KTBB News, Weather, Talk

ANGELINA COUNTY — Residents in Angelina County are urged to be on the lookout for mail theft. So far, two suspects have been arrested for stealing mail. According to our news partner KETK, Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches said, ““What we’re asking is people to make sure they get with their neighborhood, kind of keep an eye out,” said Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches. “If you’ve got cameras you can at least point your camera toward your mailbox.” The sheriff says the thefts are happening in the rural communities. The sheriff also said the thieves have postal service decals on their vehicles and are driving right up to the mailboxes. Continue reading Mail Theft on the Rise in Angelina County

MARSHALL — The East Texas Baptist University School of Nursing has attained a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for the fifth consecutive year. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing recently confirmed that all ETBU Spring 2019 nursing graduates passed the NCLEX. For the Fall 2019 semester, over 195 students have declared nursing as their major. Nearly 500 nurses have graduated from ETBU since the program’s inception in the 1990s.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College continues New Student Orientation sessions this week — July 15, 16, 18 and 19 — for students entering TJC in the 2019 fall semester. TJC will offer the 3 final sessions August 6-8. Orientation introduces students to life at TJC and offers new Apaches an opportunity to register early for their fall semester classes. For more info check the KTBB Calendar of Events.

TYLER — The Texas Department of Transportation has kicked off summer seal coat operations in the Tyler District. Work is currently underway in Cherokee and Rusk counties. The process seals the roadway keeping water out and requiring less maintenance while providing a new driving surface for motorists. Motorists can expect lane closures and travel delays as the work continues for the next several weeks across the Tyler district’s eight counties. The installation of final striping and buttons will follow the seal coat operations.

ATHENS — Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse announced in a press release on Monday his intent for re-election in 2020. He was elected in 2016 and ran on a platform of cracking down on drugs, particularly methamphetamines. “With drug intervention and the changing economy, meth production once common in this county has almost disappeared completely,” he said. So far, Hillhouse is uncontested in his race.

TYLER — The “Golden Anniversary” of Apollo 11 occurs in less than a week, Saturday, Tyler Junior College began celebrations early featuring Tyler Junior College alumnus and former NASA engineer, Charles R. Price. According to our news partner KETK, Price presented, ’50 years with NASA’ covering his work with NASA on Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 missions. Price was on the team designing the path Apollo would take to the moon. July 20 is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and TJC will host another event called ‘Moon Day’. For more info click here. http://sciencecenter.tjc.edu/event/0dbffe408f2f91176506c96d7b6a3e0f

TYLER — The countdown to the 86th annual Texas Rose Festival continues following Friday night’s Kick Off Celebration at Tyler’s Willow Brook Country Club. Rose Queen Hanna Claire Waits says she’s been busy in the months since she assumed the title. She tells KTBB “it’s been really fun so far” meeting the kids from out of town who are part of the festival and “letting them see what the Rose Festival is really about and…the awesome impact that it has on our community.” As Hanna and her court continue rehearsals, she also acknowledged “the hundreds of volunteers” who “are working backstage constantly, making sure we’re all in the right place, that everybody’s calm.” Public ticket sales begin September 1, and the festival is set for October 17th through 20th. Go to http://www.texasrosefestival.com to learn more.

TYLER — Saturday featured the grand opening of the Faulkner Skate Park. The park is located on W. Cumberland Rd. Faulkner is Phase 1 of a bigger project that Tyler Parks and Recreation hopes will eventually replace the deteriorating Noble E. Young skate park and become a regional hub for skaters.

TYLER — Whataburger and the East Texas Food Bank are teaming up to fight hunger across East Texas. Forty-two Whataburgers across East Texas will participate in the drive. On Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. customers who visit Whataburger and donate a minimum of two cans or non-perishable items will receive a free Whataburger. The East Texas Food Bank provides nearly 21 million meals each year to over 200 partner agencies and feeding programs in 26 East Texas counties.

KILGORE — Students going to Kilgore College this Fall are encouraged to take advantage of 4 opportunities to enroll. Benefits includes wider choices of times and instructors, lower monthly payments and avoiding the rush of registering in August. Registration is free, but students should register online at http://www.kilgore.edu/ranger-registration. Appointments are available at the Kilgore campus on July 17, July 20; and July 24. You can pre-register for Kilgore College in Longivew on Thursday, July 18. For each advising appointment, students will be paired with an academic advisor. For more information on Ranger Registration, contact Ronda Lee at 903-988-7491 or rlee@kilgore.edu.

