KTBB News, Weather, Talk

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office seized around 38 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, a deputy stopped a 2024 black GMC pickup truck on Friday while on Interstate 20. During the stop, the deputy discovered around 38 pounds of marijuana in bags inside the truck.

Malcom Hampton, 30, of Louisiana, was identified by the sheriff’s office as the driver of the truck. He was arrested and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail on a charge of possession of marijuana between 5 and 50 pounds.

The sheriff’s office connected the arrest with their criminal interdiction program. Continue reading 38 pounds of marijuana seized in traffic stop

BIG SANDY – Our news partners at KETK report the City of Big Sandy issued a burn ban on Monday, effective immediately. Mayor Linda Baggett announced the order on Monday, reinstating the restriction several days after the city lifted its previous burn ban on Oct. 31. Under the new declaration, all forms of outdoor burning are prohibited within the incorporated city limits until further notice.

PANOLA COUNTY — A 4-year-old boy has been shot in the leg after discharging a pistol. According to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday at around 5:39 p.m., the sheriff’s office dispatch received a 911 call from a parent who said their spouse was taking their child to an emergency room for “an unknown problem.” When law enforcement arrived, they found the 4-year-old being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg. “The father and child were preparing to leave a deer stand near Ragley Road (County Road 182) when the child discharged the pistol that the father was carrying in a holster,” the sheriff’s office said. Continue reading Toddler shot in Panola County hunting incident

LUFKIN – Our news partner KETK is reporting that two people were sent to a local hospital on Sunday after a crash at Loop 287 and U.S. Highway 59.

According to Lufkin PD, the feeder lanes at Loop 287 and U.S. 59 south were shut down after two trucks crashed at around 2 p.m. on Sunday near the Palms Shopping Center.

A Lufkin PD post said that two people involved in the crash have been taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. The roadway was cleared and reopened by 4 p.m. on Sunday.

GREGG COUNTY — The Kilgore Fire Department and Gregg County Emergency Services District 2 responded to a grass fire burning a pasture off of FM 3053 on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, firefighters at the scene reported that hay bales were burned in a pasture in the 1400 block of FM 3053. The road was closed at around 4 p.m. on Sunday but has been reopened since Kilgore Fire Department left the scene.

“We advise that anyone burning outside have a way to extinguish their fire as the fire risk is very high over the next several days with increased winds and low humidity,” Sabine Fire & Rescue said.

The Texas A&M Forest Service said the 10.2-acre fire was around 100% contained as of 4:59 p.m.

Tyler – Smith County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Andy Dunklin will announce his re-election campaign in the March 2026 Republican primary. The campaign kick-off will be on Tuesday, November 11, at 9:00 AM at The Place on Main at Solon Douglas & Co in Bullard. Judge Dunklin will make a formal address regarding his bid for re-election at the Campaign Kick-Off. Continue reading Dunklin to announce for re-election

LUFKIN — Our news partners at KETK report that a man is dead after a Thursday night shooting in the 200 block of Bowles Street in Lufkin. The Lufkin Police Department said gunshots were reported at around 10:40 p.m., and when officers arrived at the scene, they located a man “who had been shot multiple times.” Despite attempts to save his life, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect has been identified as 49-year-old DeMarcus Jones, who has since been charged with murder for the death of Tyrone Williams. Continue reading One dead after Thursday night shooting

MOUNT PLEASANT – Our news partners at KETK report that a former Mount Pleasant ISD (MPISD) special education teacher’s aide, Jaquaven Rogers, was arrested on Friday for allegedly having an improper relationship with a student. According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD), MPISD was told about an alleged improper relationship Friday morning. The district contacted MPPD and detectives arrived on campus to investigate the allegations. Probable cause led to Rogers’ arrest at P.E. Wallace Middle School. Rogers is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student from a different Mount Pleasant ISD campus, according to Mount Pleasant PD. Continue reading Teacher’s aide arrested for child sex crimes

LONGVIEW — Our news partners at KETK report that a Longview man arrested in connection with a deadly 2023 shooting has pleaded guilty to murder and been sentenced to 25 years in jail. According to court records, 45-year-old Michael Dashaun Jackson entered a guilty plea Friday morning in the 188th District Court for the murder of Martin King, 45. The incident occurred in May 2023, when Longview police were called to the 1300 block of Twelfth Street after reports of gunfire. Officers found King lying on the side of the road suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Following an investigation, Jackson was identified as a suspect and later arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail for murder. As part of his guilty plea, Jackson received a 25-year sentence that he will serve in the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Jail.

KILGORE – Our news partners at KETK report a Kilgore ISD student was struck in a hit-and-run on Friday morning. The school district stated that the student was waiting to be picked up for school by a bus when the incident occurred. The hit-and-run happened at the intersection of CR 2105 and CR 2106 at around 6:15 a.m., the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The student was struck by a “dark colored vehicle,” and no other description has been provided at this time. The Kilgore Police Department said the student was treated by EMS on scene before being taken to a local hospital.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Tax Office is mailing out 186,349 property tax statements. This week, 168,378 bills were mailed out, and another 17,971 statements will be mailed next week to residents who live in the Whitehouse Independent School District area. January 31, 2026, is the deadline for paying property taxes. Payments can be made by scanning the QR code on your statement — it will take you directly to the payment page on your account.

“It has been a game changer in how people pay their property taxes,” Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber said of adding the QR code. “If you want to skip the long lines at the Tax Office, I highly recommend you pay online.”

Taxpayers can click here to pay their tax bills with debit or credit card or e-check, which is the easiest and fastest way to pay.

The tax statements mailed and online reflect the new homestead exemptions that were approved in the statewide Constitutional Amendment Election. Continue reading County property taxes mailed to residents

GLADEWATER – After a Dallas investigation, a former Gladewater Police officer was taken into custody and charged with indecency with a minor.

Kenan Robert Laza, 29 of Longview, was taken into custody and charged with indecency with a child, a third-degree felony.

According to a release, Gladewater Police Chief Kyle Ready stated that the Dallas Police Department initially called at approximately 5 p.m. on Thursday to inform him that Laza had been taken into custody at his home.

A release states that Chief Ready arrived at Laza’s house and fired immediately. In order to guarantee that justice is served “to the fullest extent of the law,” the department stated that they are working in tandem with the Dallas Police Department during an investigation.

LONGVIEW – At a court hearing Thursday, a Kilgore man convicted of killing a Hallsville teen in 2015 was given a reduced sentence. Coby Ray Hudgins, 33, was first given a 99-year prison term for killing 17-year-old Kayla Williams in 2013. Hudgins agreed on Thursday to a reduced sentence of 45 years in prison instead of a new sentencing hearing. Based on expert testimony that concluded Hudgins’ “traumatic history as a sexual assault victim combined with the physical and mental effects of that trauma” could have shortened his sentence, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted him a new hearing.