KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities is performing smoke testing, as part of the Consent Decree, to help locate breaks and defects to improve the City’s wastewater system from Monday, Jan. 12 through Friday, Jan. 16. The testing will be conducted by Pipeline Analysis from Cumberland Road, Locklear Lane, Paluxy Drive and South Broadway Avenue.

During the process, air and smoke will be blown into the sanitary sewer system in the street to monitor where smoke escapes the system. White smoke will exit through vent pipes on the roofs of residences and through any sewer line breaks in the ground. The smoke is non-toxic, leaves no residue and does not create any fire hazards. Continue reading TWU to conduct smoke testing this week

MOUNT ENTERPRISE – Rusk County Emergency Services said that a serious crash blocked State Highway 315 to the north of Mount Enterprise on Sunday. According to Rusk County Emergency Services, a crash between vehicles possibly resulted a death at around 5:35 p.m. on State Highway 315, just to the north of the City of Mount Enterprise. Officials said they expected the crash to block the roadway until around 8:30 p.m. while they investigate and clean up the scene.

The roadway has since reopened.

HENDERSON COUNTY – A man has been arrested for capital murder in connection to the 2018 killing of Gabriel and Beverly McBride of Chandler.

According to our news partner KETK, in 2018, Gabriel McBride, 47 of Chandler, and his daughter, 17-year-old Beverly McBride, were both found shot to death in their home to the south of Chandler. New evidence, witness information and years of investigation led to an arrest warrant to be issued in this case for Lance Kaeden Rains, 25 of Chandler. Rains was taken into custody on Saturday and is currently being held in the Henderson County Jail on a charge of capital murder of multiple persons. Rains is being held on a $2 million bond.

The sheriff’s office thanked the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers, the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Henderson County Attorney’s Office, the Midwest City Police Department of Oklahoma and the community for their help in this case.

SMITH COUNTY — A routine traffic stop for speeding in Smith County resulted in the arrest of a man wanted on a drug-related warrant. Authorities also seized nearly $30,000 in cash, a firearm and evidence suggesting a money laundering scheme. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County deputies stopped a vehicle on Dec. 28 along Highway 31 East and identified the driver, Tyler James Starling, who was wanted on an active warrant for possession of approximately 10 pounds of marijuana that authorities say had been smuggled and left at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Starling was taken into custody, and deputies searched his vehicle, where they seized a handgun, a cellphone and $29,528 in cash, Smith County arresting documents revealed.

When asked about his employment, Starling told deputies he owned a trucking company. Investigators later confirmed the company existed but found the LLC had been inactive. A search of the Texas Workforce Commission showed no reported work history for Starling, and company mileage records indicated roughly 1,000 miles driven since the business was formed in 2021. Continue reading Traffic stop uncovers money laundering scheme

LINDALE – East Texans gathered near Highway 69 in Lindale to protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minnesota on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, the protestors joined demonstrations being held across the state and country after the killing of Good, which has prompted nationwide debate over ICE operations. An organizer from Saturday’s protest explained why they came out to demonstrate.

“To wake up and open their eyes to all of the illegal activities that are being pushed on us by the Trump administration, he is totally ignoring the Constitution of the United States of America,” Smith County Democratic Party precinct chair Tony Johns said. “We’re going to put a stop to it and protest is a visible main means to let everybody know that the Democrats are alive and well, especially in this very conservative part of East Texas.” Continue reading Protests against ICE in Smith County

LUFKIN – Several Angelina County fire departments battled an hours-long commercial structure fire at a business off Highway 69 near Lufkin on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the Fuller Springs Volunteer Fire Department responded to reports of structure fire at the East Texas Diesel auto repair shop at around 5:10 p.m.

The City of Huntington Volunteer Fire Department then responded with an engine at 5:15 p.m. along with crews from the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department, the Zavalla Volunteer Fire Department, the Diboll Fire Department, the Moffett Fire Department, the Central Volunteer Fire Department, the Rivercrest Redland Volunteer Fire Department and the Lufkin Fire Department.

The fire was ultimately extinguished and all firefighters had cleared the scene by 10:44 p.m. on Friday. Huntington VFD said no injuries were reported from the fire.

GUN BARREL CITY – Two duck hunters were saved from Cedar Creek Lake by a Gun Barrel City Fire Department rescue boat on Saturday after their duck hunting boat sank.

According to our news partner KETK, the Gun Barrel City Fire Department said they responded to a report of a duck hunting boat taking on water on Cedar Creek Lake near Oak Hill Drive at around 10:16 a.m. on Saturday. The Seven Points Fire Department arrived at the shore of the lake first and searched for the boaters in the lake near Oak Hill Drive. They couldn’t spot the boaters or their boat, which had sank, according to Gun Barrel City Fire Department.

Gun Barrel City Rescue Boat 1 was launched along with a Tool Fire Department rescue boat. The lake had high winds at waves at the time which reduced the searcher’s visibility on the lake.

The two men were found by the Gun Barrel City rescue boat nearly 500 yards away from Oak Hill Drive. The men were in the 56-degree water for around 90 minutes and were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.

