KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — On February 1, 2003, 23 years ago, a doctor from East Texas and his wife stood outside, eagerly anticipating the return of the Columbia Space Shuttle to Earth following its 17-day mission focused on microgravity experiments. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Scott Lieberman was photographing the shuttle. As they captured pictures and videos, Dr. Scott Lieberman’s wife inquired whether it was normal for the shuttle to break apart.

He described the ensuing moments as “a very loud envelope of noise,” an experience unlike any he had encountered before. At that moment, he scrutinized the photographs he had taken and realized the shuttle had disintegrated. The couple became witnesses to history, as seven astronauts tragically lost their lives just 15 minutes before their scheduled landing.

“It was a devastating moment,” Lieberman reflected. “These were my heroes growing up—astronauts in general. Their dedication and work ethic ended up being something useful to everybody.”
Continue reading Remembering Columbia

TYLER – Tyler Police responded to a call Saturday morning to a vehicle and pedestrian accident. Investigators arrived at Loop 323, just north of the Van Highway. They determined that 15-year-old Derrick Holt walked in front of a vehicle that was going northbound on the Loop in the inside lane. A notice to Tyler High School parents, guardians and staff identified the victim. The driver of the vehicle stayed and spoke to officers. Hold was sent to a hospital, where he later died. His family has been notified. Tyler ISD noted in their letter that additional counseling staff will be available to students and staff on campus.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Emergency Services District 2 firefighters fought two fires that burned the same home. According to our news partner KETK, firefighters responded to call of a structure fire at Valleyview Ridge and Dean Road just after midnight on Sunday morning.

Firefighters extinguished this fire and officials said that they used a variety of tools, including a drone, to make sure it was totally put out. Hours later, ESD2 said firefighters were dispatched to the same address for another reported fire. When they arrived at the scene, the second fire had totally engulfed the home.

Firefighters were eventually able to put the fire out before it could spread. No injuries were reported from either of the two fires. The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the cause of the two fires.

TROUP – Troup ISD is in mourning this week after announcing that Troup ISD 6th grade student Easton Roper has died. According to our news partner KETK, school officials said counselors will be available to support students who need someone to talk to at Troup Middle School on Monday. The district also encouraged families to talk with their children and to contact the school if they need any extra support.

Donations for Roper’s family can be made to the Autry Funeral Home in Jacksonville or at Troup Middle School. The district said they’ll share information about Roper’s funeral services when they can.

TYLER – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has awarded a total of $638,659 in grants to help improve community parks in cities across East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the cities of Center, Daingerfield, Gladewater and Kemp have all received local park grants as part of a record $21.2 million round of grant funding that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recently awarded for parks across the state.

Center received a $250,000 non-urban outdoor grant through the TPWD’s Non-Urban Outdoor Recreation Grant Program to improve the city’s American Legion Park and the Community House grounds. Continue reading $600K for city park improvements

LONGVIEW – Pine Tree ISD High School’s Career and Technical Education program unveiled its brand new Skilled Trades Center on Friday. The new Skilled Trades Center has been in development for the past three years, following its funding by a $55 million bond measure in 2023. The center will enable Pine Tree High School students to develop skills in automotive repair, carpentry, welding, electronics, and more.

“We want them to be functional, contributive members of society. We just want to produce graduates that employers here in Longview and East Texas want to hire, and this building helps us accomplish that,” Pine Tree ISD Career and Technical Education program director Jacob Lusk said.

The new center is located on the Pine Tree High School campus behind the Pirate Center Gym. To learn more, visit the Pine Tree ISD Career and Technical Education program online.

UPDATE: Boil water notice for the City of Winnsboro was rescinded late Friday.

WINNSBORO – Due to a water line break, the City of Winnsboro has issued a boil water notice. According to our news partner KETK, the notice has been issued for all of the City of Winnsboro public water system customers, asking them to boil water for at least 2 minutes and to let it cool off before consumption. City officials will notify customers when water is safe to consume and will issue a rescission notice. For questions or concerns about the boil water notice, Winnsboro residents may contact the water office at 903-342-3654.

