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LONGVIEW — Because of the new changes this year in Texas, many vote by mail applications and ballots were rejected this election cycle — and East Texas was no exception. Tuesday’s primary was the first election day since Senate Bill 1, also known as the election integrity bill, was signed in Texas. According to our news partner KETK, Gregg County Elections Administrator Jennifer Briggs said her staff is in the process of reaching out to voters who need to make corrections on their ballots. She said the majority of the problems came from the new law, which states that ID numbers need to be on their application and on a ballot as well. For future elections, administrators across East Texas counties have recommended taking time when filling out a ballot. Briggs said there is still time to make corrections. East Texans have up to six days after the election to fix their mail-in ballot that was already submitted.

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County jury sentenced Yoelvis Herrera, 33, of Houston, to 65 years in prison and $5,000 fine on Wednesday for the offense of Unlawful Interception of an Electronic Communication. Prosecutors presented evidence that on December 4, 2019, financial crimes detectives with the Tyler Police Department located a credit card skimmer inside a pump at a local gas station. The skimmer was removed and surveillance was set up at the pump. On December 8, 2019, detectives observed the defendant open the gas pump door and look inside for the skimmer. Continue reading Gas pump skimmer sentenced to 65 years in prison

SMITH COUNTY — A 70-year-old woman was killed after she failed to control her speed at a red light which resulted in a five-vehicle crash, according to our news partner KETK and the Texas Department of Public Safety. On Monday around 1:20 p.m. DPS troopers were called to the five-vehicle crash about two and a half miles west of Tyler in Smith County. According to DPS, Mary Grooms, 70, of Murchison, was driving a 2007 Infiniti G35 westbound on State Highway 31 in the inside lane approaching a red light. Continue reading Elderly woman dies after 5-vehicle crash in Smith County

TYLER — A Tyler man was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to several child prostitution charges. According to our news partner KETK, 26-year-old Brandon Johnson entered his plea before 7th District Court Judge Kerry Russell. He admitted to committing human trafficking, child prostitution, and child sexual assault. He was arrested in June 2021 after an investigation by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Marshals. Judicial records show that he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for all three charges and they will be served concurrently.

TYLER — The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) invites the public to attend an open house and provide input on a proposed amendment to the Master Street Plan which will extend Waljim Street, connecting Market Square Boulevard and West Grande Boulevard. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Tyler Development Center’s large conference room across from City Hall. The Master Street Plan is a long-range planning document that classifies streets based on current and forecast traffic counts. It recommends street elements, such as curbs, turn lanes, bike lanes, or sidewalks that the street should incorporate to best convey traffic movement, according to a news release. Click here for more information.

TYLER — A Tyler man and woman are accused of kidnapping two girls and sex-trafficking them into Louisiana, according to multiple arrest warrants obtained by our news partner KETK. The investigation began with a missing person report in mid-February from a home on CR 420. 27-year-old Aaron Wallace and 22-year-old Teresa Fletcher are each charged with two counts of kidnapping with bonds set at $500,000 each. If convicted, they are both facing up to 20 years in prison.

AUSTIN — A Tyler man has been renominated by Gov. Greg Abbott to be the presiding officer of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority. It will be for another two-year term that will run through February 1, 2024. According to our news partner KETK, the RMA is a political subdivision that was created to “finance, acquire, design, construct, operate, maintain, and expand or extend transportation projects in 14 counties in North East Texas,” according to a press release from Abbott’s office. Gary Halbrooks is the CEO of Venue Properties, a real estate company involved “in the brokerage, development, investment, and management of commercial real estate throughout the southwestern and southeastern United States,” per their website. Continue reading Tyler man renominated to North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority

WHITEHOUSE — A Whitehouse ISD bus was involved in a wreck Wednesday morning, according to the district’s Facebook page. Our news partner KETK reports, the wreck was on Highway 69 just south of FM 346, which is roughly seven miles west of the high school campus. First responders were called to the scene, but no students were taken to the hospital. The district said that no serious injuries were reported. A separate bus picked up the students and brought them to their campuses.

