Today is
Thursday July 23, 2026
TYLER — A Tyler homeowner is stuck with a $5,000 repair bill after a viral TikTok “Door?Kick Challenge” left her garage door damaged by a stranger caught on camera.
Mishae Boren, a resident of Tyler, recounts a frightening experience when her daughter heard a loud bang as individuals struck the garage doors. The noise resembled thunder and caused the part of the house where her room is located to shake. When she and her husband ventured outside, the culprits had already left. In the darkness, they were unable to assess the damage, and it wasn’t until the following morning that they discovered the garage doors weren’t functioning properly. It was then that they reviewed their security footage to see what had happened.
Reports of this challenge have been circulating since 2021; the trend encourages individuals to kick and pound on doors, imitating a home invasion. Law enforcement agencies nationwide are advising against participation, highlighting the risks of injury as homeowners may defend themselves. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A second person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting at Valley Blues Club in Tyler last month. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Jaqwaylon Ogechi Pettigrew, 20, Tyler, was charged as the result of an arrest warrant affidavit. The warrants were issued for the following offenses: Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a 2nd degree felony – $400,000 Bond, Evading Arrest or Detention, a Class A Misdemeanor – $200,000 Bond and Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair, a 3rd degree felony – $300,000 Bond. Pettigrew remains in the Smith County Jail at this time. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Around 10,000 Optimum internet service customers are eligible for compensation after losing service over the weekend when two aerial fiber cables were shot, according to our news partner KETK. According to Optimum, two aerial fiber lines were hit by bullets, which severed the fiber strands within. A company representative said that repairing these lines is a delicate, time-consuming task, requiring technicians to line up hundreds of tiny hair-sized fibers to join them so light and data can flow through.
Optimum’s payment, billing and service policy allows customers to call within 30 days of a 4+ hour long outage to receive a credit for their lost service.
The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has been contacted to investigate the shooting that left the two aerial fiber lines damaged, according to Optimum.
EAST TEXAS – A dry week marked by high winds has placed several East Texas counties under burn bans or facing elevated fire danger, prompting officials to urge residents to avoid any outdoor burning, according to our news partner KETK. See below for list of these areas.
OFFICIAL BURN BAN: – Anderson County, Panola County, Harrison County, Shelby County, Rusk County, Bowie County, city of Sulphur Springs, city of New Boston and Marion County.
ELEVATED FIRE RISK: – Angelina County, Houston County, Polk County, Smith County, Titus County and Upshur County.
Even in counties without an active burn ban or advisory, residents are urged to stop all burning until dry conditions subside.
RUSK – East Texans gathered together on Saturday to continue the search for James David Blount, a Rusk man who went missing over a month ago on Dec. 2. Blount is a 57-year-old white man who’s around 5’09”, weighs about 200 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. His vehicle was found abandoned on Highway 84 West at the Neches River near the Cherokee and Anderson County line.
According to our news partner KETK, more than 40 community members gathered together to search for the second weekend in a row on Saturday morning. Searchers combed the woods on horseback and with ATVs in hopes that they’d find any evidence related to Blount’s disappearance. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said that a $25,000 reward is being offered for anyone who provides information that leads to the location of Blount. Anyone with information about Blount is asked to call 911 or the Rusk Police Department at 903-683-2677.
BULLARD – A Bullard man arrested for child grooming in 2024 has been sentenced to serve six years on probation. According to our news partner KETK, Randy Lloyd Smith, 48 of Bullard, was arrested by the Bullard Police Department on Aug. 28, 2024 after officers helped the Smith County Sheriff’s Office find a runaway at his home in Bullard on July 25 of that year, according to Smith’s arrest affidavit.
