Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
TYLER – Traffic signal work at the intersection of Troup Hwy and Loop 323 has now been completed. KTBB talked to Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh Tuesday afternoon and he made the confirmation.
TYLER – John Schnell of Tyler, a junior biochemistry major and Honors student at The University of Texas at Tyler, was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve a one-year term as the student representative on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Learning Technology Advisory Committee, effective June 1.
According to a release from UT Tyler, LTAC engages in policy research and discussion on technology use in higher education, making recommendations to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Student representative selection is based on academics, interests and leadership skills.
“We’re so proud of John and the great work he will do representing students across the state,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD.
Schnell will graduate from UT Tyler in May 2028, with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry. LTAC membership currently includes representatives from public community and technical colleges, universities and health-related institutions, as well as one student member.
UPDATE: The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that Medford is now believed to have left the county.Authorities warn the public not to approach him, describing him as a “violent individual” who poses a threat to community safety. Anyone who spots him is urged to contact law enforcement immediately.
HENDERSON COUNTY – The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office is searching for Ronny Medford, who is a person of interest in connection with the murder of his 84-year-old father. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office said, the murder took place at Medford’s Payne Springs home on Monday morning.
Investigators have also released a photo of a vehicle they believe picked him up. Medford is considered “a very violent individual” and is suspected to still be in the area.
A district judge has issued an arrest warrant for Medford for murder. An autopsy is pending for his father’s cause of death. Read the rest of this entry »
WILLS POINT – The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office said that 76-year-old Alfredo Chavez was found dead in a wooded area on Friday after he went missing from Wills Point on April 23. Chavez’s body was found at around 11 a.m. on Friday in a heavily wooded area of Van Zandt County. Following his disappearance on April 23, the sheriff’s office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, Texas Department of Corrections search dogs and several nonprofit search and rescue organizations were brought together to search for Chavez but he wasn’t found until several weeks later.
The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office suspects no foul play in Chavez’s death.
TYLER – The City of Tyler has started sewer work on South Bonner Avenue from West Front Street and West Woldert Street near Caldwell Elementary School and Caldwell Middle School. The sewer work capacity upgrades are part of the city’s ongoing Consent Decree agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade and revitalize the city’s aging wastewater system.
The upgrades are expected to take about a week, during which time Caldwell Elementary School parents should enter to pick up car riders on South Bois D’Arc Avenue, south of the intersection at West Elm Street. Read the rest of this entry »
TROUP – A case of botulism was confirmed in the City of Troup on Monday, according to the Northeast Texas Public Health District. The city said that the disease is not contagious and that, due to HIPAA regulations, the name and address of the person involved cannot be released.
Although it is not contagious, botulism is a potentially fatal disease that is largely caused by environmental factors, including dust, soil and contaminated food. The disease attacks the body’s nerves, causing difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis.
According to the Northeast Texas Public Health District, symptoms of botulism include: Muscle weakness, blurred/double vision, drooping eyelids and slurred speech.
Anyone impacted by these symptoms should seek medical treatment immediately.
GREGG COUNTY – A former sheriff’s deputy was booked into the county jail on Friday for allegedly violating his probation. According to Gregg County records and our news partner KETK, former Gregg County Sheriff’s Office deputy Joshua Tubb, 48, of Kilgore, received a 180-day jail sentence for a March 24 DWI conviction. He has not been booked into jail, however, because the court placed him on two years of probation instead.
On Friday, Gregg County Judicial records show that Tubb’s probation was revoked and a warrant was issued for his arrest for violating the terms of his probation in his DWI case.
Tubbs was then booked into the Gregg County Jail that same day. He’s since been transferred into the custody of another agency.
KILGORE – Injuries have been confirmed following a multi-vehicle crash on State Highway 31 on Monday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, the Kilgore Fire Department, is currently on the scene of the crash on Highway 31 near FM 3053. Road closures and delays are expected over the next few hours, the department added.
