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EAST TEXAS — Tuesday was election day and Texas voter had the opportunity to vote on eight constitutional amendments for the state, each of which were passed by a two-thirds majority in both the Texas House and Senate. According to our news partner KETK, many counties also held elections for local offices and measures. Continue reading Election results across East Texas

SMITH COUNTY — The $45 million Smith County Road Bond passed with 62.4 percent of the vote Tuesday, November 2, 2021, according to complete but unofficial voting totals. Smith County ballots showed 6,759 people, or 62.4 percent voted for the issuance of bonds for road and bridge construction and major improvements. There were 3,962 people, or 36.58 percent, who voted against the bond. Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran said he was proud of what Smith County has done so far in the Road and Bridge Bond Program and is excited to see it continue. “In 2017, the voters approved the first phase of our Road and Bridge Bond, and since that time, we have worked to improve about 200 miles of roadway,” Moran said. Continue reading Smith County road bond approved by voters

TYLER — Continued declines in COVID-19 numbers are making NET Health’s George Roberts breathe a little easier — but his ongoing call continues for more vaccinations. According to Roberts, there are still too many eligible people who haven’t been vaccinated: fifty per cent in Smith County, with low numbers in other counties too. Roberts adds that as before, 90-plus per cent of COVID patients in area hospitals have not been vaccinated. He also says close to 100 per cent of patients who have died of COVID in area hospitals didn’t get their shots. Roberts again draws attention to the abundant opportunities for vaccinations around the area. Check the “Coronavirus update” item on this website for more information.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An Athens woman pleaded guilty in a North Carolina federal courthouse and admitted to stealing more than half a million dollars in a computer hacking scheme. According to our news partner KETK, 72-year-old Wanda Jackson Barker pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a conspiracy with two women from Charlotte and Chicago. According to an indictment released last November, Barker was used as a “money mule” when she used false information to open bank accounts in her name in which some of the money from the scheme was diverted and spent. According to federal investigators, some of the participants hacked into victims’ computers and monitored emails. Officials say when the schemers learned a legitimate financial transaction was about to take place, they sent out emails instructing that the money be transferred into one of several fake accounts. A sentencing date for Barker has not yet been set.

TYLER — The City of Tyler is hosting two open houses this week to answer community questions on the redistricting process. The meetings will be Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Glass Recreation Center on W. 32nd St. and Thursday, Nov. 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Tyler Police south station on W. Cumberland Rd. Community members who plan to attend either open house are asked to fill out a comment form ahead of time so questions may be properly answered. A deadline of Wednesday, Nov. 10, was set for the public to submit alternate plans for the City Council’s consideration. Click here for more information.

GREGG COUNTY — Longview police responded to Walmart located on Gilmer Road in reference to a robbery just before 7:00 Monday morning. According to our news partner KETK, officers made contact with a victim who claimed that a man assaulted a victim in the parking lot, demanding their keys and money. Longview police identified alleged robber as Oscar Wright Jr., 54, of Longview. Officers located the suspect’s vehicle on Gilmer Road and made the arrest. Wright was charged with robbery and booked into Gregg County Jail.

TYLER — Hannah McCartney, of Lindale, Monday was sentenced to a second 30-year prison sentence in connection to a 2019 murder. According to our news partner KETK, in December 2019, McCartney and Jared Freelen of Lindale were arrested in connection with the murder of LaDarus Bell, of Tyler. Freelen was sentenced in April by a Gregg County court to 30 years in prison for the murder of Bell. According to judicial records, McCartney, Freelen and Bell had a plan to rob a man in Longview but when they went to execute the plan, the intended victim fired at the three and a bullet hit Bell in the head. Instead of seeking medical attention for Bell, they drove to a rural area along FM 2089 near Overton and dumped Bell on the side of the road where he died.

TYLER — There will be 20 polling locations throughout Smith County available for voters on Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2. Smith County’s Road and Bridge Bond will be on the ballot, as well as constitutional amendments and elections for Whitehouse City Council and Overton mayor and City Council. During two weeks of early voting, a total of 2,320 people voted in-person and 197 absentee mail-in ballots were received in Smith County. That total is about 1.7 percent of Smith County’s 148,921 registered voters. Click here for additional information.

