Today is
Tuesday November 26, 2024
TYLER — The Texas Rose Festival Parade is scheduled for Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., broadcast exclusively on KETK News. On Saturday starting at 6 a.m., Front Street will be closed from Palace Avenue to Glenwood Boulevard and Glenwood will be closed from Houston Street to Front Street. At 7:45 a.m. Front Street will be closed from Palace Avenue to Lyons Avenue and Glenwood Boulevard will be closed from Houston Street to Erwin Street. Handicap parking for the event will be at Mike Carter Field on Fair Park Drive. The parade route will start at the Rose Garden Center, turning onto Fair Park Drive and ending at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.
TYLER — The daughter of Rabbi Neal Katz, Rebecca, and Vera Banta flew from Israel to Rome to Boston and finally to Dallas. Early in the morning on October 6, the girls were awakened by bomb sirens, just a few hours after they danced and sang at Shabbat services the night before. That day, they sheltered seven times before noon, barefoot, confused and scared, not knowing when they would be able to come back to the US. While they were waiting, they made 1,500 bags of soap, food, towels and candy for hospitals … and visited soldiers and displaced families. Both say they hope to return to Israel someday.
TYLER — The Tyler Police Department responded to a call of a pedestrian and auto crash around 8:20 Tuesday night. According to a news release, “a semi-truck was reportedly northbound on Loop 323, north of HWY 64, when it struck a pedestrian that was in the roadway.†The unidentified pedestrian was not at a crosswalk or intersection when hit. The pedestrian was said to be alert when transported to a local hospital.
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office has installed a Weather System Station at the Emergency Operations Center to provide emergency management officials and members of the public a chance to access real-time, detailed weather data. WeatherSTEM offers a public-facing view that allows access to a multitude of information for every resident, without signing up. “WeatherSTEM’s accessibility makes it a useful tool for the whole community and will enhance the abilities of emergency services,” Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said. “Realtime weather information, such as wind direction and speed, is vital during fire and hazardous materials incident responses.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler police are searching for a teen reported missing. According to Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, Allison Morley, 13, was said to have left her residence on Hudnall Drive around 11:45 Monday night. She’s described as 5’4 and 130lbs with brown/red hair and brown eyes. Police say she has a scar on her left arm. No word on what she was wearing. Allison has been entered as a missing person/runaway. If you see Allison or know her location, please contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.
MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department has arrested a man in connection to the murder of a woman found dead on Victory Drive. According to our news partner KETK, officers conducting a welfare check found Camri Johnson, 26, of Marshall, dead around 11:40 p.m. on Monday. An investigation later resulted in the arrest of Windell Moris Jr., 23. Moris is being held at Harrison County Jail on charges of homicide and abandoning/endangering a child with intent to return. Marshall PD detectives, patrol officers and investigators are continuing to gather information about the incident.
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Sheriff’s Office said they arrested three men after a pursuit that started in Minden, Louisiana ended in Smith County on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a gray Chevrolet Camaro that was reportedly stolen in Dallas was able to evade pursuing law enforcement from Minden and was later spotted around 11:45 a.m. by Gregg County Sheriff’s Office deputies, officials said. Gregg County deputies pursued the vehicle to the Smith County line, when Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies took over the chase continuing west on Interstate 20. A Smith County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable reportedly deployed a spike strip which the Camaro hit at the intersection of Interstate 20 and US 69 North. Read the rest of this entry »
NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) — Northwestern State’s home game against Southeastern Louisiana has been moved to this Thursday night so that the contest won’t conflict with a wake and funeral services for recently slain Demons defensive back Ronnie Caldwell. Officials from both schools agreed to change the game time from Saturday after learning services for Caldwell were scheduled on Friday and Saturday in Austin, Texas. The new game time allows Northwestern State coaches and players to attend. Caldwell was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds by Natchitoches police officers who responded shortly after 1 a.m. last Thursday to a report of a shooting at an apartment complex near campus. The coroner’s office pronounced Caldwell dead at the scene. Police Cpl. John Greely has said no arrests have been made in connection with the case. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work in the district during the week of Oct. 16, 2023. Work schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen issues. Please slow down and pay attention in work zones. This week, Tyler Maintenance crews will be repairing base failures on FM 724 at various locations from SH 64 to SH 110. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. A second crew will be repairing base failures at various locations throughout the county. For a full list of projects in the East Texas area, click here.
