KTBB News, Weather, Talk

MARSHALL – A person who calls the city of Marshall “home”, recently bought a lottery ticket and won a million dollars. According to our news partner KETK, the winner, who is a Marshall native has elected to remain anonymous. Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed $31 billion to the Foundation School Fund. This fund helps support Texas public education.

TYLER – A Tatum man was arrested for murder on Monday after the missing person case of a 51-year-old Tyler woman was reclassified as a homicide. According to our news partner KETK, Paula Belonga was last seen on April 7 leaving her apartment complex, her Chevrolet Impalla was found on April 12 in Zavalla. Tyler police said after obtaining evidence, the case was classified from a missing person to a homicide, and an arrest warrant was issued for Jesse Williams, 40 of Tatum, for murder. Williams was arrested on Monday by the U.S. Marshal’s Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force and was booked into the Smith County Jail. His bond was set at $750,000.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank introduced its sixth Chief Executive Officer, David Emerson. According to our news partner KETK, Emerson has more than 20 years of leadership in Arkansas where he served as the Executive Director at the Midwest Food Bank. With financial struggles and high inflation making it harder for people to afford the prices at the grocery store, he plans to utilize his experience to address food insecurity in rural areas. David Emerson said he wants to try and find a solution to the higher costs. A Federal Reserve report showed that only 63% of adults can cover an unexpected $400 expense. Continue reading With high food prices New food bank CEO is looking for solutions

TYLER – A 22-year-old Tyler man has been indicted for intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in connection to a September 2022 fatal crash. According to our news partner KETK Darrell Lewis, 22 of Tyler, was indicted for driving while intoxicated on Sept. 24, 2022, and caused the crash that killed 53-year-old Eric Elitel.

The wreck took place on State Highway 155 North one mile north of Winona, and DPS reported at the time that Lewis was driving south on the road when his car moved onto the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into another car. Elitel was pronounced dead at the scene, and Lewis was taken to a Louisiana hospital for treatment. He was indicted for intoxication manslaughter on April 20.

ANGELINA COUNTY — Angelina County authorities make a wellness check, instead find about 271 marijuana plants. According to our news partner KETK, Angelina County Deputies and EMS found an unconscious white male in the same place where the plants were growing. Deputies then arrested a woman because she wouldn’t identify herself, while another was released. The man who was found unconscious was hospitalized briefly, but charges are expected to be filed.

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville’s 39th annual Tomato Fest is Saturday June 10. According to our news partner KETK, Jacksonville Mayor Randy Gorman issued a proclamation officially changing Jacksonville’s name to “Tomatoville”, through this Saturday. The Tomato Fest is when the Jacksonville tomato takes center stage each year. On the schedule in Tomato Fest; a dodgeball tournament, salsa contest and, as you would expect a tomato growing contest. Festival planners expect a record number of vendors and attendees.

TYLER – Senator Ted Cruz was in Tyler on Monday touring the University of Texas Health Science Center. KTBB’s Paul Gleiser caught up with the senator for a conversation on the debt ceiling fight in Washington. The bill that avoided a default on the US debt passed, but Cruz was not happy with the version that was agreed upon.

“I think the spending and the debt we’ve seen from Washington is wildly irresponsible and we are bankrupting this country,” Cruz said. “Historically the most effective lever point to reign in spending has been the debt ceiling. So I was a proponent from day one, let’s use this debt ceiling as leverage to force some kind of reasonable spending restraint.”

Cruz is of the opinion that the White House “rolled the Republican leadership.” He feels the spending restraints in the deal were very modest.

“They (the White House) got Republicans to fund virtually the entire Biden political agenda,” Cruz said, “and it was a real missed opportunity.”

Cruz feels the agreement will only fuel continued inflation that will be felt due to the accumulated debt.

When asked why the Congress hasn’t passed a budget in regular orders since 1996, Cruz was pessimistic.

“I don’t think that will be fixed,” he replied.”The incentives right now in Washington is for both sides to go right up to the edge of the cliff, threaten either a government shutdown or a default on the debt because what happens then is a giant omnibus budget bill gets negotiated behind closed doors…and it’s Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer who negotiate it and then roll out a giant bill that inevitably funds all the Democratic priorities.”

Cruz also discussed the charges of politicization of the FBI and Justice Department. You can hear the entire conversation here…
Ted Cruz Interview

TYLER – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) Monday toured the University of Texas Tyler Health Science Center in Tyler, Texas. Sen. Cruz toured the Public Health Lab of East Texas and participated in a roundtable with UT Tyler leadership.

