KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — On Wednesday, Oct. 13, the Tyler City Council will receive a presentation from consultant Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP on the initial redistricting assessment considering the new 2020 census data. According to a news release, if the city’s initial assessment shows uneven population growth in some of its districts, 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, according to the release. Continue reading Council to hear presentation on redistricting and city’s initial assessment

TYLER — Perhaps the most anticipated project in Tyler’s downtown revitalization is the historic Carlton Hotel. According to our news partner KETK, it’s currently a vacant 15-story building consisting of 115,000 square feet. It served as the Smith County Office Building until a few years ago. A New Orleans-based real estate company, NORF, purchased it recently. They plan to restore the building into mixed-use multi-family housing with more than 100 residential units, multiple commercial spaces, and a roof top pool and cabanas. Also, with the new University of Texas at Tyler Medical School on the horizon, NORF believes the renovated building will be a great addition for students, faculty, staff, and the local community of Tyler.

MINEOLA — The Texas heartbeat law is now in the hands of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — and the law’s author, state Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola, tells our news partner KETK we should know something soon. Hughes says, “We expect this Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to rule pretty quickly. I bet we’re talking about days rather than weeks.” Hughes continues to say that Texans are solidly behind the law. In his words, “I’ve got a stack of lawsuits on my desk over here…so a lot of people are opposed to this law — but the people of Texas are in favor of protecting innocent human lives.”

TYLER – Law officers are continuing to investigate after breaking up a drug ring tied to East Texas. According to a DPS news release, on June 15, 2020, Lindale police arrested Jesus Granados, 25, of Dallas, after being called to a local pharmacy. The call came on the suspicion that Granados was trying to use a forged prescription to obtain Promethazine with codeine, a controlled narcotic. During the investigation, officers found Granados to be in possession of a forged driver license, leading officers to request assistance from DPS special agents. Over the last year, the special agents say they have discovered Granados was one of several suspects engaged in an organized prescription drug ring targeting Smith, Cherokee, Rusk, Gregg, Wood, and Upshur counties. Continue reading DPS agents disrupt drug ring; alleged leader still at large

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. Saturday, Oct. 9, in the area south of East Front Street to Doctors Drive and west of South Baxter Avenue to South Oakland Avenue. Continue reading Smoke testing locations for Saturday

TYLER — Theresa Cecelia Soliz, 37, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations. According to our news partner KETK, Soliz pleaded guilty March 4 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Thursday. Soliz was arrested in December 2019 following a routine traffic stop where she was found to be in possession of almost a kilogram of methamphetamine along with various pills, THC oil and heroin. Continue reading Tyler woman sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking

NACOGDOCHES — A traffic stop on Highway 59 South in Nacogdoches County has led to the recovery of a 14-year-old girl who had been reported as a runaway out of Harrison County, and whom law enforcement officials believe was being targeted in a human trafficking operation. According to Nacogdoches County Sheriff Jason Bridges, two Houston men were arrested and booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail. The driver, identified as Justin Berezi, 23, had an ankle monitor on and was wanted for an outstanding felony warrant for failure to appear on a family violence assault charge out of Fort Bend County. The passenger in the vehicle was identified as Idris Shidi, also 23, who was arrested for misdemeanor possession of marijuana. It is believed that the two were taking the teen to the Houston area. Continue reading Sheriff: Reported runaway rescued in human trafficking case

TYLER — More encouraging numbers are displayed on the latest COVID-19 dashboard for East Texas, but NET Health’s George Roberts warns that we are still in the substantial spread category. Continuing to encourage vaccinations, Roberts says a couple of troubling statistics remain steady. He says area hospitals still report that 90 per cent of their coronavirus patients have not been vaccinated — and 98 per cent of virus patients in ICUs or having a very difficult course of care have not received vaccines. Roberts reminds you of NET Health’s relocated vaccination clinic at Majesty Event Center on West Bow and the new testing site at St. Louis Baptist Church, both in Tyler. For more information, see the “Coronavirus update” story on this website.

MOBILE, Ala. (AP/Staff) – The immediate past president of UT Tyler is among three finalists to become president of the University of South Alabama. Dr. Michael Tidwell joins Damon Andrew, the education dean at Florida State University, and former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, chief of staff of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. Dr. Kirk Calhoun took over as UT Tyler president this year as part of an administrative shuffling aimed at securing a medical school for his institution. The South Alabama candidates will meet with members of the university community in October before a selection is made. South Alabama had an enrollment of 13,136 students in the spring, according to its website. The university announced then-president Tony Waldrop’s retirement in February.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say a man has been found safe after going missing Wednesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, 72-year-old Robert Smith Freeman had last been seen Wednesday morning leaving in his vehicle. The family worries that he has early signs of dementia and said he may have become lost.

