KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The City of Tyler is growing and the growth isn’t limited to just one area. “We’re seeing growth in residential and industrial and retail growth,” said Scott Martinez, CEO, Tyler Economic Development Council. According to our news partner KETK, Mayor Don Warren says keeping up with the growth means tackling several major initiatives at the same time.“There’s a lot of rabbits in the hat, and we just got to figure out which one we’re going to pull out next, but there’s going to be something that comes out of that,” said Mayor Don Warren, City of Tyler. Continue reading Mayor Warren talks growth, Tyler’s future

LONGVIEW – Longview High School moved up their graduation date an hour due to the possibility of severe weather Friday night. On May 19, doors will open at 5 p.m. and commencement will begin at 6 p.m. Doors were previously supposed to open at 6 p.m. with graduation to start at 7:30 p.m. Students are recommended to arrive early and be in the Coliseum no later than 5 p.m. Graduates should park in student parking lots or have parents drop them off in the breezeway before they park. Seating is first-come, first-served. Individual seats or sections of seats cannot be reserved.

MARSHALL — Logging crews discovered human skeletal remains while working in Marshall, according to Harrison County officials and our news partner KETK. On Tuesday morning, deputies responded to a call from workers reporting they had found skeletal remains in the area of Harris Lake Road and Stagecoach Road in Marshall. Officials searched the area and confirmed that the bones were those of a human. The remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification’s Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology in Fort Worth. The investigation is ongoing. “I am very proud of our Patrol Deputies, Criminal Investigators, and Crime Scene Investigators for their long hours and commitment to recovering the skeletal remains,” Sheriff BJ Fletcher said.

EAST TEXAS – On Wednesday, several law enforcement organizations worked together in serving search warrants related to a year long investigation involving federal financial crimes. According to our news partner KETK and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, they have been working with the Department of Homeland Security Dallas Investigations Office for the past year on an investigation throughout East Texas involving crimes that include illegal gambling, conspiracy and money laundering. The targets of this investigation have been several individuals and illegal game rooms being run in Upshur County as well as other locations throughout East Texas. The release stated that this is an “ongoing and fluid case.”

LONGVIEW – A man was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries early Wednesday morning after being shot by Longview police. According to our news partner KETK, police responded to a report of assault family violence around 1:30 a.m. in the 800 block of Ownings Street. “Officers began talking with the involved parties and then attempted to contact the suspect,” officials said. “The suspect then lunged out of a room armed with hammers in each hand and charged at the officers.” Officials said due to the advancing threat, shots were fired and the suspect was shot. Officers on the scene administered first aid and contacted EMS. Charges are pending for the suspect. “The safety of the community is paramount to the Longview Police Department, and the men and women of the department will continue working diligently to protect the community while providing professional policing,” officials said.

TYLER — Tyler police continue to seek your help investigating a homicide. Officers responded to a residence on W. Mims near the Gaston Avenue intersection on February 6th. A person was found inside, dead of a gunshot wound. Police identified the victim as 61-year-old Warren Edward Rogers. Anyone with any information that may assist in this case is asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER — Paving on Donna Drive, Melinda Lane and Elm Street in Tyler is scheduled to begin today and last through the end of the week. The city is asking residents to refrain from parking vehicles on the roadways while the work is done. Drivers can expect traffic delays in the area. Flaggers will be present. Drivers are reminded to obey the signs and flaggers and drive with caution.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Houston Engineering Center placed second overall in a NASA design challenge. According to our news partner KETK, they competed against 16 other teams from around Texas including teams from UT Austin and Texas A&M University. They placed first in model/display and peer evaluation, and placed second in oral presentation and design. The team was awarded scholarships in the amount of $750 each. The annual Texas Space Grant Consortium’s NASA Design Challenge attracts collegiate teams from across Texas to propose, design and fabricate a solution towards solving NASA’s research objectives. Continue reading UT Tyler engineering team takes second place in NASA challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Nathaniel Moran and Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, of Georgia, introduced the Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act. The act is meant to remove the additional permitting process for upgrades that are made to wireless towers. According to a release, with the current law, any changes made to existing wireless towers “must undergo a burdensome environmental and historic preservation reviews.” Moran and Carter believe that this delays broadband improvements which they say makes a difference in getting high-speed internet to rural communities. “Closing the digital divide for those living in rural America is long overdue,” Moran said. “This commonsense legislation reforms the burdensome permitting process that holds back American communities from broadband improvements and access. I am proud to work alongside Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) to introduce this essential piece of legislation that will connect our communities to the rest of America by reducing regulatory barriers needed to make necessary broadband upgrades.”

