KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY – A wreck between a firetruck and a car on I-20 in Smith County Monday morning left one person in the hospital. According to our news partner KETK, a release from Smith County Emergency Services District 2 says their crews and the Winona Fire Department were dispatched to the collision. Both vehicles sustained “significant damage” and the driver of the passenger vehicle was taken to a local hospital. No firefighters were injured. DPS is investigating the wreck. “At the time of the accident, there were several accidents on major highways in Smith County,” Smith County ESD 2 said in a release. “Smith County ESD 2 is encouraging drivers to slow down and be vigilant while driving during inclement weather.”

TYLER — The NET Health Immunizations Clinic has organized the return of Children’s Fest. Set for Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m., it’s an opportunity for parents of babies, infants, and toddlers to ensure their children are up-to-date on all recommended vaccinations. Officials say the parking lot on North Broadway Avenue in Tyler will include family-friendly activities and health services provided by local health organizations. Annually, the last full week of April 2022 is recognized as National Infant Immunization Week. According to a news release, that’s a national observance to promote the benefits of immunizations and to improve the health of children two years old or younger. Click here to learn more.

TYLER — A Tyler man was charged with intoxicated manslaughter for a wreck early Sunday morning that killed an 18-year-old girl. According to our news partner KETK, the report says Justin Pierce,29, was traveling west on Highway 64, roughly two miles west of Tyler, just after 1:30 a.m. Marissa July-McCuin, of Tyler, was attempting to cross the road in the outside lane when she was allegedly hit by Pierce’s SUV. July-McCuin was taken to a Tyler hospital where she died a few hours later from her injuries. The DPS report alleges that Pierce left the scene of the crash, but was found not long after. Pierce was treated and released from the hospital, then booked into the Smith County Jail with bond set at $500,000. According to online records, Pierce has a pending charge of assaulting a peace officer in Smith County from April 19, 2021.

LONGVIEW – A Spring Hill ISD senior helped raise more than $1,500 for a student with autism. According to our news partner KETK, Alexis Grubb met autistic freshman Louis Wolfe at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. When Grubb noticed Wolfe sitting alone in the cafeteria, she decided to befriend him. Due to his disability, it took Wolfe some time to get comfortable with his new friend. Wolfe comes from a one-parent, low-income household, and his mom works day and night to keep the lights on. Upon learning this, Grubb knew that there was something she could do to help Wolfe. Grubb made a Facebook post and received an overwhelming number of responses that left both her and school staff speechless. Grubb raised more than $1,500 for the student. She took the money to the store and bought Wolfe an abundance of art supplies. Continue reading Spring Hill ISD senior helps raise money for autistic student

NEW LONDON — The Rusk County Sheriff’s office is currently seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 15-year-old boy that has been missing since Friday evening. According to our news partner KETK, Brandy Calhoun was last seen at approximately 6 p.m. on Friday walking from the West Rusk Softball Fields in New London. He is described as a white male with blonde hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt, blue jeans, combat boots, a blue baseball hat and had his arm in a sling. If you have any information on Calhoun’s whereabouts, contact the Rusk County Sheriff’s office at (903) 657-3581.

TYLER — Tyler’s New Copeland Road will be closed at Dolores Street (between East Rieck Road and East Grande Boulevard) for about two weeks beginning Monday, April 25, while utilities are installed across the roadway. Motorists will need to find alternative north and south routes on Paluxy Drive or South Broadway Avenue during the construction.

EAST TEXAS — Early voting for the May 7 City/School and Constitutional Amendment Election begins Monday, April 25. Early voting in Smith County will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, April 25-30; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, May 2-3. There will be eight early voting locations throughout Smith County. Continue reading Early voting begins Monday

TYLER — The city of Tyler is nearing completion of cleanup and recovery operations following the aftermath of the April 12 severe storms and straight line winds that left hundreds of fallen tree limbs as well as downed and uprooted trees on City streets and right-of-way. According to a news release, the Street Department received more than 300 calls reporting downed trees and limbs after the storm. The trees and limbs have been cut and removed from the streets and the department anticipated having it all picked up by the weekend. Continue reading Storm recovery, cleanup operations near completion

TYLER — The Three Lakes Parkway extension from Hillcross Cove to Old Noonday Road in Tyler is complete and open to traffic. According to a news release, the project constructed approximately 1600 linear feet of two lane roadway, box culverts, and sidewalk. The project closed the gap between portions of previously constructed Three Lakes Parkway west of Old Jacksonville Highway and east of Old Noonday Road, providing additional roadway network connectivity. The city’s contractual responsibility, part of a pact with a land development firm, was funded through the Half-Cent Sales Tax Program. Ultimately, as future development occurs, the city plans for Three Lakes Parkway to become a four-lane divided roadway from Old Jacksonville Highway to Old Noonday Road.