RUSK COUNTY — The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office arrested two people, seized drugs, a firearm, 17 electronic gaming machines and gambling paraphernalia from the “Susie Q” game room on County Road 3291 in Garrison during an evidentiary search warrant. According to our news partner KETK, on Monday, RCSO executed a search warrant based on allegations of illegal gambling. During the search, they recovered 17 electronic gaming machines, gambling paraphernalia believed to be associated with keeping a gambling place, suspected “crack cocaine”, suspected marijuana, money and a firearm. Continue reading 17 electronic gaming machines, drugs seized in Rusk County, two arrested

EAST TEXAS — East Texans turned out to cast ballots Tuesday in this year’s Texas primary, with a number of seats contested on the local, state, and national levels. In one key contest, Nathaniel Moran cruised to an easy victory in the GOP race to succeed Louie Gohmert in Congress. Gohmert was vying for attorney general, but he’s now out of the race; Land Commissioner George P. Bush will face incumbent Ken Paxton in a runoff. In State House District 6, Matt Schaefer won big over challenger Charles Turner. Schaefer will go up against Democrat Cody Grace in November. John Moore and Pam Frederick won their Smith County Commissioners Court elections, and neither faces a November opponent. In Gregg County, longtime Precinct 2 Commissioner Darryl Primo was soundly defeated by challenger Ray Bostick Jr. Click here for the full Smith County results. Use this link for the complete results in Gregg County.

TYLER — The Caldwell Zoo is currently in the process of making changes to its leadership — and to the zoo itself. According to our news partner KETK, Hayes Caldwell, the zoo’s executive director for more than 50 years, is transitioning to the role of president and CEO of the Caldwell Foundation. His longtime assistant director, Scott Maddox, has reportedly taken the position of chief operating officer, leading day-to-day operations. Mr. Caldwell also announced that the new president and CEO of the zoo will be Steve Marshall, who is currently senior vice president of operations at the Audubon Zoo and Park in New Orleans. He will be transitioning into his new role at Caldwell in April. Continue reading Caldwell Zoo making changes in leadership, exhibits

TYLER — NET Health CEO George Roberts is upbeat about the continuing decline in COVID numbers in his survey area. Roberts says the virus appears to be bottoming out locally by all measures, including a hospital patient number now down to 94. But he cautions that things still aren’t back to normal yet. Roberts continues to urge vaccinations, saying we can’t be sure when there might be a resurgence. He says officials continue to monitor the recently discovered BA-2 omicron variant “very carefully,” though it doesn’t appear to be having any significant impact locally so far. Roberts says according to the CDC, BA-2 continues to account for some 3.9 per cent of COVID cases nationwide, as it did last week. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

TYLER — The city of Tyler is putting out the word on a couple of events that may be of interest to you. Registration is now open for the Tyler Parks and Recreation 2022 Corporate Challenge. Officials say it provides a great opportunity for businesses to promote fitness throughout their organization and allows for networking opportunities with other companies in the community. Click here for more information. Meantime, Keep Tyler Beautiful is challenging Tyler area artists of all ages to create unique artwork for the Recycled Art Contest. The theme is “Be a Recycling Superhero!” Submissions will be accepted no later than Friday, March 18, at 5 p.m. You can go to this link for more details about that activity.

EAST TEXAS — East Texans are heading to the polls for the Texas primary. Smith County has 35 vote centers available. During two weeks of early voting, 19,614 votes were cast — about 13 percent of the 148,746 registered voters in the county. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voters can go to any of the 35 polling locations across the county, regardless of where they live. Click here for more details. Gregg County also has plenty of information for local voters. Click this link to learn more. KTBB will have election night coverage following President Biden’s State of the Union Address.

