KTBB News, Weather, Talk

OVERTON– A Leverett’s Chapel ISD school bus was involved in a crash on Tuesday afternoon near the school. According to our news partner KETK, the crash occurred on Highway 42, approximately two miles north of the school. The district said the bus was rear-ended by another vehicle; however, all of the students and the driver of the bus were unharmed. The driver of the other vehicle was also uninjured.

“The safety of our students remains our highest priority, and we appreciate the prompt response of all who assisted,” Leverett’s Chapel ISD said.

LONGVIEW – The Spring Hill ISD Board of Trustees is asking voters to consider approving a tax rate increase and a $20 million bond proposal for facility maintenance and improvements. According to our news partner KETK, the bond package is designed to address the district’s important needs without increasing the district’s current tax rates. It’s been broken down into three propositions, with all three focusing on upgrading campus facilities, including renovating the district’s junior high school, improving its tennis complex and updating the football stadium.

Proposition A ($17.2 million) focuses on renovations to the junior high school and HVAC replacements.
Proposition B ( $1.975 million) addresses updates to the district’s football stadium.
Proposition C ($802,256) looks to improve the district’s tennis complex, including its restrooms.

The tax increase would provide the district with over $300 thousand in additional funding to help with increased pay for teachers and staff. The extra funding would also support Spring Hill ISD’s extra-curricular activities and provide the district with new instructional materials. Continue reading Spring Hill ISD ballot includes bond proposal, tax increase

RUSK — According to our news partner KETK, a 19-year-old woman was arrested in Rusk on Monday night after she fled from Bullard Police and sped up to 110 miles per hour through East Texas cities.
Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said he received a call around 10:30 p.m. Monday concerning a person who was being pursued out of the Bullard area while driving a vehicle on U.S. 69.

According to Bullard Police Department Sergeant Judith Tuell, officers initiated a traffic stop when Hannah Sweet fled the scene. She then made her way through Jacksonville toward the Rusk area while reaching speeds of up to 110 miles per hour. Officials with the Rusk Police Department deployed road spikes as Sweet was approaching the city limits coming from Jacksonville. Sweet was stopped and arrested by members of the Bullard Police Department and booked on charges of evading arrest with a vehicle and possession of a controlled substance.

Sweet was also charged with evading arrest with a vehicle by the Bullard Police Department.

TYLER – A party with legal claim to The Oil Palace in Tyler has requested that the venue be sold, due to failed obligations, according to Smith County records. A document dated Aug. 7 shows the Oil Palace and Bobby Manziel as the borrower of $3.94 million on Dec. 4, 2017. The sale of the building is required to fall under Section 51.002 of the Texas Property Code. That means the must be put up via an auction held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. of the first Tuesday of a month. The Tyler Gun Show scheduled for Sept. 13 and 14 at the venue is canceled. The last event to be held at The Oil Palace was the 2025 God & The Great Outdoors Hunting & Fishing Expo.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler was given a $971,195 grant that will support research on treatments for pleural infections that cause fluid buildup in the lungs, according to a report from KETK. The research is being led by Professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology Dr. Andrey Komissarov with the UT Tyler School of Medicine.

Komissarov, along with the biopharmaceutical company SignaBlok, will conduct projects that give students the opportunity to analyze data, perform lab research and present scientific findings.

According to UT Tyler, 65,000 people in the United States are affected by empyema every year, which is caused by pneumonia. Treatment options are not always safe and could possibly lead to other complications, leading Komissarov’s team to find other methods. Continue reading UT Tyler receives $971K research grant

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A Texas man has died after a fatal crash on Sunday evening southeast of Alto, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Pye Kervantez Jr., 41 of Wylie, was traveling north on US 69 at around 6:20 p.m. on Sunday when his vehicle went off the road and into a ditch. There, he hit a culvert and went airborne, causing him to be thrown from the vehicle.

DPS confirmed Kervantez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Update: Lindale Police reports a car crash in downtown Lindale has been cleared for through traffic. No significant injuries were reported.

LINDALE – Lindale Fire Department reports a serious crash at Main Street near Texas National Bank in downtown Lindale early Tuesday afternoon. Emergency crews are on hand. No details have been provided on the number of vehicles or if any injuries had occurred. Officials ask drivers to avoid this area for the time being.

MINEOLA – Due to an eight inch break in a city water main, a boil water notice is in effect for Mineola. City officials say the break is on Old Tyler Hwy behind Joe Tex Diesel, then South to Loop 564 to Sanderson Farms and CR 2724. To make sure all bacteria is destroyed, water should be brought to a boil for two minutes and then cooled before consumption. Bottled water can also be used instead for drinking and cooking until the notice has been lifted.