TYLER — COVID numbers remain low in the area, but NET Health’s George Roberts says officials continue to keep their eye on BA.2 as well as the subvariant BA.2.12.1. Both have been in the spotlight — and that’s not all. Roberts says the CDC and the World Health Organization have been monitoring other variants as well — and officials don’t know when any of them could cause a significant increase in cases. That’s why Roberts continues to urge vaccinations. He says early response has been good since his agency moved its vaccinations back to its main office on North Broadway. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

EAST TEXAS — Workforce Solutions East Texas (WSET) announces new dates for its Rural, Set, Go: Boost! workforce strategy public forums. WSET, in partnership with the East Texas Council of Governments and local elected officials, has been traveling the region hosting its the rural economic development forum series for the past several weeks. According to a news release, approximately 200 attendees have joined the forums. The final dates are scheduled to cover six counties and are open to local community and business leaders, employers, school districts, secondary schools, economic development corporations, and chambers. Click here to learn more.

TYLER — A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Grapeland man and woman with federal solicitation of murder violations. Reynaldo Campos, Jr., 44, and Robin Pittman, aka Robin Hill, 42, were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Tyler charging them with murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire; solicitation to commit murder for hire and conspiracy to solicit murder for hire; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and felon in possession of a firearm. Continue reading Couple indicted for allegedly attempting to hire hit man

TYLER — A Smith County jury has sentenced Jeffrey Hampton to life in prison for the death of Roberto Carlos Hernandez in a 2019 boating accident on Lake Palestine. Hampton was found to have used the boat as a deadly weapon, so he must serve 30 years of his sentence before possible parole. He has already spent nearly three years awaiting trial, so he will be first eligible for parole in 2049. The sentencing trial for the 34-year-old Hampton, of Tyler, began just days after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the teenage boy’s death. According to our news partner KETK, Hampton admitted guilt but elected to have a jury decide his fate. While manslaughter is normally a second-degree felony in Texas, the punishment range was enhanced to a first-degree felony due to Hampton’s prior criminal history.

TYLER — Tyler police say 20-year-old Darius Reggie has been arrested by DPS in Harris County and booked into the Harris County Jail in a Tyler catalytic converter theft case dating to January. Police said he would be transported back to Smith County to face the charges, and there are no further suspects wanted in this case. The case involved three suspects, all from Houston, and they face a range of charges. Continue reading Final suspect caught in catalytic converter theft case

TYLER — Tyler Animal Services and the Tyler Police Department are hosting the annual rabies and microchip clinic for the first time since the pandemic. It’s set for tonight from 6 till 9 at Fun Forest Park on N. Forest Ave. A local veterinarian will be administering the discounted rabies shots for $10. Microchips will be half-off for $5. Anyone is welcome to bring their pet to this clinic, even if they don’t live in Tyler.

KILGORE — Texas Mutual Insurance Company awarded a $100,000 grant for the 15th straight year to Kilgore College to continue funding the college’s Risk Management Institute that provides free workplace safety courses for community employers, workers, and the general public. KC is one of 11 colleges statewide receiving education safety grants from Texas Mutual, the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance. Over a 23-year period, Texas Mutual has awarded $11 million in safety education grants and more than 35,000 students have attended free or discounted safety training offered at various colleges.

AUSTIN — The two biggest markets in East Texas show up strong in the latest Texas Quarterly Housing Report from Texas Realtors. For the first quarter of 2022, the Tyler MSA’s median home price was $290,000, up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Home sales in the Tyler area increased 6.5% from the same period in 2021. The median home price in the Longview MSA was $220,000, a 15.8% increase from last year’s first quarter. Longview-area home sales for the first three months of 2022 were up 8.9% from the same period last year. Click here for more detailed information.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department says all lanes are now clear following a Thursday traffic accident. The three-vehicle crash with injuries was reported on Hwy 69 N., just north of CR 490. Full and partial closures ensued, but police say traffic is now flowing as normal.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office says 73-year-old Freddie Lee Head has been found in San Antonio, “unharmed and in good spirits.” He was reported missing after last being seen leaving his residence, south of Hideaway Lake, at 7:00 Wednesday night. Officials say family members are on the way to San Antonio to bring him home safely.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is working a missing person case. Carey Pennington, a 57-year-old female, has been missing from an address on Martin Lane in Tyler since 5:30 Tuesday morning. She is believed to be on foot and was last seen wearing a blue shirt, jean shorts, and red/white/blue canvas shoes. She is 5’07”, 168 lbs. with brown hair and hazel eyes. She has her dog, a white dachshund, with her. If you know her whereabouts or see her, contact Detective Lopez at 903-531-1098 or Tyler PD Dispatch at 903-531-1000.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Development Services office is easing electrical inspection requirements for residents and contractors who need power restored to their properties following the aftermath of the severe weather on April 12. Residents and contractors will have until April 26 to take advantage of this service, according to a news release. Typically, contractors are required to have a permit prior to doing any residential electrical work. The City’s electrical inspector inspects the work after it is done and prior to Oncor restoring the power to the residence. To reduce the amount of time it would typically take to restore power, electrical contractors can do the work and call Oncor to restore the power when the work is completed. The department also relaxed requirements for residents who need to repair structural damages related to the storm. Click here for more information.