ATHENS — More than three years since one child was killed in an Athens ISD bus crash with a Union Pacific train, lawyers are still haggling over evidence needing to be collected. According to our news partner KETK, 81-year-old John Stevens is charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child after the January 2019 wreck that killed 13-year-old Christopher Bonilla and injured 9-year-old Joselyne Torres. At a hearing on Monday, lawyers for Union Pacific went back and forth with Stevens’ defense team on depositions for Robert Ray and Roger Johnson, the train’s conductor and engineer, respectively. Judge Scott McKee ordered all parties to be back in his courtroom at 9 a.m. on April 5.

TYLER — A Tyler woman allegedly lied about having more than $110 million to buy a home, according to an arrest warrant obtained by our news partner KETK. 27-year-old Mary Strobel is charged with forgery for greater than $300,000, a first-degree felony in Texas. She also was facing an illegal firearm possession charge from Bossier City, Louisiana. The warrant stated that a Tyler home was listed for $1.2 million and that Strobel and another man, who has yet to be charged, approached a realtor to buy the property. The documents say that Strobel met with the seller and agreed to a $1.1 million contract for the purchase. Strobel also agreed to put down $10,000 cash in earnest money. Continue reading Warrant: Tyler woman lied about having $110 million to purchase home

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. In Smith County, Tyler Maintenance starts Tuesday with a base failure crew on FM 2015 at IH 20. This will be under one-way traffic worked by flaggers. In Gregg County, crews will be continuing mill and inlay operations on FM 2204. There will be left lane closures east and westbound from US 259 BUS to Danville Rd. Click here for the full rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims in a double shooting discovered Friday. According to a news release, they were 21-year-olds Cody Russell Lovelady Jr. of Flint and Jarah Breann Shelton of Tyler. Officials say around 11:15 Friday morning, a deputy saw a black Ford F-250 on FM 2868 near the intersection of Hwy. 155 South. The vehicle was still running and a female was sitting in the front seat with a handgun. After removing the handgun, authorities say the deputy realized that the female and a male who was also in the front seat were both dead. The deputy secured the vehicle and called for assistance. Autopsies have been ordered, and the investigation continues.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Precinct 1 Constable Curtis Traylor-Harris and two high-ranking deputies were indicted on Thursday for felony theft by a public servant and a misdemeanor of official oppression, according to Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman. Precinct 1 Chief Deputy LaQuenda Banks and Pct. 1 Sgt. Derrick Holman were charged along with Harris. Harris, Banks and Holman were arrested in November 2021 for allegedly stealing from a Tyler residence while they were working. They were previously charged with theft, official oppression and abuse of official capacity. Those who are convicted with theft by a public servant will receive a third-degree felony. They could get a fine not greater than $10,000 and be sentenced between two to 10 years in prison. Continue reading Smith County Constable, high-ranking deputies indicted for felony theft, official oppression

MARSHALL — Authorities say a Harrison County man, 38-year-old Brandon Phillips, has been found safe after going missing. According to our news partner KETK, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office had been asking for the public’s help in locating Philllips. A truck belonging to Phillips was found near Hallsville and investigators say that it was found “in a manner that [they] believe he left the location on foot.” Officials did not say how long Phillips had been missing.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department was able to determine the car that likely killed a woman in a hit-and-run on North Broadway in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, police believe that a 2006 to 2007 Toyota Camry may have hit Kelsey Hise, 30, on Feb. 19 around 7:30 p.m. She was found on N. Broadway Avenue near Queen Street and later died from her injuries. Police do not know the color of the vehicle, but they are urging the public to look out and call about any vehicle with damage to the front end with a broken mirror. Anyone with information should contact Tyler PD at 903-531-1000.

TYLER — Black History Month continues in Tyler Saturday with the African American Cultural Events Committee City-Wide Annual Black History Program. Guest speaker is technology executive, investor, and author James Mobley (pictured). Tickets are $30 for the event, set for 6:00 p.m. at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. For tickets or sponsorship opportunities, you can call (903) 571-2469 or (903) 944-2279, or email [email protected].

