KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LUFKIN – Following a Lufkin City Council member’s decision to vacate his seat, three Lufkin residents are currently seeking to fill his position in the November elections. According to our news partner KETK, Councilman Brent Watkins, who currently serves in Ward 3, recently announced that he will be vacating his seat to run for mayor of Lufkin in the upcoming 2027 elections.

Those looking to fill Watkins’s seat on the city council include Kimberly Abeldt, Misty Ledesma, and Lin Lentz. Watkins will be looking to replace current Lufkin Mayor Hicks, who has been in office since 2021. Hicks announced earlier this year that he will not be seeking a third term.

CROCKETT — According to our news partner KETK and the Crockett Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance at around 12:15 a.m. in locating 37-year-old Jeremy Alexander Brent, who had reportedly left a residence where he had been trespassing . He left in his vehicle a person who police say was possibly being held against their will.

A Crockett officer eventually located Brent driving near the 3000 block of State Highway 7. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop; however, Brent refused to pull over, and police say he drove away at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour back toward Crockett, prompting a vehicle pursuit.

Officers successfully deployed stop sticks, causing his vehicle to stop near the intersection of South Loop 304. Brent was then taken into custody. The passenger in the vehicle was unharmed, according to the Crockett Police Department. Continue reading High-speed chase ends in arrest near Crockett

UPDATE (10/29 2:40 p.m.): The National Weather Service confirmed on Wednesday that Lindale was hit by an EF-1 tornado with winds reaching up to 100 mph.

UPDATE (10/29 8 a.m.): The Kilgore Police Department said most roads in impacted areas are now passable, though some streets remain barricaded due to debris. Those barricades are expected to come down throughout the day as cleanup continues.

SWEPCO has restored power to portions of the area, and currently reports 65 customers without power. Numerous utility poles were brought down and will need to be replaced, a process city officials say will take time. Homeowners are urged to contact their insurance agents to report any damage. City crews continue to cut down damaged trees and move debris, while additional private contractors have begun work in the area.

Despite significant damage across several blocks, city leaders said the community avoided what “could have been much worse.” Police patrols will remain in the affected neighborhoods until power is fully restored. Continue reading The Latest: Severe weather strikes East Texas

LINDALE – A tornado expected to becategorized an EF0, which has estimated winds of 65-85 mph, touched down near Lindale Tuesday afternoon. In a release from Smith County, Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said a little after 3 p.m., a tornado was seen off Farm-to-Market Road 2710, northeast of Lindale.

Moore, as well as Emergency Services District 1 officials, are assessing damages. Trees and homes are damaged off FM 2170, and County Roads 4126 and 4128. No injuries have been reported. No trees have been reported on county roads. If you have a tree on a county road to report, please call Smith County Dispatch at 903-566-6600.

RUSK – The Rusk Rural Water Supply has issued a boil water advisory for their customers because of a water line leak. According to our news partner KETK, The affected areas are, FM 768, Piney Grove Rd and county roads 1306, 1310, 1313, 1314, 1328, 1503, 1504, 1506, 1508, 1521 and 1522.

Water intended for cooking, drinking, or making ice should be brought to a vigorous boil and kept boiling for at least two minutes before use. Residents in the affected areas should avoid consuming any water that has not been boiled until the advisory is lifted. When the water line is fixed and water has been cleared by officials, the water supply will issue a public notice.

UPDATE: The planned power outage for a portion for Cherokee County is complete.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Some Cherokee county residents will be without power on Wednesday due to a planned power outage scheduled by the Cherokee County Electric Cooperative Association. According to our news partner KETK, The power is expected to go off at 8 a.m. and remain out for three to five hours.

Areas impacted will include the Dialville and Oakland communities. Also, several roads may be affected by the power outage, including: CR 1503, CR 1603, CR 1604, CR 1605, CR 1608 ,CR 1609, CR 1625, CR 1626, CR 1718, CR 2101, CR 2012, CR 2103, CR 2105, CR 2107, CR 2110, CR 2111, CR 2201, CR 2202, CR 2203, CR 2217, CR 2224, FM 347, FM 1248, FM 2972, U.S. Highway 69 and U.S. Highway 84

The scheduled power outage is being held to allow crews to complete system upgrades to help keep residents’ power safe and reliable.

KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department is reporting that a 64-year-old man died in a pedestrian crash that happened on Highway 31 in Kilgore last week. Emergency services responded to a reported pedestrian crash that happened in the 100 block of State Highway 31 East in Kilgore at around 7:11 p.m. on Friday. First responders on the scene found that a white 2017 Ram pickup truck was heading east on SH 31 as David Ray Whisenhunt, 64 of Kilgore, crossed the road.

Kilgore PD said Whisenhunt failed to yield to the truck’s right of way and was hit in the inside lane of SH 31. Whisenhunt died immediately and was pronounced dead at the scene by law enforcement. Kilgore PD is currently investigating the crash.

