

Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, May 27, and Commissioners Court will be held at the normal time – 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

RUSK COUNTY – According to a report from our news partner, KETK, a Henderson woman was arrested on Saturday after allegedly burning her family’s dogs in the front yard of her home.

The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to a call from an 11-year-old boy who said his mother called him the devil, and was burning the family dogs.

Shortly after the first call, officials received another call about, Veronica Loredo, who went to a different residence with blood on her hands while claiming her parents were murdered.

During an investigation, officials found dog remains in an active fire in front of her home. Loredo’s four young children, ages 1-11, were present during her arrest.

Loredo was charged with two felony counts of cruelty to nonlivestock animals and four counts of endangering a child, with a bond set at $400,000, according to officials.

TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports a man was arrested after he shot and injured his 74-year-old wheelchair bound dad with a BB gun Thursday afternoon in Tyler.

A Smith County Sheriff’s Office affidavit reveals a deputy responded to a shooting at County Road 2208, where he found a woman saying Clarence James Beasley had shot his 74-year-old wheelchair bound dad with a BB gun.

The victim said he and his son had gotten into an argument when he gave him advice on “why he felt his son was not getting to see his own child,” the document said. He explained to the deputy that his son got mad and, out of range, shot him in the chest with a BB gun.

“He showed me the site, which was on his left nipple, stating it had not broken the skin but did cause pain,” the affidavit said. “The victim did wish to pursue charges.”

Beasley was located at the back of the property and was arrested around 4:26 p.m. on Thursday for injury to an elderly person with intent to cause bodily injury, but posted bond the following day.

BULLARD — Our news partner, KETK, reports that a man was arrested on Thursday evening in Bullard after striking his 89-year-old mother on the side of the head with a closed fist.

According to an affidavit from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to an assault at a home near Lakeside Drive where a caregiver said between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. she saw Christopher Banks Dunn strike his 89-year-old mother with ‘severe dementia’ on the side of the head with a closed fist.

The caregiver explained that she was helping the victim change when Dunn became upset and hit the victim on the side of the head for arguing with him, the document said. Continue reading Bullard man arrested for punching 89-year-old woman

MARSHALL – An Eastern District of Texas federal jury has awarded $278.8 million in damages to a Tyler research firm suing tech-giant Samsung for patent infringement.

Headwater Research LLC, a Tyler-based research firm lead by inventor Dr. Greg Raleigh, filed a lawsuit against Samsung on March 10, 2023 which alleged that Samsung phones and tablets had infringed against two wireless communication technology patents.

U.S. patents 8,406,733 and 9,198,117 are technologies that are used to improve Wi-Fi speeds, reliability and the battery life of devices, according to a press release. Continue reading Tyler research firm awarded $278 million in damages

UPDATE: According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, they have identified Dezavion Williams, 19 of Tyler, as the suspected shooter. Williams was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail for aggravated assault.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department has taken one person into custody after shots were fired at Lake Tyler at around on Sunday. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, Tyler PD responded to gunshots reported at a parking lot near Lake Tyler and called for assistance with crowd control. Officers near the lake were able to take a suspected shooter with a rifle into custody. Tyler PD said no one was injured in the shooting. They are currently interviewing the person in custody.

TYLER — Our news partner KETK is reporting that gas prices are down compared to last Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA, the national average that Americans are paying is 3.192. Only a week ago, the number stood at 3.152, climbing to a .04 cent increase. Texas has a current average of $2.79, which resulted in a .03 cent difference within the week. Compared to this time last year, the average Texas gas price is down by 39 cents. Tyler is down by 38 cents from last year, Longview is down by 41 cents and Texarkana is down by 39 cents, AAA reported.

Texas is one of the least expensive states when it comes to gas in between Alabama ($2.76) and South Carolina ($2.81), according to AAA. Prices are rising slightly from last week during this late spring season as family vacations and road trips start up.
Courtesy of AAA

TYLER – Tyler Police Department officers and other first responders helped save a 60-year-old man who got trapped in a creek bed on Saturday night according to our news partner KETK.

Despite severe thunderstorms moving through Smith County on Saturday, the officers and EMS personnel responded to a report of a missing 60-year-old man with health concerns that hadn’t taken his medication, according to the Tyler Patrolman’s Association Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 182. The man was found cold, injured and unable to move but thankfully he was still alive. The association said he was then lifted out of the creek and treated by EMS.

“With incredible teamwork, they extracted him safely and got him the medical help he urgently needed. Their dedication and bravery saved a life last night. This is the heart of service,” the Tyler Patrolman’s Association said on Sunday.

UPDATE: TYLER – The Texas Game Wardens have confirmed that a 75-year-old was killed when a jet ski crashed into a boat at Lake Tyler West on Saturday.

Stephen Ward, 75 of Tyler, was killed when his jet ski crashed into what game wardens called a “recreational vessel” that had four occupants. Those four occupants were uninjured in the crash and no alcohol was involved, according to a press release from the Texas Game Wardens.

An autopsy has been ordered and the Texas Game Warden State Forensics Reconstruction and Mapping Team is investigating the crash. Continue reading UPDATE: One dead after jet ski crash in Lake Tyler