KTBB News, Weather, Talk

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.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has approved an item allowing the Tyler Fire Department to apply for and accept grants for a remote control robot for the department’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regional Response Team. The grants collectively total $49,993.50. Officials say the fire department will pursue the money through the Office of the Texas Governor’s Homeland Security Grant Division and the State Homeland Security Program, as managed by the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG). for the department’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regional Response Team. Continue reading Fire department cleared to pursue grant funding for ordnance disposal

TYLER — A Tyler man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday morning for his role in a child abuse case after originally being charged with capital murder. That’s according to our news partner KETK. In a case that Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman called “highly emotional,” 41-year-old Manuel Williams will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the death of his 3-year-old daughter. Courtnie Williams, the victim’s mother, is also charged, and her case is still pending. Police testimony alleged that the injuries found on the child’s body indicate “a history of abuse.” Continue reading Tyler man gets 50 years in death of three-year-old

TYLER — City of Tyler leaders, in collaboration with the City’s Engineering Services Department and Texas College, celebrated the completion of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard improvement project on Tuesday. According to a news release, the $2 million project allowed for the installation of about 1.75 miles of sidewalks with ADA accessible ramps, crosswalks, signal improvements at North Palace Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad crossing near Border Avenue, historic light poles, and Texas College banners along the street from West Gentry Parkway to North Broadway Avenue. Officials say the vision for the project started in 2009 with the Texas College Area Development Plan and continued with the Tyler 1st Comprehensive Plan, which outlines North End Revitalization, a plan for balanced growth initiatives throughout Tyler with specific efforts concentrated in Tyler’s North End. Continue reading City celebrates MLK improvement project

TYLER — TxDOT crews are getting ahead of the winter storm forecast for East Texas by preparing roadways around the eight-county district for potentially icy conditions. The pre-treatment of bridges and other roadway areas susceptible to wind and ice began Wednesday morning, according to a news release. I-20 and other major roadways will be treated with a brine solution consisting of salt and water designed to prevent ice and snow from sticking to surfaces. The process is a fast-moving mobile operation with minimal impacts to traffic. Drivers should allow a safe traveling distance between their vehicles and the mobile convoys distributing the pre-treatment materials. Continue reading TxDOT preparing roads for possible wintry conditions

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is working a major accident on Old Jacksonville Hwy. near the Crow Road intersection. Police say both northbound and southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel between Rice Road and Grande Boulevard until close to 5 p.m. Police are in the roadway directing traffic, and motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes and drive with care in that area.

TYLER — More good news on COVID-19 in the NET Health survey area. NET Health’s George Roberts notes that the entire region is back in the moderate spread category for the first time since December — and the hospital patient number has fallen to 136. But Roberts still says don’t get too comfortable just yet. He noted that the virus is still with us — and will be for awhile to come. One thing hasn’t changed: his advice to get vaccinated, together with a note about the ample vaccine availability in the area. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

TYLER — Tyler police have new information as they continue to investigate a fatal hit-and-run incident on Saturday night. Kelsey Hise, 30, of Tyler, was hit on North Broadway Avenue near Queen Street around 7:30 p.m., according to officials. “She was in the roadway, not crossing the road, not walking in the road, but just in the roadway,” Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh told our news partner KETK. “For what reason, we don’t know. But whoever hit her obviously knew they hit her because they left a lot of pieces of their car.” When officers arrived at the scene, they found Hise lying in the road with major injuries. They were able to find pieces of the vehicle that struck the woman. Hise later died at a local hospital. Tyler PD urges you to report any vehicle with damage to the front end and possibly a broken mirror. Contact Tyler PD at 903-531-1000 with any information.

TYLER — Texas Attorney General candidate George P. Bush stopped in Tyler Tuesday as part of his “Texas First Tour,” holding a meet and greet at the Foundry Coffee House at Bethel Bible Church’s downtown campus. According to our news partner KETK, the current state land commissioner talked about several key points in his campaign, including helping law enforcement. “I couldn’t agree more that law enforcement is under assault, not only around the country but now in red Texas,” Bush said. “We’ve allowed California values to creep into our capital city.” Along with Bush and current AG Ken Paxton, the GOP primary ballot for the office includes former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and current East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert.

GREGG COUNTY — The remains found in a car in Gregg County on New Year’s Eve were confirmed to belong to Rosemary Rodriguez, a Kilgore woman who had been missing since 2019. According to our news partner KETK, the car was found on Mt. Pisgah Road. Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Josh Tubb says the investigation is ongoing and authorities are still processing evidence found in and around the car.

