KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department has identified a man who was taken into custody after being barricaded in a house for four hours on Saturday. Our news partner KETK reports,  Jerry Jamies, 29, who reportedly assaulted a female resident of the home, eventually came out and was subdued by officials using OC spray. Jamies was transported to a local hospital by EMS and will next be transported to Smith County Jail, according to a Tyler PD press release. Detectives have a obtained a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for Jamies and the warrant has a $750,000 bond .

JOAQUIN – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said they arrested a Joaquin man on Saturday around 7 a.m. after a gun and drugs were found during the search of a Faulkville Road home. According to our news partner KETK the sheriff’s office responded to the scene after they received reports of a man with a gun at the Faulkville Road home. Nickolas Shane Matthews, 22 of Joaquin, was arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance felony 2, possession of a controlled substance felony 3, unlawful carry of a weapon by a felon, delivery of marijuana and assault, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials said that the homeowner let them search the home where the following items were allegedly found: 271 grams of Xanax, 7 grams of methamphetamine, 5.8 ounces of marijuana, 1 gram of ecstasy packaging materials for narcotics distribution and a gun.

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Professional Firefighters Association Local 5300 said that two of their firefighters were deployed to fight wildfires across Texas on Friday. According to our news partner KETK Captain Michael Van Winkle and Firefighter Joshua Bardwell were deployed to west and central Texas as a part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS). This TIFMAS deployment was done in conjunction with other resources across the Eastern Branch, Local 5300 said in a Facebook post.

“As some may know our firefighters and officers that are selected to go on these deployments, experience fire conditions and behavior that are not as common in our area of operation. This in turn can help us mitigate difficult situations in a more efficient manner. We are proud to be able to help serve other regions of Texas when called upon!”
Smith County Professional Firefighters Association Local 5300

TYLER — There are variety of Fourth of July events scheduled for the East Texas area. The fireworks and celebrations will run during the weekend through Tuesday July 4. Our news partner KETK has a list of events, please click here to see it.

TYLER – NET Health, the Northeast Texas Public Heath District announced that former Tyler Mayor Kevin Eltife has received the 2023 W.T. “Doc” Ballard Award. According to our news partner KETK, Eltife is being recognized for service and leadership in the creation of the UT Tyler School of Medicine. He is a former Texas District 1 Senator and is the current chairman of The University of Texas Board of Regents. Eltife said at the award presentation, “This community is exceptionally giving, and ‘Doc’ Ballard embodied that quality as well. I not only want this medical school to be a vehicle for better health for the community, but I also want to it to provide an amazing educational opportunity for East Texas students.” The award is named after “Doc” Ballard, who was a registered professional engineer at the Texas Department of Health.

TYLER – The son of the Smith County Clerk and a county commissioner was held in contempt of court Friday morning after appearing for an arraignment hearing. Our news partners at KETK report that Lance Phillips, 40 of Tyler, was in court for a misdemeanor charge of disruption of a meeting he received after being removed from a Smith County Commissioner’s Court meeting in May.

“When the bailiffs were coming and he sat down from the pew on the floor with his back to the wall and made the officers have to literally carry him out the courtroom,” Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said at the time of his disruption of a meeting charge. “If he acts like he did today he’s gonna wear out the hinges on the door in the jail.”

The first time Phillips attempted to speak at a commissioner’s court meeting in May, he said he planned to “correct the slander” about his family following the arrest of his mother and brother for interfering with a traffic stop. However, he was removed from the podium for not speaking on an agenda item. Phillips told KETK at the time of his disruption arrest that he planned to plead not guilty at his upcoming court date. After being arrested for contempt of court at his arraignment hearing, Phillips was booked into the Gregg County Jail.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler University Academy campus in
Palestine, an open enrollment university charter school, is recruiting for Grades K-12. Since the UA
is a state-funded public charter school, there is no student tuition.
The campus was recently named a 2022-23 Project Lead The Way Distinguished School, and the
district was also named a 2022-23 PLTW Distinguished District for the third consecutive year. UT
Tyler UA is one of just 17 PLTW districts nationwide and the only one in Texas to receive such
recognition this year. Continue reading UT Tyler Charter School in Palestine Recruiting for Grades K-12