GILMER – The head of the Texas Education Agency made a stop at Gilmer ISD on Monday, happening days after the TEA released this year’s report card for schools across the state, according to a report from our news partner, KETK.

Gilmer Elementary is celebrating their success in the classroom after the school saw a 7-point jump this year. In this year’s TEA ratings, the school raised from 83 to 90, scoring them an A.

Overall, the district scored a B in this year’s TEA ratings. Gilmer Elementary School principal Gina Treadway said the better grade is in part thanks to a new math and phonics program but that the students and teachers are who are really to thank. Continue reading Gilmer Elementary receives high Accountability Test score

TYLER – A bill that would expand access to Ivermectin and permit it to be bought over the counter is now a priority in the Texas House.

State Rep. Joanne Shofner of Nacogdoches is proposing the bill as she believes it would give patients easier access to Ivermectin if passed. The bill would allow drugs like Ivermectin, which was created to kill parasites, to be bought over the counter with no prescription required. The proposal has received a priority bill number from the House Speaker, which makes Shofner hopeful that the bill will be added to the agenda for the current special session.

“What it says is that House District 11 is very, very important to the state capital and that, you know, sometimes rural Texas needs to jump up higher and louder to overtake some of the big cities,” Shofner said.

Update: Boil water notice for Mineola was rescinded late Wednesday morning.

MINEOLA – Due to an eight inch break in a city water main, a boil water notice is in effect for Mineola. City officials say the break is on Old Tyler Hwy behind Joe Tex Diesel, then South to Loop 564 to Sanderson Farms and CR 2724. To make sure all bacteria is destroyed, water should be brought to a boil for two minutes and then cooled before consumption. Bottled water can also be used instead for drinking and cooking until the notice has been lifted.

LINDALE – The City of Lindale announced Monday afternoon that a boil water notice for those living on Aspenwood, Timberwood and Stonewood Drive. The release from the city did not mention the reason for the notice. To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria are destroyed, water for drinking, cooking and ice making should be boiled for two minutes and cooled prior to use for human consumption. If you have any questions, call the City of Lindale at 903-882-4918.

EMORY – Rains County Justice of the Peace Judge Robert Jenkins Franklin has been given 12 months of deferred adjudication, to avoid a verdict in his driving while intoxicated case.

Franklin was arrested on March 21, 2024 for driving while intoxicated. According to an affidavit for Franklin’s arrest, he was contacted by a Rains County Sheriff’s Office deputy investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle on the night of March 20. According to out news partner KETK, at 11:25 p.m. on March 20, Rains County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch contacted a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper to respond to County Road 2250, where Franklin’s vehicle was on the side of the road.

“Franklin stated that he had received some bad news earlier in the day and he was just sitting in his truck on CR-2250 approximately one mile from his residence. The strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was coming from his breath and when he would speak, he was slurring his words. I attempted to start the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and Franklin quickly refused to do any testing,” the trooper said in a DPS probable cause affidavit. Continue reading Rains County judge gets deferred adjudication for DUI

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, enough lawmakers showed up at the state capital on Monday to make a quorum for the start of the second special session called by Governor Greg Abbott.

Shofner said “It was a very dramatic day today here at the Capitol, House Bill 1, which covers flood relief for the Hill Country, has taken precedence in the second session, along with gaveling in bills that have been referred to committees.” “We can finally get that done and get that passed, so we are excited about doing that.” “Another one is property tax relief for our Texans.” Continue reading East Texans react to State House starting second session

JACKSONVILLE – UT Health Jacksonville and the Texas Department of Transportation partnered on Monday to hold free child car seat inspections for the public.

According to a report from our news partner KETK, the event is being held at UT Health Jacksonville’s front parking lot from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with no registration or appointment requirements. This safety check can help give parents piece of mind that they’re children are protected while riding in a vehicle. Certified child passenger safety technicians are on site to inspect appropriate harnessing, correct seat type and size, direction and placement, expiration dates, seat condition, and proper installation and positioning. Continue reading TxDOT and UT Health hold free child car seat inspections

PALESTINE — The Westwood ISD Athletic Director and head high school football coach was served an additional two years of probation on Monday, following an incident where an un-enrolled 7th grade student participated in workouts during the summer, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On Oct. 24, 2024, Westwood High School football coach Robert Bishop met with the State Executive Committee of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to discuss an incident involving Westwood staff allegedly filming an opposing team’s signals. The committee placed Bishop on probation for the 2025-2026 school year and decided that the Panthers football team did not have to forfeit their undefeated season. While still on probation, Bishop has just been served another two years of probation for violating another one of UIL’s rules. Continue reading Westwood HS football coach gets additional two years of probation

UPSHUR COUNTY – Several volunteer fire departments across Texas, including the New Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, received a $10,000 grant from State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), according to a report from our news partner KETK.

