KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The city of Tyler is expanding a plan that will build a 10,500-square-foot skatepark in Faulkner Park. Wednesday, the council approved paying Evergreen Skateparks up to $350,000 for the construction. Builder’s say the park will have an expansive street terrain with ledges, rails, ramps and more. According to a press release from the city, the layout’s design allows for “flow and speed lines” accommodating multiple users. Upon completion Faulkner Skate Park will have more than 14,000 square feet of skating space.

TYLER — Camp V hosted an event to honor Veterans Wednesday. The event was held at the American Freedom Museum, on the Brook Hill Campus, in Bullard. A tribute of recognition was held for soldiers deemed Missing In Action and those Killed In Action. Festivities included patriotic songs, with the crowd offering a standing ovation for a poem written by a Bullard ISD student regarding their dad’s deployment. Bullard Mayor Pro-tem Bryan Willis and United State Air Force Major Beverley Russell spoke at the Celebration of Veterans. Vicki Patzold, a recent guest of ‘KTBB’s In Focus’, says CampV is based in Tyler with a mission “integrate military and civilian resources into a central campus.” To hear the program click the link. https://www.ktbb.com/infocus/.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Mayor-elect and city councilmembers were sworn into office Wednesday morning. Those taking their oath of office included newly elected Mayor Don Warren, Councilman James Wynne – District 4, Councilman Brad Curtis – District 6 and the re-elected Councilman Broderick McGee – District 2. Following the swearing-in, the council held its first meeting where they elected Councilmember Broderick McGee as Mayor Pro Tem.

TYLER — Hit the Bricks Tyler continues Saturday, partially online, while all downtown restaurants and stores have reopened to the public. The monthly event will update their Facebook page with more information. Hit the Bricks is a coordinated effort to grow support for Tyler’s businesses by being part of Visit Tyler’s Rose City Strong campaign.
Activities
Experience the works of Featured Artist, Dolph Miller, in person at Gallery Main Street in the Plaza Tower Atrium or online at DowntownTyler.org. All art is available for purchase. Gallery is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Continue reading ‘Hit the Bricks’ coming up Saturday in downtown Tyler

TYLER — COVID-19 numbers are on the rise across East Texas. NET Health said in a press brief on Wednesday that the number of new coronavirus cases in the last week has been significant within 5 of the counties covered by the NET Health Disease Surveillance Division. “The NET Health 7-Day Rolling Rate of COVID-19 calculates the average number of all COVID positive cases from the previous seven days, divides the total by the population of the county, then multiplies that answer by 100,000,” says George Roberts, NET Health CEO. Continue reading COVID numbers up across East Texas

KILGORE — School leader’s are inviting students to take advantage of online December Mini classes at Kilgore College to earn quick college credit over the holidays from the comfort of your home. Registration has begun for the three-week classes set for Dec. 14-31. Online classes will be offered in biology, drama, English, geography, government, history, kinesiology, music, philosophy and psychology. For additional information, visit http://www.kilgore.edu/december-mini or call (903) 983-8209.

TYLER — A bigoted vandal attacked the home of a South Tyler couple over the weekend. With Veteran’s Day on Wednesday, it was difficult for the couple to awake finding Swastikas painted on their mailbox and on a Biden-Harris sign in the lawn. Bill Brown is a combat Veteran, serving in Vietnam. Brown told our news partner KETK, he had not felt that kind of hate since returning home from active duty. The incident left him asking questions. “Why would you do that to another human being? Because you live in this neighborhood, you’re black? They don’t like you? Or they don’t like you because you have a Biden sign? And that’s cheap. Anyone can display the sign. This is my own personal yard. If I want to display the sign, what’s wrong with displaying the sign?” Brown’s neighbors saw the damage and immediately jumped in to help with clean-up. Continue reading Racist symbol painted on Veteran’s mailbox in South Tyler

TYLER — The Texas Division of Emergency Management is providing FREE COVID-19 tests for anyone in East Texas, with or without symptoms. Results will be provided by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and not by NET Health. All TDEM testing locations are walk-in sites and require a face mask before entering. Valid ID is required & contact info will be requested when you are able to be tested, not while you wait in line, persons must provide a working cell phone number and results will be provided to you by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and not by NET Health. Continue reading Free COVID-19 testing announced for East Texans

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank is preparing for a socially-distanced screening of “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” ETFB said the 11th annual event will happen on Friday at Bergfeld Park in Tyler. Festivities start at 5:30 and the movie will begin at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. ETFB asks that attendees bring plastic jars of peanut butter to donate for the families it serves. Attendees will also get snack bags that will be filled with all of the goodies the children bring to Thanksgiving in the holiday special, including jelly beans, pretzels, popcorn and toast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSDLdq3FDtk&feature=youtu.be

TYLER — One Smith County Elections Office employee has tested positive for COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, six others are awaiting testing. However, in a Tuesday press release, Smith County says the Elections Office remains open. One employee did not have contact with the COVID-19 patient and does not have symptoms is still working. The office has undergone a thorough cleaning and has been disinfected. Smith County Elections is working to bring the ballot board members together for a safe meeting to qualify and count the needed ballots. By state statute, the deadline for a ballot board to meet to qualify and count the ballots is next Monday. The deadline to canvas the election is next Tuesday.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler kicked off “Vet Week 2020” honoring veterans designated as “Missing in Action” or Prisoners of War. According to our news partner KETK, Texas State Rep Matt Schaefer, was among multiple speakers to share the stage, Monday. A Navy reservist, Schaefer, spoke about the many ways that active troops honor those considered MIA, including by always leaving a table open at mealtime. Schaefer went on to say, his passion to join the military was sparked by talking to veterans of World War II and the Korean War. There are currently 86,532 MIA veterans since World War I. Continue reading Ceremony honored MIA & POW at UT Tyler