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Tyler maintenance planned to have a bridge crew on SH 64 just west of FM 2089. Longview maintenance planned to begin mill and inlay operations on FM 2204 in Kilgore between the US 259 Bypass and US 259 Business. Click this link for the complete rundown.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler is one of 10 higher education institutions to receive a 2021 Star Award in honor of what’s termed its innovative approach to education during a pandemic. “During COVID-19, UT Tyler implemented several strategies to ensure the health and safety of students, patients, faculty and staff as well as ensure student success,” said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun in a prepared statement. Calhoun adds that the university is honored by the recognition and that he applauds the campus community for “working together to make the best of the situation we have been facing.” Continue reading UT Tyler recognized for COVID-19 response

TYLER — The City of Tyler Municipal Court and Tyler Water Business Office phone system has been restored after being out of order since Friday. Officials got the word to KTBB Monday morning. They say the City’s Information Technology Department worked closely with Cisco to resolve the issue. During the outage, the city issued several alternatives for residents who normally use the phone system to do business.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to a recent article in “Rolling Stone,” East Texas Comgressman Louie Gohmert is denying involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. In a prepared statement, Gohmert says, “No one in my office, including me, participated in the planning of the rally or in any criminal activity on January 6. We did not attend or participate at all. However, I am extremely interested to find out who, besides the FBI operatives, did plan the events on January 6. For the purpose of a potential defamation lawsuit against those making baseless accusations of a crime, I need to know who these persons are who are alleging that I helped.” Continue reading Gohmert denies involvement in Jan. 6 riot

NACOGDOCHES (AP) – An East Texas man has been charged with murder after authorities say he stabbed his 53-year-old father several times and slashed his throat. The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that Blake Foxworth, 30, had been charged with murder after George Foxworth died Friday at a hospital. The sheriff’s office said that on Thursday, Blake Foxworth had called 911 to say he had stabbed his father during an argument. When deputies arrived at the Nacogdoches home the two shared, they found the father on the couch and covered in blood.

TYLER — The city of Tyler kicks off a couple of traffic signal projects Monday. Traffic Operations staff will begin vehicle detection upgrades at 17 intersections. Work is planned to occur daily between 8:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is anticipated to be completed by the end of the week. Drivers can anticipate various lane closures at intersections throughout the week for short durations. Click here for more details. The city will also be setting nine downtown traffic signals to red flashing lights for 24 hours a day as a pilot program for the month of November. The program will serve as a trial period to collect feedback from the community. You can go to this link for more information on that project.

HENDERSON COUNTY – One man was killed and three are in the hospital after a two-vehicle crash in Henderson County. According to our news partner KETK, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers were called to the crash site near Log Cabin in Henderson County. Officials say Leonardo Losoya of Grand Prairie was driving west in a truck tractor towing a trailer. DPS determined that Losoya veered of the road, went into the ditch then came back onto he westbound lane. When he hit by Joseph Jones of Bullard. He was also towing a trailer with his pickup. The 29-year-old Jones died at the crash site, while his two passengers and Losoya were taken to the hospital in Athens with non-life threatening injuries.

TYLER — To accommodate the earlier and busier than normal holiday traffic in the south Tyler area, Tyler Transit will be altering the schedules and routes for the areas affected starting Monday, Nov. 1 — and continuing through Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. According to a news release, Broadway Express will not serve Broadway south of the Donnybrook Transfer Point to avoid congestion. Passengers wanting to go south to the Cumberland Mall area will transfer to South Tyler. South Tyler will run two 30-minute services: one south of the Donnybrook Transfer Point to serve South Broadway Avenue and the Cumberland Mall, and one west of the Donnybrook Transfer Point to serve Old Jacksonville Highway, Grande Boulevard, and Old Bullard Road. Click this link for more details.

SMITH COUNTY — Greenbriar Road (CR 1125) is back open as of Friday afternoon. Smith County Road and Bridge projected that the bridge project would be done by the end of October. After some delays, only guardrail work and other finishing touches remain to be done, according to a news release. Contractors have been working since July on the new bridge at Butler Creek, which was widened and lengthened. The project was done by Stateline Construction LLC, and is part of the Smith County Road and Bridge Phase 1 Bond Project.

TYLER — COVID-19 continues to decline in East Texas, and NET Health’s George Roberts is upbeat about that news. But he cautions that one number is still disappointing: the vaccination figure, with just 50 per cent of eligible people in Smith County fully inoculated. Numerous vaccine availabilities remain in East Texas. Roberts adds that he’s pleased with initial response to the newly-approved booster shots. Check the “Coronavirus update” story on this website for additional information.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department is recommending trick-or-treat hours and offering safety tips for Halloween. The recommended hours are 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Officials say households that wish to distribute candy should turn the front porch lights on, and trick-or-treaters should only approach houses that have those lights on. Younger children should always be accompanied by an adult. Among the other safety tips: Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes; consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats; and if your older children are going out without parental supervision, go over the ground rules first and set a curfew. Click here for more information.

CENTER — There’s a new Republican candidate for U.S. Congress District 1, currently represented by Louie Gohmert of Tyler. In a news release, Aditya Atholi of Center says, “Only by giving people the ability to fix their own problems, can the country move forward.” Atholi’s resume includes a number of points. Among other things, he has been a roughneck and driller on oil rigs, written “for local audiences on Conservative solutions for today’s issues,” and even worked in Gohmert’s Washington office for a time. Governor Abbott recently signed revised legislative maps into law, but they still face court challenges.