SMITH COUNTY — The reconstruction of County Road 3111 — just south of Interstate 20 and west of Kilgore – has begun and is expected to take about three months. Road Improvements will be made to 4.25 miles of CR 3111, also known as Joy Wright Mountain Road, as well as CR 3118, 3119 and 3120. The roads are located in Precinct 3, and are part of the Smith County Road and Bridge Bond Program. Reynolds & Kay will reconstruct part of CR 3111, from its intersection with CR 3207, north to Interstate 20. The section of CR 3111, from FM 2767 to the Gregg County Line, will be improved by Smith County Road and Bridge crews once Reynolds & Kay is complete with their work. Work on the project includes widening, reconstructing and paving the roads, and is expected to cost $1,479,092.

TYLER — A Tyler man is found guilty and is given a life prison sentence without parole because of sexual abuse of child under 14. According to our news partner KETK, prosecutors say that 57-year-old Reiner Wiseman sexually abused a 13-year-old multiple times over a six month period. Wiseman had just recently been released from prison in another state after serving a 25-year sentence for sexual assault. At the conclusion of sentencing, the Smith County DA Jacob Putman praised the response of the Tyler Police Department and the Smith County Children’s Advocacy Center. Putman also noted that the victim testified against their abuser.

UPSHUR COUNTY – A Gilmer man has been indicted for murder in Upshur County after his father’s body was found in March by a roofing crew. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Timothy Caffey, 46, was indicted by the grand jury on June 22, and as of June 29, remains in the Upshur County Jail since his March 28 arrest. The body of his father, 66-year-old Timothy Caffey, was found by a roofing crew at a residence who called authorities to the scene. Timothy was found at his home that he shared with his son, and officials said at the time that evidence indicated his death was the result of a homicide. Continue reading Son indicted for murder of father whose body was found by East Texas roofing crew

TYLER – The family of fallen Smith County deputy Lorenzo Bustos had their mortgage paid in full by an organization that supports the families of first responders and veterans. It was announced Thursday by The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, this according to our news partner KETK. The foundation began after 9/11, with the purpose of providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children. Lorenzo was struck and killed by a drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop on his last day of training with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department. That was July 29, 2022. Lorenzo Bustos is survived by his wife Gloria and their four young children.

TYLER – Here is the traffic information for the upcoming Rose City Airfest scheduled for Friday, June 30th. This year, all general admission and VIP parking will be located at 2535 Dixie Dr, Tyler, TX 75704. This is a large open field. Busses will take people from the back areas of the parking lot to a drop off area near the front gates of the event. All VIP are asked to display or have their special entry permit readily available. Signage will be displayed on Hwy 64 about parking. There are message boards about the air show for both east and westbound traffic about a mile in each direction from Airport Dr. Continue reading Rose City Airfest parking information

EAST TEXAS — The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) is proud to announce the launch of a new reporting system designed to combat illegal dumping and keep East Texas clean. The system, called RID – Report Illegal Dumping, is a simple and convenient way for residents to report instances of illegal dumping in their neighborhoods and communities. Illegal dumping is a persistent problem in many communities, creating health and safety hazards, detracting from the beauty of neighborhoods, and negatively impacting the environment. The new online system provides a convenient solution to this problem, allowing residents to quickly and easily report incidents of illegal dumping with just a few clicks. Continue reading New Online Reporting System Helps Combat Illegal Dumping

PALESTINE – A man has been arrested after leading police on a chase that ended in a crash and a seizure of drugs and a firearm according to our news partners at KETK. On June 26, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office alerted the Palestine Police Department that a Nissan Altima driven by a Black male in a white shirt had been involved in an assault on a peace officer that led to a pursuit. An officer found the reported vehicle by confirming the license plate number and attempted to stop it on East Palestine Avenue near Gardner Drive. The release stated that the vehicle did not stop and a pursuit continued down Highway 155 before the driver left the roadway after trying to turn onto North Loop 256 at a high speed and crashed. Continue reading Drugs, synthetic urine seized after police chase through East Texas ends in crash

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department will be adding additional officers on the street utilizing STEP (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) starting on Friday, June 30th through Wednesday, July 5th. The program is based on crash data in the city limits of Tyler that allows Tyler officers to pin-point target problem areas. Officials said with increased traffic in Tyler for the 4th of July holiday, officers will be specifically watching for hazardous violations such as speeding, intersection enforcement, seat belt violations and impaired drivers.