TYLER — Green Acres Baptist Church and Traditions Restaurant and Catering have teamed up to support the Tyler Police department. Pastor David Dykes told KTBB on Monday, “While there are cries across the nation to de-fund the police, our attitude is to feed the police and show them we love them and appreciate them.” The Tyler Church teamed up with Robert Owens and Traditions to provide a certificate to each officer and staff member. An anonymous donor provided a gift to purchase the gift cards totalling around $14,500. Pastor Dykes continued, “We have also done this with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department. It is just a real value of our church to stand behind our first responders and show it in a tangible way.” In 2019, the church partnered with RIP Medical Debt and helped pay off more than 5 million dollars in medical debt portfolios of families in Smith County.

BREAKING NEWS: Stocks are surging Monday, catapulting Wall Street back to record heights, on a burst of hope following encouraging data about a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Continue reading Stock market surges more than a 1000 points

TYLER — After explosions and a fire in two shipping buildings this will be the first year since the company’s founding 81 years ago that Greenberg Smoked Turkeys will not have their famous turkeys ready for thousands of customers at Thanksgiving. KETK spoke exclusively with company president Sam Greenberg about the fire, damage and his determination to reopen the Tyler facility. Security camera footage revealed that three explosions happened within seconds. “It happened at two of our freezer facilities. We store our smoked product in this freezer and another one just adjacent to it. Continue reading Greenberg Smoked Turkeys’ shipping units destroyed by fire

KILGORE — The East Texas Oil Museum at Kilgore College will be featured on an upcoming episode of The Texas Bucket List, an Emmy award-winning television series. According to the show’s billing information, “There’s no doubt that this town is proud of their oil history and heritage making a visit to Kilgore and the world’s richest acre well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!” The first airings of the show will run this weekend. For a listing of television stations and airing times, visit https://thetexasbucketlist.com/where-to-watch/. The ETOM will be featured on the show with two other stops – Dirty Al’s in South Padre Island and Camp Brisket in College Station.

TYLER — TxDOT is planning to conduct more construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District during the week of Nov. 9. Tyler crews plan to continue the road widening project on FM 2089 from SH 64 to the Smith County line. A second crew will perform sidewalk work at various locations across Smith County. Longview crews on Monday plan to begin to perform pavement repairs on FM 2011. Click the link for a full rundown of the coming week’s work around the district. https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/043-2020.html.

LONGVIEW — Over 2 million lights are part of Carmela’s Magical Santa Land, but this year the venue’s founder has not been able to be on-site. According to a facebook post Carmela Davis, “Carmela was not in an auto accident. She had a heavy object fall on her. Pushed her backwards and pinned her to ground with several hundred pounds on her pelvis causing injury.Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.” The light display opens at 5:30 p.m. “https://www.facebook.com/Carmelas-Magical-Santa-Land-567473350130564/about/?ref=page_internal.

PHILADELPHIA — East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert reported from his hotel in Philadelphia on Saturday night on national media and later in a video posted to his site regarding displeasure with the process of the ballot counting. “…We [Democrats] are going to steal this election, that is the only reason you would keep the counting hidden. Otherwise, if you were confident in what you were doing was legal, and was fair, you would be video-taping the whole thing. You would show the world. This is how fairly we counted the votes. That didn’t happen here. Didn’t happen at all. They defied the courts. They defied legality. They defied the constitution, which says the legislature only can change things about the voting.” You can see Gohmert’s minute video segment by clicking the link. https://gohmert.house.gov/.

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department was on the scene of an explosion Friday night at Greenberg Smoked Turkeys Inc. According to our news partner KETK, 5 people were reported in the building, but no one was injured. As of right now, officials do not believe it was arson, but they do not know the cause as of yet. The call him in around 8:30 p.m. and dispatch were alerted of a fire at a commercial building. Units arrived to flames inside the building and large plumes of smoke. Reports of one of the the roll-up doors on one end of the building had been blown off its hinges. The investigation into what caused the blaze is on-going.

CHAPEL HILL — Chapel Hill ISD will hold open Interviews next Thursday from 9 a.m. to Noon. The interviews will take place at the Administration office located on CR 2249. Interviews will be conducted for Grounds, Transportation, Custodial, Maintenance, and Child Nutrition.

TYLER — Wednesday’s meeting of the Tyler City Council will include the installation of District 2, 4, and 6 Council members as well as the Mayor-at-Large following last weeks elections. Council meetings are now open to the public. Members of the public who wish to participate by making a public comment on any agenda item may do so either electronically, in-person or over the phone by calling (903) 363-0651. Electronic forms must be submitted by 7 a.m. on the date of the Council Meeting. A maximum capacity of 36 people will be allowed in the City Council Chamber, 22 of those will be reserved for general members of the public not including the media.

TYLER — The numbers are still coming in, but as of Friday, the Alzheimer’s Association is thanking 45 Tylerite teams for their part to end Alzheimer’s. Those teams were made up 136 participants. Funds raised by the Walk go toward research as well as local care-giving support groups and other educational opportunities, that are offered free of charge by the Alzheimer’s Association. Over $18,000 has currently been raised, but people can still donate to the initiative through the end of the year, by clicking the link. https://act.alz.org/Tyler.