KTBB News, Weather, Talk

UPDATE: Our news partner KETK is reporting that Chessa Taylor was found safe on Saturday, thanks to the many calls they received from concerned residents.

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department is currently searching for a 14-year-old girl who was last seen on Friday. Chessa Taylor, 14, was last seen leaving her home by her mother at around 4 p.m. on Friday, according to Lufkin PD. Chessa was last seen wearing a green polo shirt, light-colored denim jeans and possibly cream-colored Reebok shoes.

Anyone with information on Chessa is asked to call Lufkin PD at 936-633-0356.

THE TEXAS TRIBUNE – A judge in Panola County won’t block the maker of Tylenol from distributing $400 million of dividends to its shareholders amid Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against the company. Kenvue, the company that makes Tylenol, will proceed with issuing the payment on Nov. 26, according to reporting from Reuters. “That is a distribution that’s being made as part of the normal course of business,” the lawyer for Kenvue told Reuters.

The lawyer also said Texas has “no jurisdiction” to block Kenvue’s dividend, since the company is based in New Jersey and incorporated in Delaware.

The state of Texas last month sued Kenvue, claiming it failed to inform consumers about the risk of having a child with autism if they took the medication while pregnant. Major medical associations said Paxton’s allegation overstated the unsettled science surrounding a possible link between autism and Tylenol. Continue reading ETX judge denies request to block Tylenol dividends

SMITH COUNTY – A man is currently behind bars after allegedly breaking into the Lakewood Church, in Flint, on Thursday evening. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded to an apparent burglary in progress at the church. Once they arrived, deputies could see the glass door entrance was shattered, leading them to believe the suspect had thrown a concrete lid into the glass. After being unable to locate the suspect inside the church, deputies were able to obtain footage of the break-in. Through the video, they identified the suspect as 48-year-old Timothy Myers Poole of Tyler.

Later that night, a deputy was conducting a traffic stop in north Tyler when Poole arrived at the scene and approached the deputy, allegedly acting aggressively toward him. According to officials, Poole was ordered several times to leave the scene but refused, which led to his arrest. Continue reading Man arrested after breaking into Lakewood Church

CHEROKEE COUNTY – After a joint investigation into Davon Alton Murray and Clifford Deshon Murray for narcotic distribution in both Cherokee and Anderson Counties, a search was executed on Friday, November 14, 2025, at approximately 6:00 a.m. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), Palestine Police Department (PPD), Jacksonville Police Department (JPD), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) executed a search warrant at 802 San Jacinto St., Palestine, Anderson County, Texas. During the search, approximately 258 grams of cocaine, 120 grams of methamphetamine, and 4 pounds of marijuana were located inside the residence. Davon and Clifford were both arrested at the house. Continue reading Drug arrests in Cherokee County

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FLA – U.S. Marshals apprehended 42-year-old Christopher Lynn Bowles in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, early Friday. According to our news partner KETK, Bowles was arrested for sexual assault of a child and continuous sexual assault of a child under 14 years old. Bowles was wanted by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office for the same charges. Investigators learned that Bowles had been staying in DeFuniak Springs with his current girlfriend. He was arrested without incident at her home. Authorities said he will be extradited back to Texas to face the charges against him.

OVERTON — The entire City of Overton is under a boil water notice due to a faulty valve discovered during a planned water outage. On Tuesday,according to our news partner KETK, the city announced a scheduled water outage for Friday to connect the 1,000-foot, 10-inch Poly Creek bore on East Humble Way. At the time, officials said that if everything went as planned, only a limited area of surrounding roads would be placed under a boil water notice.

However, in a recent update, the City of Overton reported that a faulty valve will require the boil water notice to apply citywide once service is restored. Water is expected to be back around 2 p.m. Friday. A boil water notice advises that all water intended for consumption be boiled for at least two minutes and cooled prior to use. This notice marks the ninth boil water alert issued in Overton this year, but the first to affect the entire city. More information on the boil water notice will be provided as it becomes available.