KILGORE – Wednesday morning all the work paid off as the 84th Kilgore College Rangerette Line was revealed. According to our news partner KETK, 32 freshmen have earned a spot on this years team. With 9 of the Rangerette’s hailing from East Texas. The new freshmen for the 84th line are:
Continue reading The 84th Kilgore College Rangerette line is introduced

MARSHALL — The cause of a train derailment at Marshall Depot Wednesday morning, involving a Union Pacific train carrying a cargo of vehicles remains under investigation, officials said. No one was injured and no environmental issues were reported when eight freight cars of a train derailed Wednesday morning, according to the City of Marshall via the Marshall News Messenger. Union Pacific officials said the derailment occurred about 8 a.m. “At about 8:00, an estimated eight rail cars on a Union Pacific train derailed in Marshall, Texas,” Robynn Tysver with Union Pacific media relations told the Marshall News Messenger. “The incident occurred west of the intersection of Van Zandt Avenue and N. Franklin Street,” she said. Continue reading No injuries in Marshall train derailment

SMITH COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK are reporting that a pedestrian is dead after being struck by a truck on SH 110 Monday night just north of Tyler. According to a DPS report, Harold Hagler, 52, of Longview, was walking across the road around 9:30 p.m. when he was struck by a Ford F-150. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the truck was reported to not have been injured. The crash remains under investigation.

TYLER – The City Council approved new regulations to manage utilities in the City’s Right-of-Way (ROW) and easements on Wednesday, June 28. The updated Chapter 15 Code of Ordinance Article VI includes provisions for ROW cleanliness, removing old and abandoned facilities, and insurance and bonding requirements. The amendments are needed to reduce resident complaints and ensure the removal of unused poles and boxes and set more permitting requirements. Continue reading City implements more stringent rules to manage utilities in the right-of-way

LONGVIEW — A man has been arrested after an apartment shooting in Longview left a woman injured. According to our news partner KETK, on Monday morning, around 7:20 a.m. Longview officials responded to reports of a shooting that took place at an apartment complex located on Young Street. Upon arrival, police said they found a female victim with a gunshot wound and had her taken to a local hospital by EMS with a non-life threatening injury. During their investigation, police said they identified Larry Anthony Jr., 26, as the suspect and detained him before taking him to the Longview Police Department Criminal Investigations Division. The release stated that detectives obtained a warrant for Anthony’s arrest, charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – family violence and booked him into the Gregg County Jail.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) – U.S. authorities have announced the arrests of four men they say were part of a human smuggling effort last year that ended in the deaths of 53 migrants, including eight children, who were left in a tractor-trailer in the scorching Texas summer. The four new arrests were made Monday in Houston, San Antonio and Marshall. Authorities said on the anniversary of the June 27, 2022, tragedy that the four Mexican nationals had a planning role in the smuggling operation, and were aware that the trailer’s air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning and would not blow cool air to migrants trapped inside during the sweltering three-hour ride from the border city of Laredo to San Antonio. Continue reading US arrests 4 Mexican nationals in deaths of 53 migrants trapped in hot tractor-trailer

TYLER — It has been years in development, a food truck park will be in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the plans for the park were started in 2016, but when the downtown project was put on hold, so was the park. In January, city officials approved the South Broadway location for the food truck park. It will be in the parking lot of the old Shogan restaurant. The current plan has this location for up to eight food trucks. Food truck owners can use the Shogun kitchen for food prep. Lot planners say they feel having all the trucks in the northwest corner of the location will give better parking to customers on the property. Special use permits will be available for one year and subject to renewal for all food trucks participating. At this time, there is no set date when the Tyler food truck park will be opening.

