KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – A Lupita’s Restaurant food truck caught fire near the corner of Center Avenue and East Ferguson Street in downtown Tyler on Monday afternoon, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Tyler Fire Marshal Joey Hooten said the fire began around 11:45 a.m., and was likely caused by the truck’s generator. Flames could be seen coming from the left side of the truck, leaving a large hole in the truck’s exterior. According to Hooten, the food truck was set up near the construction site of the new Smith County courthouse to provide food for the construction workers. Some pallets at the construction site also caught fire before a unit from the Tyler Fire Department contained the flames.

Hooten said nobody was injured during the incident and it is unclear if the food truck is repairable.

SMITH COUNTY — A Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Correctional Officer was arrested on Thursday in Tyler after she attempted to traffic methamphetamine into the prison, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

A Smith County arrest affidavit says that Diamond Dunn, a TDCJ Correctional Officer for the Boyd Unit, agreed to meet with an undercover officer at a CEFCO gas station on 16158 State Hwy 31 W. This is where she took $2,500 and around 71 grams of methamphetamine from the undercover cop.

“Dunn was to take the money in exchange of introducing the methamphetamine to the TDCJ Boyd Unit,” the affidavit said. At the time of the exchange, she was also wearing part of her TDCJ uniform. Continue reading TDCJ officer reportedly caught trying to traffic meth into prison

TYLER — The Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced their inductees today for the class of 2025. Among the inductees is our very own sports director, Bill Coates.

KTBB owner and general manager, Paul Gleiser, talks about the professionalism that Bill brings to the airwaves: “When I bought KTBB, one of the things I got in the bargain was Bill Coates, and thank God because he’s been a real pillar in KTBB’s success.” Gleiser adds, “Bill is all pro… he’s an all pro sportscaster… he’s an all pro talk show host… he’s an all pro advertising executive. He’s just an all around consummate broadcaster and it is entirely appropriate that he’s a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. I couldn’t be more proud.”

The Texas Radio Hall of Fame annual reunion and and induction is the weekend of October 31, at the Texas Museum of Broadcasting and Communications in Kilgore. For more information, click here.

ANGELINA COUNTY – Eight people were hospitalized Sunday evening after a six-vehicle accident near Hudson, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Around 5:47 p.m., firefighters from the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department responded to a six-vehicle crash with possible entrapment on the 7000 block of State Highway 103 West. First responders found three out of the six vehicles to have major damage. Officials said there were a total of eight people injured, with seven taken to a local hospital and one life-flighted due to being in critical condition.

This accident is currently being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department said first responders were deployed to the scene of an 18-wheeler that rolled over on U.S. Highway 59 on Saturday, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Lufkin Fire Department members and Lufkin police officers responded to the scene of an 18-wheeler rollover crash that happened on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. 59 off ramp and North Medford Drive.

Luckily, Lufkin PD said the driver of the 18-wheeler and his dog were not injured by the crash.

ANDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a man was arrested on Thursday afternoon after a fatal shooting was reported in Tennessee Colony. Following the shooting, the Palestine Police Department spoke with a witness who identified the suspect as 23-year-old Cyrus Johnson, who allegedly told her he had killed a woman and left her there.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office later received information from a caller who found the victim’s body in a parking lot near the intersection of State Highway 321 and FM 645. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Kia-Patrick Roushelle Walker, who had previously dated Johnson, law enforcement confirmed.

Investigators found Johnson on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. at a rest stop on U.S. Highway 69 near Jacksonville, and he was taken into custody after being charged with murder. Officials then took a vehicle into custody and recovered a firearm during his arrest.

Johnson was booked into the Anderson County Jail for the charge of murder on Friday. He’s currently being held on a $1,000,000 bond.

KERR COUNTY – Three East Texans were among the 119 people who died during the July 4 Kerr County floods, according to a list released by the Texas Rangers on Friday. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. shared the Texas Rangers’ official list of victims from the floods, which devastated Kerrville, Kerr County and much of Central Texas on July 4. Many people were reported as missing in the days after the floods and according to the list, two people, Jeffery Ramsey, 63 of Lewisville, and Cecilia Steward, 8 of Austin, are still missing.

Three East Texans have been confirmed to have died in the floods, Carol Andrews, 65 of Athens, along with James and Cynthia Rushing of Sulphur Springs.

The full list can be seen on our news partner KETK’s website.

ARP – Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was back in his hometown of Arp on Saturday to host his third annual school supply giveaway. Overshown, a former Arp Tiger, spent his time in Arp on Saturday signing autographs and giving out nearly 300 backpacks full of school supplies to local children. According to our news partner KETK, many parents and Cowboys fans also attended the event to see Overshown while enjoying Arp City Park.

Overshown’s currently recovering from a season-ending knee injury but said he expects to be back on the field for the Cowboys soon.

The Cowboys’ first regular season game is on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:20 p.m. on KETK, against their longtime rival and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

TYLER – More than 2,800 Tyler ISD staff members joined together to kick off the new school year on Friday at the district’s annual convocation. According to a report from our news partner KETK, this year’s convocation included speeches from administrators, music, the unveiling of a new district logo and the performance of a new song written specifically for Tyler ISD.

“It’s always about continuous improvement and we had a great year last year. We jumped back up into a B-rating overall,” Tyler ISD Superintendent Marty Crawford said. “As a school district, we’re striving to become that A-rated district… and we have had a lot of great stories within a lot of our campuses. Looking forward to seeing what they can build on this coming year.”

The event was held at Green Acres Baptist Church from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Friday. Tyler ISD’s school year officially starts on Wednesday.

TYLER – With back-to-school around the corner and hot deals on the table, stores are gearing up for the tax-free weekend in East Texas, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

“They’re buying their back-to-school supplies, apparel and footwear,” Tyler Academy Store Director Randy Smiley said. “It’s just a fun day for us here at Academy.”

Academy is one hot spot for Tyler shoppers, Smiley said Friday started pretty slow, but as soon as it hit lunchtime, hundreds of shoppers began entering their stores. He expects even more people to come through their doors this weekend. At Broadway Square Mall in Tyler, several businesses said they picked up just as much traffic on the first day of the tax-free weekend as well. Continue reading Tax-free weekend kicks off for back-to-school shoppers

HENDERSON – Our news partner KETK reports that the Henderson Police Department is currently trying to identify a man potentially involved in an assault that they say happened at a local gas station on Thursday.

According to the department, the man pictured to the left was involved in an assault that happened at the Fast Stop South in Henderson on Thursday at around 8 p.m.

The department described the man as a Hispanic male with black hair, a black beard and mustache, wearing a green long sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information on the assault is asked to called detective Randolph at 903-657-3512.

LINDALE — A boy is in the hospital and a family dog is dead following a Lindale house fire that engulfed a residence around 11 a.m. on Friday, officials said.

According to Lindale Assistant Fire Chief Troy Prichard, a single story residence located at the 12900 block of County Road 474 was almost fully engulfed with flames when fire crews arrived around 11:18 a.m. Crews discovered that the home and a nearby car were on fire, along with downed power lines at the scene.

Assistant Fire Chief Prichard said a 13-year-old boy was sent to a local hospital in stable condition to be treated for possible smoke inhalation and a family dog died as a result of the fire. Prichard also believes the home is a “total loss” and the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Smith County Fire Marshalls.

ATHENS – Our news partner KETK reports that the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens announced an “emergency closure” Thursday night, just weeks after it reopened to the public.

According to TFFC, the fishery will be closed to visitors until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances and safety concerns. This announcement follows just five weeks after they reopened to the public on July 1. The fishery said that they look forward to welcoming back the public soon and they apologize for any inconvenience.