Marshall – The Marshall Police Department has charged five individuals in connection with the shooting death of a Marshall man on October 26, 2025. At approximately 8:56 p.m., officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 1900 block of Bean Street. When officers arrived, they found a male victim who was deceased at the scene. The victim was identified as Carlos Dewayne Hill, 48, of Marshall. The suspects had fled prior to officers’ arrival. This case has been actively investigated by Marshall Police Department detectives, crime scene personnel, and patrol officers, with critical assistance from the Joint Harrison County Violent Crime & Narcotics Task Force and the Arlington Police Department. Continue reading Five arrested in Marshall homicide investigation

BULLARD – The Bullard City Council held a meeting on Thursday evening, where they tabled the decision to authorize an agreement to join the 2867G Task Force Model Program, according to our news partner KETK. City council said the decision to join the program was tabled because the city attorney was not present at the meeting on Thursday. The city council will reconvene again on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. to continue discussions on joining the task force.

The 2867G Task Force Model is a partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allows local law enforcement to enforce U.S. immigration laws, including identifying and processing immigrants with pending or active criminal charges.

Earlier this year, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office agreed to join the program, prompting protests throughout the county. Sheriff Larry Smith defended the decision to join the program, stating it protects the people of Smith County. Continue reading Bullard tables motion to join ICE Task Force

LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, Longview district leaders celebrated the beginning of construction for three new buildings and finally bringing the project to life after voters approved a $456,000,000 bond in 2024. The district is waiting on permits from the city to continue with construction plans, the estimated completion date is 2027.

The three projects include: A Multi-Purpose Facility, a Natatorium and a Career and Technology Center. The Multipurpose Center will feature air-conditioned practice fields, a batting cage and a Lobo Gift Shop. Every aspect of this building will be student-operated, from the concessions to the outdoor garden maintenance. In fact, there will even be a fully student-operated bank.

Additionally, the Career and Technology Center will be expanded all the way past the current parking lot. It will offer new engineering classrooms, mock court room experiences, and a nursing facility. Continue reading Longview breaks ground on new high school facilities

LINDALE – Our news partner KETK is reporting that Lindale ISD Superintendent Stan Surratt has expressed concerns about Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal to eliminate the property taxes that fund Texas public schools. Abbott visited Tyler on Wednesday to announce a five-point plan to lower property taxes. On top of limiting how much local governments can spend, Abbott also proposed needing a two-thirds majority to pass future tax increases, which Surratt called undemocratic.

“Obviously, the first concern is are our public schools going to be properly funded in the future?” Surratt asked. “Of course, everybody wants taxes to go down, but you’ve got to have the revenue source to pay for our schools and other things, counties, roads, whatever it may be. Of course, he did not give that option, how we would properly fund schools in the future if we do away with local property taxes?”

“The devil’s in the details, and concerning if you do away with our property taxes, how are those bonds paid that people already paid for, and so I think he’s talking about the M and O property tax, the day-to-day operations. The bonding indebtedness, the INS property taxes, those would continue,” Surratt said. “He did mention a two-thirds majority vote for future bonds. I guess he doesn’t believe in the democratic process. More than 50% decide on something, so that’s alarming. That doesn’t seem like a democracy when you have two-thirds of the people deciding something.” Continue reading Lindale superintendent responds to Abbott’s tax proposal

TYLER – Nine East Texas hospitals have been given “A” safety ratings for the Fall of 2025, which is four fewer than the 13 “A” ratings in the Fall of 2024. According to our news partner KETK, the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that evaluates hospitals across the country., twice yearly. They study hospitals to learn how many errors, injuries, accidents, and infections they have, before rating them on an A-F scale, with A being the safest.

“The Leapfrog Group was founded 25 years ago to improve American health care through transparency, and the Safety Grade has been a cornerstone of that effort,” president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group Leah Binder said. “As we mark this milestone year, for the first time, we’re looking at how consolidation impacts patient safety. We want to understand if system leadership accelerates patient safety or not.”
Continue reading East Texas hospitals get fall safety ratings

LUFKIN – Lufkin Middle School was placed on lockdown Thursday morning after officials received a report that a student have a firearm on campus.

According to the Lufkin ISD, school administrators immediately enacted the secure protocol upon receiving the report. The campus remained in secure status for around 35 minutes while law enforcement and administrators conducted their investigation. Following the investigation, the report was determined to be false and no weapons or firearms were found on campus.

