Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing the Texas and U.S. flags in Van Zandt County to be lowered at half-staff in honor of a county commissioner who died during severe storms. Longtime Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. died on June 3 after a tree fell onto his car while he was driving at night.
According to our news partner KETK, Van Zandt County will be allowed to lower the flags to half-staff beginning June 17 in honor of the life and public service of Melton. Flags should be returned to full-staff by sunrise on June 19, Abbott said.
“The First Lady and I extend prayers of comfort for the Melton family during their time of grief and urge all Texans to remember and honor Commissioner Melton’s service to his community as a dedicated elected official and to his country as a United States Marine who was awarded a Purple Heart and a Navy Commendation Medal for Valor,†Abbott said.
The governor said individuals, businesses, municipalities, counties and other political subdivisions in the surrounding area may fly flags at half-staff.
LONGVIEW – After a long discussion Thursday evening and a vote, the Longview City Council unanimously approved a proposed bio-mining facility. According to our news partner KETK, the plant will be located on 2120 East Loop 281 and operated by Mint Innovation. There, the company will extract valuable metals like gold and copper from old devices that ended up in the trash.
During public comment, several people expressed concerns over the environmental impact the facility could pose. Specifically, the chemicals that will be used. The final decision will come from Mint Innovation, which is considering the City of Longview and other cities for their second facility.
“I’m a byproduct of Flint, Michigan,†one speaker said. “Was born and raised there. I in good conscience could not sit here and by the side and not say anything.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler man was found guilty of sexual assault after a jury trial, and is scheduled to be sentenced next month. According to our news partner KETK, Vincente Zavaleta, 45 of Tyler, was originally arrested in March 2023 in connection to a cold case investigation involving the sexual assault and kidnapping of women going back more than 10 years. Zavaleta was linked to the 2012 case he has now been convicted of after a DNA profile was linked to him, and investigators said the victim gave a description of a truck used in the crime that reportedly matched the description of a truck linked to Zavaleta. His jury trial began on June 4, and he separately has been indicted for sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping in connection to a case from 2016. Zavaleta’s sentencing has been set for July 16.
HENDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, former Payne Springs Chief of Police April Meadows accepted a plea last month for charges of money laundering and manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. According to court documents, she must give up her peace officers license as part of her plea. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 27 at 9 a.m.
Meadows was accused alongside former Payne Springs police officer Jonathan Hutchison, who is also accused of money laundering and manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance.. Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said at the time of their arrests that search warrants of their homes revealed controlled substances inside.
UPDATE: Gracie Alderman was found safe Wednesday night, according to authorities.
SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is seeking help to find a 7-year-old who was ordered into their custody on Friday by a Smith County judge. According to our news partner KETK, the department needs the public’s help finding Gracie Alderman who is about four feet tall with red hair and brown eyes. Authorities said Gracie is believed to be with Galen Alderman and Sara McInnis in a silver Acura RDX. The license plate of the vehicle is from Texas and it says TBL0979, DFPS said.
KILGORE – According to our news partner KETK, several East Texas fire departments responded to a structure fire at Rivers Recycling at approximately 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire has been contained but officials said it could burn for a week. Officials will launch an investigation to figure out what caused the recycling facility to catch in flames. Reportedly, the fire happened after hours and the gate to the facility was closed when the fire department responded to the scene. FM 1252 has been reopened for drivers as the fire is not threatening structures or trees in the area.
The City of Longview announced that they will be pausing curbside recycling until further notice because of the fire at Rivers Recycling. The City of Longview said that for the time being, anything placed in curbside recycling will be taken to the landfill alongside regular trash.
A Kilgore Fire Marshal told KETK’s Ashlyn Anderson that no structures other than the ones on the site are in danger, but that the fire has the potential to burn for up to three weeks.
TYLER – The City of Tyler said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is going door to door to help with disaster claims and some residents might be eligible for assistance. According to our news partner KETK, FEMA personnel will stop by between 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to explain the process as some residents may qualify for basic home repairs and other storm damage related expenses. People can apply online or by calling the helpline at 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is July 16.
If residents are not home at the time FEMA stops by, they will leave a flyer with information and ways to contact them. Personnel will prioritize areas where many residents filled out the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool Damage Surveys. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said they are looking for a man who reportedly carjacked a vehicle on Monday and pulled a knife on the driver. According to our news partner KETK, around 4:30 a.m. the driver of a white over gold 2003 Ford Expedition saw a person walking down SH 110 and decided to give them a ride. The man, described as a white male in his late 20s or early 30s with dark sandy blonde hair, entered the vehicle and allegedly pulled a knife on the driver and ordered them to get out of the car, a release said.