LONGVIEW – Dozens of Longview community members and leaders gathered off of Garfield Drive on Thursday to break ground on the new Martin House Children’s Advocacy Center facility. The new facility will be nearly three times the size of the current Martin House building and will serve more children and teens, with new child-friendly therapy spaces, forensic interview rooms, and enhanced safety features.

“Right now, we’ll have we have currently as much as a six month waiting list for counseling. So a larger facility will allow us to hire more staff to be able to get children in sooner for forensic interviews, for counseling appointments, so that we don’t have a lag time in services,” Martin House CEO Roxanne Stevenson said.

Several local leaders, including Longview Mayor Kristen Ishihara and Judge Bill Stoudt, attended the event on Friday, along with Stevenson and other Martin House leaders, staff, and supporters.

TATUM — A Tatum thrift shop and food pantry, designed to support the community, recently experienced a series of alleged thefts that resulted in the loss of dozens of bags of donated goods, Jan. through Jan. 20. According to our news partner KETK, a total of 31 bags of resale items and pantry supplies were stolen during these three incidents. Using surveillance video, the Tatum Police Department have identified suspects in the case. 34-year-old Thomas Frazier, whose currently in the Panola County Jail on unrelated charges.

Another suspect, Amy Nichole Terry, 36, later contacted investigators and identified herself as one of the women in the video. She claimed that she believed she had permission to take the items and offered to repay their value, according to authorities. Also arrested was 29-year-old Haley Marie Dean. She was arrested on Friday morning at a business in Carthage. Terry was taken into custody later the same day at a residence in Beckville. Both were booked into the Panola County Jail with a bond set at $12,500. While Frazier remains in custody.

UPDATE: The boil water notice in Mount Enterprise was rescinded on Friday due to all conditions requiring the notice being resolved.

MOUNT ENTERPRISE – A boil water notice has been issued in Mount Enterprise following a water line break. A notice has been issued to all Mount Enterprise Water Supply Corporation customers, asking them to boil water for at least 2 minutes and to let it cool before consumption.

“To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and making ice should be boiled and cooled to prior use,” Mount Enterprise Water Supply Corporation said. “The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two (2) minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source.”

Water system officials will provide a notice when water is safe for consumption. For questions or concerns about the boil water notice, residents may contact the water office at 903-822-3464.

Tyler – Four Tyler ISD campuses have been recognized as Star Schools on the 2025 Texas Honor Roll Schools list, presented by Educational Results Partnership (ERP) as part of the national Campaign for Business and Education Excellence. The honored schools include Owens Elementary School, Andy Woods Elementary School, Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, and Early College High School. The Texas Honor Roll recognizes schools that demonstrate consistently high academic achievement and progress. In 2025, approximately 15% of eligible schools statewide earned a place on the list, with 1,076 schools across Texas receiving the distinction. Continue reading Star Schools on Texas Honor Roll

PANOLA COUNTY – A body was found floating in Clear Lake Thursday afternoon in Panola County. According to our news partner KETK and the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received reports of an unoccupied boat floating in the area off Country Road 4552. Once deputies arrived at the lake, along with game wardens, the boat was recovered, and a body was discovered floating nearby. The Justice of the Peace was notified about the investigation. According to the sheriff’s office, an autopsy has been ordered, and the victim is being transported to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences (SWIFS) in Dallas for examination. No foul play is suspected at this time, and family members have been notified. The victim will not be identified until family members have been contacted.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin pediatrician was arrested on Thursday after killing a person and dog in a car crash earlier this month while driving intoxicated. The crash occurred on Jan. 17 after the Lufkin Police Department said Demarcus Hadnot was driving west on College Drive near the Texas Bible College when a Mercedes crashed into Hadnot’s Kia at around 10:15 a.m. Handot and his dog were pronounced dead following the crash.