This was the second year in a row that the NVFC and State Farm partnered up to support local volunteer fire departments. The grants help departments secure the necessary equipment to keep first responders safe and protect their communities. Continue reading East Texas fire department receives $10K grant

TYLER – Indivisible Smith County, a local nonprofit political group, held a “Fight The Trump Takeover” protest on the S. Saunders Avenue overpass of Highway 31 in Tyler on Saturday, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Fight The Trump Takeover protests were held all across the country on Saturday in response to the ongoing mid-decade redistricting effort being undertaken by Republicans in Texas. The East Texas organization Indivisible Smith County took part in the protests by hanging banners over Highway 31 in Tyler. Continue reading Smith County group protests Trump and redistricting

TYLER – Chapel Hill ISD held a ribbon cutting on Saturday for their new Academies of CHISD career and technology center and their new Multipurpose Activity Center. According to our news partner KETK, the two new buildings are located at the Chapel Hill High School campus and were funded as a part of Chapel Hill ISD’s 2023 bond. The career and technical education facility was designed to improve on the district’s Academies of Chapel Hill education model with new classrooms and technical workshops.

“It’s almost like Christmas morning when you get a chance to open up that present for the first time that you’ve been wishing for just about a whole year,” Chapel Hill ISD superintendent Lamond Dean said. “It’s been awe-inspiring to see our community, all the hard work and dedication our staff have come through and for our children to have such facilities that will give them so many great opportunities that they did not have before.” Continue reading Chapel Hill ISD unveils new technology center, multipurpose facility

WINONA – Winona ISD announced that their campuses will be closed on Monday due to a sewer line issue. They plan on being back open for their first day of school on Tuesday.

“We will be back Tuesday for our 1st day of school and can’t wait to see our students and staff back on campus. Go Cats!! It’s going to be a great year,” Winona ISD said on Sunday.

To stay up to date with the district, visit Winona ISD on Facebook.

LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock FBI Field Office is asking for the public’s help in its search for a wanted Texarkana man. According to our news partner KETK, 31-year-old Brandon Lakeith Jenkins is wanted after allegedly shooting three people in an Aug. 29, 2023, home invasion robbery in Texarkana, Texas. They said they believe Jenkins has fled across Arkansas to avoid capture. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.

Jenkins was charged on Sept. 11, 2023, with engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault by the Bowie County Magistrate in Texas. Officials say Jenkins has ties to Texarkana, Texas, and Hope, Arkansas.

Jenkins is described as a 5-foot-5-inch Black man weighing 153 pounds. He should be considered armed and dangerous and is an escape risk, FBI officials said. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department at 903-798-3165.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY – The Lilbert-Looneyville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene of a major rollover crash on State Highway 204 near Trawick on Saturday.

According to our news partner KETK the crash occurred in the 4500 block of SH 204 at 11:49 p.m. on Saturday. Nacogdoches County EMS and the Texas Department of Public Safety were part of the rescue and recovery team.

Lilbert-Looneyville VFD said a car was heading east towards Trawick, north of Nacogdoches, when it left the roadway and rolled over multiple times, flattening several road signs in the process. Luckily, the driver of the car was able to escape the wreckage before any first responders arrived at the crash scene. EMS then transported the driver to a local hospital to be treated and evaluated for any injuries.

TYLER – U.S. Congressman for Tyler Rep. Nathaniel Moran visited our news partner KETK on Friday to discuss several topics including the quorum break in the Texas State Legislature and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Moran applauded Trump for meeting with Putin in person.

“I appreciate the fact that President Trump is going to sit down with him face to face,” Moran said. “Because I think that’s going to help to communicate how serious President Trump is about achieving peace in the region there in Europe and how, Putin needs to back off of what he’s doing presently and to put a pause on all that he intends to do even in the future, because, frankly, I don’t think he intended to stop with Ukraine.”

Moran also commented on the Republican effort to redistrict Texas to have more Republican seats in the U.S. Congress and how Texas Democrats have broke quorum, halting work in the State Legislature. He suggested that Texas Democrats will have to come back to the state in order to continue the work of the Texas Legislature. Continue reading Rep. Moran discusses war in Ukraine, quorum break

UPDATE: The Texarkana Police Department said that Seth Harrel was found safe at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

TEXARKANA – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Texarkana Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating an autistic boy who went missing on Saturday. 12-year-old Seth Harrel is an autistic child who was reported missing at around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday from his home, which is to the south of Texarkana College.