About the tour, Sen. Cruz said, “Texas is the home of innovators, and I’m proud to see UT Tyler Health Science Center leading the way on the cutting edge of innovative healthcare, and the new medical school training our next generation of leaders in the healthcare industry. In the Senate, I’m fighting for Texas healthcare and innovation, and I will continue to champion the good work being done here at UT Tyler Health Science Center.”

UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP, said, “We appreciate Senator Cruz for visiting our campus today to learn more about what UT Tyler is doing to address health care and workforce needs in East Texas. As we prepare to welcome the first class of medical students at the UT Tyler School of Medicine, I want to thank all of our elected representatives, the UT System and our East Texas community for the continued support of our health care education and research advancements.”

HENDERSON COUNTY – A woman was arrested on Sunday in Henderson County after officials found she had an outstanding felony arrest warrant and suspected drugs in her backpack. According to our news partner KETK, she was at the jail visiting an inmate when they made the discovery. Tiffany Karavites, 35 of Colorad, Colo., was arrested on the outstanding warrant and while searching a backpack she had with her at the jail, officials said they found suspected meth. Karavites was booked for one charge of possession of a controlled substance in addition to the outstanding warrant.

HAWKINS – Hawkins ISD is mourning the loss of student Jaykob Dodd, who died over the weekend in a two car collision, according to our news partner KETK. Hawkins ISD shared the following statement on Facebook:

“We send our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Jaykob Dodd. We stand by you during this difficult time, and our hearts go out to everyone in his family and our HISD school family. HISD will have counselors on hand tomorrow for any student and staff in need. Whether you need someone to talk to or just someone to listen, we are here for you. The Middle/High School will postpone summer school tomorrow. We will resume our summer learning program on Tuesday. Once again, our thoughts and prayers go out to you.”
Hawkins ISD

The district said that Middle School and High School summer school will resume on Tuesday. They added that Region 7 crisis counselors will be on campus from 9:00 a.m. to noon Tuesday for students and staff.

The Department of Public Safety says the accident happened around 1pm Saturday on FM 14. The couple in the other vehicle were taken to the hospital, but their conditions are unknown.

TRINITY COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace is asking for the public’s help identifying the truck used to allegedly steal a RV trailer in Trinity County on Friday. According to authorities, the truck is a white late model Ford Super Duty 4D FX4 and the trailer is a 2015 Keystone Outback 33’ Bumper-Pull with the license plate number: 8198894. Officials said that a 6.5 Savage Bolt Action Rifle with a scope and synthetic black stock was stolen as well.

Anyone with information can call Trinity County Sheriff’s Office at 936-642-1424.

TYLER – Our news partner KETK reports that UPDATE: 105 power outages were still listed as active by East Texas electricity companies and cooperatives on Sunday morning after storms moved through the area on Saturday. Tyler Police Department confirmed that officers are conducting traffic at multiple intersections that are down because of power outages. Officials said the intersections are being worked while crews try to restore power.

Below is a partial list of customers without power from ONCOR, SWEPCO and various electric cooperatives. Full list on KETK’s website
Smith County – 17
Cherokee County – 4
Gregg County – 6
Henderson County – 4
Rusk County – 7
Upshur County – Fewer than 5

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to 18 years in state prison on Friday in relation to a 2022 crash that killed David Lewandowski of Hewitt, judicial records show. According to our news partner KETK Nicholas Ray Agustin, 20 of Tyler, pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and intoxication assault with a vehicle on Friday, according to judicial records.

Agustin’s judicial records show he was sentenced to 10 years for possession of a controlled substance and intoxication assault. His ten year sentences will be served concurrently with his 18 year sentence which will start immediately. In 2022, DPS reported that Agustin was heading south on Highway 110 when his Ford Crown Victoria lost control and entered the northbound lane and hit the 2012 Honda Civic carrying Lewandowski. After the crash Agustin, who was allegedly not wearing a seatbelt, was taken to a local hospital with non-incapacitating injuries. The driver of the Civic was taken to a different local hospital with incapacitating injuries. Lewandowski was pronounced dead at the scene.

TYLER – A man in Smith County was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for aggravated sexual assault of a child. Hunter Tadlock-Bearden, 25, pleaded guilty on April 27 and was sentenced to prison on Thursday.

