KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — PATH has helped keep more than 1,650 families from getting evicted, and has aided 430 landlords in recovering rent by distributing Smith County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding. That’s according to a Smith County news release. On Tuesday, PATH Executive Director Andrea Wilson gave the Commissioners Court an update on what has been done so far in the administration of Smith County’s first wave of the U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) funding, which was more than $7 million. Only about $500,000 of that remains after assisting residents in paying their rent and aiding landlords with back and future rent, caused by hardships created by COVID-19. Wilson said 600 families have applied so far for the funding through PATH. Click here for more details.

TYLER — COVID-19 new case numbers, community spread levels, and hospital patient figures are plummeting in East Texas — but NET Health’s George Roberts advises keeping a watchful eye on the situation. He tells KTBB, “We see this as a very positive trend, but as we’ve noted during this entire pandemic…the number of positive cases can go up and down…really almost at a moment’s notice.” He continues that everyone should make sure to watch for the variants. All in all, Roberts advises staying vigilant, adding that that’s what he and his NET Health colleagues are doing. He also continues to encourage vaccinations — additionally drawing attention to flu shots that are now available around the region.

TYLER — The Chapel Hill ISD school board decided to lift their mask mandate after COVID-19 cases have decreased. According to our news partner KETK, the new order will be effective starting on Oct. 19. Administrators said they will continue to track COVID-19 cases in the district. Chapel Hill first issued their temporary mask mandate on Aug. 31.

TYLER — The Glass Recreation Center on W. 32nd St. in Tyler will be closed from 6 p.m Monday until 7 a.m. Wednesday to complete floor repairs. Contractors will finish repairs to the gym floor that was damaged during Winter Storm Uri.

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Tyler maintenance plans to perform mill and inlay operations on Spur 124, from SH 64 to Loop 323. Longview maintenance plans to perform bridge channel maintenance at Rabbit Creek on SH 31, northbound and southbound, just south of the US 259 bypass. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER — Pipeline Analysis will continue smoke testing sewer lines in sewer meter basins 13 and 17 as part of the City of Tyler’s ongoing sanitary sewer inspection program. Officials say smoke testing helps locate breaks and defects in the city’s sanitary sewer system. The information is used to repair and improve the sewer system, according to a news release. The testing will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, through Friday, Oct. 22, in three areas. Continue reading Smoke testing locations for this week

TYLER — Smith County Commissioner Precinct 2 candidate John Moore has secured the endorsement of Sheriff Larry Smith, who joins numerous others in backing Moore. The Precinct 2 seat is currently held by Cary Nix, who will not be seeking re-election. Moore thus far is opposed in the 2022 GOP primary by retired restaurateur Gus Ramirez, who served on both the Commissioners Court and the Tyler City Council many years ago.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have made multiple arrests in a September aggravated robbery but are still trying to close the case. Thus far they have arrested seven people following the September 16 incident in the parking lot of the Hidden Hills Apartment Complex on Gilmer Road. The victim said he was robbed after being lured to the parking lot regarding a vehicle he saw on Facebook and wanted to buy. Six suspects were captured September 17, and another was caught October 12. But police say 22-year-old Bryce Peterson of Katy remains at large. You’re asked to contact authorities if you have any leads. Click here for additional details on the case.

TYLER — All lanes of Tyler’s Old Jacksonville Highway are now open at Loop 323 after a Monday morning crash. Four vehicles including a cement truck were involved, with the cement truck overturning. There was fluid, including cement, in the roadway. There is no report of any injuries.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A inmate was found unresponsive in his cell and later died after law enforcement attempted life saving measures. That in a statement released by the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office. According to our news partner KETK, Officers found the inmate on Thursday morning Oct. 14th around 9:45 a.m. Emergency personnel arrived and exhausted all efforts to revive him. The inmate was identified as James King and was pronounced dead a short time later. Authorities say it appeared King took his own life. Sheriff Steve Hendrix, says his office immediately contacted the Texas Rangers who will conduct an investigation which is routine for deaths while in custody. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards was also notified.

TYLER — NET Health’s George Roberts tells KTBB he’s encouraged by the latest COVID-19 numbers in East Texas, with the virus apparently on the decline — but he notes we’re not out of the woods yet. He says, “We’re making progress here” but that your best bet is still to get vaccinated as soon as possible if you haven’t already done so. Smith County remains in the substantial spread category, while other counties in the NET Health service area are having moderate spread. Roberts says he’s also encouraged as the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine boosters move closer to approval. According to Roberts, NET Health is “fully prepared” to start giving those shots once that approval comes in.

