KTBB News, Weather, Talk

HENDERSON COUNTY — A 38-year-old man has been charged with murder after surveillance video at an Athens sober living home allegedly showed him dragging what appeared to be a body from a bedroom, a Henderson County arrest affidavit revealed. On Tuesday evening, law enforcement was called after Derris Reynolds’ family members reported him missing. He was last seen on Feb. 25 at a sober living residence.

According to our news partner KETK, family members then requested the property owners to check the security footage of the residence where Reynolds was last seen. Once the homeowners reviewed the security video, they contacted the Athens Police Department.

Officers reviewed the security footage and saw Nicki Lee Gibby, 38, also a resident of the home, entering Reynolds’ bedroom. An argument between the two could be heard on the recording, and Reynolds was never seen leaving the room, according to the affidavit. Continue reading Suspect charged in roommate’s murder

LUFKIN — A man injured in a stabbing in a Lufkin parking lot Sunday evening led to the arrest of one, Lufkin city officials said. Lufkin police responded around 5:30 p.m. to a report of a stabbing in the 4500 block of South Melford Drive. Officers found the victim, a 32-year-old man, with a wound to his upper back and a woman applying pressure to the injury. Police assisted until emergency medical services arrived, according to our news partners at KETK. Surveillance footage from nearby stores showed the victim and a another man, identified as 30-year-old Justin William Benton, preparing to fight. Benton appeared to cut the victim in the back before leaving the scene. Benton was arrested and booked into Angelina County Jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was released on Monday after posting bail.

SMITH COUNTY — Crews are responding to a three-vehicle crash on Highway 110 South at Toll 49 in Whitehouse Wednesday morning. Smith County officials say the Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash, which was reported at 11:17 a.m. Fire crews and EMS are on scene, and traffic is being affected. Injuries have been confirmed.

More details will be provided as they become available.

RUSK COUNTY– Two people are dead, and one child is currently in critical condition following a single-vehicle crash in Rusk County over the weekend. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and our news partner KETK, following an initial investigation, officials believe the vehicle was traveling north on the 7400 block of State Highway 323 and attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone. The driver, later identified as River Burks, lost control of the car and hit a tree.

Following the crash, Burks and a two-year-old child were pronounced dead on the scene, while a six-year-old in the car was airlifted to a hospital in Shreveport and is currently in critical condition.

The crash is being investigated by DPS, and no further information is available at this time.

TYLER — In 2025, factors such as “unsafe speed”, “failure to drive in a single lane”, and “intoxication” contributed to 148 fatal crashes and 165 total fatalities in the Tyler District. The 165 fatalities are one more than the 2024 total (164), and the second lowest total since 2019 (148).

The TxDOT Tyler District, which includes Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, and Wood Counties, revealed the top five combined contributing factors of fatal crashes in 2025: Continue reading 2025 fatal crash statistics released

EAST TEXAS – The votes are being counted and numbers are being reported across East Texas and the entire state. Find updated results as they come in at KTBB Election Central!

TYLER — Pets Fur People officially named their new executive director on Tuesday, according to our news partner KETK, Kat Cortelyou joins Pets Fur People after most recently serving as the animal service manager for the City of Athens. In Athens, Cortelyou led animal control initiatives and developed fostering and transport programs. Previously, she spent eight years as director of operations for the SPCA of East Texas in Tyler. During her role with the SPCA, Cortelyou expanded lifesaving programs and increased intakes and adoptions by 40%.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kat to the Pets Fur People family,” Board President Angie Bullington said. “Her enthusiasm, experience, and heart for animal welfare make her an outstanding choice to lead our organization into its next chapter.”

TYLER – On Monday, February 23, Lieutenant Jon Thornhill was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief in a ceremony attended by friends, family, and co-workers. In his new role, he will supervise the Investigative Division.
 
Assistant Chief Thornhill said, “I am truly honored to be able to serve with the men and women of the Tyler Police Department who work continuously to improve the quality of life in Tyler.”
 