TYLER – On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the City Council approved a resolution supporting a TxDOT project for the replacement of the aging Boldt Avenue bridge over Black Fork Creek while completing repairs on the bridge at Old Bullard Road over West Mud Creek, Tributary C. Together, the projects will improve safety and extend the lifespan of two important neighborhood crossings in South Tyler. Continue reading City partnership with TxDOT paves way for bridge repairs

HAWKINS – A Hawkins City Council election’s results have been overturned after over 100 ballots cast in the race for the Place 5 seat were ruled as invalid because voters did not sign a voter roster to certify that they were eligible to cast a ballot. Smith County 475th District Court Judge Taylor Heaton ruled that the election is now void, and the seat will be empty.

TYLER — Governor Greg Abbott stopped in Tyler on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his plans to reduce property taxes and strengthen support for local businesses across the state. Abbott outlined a five-point plan aimed at lowering property taxes for Texans and emphasized his commitment to help small businesses by reducing government regulations and reducing costs.

The governor was joined by several East Texas lawmakers, including Rep. Daniel Alders, Rep. Jay Dean, Rep. Cole Hefner, Rep. Brent Money and Rep. Joanne Shofner, along with other local officials.

On Sunday, Abbott launched his campaign for a fourth term as governor, unveiling new proposals aimed at curbing local property tax increases. This comes shortly after Texas voters approved two constitutional amendments in the November election designed to provide additional property tax relief to homeowners. Continue reading Governor Abbott campaigns in Tyler

LONGVIEW – On Thursday, November 6, 2025, at approximately 5:00 pm, Smith County Deputies received a report of a sexual offense involving a child. Smith County CAC Investigators were immediately notified of the case and began their investigation. The child (victim) and mother were interviewed, which ultimately resulted in identifying the suspect as Kayvionta Patterson – 25 of Longview. After establishing probable cause, Smith County Investigators prepared an arrest affidavit and presented it to the Honorable 114th State District Judge Reeve Jackson. After reviewing the affidavit, Judge Jackson issued a warrant of arrest for the criminal offense of Aggravated Sexual assault of a Child with a bond set at $750,000. Continue reading Suspect arrested for aggravated sexual assault of a child

TYLER – Veterans Day is the time we honor the men and women who fought for our freedom. On Tuesday, KETK had the opportunity to meet a local hero who served the nation for over three decades. Colonel Junior Tilley served more than 30 years in the United States Air Force, but service was not his original plan. Tilley recalls the time when his life unexpectedly changed and set him on a heroic path.

“I was 18 years old, and offered a free physical in Dallas.” Tilley said, “While there, we quoted these words, which at the time I didn’t know what they were, but they were the oath to join the military.”

Tilley began his career at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, later serving overseas in Germany as a ‘Medical Resource Manager’ in medical services.
Continue reading Air Force veteran honored for over 30 years of service

TYLER — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was in Tyler Wednesday for a Texas Taxpayer Empowerment event, just days after officially announcing his reelection campaign in Houston over the weekend.

According to our news partner KETK, Abbott is expected to outline his plan to empower Texas taxpayers and provide property tax relief. His plan would give voters more power to decide whether to eliminate certain property taxes altogether. The governor will be joined by several East Texas lawmakers, including Rep. Daniel Alders, Rep. Jay Dean, Rep. Cole Hefner, Rep. Brent Money and Rep. Joanne Shofner, along with other local officials.

On Sunday, Abbott launched his campaign for a fourth term as governor, unveiling new proposals aimed at curbing local property tax increases. This comes shortly after Texas voters approved two constitutional amendments in the November election designed to provide additional property tax relief to homeowners. Continue reading Abbott to reveal new property tax reform plan

TYLER — A former Lindale daycare worker has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of injury to a child. According to our news partner KETK, Catherine Elizabeth Guziejka, 45, was arrested in October 2023 while working at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care. Surveillance footage captured Guziejka assaulting six children under her care. According to an affidavit, the footage revealed approximately 100 incidents involving the assaults.

Guziejka was booked into the Smith County Jail on Oct. 30, 2024 and later pleaded guilty to six counts of injury to a child. As part of her plea agreement, she received a 10-year sentence for each count. Her sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total of 10 years in prison.