TYLER — Construction began this week on a sidewalk project in Tyler’s north end. The sidewalks will be installed on North Palace Avenue from Gentry Parkway to West Queen Street, from West Queen Street to the entrance of the new Hidden Palace subdivision, and on North Moore Avenue from West Harmony Street to West Franklin Street. According to a news release, the project is a continuation and second phase of a 2018 project that added two quarter-mile-long sidewalks on North Moore and North Palace. The sidewalks will provide continued connectivity in the area near T.J. Austin Elementary School and the new Hidden Palace subdivision. The City Council approved the construction contract in July. The project is funded through an allocation from the 2020-21 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public facilities budget designated for sidewalk improvements. Construction is scheduled to be completed in January 2022.

EAST TEXAS — A federal judge has ordered Texas to suspend a new law that has banned most abortions in the state since September. The order Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman freezes for now the strict abortion law known as Senate Bill 8. It bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks. That is before some women even know they’re pregnant. The decision is the first legal blow to the Texas law since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to take effect last month. The bill was authored by Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola. Continue reading Judge orders Texas to suspend new law banning most abortions, Sen. Hughes weighs in

WILLS POINT — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a teenager who hasn’t been seen for nearly three weeks. According to our news partner KETK, 18-year-old Nate Greene was last seen on September 17 in Wills Point. He was reported missing on September 23. The department did not say why there was a six-day gap before a missing person report was filed on Greene. He moved down from Illinois to live with his grandparents roughly two months ago. He has blue eyes and blond hair. Green drives a 2006 Silver Focus with the license plate number JYL8180. The sheriff’s office said that the back driver’s side window is busted out.

SMITH COUNTY — An arrest has been made in a Smith County homicide investigation. On October 6, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call stating a female was being stabbed by her son on East Grove Club Lake Road, near Whitehouse. Bernice Slabaugh, 60, of Whitehouse, was transported to a Tyler hospital where she died a short time later. The suspect, identified as Carson Aaron Epifano, 24, was arrested following a traffic stop on Golden Road in Tyler. Epifano has been charged with murder. His bond was set at $2,000,000. Additional details, including a motive, were not available.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is looking for two men considered “armed and dangerous.” According to our news partner KETK, the suspects are wanted for aggravated assault. Traedyne Kristopher Walker, 19, is a suspect in two incidents. One incident happened on Don St. on Aug. 22 and another on Aug. 31 on E. Erwin St. near the Clayton Avenue intersection. Two warrants have been issued for Walker for aggravated assault, and his cumulative bond was set at $500,000. Joshua Andrew Mumphrey, 21, is also suspected of being involved in the incident on Aug. 22. Officials issued a warrant for him for aggravated assault and his bond was set at $250,000. If you know their whereabouts, contact Det. Gardner at 903-535-0192 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

LINDALE — Seven men were arrested early Wednesday morning after a prostitution sting at a hotel in Lindale. According to our news partner KETK, all were charged with solicitation of prostitution and booked into the Smith County Jail. The suspects are 47-year-old Rodney Barbee of Tyler, 45-year-old Richard Leon Bishop of LaRue, 53-year-old Kenneth Cossey Brantley of Tyler, 54-year-old Larry Lacey of Whitehouse, 56-year-old Thomas Scott Griffith of Murchison, 31-year-old Jeremy Stallings of Decatur, and 52-year-old Victor Urieta-Luna of Tyler. Griffith and Stallings were also charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon. The operation was headed by the Department of Public Safety in coordination with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the Lindale Police Department. Further details weren’t immediately available.

JACKSONVILLE — A 4-year-old Jacksonville boy died Tuesday in what police are calling an accident at a home. According to our news partner KETK, officers responding to a report of an unresponsive child on Beaumont Street found a four-year-old boy unconscious. First responders and EMS workers attempted life-saving measures as he was taken to UT Health in Jacksonville, but he was later pronounced dead. Investigators at the scene said witnesses reported the boy became entangled in a cord attached to window blinds. Police say it appears the child struggled to free himself prior to becoming unconscious. Relatives quickly found the child and called 911. An autopsy was ordered, but officers believe the incident was “a tragic accident.”

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association, focusing on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” According to a news release, this year’s campaign from October 3 through October 9 works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. The department is sharing several tips. Among them: A continuous set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out. Also, a single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed. And all smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years. Click here for more information.

AUSTIN — Sales tax allocation figures for October are up again in Tyler and Longview, according to the state comptroller’s office. Tyler receives $4,290,319.71, a big jump from the $3,670,364.45 allocated in October 2020. Longview is getting $3,051,313.34, compared to $2,647,870.72 a year ago. Year-to-date figures for both cities are also up. The figures in both the monthly and year-to-date categories reflect a statewide trend.

LONGVIEW — Texas A&M and CHRISTUS Health Wednesday announced a new collaboration. Texas A&M University College of Medicine will serve as the academic affiliate for the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Internal Medicine Residency program in Longview. In addition to the agreement with Texas A&M, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has also approved transitioning the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Internal Medicine Residency sponsorship from the University of Texas at Tyler to CHRISTUS Health. According to a news release, the moves “will help ensure that Northeast Texas will have access to world-class health care for generations to come.”

