KTBB News, Weather, Talk

VAN — A worker is expected to be okay after he was taken to the hospital following an accident in Van that left him injured and suspended in the air. That’s according to our news partner KETK. According to the Van Fire Department’s Facebook page, At 11:25 a.m. on Monday, contractors were performing maintenance on the Van Memorial Stadium lights when a lift malfunctioned and partially collapsed, injuring the worker in the lift and leaving him suspended approximately 60 feet in the air. Officials say the lift was unable to be retracted from the ground. The Van police and fire departments responded and requested mutual aid from the Lindale Fire Department, which responded with multiple units, including its 107-foot ladder truck. Continue reading Worker in Van expected to recover after being injured, suspended in air

KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a person accused of theft at Walmart. According to our news partner KETK, the department wrote that the woman pictured allegedly “picked up another person’s Apple Airpods case and claimed them as their own.” If you have any information as to the individual’s identity, contact Detective Joey Johnston at 903-218-6906 or [email protected] and reference case number 2201-0829.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas announces its 2022 Awards for Excellence winners. The winner in the Nonprofit Category is PATH (People Attempting to Help). Moon Fencing took home the honor in the Small Business Category. Among mid-size businesses, Innovative Pest Control gets the award. Henry & Peters, PC, was named the top large business. In the Veteran-Owned Business Category, Tyler Roofing Company gets the nod. And the Spark Award, for business owners under age of 35 or who have businesses which are fewer than three years old, goes to The Mortgage House. According to a news release, annual honorees “display honor and integrity in all aspects of their operations.”

LINN COUNTY, Kan. (AP/Staff) — Four people from Winnsboro, Texas, died when their pickup truck hit an icy patch on a highway about 75 miles south of Kansas City and rolled. The Kansas Highway Patrol said the crash happened Friday morning along U.S. Highway 69 in Linn County. A crash report said Larry Klingensmith, 66, lost control of the 2019 Dodge Ram after it hit the ice, and the truck veered into a ditch. Then the truck rolled twice before landing upside down in a flooded wildlife area and becoming submerged. Klingensmith and all three of his passengers died. The other people in the truck were Kimberly Klingensmith, 65; Karly Klingensmith, 32; and Nicolas Klingensmith, 36.

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this coming week. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will start Tuesday with a base failure crew on FM 2015 at IH 20. This will be under one-way traffic worked by flaggers. In Gregg County, crews will continue the Spur 63/McCann Road Bridge Project, part of the City of Longview Guthrie Creek Trail project. Click here for the full rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER -– Tyler police are investigating after a person was hit and killed by a vehicle around 7:30 Saturday night on North Broadway Avenue near Queen Street. According to our news partner KETK, when officers arrived at the scene, they found 30-year-old Kelsey Hise lying in the road with major injuries. They were able to find pieces of the vehicle that struck the woman. Hise was taken to a Tyler hospital, where she died from her injuries. There was no immediate word on a suspect or a full vehicle description. If you have any information on this case, contact Tyler PD at 903-531-1000.

RUSK COUNTY — The Texas Forest Service reported that an estimated 219 acres were burned after multiple agencies battled a grass and woods fire in Rusk County Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, several fire departments were called around 1 p.m. to a location on U.S. Hwy. 259 South. When the crews arrived, they reported 40 acres of a fast-moving fire and requested additional fire departments and a drone for aerial overview. Although Rusk County is not under a burn ban, the county’s Office of Emergency Management urges extreme caution when burning and asks that no one leave a fire unattended — or not to burn at all.

VAN – Two Van Zandt County burglaries are under investigation, and authorities say they may have both been committed by the same people. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Police in Van are searching for two Black males caught on camera breaking into and burglarizing New-Way Gas & Grocery around 3:15 Friday morning, taking the cash registers from the store. In the photos, the two were wearing dark-colored clothing as well as masks and used crowbars to break the glass of the door to enter the store. The Northeast Farmers Co-Op in Canton was believed to be burglarized by the same two people half an hour earlier. Anyone with information on either burglary is asked to contact Van PD or the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.

BULLARD — Bullard ISD Trustees have unanimously called for a bond election on May 7. According to a news release, the election follows the recommendation of a Facility Advisory Committee to address current district facilities, campus capacities, and projected growth in enrollment. Bullard Bond 2022 will ask voters to consider two propositions, totaling $103 million, as the first phase in the district’s long-range facility plan. Among items included in the propositions: a new middle school campus; an addition to join Bullard Primary and Bullard Elementary as one elementary campus; and a new baseball, softball, and tennis complex. For more information, visit this link.