TYLER – Habitat for Humanity of Smith County has received a $300,000 Housing Preservation Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture for critical home repairs for rural East Texans. The grant will be used to repair 25 homes in rural portions of Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. The funds will be leveraged with the $207,858 grants Habitat received this year from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, Temple Foundation, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. In a news release, Smith County Habitat CEO Jack Wilson pointed out, “Many of our clients have to choose between paying for a home repair and buying groceries or medicine.” Go here for information on how to apply.

ATHENS — A former Athens ISD teacher arrested for allegedly having an improper relationship with a student was ordered by a judge to not have contact with the student or use social media. According to our news partner KETK, 392nd District Court Judge R. Scott McKee established Kirkland’s bond conditions. Kaitlynn Bethany Kirkland, 25, of Athens, was arrested on July 17, 2020 and charged with having an improper relationship with a student and tampering with evidence. She was released from the Henderson County Jail after paying bonds that totaled $14,500. Continue reading Former teacher accused of improper student relationship learns bond conditions

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A father and son from Alto were arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault of a child on Oct. 13. According to our news partner KETK, a multi-agency investigation lead to the arrest of Theodore Smith, 86, and James Smith, 62. In mid-March of this year, deputies from the Sacramento County California Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from a person who reportedly discovered hundreds on images containing child pornography and children involved in sex acts. The person who called, found the images while renovating a newly purchased home. Continue reading Alto father and son charged with sexual assault of a child

LONGVIEW — A new downtown visitor center and gift shop welcomes visitors and locals to Longview with the opening of “Visit Longview Marketplace” on W. Tyler St. Visit Longview Marketplace is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The visitor center, which is operated by Visit Longview (also known as the Longview Convention and Visitors Bureau), had previously been located at City Hall. The new location also includes office space for Visit Longview and Longview Main Street staff. Click here for more information.

MARSHALL — Harrison County sheriff’s deputies assisted Caddo Parish, Texas DPS, and Louisiana State Police in pursuing a motorcycle driver who fled from Greenwood, La., police on I-20 late Thursday morning. According to a news release, the motorcyclist fired shots at a Greenwood officer and bullets struck the officer’s vehicle. The officer was not struck. The pursuit continued into Harrison County, and the motorcycle was stopped near the Gregg County line on I-20. Christopher Sam Basco, 37, from Haughton, Louisiana, was arrested and has been transferred to the Harrison County Jail. Charges were pending, with no immediate bond information. We’ll have updates as they become available.

TYLER — TYLER — Following last year’s COVID-19-related cancellation, the Texas Rose Festival is officially underway after Thursday’s ribbon cutting, running through Sunday. Rose Queen Anna Grace Hallmark told KTBB, “I’m very excited for it to start up again and for the community to get together to celebrate the festival and start it up.” Queen Anna also says there’s been upbeat community response to the festival’s return. She tells us, “I think it’s gonna be good with…COVID and all that gone. I think we can celebrate and come together.” The celebration always draws plenty of out-of-towners, and Queen Anna says, “I’m so excited for everyone to come from out of town to visit Tyler and to see what we have to offer and view our Rose Festival. It’s gonna be amazing.” The 88th edition will feature all the familiar touches. Click here for all the details.

LONGVIEW — A hearing on Longview ISD’s mask mandate will resume next Wednesday. In the first day of the hearing this past Wednesday, Judge Vincent Dulweber of Longview denied a motion by LISD to dismiss the case due to lack of standing by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. According to our news partner KETK, he did not list an explicit reason. Earlier in the hearing, Judge Dulweber ruled that the AG’s office does have the authority to bring a lawsuit against the school district. The district says Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox was acting within his authority when he imposed the LISD’s mask mandate. The AG’s office says he overstepped his authority by violating Gov. Abbott’s executive order that prohibits mask mandates. LISD is among a number of school districts sued by Attorney General Ken Paxton for similar reasons. We will continue to follow this story.

TYLER (AP/Staff) – Defense attorneys have begun calling witnesses in the capital murder trial of a former nurse accused of killing four patients at an East Texas hospital. Tyler Morning Telegraph reports that the prosecution rested Wednesday morning after spending 11 days presenting evidence and expert testimony against 37-year-old William George Davis. He is accused of injecting air into the arterial system of four patients recovering from heart surgery at the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler in 2017 and 2018. During recovery from their surgeries, John Lafferty, Ronald Clark, Christopher Greenway and Joseph Kalina suffered unexplained neurological events and died.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved the adoption of redistricting criteria after a presentation from its consultant. The census data revealed a population imbalance in Districts 3 and 5, warranting redistricting, according to a news release. The deviations in districts 1, 2, 4, and 6 are termed minimal. Officials say all plans submitted by residents, as well as by staff, consultants, and members of the City Council, should conform to criteria mapped out by the City. The City Council will then review all plans and evaluate how well each follows the set guidelines, according to the release. Click here for all the details. Continue reading Council addresses redistricting, traffic management

TYLER — NET Health’s George Roberts continues to see some positive COVID-19 trends in East Texas following Monday’s update. Despite an uptick in Smith County cases, Roberts says the overall trend line is going downward, along with the number of patients in hospitals. Roberts continues to urge vaccinations, and he says people are responding better now. According to Roberts, people are starting to come in for their Pfizer boosters, and he anticipates that the FDA and CDC will have something to say about Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters in the next week and a half or so. Smith County does continue in the substantial spread category, with Gregg County experiencing moderate spread. Check the link in the “Coronavirus update” story on this website for more information.