TYLER — Texas Rose Festival Queen Laura Bryan cut the ribbon for the SPCA of East Texas‘ new 16,000-square-foot building in Tyler on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, this new facility twice the size of their previous building and is located right next to their existing dog park. The new south Tyler location will help them expand their services for people living in Tyler and even further out in places like Jacksonville and Palestine. “This building is so much better for the dogs. For their state of mind. We’ve noticed the difference since we’ve moved over here and the cats too,†said Kat Cortelyou with the SPCA of East Texas. “But it’s also allowing us to help more people that are having dogs dumped on them or you know unwanted litters of puppies or kittens.†Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY — A 43-year-old man, Carlton Grant, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday in Upshur County after being convicted of a 2018 capital murder. According to our news partner KETK, the body of Rachel Rhoads, 24, was discovered on April 1, 2018 off FM 726, near Highway 154, just one day after she was reported missing. At the time of the discovery, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said circumstances surrounding Rhoads’ death “were suspicious†and then ruled her death a homicide. In a press release from the district attorney’s office, Grant and an accomplice, Lindsey Jo McFadden, 35, walked to Rhoads’ home in the Flamingo Trailer Park to visit her roommate. Neither of them had a vehicle and when they met Rhoads, and asked her for a ride, which she agreed to do. When the group got into the vehicle, Grant choked her with a device made of wire. He then pulled her into the backseat of the car and began punching her and placed a zip tie around her neck.
NATCHITOCHES, LA — Former Tyler Junior College safety Ronnie Caldwell, 21, died Thursday morning after being shot several times, according to reports by ESPN and our news partner KETK. Caldwell was a junior safety for the Northwestern State football team after transferring from TJC following the 2021 season. “The Northwestern State family has suffered a tremendous loss,†head football coach Brad Laird said. “Ronnie Caldwell was a young man who had a bright future ahead of him on or off the football field. He was our voice in the locker room. When Ronnie spoke, others listened. The respect our football team had for Ronnie was evident. He did not play a snap this year because of an injury, but his voice resonated with every member of our team from the first player to the 115th on our roster. Our hearts are broken and ache for Ronnie’s family and friends.” Read the rest of this entry »
HARRISON COUNTY — The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 3-month-old. According to our news partner KETK, on Tuesday, authorities received reports that a baby had been been taken to a local hospital and then later flown to a children’s hospital in Dallas. The hospital declared the newborn brain dead Wednesday. An autopsy has been ordered.
TYLER — The City of Tyler received a 2023 Municipal Excellence Award in communication programs for cities over 25,000 in population during the 2023 Texas Municipal League (TML) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Dallas. The award recognized the City of Tyler for our city-wide editorial process. The City of Tyler implemented a city-wide editorial process that encapsulates all departments’ marketing campaigns and ties actions to concrete deliverables. The communication team meets with each department annually to identify marketing goals and develops a comprehensive work plan, with check-ins and updates throughout the year. Since implementing this process, the City’s content creation has increased by 72 percent, crisis communication has improved, and City employees outside the Communications Team have been empowered to become communication best practice ambassadors to their departments, improving cross-collaboration and teamwork across the organization. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Rabbi of Congregation Beth El, the Jewish Synagogue in Tyler, says his teenage daughter and two members of the Beth El congregation are currently trying to make their way home from Israel. Rabbi Neal Katz says he has been in constant communication with his daughter and that he hopes she will be leaving her high school studies in Tel Aviv to return to East Texas this week. He says his Synagogue members have had to go to a bomb shelter twice already this week. He says all he can do is pray for them. Read the rest of this entry »