Local Headlines

Smith, Gregg County early voting

TYLER – Early Voting for the City of Tyler mayor runoff election continues through June 9. Stuart Hene is currently serving as a Tyler City Councilmember and John Nix is a former City Councilmember are running for the position.

Early voting hours will be:
*8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 1-5
*9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 6
*8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, June 8-9. (more…)

Quadruple murderer gets life

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A Cherokee County man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for his role in a 2021 murder in New Summerfield that left four people dead. According to our news partner KETK, Jesse Pawlowski was sentenced to life in prison on Monday without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the murders of John Clinton, Jeff Gerla, Ami Hickey and Amanda Bain.

Arrest affidavits revealed, that Pawlowksi along with with Dylan Welch and Billy Phillips planned to meet Clinton at his trailer home and attempted to steal a handgun from him. After receiving a report of a dead body near the home, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office found that Clinton had been shot in the head. (more…)

Sheriff searching for crash suspect

RUSK COUNTY – The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a man wanted in connection to a crash that happened on Highway 79 on Friday. According to the sheriff’s office, a two-vehicle crash happened at around 6 p.m. on Friday on Highway 79 near County Road 341 in Chapman. Dispatchers were told that two people fled from the crash scene on foot.

The Texas Department of Public Safety was able to locate one of those suspects from the crash scene but one man wasn’t found during their search on Friday. The sheriff’s office identified that man as Derek Laningham. On Saturday at around 8 a.m., a resident called the sheriff’s office from County Road 341 because a man had entered his home and took his car keys and clothes. The sheriff’s office said this man was also identified as Derek Laningham.

Deputies searched the area near the caller’s home on foot and in ATVs but they still haven’t found him as of Saturday night. Laningham now has a warrant out for his arrest and the sheriff’s office asked residents to call them at 903-657-3581 if a suspicious person is spotted near County Road 341.

Police investigating possible drowning

SMITH COUNTY — A woman has been taken to a hospital after a drowning was reported at Lake Tyler on Sunday. According to Tyler police and our news partner KETK, the 35-year-old woman reportedly went under the water at Lake Tyler at around 4:45 p.m. Smith County Emergency Services District 2 firefighters responded to the scene and performed CPR on her.

The woman was then transported to a hospital for treatment. Tyler police were on the scene at Lake Tyler Marina investigating the case as a suspected accidental drowning. Officials were unaware of the woman’s condition after she was taken to the hospital.

Pedestrian dies in one vehicle crash

KILGORE – Authorities are reporting a pedestrian was killed on Monday morning at the CB Tire Shop in Kilgore after a truck left State Highway 135.

According our news partner KETK and the Kilgore Police Department, emergency services were sent out to the CB Tire Shop on Highway 135 at around 8:07 a.m. on Monday because of a reported pedestrian crash.

Upon arrival, first responders learned that a white 2024 Ford pickup truck was traveling south on State Highway 135 when the vehicle left the road and hit a pedestrian at the tire shop.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash. Kilgore PD said their preliminary findings show that the driver of the Ford had a medical emergency before their vehicle crashed off the road. Kilgore PD is still investigating this crash.

Deputies searching for missing man

CAMP COUNTY – Camp County Sheriff’s Office deputies are currently searching for a man who was last seen near FM 556 and FM 1519 W. Richard Spence is listed as a white man with brown hair and a goatee who’s about 5-foot 6-inches to 5-foot 8-inches tall and weighs between 120 to 140 pounds.

Spence was last seen wearing a brown t-shirt with yellow print on the front and blue jeans while he was in the area of FM 556 and FM 1519 W.

Anyone with information about Spence’s location or disappearance is asked to call Lt. Randy Huggins at 903-856-6651.

Kidnapping charges for fleeing boyfriend

MARSHALL – A man is wanted after police said he kidnapped his ex-girlfriend in Marshall on Saturday, before fleeing to Louisiana. According to our news partner – KETK – and Marshall police, dispatch received a call requesting a welfare check at a property in the 1300 block of East Pinecrest Drive at around 7:29 a.m. Officers responding to the scene, met a woman, who said she had just been kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend.