Jon Thornhill was hired by the Tyler Police Department in May of 1996. After attending the police academy, Jon worked in the patrol division until November of 2001, when he was assigned as a Crimes Against Children Investigator at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County. Jon served as an investigator at the CAC for five years.  He was selected to attend the Texas DPS Polygraph School in Austin. Upon returning from this school, Jon completed his internship as a polygraph examiner, assigned to the Youth Crimes/Forgery Division. 
  Continue reading New Tyler PD Assistant Chief

EAST TEXAS — In the past year, Texas’ job growth rate has outpaced the national rate, with three East Texas cities seeing significant non-farm job additions along labor force growth.

According to data from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and our news partner KETK, Texas added 146,300 non-farm jobs for an annual growth rate of 1%, faster than the nation as a whole by 0.4%. In East Texas, the metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) of Longview, Texarkana and Tyler saw the addition of over 3,000 non-farm jobs, supporting the growth of the labor force from November 2024 to November 2025.

The civilian labor force for Texarkana MSA and Tyler MSA had over-the-year (2024 to 2025) growth rates of 1.9% and 2.1%, respectively. While both cities saw employment rates increase, however, the over-the-year rates for unemployment also increased with Texarkana’s at 10.7% and Tyler’s at 5.5%. Continue reading Cities see labor force expansion

WHITEHOUSE – The security research firm Safewise has ranked the city of Whitehouse as the 6th safest city in the state for 2026. According to our news partner KETK, Safewise has tracked a decline in violent crime in the city of Whitehouse over the past four years, along with a two-year decline in property crime. According to Safewise, the violent crime rate has fallen from 1.6 violent crimes per 1000 Whitehouse residents in 2024 to 0.6 violent crimes per 1000 residents in 2026.

“In Whitehouse, violent crime has decreased for the last four years in a row, and property crime has declined for the past two years,” Safewise said. “This has resulted in a 65% decrease in violent crime and a 74% decrease in property crime.”

This decline has secured Whitehouse’s spot as Safewise’s 6th safest city in Texas. The ranking prompted the city to thank the community for helping to keep the area safe. Smith County has also seen a decline in reported crimes, with the county’s reported crime rate falling 3.75% between 2024 and 2025. Continue reading 6th safest city in Texas

TYLER – East Texas lawmakers are chiming in as tensions escalate in Iran following Saturday’s unprecedented attacks by United States forces. Congressman Nathaniel Moran fully throws his support behind President Donald Trump following this weekend’s missile strikes against Iran, which killed their supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 40 of their top officials. It became a huge blow to the nation and marks a shift in power since the regime took over in the late 1970s.

“This is a national security interest matter for the United States long term,” Moran said.

As tensions rise overseas, the congressman’s attention turns to our troops’ safety and the safety of residents on U.S. soil.

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations is a big issue now, more than it was a couple of weeks ago,” Moran said. “When homeland security is heightened, that level of security is necessary.” Continue reading Rep. Moran speaks on Iran strikes

TYLER — Brad Brookshire, the grandson of Brookshire Grocery Company founder W.T. Brookshire, is retiring as the chain’s CEO after working in his family’s business for 49 years. According to our news partner KETK, Brad Brookshire spent 20 years as the company’s chairman of the board and 10 years as CEO. Brad has also worked as a Brookshire store director, vice president, executive vice president and as president of the company.

According to a Brookshire press release, Brad Brookshire was part of the creation of the Super 1 Foods banner over 41 years ago. During his time as CEO, Brookshire Grocery Company grew from 152 stores to 222 stores.

In 2020, Brad Brookshire was named to Governor Greg Abbott’s Strike Force to Open Texas as the representative for the state’s grocery industry. That same year, he was also inducted into the Food Industry Hall of Fame. Continue reading Grocery CEO retiring after 49 years

TYLER – Democratic Party representatives and officials from East Texas and across the country are speaking out against military escalation on Saturday, following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Our news partner KETK spoke with Interim Smith County Democratic Party Chair Cam Ray about the strikes on Saturday. She called the attacks “Deeply disturbing” and questioned what United States President Donald Trump’s end goal would be in a war with Iran.