The sheriff’s office said the last place the stolen vehicle was located was in Terrell on East I-20, but the Terrell Police Department were unable to locate it or the suspect. The owner of the vehicle was able to call police after walking to a Valero station because the man reportedly took their cell phone.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 903-566-6600.
PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department arrested a wanted man who reportedly hid drugs inside a washing machine at a laundromat. According to our news partner KETK, police were patrolling the area of North Queen Street and West Spring Street on May 31 where they saw Cordero Smith driving a vehicle and recognized him due to numerous outstanding warrants for his arrest. Police reportedly observed Smith enter the County Rub laundromat with another person.
When police attempted to arrest Smith after he left the laundromat, he allegedly attempted to evade them. Officers at the scene used their taser and took Smith into custody. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN – A man is now in custody following an hours-long standoff with Lufkin authorities. Jason Penick, 47 of Lufkin, was arrested for aggravated assault of a public servant after he reportedly shot at arriving officers before barricading himself inside a home. According to our news partner KETK, the situation started as a disturbance call but then escalated when Penick reportedly fired at responding police officers. The man then barricaded himself inside the home and the other residents were safely evacuated, according to a Lufkin PD press release.
Additional reports were made about shots being fired but these are actually gas canisters being shot into the home, Lufkin PD explained. The Lufkin PD Swat Team, Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the situation.
MARSHALL — A Marshall man has been listed on the newly released Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. Oscar Oswaldo Madrid-Cartagena, 36 of Marshall, is wanted for sexual assault. He is described as being 5 foot 8 inches, 150 pounds and should be considered armed and dangerous. According to our news partner KETK, Madrid-Cartagena is a criminal illegal immigrant from Honduras with ties to North and Northeast Texas, including the cities of Dallas and Marshall. Officials said he was arrested in 2013 for alien inadmissibility and subsequently was removed from the U.S.
On Oct. 2023, Madrid-Cartagena was reportedly arrested by the Richardson Police Department and bonded out of jail. On March 5 a warrant was issued for his arrest. Read the rest of this entry »
Programming Note: KTBB AM 600 is currently off the air due to power outages caused by the storms that came through last night. Oncor and our engineers are working on the situation and we hope to be back on the air shortly. In the mean time you can listen to us on 97.5 FM, through our app or on your computer.. We regret the inconvenience.
GLADEWATER – The Gladewater Police Department said a woman with 12 warrants was arrested after she bit an officer during the arrest process. According to our news partner KETK, police responded to a call about a woman following people around the Dollar General on 904 E Broadway Ave. When they arrived, officers encountered the suspect who they identified as Angela Renee Baird-Curtis, 36 of Gladewater, who was wanted in the City of Gladewater for multiple warrants. “During the arrest process, Baird-Curtis resisted, leading to an altercation where she attempted to escape and assaulted an officer by biting him,†Gladewater PD said. The officer was able to detain Baird-Curtis with the help of a bystander, a release said. Baird-Curtis was charged with resisting arrest search or transport, assault of a public servant, escape while arrested and her bond totals $42,000. She is currently being held at the Gregg County Jail.
GILMER – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said that a dead body was found in a vehicle connected to a recent missing person case on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, Upshur County Sheriff’s Deputy David Hazel said that on Saturday, Gilmer PD found a vehicle with a decomposing body inside. The body is reportedly being sent to have an autopsy done on it. Officials with the The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the car found with the remains was the same car connected to a missing person in the county. The identity of the deceased could not be confirmed by officials at this time, but a missing person had been reported in Upshur County on May 19.
PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department said they arrested a 19-year-old man for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to a stabbing on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, at around 2:21 a.m. on Monday a Palestine PD officer responded to Palestine Regional Medical Center-East Campus and reportedly found someone transporting a stabbing victim. According to Palestine PD, the officer helped medical staff put the victim on the gurney before they were taken for emergency treatment.
Then Palestine PD officers reportedly went to the 500 block of Fort Street to investigate the stabbing and speak with anyone involved. Marvin Osarius Villalobos-Flores, 19 of Palestine, was identified as a suspect in the assault and officers also found a kitchen knife reportedly used to do the stabbing. Palestine PD said the stabbing victim is expected to survive.
Villalobos-Flores was booked into the Anderson County Jail on the charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on a $100,000 bond.