PITTSBURG – Texas Oncology is set to open a new location in Pittsburg this July, and close their Mount Pleasant location at the end of June. According to our news partner KETK, the new location will occupy nearly 4,000 square feet of space at 408 Quitman Street with renovations slated to start in late May. When it opens, the Texas Oncology Pittsburg location will have a new infusion suite and four exam rooms that give patients medical oncology and hematology services, chemotherapy and specialty infusion, radiation oncology consultation, access to relevant clinical trials and genetic risk evaluation and testing. Continue reading Texas Oncology to open new Pittsburg cancer center

ATHENS – Two Athens police officers were hurt while chasing a suspect after a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, the traffic stop happened Monday afternoon. Officer Matthew Halbert and his training officer, Cpl. Melissa Goss, stopped a silver four-door sedan driven by 41-year-old Jonathan D. Cumby with 39-year-old Glendon Armstrong as a passenger. During the stop, officers reportedly found that Armstrong had an outstanding warrant and suspected Cumby could be in possession of narcotics. Authorities said Cumby fled the scene while the officers investigated. Goss pursued him and reportedly broke her femur while trying to apprehend him. Halbert suffered a sprained knee during the altercation, but detained Cumby with the help of nearby onlookers. Armstrong was arrested on his outstanding warrant and Cumby was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest and resisting arrest. Both officers were taken to an Athens hospital for treatment. Goss was held overnight and Halbert was treated and released.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A man was arrested on Monday for murder in connection to a shooting that left a 25-year-old woman dead near Gun Barrel City on April 21. According to our news partner KETK, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said Chaz White, 32, of Mabank, was arrested after a tactical team came to his home and took him into custody based on arrest and search warrants that were issued. About a week after the shooting, Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the shooting that killed a woman, identified as Alexis Garoutte, was believed to be drug-related. “We located methamphetamine, we located heroin and we located a pretty large amount of fentanyl,” Hillhouse said. “We’ve been working on this case ever since.” The sheriff’s office said more arrests could come in connection to their ongoing investigation.

LONGVIEW – A man was arrested for intoxication manslaughter early Saturday morning after a single-car crash left a 23-year-old passenger dead, according to our news partner KETK. Longview police responded to the crash on West Methvin Street around 2 a.m. and found that Hunter Tigert, 22, of Lone Star, was driving a black Dodge Charger at a high speed with three passengers inside. Officials say the car failed to navigate a curve and left the roadway, and struck a brick building. Sydney Van Rijn, 23, of Longview, was taken to a local hospital where she later died of her injuries. The other two passengers were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Tigert, who sustained injuries in the crash, was taken to a local hospital before being arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail. He was released after posting a $30,000 bond.

LONGVIEW — Four people are in critical condition after a vehicle crashed into a Longview building “at a high rate of speed,” according to our news partner KETK. Authorities said that on Saturdaym May 13, four Longview fire ambulances responded for treatment and transport of the victims. The building’s structural integrity was found “extremely compromised” after the incident, officials said, and the LFD Special Operations Technical Rescue teams worked to prevent further collapse of the building. The total operation took four hours.