VAN — A worker is expected to be okay after he was taken to the hospital following an accident in Van that left him injured and suspended in the air. That’s according to our news partner KETK. According to the Van Fire Department’s Facebook page, At 11:25 a.m. on Monday, contractors were performing maintenance on the Van Memorial Stadium lights when a lift malfunctioned and partially collapsed, injuring the worker in the lift and leaving him suspended approximately 60 feet in the air. Officials say the lift was unable to be retracted from the ground. The Van police and fire departments responded and requested mutual aid from the Lindale Fire Department, which responded with multiple units, including its 107-foot ladder truck. Continue reading Worker in Van expected to recover after being injured, suspended in air

KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a person accused of theft at Walmart. According to our news partner KETK, the department wrote that the woman pictured allegedly “picked up another person’s Apple Airpods case and claimed them as their own.” If you have any information as to the individual’s identity, contact Detective Joey Johnston at 903-218-6906 or [email protected] and reference case number 2201-0829.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas announces its 2022 Awards for Excellence winners. The winner in the Nonprofit Category is PATH (People Attempting to Help). Moon Fencing took home the honor in the Small Business Category. Among mid-size businesses, Innovative Pest Control gets the award. Henry & Peters, PC, was named the top large business. In the Veteran-Owned Business Category, Tyler Roofing Company gets the nod. And the Spark Award, for business owners under age of 35 or who have businesses which are fewer than three years old, goes to The Mortgage House. According to a news release, annual honorees “display honor and integrity in all aspects of their operations.”

LINN COUNTY, Kan. (AP/Staff) — Four people from Winnsboro, Texas, died when their pickup truck hit an icy patch on a highway about 75 miles south of Kansas City and rolled. The Kansas Highway Patrol said the crash happened Friday morning along U.S. Highway 69 in Linn County. A crash report said Larry Klingensmith, 66, lost control of the 2019 Dodge Ram after it hit the ice, and the truck veered into a ditch. Then the truck rolled twice before landing upside down in a flooded wildlife area and becoming submerged. Klingensmith and all three of his passengers died. The other people in the truck were Kimberly Klingensmith, 65; Karly Klingensmith, 32; and Nicolas Klingensmith, 36.

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this coming week. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will start 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 continue the Spur 63/McCann Road Bridge Project, part of the City of Longview Guthrie Creek Trail project. Click here for the full rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER -– Tyler police are investigating after a person was hit and killed by a vehicle around 7:30 Saturday night on North Broadway Avenue near Queen Street. According to our news partner KETK, when officers arrived at the scene, they found 30-year-old Kelsey Hise lying in the road with major injuries. They were able to find pieces of the vehicle that struck the woman. Hise was taken to a Tyler hospital, where she died from her injuries. There was no immediate word on a suspect or a full vehicle description. If you have any information on this case, contact Tyler PD at 903-531-1000.

RUSK COUNTY — The Texas Forest Service reported that an estimated 219 acres were burned after multiple agencies battled a grass and woods fire in Rusk County Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, several fire departments were called around 1 p.m. to a location on U.S. Hwy. 259 South. When the crews arrived, they reported 40 acres of a fast-moving fire and requested additional fire departments and a drone for aerial overview. Although Rusk County is not under a burn ban, the county’s Office of Emergency Management urges extreme caution when burning and asks that no one leave a fire unattended — or not to burn at all.

VAN – Two Van Zandt County burglaries are under investigation, and authorities say they may have both been committed by the same people. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Police in Van are searching for two Black males caught on camera breaking into and burglarizing New-Way Gas & Grocery around 3:15 Friday morning, taking the cash registers from the store. In the photos, the two were wearing dark-colored clothing as well as masks and used crowbars to break the glass of the door to enter the store. The Northeast Farmers Co-Op in Canton was believed to be burglarized by the same two people half an hour earlier. Anyone with information on either burglary is asked to contact Van PD or the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.

BULLARD — Bullard ISD Trustees have unanimously called for a bond election on May 7. According to a news release, the election follows the recommendation of a Facility Advisory Committee to address current district facilities, campus capacities, and projected growth in enrollment. Bullard Bond 2022 will ask voters to consider two propositions, totaling $103 million, as the first phase in the district’s long-range facility plan. Among items included in the propositions: a new middle school campus; an addition to join Bullard Primary and Bullard Elementary as one elementary campus; and a new baseball, softball, and tennis complex. For more information, visit this link.

