KTBB News, Weather, Talk

JACKSONVILLE – A Jacksonville woman was arrested on Monday for failing to register as a sex offender for the second time. According to our news partner KETK, officials said Jennifer Gail Stevens, 38, was arrested at a residence on Jacksonville Square Drive. Failure to comply with sex offender duty to register is a third degree felony. Stevens was previously arrested in February for non-compliance with The Texas Sex Offender Registry Duty to Register.

TYLER – A Tyler man pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution after being accused of kidnapping two girls to sex-traffic them in Louisiana, according to Smith County judicial records. According to our news partner KETK, Aaron Devonte Wallace, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Teresa Swan Fletcher, 23, was also indicted for aggravated promotion of prostitution in connection to the case. Her plea docket agreement is scheduled for Sept. 20.

BULLARD – A Bullard ISD bus was involved in a wreck on Tuesday, the district announced on Facebook. According to our news partner KETK, officials said Bus E1 was involved in an accident near CR 181 and FM 344. Six students and two student aides were on board but were not injured. Another bus came to pick up students.

TYLER – The Smith County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to rescind its burn ban following recent rains, highlighted by Monday’s downpour. “I 100 percent recommend rescinding the burn ban after the rain we’ve had,” Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks said. “We received a good saturating, soaking rain, which was exactly what we needed.” The burn ban was issued by the Commissioners Court on July 5. Numerous other area counties are also lifting their burn bans. Continue reading Smith County, others lift burn bans

TYLER — The city of Tyler will be retiming 19 traffic signals this week for the year two signal timing improvements project. The identified intersections will build upon the corridors which were retimed in 2019 and 2021 and focus on areas that have seen less reliable travel times. according to a news release. This year the initial implementation of the new signal timings will be done remotely by the traffic engineer with the Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS). Previously, signal retiming had to be accomplished in the field. Officials say the new system is allowing for a quicker implementation and less staff time in the field. Continue reading Traffic signal retiming to begin this week

WINONA – The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in Winona on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the tornado had wind speeds of roughly 95 mph and was 200 yards wide, uprooting roughly 50 trees and damaging a few structures. No injuries or fatalities were reported in the four minutes it was on the ground. Most of the damage was right when the tornado was crossing FM 16 at Hussey Circle. It narrowly missed Winona ISD, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Shreveport Charlie Woodrum said.

TYLER — Starting Sept. 1, Tyler Solid Waste crews will continue collecting residential garbage and recycling at 6 a.m. In August, Solid Waste implemented a heat prevention program that allowed crews to start collecting an hour earlier than the usual start time of 7 a.m. The earlier start time allowed crews to work during the cooler hours and finish routes earlier. “After receiving great feedback from the community and our team, we decided to continue with the earlier start time,” said Solid Waste Director Leroy Sparrow as quoted in a news release. “Fulfilling the needs of our community while maintaining our crews’ safety is our top priority.” Continue reading Tyler Solid Waste implementing earlier start time year-round

DALLAS – Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a disaster declaration for 23 Texas counties after damaging winds and heavy rainfall across Texas — nine of them in East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, Camp, Henderson, Hopkins, Marion, Rains, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties are included in the declaration. Abbott said additional counties could be added as storms continue to move through the state.

TYLER – The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee approved approximately $3.5 million to The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center to fund two CPRIT cancer prevention related programs. With the assistance of $997,120, the DEFEAT (Delivering Education, Focused Navigation, and Equitable Access throughout East Texas) program will focus on recruiting underserved and uninsured women between 40 and 75 years of age to have proper access to breast cancer screenings, according to the release. The Health Science Center also received $2,482,127 for the continued expansion of the Colorectal Cancer Prevention grant “Screening to Optimize Prevention of CRC in East Texas.” Continue reading UT Tyler Health Science Center receives more than $3 million in CPRIT grant funding

TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District. In Gregg County, a Kilgore project consists of completely rebuilding the traffic circle and full width of roadway to the Rusk County line. The traffic will be reduced to one lane in the southbound direction for the duration of the project. In Smith County, Tyler Maintenance will have a crew on Loop 323 cutting high shoulders and spot cleaning ditches. The work will take place from the Loop extension to US 69. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER — City of Tyler officials are welcoming your input on their proposed 2022-2023 budget, beginning Wednesday. Improvements to public safety, services, and employee retention are listed as top priorities. Opportunities for public input are set for two city council meetings, on August 24 and September 14 — both at 9 a.m. at City Hall. Final adoption of the budget is scheduled for the September 14 meeting. Click here for all the details.