TYLER –The University of Texas at Tyler announced its plan to offer a new Master of Science degree program to help build the cybersecurity workforce in East Texas and beyond. Pending approval of the UT System Board of Regents and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Master of Science in cybersecurity and data analytics is anticipated to launch in fall 2022 in UT Tyler’s Soules College of Business. “There is a critical need to strengthen the defense against cybersecurity threats not only in East Texas but also across the state and nation,’’ said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun as quoted in a news release. The UT Tyler graduate degree will be the first in the state to combine the disciplines of cybersecurity and data analytics.

CANTON — DPS Troopers responded to a wreck involving multiple vehicles, including a school bus, in Van Zandt County Wednesday morning. The DPS report said Canton ISD bus #31 was involved in the wreck. No students were injured in the collision. The students were transported to school on a different bus. The crash occurred on HWY 64, east of Canton. Additional details were not available.

LONGVIEW — A court hearing on whether to suspend Longview ISD’s mask mandate has been set for next week. According to our news partner KETK, the district is being sued by the State of Texas under Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order he issued in late July that bans such mandates. After school began in August, the school district reported a spike in coronavirus cases among its 8,000 students and staff. In response, the school board approved a mask mandate in violation of Abbott’s order. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed several lawsuits across the state to varying districts that have also chosen to issue their own mandates. Continue reading Longview ISD’s mask mandate will be argued in court next week

RUSK COUNTY — A Henderson woman was arrested Monday afternoon after reportedly offering money to have a family member killed. According to our news partner KETK, Cheryl Thibodeaux, 42, of Henderson was detained in an investigation conducted by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for criminal solicitation for capital murder. The sheriff’s office said Thibodeaux planned to commit capital murder of a family member. Investigators went undercover and arrested the woman after she allegedly provided money as compensation for the murder solicitation. Thibodeaux is being held at the Rusk County Jail. Her bond was set at $100,000.

TYLER — A portion of Cambridge Road, between Harvard Drive and Oakway Drive, will be closed today from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. while contractors work in a manhole under the street. Detours will be in place at Harvard and Oakway. Drivers are urged to use caution in the area, follow directions of the crews and obey all detours and traffic signs.

TYLER — Retired TJC President Dr. Mike Metke is honored with the Tyler Area Chamber’s annual T.B. Butler Award as the top citizen of the year. The Chamber’s Henry Bell says the honor was “kind of a culmination” of everything Metke accomplished at TJC — with Chamber members feeling the accolade was “long overdue.” Stuart Hene, elected to the City Council earlier this year, received the W.C. Windsor Award as the community’s leading citizen under age 40. Previous winner Wade Washmon presented the award and talked about the organizations and groups Hene has been involved with in recent years. Those awards and others were handed out Tuesday at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting. Hospitality Health ER was named Large of Business of the Year, and Servpro of Tyler was recognized as Small Business of the Year.

TYLER — In spite of an upswing in new COVID-19 case numbers for Smith and Gregg counties this week, NET Health’s George Roberts notes that those numbers are trending downward over the past two or three weeks. But he cautions that East Texas remains in the substantial spread category. He continues sounding the call for vaccinations and reminds you that vaccines remain readily accessible. Roberts notes booster doses of Pfizer vaccine are now available to certain specific age groups. Also, third doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are available 28 days after prior vaccination for people who are immunocompromised. A reminder: NET Health has moved its vaccination clinic to Tyler’s Majesty Event Center, with a testing site now set up at Tyler’s St. Louis Baptist Church. Click the link in the “Coronavirus update” story on this website for more information.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court has appointed Shawn Scott, a retired law enforcement officer and security company executive, as interim Precinct 2 constable. Officials say Precinct 1 Commissioner Neal Franklin serves the same area as the Precinct 2 constable, so he led the search. According to a news release, Scott will begin serving as soon as he takes the oath of office and meets the bonding requirements. He’ll fill the post until a new constable takes office following next year’s election. Former Precinct 2 Constable Josh Black was removed from office after being found guilty of official oppression. He’s now serving time for that offense. Click here for further details.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an early Tuesday morning armed robbery. According to a police release, just after 4:00, two armed black males entered the the Eagle Mart on south Broadway Ave. and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and property from the store. The two fled the scene in a dark-colored Texas Edition Chevrolet Silverado with black and silver wheels. The attached photo is of 2 of the 4 suspects along with the suspect vehicle. Police say there were 2 people in the truck. The truck was recovered in Marshall, but the suspects are still unidentified. If you have any information on this case you can contact Det. Holt at 903-531-1028 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful are sponsoring a free bulky item collection for City of Tyler residential customers (excluding multi-family home communities and businesses) from Monday, Oct. 18, through Friday, Oct. 22. Those participating in this campaign should place bulky items on the curb by 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, and no sooner than 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15. After crews have collected on your street, you’re asked not toplace more bulky items on the curb. These items will be charged a special pickup fee. Bulky items to be picked up at no charge include furniture, appliances, carpet, fence material, old toys, and other large items that would normally require a special fee. Click here for all the details.