He was last seen on foot heading in an unknown direction and could be wearing a black shirt and jeans. Anyone who sees Seth is asked to call 911 immediately.

LIVINGSTON – According to our news partner KETK, a Livingston man was arrested for impersonating a police officer in Montgomery County on Aug. 1.

William Caruthers, 38 of Livingston, was originally wanted on a warrant filed by the Livingston Police Department after an incident in July where he was seen chasing a motorcycle with police lights flashing on his gray 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, according to Livingston PD. Then on Aug. 1, Livingston PD said that Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Caruthers because they believed he was impersonating an officer at the scene of a crash he was in. He was then booked into the Montgomery County Jail on two counts of impersonating a public servant.

According to Livingston PD, Caruthers’ Ford had a black push bar on the front fender and several flashing emergency lights and that Caruthers had body armor and handheld radios in his possession when he was arrested. Continue reading Man arrested for impersonating police officer

TYLER – According to our new partner KETK, a member of the Tyler City Council has announced his intention to run for mayor of Tyler in the upcoming 2026 election.

James Wynne has spent the past six years as a councilmember of District 4, and he’s now looking to transition into the role of mayor. Wynne posted a video on YouTube on Friday announcing his intentions to run for mayor.

“No race is run alone,” Wynne said. “I humbly ask for the support of our community in this race for the future of Tyler. Together, we can ensure our city continues to thrive for generations to come.”

More information about Wynee and his experience in local government can be found on his website.

SMITH COUNTY – Two people have been injured after their vehicle crashed into trees on Highway 31 in Smith County according to our news partner KETK. First responders from UT Health, Smith County Emergency Services and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of the crash and had to use chainsaws to clear the brush around the vehicle.

The two people injured in the crash were extracted from the vehicle put into an ambulance to be transported to a local hospital. Traffic heading westbound on Highway 31 is currently blocked by first responders.

LONGVIEW — Our news partner KETK is reporting that Pine Tree High School assistant principal, Annette Johnson, was selected as an Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year Region 7 representative in the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP). Johnson is currently in her fourth year as an assistant principal and has been a member of the leadership team at Pine Tree High School since 2023. She has taken on various roles in education including high school principal, elementary assistant principal and director of technology.

TASSP recognizes outstanding principals and assistant principals across 20 regional Education Service Centers in Texas.

“I am truly honored to serve alongside my principal, Mr. Beeper Kraus, and my assistant principal colleagues each day,” Johnson said. “Together, we build relationships with the students and their parents, which is a privilege for me each year. The community of Pine Tree supports our teachers and students on a continual basis, and I’m proud to be a part of it.” Continue reading Pine Tree ISD named most outstanding in Region 7

TYLER – The Tyler Fire Department responded to a fire at a recycling center on Highway 31 last night. A nearby business told KETK that they felt their whole building shake as if was hit by a car. They said what they felt must have been an explosion that’s started a fire in a scrap heap at K&L Recycling.

According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Police Department temporarily shut down traffic in the 4000 block of Highway 31 while firefighters worked to control the fire at K&L Recycling. A KETK reporter at the scene could see smoke rising from the area on Friday. More details as they become available.

TYLER – The owner of the Carlton Hotel, Norf Companies, announced on Friday that the compromised south wall of the hotel’s garage has been fully demolished. According to our news partner KETK, the demolition was undertaken in a collaboration between the Tyler Fire Department, City officials and Norf Companies’ demolition contractor. The sidewalks near the garage are still closed but Elm Street and Spring Street are now back open to road traffic, according to Norf Companies.

“Completing the demolition of the compromised south wall is a significant step toward ensuring public safety,” development director at NORF Companies Ilse Stough said. “We are grateful for the continued support and swift coordination from the City of Tyler, our engineering team, and the demolition contractor. Our focus remains on protecting the public and resolving this matter responsibly.”

Elm Street was first closed after bricks were noticed falling from the wall in August.

TYLER – Tyler City Council has approved an agreement with the Tyler Economic Development Council that will expand sanitary sewage service to a future business par, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The $992,353.84 development agreement was approved by Tyler City Council on Wednesday, and will expand the city’s sewage system to cover the Wisenbaker Tract. The tract is a 282-acre stretch of land on Highway 271 and FM 14 that the Tyler Economic Development Council (TEDC) acquired to build a new business park. TEDC will manage the design, permitting, bidding and construction of the sewer expansion and the city will cover eligible costs after the project is completed, according to a City of Tyler press release. Continue reading Tyler approves sewer expansion for future business park