In October 2020, he was wanted by the United States Marshal’s Service and Smith County District Attorney’s Office in connection to an aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to Smith County Judicial Records, the offense took place in March of 2016. Tadlock-Bearden was indicted on February 27, 2020. He has 376 days of jail credit that will be applied to the 10 year sentence.

TYLER – Tyler Police Department identified the man who was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in downtown Tyler as Randy Daniels, 61. Officials said that Daniels and the victim knew each other and that this was an isolated incident.

Our news partner KETK reports that a man was cut with a box cutter in downtown Tyler on Friday afternoon according to Tyler Police Department officials. The victim’s arm was treated with a tourniquet and the alleged attacker was arrested for aggravated assault. Identities have not been released but officials said that the attack did not seem random.

TYLER- U.S. Congressman Nathaniel Moran was back home in East Texas for a fundraising event in Tyler. Our new partner KETK caught up with Moran before the event and he had a lot to say about the recent debt ceiling deal and his priorities for East Texas moving forward. After only five months in D.C., Congressman Nathaniel Moran believes major policies have already been tackled on Capitol Hill to further improve life in East Texas.

“We’ve heard that without question that border security and spending were the two largest issues, so we dealt with that border security issue and passed that out of the house. We hope we will get support in the Senate and from the president,” said Moran. “I know that bipartisanship is hard and unity is hard, but we can never stop trying. There’s no other way. No matter how tough our politics gets, we see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans,” said Biden. Moran was not for the deal, and said he voted no. He said while there are some good parts to the plan, he ultimately believes East Texans needed more from the deal that would benefit them.

He says one of the best ways as far as reducing spending and reducing our deficit is to become more energy independent. “We need to unleash oil and gas industries across this nation and become more independent so that we can be a world leader not just economically, but with foreign policy and a military standpoint,” said Moran. He added that his work in D.C. is just getting started.

COFFEE CITY – The city of Coffee City is grieving over the death of one of their police officers. According to our news partner KETK, Officer Shaun Jackson died Thursday night. Jackson had not been with the department long. In a facebook post Police Chief JohnJay Portillo said that “Though Officer Jackson had only been with us a short time he quickly demonstrated the commitment to the public safety of the citizens, visitors and business owners of the city of Coffee City.” The cause of death has not been reported.

TYLER — Three cheetah cubs were born to mother, Orchid, and father, Flap, at the Caldwell Zoo. Their birth is a significant milestone for the zoo and for the conservation of the species. The first cub of the litter was born around 7:38 p.m. and the third arrived just before midnight on May 31. The Caldwell Zoo said that the mother is being very attentive and the cubs are nursing comfortably as they would hope. Caldwell Zoo is a member of the Cheetah Breeding Coalition and works closely with accredited zoological organizations to breed the felines. Caldwell Zoo says they are dedicated to conservation and education, “striving to instill a sense of awe and respect for the natural world in all who visit.” The birth of the cheetah cubs reinforces their commitment to protecting endangered species and raising awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation.

MINEOLA – According to our news partner KETK the Collins Field Airport, in Wood County, opened a new apron expansion on Thursday. “After COVID, we had a big increase in small jets coming into the airport because the airlines were a mess, and it was hard for them and so it’s easier for businesses and personal travel to be done with personal aircraft, light twins, single engine aircraft like this one behind me, and a lot of bizjets were moving into the area,” John Wisdom, Airport Manager said. The added space and newly-painted stripes will allow for greater jet traffic and greater safety during bad weather.

MINEOLA – Mini ‘S’ Exotic Zoo is closed to the public now but offered encounters with nearly one-hundred animals. Recently, they have been dealing with federal officials investigating conditions at the zoo. An April inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture revealed what they described as filthy and unsafe conditions for dozens of animals. “There’s always another side to another story,” said Mandy Miller, who works for the zoo.
Continue reading Mineola Zoo breaks silence on federal investigation

ATHENS – An Athens woman has been arrested and charged with injury to a child in the death of her 10-year-old autistic stepson in 2022. Our news partners at KETK report that the arrest warrant says that 38-year-old Shonna Pickle told authorities that she called 9-1-1 after finding the boy unresponsive the day after Christmas. He was pronounced dead at the emergency room, but a doctor reported seeing bruising on his neck and stomach that was not consistent with CPR. After an investigation and testimony from her husband, a caregiver and medical authorities, the warrant was issued. Pickle had lost custody of her four other children due to charges of abuse. She was arrested for injury to a child and her bond set at $500,000.