KENTUCKY – Paragon Advertising and Communications announced via a press release that on Saturday, May 9th, at the age of 91, Elder Lasserre Bradley, Jr., a cherished shepherd, longtime radio founder and host of the Baptist Bible Hour, and lifelong devoted servant of God, has died. Elder Bradley devoted his life to ministry for 73 years, sharing the gospel with grace, compassion, and conviction. He impacted many lives via the pulpit, radio, counseling, and personal ministry, and he established himself as a reliable voice for church families and listeners across the country the release said. For this Sunday, Brother Bradley’s family and ministry team are putting together a special program. Trevor, the son of Brother Bradley, will make a special announcement to let his listeners know that his father has passed away. The Baptist Bible Hour is heard Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KTBB.
DESOTO PARISH, La. – A Tyler man is dead after a single-vehicle crash happened in DeSoto Parish, La. on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, the incident happened on Sunday, May 10, at approximately 6:00 a.m. on Louisiana Highway 175, near Louisiana Highway 5. According to the Louisiana State Police, the victim was traveling south on Louisiana Highway 175 when, for reasons currently under investigation, his vehicle went off the road and overturned.
The victim was identified as 35-year-old Delon Perkins, of Tyler. Investigators said he was properly restrained during the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Impairment was not suspected, but toxicology samples were collected and submitted for analysis. The investigation into this crash is ongoing.
LONGVIEW — A wanted fugitive and known Latin Kings gang member was arrested in East Texas on May 7 for his alleged involvement of a 2024 murder in New Jersey. According to our news partner KETK, the FBI said , Ricky Vargas was wanted for allegedly stabbing a man to death outside of a bar in Garfield, New Jersey on Feb. 4, 2024.
A state warrant was issued for his arrest the next day, charging him with first degree murder, causing serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crime and two possession of a weapon charges.
On Feb. 7, 2024, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Vargas in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, Newark and New Jersey after additionally being charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
While searching for Vargas, the FBI was offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading up to his arrest. On May 7, Vargas was apprehended by FBI Dallas and FBI Newark in Longview.
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville College honored one of its students with a posthumous degree this weekend after he was killed in a club shooting on March 22. Students, parents and educators gathered at Central Baptist Church in Jacksonville on Saturday for Jacksonville College’s graduation ceremony. One graduate who couldn’t walk the stage was Jacksonville native Keion Dewayne Redd.
Redd had earned the credits to complete his associate’s degree but was tragically killed as an innocent bystander in a March 22 club shooting in Smith County. Jacksonville College honored Redd on Saturday by presenting his associate’s degree to his mother, who walked in his place.
“This moment is about celebrating Keion’s accomplishments, the life he lived, and the future he was working toward,” Jacksonville College said. “His family wants him to be remembered for who he was, the people who loved him, and the milestone he earned.”
TYLER – Starting Monday, May 11, Consent Decree capacity improvements are moving to South Bonner Avenue between West Front Street and West Woldert Street. Work is expected to take approximately one week, weather permitting.
For Caldwell Elementary School dismissal, parents should enter for pickup on South Bois D’Arc Avenue, south of the intersection at West Elm Street. The Caldwell Middle School students, parents should enter the dismissal line at South Bois D’Arc Avenue and West Front Street.
HARLETON – Ryan Nichols, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his actions during the Jan. 6 riot, was arrested Sunday, after authorities said he displayed a firearm in a threatening manner during a dispute outside a church in Harleton
According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to 225 Heskell Oney Road in reference to a person reaching for a firearm during a dispute outside the church. Our news partner KETK reports during the investigation deputies learned Nichols had confronted another person in the church parking lot. Authorities said that when the victim attempted to leave and de-escalate the situation, Nichols allegedly continued confronting him.
Read the rest of this entry »
HAWKINS – Severe storms moved through the area Sunday night, leaving uprooted trees and some structure damage in Wood County. Fortunately no injuries were reported. Our news partner KETK has compiled some videos and photos submitted by their viewers. You may view that gallery here.