According to our news partner KETK, the driver of the Mercedes was later identified as Woodland Heights Pediatrician George Fidone. On Thursday, Fidone was arrested and booked into the Angelina County Jail after it was revealed he was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Following his arrested Fidone was charged with two counts of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle. His bond was set at $92,500. He’s since been released from the Angelina County Jail after posting his bond. Continue reading Doctor charged after fatal car crash

JACKSONVILLE — One man has been arrested after a drug-related search warrant of a home led to deputies discovering narcotics, firearms and a pipe bomb.

According to our news partner KETK and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies obtained a probable cause for the search warrant of a home in the 200 block of County Road 1814 in Jacksonville, after attempting to serve arrest warrants for 42-year-old Charles Phifer and smelling marijuana coming from the residence. Deputies arrived at the home on Wednesday and executed a narcotics search at the residence where they found methamphetamine, firearms, marijuana and a suspected pipe bomb.

According to officials, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the scene and safely removed the pipe bomb. Continue reading Pipe bomb, drugs, firearms found

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Two people in Van Zandt County have been arrested after officers discovered an emaciated dog left outside in freezing weather on their property over the weekend. According to our news partner KETK, this happened Jan 24, when the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at a property where a male shepherd-mix dog was found chained to a tree.

The dog was found to appear emaciated, with ice coating his fur, and had no access to shelter to protect him from the 20-degree weather. The sheriff’s office requested assistance from the SPCA‘s Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit, which promptly arrived at the scene.

The dog’s owners, Charles Brumbelow and Darla Brumbelow, agreed to surrender the dog to the SPCA of Texas. The dog is currently being treated for starvation after being transported to the SPCA of Texas’s Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center in Dallas. The pair were arrested and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail the same day with cruelty to nonlivestock animal charges. Their bonds were set at $5,000 each, but they have since bonded out.

EAST TEXAS — With temperatures expected to return to freezing across East Texas overnight, several warming shelters in our area remain open, offering a warm place to stay, with some providing beds and cots to spend the night. Our news partner KETK has the list, you can find it here.

WINNSBORO – Due to a water line break, the City of Winnsboro has issued a boil water notice. According to our news partner KETK, the notice has been issued for all of the City of Winnsboro public water system customers, asking them to boil water for at least 2 minutes and to let it cool off before consumption. City officials will notify customers when water is safe to consume and will issue a rescission notice. For questions or concerns about the boil water notice, Winnsboro residents may contact the water office at 903-342-3654

MARSHALL —Our news partners at KETK report that Marshall ISD has been closed for the past several days due to icy road conditions. Now, the district is warning families of a fraudulent email that claims school will be canceled for the remainder of the week. “Marshall ISD has been made aware of a fraudulent email that is going around, falsely stating that campuses will remain closed this week due to icy road conditions,” the district said. “If you have received this email, please disregard.” The district said it plans to resume school on Thursday and is looking into the fraudulent emails sent out.

TYLER — UPDATE: CenterPoint Energy had capped off the main natural gas line so no further natural gas will be released into the air from the damage caused by the single vehicle crash. Any residents who were evacuated can now return to their homes.

Residents near U.S. Highway 31 were asked to evacuate after a vehicle crash on Thursday morning ruptured a main natural gas line. According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Police Department responded to a crash at 2:45 a.m. on U.S. Highway 31 West and Whiteside Drive where a vehicle struck a natural gas pipeline, causing it to rupture.

The driver of the van is identified as Don Porter, a 57-year-old male from Tyler was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and booked into the Smith County Jail. Continue reading Gas line repaired, evacuation over

TYLER — Smith County property taxes were due Saturday, January 31. Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber is warning taxpayers that changes at the post office mean you should drop your payment in the mail as soon as possible. Officials say the easiest and fastest way to pay your property tax bill is online. Payments can be made by scanning the QR code on your statement — which will take you directly to the payment page on your account.