TYLER – It is being reported that an investigation has initiated into the The Catholic Diocese of Tyler and Bishop Joseph Strickland. According to our news partner KETK, the National Catholic Reporter talked to a spokeswoman from the Diocese on Monday, who confirmed there was an apostolic visitation last week. A reason was not given for the visitation. A apostolic visitation is when a papal rep travels on assignment to investigate a situation. A report is then submitted to the Vatican at the conclusion of the investigation. The Pope then decides is any action is deemed necessary. There is speculation from some Catholic news agencies that the papal visitation is due to Bishop Strickland’s strong on-line presence. However, some say it could be the Vatican having questions about management of the Tyler diocese.

TYLER – A Jacksonville, Texas man has been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs Tuesday. Desnique Deshawn Herndon, 27, was convicted of six counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Herndon was found guilty of all counts by a jury following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. Continue reading Cherokee County Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Teens in Tyler Area

WINONA- Winona ISD announced Tuesday the hiring of a new principal for Winona High School. According to our news partner KETK, Mark Hageman is the new principal. He has been an educator for 18 years and comes to Winona from Chapel Hill ISD. Upon his hiring Hageman said, “I am excited about the opportunity to lead such a vibrant and dynamic school community. Winona High School has a tradition of excellence, and I am committed to continuing that tradition while also promoting innovation and growth.” Hageman, earned his Bachelor Of Science at Stephen F. Austin University and is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.

TYLER – The Junior League of Tyler supports Tyler area nonprofits on an annual basis through grant requests voted on by Junior League of Tyler members. Starting now through September 1, 2023, eligible non-profits can apply for grant-based funds from the Junior League of Tyler. The service-based organization has given more than $8 million back to the community since its founding in 1960 and will continue to provide to selected community projects and endeavors. Throughout its history, the Junior League of Tyler has awarded grants to over a hundred community organizations and was instrumental in founding The Discovery Science Place, The Tyler Museum of Art, and Hospice of East Texas, among others. Continue reading Junior League of Tyler Seeks Grant Applications from Community Nonprofits

LONGVIEW — More than a week later, East Texans are still recovering from severe storms. Some may wonder what to do with the debris in their yard or overflowing trashcans of food that went bad. Our news partner KETK checked in with the City of Longview and Upshur County to get some answers about post-storm cleanup.

Upshur County has four dumpster locations for people to throw out their rotten food. “Big Sandy, Ore City, Diana and one in Gilmer at the civic center,” said Nichols, Upshur County Emergency Management Coordinator. Those will be available for county residents until Wednesday, June 28. The City of Longview Sanitation and Recycling shared how they are working through the mess left behind. “Don’t panic, we are actually doing a city-wide sweep, we’re actually going down every street, one by one we will be cleaning up all of the debris from the trees that they put out.” The City of Longview is also taking the recycle bins to the landfill this week, they know many people needed to use them to throw away spoiled food.

HARRISON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK on June 26, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a male identifying himself as Tyler Martin, an Investigator with Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office sent out a social media notification verifying that this information is false and Tyler Martin does not work for the Sheriff’s Office. The suspect is allegedly cloning the sheriff’s office phone number which is 903-923-4000. He is claimed to be informing individuals that they haven’t appeared to their civil court case that they were summoned for.

The sheriff’s office describes the scam on their Facebook: “In order for the individuals to not be placed in jail they have to deposit cash in a gas station “Bit K” Machine. Once all the cash has been deposited Martin will no longer contact you and you will not be able to contact him on the number he provides due to it being a false number.”

The sheriff’s office would like the public to know not to fall for these tactics and to stay safe. “Please be aware that this is a scam and the Sheriff’s Office will not direct you to do such thing,” said the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.

LONGVIEW — Two people reached out to our news partner KETK News to get help after they said they got bad gasoline at the Brake Time gas station on Judson Road in Longview across from Skinner’s. One said said it happened to him on May 18 and that it really messed up his car. Another person said it started after her May 3 trip to Brake Time, eventually having to pay more than $1,000 to get it fixed.

A complaint has been filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Agreement over the situation. So far there has been no response to the complaint. KETK News also tried reaching someone at the gas station’s headquarters in Houston several times and our requests were not returned. They told us the case is currently under investigation.