LINDALE — The Lindale High School community is grieving the loss of a 16-year-old sophomore in a Thursday night highway accident. According to our news partner KETK, A DPS preliminary report stated that a different 16-year-old boy was driving a Toyota Camry on CR 472 west of Lindale around 8:45 p.m. The report said the driver swerved out of the way after a wild animal ran onto the road. The car ran off the road and hit several trees. The victim was ejected from the car during the crash. The report said he was not wearing a seat belt. The driver was treated at the scene and a second passenger, who was 15 years old, was taken by a private car to an unknown hospital. Continue reading Lindale High School student killed in wreck

TYLER — NET Health’s George Roberts remains guardedly optimistic about declining COVID numbers in the area. He notes that six of seven NET Health counties continue to show substantial spread — and he has some new numbers to encourage vaccinations. According to Roberts, over 300 million doses of vaccine have been administered nationwide, over 40 million in Texas — and despite some negative reactions, “overall the safety profile has been exemplary.” What would he tell someone who thinks the problem has passed? Roberts replies that there has been a lot of disease and some difficult courses of care. He adds that everyone has been touched by someone who has contracted or even died from the disease. Continue reading Roberts continues to monitor local COVID landscape

WINONA — The SPCA of East Texas and Smith County Constable Josh Joplin are receiving backlash over the recent seizure of 38 dogs and the arrests of two people in Winona. According to our news partner KETK, a local property started as an animal rescue. But authorities say when they arrived, they found the animals suffering from such problems as fleas, puncture wounds, and heartworms. Tina Loper, 53, and Eric Morris, 55, were charged with eight counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, with one dog dead and another’s condition deemed severe. Now the SPCA says it has been the target of “derogatory and inflammatory rumors” surrounding the incident, with some people claiming the seizure was unwarranted. Joplin and the SPCA are defending their actions, with Joplin saying they were taken “with a lot of thought put into it.”

TYLER — Tyler police continue to investigate a double homicide and apparent suicide following a shooting at the LaQuinta Inn on south Broadway Tuesday night. According to Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, just before 10pm, officers were called to the hotel following reports of shots fired. Officers found Grasiela De Paz Rodriguez, 34, and Alvaro Israel Martinez, 23, both of Tyler, shot multiple times in their car. Witnesses said they saw the gunman flee the scene after the shooting. Investigators tracked the alleged shooter to a home near Smith County city limits. The alleged suspect, identified as Javier Estrada, 30, of Tyler, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Erbaugh said Rodriguez and Estrada had children together but were estranged at the time of the homicide.

TYLER — The Smith County Tax Office and all of its substations will be closed Wednesday morning, February 23, for required employee training. Instead of opening at 8 a.m. next Wednesday, the Tax Office will open at 1 p.m. to allow all employees to receive required continuing education training that morning. Officials say that includes the main Tax Office, at the Cotton Belt Building in Tyler, as well as the substations in Lindale, Noonday, and Troup. You can do your tax business online at this link.

LAKE JACKSONVILLE — The body of a 75-year-old man was pulled from Lake Jacksonville Thursday, according to Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson. According to our news partner KETK, the identity of the man was not immediately released, but Dickson did confirm his age. A family member knew the man went out to work on his boat dock, went outside to check on him, and was unable to find him. Authorities were called, and the body was found. The body has been sent to Mesquite for autopsy.

PALESTINE — Palestine Mayor Dana Goolsby is officially out of office after the city council voted to accept her resignation earlier this week. According to our news partner KETK, Goolsby’s term was set to run until May 2023, but she said that stepping down was the “biggest act of love” she could show her community. In a prepared statement, Goolsby claimed, “The ability to effectively lead the City was stripped from me in August of 2021. I have been assaulted, harassed, threatened, demeaned, and most recently I have been accused of assault.” She did not offer specific details about a potential investigation or how the claims originated. Click here to read Goolsby’s full statement. An election will be held in May to fill her position.

BROWNSBORO — A Brownsboro firefighter and his family lost their home in a fire Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the Brownsboro Fire Department is asking for the community’s help to support the family. Firefighters were paged out to a house fire Tuesday afternoon — and upon arrival realized that the house belonged to one of their own, Robert Mitchell. Mitchell was just awarded the Rookie of the Year award at a banquet Saturday night. Mitchell said he kicked in the front door to make sure his wife and kids were not in the house. Mitchell’s colleagues came up with a plan, with his permission, to accept donations. You can find more details here.

HENDERSON — Henderson ISD approves two retention incentives of $2,000 each for all full-time employees. According to our news partner KETK, officials say it’s an effort to retain teachers and incentivize them to stay on and come back for another year. The last two years have been hard for East Texas school districts. Employees had to take time off due to COVID; some even had to lose their pay. Along with an incentive for this school year, Henderson ISD full-time staff members who continue employment next year will receive an additional $2,000 in September, making it a total of $4,000. The Tyler and Longview ISDs also provided stipends and incentives to teachers and staff.