NECHES — The former Neches Elementary School principal charged with interfering with an investigation into sexual assault of a minor now has a jury trial date of March 14. According to our news partner KETK, Kimberlyn Snider is facing a charge of tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair as well as five charges of official oppression. She was indicted on these charges early last year. She allegedly interfered with an Anderson County Sheriff’s Office investigation of a report that a minor had been sexually assaulted. The sheriff’s office has said that the minor in question was not a student in the elementary school. Continue reading Trial date set for former principal

TYLER — NET Health’s George Roberts remains guardedly upbeat about new COVID numbers for his area. Declining new case and community spread figures are among the highlights. Roberts also points out that hospital patient numbers in the region have now dropped to 114 from the 136 reported Monday. But Roberts says officials are keeping an eye on the recently discovered BA-2 variant, which he says accounts for roughly 3.9 per cent of coronavirus cases nationwide according to the CDC. And he reminds you to get vaccinated — if you haven’t already — as COVID remains a threat. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

TYLER – Nancy Nichols, Senate District 1 committeewoman, resigned from her post on Friday after she made a racially insensitive comment, according to Senate District 1 Committeeman Ben Dickson. Many of Nichols’ fellow committee members have been calling for her resignation after she made a racial comment during a Zoom meeting on Feb. 8 saying “we had the Trumpers at our Beto event today in Tyler. We had all kinds of quiet security, but basically the event was held on the chocolate side of town.” According to Dickson, the majority of the county chairs of Senate District 1, Texas Democratic Party State Chair Gilberto Hinijosa and Texas Coalition of Black Democrats Chair Carroll G. Robinson all called for her resignation in the weeks following the night she made the comment. Dickson confirmed that Nichols resigned early Friday afternoon.

AUSTIN — UT Tyler is included as the UT System Board of Regents and Chancellor James B. Milliken announce the creation of a $300 million endowment to help undergraduate students at UT institutions pay for college. The “Promise Plus” program will provide tuition assistance to eligible students at seven UT institutions: UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT El Paso, UT Permian Basin, UT Rio Grande Valley, UT San Antonio and UT Tyler. In 2019, regents created a $167 million endowment to provide a significant increase in tuition support for students at UT Austin, according to a news release. The funding was generated by what officials term a series of prudent investments by UT System financial officers that produced higher-than-expected returns over the past fiscal year. Continue reading UT Tyler included as UT regents establish tuition assistance endowment

TYLER — The Tyler City Council addresses housing and sewer issues in its Wednesday meeting. The Council adopted a resolution of support for Celebration Tyler, a proposed new development for people aged 62 years and older. The Council also voted to update the North End Residential Building Incentives Program, including addition of the St. Louis Community as a target area. And the Council authorized the city manager to execute a contract for sanitary sewer system capacity upgrades, with an eye on reducing sanitary sewer overflows and more. For details, go to this link and scroll down to “Tyler News.”

CHAPEL HILL — Chapel Hill ISD will host seven town hall meetings and has published a bond proposition video for public viewing. The district’s board voted this month to call a bond election for May 7. The bond package includes two propositions totaling $125,240,000 with proposed projects at every campus and the Operations and Transportation facility. The district will host one meeting at every campus and a virtual meeting. Translations for Spanish-speaking community members will be available at each meeting. Click here for full details.

TYLER — No students were injured after a Tyler ISD bus crashed early Thursday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler ISD Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Hines said the bus hit a pole at Old Jacksonville Highway and Rice Road. There were some high school students on board, but no injuries were reported. A release from the school said Bus 34 was involved and that Bus 42 was also delayed as they were offering assistance and took the students to Tyler Legacy. Records show that the call about the crash came into first responders around 7:40 a.m. All students were safe and in school by 8:30 a.m.