KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The Women in Tyler Planning Committee has announced the 2019 Women in Tyler luncheon theme, “Women With a Passion.” According to a news release, Tyler citizens are encouraged to send in nominations of women with a passion for this prestigious annual award by Sept. 25. Honorees will be announced on Jan. 15, 2019, and will be honored at the Annual Women in Tyler Luncheon on March 21, 2019, at the Rose Garden Center. 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of Women in Tyler as a way to celebrate Women’s History Month and to honor women who have contributed to the quality of life in the community, according to the release. Visit http://www.womenintyler.com to learn more.

MARSHALL — Harrison County’s burn ban has been rescinded. The ban had been in effect since July 9. Fire Marshal Thomas Mock says conditions have improved in the county, citing Monday’s rainfall and additional precipitation expected this week.

TYLER — The city of Tyler has been notified that an unknown third party was able to gain access to payments made through the Click2Gov online-payment system the city uses to collect payments for utilities and municipal court fines and fees. The date range of the breach is June 18, 2018, to Aug. 21, 2018. Credit card information for utilities and municipal court customers who made payments in person may have been breached, as well as those who made one-time payments online. The city is in the process of identifying and contacting individual customers who may be affected by the breach. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org/News/tabid/1554/ctl/NewsArticle/mid/3011/CategoryID/11/NewsID/34000/Default.aspx?SkinSrc=%5BG%5DSkins/CityTyler/Departments for more information.

TYLER — Smith County Habitat for Humanity has received a $150,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. According to a Habitat news release, the grant will be used to provide critical home repairs for veterans and surviving spouses of veterans through Smith County Habitat’s critical repair program. Repairs will assist veterans in making their homes accessible, healthy, and safe. Repairs typically involve installing wheelchair ramps, making kitchen cabinets accessible, installing new floors that are level and safe, making accessible doorways, and making bathrooms accessible. Continue reading Smith County Habitat Seeking Veterans to Benefit from Grant

TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct a variety of construction and maintenance work throughout the Tyler District during the Week of Sept. 10. Tyler Maintenance crews plan to conduct milling operations on FM 14 from US 271 to Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. Crews will also address base failures on FM 2908 just north of FM 2767. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/038-2018.html for a complete rundown.

HENDERSON COUNTY — The Henderson County Sheriff’s Department has added a high-tech drone with the latest law enforcement tools and a trained, licensed pilot to their operation. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the drone will be deployed during manhunts, cases of kidnapped or missing children, missing elderly, active shooter sites and post-crime scene analysis. The Inspire 1 drone is equipped with a complete camera system for both video and still photography and it has zoom and thermal capabilities so the pilot can see up close and at night. It also has GPS tracking and can reach speeds of 49 miles per hour. Continue reading High-Tech Drone Added to Henderson County Sheriff’s Arsenal

HENDERSON COUNTY — The body of a woman reported missing last month has been found in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, on August 8, Diana Lynn Musella, 75, of Athens, called her sister and said that she had become lost while driving. Musella stated that her car had somehow become disabled and that she was disoriented and unable to provide her location. After several attempts to locate Musella herself, her sister contacted law enforcement. Police initially attempted to locate Musella through cell phone data but received unreliable and inconsistent information from the cellular provider. A state-wide Silver Alert was issued but failed to produce viable leads. Continue reading Body of Missing Woman Found in Athens

TYLER – Acting on a citizen’s tip, Corey Edmond Simpson, 34, of Tyler, was arrested at a store on West Gentry Parkway shortly after 6:00 Friday evening. Simpson had been named in several warrants. As an officer tried to stop him from leaving a residence, he rammed the officer’s car and headed toward the Lake Tyler area. He is said to have hit a second vehicle at Old Omen and University. There were no injuries. Besides previous charges, he now faces additional charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer, evading arrest. He is in the Smith County Jail on bonds totaling $1,000,000.

TYLER – Tyler fire chief David Coble has graduated from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Executive Academy. The academy is at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. According to a city news release, it is for senior executives at the top of their careers. It’s the final phase of FEMA’s Emergency Management Professional Program. Chief Coble completed his training August 30th.