MARSHALL – 43 kilograms of cocaine were seized on Sunday by Marshall police after a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, a semi-truck was stopped around 3:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of South East End Boulevard. A search of the truck found 39 plastic-wrapped bundles of cocaine that police said is estimated to have a street value of $4 million. The driver, identified as Ariel Martinez, 34 of Elgin, Ill., was arrested and booked into the Harrison County Jail before being released on a $100,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing.

TYLER — A Tyler woman was arrested on Tuesday after being indicted on two charges of manslaughter. According to our news partner KETK, Chasity Head, 33, is accused of “failing to yield the right of way at a stop sign” after ingesting marijuana on July 5, 2022. Documents said the wreck caused the deaths of her unsecured passengers, Aiden Rice and Kyleigh Head. Chasity Head was indicted for manslaughter on April 27. Her bond has been set at a total of $500,000.

TYLER — An official at an East Texas hospital says young people are becoming more prone to strokes. The stroke coordinator at  Christus Health, in Tyler, Jennifer Burwell says it’s not uncommon to see patients at 30, 20 and even 18 years old who have suffered strokes. She says it’s because they’re not as active as they should be. The CDC says 80% of strokes are preventable, but they are the third leading cause of death in Texas. Burwell says remember the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize the symptoms of stroke: balance, eyes, face, arm, speech, and time.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — An East Texas deputy is sentenced to 44 months in prison for hitting a handcuffed suspect in the face. Former Van Zandt County Chief Deputy Craig Shelton received 3 years and 8 months sentence in a Tyler Federal Court Wednesday. Shelton said he accepted full responsibility for violating the victim’s civil rights in the November 2021 incident. In addition to his prison sentence, Shelton will also receive drug and alcohol counseling. Also Wednesday, former Van Zandt County Deputy Blake Snell was sentenced to 1 year of probation for obstruction of justice in the incident involving Shelton.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who was reported missing. Courtney Taylor Martin, 34, was reported missing by her family on May 24. Martin was last seen near County Road 42 and FM 724 on May 18. She is described as a white female, about 5’5″ and 250 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials said Martin is reported to have a mental illness and is not taking her medication for the illness. According to the sheriff’s office, she has been known to hang out in the area of “tent city” near the Super 1 Foods store on East Gentry Parkway. Anyone with information on Martin’s whereabouts is asked to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600.

LONGVIEW – Two people are dead and nine others are injured after a five-car crash in Longview on Monday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, a white Chevrolet Sonic with one passenger was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on South Eastman Road when the car “failed to stop and struck another vehicle.” Longview police responded around 5 p.m. to the scene in the 3100 block of North Eastman Road and Fourth Street. The driver of the Chevrolet Sonic, identified as Callie Bearden, 19 of Longview, was taken to a local hospital where she later died of her injuries. Shelby Partain, 32, a passenger of a separate car, was taken to a local hospital where she died of her injuries. Nine other people were taken to a local hospital for treatment, and police said they are continuing to investigate the crash.

TYLER — The debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward a crucial U.S. House vote. East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran spoke with KTBB Wednesday morning about his thoughts on the overall Fiscal Responsibility Act package. Moran said, “As I read this bill over the past few day, I can tell you we’re in a much better place under this bill than we were 90 days ago, when the President would not negotiate on a debt ceiling increase.” Moran goes on to say, “We have a lot of spending reforms, a lot of regulatory and administrative reforms that have been needed for a while. It’s good. Whether or not it’s good enough to earn a ‘yes’ vote from me and a ‘yes’ vote from the First District of Texas…we’ll see.” Moran says, “We’re going to work through that process all the way up until the time of the vote today, and then we’ll cast the vote that best represents the interests of the people of the First District of Texas.” Continue reading East Texas Congressman weighs in on crucial debt ceiling budget vote

TYLER – A Tyler man was charged with manslaughter in connection to the April 2022 death of a 17-year-old. According to our news partner KETK, 27-year-old Billy Bernard Maddox, Jr. was indicted for manslaughter in the overdose death of Preston Hawley. In September 2022, Maddox was charged with tampering/fabricating with intent to impair evidence and bonded out the same day. He was later arrested on a manslaughter charge on May 26 in connection to the same case. According to an arrest warrant, Hawley used to live with Maddox. The warrant states that detectives were told Maddox was “a known drug dealer.” On the afternoon of April 23, 2022, Tyler police detectives were called to a hospital in response to a patient who died of an apparent overdose, identified as Hawley. Continue reading Tyler man indicted for manslaughter in connection to overdose death