TYLER – The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science program at University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing ranked first in Texas, according to RegisteredNursing.org. “I am incredibly proud that our School of Nursing’s RN-BSN program has been recognized as the top in the state,” School of Nursing Dean Dr. Barbara Haas said. “We have always strived to provide the highest quality education and resources for our nursing students, and this recognition reaffirms our commitment to excellence in nursing education.” The university said the criteria for the ranking includes whether the program is part of an accredited institution that officers online programs, total nurse program completions, annual tuition and graduation rate. Continue reading UT Tyler School of Nursing RN to BSN program ranked No. 1 in Texas

LONGVIEW – Longview police said on Saturday they are searching for a missing 18-year-old woman who was last seen on May 6. Officials said Hosanna Faith Shipton was last seen in Longview driving a black 2012 Volvo XC60 with Texas license plate number SCS8874. She is 5’7″, about 130 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. KETK reports that police said she also wears colored contact lenses, and her family has not seen or heard from her in a week. Anyone with information on her location is asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1170.

HENDERSON – One person is in custody after a 14-year-old was killed after being struck by a truck Friday night in Henderson. Henderson police said they responded to a pedestrian crash around 11 p.m. on West Main Street. The truck suspected to be involved in the crash was seen on surveillance footage obtained by authorities. The white flatbed truck with a brush guard is believed to have struck a 14-year-old boy and fled. Officials said the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

After their arrest, the suspect was booked into Rusk County Jail according to our news partner KETK.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Henderson Police Department at 903-657-3512.

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas – One person is dead after a shooting Friday morning in the Hallsville area. Officials said deputies with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene in the 9000 block of Highway 80 West early Friday morning and found a person who had died from their injuries. Our new partner KETK reports the investigation is ongoing and officials said further information will not be released pending the notification of the next of kin.

TYLER – An East Texas death row inmate has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the courts decision in his involvement in the death of his 2 year-old daughter. Robert Roberson took his daughter in January of 2002 to Palestine Regional Medical Center with severe head trauma. He said he found his daughter unresponsive after falling off the bed. Hospital personnel suspected child abuse; shaken baby syndrome. His Daughter, Nikki Curtis died the next day. Roberson was charged in her death. He was convicted and sentenced to death row in 2003.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department has gotten a huge upgrade for their investigation efforts. They now have a new Crime Scene Building. According to our news partner KETK, In 2021, the Tyler City Council gave the department $275.000 to fund efforts for the new building. That locations previous tenant was an AT&T store. The new building has a specialized photography room. Also, the team added a garage to help with testing and processing of vehicles. Now the crime scene investigators can work several cases at one time. Which means that cases can get solved more quickly. The Tyler Police Department says the new crime scene lab wouldn’t have been possible without the people of Tyler and the city.

TYLER — When Tyler Police Officer Bianca Smedley began working for the Community Response Unit in 2021, she wanted the Hispanic community to benefit from the many opportunities and resources the Tyler Police Department has to offer. She made it her mission to reach out to Spanish-speaking Tyler residents with information and resources. This is how “Comunidad” was born. “Comunidad” is a community meeting hosted by TPD entirely in Spanish. Continue reading Tyler Police Department hosts first community meeting in Spanish

TYLER – A Tyler woman pleaded guilty Thursday to injury to a child and was given a six year prison sentence. According to our news partner KETK, authorities say that 27-year old Katelyn Schengeli endangered her four children by having them in living conditions they said were “extremely inadequate for children.”

At the time of her arrest in 2021, law officers said Schengeli was under the influence of alcohol. They were alerted to this by her 8-year-old son who found his mother unconscious and non responsive. Emergency personnel then found an 11-month-old infant in a crib covered in feces and 4 year-old twin girls locked inside of a large room with the door blocked.. The four children were removed from the home to a safe environment. The children’s father Corey Evans was also arrested in 2021 and indicted as well on of four of counts of child endangerment. His outcome is still to be determined.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council approved a $58,000 contract with ERI Consulting Inc. on Wednesday for the demolition of the former Tysen House. According to our news partner KETK, the city said the abandoned property has been an ongoing problem and poses public health and public safety risks for community members and first responders. Since December 2021, the property has caught fire three times with four firefighters being injured during one of them. The most recent fire happened on April 28. The former Tysen House was ruled by the Planning Director to have no significant historical value. ERI Consulting will begin asbestos removal in six weeks and demolition will begin in eight weeks after abatement. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