TYLER — Authorities have captured one suspect and seek another in a Tuesday afternoon pursuit. In a news release, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office says at 1:37 pm, a deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria on Bellwood Lake Road near Hwy. 31 West. After making contact with the driver, officials say the deputy smelled an odor of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the driver reportedly sped away north, crossed Hwy 31 West onto Eisenhower Drive, and continued north toward Hwy. 64 West. He then reportedly ran the stop sign on Eisenhower at 64 West, causing a crash with two separate vehicles. Continue reading One caught, one sought following chase, crash

TYLER — NET Health’s George Roberts says his agency had a good reason for moving its COVID vaccination clinic back to the main NET Health office on North Broadway in Tyler. Roberts points out that that’s where the agency does its other vaccinations — saying the thinking was to consolidate all of them into one location for the public’s convenience. He says he hopes that will encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID and other illnesses. The move was made this week. Roberts remains guardedly upbeat about continued low COVID numbers in the area. Regarding BA.2, he says that now makes up 75 per cent of total cases nationwide — while a new subvariant known as BA.2.12.1 now accounts for roughly 20 per cent of cases around the country. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

TYLER – U.S. Senator John Cornyn was in Tyler Tuesday for a roundtable to discuss broadband access. Local leaders, healthcare providers, educators and economic development officials gathered with Cornyn to “highlight the challenges of limited broadband access that many East Texas communities experience.” The roundtable took place Tuesday morning at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital. Cornyn has worked on legislation that would allow local leaders to use unspent COVID-19 relief funds for regional projects like expanding broadband access and infrastructure. Participants came from a wide variety of backgrounds to discussed how broadband access impacts education, healthcare and economic development. Cornyn compared the lack of access to broadband in rural communities to the way that those same communities had little access to electricity in the 1950s, saying that “we overcame that deficit and that lack of connectivity back then, and we can do this now.”

TYLER– Two suspects have been arrested following a chase that went through several cities. According to a news release from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, that followed a predawn Bullard traffic stop from which the suspect fled in a pickup. Authorities say they then pursued the truck through Bullard, Jacksonville, Bullard again, Whitehouse, and Tyler. Once reaching Tyler’s River Oaks apartment complex, the driver reportedly began to flee on foot. Officials say the suspect fired one round toward a deputy with a handgun, continued fleeing, then forcibly entered an apartment occupied by two females and two young children. According to the release, the suspect quickly left that unit, only to barricade himself inside another unit in the complex. Authorities tell us Jonathan Lizarraga-Romero, 29, of Tyler fInally surrendered. Continue reading Two arrested after four-city chase

TYLER — A design firm wants to hear from you on future plans for downtown Tyler. In late winter, after a second phase contract was approved by Tyler City Council, Toole Design began the development of a concept to support revitalization efforts in the Downtown Tyler area. As part of this design plan, the company will be meeting with stakeholders this week to see what the needs and wants are for the area, according to a news release. Toole Design and the Main Street Department are also requesting the input of Tyler residents. Residents can submit their visions and comments by visiting this link. The plan is scheduled to be completed this year. This preliminary vision and design will move the revitalization process forward to allow the City to develop phases for construction, according to the release.

TYLER –Senator John Cornyn participates in a roundtable discussion in Tyler today wto hear from regional leaders, health care providers, educators, and economic development officials at the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital. The roundtable highlights the challenges of limited broadband access that many East Texas communities experience and how Sen. Cornyn’s current legislation would allow local leaders to use unspent COVID-19 relief funds for regional projects like expanding broadband and infrastructure. Roundtable participants are sharing how broadband access impacts education, health care, and economic development and emphasizes the importance of bridging the digital divide. The meeting is set for 10:00 with a press conference to follow.

FORT WORTH — Fort Worth police arrest the fifth and final suspect in connection with the ambush robbery of a Dallas man last month — a case with an East Texas link. 19-year-old Eric Carroll was captured late last week by the Fort Worth Police Fugitive unit and the U.S. Marshals. Police say Carroll was part of a group who kidnapped and robbed a man after he was lured to an apartment on Berry Street. Carroll had escaped at the end of a police chase that culminated with the arrests of two suspects. Two others, including the woman who allegedly lured the man to the apartment, were arrested in Tyler. Like the other four suspects, Carroll is charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler Patriot Classic raised $311,000 this year to benefit the university’s scholarship program. UT Tyler awarded 29 Patriot Classic scholarships. The activity consists of the Southside Bank Patriot Million Dollar Hole-in-One Contest and the BMW of Tyler Patriot Golf Classic. Both were held last month, making a return following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.