KTBB News, Weather, Talk

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.

KILGORE – An East Texas father was sentenced to 20 months in jail after his son died from a swimming accident at a Kilgore hotel in 2021, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On April 25, 2021, 2-year-old Luke Wayne Killough was about to go swimming with his sister at the Kilgore Holiday Inn and Suites when he fell into the hot tub. Luke’s sister tried to save him, but was unable to, so she ran and got her father, Scotty Wayne Killough, who was nearby, making a bottle for his baby. She told her dad that her “boogie,” a nickname for her brother, was floating face-down in the hot tub. According to the mother, Dominique, Scotty ran over, pulled Luke from the water and performed CPR until medical personnel arrived. He was then care-flighted to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, where he died five days later due to brain trauma. Continue reading Father gets 20-month sentence due to toddler’s death

TYLER – Two lanes are currently closed going north on Old Jacksonville Highway due to a three-vehicle crash, according to a report from our news partner, KETK.

The crash took place on Dueling Oaks Drive and Old Jacksonville Highway, and one vehicle is currently on its side. First responders are currently on the scene. The condition of the vehicles’ occupants remains unknown.

Updates will be made as soon as they become available.

ANDERSON COUNTY – A suspect has been taken into custody on Thursday afternoon following a fatal shooting in Tennesse Colony, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

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 246. 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 the arrest.

The sheriff’s office said there are no further details regarding the case available at this time.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department said that a 45-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly approaching an 11-year-old girl while he was wearing a diaper and a pacifier, according to press release from the Tyler Police Department.

Tyler Police officers responded to Andy Woods Elementary School on Fry Avenue in Tyler on July 29 because of a report that a man was making lewd comments to an 11-year-old girl while wearing only a diaper and a pacifier. The girl quickly rode away from the man on her bicycle, Tyler PD said.

Wesley Worl, 45 of Tyler, was arrested on Thursday at his workplace without incident, and charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and criminal trespassing in connection to the incident at Andy Woods. He is currently being held at the Smith County Jail on a total bond of $600,000.

SMITH COUNTY – The 2026 proposed budget will keep property taxes the same, but organizations will receive the same amount as last year, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Smith County Historical Society is one of 15 organizations that currently get money from the county.

They receive a little more than $3,000, which goes to lawn and trash maintenance. At last week’s commissioners court meeting, they requested nearly $13,000 more to fix up Camp Ford.

“What we submitted was just the bare minimum of what’s needed to kind of keep the place safe for visitors,” Andy Bergfeld, president of the Historical Society, said. Continue reading Smith County budget won’t increase donations to non-profits

TYLER – On Wednesday, August 6th at approximately 11:45am officers with the Tyler Police Department responded to a child left in a vehicle at Stanton Optical on S. Broadway Ave. According to a press release from the Tyler Police Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, it was determined that an 8-week-old child had been left in a car that was not running by her mother during an eye appointment. The mother was identified as Adasia Henderson, a 22-year-old female from Tyler. The child was in the car for over an hour when police were notified. The child was transported to a local hospital by EMS for treatment and observation.

Henderson was arrested for Abandoning/Endangering a Child, a felony offense.

TYLER – A new wholesale store is coming to East Texas after the City of Tyler approved BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to expand into the Rose City, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

BJ’s is the newest wholesale store to arrive in Texas and offers food, electronics and tire services. The store will be opened at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and West Cumberland Road and is expected to include 16 gas pumps and 453 parking spaces in total.

There are currently no BJ’s stores in Texas; however, four new locations are expected to open up in the state in Forney, Waxahachie, Grand Prairie and Southwest Fort Worth.

PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department is still searching for a K9 officer who escaped from his enclosure after Sunday night’s storm. According to our news partner KETK, police K9 Hondo managed to escape from his handler’s enclosure in the Fort Houston addition area of Palestine. Hondo is not kept outside and was not outside during the time of the storm.

Despite the heat of the day, Palestine resident Justin Smith continued searching. “As soon as I saw the post, I threw my shoes on and got in my car and started driving around and see if I could find him,” Smith said. Smith is one of many Palestine residents looking to bring Hondo back home. “This is not just a dog, this is a police officer,” Smith said. “So I feel like as a community, we should be grouping together, try to help out any way we can, just like the police do for us.”

Smith is creating a social media page, hoping to coordinate people’s efforts and bring as many boots on the ground as possible. Continue reading Palestine PD still searching for missing K9 officer

LINDALE – On Wednesday, August 6, at 8:35 pm, an individual called 911 to report an active shooting at a residence on CR 4116, just north of Lindale. Upon arriving to the location with DPS Troopers, a Smith County Deputy contacted the victim, Russell Lee McKinney, 35, of Lindale, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. The suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputies secured the crime scene while a Trooper applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg.

An additional Deputy responded to the 800 block of N. Main, in Lindale, where the suspect had been detained by a Lindale officer. The suspect was identified as Justin Wayne Hayes, 28, of Troup. A handgun was recovered from Hayes. Continue reading Suspect jailed following shooting near Lindale

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Update: Rusk Rural Water Supply boil water notice was rescinded Friday afternoon.

RUSK – The Rusk Rural Water Supply Company issued a boil water notice for more than 30 county roads and areas on Wednesday.

According to the company, the boil water notice was issued after a water main leak. Our news partner KETK has compiled a full list of the affected areas and roads. Any customers living on the roads and areas listed are required to bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.

To view the full list of affected roads and areas, click here.

Rusk Rural Water Supply said they would notify customers when the boil water notice is no longer required. Any questions can be directed to the company by phone at 903-683-6178 or in person at 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.

TYLER – The City of Tyler announced that East 6th Street will be closed for the next six months as part of the 2025 Stormwater Repair Project, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

City officials said that since Monday, East 6th Street has been closed from South Sneed Avenue to South Wall Avenue to complete the replacement of an inlet box and to repair the culvert over the next six months.

“During construction, residents will still have access to areas east of the creek from South Sneed Avenue and west of the creek from South Wall Avenue,” the City of Tyler said. “Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.”