TYLER — The Glass Recreation Center on W. 32nd St. in Tyler will be closed from 6 p.m. Tuesday through this Thursday to complete floor repairs. Contractors will finish repairs to the gym floor that was damaged during Winter Storm Uri. The center will reopen for business at 7 a.m. this Friday.

HENDERSON — 53-year-old Jarvis Craig Simon was booked into the Rusk County Jail for capital murder on Monday, without bond, in the death of his girlfriend. According to our news partner KETK, Rusk County officials say a 911 caller reported an unresponsive person on CR 4132 around 1:30 p.m. Monday. Shaniqua Denice Williams of Henderson was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say as units were responding to the scene, Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez and a patrol lieutenant encountered Simon at the sheriff’s office, where they say he confessed to the murder. Records show Simon was convicted in 2004 of aggravated kidnapping with intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually. He was released from prison in 2019. DPS records indicate Simon had to register as a sex offender but failed to re-register in 2021 and was booked into the Rusk County Jail on Oct. 7. He bonded out the same day.

LONGVIEW — Three people were taken to the hospital after a shooting at a nightclub in Longview early Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Longview police released a statement saying they were called to reports of shots fired at Inferno Entertainment on South Eastman Road around 3 a.m. Witnesses told officers that multiple shots had been fired after a fight in the parking lot. Officers went to a local hospital after finding out all three victims had been taken in a private car. Two of the victims had been shot and a third had been assaulted. None of the injuries were life-threatening. It was the second shooting early Sunday morning in Longview. Officers are also investigating a man being shot on East Sycamore Street. He is expected to survive.

ARP — NET Health is hosting another public Pfizer vaccine clinic from 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Arp Jr. High’s cafeteria offering 1st & 2nd doses. Anyone Under 18 wishing to be vaccinated must have a parent or guardian present. Walk-ins are welcome. As was the case with the first clinic three weeks ago, a person does not have to be associated with Arp ISD to request a COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone wishing to receive a 2nd dose must have their COVID-19 vaccination card showing that they received the 1st dose at least 21 days prior. There is no cost for individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but people are asked to please bring their insurance card if they have one.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday will receive a presentation from consultant Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP on the initial redistricting assessment considering the new 2020 census data. If the City’s initial assessment shows uneven population growth in some of the City’s districts, then the City Council will consider the adoption of redistricting criteria. The criteria would apply to the development of new districting plans and guidelines for public participation in the redistricting process. The City of Tyler is working alongside Smith County and the Tyler Independent School District on this process to increase coordination and transparency, and to ensure all obligations are met, according to a news release. Mayor Don Warren is encouraging citizens to be involved. Click here for more details.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County Precinct 2 Constable William “Billy” Mayo Fort was arrested early Tuesday morning on a DWI charge. According to our news partner KETK, a post by Longview PD said that Fort was inside a Gregg County Constable car at the time of his arrest and was allegedly “swerving in and out of all lanes… almost striking another vehicle.” He pulled into a Brookshire’s parking lot on Gilmer Road and was captured. He admitted to taking a Xanax and muscle relaxer. He then failed three sobriety tests. This is the second East Texas constable to face legal trouble this year. Former Pct. 2 Smith County Constable Josh Black was convicted of official oppression last month. A jury found Black guilty of offering sexual favors in exchange for free or discounted supervised visitation services to a woman. Black was sentenced to six months in jail.

TYLER — A Tyler man charged in a brutal kidnapping and rape case has rejected a plea offer from prosecutors and requested a jury trial. Michael Timmons, 49, was arrested in March. A warrant obtained by our news partner KETK at the time alleges that Timmons and the victim had been living in a tent at the end of a dead-end road for at least three days. The victim said he would continuously sexually assault her in the tent, despite her trying to fight him off. The warrant also cites allegations of repeated beatings and threats.

TYLER — The Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County is introducing its public fundraising campaign: “Take Flight, building space for life changing support.” The campaign aims to raise money to fund the renovations of their new location on S. Broadway Avenue, formerly the Tyler Piano Co. Plans include 8,000 square feet of office space; counseling rooms; and a large space for conferences, meetings, education opportunities, and the Day Club respite care program. Additionally, the University of Texas at Tyler will have their Memory Assessment and Research Center onsite for diagnostic services. Visit this link for more information.