KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – After just one week, the nation’s average price of gasoline has reverted to a decline, falling 1.7 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.09 per gallon, according to GasBuddy® data compiled from more than 12 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. The national average is down 11.5 cents from a month ago and is 37.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 1.7 cents in the last week and stands at $3.693 per gallon. Continue reading Gas prices revert to small drop as supplies jump, oil falls

UPDATE: NACOGDOCHES COUNTY – The Nacogdoches man who was on the Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List was arrested on Friday in Houston. According to Texas DPS, Jacob Aaron Kessler, a convicted sex offender, was arrested on Friday after a multi-agency operation in Houston. Kessler was wanted for three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He is now being held in the Nacogdoches County Jail.

ORIGINAL STORY: Our news partner KETK reports that authorities are searching for a man wanted for sexual assault of a child in Nacogdoches County.

According to the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, Jacob Aaron Kessler, 40, is a white man who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs around 215 pounds. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the non-emergency dispatch number at 936-559-2607 or their local law enforcement agency.

LONGVIEW – Several school districts are being negatively impacted by the recent funding freeze, including Longview ISD, which is being forced to withhold funds from several academic programs just before the start of the new school year.

The Trump administration withheld more than $6 billion in federal grants on July 1 for after-school and summer programs, adult literacy and English language instruction, as a part of a review to ensure spending aligned with White House priorities. Due to this withholding of federal grants, funding for multiple programs initiated to benefit Longview students and teachers will be significantly reduced.

“Nearly $1 million in federal funds are earmarked for real student needs,” Longview ISD said. “Needs like academic supports for struggling students, or resources for hard-working teachers, or countless other crucial provisions for our most vulnerable young people.”

The following Longview ISD programs will lose funds as part of the federal funding freeze: Continue reading Longview ISD faces funding cuts as federal grants are withheld

TYLER – CHRISTUS Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas are now 13 days away from a looming deadline.

If a new contract is not signed, Blue Cross customers would lose in-network access to CHRISTUS doctors and facilities. The two companies are currently negotiating a new agreement. The current contracts were set to expire on July 1 but days before the deadline an extension was given until Aug. 1.

As the first of August approaches Blue Cross users remain worried. Local nurse and former CHRISTUS patient, Stephanie Jones is worried that people won’t be able to afford their out of pocket medical costs.

“I just wonder how many people are not gonna be able to do that, they’re going to be forced to changed caregivers when they don’t want to,” Jones said.

Benefits that would be affected include Blue Cross Medicare, Medicaid, Blue HMO, PPO and FEP plans. Continue reading Nurse shares concerns about CHRISTUS, Blue Cross Blue Shield agreement

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to help train local behavioral health interns who work throughout East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the grant was awarded to the university’s program to train behavioral health interns. Currently, the program is lead by Dr. Stephanie Simmons, an associate professor at the School of Medicine.

Thanks to $1.5 million in funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the program will be able to expand from training six interns to 30. The 24 new interns will focus on training child and adolescent psychology while rotating throughout clinics across East Texas.

“This funding will enhance how we can serve the community, making behavioral health care more accessible—especially in rural regions,” UT Tyler School of Medicine dean Dr. Sue Cox said.
“Investments in behavioral health are needed everywhere—and nowhere is that more evident than right here in East Texas.” Continue reading UT Tyler gets grant for behavioral health training

SMITH COUNTY — Pets Fur People has turned away animals for more than a month because they are at max capacity. According to our news partner KETK, Pets Fur People in Smith County has more than 100 animals in their care, all of them needing “furever” homes.

“That does not even include the ones that are abandoned, found on the road, dropped off at our fence, tied to the fence, left in boxes,” Pets Fur People executive director Holli Jones said.

They are just one of many shelters facing overcrowding and no longer taking in furry friends. Jones said that the summer is when they see an uptick in abandonment. Continue reading Local animal shelters at capacity

WILLS POINT, Texas – A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an ongoing child pornography investigation, according to our news partner KETK.

The Wills Point Police Department said Eli Joshua Steele was taken into custody on Friday and is facing six counts of producing, directing or promoting a sexual performance by a child, along with nine counts of possession with intent to promote child pornography.

Steele’s arrest is part of what authorities described as “an extensive and lengthy ongoing investigation” by the department’s criminal investigations division. The case has been referred to the Van Zandt County District Attorney’s Office for formal charges and prosecution.