LINDALE — The Lindale High School community is grieving the loss of a 16-year-old sophomore in a Thursday night highway accident. According to our news partner KETK, A DPS preliminary report stated that a different 16-year-old boy was driving a Toyota Camry on CR 472 west of Lindale around 8:45 p.m. The report said the driver swerved out of the way after a wild animal ran onto the road. The car ran off the road and hit several trees. The victim was ejected from the car during the crash. The report said he was not wearing a seat belt. The driver was treated at the scene and a second passenger, who was 15 years old, was taken by a private car to an unknown hospital. Continue reading Lindale High School student killed in wreck

TYLER — NET Health’s George Roberts remains guardedly optimistic about declining COVID numbers in the area. He notes that six of seven NET Health counties continue to show substantial spread — and he has some new numbers to encourage vaccinations. According to Roberts, over 300 million doses of vaccine have been administered nationwide, over 40 million in Texas — and despite some negative reactions, “overall the safety profile has been exemplary.” What would he tell someone who thinks the problem has passed? Roberts replies that there has been a lot of disease and some difficult courses of care. He adds that everyone has been touched by someone who has contracted or even died from the disease. Continue reading Roberts continues to monitor local COVID landscape

WINONA — The SPCA of East Texas and Smith County Constable Josh Joplin are receiving backlash over the recent seizure of 38 dogs and the arrests of two people in Winona. According to our news partner KETK, a local property started as an animal rescue. But authorities say when they arrived, they found the animals suffering from such problems as fleas, puncture wounds, and heartworms. Tina Loper, 53, and Eric Morris, 55, were charged with eight counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, with one dog dead and another’s condition deemed severe. Now the SPCA says it has been the target of “derogatory and inflammatory rumors” surrounding the incident, with some people claiming the seizure was unwarranted. Joplin and the SPCA are defending their actions, with Joplin saying they were taken “with a lot of thought put into it.”

TYLER — Tyler police continue to investigate a double homicide and apparent suicide following a shooting at the LaQuinta Inn on south Broadway Tuesday night. According to Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, just before 10pm, officers were called to the hotel following reports of shots fired. Officers found Grasiela De Paz Rodriguez, 34, and Alvaro Israel Martinez, 23, both of Tyler, shot multiple times in their car. Witnesses said they saw the gunman flee the scene after the shooting. Investigators tracked the alleged shooter to a home near Smith County city limits. The alleged suspect, identified as Javier Estrada, 30, of Tyler, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Erbaugh said Rodriguez and Estrada had children together but were estranged at the time of the homicide.

TYLER — The Smith County Tax Office and all of its substations will be closed Wednesday morning, February 23, for required employee training. Instead of opening at 8 a.m. next Wednesday, the Tax Office will open at 1 p.m. to allow all employees to receive required continuing education training that morning. Officials say that includes the main Tax Office, at the Cotton Belt Building in Tyler, as well as the substations in Lindale, Noonday, and Troup. You can do your tax business online at this link.

LAKE JACKSONVILLE — The body of a 75-year-old man was pulled from Lake Jacksonville Thursday, according to Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson. According to our news partner KETK, the identity of the man was not immediately released, but Dickson did confirm his age. A family member knew the man went out to work on his boat dock, went outside to check on him, and was unable to find him. Authorities were called, and the body was found. The body has been sent to Mesquite for autopsy.

PALESTINE — Palestine Mayor Dana Goolsby is officially out of office after the city council voted to accept her resignation earlier this week. According to our news partner KETK, Goolsby’s term was set to run until May 2023, but she said that stepping down was the “biggest act of love” she could show her community. In a prepared statement, Goolsby claimed, “The ability to effectively lead the City was stripped from me in August of 2021. I have been assaulted, harassed, threatened, demeaned, and most recently I have been accused of assault.” She did not offer specific details about a potential investigation or how the claims originated. Click here to read Goolsby’s full statement. An election will be held in May to fill her position.

BROWNSBORO — A Brownsboro firefighter and his family lost their home in a fire Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the Brownsboro Fire Department is asking for the community’s help to support the family. Firefighters were paged out to a house fire Tuesday afternoon — and upon arrival realized that the house belonged to one of their own, Robert Mitchell. Mitchell was just awarded the Rookie of the Year award at a banquet Saturday night. Mitchell said he kicked in the front door to make sure his wife and kids were not in the house. Mitchell’s colleagues came up with a plan, with his permission, to accept donations. You can find more details here.

HENDERSON — Henderson ISD approves two retention incentives of $2,000 each for all full-time employees. According to our news partner KETK, officials say it’s an effort to retain teachers and incentivize them to stay on and come back for another year. The last two years have been hard for East Texas school districts. Employees had to take time off due to COVID; some even had to lose their pay. Along with an incentive for this school year, Henderson ISD full-time staff members who continue employment next year will receive an additional $2,000 in September, making it a total of $4,000. The Tyler and Longview ISDs also provided stipends and incentives to teachers and staff.

LONGVIEW — The juvenile suspect in Saturday night’s murder at Marshall’s City Park was captured without incident in Longview around 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, according to police. In a news release, the Marshall Police Department thanks a lengthy list of agencies for assisting in the capture. Police say the United States Marshals Service, the Longview Police Department, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office worked in cooperation with the Harrison County Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force and Marshall Police Department Detectives.