TYLER — Damien M. Diggs took office to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, which represents part of East Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. Diggs was nominated by President Joe Biden on February 2, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 4 and took the oath of office on May 7. Diggs is from Frisco and is the chief federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of Texas which includes 43 counties from the Texas-Oklahoma border to the Gulf of Mexico. The district has six fully staffed offices in Tyler, Lufkin, Texarkana, Beaumont, Plano and Sherman. Diggs is responsible for the prosecution of federal criminal offenses in the district, according to a release. Continue reading New U.S. Attorney sworn in for Eastern District of Texas

TYLER — A 75-year-old man died after a four-vehicle crash in Tyler at the intersection of Pointe North Drive and WNW Loop 323, near the intersection of Highway 69. According to our news partner KETK, the crash happened in the eastbound lanes of WNW Loop 323 around 3:08 p.m. on Wednesday. Jimmy Hayes, 75, of Tyler, died following the crash. The investigation determined that three vehicles were in the eastbound turn lane of Loop 323 waiting to turn north onto Pointe North Drive. Officials said that Hayes was heading eastbound in his Ford F-150 when he veered left and struck the rear vehicle stopped in the turn lane, causing it to hit the next two vehicles in front of it. Tyler Police said that one of the occupants of the other vehicles was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

NACOGDOCHES – The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents accepted the retirement of President Steve Westbrook on Wednesday and named an interim president. Gina Oglesbee, vice president for finance and administration, will serve as interim president starting June 1. The university said she will not be a candidate for the permanent position. Oglesbee participated in the system affiliation evaluation process last fall, and the university said she has been closely involved with the transfer of management and control of the university into the UT system. She has been a part of the SFA community for over 20 years. “She is an ideal candidate to lead SFA in its transition to The University of Texas System,” SFA Board of Regents Chair Karen Gantt said. The search for the next president will be conducted by the UT Board of Regents after legislative approval for SFA’s affiliation with the system. The legislation currently awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.

TYLER – Three Tyler city councilmembers took their oaths of office on Wednesday morning. Newly-elected District 5 Councilmember Lloyd Nichols, re-elected District 1 Councilmember Stuart Hene and re-elected District 3 Councilmember Shirley McKellar were sworn into office and District 6 Councilmember Brad Curtis was elected Mayor Pro Tem. This will be Lloyd Nichols’ first term as a Tyler councilmember. He came to Tyler in 2000 while working as Area Vice President for Luby’s Cafeteria. In 2007, Lloyd left Luby’s and opened The Diner, which he operated for 15 years before selling it in 2022. Continue reading Tyler councilmembers sworn in, Mayor Pro-Tem selected

SMITH COUNTY — A man has been arrested after being indicted for the charge of assault to a pregnant person. According to our news partner KETK, Trevor Starnes, 27, caused bodily injury to a pregnant woman by striking her with his hand and “with a hard object and causing the complainant to strike a hard object.” Starnes was booked into the Smith County Jail on May 5 with a bond amount of $25,000. According to online records, Starnes was previously arrested May 20, 2022 for assault of a pregnant person. His record also lists numerous arrests for possession of a controlled substance.

TYLER — The son of the Smith County clerk who was accused of interfering with deputies during an arrest, and Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips, returned to commissioners court Tuesday morning and was arrested for disruption of a meeting. According to our news partner KETK, this is the second week in a row, Lance Phillips has attended the Commissioners Court meeting. The previous week, he was speaking in court defending his family against slander but was removed from the podium because he wasn’t commenting on the agenda item. Before court Tuesday morning, The Smith County Sheriff said Judge Neal Franklin spoke to Lance Phillips about the court’s rules. Continue reading Son of Smith County commissioner removed from court