“I am very proud of how all of the agencies worked together today to rescue the duck hunters and safely return them to their families,” Gun Barrel City assistant fire chief Jason Raney said. “The conditions on the lake, with high winds and rough water, made this a very dangerous rescue for the personnel aboard Rescue Boat 1.”

The Texas Game Wardens are currently investigating the sinking of the duck hunting boat.

EAST TEXAS — As Texas’ labor force reached record high numbers of over 15.9 million people in 2025, three East Texan cities saw changes in employment and unemployment rates.

On Friday, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced that the Texas civilian labor force has grown to a total of 15,938,000 people registered after adding 59,900 people since September 2025. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Texas is registered at 4.2%. In East Texas, the Longview metropolitan statistical area (MSA) saw an increase in employment while Texarkana MSA and Tyler MSA saw increases in both employment and unemployment since 2024.

Tyler’s unemployment rate currently sits at 4%, the lowest of the three East Texas cities. Longview and Texarkana rates compare at 4.6% and 4.4%, respectively.

“Texas’ increasing job numbers are encouraging, and it’s vital that these are good jobs that provide family-sustaining wages and benefits for Texas workers,” Alberto Treviño III, the TWC Commissioner Representing Labor said. “We must continue to prioritize investments in skills training and development to ensure that all Texans can access these opportunities and share in the state’s prosperity.” Continue reading Unemployment rates reported for East Texas

OVERTON — Overton is appealling the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) order to remove horseshoe-shaped road markings from Warren Street.

According to our news partner KETK, the appeal process officially began Thursday after TxDOT directed the city to remove the markings, saying they do not comply with a new order from Gov. Greg Abbott requiring the removal of nonstandard surface markings from Texas roadways. TxDOT notified the city by email on Dec. 8 that the horseshoe markings needed to be removed as soon as possible, citing letters sent in October to all affected cities and counties. The City of Overton said they never received the October letter.

On Dec. 18, the Overton City Council voted to formally appeal the decision, arguing that the horseshoes represent the city’s school mascot, the Mustang, and have been painted on Warren Street since the early 1990s. Continue reading Horseshoe markings ordered removed

LONGVIEW – Longview City Council officially approved a contract to repair the public pool at the Paula Martin Jones recreation center on Thursday. The pool first closed in March of 2025 but was closed again after leaking issues continued in the pool’s gutter system. At their meeting on Thursday, city council approved a $417,000 contract with Sunbelt Pools, Inc. of Dallas to repair the pool.

“Our aquatics consultant worked with us on the Stanford pool. They actually have walked through the facility,” Longview Parks and Recreation Department director John Albertson said. “They’ve looked at everything that we’ve recommended, and they agreed that those were necessary repairs to make in order to get it back operational.”

The repairs are expected to start in the next few weeks and could take up to six months before they’re finished, according to our news partner KETK.

SMITH COUNTY – A man wanted on a drug-related warrant was apprehended during a routine speeding stop in Smith County. Authorities also found evidence of a money laundering scheme, a firearm, and almost $30,000 in cash. On December 28, Smith County deputies pulled over a car on Highway 31 East and identified Tyler James Starling, the driver. Starling was wanted on an active warrant for possessing about ten pounds of marijuana that had allegedly been smuggled and left at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. After Starling was placed under arrest, deputies searched his car and found a handgun, a cellphone, and $29,528 in cash.
Continue reading Traffic stop uncovers laundering scheme

TYLER — Thursday night officially marked the start of preparations for the upcoming 93rd annual Texas Rose Festival during the annual Winter Gala, where this year’s theme and the Rose Queen were announced.

During the gala at the Willow Brook Country Club, it was announced that the theme of the 93rd festival will be ‘Celebrations through the Seasons,’ on which the floats, decorations and dresses for the festival will be based. According to our news partner KETK, during the gala, Miss Claire Ann Malone, who has a generational family connection to the parade, was named the queen of the 93rd Rose Parade.

“I’m the seventh in our family and my mom was queen, so it’s really special to kind of do what she did at her age when she did it in 1996,” Malone said. “It’s just really special to me, and it means a lot, and I’m excited to be a representative of the city that I grew up in.”

The gala was just the start of Rose Parade preparations, with more events leading up to the 93rd Texas Rose Festival Parade on Oct. 17.

 

GREGG COUNTY — A suspect in connection with the 2012 fatal shooting in Longview has been extradited from Mexico to face trial. Longview Police Department Public Information Officer LaDarian Brown confirmed Jose Amaro Olivarez has been extradited to face trial after being charged with murder due to allegedly killing Francisco Roque in 2012.

According to our news partner KETK, Roque was allegedly shot by Olivarez several times in the 800 Block of Dalston Avenue following an argument between the two. Roque, who was 38 at the time, was later taken to a local hospital, where he died due to his wounds.

Olivarez, who was 26 years old at the time, fled the scene before officers arrived and was last seen in a 1998 Ford Van prior to his arrest. Olivarez was booked into the Smith County Jail on Tuesday before being taken to the Gregg County Jail on Wednesday.