The arrest document described how officers found four minors at the home, including the runaway. The runaway minor was interviewed by law enforcement and said that, after they left their parent’s home, an unnamed person had picked them up to go to Smith’s house. An investigator interviewed another one of the minors found at Smith’s home. That minor said Smith was touching one of the other minors inappropriately and that he had bought them all alcohol, vapes and a sex toy. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Due to high winds and dry conditions, Smith County ESD 2 is seeing a high volume of wildland and grass fires today.
According to our news partner KETK and ESD 2 Fire Chief Eric Greaser, they have received roughly 40 calls Thursday regarding wildfires, some of which are threatening structures. Greaser said most fires have been three to five acres; however, one reached about 30 acres. Greaser believes dry fuels, low humidity and high wind conditions are causing the uptick in fires. Greaser also stated that most of the calls they have received regarding wildfires are in the southern part of Smith County, impacting areas including Whitehouse, Bullard, and Flint.
While Smith County is currently not under a burn ban, Greaser is asking residents to refrain from burning brush piles and be cautious while grilling due to the high volume of fires. Greaser also advised against discarding cigars or similar products in the grass and miscellaneous burning.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Two alleged heroin dealers were arrested following a New Year’s Eve traffic stop in Henderson County that led deputies to suspected meth, heroin and drug paraphernalia.
According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle about 5:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Peach Tree Road in the Mabank area. A deputy identified the driver and passenger as Karin Elizabeth Beamon, 47, and Amanda Grace Hayes, 46. Additional deputies and a K-9 unit were called to the scene to conduct an open-air sniff. The K-9 alerted on the vehicle, and deputies searched the car where they found suspected methamphetamine in a plastic bag, a used glass pipe and other drug paraphernalia.
During the investigation, deputies learned the women were allegedly planning to travel to Dallas to purchase heroin and bring it back to Henderson County. Hayes also admitted to concealing a plastic bag containing a large amount of heroin on her person, according to deputies. Read the rest of this entry »
Happy New Year from all of us at KTBB 97.5FM and 92.1 The TEAM FM! – May this new year bring you a peace filled life, warmth and togetherness in your family and much prosperity! May all your expectations and goals be fulfilled!
TATUM — The second wanted suspect in the Tatum Police Department’s investigation of a series of June car burglaries has turned himself in.
According to our news partner and Tatum police, Cecil Deon Ruffin surrendered to the department on Dec. 8. He currently remains in Rusk County Jail on a $50,000 bond. Ruffin was one of three wanted suspects in the case, which involved multiple car burglaries across Tatum. The investigation began in June when authorities identified seven car burglary cases, six at Tatum Baseball Park and one elsewhere within city limits. Police determined the incidents were linked to organized criminal activity.
On July 2, another theft was reported when a woman allegedly drove through a Vera Bank in Lufkin and withdrew several thousand dollars from a victim’s account.
Authorities later identified the woman from the Vera Bank as Amanda Martin. Read the rest of this entry »
WASKOM — The two children killed in a Waskom house fire have been identified by Harrison County officials as brothers Isaac Nicholas Pedraza, 8, and Hector Cesar Pedraza, 11.
On Dec. 30, Harrison County emergency units responded to a call of a residential structure fully engulfed in flames with possible occupants trapped in the 300 to 400 block of Noble Street in Waskom. Officers arrived on the scene and immediately requested for additional emergency resources, confirming the structure was fully involved and that two children were believed to still be inside the residence.
According to our news partner KETK and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, the father of the children sustained injuries while attempting to rescue his sons and was later transported by air to a local hospital where he received treatment for his burns. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is investigating a shooting that led to the death of one person on Saturday evening.
According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to a reported shooting in the 100th block of West Highland at around 7 p.m. Once on the scene, authorities located one man who had sustained gunshot wounds. The victim, later identified as Byrondrick Davis, was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867.
UPDATE: The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the pedestrian who was killed in Thursday’s crash as Rodolfo Mora, 68, Tyler. The investigation remains ongoing and no charges have been filed against the driver at this time.