“If you want to skip the long lines at the Tax Office, I highly recommend you pay online,” he said.

Taxpayers can also make their payments in person, through the Tax Office’s drop box outside of the Cotton Belt Building, or by mail. The U.S. Postal Service recently changed how postmark dates are determined.

In the past, the postmark reflected the date you dropped your mail in a mailbox or at the post office. Now, the postmark will show the date your envelope is first processed by an automated postal service sorting machine. This could be later than the day you mailed it, which could mean that your tax payment is past the deadline, Barber said. Continue reading Property tax due

TYLER — Tyler Police and fire crews are working a crash on Highway 31 W and Whiteside Drive. A vehicle reportedly struck a natural gas pipeline causing the main line to rupture. It’s estimated to take hours to shut off and repair the pipeline. Centerpoint Energy was able to close several remote valves to slow the leak but not able to shut it off completely. Centerpoint Energy crews are in the area measuring gas concentration.

Residents were advised to evacuate.

Tyler Police and Tyler Fire personnel are on scene directing traffic. Drivers are urged to seek an alternate route that avoids Hwy 31 W between Eisenhower Dr and Loop 323.

TYLER – The City of Tyler is investing in smarter infrastructure by tapping into the community’s local talent. Through a new partnership with the University of Texas at Tyler, the City is connecting classroom learning with community needs to build safer and smarter transportation systems. On Wednesday, January 28, the City of Tyler and University of Texas at Tyler Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and Management formally established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen infrastructure planning, transportation systems and real-world learning opportunities in Tyler.  

“This will help us bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application,” said City Engineer Cameron Williams. “Over the past few years, we’ve welcomed five UT Tyler interns who worked side by side with our Traffic Engineering Department, gaining hands-on experience while contributing to meaningful projects that serve our community.” 
Continue reading Tyler, UT Tyler to partner

RUSK – The City of Rusk has issued a boil water notice for some of their residents after a 10-inch water main broke on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, residents on the City’s water system who live in the following areas are required to bring any water to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before any cleaning or consumption:

US Hwy 84 East, starting at the intersection of Guinn Hill, only affecting 227, 305, 318 Quinn Hill Drive. All City of Rusk water customers heading east along US Hwy 84 and north of US Hwy 84 East. All City of Rusk customers south of US Hwy 84 East, inside of the Rusk City limits from the intersection of Park St. and Euclid St. north to US Hwy 84 East. Continue reading Boil water notices

North Texas – Due to ongoing icy conditions in parking lots and public areas, additional Texas Department of Public Safety offices will remain closed on January 28 in the following counties. Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Ellis, Denton, Erath, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hood, Johnson, Marion, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Rusk, Rains, Smith, Somervell, Tarrant, Upshur, Van Zandt, Wise and Wood county. If you had a scheduled appointment on January 28, you will be contacted by the email you provided to reschedule your appointment.

TYLER – The city of Tyler reports that progress continues on the City of Tyler’s 2025 Structure Flooding Project, with design and pre-construction work underway for drainage improvements on Kidd Drive and Downing Street. On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the City Council awarded a $587,169.20 construction contract to W.M. Miller Construction Company, Inc. for improvements on Downing Street and Kidd Drive. This phase of the project will deliver long-term flood relief for residents and address aging stormwater infrastructure in the area. Continue reading Kidd and Downing get upgrades

KILGORE — Officials are seeking help in identifying individuals who are suspected of having committed property damage on a historic Kilgore theater in December. According to our news partner KETK, the Kilgore Police Department seeks public assistance in identifying four individuals caught on video who may have damaged the Crim Theater in downtown Kilgore around midnight on December 30, 2025.

According to the police department, the suspects kicked in the door and possibly entered the theater. They fled the scene in a black pickup truck.

Anyone with information regarding the suspects’ identities or the incident is asked to contact Detective Justin Murphy at 903-218-6904 or [email protected]. The reference case number is 2512-1719.