TYLER — Seferino Bautista-Renteria, 36, who was originally sentenced to 60 years in state prison following the murder of 19-year-old Rawly “Eli” Sanchez, has been given an additional 15 years following connected charges.

On the night of July 4, 2024, Sanchez and his friends made a U-turn in their truck behind Bautista-Renteria’s auto shop, Bautista Auto. According to our news partner KETK, while the truck was turning behind the shop, the driver reported seeing a person with an AK-47 style rifle who started shooting. Sanchez was hit in the back of the head by a bullet while sitting in the back of the truck. Sanchez’s friends immediately took him to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Law enforcement spoke with witnessed and identified Bautista-Renteria as the shooter. He was detained and booked into the Smith County Jail with a warrant for first degree murder and a $1 million bond. Continue reading Additional 15 years for auto shop owner in murder case

MARSHALL — Our news partner KETK is reporting that a search is underway in Marshall following a shooting on Sunday night that resulted in the death of a 48-year-old man.

The Marshall Police Department said officers responded to the shooting around 8:56 p.m. in the 1900 block of Bean Street. When officials arrived, they found the body of a man, identified as Carlos Dewayne Hill, 48 of Marshall. A preliminary investigation indicates that the person involved fled the area before officers arrived.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at (903) 935-4575 or Marshall-Harrison County Crime Stoppers at (903) 935-9969.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Hill,” said Marshall Police Chief Cliff Carruth. “Our investigators are working diligently to identify and locate the person responsible for this senseless act of violence. We are asking anyone with information to come forward and assist us in bringing justice to the victim and his family.”

TYLER – Amazon has opened its first fulfillment center in East Texas, just in time for the upcoming busy holiday delivery season. The building sits on 30-acres of land and has a 140,000-square feet floor plan. President of the Tyler Economic Development Scott Martinez has been with this project since it was just a daydream.

“Seeing this project come to life and in a timeframe that was just so quick, this whole construction was less than 12 months,” Martinez said. “It’s almost like seeing a child born and start growing. So it’s been very fulfilling.”

According to our news partner KETK, Monday’s ribbon cutting on the new Tyler facility was attended by several local officials including Tyler mayor Don Warren, State Rep. Cole Hefner and State Senator Bryan Hughes.

For better traffic flow, the company also paid for a new traffic signal and turn lanes nearby. The facility is in its third week of operation, with employees fulfilling shipments overnight and loading trucks early morning. Continue reading Amazon opens first Distribution Center in Tyler

TYLER – Tyler drivers have probably noticed a new site to see off Broadway Ave, as the construction gets underway for Parkside North, a new 92-acre development.

“What you’re seeing right now is just all of the foundational work,” Genecov president & CEO Ray McKinney said. “So you’re putting in storm sewers, which is how the rainwater gets funneled into a certain place, and so those are storm sewer pipes that you see there. All of that’s being done, the dirt works being done to flat it out so that you can build something on it because nobody wants to walk on a parking lot.”

Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Genecov Group is ready to get started on their new phases of development. The plan includes three types of areas to be built.

“The first part is the part that you see up here on the front is at the pad side, stretching from one end down to the other,” McKinney said. “Mostly, you’re looking at restaurant-type users.” Continue reading Developer gives update on Parkside North project

TYLER — A woman involved in an incident with Tyler Police Department where she discharged an officer’s gun has been sentenced to 40 years in prison according to our news partner KETK. Brianna Erwin, 33, was involved in an altercation with Tyler PD in May of 2025 when officers responded to a theft call at a Dollar General. Erwin, one of the suspects in the theft, resisted arrest causing an altercation between her and an officer. According to Tyler PD, Erwin grabbed an officer’s firearm during the struggle and discharged the weapon. Erwin was booked into the Smith County Jail on an outstanding warrant.

On Monday, at the 7th District Court, Erwin pleaded guilty to multiple charges connected to the May incident. Erwin received 12 months for possession of a controlled substance, 8 years for harassment of a public servant and 40 years for aggravated assault of a public servant.

The three sentences will be served at the same time so Erwin is expected to serve 40 years in prison. She was also ordered to pay $180 in restitution to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Our news partner KETK has confirmed that the suspect involved in the Oct. 17 triple homicide in Mabank has died. The suspect, Christopher Kyle Reid, is accused of having killed three people at around 2:30 a.m. at the Cedar Creek Cove Subdivision in Mabank. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of a woman and a man with apparent gunshot wounds.

Another woman shot at the scene was transported to a hospital, where she died. The deceased have been identified as: Kimberly Simpson, 51, Connie Patrick, 72, Ronny Hammonds, 57.

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said that Simpson and Connie were both shot multiple times, along with Hammonds, who also had injuries from blunt force trauma and multiple stab wounds.

Two other victims, ages 24 and 70, were hospitalized. The 24-year-old has since been released from the hospital, while the 70-year-old remains hospitalized but is awake and responsive, the sheriff’s office confirmed. Continue reading Henderson County triple homicide suspect dies