TYLER – A man has died after being hit by a vehicle on Loop 323 in Tyler on Thursday. According to Smith County Justice of the Peace Andy Dunklin and our news partner KETK, a man was hit by a vehicle while in the 200 block of East NE Loop 323 near Lavender Road. Dunklin pronounced the man dead at the scene and has ordered an autopsy to be performed.
RUSK — A search is scheduled for Saturday in Rusk as volunteers gather to look for missing man James David Blount, who was last seen on Dec. 2. According to our news partner KETK, Saturday’s search is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. at Truckerz, located on West Sixth Street in Rusk. Participants will search wooded areas on foot. Volunteers are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes or boots, brightly colored clothing and safety vests if available. ATVs, four-wheelers and vehicles capable of traveling dirt roads are also encouraged.
Blount is described as a white man who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs about 200 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. Rusk police said he was last seen on Tuesday, Dec. 2. His vehicle was later found along Highway 84 near the Neches River on Dec. 6.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said a $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to Blount’s location. Law enforcement agencies, along with Heal Corp., previously searched the Neches River and surrounding areas however, as of Dec. 21, those efforts had not located Blount.
LONGVIEW — Longview Transit and R&K Distributors are partnering up to provide free rides to anyone within Longview city limits on New Year’s Eve. The “Safe-Ride-Home” initiative is back for the tenth year, providing curb-to-curb pickup and scheduled ride services to anyone from 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 3 a.m. on Jan. 1. Whether riders have had a couple drinks or simply do not want to drive that night, the free rides make transportation easier and safer for everyone in the Longview area.
Start the year off safe and schedule your free ride at 903-753-2287 or at http://www.longviewtransit.com starting Dec. 27, at 8 a.m.
TYLER – State environmental regulators have cited the Parkside development in Tyler for violating the Texas Water Code after determining that unauthorized stormwater runoff from the construction site flowed directly into the lake at Faulkner Park. The Parkside development is a Genecov Properties, Inc. project currently under construction by Genecov West Mud Creek, LLC. The site is located on the southwest side of the intersection of Cumberland Road and South Broadway Avenue in Tyler.
According to our news partner KETK, the 600,000-square-foot project is planned to extend high-profile retailers, entertainment venues and restaurants from South Broadway Avenue to Tyler’s Faulkner Park. Four TCEQ investigators inspected the site between Sept. 3 and Oct. 15. During the Sept. 3 inspection, an investigator examined an unnamed tributary of West Mud Creek that runs through the construction site and drains into the lake at Faulkner Park.
A TCEQ investigation report states that a project manager for Genecov West Mud Creek, LLC. provided the investigator with the site’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. The plan identified six sediment basins intended to collect stormwater runoff. However, the investigator reported that none of the basins had been constructed as of Sept. 3. Read the rest of this entry »
Merry Christmas! All of us here at KTBB and The TEAM FM wish you a holiday season full of warmth, joy, and magical memories. May the spirit of Christmas bring peace and happiness to your heart and home.
OVERTON — Overton cautions residents to be wary of encountering a large pack of dogs running around at night. The City of Overton posted a video of a pack of about 15 dogs running near West Rusk High School in New London, warning residents that the dogs “are very aggressive at times.” According to our news partner KETK and the Overton Police Department, the video was taken in September, but was only recently shared with him.
“As a matter of public safety, the city manager and I have decided it is necessary to share this video with the citizens we serve,” Pool said. “Please keep in mind these are not just stray dogs, they are dogs that were most likely once dumped somewhere and have now reverted back to their natural instincts of hunting in a large group as a means of survival.”
Pool urges residents to contact the local law enforcement agency if they encounter a large pack of wild dogs and not to fear prosecution for protecting themselves or another person. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS — Three Athens residents were arrested on Tuesday after law enforcement executed two search warrants targeting potential drug distribution in the city.