TYLER – On Wednesday, Nov. 12, Tyler City Council approved an agreement with Via Transportation, Inc. to provide passenger trip assistance for MicroTransit and ParaTransit services. This agreement allows independent contractors to operate in their own vehicles, providing coverage for overflow services in a model that combines the efficiency and affordability of public transit with the convenience of rideshare services. The independent contractors will begin driving for Tyler Transit on Nov. 19. This agreement will enable Tyler Transit to meet the growing need for its on-demand rides, particularly during peak ridership times when City-operated vehicles are fully scheduled. Continue reading City approves Via partnership for Tyler Transit

SMITH COUNTY – Habitat for Humanity of Smith County (HFHSC) is now accepting applications for its affordable homeownership program through January 30, 2026. Homeownership is becoming increasingly out of reach for local families. In fact, the required income to purchase a home in Smith County has risen 126% since 2017 (Texas A&M University, Texas Real Estate Research Center). Yet research also shows that when families are able to become homeowners, the impact is transformational—U.S. homeowners hold 400% more net wealth than renters with similar demographics and income (Federal Reserve System).

“Research consistently shows that when families have access to safe, stable and affordable housing, their health improves, financial stress decreases, and children perform better in school,” said Robert Manley III, CEO of HFHSC. “We believe affordable housing is not just a benefit to one family, but that it strengthens the entire community. A healthier, more stable Smith County starts with ensuring more families have a safe place to call home.” Continue reading Habitat for Humanity application window is open

ANDERSON COUNTY – A company from the Dallas area is suing the local groundwater conservation district for impeding the installation of forty-three high-capacity water wells in East Texas. This year, the proposed project, which was supported by Conservation Equity Management and its CEO Kyle Bass, angered East Texans. One state lawmaker even attempted to halt the project during a special session. Bass has maintained that the company’s objective is to determine the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer’s water content before starting to extract from its depths.

The Groundwater District did not respond to requests for comment. The Dallas Morning News and The Texas Lawbook were the first to report on the lawsuit.

In April 2025, the Neches & Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District declared the applications to be “administratively complete,” which is a legal term that indicates they were properly completed. By completing that step, the project was one step closer to receiving district approval. Continue reading Stalled water plans lead to lawsuit

TATUM – The Tatum City Council met on Monday night and the first item on their agenda was reviewing formal complaints and concerns raised against chief of police James Smith.

Leading up to the meeting, council members received an anonymous email from concerned citizens asking them to review past conduct from their police chief and asking what the council will do to restore public trust. The city’s mayor responded with his own email saying he will bring all facts forward, but the council will have the final decision.

Following the closed-door executive session, the council voted on the four written complaints against Chief Smith, deciding unanimously to take no action on three complaints. The city council acted on the fourth complaint, voting for a hard verbal warning and directing him to take a class.

“Because it is a personal concern, we are exempt from discussing that in open session, so at that point, we will adjourn to executive session, council will discuss the matters in regards to the complaints,” Mayor Michael Henry said.

Chief John Smith declined to provide a comment to our news partner KETK.

SMITH COUNTY — Authorities are investigating an entrapment involving a cement mixer that occurred in Smith County on Monday evening.

According to our news partner KETK and the Community Outreach Coordinator for Smith County ESD2, Nikki Simmons, the incident occurred on County Road 3181 and FM 14 in Lindale. Simmons also confirmed that smoke was coming from one of the vehicles. Simmons confirmed injuries have been reported.

CANTON — Canton ISD is working with local law enforcement after a school bus was involved in a crash on Monday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK and Canton ISD all students were checked by school personnel and emergency responders, and no injuries were reported. Canton ISD said they are working closely with laws enforcement to investigate the incident and that safety is their top priority.

Anyone with questions or concerns regarding the incident can reach out to Canton ISD Administrative Office at 903-567-4179.

SMITH COUNTY — Non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed Tuesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. According to a news release, Commissioners Court will not be held on Tuesday. There will be a Special-Called Commissioners Court meeting at 9:30 a.m. Friday, November 14, to canvass the results of the November 4 Special Election.

“Smith County closes for Veterans Day to honor all of the men and women who have served in the United States military,” the release stated.

Smith County has more than 100 employees who are veterans, serving the community through their positions in the Commissioners Court, Fire Marshal’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Road and Bridge Department, Juvenile Services Department, IT Department, Facility Services Department, Veteran Services Office, County Court-at-Law 3, Precincts 1, 3 and 4 Constable’s Offices, Tax Office and Judicial Compliance/Collections Department. Continue reading Smith County closes offices Tuesday