TYLER — TxDOT expects Tyler Maintenance crews to be on SH 110 at Grande Blvd. Work will be in the southbound outside lane. Expect lane closures with traffic control devices in place. Longview Maintenance crews will be improving SH 135 in Kilgore from the Traffic Circle to the Rusk County line. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/038-2019.html for a complete rundown of work throughout the district.

KILGORE — The “Where We’ve Been” map is filling up quickly, as the Rangerettes performed at the World Bands Challenge 2019 in Modena, Italy. This is nothing new for the in-demand dance team. Through the years, they have high-kicked their way across the U.S.A. and on a number of international tours, including performances in Canada, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Macao, Korea, Romania, France, Japan, Singapore, and Ireland. But they say, no matter how far they travel, they always love coming home to Texas!”

TYLER — Tyler Police are asking for your help in finding two people for inquiry. This couple is wanted to discuss several missing pieces of jewelry from a merchant in the Broadway Square Mall. If you can identify either of them, contact Det. Thomas of the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1035.

TYLER — The Grand opening of U.T. Tyler’s INTUNE Mobile Healthcare primary care clinic took place on Thursday. The event featured a health fair at the UT Tyler Alumni House. The goal is to make healthcare more accessible for rural and underserved East Texans. The partnership is part of a UT Tyler federal grant project, INTUNE, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration.The project provides clinical training for primary care nurse practitioner students by immersing them in diverse populations, particularly rural and under served areas.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A stolen truck was recovered in Berryville on Thursday and authorities say the suspect may have been carrying drugs. Patrick Brea-Williams Langston, 26, was charged with theft. The truck was reported stolen out of Corpus Christi in June. Langston said he purchased the vehicle, but could not provide documentation. During the arrest, a search revealed two small, clear baggies containing a substance believed to be methamphetamine. Langston is currently awaiting arraignment.

TROUP –Property owners in Troup got a suprise vistior on Thursday after an Arkansas National Guard Blackhawk landed in a field. The helicopter suffered a transmission issue and landed out of caution. According to our news partner KETK, the landing occurred at 4:30 p.m. The pilots were not injured and stayed in a neighbor’s home for the night. The Arkansas National Guard sent a maintenance team to evaluate the helicopter. It is intact and appears undamaged. Crew members say within 10 minutes of landing, they had ice-cold water and a place to sleep for the night.

UPSHUR COUNTY — An Upshur County inmate, jailed on two counts of sexual assault of a child, died suddenly on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Omega Lynn McCellon, 65, felt ill in his cell and suddenly became unresponsive. An Upshur County deputy, who was a certified EMT, provided immediate assistance until medics arrived. McCellon was transported to Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy has been ordered. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident.

TYLER — On Wednesday Shirley McKellar was sworn in as the District 3 City Council Member for Tyler. McKellar is a retired Army nurse. She won the runoff race in June against Pamela Phoenix to claim the seat. Ed Moore held the seat for the maximum 3 previous 2-year terms. McKellar has projected goals of park improvements in her district and bringing new businesses to the North Tyler area.

TYLER — The City of Tyler’s Beauty and the Box program has 2 new additions. The pilot program started with ten boxes in the Downtown Business Arts and Culture District. Today there are 40 vinyl-wrapped boxes all across the City of Tyler. The new boxes are located on Broadway Avenue and Old Troup Highway. For more information contact Angela Bennis at (903) 595-7217 or email abennis@tylertexas.com. Get more information on the website at http://www.KeepTylerBeautiful.com.

LIBERTY CITY — A bank robbery on June 29 in Liberty City may have ties to another heist outside of Austin.Gregg County investigators believe that both cases are strikingly similar. According to our news partner, KETK the Sheriff’s Office is confident in the connection due to the suspect’s clothing, mask, and bag seen in surveillance videos. The first robbery occurred in Wimberley on June 20. If you know the identity of the person pictured at left, contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Department.