According to our news partner KETK and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, investigators and deputies with the Sheriff’s Office, alongside officers from the Athens Police Department, carried out two separate narcotics search warrants. The first operation took place in the 500 block of St. Joseph Street. Investigators arrested Deanglo Russell and Bridget Fossis after they located crack cocaine that was prepackaged for sale, along with digital scales commonly used in narcotics distribution.
Russell and Fossis were transported to the Henderson County Jail, where they were booked on charges of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, authorities said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — As flu season picks up in the United States, health experts are concerned about a mutated flu strain that may be immune to this year’s influenza vaccine. According to our news partner KETK, a highly contagious and mutated strain of influenza A H3N2, called “subclade K,” has emerged abroad, causing surges in infections across several countries and raising concerns about a mismatch between the current flu vaccine and mutated strain.
Subclade K is already circulating in most U.S. states, according to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data database.
“Knowing that there’s a new mutated strain out there and H3N2 generally causes more severe disease is concerning,” Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said.
Though influenza A is included in this year’s influenza vaccine, the mutations of subclade K could give the virus an advantage against the vaccine’s immunity. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The FBI in Dallas is warning citizens about people impersonating senior U.S. officials through text and AI-generated voice messages. According to our news partner KETK, participants in the scheme reach out to victims and engage in a brief conversation on a topic in which they are knowledgeable. The suspects later request to move the discussion to a secondary, encrypted messaging app.
If somebody is contacted by someone they may know on a new platform or phone number, the FBI stated they should verify the latest contact information before moving forward. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Not everyone shuts down for Christmas. From restaurants to retail stores, these East Texas businesses will be open to serve customers on the holiday. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of stores and restaurants that will be open on Thursday. You can view that list here.
MOUNT PLEASANT — A 19-year-old East Texan has been arrested for allegedly killing his father, who was found with apparent gunshot wounds. According to our news partner KETK, a 911 call came in around 8 a.m. on Monday reporting an unconscious man bleeding inside a home on Red Springs Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found 51-year-old Rodney Harris deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Detectives responded and immediately launched a homicide investigation.
Police identified 19-year-old Azion Jayden Harris, the victim’s son, as a person of interest. He was located and detained later Monday.
Azion Harris was arrested and transported to Titus County Jail on charges of murder, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon. The investigation remains ongoing.
RUSK – The Rusk Police Department is currently searching for a missing man after his vehicle was found stopped on Highway 84 near the Neches River on Dec. 6. According to our news partner KETK, James David Blount is a 57-year-old white man who is 5’09”, weighs around 200 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. Rusk PD said Blount was last seen on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said that a $25,000 reward is being offered for anyone who provides information leading to the location of Blount.
Blount’s vehicle was found on Saturday on Highway 84 west at the Neches River near the Cherokee and Anderson County line. Heal Corp search and rescue personnel have been searching the Neches River near where Blount’s vehicle was found but they hadn’t turned up anything as of Dec. 21.
Anyone with information about Blount’s disappearance is asked to call 911 or Rusk PD at 903-683-2677.
HENDERSON – The Henderson Police Department said a woman was shot on Sunday while in her vehicle near the intersection of FM 225 and Highway 79. According to our news partner KETK, the woman was shot around 1 p.m. by a suspect who reportedly fled the scene in a black truck. Department Deputy Chief Chase Berryhill confirmed on Monday that the victim has since died. The woman has been identified as Dora Morales-Ruiz, 39, of Henderson. Law enforcement immediately began looking for the suspected shooter and they eventually found the suspect dead in Rusk County. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the death of the suspected shooter.
“The Henderson Police Department would like to thank the Texas Department of Public Safety, Rusk County Constable Stewart and the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and cooperation during the search for the suspect,” Henderson PD said.
TYLER – One person involved in a pursuit was taken into custody on Friday after shots were fired during a traffic stop in Lindale. According to our news partner KETK and the Lindale PD, the pursuit started in Lindale near the Cracker Barrel as a traffic stop on a white Pontiac Grand Prix. During the stop, shots were fired from the vehicle by an assault rifle before the Pontiac drove off down Highway 69. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the pursuit before the Pontiac entered Tyler city limits.
