KTBB News, Weather, Talk

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.”

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has set a special-called meeting for 10 a.m. Friday, August 8, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the court discussed the proposed tax rate and scheduled public hearings. They took a record vote to set the proposed tax rate, unanimously voting to keep it the same as last year, which is 0.364231 cents. The public hearings on the proposed tax rate are set for 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 2.

“I don’t want to increase that tax rate. We have a lot of residents in the same fix as our employees,” County Judge Neal Franklin said, referring to higher cost of living prices on groceries, etc. He said county departments have been working to cut costs where they can. Franklin said he would still like to see a 3 percent cost of living raise for county employees this year. Continue reading Commissioners discuss tax rate, set budget workshop and public hearings

JACKSONVILLE – A regional SWAT team has arrested a 23-year-old with a history of violent crimes in connection with a burglary involving a stolen AK-47 firearm in Jacksonville on Tuesday, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Jacksonville Police Department said officers were dispatched to a reported burglary at around 7:47 a.m. involving an AK-47 firearm that was stolen. The suspect, who was captured on surveillance footage, has been identified as 23-year-old Jayden Duane Hopson.

Due to his criminal history, including charges of murder and aggravated robbery, the Cherokee County Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated. Continue reading SWAT team arrests burglary suspect with violent history

UPSHUR COUNTY – According to a press release from the Criminal District Attorney of Upshur county, a man has been sentenced to a 99 year life sentence

On February 2, 2024, a search warrant was executed by the Upshur County Sheriff’s office for the home of Jimmy Wayne Skinner, 51. During the search, officers discovered methamphetamine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia, along with loaded guns near a recliner where Skinner had been sitting.

As he was exiting his living quarters, Skinner immediately closed the door behind him, and was non-compliant with officers’ orders to get on the ground. He stated that he, “ain’t afraid to go to jail”, and attempted to block the door to prevent officers from entering. He was subsequently arrested. Continue reading Upshur County man sentenced to 99 years in prison

EAST TEXAS – With classes beginning in most school districts, CHRISTUS Health reminds parents about required immunizations needed. State law requires children to be vaccinated against several diseases before attending school, including Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis A and B, and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis among others.

“In the simplest of terms, immunizations are helping the body build an immune response,” said Dr. Evelyn Chou, family medicine physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “Vaccines help your body understand what is dangerous and needs to be fought so that if you come across that illness in the future, your body knows what to do.”

Parents who may have questions about the vaccination status of their child are encouraged to speak to contact their family doctor as well as local school districts regarding any vaccination requirements that they have.

GUN BARREL CITY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man is accused of sexually touching his girlfriend’s young daughter earlier this summer and has since been put behind bars. The 32-year-old man claims it was ‘all a misunderstanding.’

In a Henderson County arrest affidavit, on June 14 to June 15, the victim and her mom were staying at Daniel Joseph Rodgers’ house in Gun Barrel City.

The young girl explained that when it was bedtime, she was lying on the floor while her sisters were on the couch with the babies. Rodgers then went into the living room and told the victim that she could go to sleep in another room because he didn’t want her to sleep on the floor. Continue reading Henderson County man arrested for touching girlfriend’s daughter

SMITH COUNTY — A California man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Smith County teen who has since been found, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a 15-year-old from the Bullard area was reported missing after last being seen on July 26 at around 11 p.m. She was later found across state lines and her suspected kidnapper, Brian Chavez, was arrested in Placentia, Calif., on July 30 at around 3 a.m.

Authorities said Chavez now faces three criminal charges in Smith County involving sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 16, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Continue reading Suspected kidnapper arrested for sexual abuse

LONGVIEW – A Longview Facebook post sparked controversy Tuesday morning after a McDonald’s was vandalized with pro-Palestinian and swastika graffiti, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The McDonald’s located at 128 W Loop 281 was vandalized with red spray paint, including damage to the camera, drive-through sign and walls of the business. The vandal(s) wrote multiple pro-Palestinian rhetoric, such as “free Palestine” and “kill the billionaires.” Continue reading East Texas McDonald’s vandalized with pro-Palestinian graffiti

SMITH COUNTY – Over the weekend, fifty-one House Democrats went to Illinois to stall a meeting that was scheduled to take place Monday at 3 p.m. for a redistricting vote. This move by Texas Democrats has ignited fiery reactions nationwide from both sides of the aisle.

Some Republican lawmakers believe the current map does not correctly represent specific groups, specifically in the state’s two largest cities, Dallas and Houston. Democrats are concerned that this could heavily favor the GOP in elections. Smith County Democratic Chairman Hector Garza said this is all a power play to give five new Republican seats in the U.S. House.

District nine representative, Trent Ashby, says efforts to redraw the map are to make it more ‘constitutionally effective’. Continue reading Local officials react to Texas redistricting