Officers determined the woman had escaped from her ex-boyfriend, who fled from the scene before they arrived. Police identified the ex-boyfriend as Jamichael Brown.

Brown’s vehicle was later found abandoned in Greenwood, La. Marshall police joined with the Joint Harrison County Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force, the Waskom Police Department, the Greenwood Police Department, and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office to conduct a joint search of the area near his vehicle, but were unable to locate Brown. (more…)

One dead, two injured in Hwy 31 crash

BROWNSBORO – 1 person is dead and two people have been injured after a three-vehicle crash happened on Highway 31 between Brownsboro and Chandler on Saturday.

According to Brownsboro Fire Rescue and our news partner KETK, the crash happened at around 9:42 a.m. on Saturday when an 18-wheeler, a pickup truck and a white car crashed in the 19251 block of Highway 31 near Rock Hill Baptist Church.

Brownsboro Fire Rescue told KETK News that one person died in the crash while two others were injured and have been transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The Chandler Volunteer Fire Department and Brownsboro Fire Rescue both responded to the crash scene and they’re diverting traffic to the middle lanes of Highway 31.

One arrest in fatal crash

ATHENS – An 18-year-old man was arrested recently in connection to a February fatal crash that left one woman pedestrian dead on FM 2709 near Athens. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and our news partner KETK, Martha Anette Belcher, 73 of Athens, was walking along the westbound lane of FM 2709 near Highway 19 at around 7 a.m. on Feb. 25, when she was hit and killed by a gray Chevrolet Silverado.

Texas State Troopers then investigated to try and identify the vehicle and driver involved in the hit-and-run crash. A DPS press release identified 18-year-old Alexis Davila of Athens as the driver of the Chevrolet. DPS officials said Davila fled the scene of the crash and never reported it to law enforcement. He was arrested on May 29 for collision involving death and tampering/fabricating physical evidence.

Davila was released from the Henderson County Jail on May 30 after posting a $30,000 bond.

Marshall water shut off for Scenic Loop

MARSHALL – Phase one of Marshall’s water stabilization project will begin Monday, meaning temporary loss of water for some residents. According to our news partner KETK, the shut off started at 4 p.m. around U.S. Highway 59 and State Highway 43. Affected areas are said to include the Scenic Loop area between Pinecrest Drive and Bell Street. Water should be back on for all residents by 10 p.m. Monday night.

Authorities say the water will be shut off while contractors tie into the newly repaired 16-inch water line that runs under the highway. This outage is required to complete the connections and place the infrastructure into service.

As well as a water shut off, the City of Marshall has issued a boil water notice for the same area.

Upshur County law breaks up outdoor party

UPSHUR COUNTY – Upshur County law enforcement officials broke up an unauthorized private party with over 60 minors in attendance on Sunday.

According our news partner KETK, and the Upshur County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, social media posts were circulating promoting a party for minors that was supposed to happen off of Wren Road, in rural Upshur County on Sunday. The posts caused local law enforcement to be concerned that drugs or alcohol at the party.

Officers from the Upshur County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Game Wardens and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office went out to the party on Sunday and found more than 60 juveniles gathered at an unauthorized private property off of Wren Road.

They also discovered alcoholic beverages at the scene along with several juveniles who were apparently intoxicated. Drivers at the party were given Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and several minors were given citations for consumption of alcohol.

Law enforcement then dispersed the crowd of minors after they helped collect trash from the scene.

Habitat selects new CDO

Tyler – Habitat for Humanity of Smith County is pleased to announce the naming of it’s new Chief Development Officer. He is Tyler-native and veteran communications specialist Mike Landess.  
 
Mike has served on the Smith County Habitat Executive Board for the past 6 years and is a volunteer with their construction teams.
 
He and his wife, Maddie, moved back to Tyler in 2019 after his highly successful, multi-decade career in broadcast journalism. That career began here in Tyler as a high school senior.