According to Van Zandt County Jail records, Steele is being held on a total bond of $600,000.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man is behind bars after an hours-long standoff Friday morning that ended with SWAT deploying CS gas canisters, according to our news partner KETK.

The standoff began after a series of incidents involving 42-year-old Charles Roman Taylor over the past several days, according to the Lufkin Police Department. Officers say Taylor called 911 more than 10 times starting around 4 a.m. Friday, speaking incoherently and eventually threatening to kill officers who responded to his home.

“When he stepped out the front door, officers tried to calm him and take him into custody on outstanding warrants,” Lufkin PD said. “Officers deployed a taser, but that did not immobilize Taylor, and he went back inside.”
Continue reading Lufkin man arrested after morning standoff with SWAT

LONGVIEW — Jose Daniel Rodriguez Jr., a Longview man, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2023 murders of Alexander and Aleksei Gamez, according to our news partner KETK. A Gregg County jury found Rodriguez guilty of capital murder on Thursday, and 188th District Court Judge David Brabham handed down the life sentence the same day.

According to authorities, Rodriguez and three of his relatives went to a Harrison Street residence around 2:25 a.m. on June 10, 2023, searching for the Gamez brothers in connection with an earlier incident. Rodriguez waited at the home for nearly 20 minutes before Alexander and Aleksei returned in a black vehicle.

Surveillance video from the home shows Rodriguez approaching the vehicle with a firearm in his right hand. He shot Alexander once in the head before firing seven shots at Aleksei, striking him in the head and body. Rodriguez fled the scene but later claimed he acted in self-defense or in defense of another person.

The jury reviewed security footage and other evidence, ultimately rejecting Rodriguez’s claims. After four hours of deliberation, they returned a guilty verdict. Gregg County judicial records confirm that Rodriguez’s life sentence began Thursday.

BULLARD – The Bullard ISD Board of Trustees has appointed Jan Hill as the district’s interim superintendent, according to our news partner KETK. Hill, who dedicated twelve years of service to Bullard ISD, will guide the district through this transition period.

Hill first joined Bullard ISD in 2008 as director of curriculum, where she managed state and federal programs. In 2014, she was promoted to deputy superintendent, taking on a key leadership role in overseeing the district’s instructional programs.

This is not Hill’s first time serving as interim superintendent; she previously held the role in 2020 before Jack Lee was named superintendent. Hill is stepping into the position again following Lee’s departure to accept a role with Seguin ISD.
Continue reading Bullard ISD appoints interim superintendent

MOUNT PLEASANT – Three people were arrested in Mount Pleasant on July 12 after it was discovered that they robbed six different stores across the state, according to police.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department said officers arrived at a Walgreens in Mount Pleasant on July 12 after receiving reports of a shoplifting incident at the store. Officers found the three suspects involved in theft a few blocks away from the store and arrested them. The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Aaniya Thompson, 19-year-old Omarion Ricks and 20-year-old Destiny Cummings.

Following the arrest, it was discovered that the suspects had stolen over $1,500 worth of products from Walgreens, and it was also revealed that the three suspects had conducted large-scale thefts in Commerce, Greenville, and Sulphur Springs.

“Kudos to our officers for stopping these traveling thieves, and solving crimes that occurred in four different cities and at six different stores,” the Mount Pleasant Police Department said.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A man was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting and murder of two brothers in Jacksonville in 2023, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On April 22, 2023, Coray McCuin and Tony McCuin were leaving a home on Clemons Drive in Jacksonville when Dexter Lynn Davis fatally shot them and ran from the scene.

Officials from the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office said Jacksonville police officers responded to the scene, and began working the investigation, gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. Officers later found Davis in a hotel room at the Truckers Inn in Jacksonville. While Davis was being questioned, he made statements corroborating his role in the murders. Continue reading Man sentenced to life in prison for double homicide

TYLER – Two suspects who reportedly robbed two people at gunpoint in Downtown Tyler Friday morning have been arrested, according to our news partner KETK.

According to the Tyler Police Department, two people were held at gunpoint and robbed at around 10:20 a.m. on Kennedy. Neither of the victims were injured at the time of the incident. Following the incident, one suspect was arrested on West Philips, and the other was arrested on West Rusk Street.

Both have been charged with aggravated robbery. Their identities have not been released.