HENDERSON – One person has died in a one vehicle accident in Rusk County. Dead at the scene was Jesse Charles Key, 23, of Henderson. The Department of Public Safety reports his car left the road and ended up in a grassy ditch. As he overcorrected, the car went into a sideways skid and hit a drainage culvert. It then rolled several times, throwing the driver from the vehicle. The accident happened just before 3:15 Friday morning on U.S. Highway 79, 13 miles northeast of Henderson.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler is one of five Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Star Award finalists. The board recognized UT Tyler’s Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree program. The program is an online undergraduate transfer degree program designed for working adults seeking to complete their four-year degree for career advancement. A panel will now review which of the finalists will be honored with the Star Award. The winners will be honored at the Texas Higher Education Leadership Conference at the end of November.

LONGVIEW – Jury duty is cancelled in Gregg County on Monday. The Gregg County District Clerk made the announcement Friday. If you received a notice for jury duty for Monday, you do not have to report.

MARSHALL – The city of Marshall has a new tourism and marketing manager. She is Mallori James, who starts her new duties on Monday. She will be responsible for the leadership of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, implementing a marketing strategy to attract tourists and enhancing nature, culture, and arts opportunities for the city. James is currently a marketing consultant for Brookshire Real Estate in Lufkin. She previously was employed as an events specialist with the City of Lewisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Before that, she was the Visitors Services and Meeting Event Coordinator for the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau.

AUSTIN – Twenty three independent school districts and colleges are getting nearly $5 million in grants from the Texas Workforce Commission. Tyler Junior College will be getting a grant for $261,975 while Trinity Valley Community College gets a grant for $279,139. The funds will help the two schools to purchase and install equipment to provide students in the medical profession with training for registered nurses. The chair of the Workforce Commission, Ruth Hughs, said the funds will help produce the highest quality of candidates for Texas employers in high-demand occupations as well as new emerging industries.

TYLER — The Tyler Museum of Art has a new exhibition on display. According to a news release, TMA is presenting the first large-scale museum exhibition of an emerging East Texas and international talent with “Apertures of the Mind: Works by Abhidnya Ghuge.” The exhibition will remain up through Dec. 2 in the TMA’s North Gallery, and admission is free. Born in India, Dr. Ghuge is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Tyler. She is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Tyler. Inspired by a blend of Indian henna designs and imagery from her previous medical profession, her work explores themes of community, time and value, according to the news release. You can visit http://www.tylermuseum.org to learn more about the museum and the new exhibition.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A six-month-old baby has died after she was left in a vehicle all day Thursday. The Henderson County Sheriff said the baby’s father, Jackson Tetrick, 24, of Brownsboro, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide. Tetrick was arrested in the parking lot of the Brownsboro Elementary School around at 6:40 Thursday night. Investigators said he took his wife to work, dropped off another child at school before he returned home. Tetrick went to work in Athens a short time later. When he picked up the older child from school at 3:30, he realized he didn’t drop off the infant at the sitter’s house that morning. Emergency CPR was administered by school staff. The child was pronounced dead at 4:40. The baby’s body was sent to Dallas for autopsy.

TYLER – Tyler police are asking for the public’s help in identifying this man. Investigators say he was involved in a hit and run accident. If you know who he is please contact Detective Shine at 903-595-7210 or call CrimeStoppers at 903-597-2833.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An East Texas lawmaker wants a work requirement for SNAP recipients included in a new farm bill. As the conference committee works to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the farm bill, Tyler Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert says people receiving nutrition assistance should have to work for their benefits. Gohmert says, “One of the most important things in the farm bill is a requirement that people work if they’re capable in order to get the SNAP, or the food supplement program. And so we’re hoping to keep that in. There are senators that want to take it out.” The work requirement is not in the Senate version, and leaders say it won’t be. House Freedom Caucus members killed the first House bill.

TYLER — The 28th annual Pantry Raid competition between Robert E. Lee and John Tyler High School students has kicked off, benefiting the East Texas Food Bank. Students are asking the community to donate non-perishable food items or funds at the school of their choice. The school that collects the most food will earn bragging rights and proudly display the traveling trophy at their school for the year. Donations of non-perishable canned food items will be accepted at both high schools through Friday. You can also support either school by going to http://www.EastTexasFoodBank.org/pantryraid to make a monetary donation online. The results will be announced during halftime at the Robert E. Lee and John Tyler football game on Saturday.

