Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
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 »
TYLER — The Blackstone Hotel, with Valencia Hotel Group, is coming back to Tyler and bringing 60 full-time jobs with it. According to our news partner KETK, the new full-service, luxury hotel is being built under a 3-year plan, on the corner of Broadway and Fergueson, promising at least 60 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of $2 million.
This economic boosting promise is why Smith County Commissioners took up a vote for a 10-year tax abatement of 50% for Blackstone Hotel, as long as Valencia Hotel Group upkeeps their promise of 60 full-time employees.
Scott Martinez, President of Tyler Economic Development Council, says his organization will be the monitor of this agreement. “So the hotel will give a quarterly and annual report on their employment numbers and their investment, as well as their sale sets to the city,” Martinez said. “So we can track to make sure they’re following through with what they committed to do.” Read the rest of this entry »