TYLER — It’s the last day of early voting in next Tuesday’s elections in Texas. Along with eight proposed constitutional amendments, there’s an item of special interest to Smith County voters: a bond election for Phase 2 of the county’s Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project. Officials say it will help the county complete a six-year plan. The bond to do Phase 1 work was approved in 2017 by 73 percent of the voters. According to the county website, Phase 2 includes three categories of major work. Officials say the county has also added roads to the list of projects and upgraded the anticipated work based on citizen feedback and the success of Phase 1. Click here for more information on the road bond proposition. Click this link for information on voting.

LINDALE — High winds in East Texas have taken a tragic toll, with an 11-year-old killed by a falling tree. According to a news release, around 3:30 Thursday afternoon, Smith County deputies were sent to a location on State Hwy 110 North regarding a medical assist call. A short time later, deputies and Precinct 5 Constable Jeff McClenny arrived on scene. Firefighters with the Lindale Fire Department and Paramedics with UT Health EMS were already on scene. Law enforcement personnel were notified that the boy was deceased on scene. It was discovered that the boy was riding a go-kart on the back part of the property when a tree fell over due to the high winds. The tree landed on the boy, killing him instantly. The boy has been identified as Rustan Wood, of Tyler.

TYLER — A Tyler man is accused of planting a camera in the bathroom at his business and recording a woman while she was changing. According to an arrest warrant obtained by our news partner KETK, 46-year-old Michael Blundell was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with invasive recording. He was an employer at a medical site and had recruited a new potential worker. On Oct. 17, she went into the bathroom to change into scrubs. After showing them to Blundell, the victim went back into the bathroom to change back into her pants. The warrant states that Blundell then invited her to lunch, but the woman declined because “she felt uncomfortable.” Continue reading Tyler man accused of recording woman while she was changing

KILGORE — A man has been charged with murder after a car chase following a robbery in Kilgore at approximately 2:20 p.m. Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, the incident ended with a juvenile male being shot and killed. Four juveniles were also arrested. According to the Kilgore Police Department, two cars were shooting at each other during the chase. Police said that the crime scene started on Harris and spanned 11 blocks to Sunset Lane. Continue reading Man charged with murder after robbery led to car chase in Kilgore

TYLER — Smith County Road and Bridge crews were working feverishly Thursday afternoon to respond to calls of trees or tree limbs down in the roadways throughout the county, according to a news release. Smith County Engineer Frank Davis said starting at about 1 p.m., his department was getting calls nearly every five or 10 minutes about large limbs or entire trees covering roadways and his crews were responding to clear them as fast as they could. The entire County has been experiencing high winds, which also led Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks to urge residents to refrain from outdoor burning. Although the County is not under a burn ban, he said, “We are at high risk of wildfires.” On that note, our news partner KETK reported at least one large wildfire in East Texas Thursday afternoon, this one in Kilgore off Industrial Boulevard and Watson Road. Click here for additional information from Smith County.

TYLER — The City of Tyler encourages drivers to remain cautious as high winds are causing trees, limbs and power lines to fall as well as the loss of power at multiple traffic signals throughout the city. As of Thursday afternoon, the Tyler Police Department was working to restore power to traffic signals along Cumberland Road with generators as well as other major intersections. Officers are also working to put out cones on streets with downed trees, limbs, or power lines. Continue reading High winds causing loss of power, downed trees

EAST TEXAS — Thousands of East Texans lost power Thursday as high winds swept through the area. According to our news partner KETK, at one point, the lights were out for over 13,000 Smith County customers and more than 5,000 had lost electricity in Gregg County. Crews continued working to get the power back on, but a number of counties didn’t expect full restoration until the nighttime or overnight hours — and in some cases, it was unknown when all the power would be restored.

HENDERSON – As of Wednesday, Oct. 27, the Rusk County Commissioners’ Court has rescinded the burn ban that was placed in September. According to our news partner KETK, the ban was originally issued in order to combat continued wildland fires that resulted in widespread and severe damage to East Texas. Since then, East Texas has seen a significant midweek rainfall that increased ground saturation in the region. At this time, there are no remaining burn bans in the KTBB listening area.

LONGVIEW — Republican District 7 state Representative Jay Dean of Longview says he will be running for re-election in his newly-drawn district. Dean had earlier announced his intention to run again but updated his plans after Governor Abbott signed the new legislative map into law. The new map drops Upshur County from District 7, which now includes Gregg, Harrison, and Marion Counties. Dean says he’s disappointed to lose Upshur County but is excited to serve residents of the newly realigned district. The new state legislative map still faces court challenges.