SMITH COUNTY — No student injuries were reported after a Chapel Hill ISD bus was involved in a four-car crash on Highway 64 East. According to our news partner KETK, units with the Smith County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office were assisting DPS, Emergency Services District 2 and the Chapel Hill Volunteer Fire Department on the scene, according to Constable Josh Joplin Precinct 4. EMS arrived on the scene, and minor injuries were reported by officials, none of them having happened to students on the bus, according to officials.

TYLER — The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees approved its general fund budget for the 2022-2023 school year during its meeting on Monday. This budget includes lowering the tax rate by 10.98 cents and raising teacher pay. The district’s budget will be more than $169.5 million for the school year which includes a net funding increase of about $3.1 million, according to a release. Tyler ISD officials said that this increase comes from a healthy district property tax growth. Continue reading Tyler ISD lowers tax rate, increases staff pay

TYLER — Smith County Road and Bridge crews were clearing roads of downed trees and debris Monday after heavy rains fell across the county. As of 2 p.m.Monday, only one road was closed. County Road 334 was washed out north of CR 328, and barricades have been placed diverting traffic, Smith County Engineer Frank Davis said.

MARSHALL – The collection system for the City of Marshall was notified of a possible wastewater spill August 15 at 4:30 p.m., according to a news release. Officials say a crew was sent out to investigate and upon their arrival they were able to locate the spill in the 1800 block of Elysian Fields Road. The spill was leaking from a 21” clay tile pipe that had busted in the west side of 8-mile Creek encased in concrete. The city crew immediately started flushing the area with potable water from a fire hydrant and also added granular chlorine to dilute the wastewater. City crews had to bust concrete from the side walls and work around a Kinder Morgan gas line in order to get to the sewer main. Continue reading Collection facility spill in Marshall

EAST TEXAS — Following a lengthy drought, East Texans have begun experiencing a sharp turnaround in the weather, with rain, high winds, and flooding striking the area. Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks said a tornado briefly touched down on the Winona High School football field at 10:36 a.m. Monday, and minor damage was reported. The Winona ISD Police Chief saw the tornado briefly touch down and the school was briefly placed on lockdown but is back up at its regular schedule, Brooks said at 10:50 a.m. He had reports of four houses being damaged, as well as power lines and minor damage to the high school. The National Weather Service –Shreveport said it had moved out of the area. Continue reading Storms hit East Texas hard following lengthy drought

CHEROKEE COUNTY – After a delay caused by migrating birds, the SH 135 bridge replacement project in Cherokee County will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 6. TxDOT and contractor crews will begin placing message boards on the roadway to alert the traveling public of the upcoming road closure beginning Tuesday, Aug. 23. SH 135 will be closed to through traffic from 2.44 miles south of SH 110 in Troup to 5.12 miles north of US 69 in Jacksonville. Crews will be performing bridge replacements on the Mud Creek and the Mud Creek Relief bridges. The closure is expected to last until Spring 2023. Continue reading Cherokee County bridge replacement set following delay

EAST TEXAS — Across Texas, classrooms are now required to display “In God We Trust” posters as a new state law requires public schools to post donated signs of the phrase. Appearing on “Fox and Friends” Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola, explains why he authored the ‘In God We Trust Act’ and says it’s about reminding students of America’s National motto. Hughes says, “In our Texas public schools, we teach the truth about our history. We teach our founding documents. The Declaration of Independence says our rights come from our creator…this is consistent with that.” Multiple other states including Florida and Louisiana have similar state laws. Critics argue the posters could make students uncomfortable and that religion should be kept out of educational spaces.

SMITH COUNTY — On Tuesday, Aug. 23, Smith County residents have the opportunity to have their voice heard at the Smith County Commissioners Court’s public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget and tax rate. The proposed budget was filed Monday, Aug. 15. It includes a proposed tax rate of 33 cents per $100 valuation, a drop from the current tax rate of 33.5 cents. “This year’s proposed tax rate continues the County’s long-standing tradition of seeking to maintain a low tax rate while providing excellent service to its citizens,” Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran said. Continue reading Smith County to hold public hearings for feedback on proposed budget and tax rate

DALLAS — Texas has its lowest unemployment rate in more than two years — and Tyler is among the communities showing up well. The statewide jobless rate for July was four percent. It hasn’t been that low since february of 2020, before the pandemic. The state also set a new record for the number of people employed last month, at 13.5 million. Abilene and Austin had the lowest unemployment rates; McAllen-Edinburg had the highest. The unemployment rate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was 3.8 percent, slightly lower than the statewide average. The unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in Tyler and four percent in San Antonio.