“It’s deeply disturbing that we are now diving into another endless war from our president, who has said he’s the peace president. First there was Venezuela. Now there’s Iran and this is our seventh war that the President has started since he’s been in office, which is just barely over a year,” Ray said. “So how long is this going to continue? And what is the end goal for Iran? We had a deal in place that President Trump withdrew from and so what is the goal for for bombing Iran now?” Continue reading Democrats response to Iranian airstrikes

EAST TEXAS — East Texas GOP leaders are voicing strong support for U.S. military strikes against Iran, calling the action necessary to confront terrorism, protect American national security and stand alongside Israel as tensions escalate in the Middle East. According to our news partner KETK, U.S. officials say the strikes, that were carried out in coordination with Israel, targeted Iranian military infrastructure to deter future attacks linked to Iran-backed forces.

The action follows months of increasing regional conflict, threats against U.S. and allied interests, and concerns over Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. The operation, called Operation Epic Fury, prompted swift reactions from lawmakers nationwide, including East Texas leaders who voiced support and concern for deployed U.S. troops. Continue reading Republicans agree on Iran strikes

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County will have 33 polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, March 3.

During the two weeks of early voting, there was a total of 27,964 ballots cast, consisting of 27,010 in-person and 954 mail-in ballots. That surpasses the total of 18,019 early votes in 2024; 18,688 early votes in 2022; and 19,219 early votes in 2020.  Smith County has 160,066 registered voters.

Smith County residents can choose any of the 33 voting centers to cast their ballots on Election Day. There is an easy-to-use interactive map that tells you what is on your ballot and what voting location is closest to you. Find it here.

 

The March 3 Election Day locations include: Continue reading Election day information

TYLER – Democratic Party representatives and officials from East Texas and across the country are speaking out against military escalation on Saturday, following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Our news partner KETK spoke with Interim Smith County Democratic Party Chair Cam Ray about the strikes on Saturday. She called the attacks “Deeply disturbing” and questioned what United States President Donald Trump’s end goal would be in a war with Iran.

“It’s deeply disturbing that we are now diving into another endless war from our president, who has said he’s the peace president. First there was Venezuela. Now there’s Iran and this is our seventh war that the President has started since he’s been in office, which is just barely over a year,” Ray said. “So how long is this going to continue? And what is the end goal for Iran? We had a deal in place that President Trump withdrew from and so what is the goal for for bombing Iran now?” Continue reading Democratic reaction to Iranian airstrikes

EAST TEXAS — East Texas GOP leaders are voicing strong support for U.S. military strikes against Iran, calling the action necessary to confront terrorism, protect American national security and stand alongside Israel as tensions escalate in the Middle East. According to our news partner KETK, U.S. officials say the strikes, that were carried out in coordination with Israel, targeted Iranian military infrastructure to deter future attacks linked to Iran-backed forces.

The action follows months of increasing regional conflict, threats against U.S. and allied interests, and concerns over Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. The operation, called Operation Epic Fury, prompted swift reactions from lawmakers nationwide, including East Texas leaders who voiced support and concern for deployed U.S. troops. Continue reading Republicans praise Iran strikes

LONGVIEW – Two people have been rescued from a hot air balloon basket after it crashed into a cell phone tower in Gregg County on Saturday morning. According to the Longview Fire Department and our news partner KETK, multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the intersection of State Highway 300 in north Gregg County at around 8:15 a.m. after reports came in that a hot air balloon had crashed into a 920-foot cell tower.

First responders started climbing the tower by 8:50 a.m. through the use of multiple rope systems. The climbers contacted two people who were stuck inside the hot air balloons basket at around 10 a.m. on Saturday. Longview Fire Marshal Marcus Delaney told KETK News that both people have been removed from the basket. The two balloonists were both uninjured in the crash.

HENDERSON — The Henderson Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a man who has been missing for almost two weeks. Joseph Shelton, a 23-year-old man, was last seen on Feb. 14 in the area of Van Buren Street in Henderson. He is described by the police department as being approximately 5 foot, 8 inches tall and weighing 157 pounds.

Though there is no clothes description at this time, Shelton is believed to have a gaming system and a laptop, the police department said.

Anyone with information regarding Shelton’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Henderson Police Department by calling 903-657-3512.