LONGVIEW — At a time when officials say it’s crucial to improve community relationships, the Longview Police Department says it expanded its capabilities in its community engagement efforts by launching a customer service technology platform this week. According to a news release, this new technology enhances the department’s customer service capabilities by sending text messages to victims of crimes and 9-1-1 callers. It also collects community feedback via an electronic survey after police contact. The software provides 9-1-1 callers with text updates on their calls for service. Callers can receive a message that the call has been received and if there are any officer delays. Click here for additional information.

TYLER — The Texas Alliance of Black School Educators has named Tyler High School business teacher Sharmecia Jackson its Teacher of the Year. Jackson will now move on to national competition. According to a news release, each year, TABSE “recognizes distinguished individuals who have made local and state contributions to the education of African American educators and learners.” Officials say Jackson was nominated for “her dedication to her students in and out of the classroom.” Jackson responded, “Words cannot explain how elated I felt to receive this coveted award,” as quoted in the release.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler’s R2 designation has been affirmed by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. According to a news release, the Carnegie classification indicates UT Tyler is a university with very high research activity. UT Tyler has the highest Carnegie classification in East Texas, according to the release. The designation “is quite a milestone for UT Tyler,” said Senior Vice President for Research Dr. Steven Idell as quoted in the release. “It recognizes the high-quality research in which our faculty and students are engaged and represents a landmark for expanding those efforts.” Officials say following the unification of UT Tyler with UT Health Science Center at Tyler, the combined research qualified UT Tyler for an R2 designation.

TYLER – Gov. Greg Abbott visited the Villa outside Tyler Tuesday night and spoke about the Texas economy, the border, and the fentanyl crisis in the state. According to our news partner KETK, Abbott gave a keynote address after 7 p.m. at the Smith County Republican Party Lincoln Reagan Dinner. The event was part of the Keep East Texas Red Fundraiser that benefits the local Republican Party. “Every year that I have been governor, Texas has been the number one state in the U.S. as the best state for doing business. Every year that I have been governor, Texas has received the Governor’s Cup. The Governor’s Cup goes to the governor of the state that ranks number one in the U.S. for economic development and new jobs created from that economic development,” said Abbott.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating a double homicide and apparent suicide following a shooting at the LaQuinta Inn on south Broadway Tuesday night. According to Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, just before 10pm, officers were called to the hotel following reports of shots fired. Officers found a Hispanic man and woman shot multiple times in their car. Witnesses said they saw the gunman flee the scene after the shooting. Investigators tracked the alleged shooter to a home outside Smith County city limits and found the alleged suspect dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Erbaugh said that all names of those involved are being withheld pending family notification.

LONGVIEW — Southbound McCann Road just north of Loop 281 in Longview now has a lane closure for curb repairs and sidewalk installation. Officials say work will occur between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily and is expected to be completed by this Friday. Click here for an aerial view of the closure.

MARSHALL — Detectives with the Marshall Police Department seek a juvenile on charges of murder, engaging in organized criminal activity, and riot participation in connection with a Saturday night homicide at City Park. According to a news release, while police are unable to name the suspect due to age, the juvenile’s family and members of the community know whom police are trying to locate. Police say they are hopeful that the suspect will voluntarily surrender, but if anyone has information about where the juvenile is located, they are asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575 or the Marshall Harrison County Crimestoppers at 903-935-9969.

TYLER — The numbers tell the story. Among other things, new case numbers are down in the NET Health survey area on the latest COVID dashboard. NET Health’s George Roberts says the same goes for hospital patient figures, which fell to 200 from the 242 reported last Thursday. Community spread levels are dropping as well. Roberts anticipates the numbers continuing to go down over the next couple of weeks — and he hopes the area will be through with the spread of the omicron variant in the next few weeks. But the entire area remains in the substantial spread category, so Roberts repeats his advice to get your vaccination and stay home when you’re sick. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

EAST TEXAS — The Chapel Hill, Brownsboro, and Mineola ISDs join other school districts calling bond elections for this May. Chapel Hill trustees unanimously voted to call a bond totaling $125,240,000, targeting improvements for all campuses. According to a news release, the package has two propositions, which include a new Junior High campus, a new Career and Technology Education facility, a Multipurpose Activity Center, a new Transportation and Operations facility, and other facility improvements to all existing schools. You can learn more here. Continue reading Bond elections set in Chapel Hill, Mineola, Brownsboro

LONGVIEW — The Longview ISD Board of Trustees is calling for a $227 million bond election to address various facility needs and campus improvements, according to a release. According to our news partner KETK, the Longview ISD Board of Trustees approved the election order for four bond propositions during their Feb. 14 regular meeting. If approved by voters on May 7, the propositions will fund significant renovations to the Longview High School campus, a new Career & Technical Education facility, an Extracurricular Events Center, a new Early Childhood campus, and various other repairs and facility updates. Continue reading Longview ISD Board calls for $227 million bond election