Tyler Police Department officers responded to the pursuit which eventually came to an end when an officer did a pit maneuver on the Pontiac, near the intersection of Shawnee Boulevard and Highway 110. The driver was taken into custody and according to Lindale PD, the officer that performed the pit maneuver was evaluated for minor injuries at the scene. A woman whose vehicle was hit as the pursuit ended was also evaluated for minor injuries at the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — The man who vandalized a marble statue of Jesus at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Flint was sentenced Thursday to one year in state jail. Jordan Grey Clark, 36, pleaded guilty to criminal mischief at a place of worship in connection with the Sept. 7 vandalism. The statue, located outside of the church, was found with its nose and hands shattered. Deputies discovered the damage around 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 7. Surveillance footage later showed a suspect approaching the statue around 1:14 a.m. and using a hammer to break parts of the face and hands before walking south toward County Road 1299. Investigators noted the suspect was wearing gloves, which prevented them from lifting fingerprints from the statue or nearby objects.
According to our news partner KETK, an anonymous tip received days later led detectives to Clark, who lived nearby and was reportedly “acting strangely,” according to investigators. Authorities then contacted Clark’s father, who told deputies his son has schizophrenia and refuses to take medication because he believes it makes him feel uncomfortable. The father also said Clark does not own a vehicle or a smartphone, believing smartphones are possessed, and instead uses a flip phone. Read the rest of this entry »
BEN WHEELER — According to our news partner KETK, several firefighters, along with the fire chief of the Ben Wheeler Fire Department, have resigned from their positions recently. Following the resignations, the department’s Board of Directors released a statement on Thursday, stating that they are aware of the issues that led to the resignations, but they will not disclose them. The board also noted that the false claims being spread are inaccurate and have only caused drama and defamation to those who still serve the community.
The Board of Directors also addressed any financial concerns residents might have had, stating that the department is financially solvent with “more than satisfactory funds on hand.”
A new fire chief will be elected in January during the regularly scheduled elections, the board stated.
SMITH COUNTY– One of the candidates running for County Clerk in the upcoming Smith County Republican Party Primary election has been removed from the ballot after she lacked the required signatures needed to be eligible.
According to our news partner KETK, on Dec. 8, Terry Morrow filed her application and petitions to challenge the incumbent Karen Philips for the county clerk spot. In lieu of paying the $750 filing fee, Morrow obtained 500 signatures and her application was accepted on Dec. 11. Phillips also submitted her application for re-election on Nov. 8, which was the first day of candidate filing. She also received the 500 signatures required to appear on the ballot and her application was approved on Nov. 14.
While the county chair is required to verify the total number of signatures, they are not required to confirm the validity of each signature unless challenged by an opponent. Read the rest of this entry »
BROWNSBORO — A Brownsboro elementary school teacher has pleaded guilty and received eight years of deferred adjudication probation after injuring a child in 2024. According to our news partner KETK, Kyle Lee Rocha, of Chandler, was arrested on Sept. 24, 2024, in connection with an incident that occurred earlier that month in a Chandler Elementary School behavioral classroom.
An affidavit describes the incident as captured on classroom footage, which showed Rocha picking up paperwork from the floor and placing the papers on the student’s desk, instructing the student to keep the pages on his desk. The student was reportedly seen throwing the paperwork into a clothes basket on his desk and tilting his desk several times as Rocha stood in front of him.
Footage reportedly showed the student rocking his desk backwards, tilting the front of the desk up. Rocha then allegedly “placed both of his hands onto the front of the desk and pushed the desk backwards, purposefully causing the desk to fall over” and the student to fall, hitting the back of his head and elbows against the desk behind him. Read the rest of this entry »