KILGORE — The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded Kilgore College the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. According to a news release from the college, the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. The annual GFOA recognition certifies that KC’s financial audit is prepared in accordance with guidelines recognized by nationally established standards.

LONGVIEW — The 69th Annual Gregg County Fair, sponsored by the Longview Jaycees, will be held at the Longview Fairgrounds and Exhibit Building September 7th through the 15. Fair staffers say there will be many outside vendors selling favorite fair food, t-shirts, and novelties. Inside vendors will be selling a wide variety of items, including jewelry, candles, Avon, Scentsy products, home-grown honey, and much more. There will also be entertainment and a carnival. Gate Admission is $6. Children 6 yrs. and under, Senior Citizens, Military members and their family are free with proper identification. You can go to http://www.greggcountyfair.com for more information.

TYLER – The latest active shooter class by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department will be Thursday night. It starts at 6:30 at the Shiloh Road Church of Christ in Tyler. The training teaches what happens during an active shooter incident. It covers the human response both physical and psychological, common actions of the suspect and the law enforcement response. The training also covers actions you can take to help you survive the attack. The subject is graphic, and some portions of the training may not be suitable for children. Parents are strongly encouraged not to bring children younger than 13 to the training.

TYLER – Smith County’s burn ban has been lifted. It took effect August 3rd. The original order prohibited all outdoor burning was for a 90-day period, unless lifted earlier. Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said rainfall over the Labor Day weekend, combined with lower temperatures and the anticipation of more rain in the near future, persuaded her that conditions were acceptable to resume outdoor burning. After consulting with County Judge Nathaniel Moran, both agreed that the ban should be lifted. Around 11:30 Wednesday morning, the ban was officially lifted.

TYLER – An fatal auto/pedestrian accident in Smith County remains under investigation. It occurred around 11:45 Tuesday night on State Highway 155, two miles south of Tyler. Dead at the scene was Nancy Sue Jones, 41, of Tyler. She was walking in the southbound lane when first hit by a car driven by a Frankston woman and then hit by a car driven by a Flint woman.

CHAPEL HILL – One person was killed and three injured in a two vehicle accident in front of Wise Elementary just before 3:15 Tuesday afternoon. The accident happened when Kristen Darius Lilly, 19, of Carthage, lost control of her east bound car. The vehicle went into the west bound lane and collided with a SUV driven by Maria Torres, 31, of Arp. Lilly was critically injured. A passenger in her car, Tia Shay Roland, 19, later died at a Tyler hospital. Torres and a three year old boy in her vehicle were taken to a Tyler hospital in stable condition. The boy was treated and released. The accident remains under investigation.

MARSHALL – Some Marshall area motorists have learned, the hard way, school safety zone violations can be costly. During the first week of the new school year, the Marshall Police Department issued nearly three dozen citations for various school zone traffic offenses. School district Police Chief Joe Arledge said the most significant safety concern was making u-turns near the Marshall Junior High School. It’s a violation of a city ordinance. Another safety concern was dropping children off across the street from the junior high school, forcing students to cross a busy roadway where there is no crosswalk. The majority of citations issued in schools zones were for speed violations.

PALESTINE – A Silver Alert for a missing Palestine man has been discontinued. The Department of Public Safety says Harry Albert Jenkins, 79, has been found. He was reported missing after having last been seen on Farm Road 860 in Palestine around 8:00 Monday night.

TYLER — Tyler investigators have arrested the suspect in an August 24 altercation at the Family Dollar on East Gentry. Bond is $250,000 for 21-year-old Quidaejan Reanne Crawford, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police say Crawford first got into a verbal altercation with an employee, then began throwing items around the store and then left. Police tell us the employee walked outside to obtain Crawford’s license plate number as Crawford left the parking lot. According to the news release, Crawford abruptly circled around, accelerated, and struck the employee with her vehicle, throwing him into the front doors of the business. He was taken to the hospital and released.