LONGVIEW – Two former Longview ISD administrators were sentenced to 10 years of probation on Friday in connection to the abuse of Longview ISD special education students in the 2021-2022 school year. Cassandra Renee James and Linda Kaye Brown Lister were both found guilty of injury to a child by a Gregg County jury on Friday. James and Lister were two of six women arrested in 2022 after video of special education students being mistreated at J.L. Everhart Elementary School was shown to Longview ISD officials.

According to our news partner KETK, their indictments show that James and Lister were charged for “swinging a paddle toward and near the head” of a child and not voluntarily delivering them to an emergency infant care provider.

Longview ISD said James and Lister both resigned from their roles instead of being terminated after the video came to the district’s attention. Continue reading Probation for abuse of special ed students

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is currently searching for the driver of a truck that allegedly crashed into an apartment building off of South Broadway Avenue. According to our news partner KETK and the Tyler PD, the crash happened at around 5 p.m. on Friday after a black truck crossed over a concrete barrier and hit the side of the Broadway Reserve apartment building. The crash did minimal damage to the building but according to officials, the driver fled the scene of the crash. Tyler Police are currently investigating the crash and searching for the suspected driver.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Center for Opinion Research recently surveyed 1,117 Texas voters about their views ahead of the March 2026 primary election, with topics covering hypothetical political matchups and important state issues. In the survey conducted Feb. 13 – 22, 959 of those voters reached indicated they were “likely” or “certain” to vote in this primary election.

In the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, Jasmine Crockett led James Talarico 58% to 37% among likely voters. “Despite the national attention this race has received, 43% of voters say they have only heard a little about what makes each candidate different from the other,” said Dr. Ken Wink, UT Tyler professor and interim center director. “The Democratic primary voters in this survey also indicated they believed Crockett would be as electable in the November general election as Talarico.”
Continue reading UT Tyler voting poll

TYLER – The UT Tyler Police Department is currently investigating a sexual assault case that was reportedly committed in student housing by a person pretending to be a student. The case was reported to UT Tyler police on Wednesday but occurred in student housing between 9 p.m. and midnight on Tuesday. A UT Tyler notification said the suspect in the sexual assault is known to them. The suspect reportedly pretended to be a student associated with UT Tyler in an online chat group before meeting up with a female student at their dorm room, where they were sexually assaulted, according to UT Tyler PD.

UT Tyler PD detectives are actively investigating this case and temporary measures to improve campus safety have been put in place. Continue reading Sexual assault suspect poses as student

KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Chief is currently recovering from injury after he was involved in a confrontation following Tuesday’s city council meeting. According to Chief Todd Hunter, who posted about the incident on Wednesday evening, several firefighters and himself were recognized during the council meeting for their years of service to the Kilgore community. Our news partner KETK reports, Hunter said that during the meeting, a person who had been confronting officers for more than a year for his social media content was in attendance and mockingly booed Hunter as he was being recognized for his 15 years of service to the community.

After the recognition portion of the meeting was complete, Hunter went into the lobby, where he began visiting with residents and colleagues. This is where he was reportedly approached by the individual who had been heckling him during the meeting. Hunter said the individual sought him out in a room full of people and proceeded to aggressively bump the chief in the chest. Hunter quickly brought the person to the ground and placed him under arrest with the help of officers in the area.

Following the incident, Hunter said he did sustain a shoulder injury. The alleged agitator, Eric Brian Trotter, 39, of Kilgore, is facing two felony charges. Continue reading Police chief assaulted after city council meeting

TYLER – A Pennsylvania middle school employee was arrested Thursday in Philadelphia on a Smith County warrant accusing him of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 15, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. According to our news partner KETK, U.S. Marshals said that 43-year-old Michael Robinson, traveled to Tyler in Aug. 2024 to meet a child under 15 who he had previously met online. Authorities allege the child was sexually assaulted over the course of the weekend when he visited Tyler that August.

In Dec. 2025, the Smith County District Attorney’s Office indicted Robinson on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. A warrant was issued and assigned to the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force for execution. Investigators later determined Robinson was employed as a paraprofessional at Radnor Township Middle School in Pennsylvania. Members of the task force located Robinson at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday in Philadelphia and arrested him without incident.