KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – The Smith County Commissioners Court received an update Tuesday on the Courthouse Construction Project. Stephen Flournoy, project executive for Hoar Construction, said there is an average of 250-plus workers on the construction site every day. Of all the subcontractors on the job, about 60 percent are East Texas trade partners. Subcontractors that are not from the area are living here for months at a time, contributing to the local economy, he added.

Major milestones that have recently been completed on the project include tying in the underground tunnel from the jail to the new courthouse and backfilling the 30-foot-deep hole. They also got power and natural gas turned on to the building. Masonry of the exterior is in progress, going up over the green water-proofing material, as well as windows going in, he said.
Continue reading Downtown courthouse report

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County residents in the Swan area, near Lindale, voluntarily evacuated their homes because of a controlled burn that got out of control. Firefighters with Smith County Emergency Services Districts 1 and 2 responded to the fire on FM-3271, near State Highway 69, after the call came in at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said the fire was a controlled burn from Monday that was not properly extinguished.

The fire, which he estimated to be 30-to-50 acres, is behind the Office Barn’s property. Aircraft were dumping water to help contain the fire that had spread due to heavy winds. The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office is urging residents to refrain from burning because of the high winds and increased fire danger.

TYLER — Early voting for the March 3 primary election has begun. Many locations are opening for East Texans who want to get to the polls ahead of Election Day. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of early voting locations and times across East Texas where voters can cast their ballot before election day. For more county-specific information, such as hours of operation, visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Continue reading Locations for early voting

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on Monday afternoon that left one person injured. According to our news partner KETK, Longview PD officers responded to reports of a shooting at West Avalon Avenue, across from the plasma donation center at around 12:27 p.m. on Monday. When they arrived at the scene, they found an adult male who had been shot.

Officials did not release any details about the man’s condition, other than that he was shot. Longview PD investigators think the shooting was an isolated incident and there’s no threat to the public. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1199.

VAN ZANDT – The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office is requesting residents’ help in finding a suspect who stole copper wire from a property in Fruitvale earlier this month. According to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK, the burglary took place early Feb. 6 when the suspect entered the property in the 1300 block of U.S. Highway 80, near the Grand Saline Creek area and stole two rolls of copper wire.

During the burglary, the property owner captured a photo of the suspect and the vehicle they were driving. Investigators believe the vehicle is either a silver Toyota RAV4 or a Ford Escape. If you recognize the vehicle or suspect your asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 903-567-4133. or submit tips to Investigator D. Henson at [email protected].

LINDALE — The Lindale Volunteer Fire Department and Smith County Emergency Services District 2 are currently responding to a fire near Highway 69 North and FM 3271, near Blessed Hands BBQ. The Lindale VFD said they are taking precautionary action and evacuating residents near the area as the fire is spreading quickly. State troopers and constables are on scene to direct traffic as one lane has been closed heading toward Tyler as the fire continues spreading quickly.

HARRISON COUNTY – Harrison County Judge Chad Sims has announced a burn ban for the county. Due to current dry conditions and increased fire risk, Harrison County is implementing a burn ban starting today, February 24, 2026. All outdoor burning is prohibited, including brush piles, trash burning, and campfires. This ban applies to all areas within Harrison County. The cities of Hallsville, Marshall and Waskom are also implementing a burn ban. Continue reading Harrison County burn ban

TYLER – There’s a big addition to the site of the Smith County Courthouse construction project. A massive dome that will sit on top of the new Smith County Courthouse is being constructed onsite and is expected to be installed in late March or early April. Construction workers are pre-fabricating the dome in the old jury parking lot, which has been used as a laydown yard during the courthouse construction project.

The dome consists of several components, including a lower dome, 14-foot columns, an upper dome, and a 9-foot spire and will add nearly 60 feet of height to the building. The lower dome section weighs about 56,000 pounds, with the upper dome weighing an additional 16,000 pounds. Each will be lifted separately over a 2–3-day period and welded in their final resting place.

To safely complete this work, a 900-ton mobile crane — one of the largest cranes of its kind and configuration in the United States — will be utilized on site.

Also, a timeline was released Tuesday on construction progress. Phase 1 of the project was the Smith County Parking Garage, which was completed in November 2024. Phase 2 is the new courthouse construction, which is to be completed by the end of 2026. Phase 3 is the demolition of the current courthouse and adding a green space from the new courthouse to Broadway Avenue, will begin in January 2027, and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on Monday afternoon that left one person injured. Longview PD officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 600 block of West Avalon Avenue at around 12:27 p.m. on Monday. When they arrived at the scene, they found an adult male who had been shot.

Officials did not release any details about the man’s condition, other than that he was shot. Longview PD investigators think the shooting was an isolated incident and there’s no threat to the public.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1199.

UPDATE: All TSA equipment is now back in operation, according to the City of Tyler, following repairs.

TYLER — Delays are expected at the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport as the x-ray scanner for carry-ons is down. Airport officials are warning people to arrive earlier than anticipated to account for the delay. TSA has requested help to get the machine repaired. When KTBB called airport officials, they did not know when the scanner would be fixed. Currently, the City of Tyler’s flight tracker indicates that there are no delays for American Airlines arrivals or departures at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Fire Department said they rescued an elderly person from a burning residence on Sunday. According to the department and our news partner KETK, firefighters responded to the 600 block of Washington Street at around 10:21 a.m. on Sunday because of a reported fire.

The first firefighters on the scene had received reports that an elderly person was still inside the burning home. The Longview Fire Department said those first firefighters entered the home and successfully got the person out while additional firefighters arriving at the scene started fighting the fire. The fire was eventually brought under control before anyone got hurt but unfortunately two residents are now displaced because of the damage to their home, according to the department.

The cause of this fire is currently under investigation.

TEXARKANA — Be aware of road closures during morning and afternoon commutes in Texarkana this week. Interstate 30 westbound ramp closures are set to begin midday on Monday, Feb. 23. These closures on I-30 will affect the westbound entrance ramp located east of Richmond Road according to our news partners at KETK. The second closure is located at the entrance ramp from U.S. 59/I-369 to I-30 west. To access I-30 West, exit at University Avenue, then travel along the frontage road to use the entrance ramp east of Kings Highway. Check DriveTexas.org for the latest closures and updates.