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith received an award on behalf of his department from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE recognized Smith county for their work with that agency through the 287 (g) program. According to our news partner KETK, the 287 (g) program works like this; when an undocumented immigrant is confirmed, the inmate must wait for ICE in jail and is unable to bail out. The department is confident this helps to keep Smith county safe. The county was accepted into the program in January 2017.

TYLER — The 115 acre project off West Cumberland Road will add single and multi family homes, commercial, office, and mixed-use properties. Expansion of the Hollytree area is not new. According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler City Council approved nearly 300 acres of land for development in April. Modifications of the original 115 acre plan include reducing density, controlling direct access to Hollytree Drive, possibly adding a roundabout to calm traffic, and waiting to clear trees until development begins.

SCITUATE, Mass. — Native East Texan Miranda Lambert is being praised. A Massachusetts animal shelter is thanking the country music superstar for a huge donation — and they’re passing the savings along to you. The Scituate Animal Shelter is waiving adoption fees after getting a large donation from Lambert’s Muttnation Foundation. No word on exactly how much it was, but the shelter is hoping that the waived fees encourage more to adopt. They even put up a sign that reads, “No Adoption Fees until July 19! Thanks to Miranda Lambert.”

TYLER — A Tyler man is sentenced to life in prison after his latest brush with the law. Larry Hicks, 47, was sentenced Wednesday for the assault of a parole officer. Officials said in May 2018, the officer went to Hicks’ residence to check on him because he had just installed an ankle monitor three days prior. Hicks had since cut the ankle monitor off. Hicks charged at the parole officer and assaulted him. When law enforcement arrived, Hicks refused to exit the residence, leading to an hour and half standoff with Smith County Sheriff’s Office Deputies. Continue reading Parolee Sentenced to Life in Prison for Assaulting Public Servant

LONGVIEW — Gregg County sheriff’s officials are trying to identify the man in this surveillance picture. The man in question is suspected of using stolen credit cards at local stores and businesses in the Longview area. If you have any information about this person’s identity, contact Investigator Jennifer Nieves at 903-237-2544 or Gregg County Crime stoppers at 903-236-STOP.

TYLER — Tyler ISD will continue grant-awarded Head Start wraparound services for qualifying students in the fall, according to a statement from the school district. According to Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford, the move comes “after dialogue with the Head Start office in Washington.” As quoted in the statement, Crawford adds, “There will be State aligned instructional equity across the District as opposed to separate systems of instruction, which was the model formerly used.” The statement continues, “The District also plans to enhance attention to the Head Start initiative by identifying additional opportunities” in several areas. According to our news partner KETK, some residents were concerned that Head Start was going to be cut from the district’s budget.

LUFKIN — Blue Bell may be thinking about changing its packaging in light of the ice cream licking case. In a statement, the Brenham based creamery says it is ‘looking at methods within our manufacturing process to add additional protection to the carton.’ The company didn’t get specific, but Blue Bell has been criticized following the case in Lufkin for not including familiar protections in is packing process, like seals under the lid or some sort of plastic wrapping. Blue Bell says when it makes its ice cream, it flips the package which freezes the ice cream to the lid, and should make it obvious when a package has been opened.

PALESTINE — An 84 year old Palestine woman has been charged in the death of her husband 35 years ago. Johnnie Albritton was fatally shot in May of 1984 while he was entering his Leon County home. The case was first investigated as a murder during a burglary in progress. But Sheriff Kevin Ellis started looking back at the case in 2015 and even reached out to the TV show Cold Justice. He assigned two investigators exclusively to the case. Norma Albritton was arrested July 1. She’s currently free on a $50,000 bond. Ellis said she did not seem confused and didn’t confess or deny the crime.

GREGG COUNTY — Henderson woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon for DWI with a child under the age of 15 and evading arrest. According to our news partner KETK, Laura Biggs, 36, of Henderson, was taken into custody around 2:15 p.m. The age of the child is unknown. She was booked into the Gregg County Jail. Bond has not been set. Biggs has an extensive criminal record. This is her second DWI arrest with a child in the car. She was convicted in 2017 for the same crime and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was released on probation earlier this year. Biggs has multiple past convictions for assault on family members over the past two decades.