TYLER — TxDOT’s Tyler District will hold a virtual public hearing with an in-person option for the FM 2964 (Rhones Quarter Road) project, which proposes to widen FM 2964 from SH 110 to FM 346 in Smith County. The in-person event is set for Thursday, Aug. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Whitehouse ISD’s Brown Elementary School on Smith County Road 2191 (Oscar Burkett Road). The virtual hearing will consist of a video presentation with audio and visual components and will be posted online as of Monday, Aug. 22, at 8 a.m. The presentation will remain available for viewing online until Friday, Sept. 9. You may call 903-510-9100 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to ask questions and access project materials. Continue reading TxDOT seeks input on FM 2964 project

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD hired a new director of security, and Jeremy Black, a Whitehouse native, accepted the position, according to our news partner KETK. “Our staff stands ready to protect the folks here,” said Black. He considers the people of Whitehouse his family. So, when the director of security position opened up at the district he jumped at the chance. He has two children who attend Whitehouse ISD and a wife who teaches at the school. He says their safety is everything. “That definitely puts some skin in the game for me, but it’s not just that. It’s the team,. It’s the safety of everybody. I mean it’s one of beliefs here that we believe that everybody has the right to a safe and caring environment, everybody,” said Black. That’s why he is working on ways to increase security in more ways than one. Continue reading Whitehouse ISD increases safety by hiring director of security

RUSK — The Cherokee County District Clerk’s Office reports a man who was on trial after being accused of capital murder was found not guilty Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Cody Roberts was charged in the death of 18-year-old Trevor Lawson, who was found dead due to a gunshot wound in a home on CR 2117 near Maydelle on November 7, 2018. In March of 2022, Roberts’s first trial resulted in a mistrial after an investigator allegedly failed to disclose a piece of digital evidence to everyone involved in the trial.

NACOGDOCHES – Stephen F. Austin State University is preparing to discuss affiliations with four interested systems according to a recent presentation. According to our news partner KETK, there are 37 public universities in the state and seven university systems. SFA is one of only two unaffiliated institutions. The presentation mentions representatives of the Texas A&M, Texas State University, Texas Tech, and University of Texas systems had made informal contact with the SFA Board of Regents over the past several months expressing a desire to take part in any formal discussion should the board choose to evaluate a potential system affiliation. Continue reading SFA to engage in talks with four systems for possible affiliation

FRANKSTON — The Frankston Police Department has released the name of a wanted fugitive. According to our news partner KETK, police say Donald Lee Meadows, Jr. is wanted on charges of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and evading arrest. Authorities said Meadows is also wanted in Smith County. Officials said Wednesday night there was a heavy police presence on Highway 155 near Lollipop Landing. According to our news partner KETK, the Coffee City Police Department says Meadows was wearing dark clothing. Authorities have advised those in the area to lock their doors and if they see or hear anything to call 911. CCPD said Meadows was last seen running in the woods northbound from the old rest area. CCPD and DPS are assisting with the search.

SMITH COUNTY — Over 9 grams of meth were seized in Smith County Thursday night, and one person is now in custody, according to officials. According to our news partner KETK, a Smith County Constable Precinct 4 deputy stopped to check a suspicious vehicle on Chapman Road when officials said the driver was found passed out in the front seat of the car. “After further investigation into the welfare of the driver, the driver was found to have been in possession of 9.69 grams of methamphetamine,” officials said. One person was arrested. The investigation is ongoing.

TYLER — Tyler residents could see an increase in their water bill starting in October. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler water utilities is proposing a new water rate plan to upgrade infrastructure. Currently, the city is on a declining rate structure, which means water and sewer services become cheaper the more you use them. The new plan calls for customers to pay the same rate, no matter the amount of water that is used. The first 2,000 gallons of water consumed will no longer be free. “With the system is just more fair and equitable to help our residents understand what the cost of water is and what it is to get that water produced.” If this plan is approved, Tyler water customers will see an increase of about $20 on their monthly bill. Continue reading Tyler water rates could increase due to new utility plan

MAYDELLE – Wednesday storms in Cherokee County wreaked havoc on the small town of Maydelle. According to our news partner KETK, the Maydelle Volunteer Fire Department is currently without a roof. Witness Shelly Knott says the roof was suspended in a tree for about five minutes due to extreme winds, then fell into the road. According to Fire Chief Jody Gray, no injuries were reported, a few other structures were damaged in the area, and several people were without power.

KILGORE – TxDOT has announced a detour for motorists on SH 135 in Gregg County beginning Wednesday, Aug. 24, as crews begin resurfacing operations on the roadway. The project limits are from the traffic circle in Kilgore, south to the Rusk County line. Southbound traffic will continue to use SH 135 utilizing a lane shift. Northbound traffic will be detoured onto SH 42 (W. Woodlawn St), then north on Henderson Blvd. to SH 31. The detour will be in place for the duration of the project. Travelers in this area are advised to watch for road crews, expect some delays, and be aware that a detour will be in place. This project and temporary detour are subject to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.