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NEW SUMMERFIELD – One person was taken into custody at around noon on Tuesday after New Summerfield ISD received threats, the district shared. According to the district, campuses were under lockdown and law enforcement was present after they received an “unverified threat.” “Law enforcement has the caller of the threat in custody in another town,” New Summerfield said. After the person was taken into custody, law enforcement gave the district the all clear to return to their regular schedule.

SMITH COUNTY – On Tuesday, September 3, the Smith County Commissioners Court held another public hearing before adopting the Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Tax Rate. The budget increases the actual tax rate by 1.6967 cents, to a total of 36.4231 cents per $100 valuation. The tax increase is caused by the Courthouse and Parking Garage Bond approved by voters in November 2022, Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said. The balanced proposed budget, which will go into effect on October 1, can be found here: http://www.smith-county.com/government/departments/auditor/financials/adopted-budgets. Continue reading Commissioners adopt proposed budget and tax rate

TYLER – Governor Gregg Abbott said that more than 1 million illegitimate voters have been removed from the state’s voter roll, since the signing of Senate Bill 1 in 2021. Our news partner KETK is reporting that Senator Bryan Hughes, the author of the bill and Tyler’s state senator, said the people who are removed are people that have died, moved away and are non-US citizens. Integrity in Texas elections has been the priority for Senate Bill One over the past two years.

Hughes guaranteed that people are not taken off without reason and there is a process to find out who is ineligible. If the voter has moved, a voter registration card is sent to both addresses on file to confirm their residency, if not they get moved to the suspense list.

Some Democrats believe the changes are going too far. Continue reading Sen. Bryan Hughes discusses Senate Bill 1

RUSK COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report human remains were found in a burning vehicle in Rusk County early Sunday morning. According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and the fire department were dispatched to CR 4132 and CR 4135 in reference to a vehicle on fire. Once the fire was put out, officials were able to examine the four door sedan where they reportedly located human remains inside. Continue reading Human remains found inside burning vehicle in East Texas

NACOGDOCHES — A 23-year-old man has been arrested for murder following an overnight shooting that left one dead. According to our news partner KETK and the Nacogdoches Police Department, officials responded to Fulgham Street after reports of gunshots being heard in the area. While in route, officers received other calls that someone had been shot. The victim was found outside the residence suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim died at a local hospital a short time later. The victim’s name has not been released.

Jalen Boughton, 23, of Nacogdoches, was arrested for murder and remains in the Nacogdoches County Jail. The police department said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

RAINS COUNTY — Three East Texas children are dead after a Friday evening crash on US 69, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. According to DPS’s preliminary investigation and our news partner KETK, a 2006 Hyundai Elantra was driving southbound on US 69 near Penny Road at around 7:20 p.m. A Ford F150 was also traveling southbound and the third vehicle, a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling northbound.

When the vehicles began to slow down, the driver of the Hyundai reportedly veered into the shoulder to avoid hitting a vehicle in front of it. When the Hyundai drove back into the southbound lane, DPS said it struck the Ford F150 and entered into the northbound lane. Continue reading Three East Texas siblings died in US 69 crash

GREGG COUNTY – A traffic stop in Gregg County led to the seizure of an illegal psychedelic and now officials are warning the community of the risks the drug poses. According to the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and our news partners at KETK, deputies found 2C-B, an illegal drug “often disguised as a harmless party drug,” during a recent traffic stop. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation said 2C-B can cause hallucinations, nausea, anxiety and panic. Continue reading Psychedelics ‘disguised as party drug’ found in Gregg County

GILMER – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said they’ve started a criminal investigation into former District Clerk Nicole Hernandez, according to our news partners at KETK. According to a press release, the sheriff’s office was asked to start an investigation into Hernandez’s conduct as Upshur County District Clerk by Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd on Thursday, Aug. 29. Hernandez reportedly resigned from her position on the same day. The sheriff’s office said that they’ll turn over the findings to Byrd once they’ve completed their investigation. On Friday, Melissa Chevalier was named the new Upshur County District Clerk by District Judge Dean Fowler.

SMITH COUNTY – A Tyler man received a 20 year prison sentence Wednesday for possession of meth. According to our news partner KETK, 54-year-old Roy Lee Bosell was arrested after a traffic stop for outstanding warrants. A Smith County deputy found marijuana in Bosell’s pocket. A K9 then alerted officers to drugs in his vehicle. With the vehicle search, deputies found “multiple bags of methamphetamine as well as other illegal contraband and drug paraphernalia.”

Tuesday, Bosell pleaded not guilty to the possession charge. The next day, a jury found him guilty. Because of four previous felony convictions, Bosell’s punishment range for the crime was 2-20 years in state prison, and he was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years.

TYLER – The son of the Smith County Clerk and a Smith County commissioner, was charged with obstruction, retaliation on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, Lance Phillips, whose parents are Clerk Karen Phillips and Commissioner Terry Phillips, was charged while he was already being held in the Smith County Jail for his conviction on charges of hindering a proceeding by disorderly conduct.

The list of legal troubles for the 40-year-old include being arrested for assault of a public servant, pleading guilty to evading arrest and being arrested for disrupting a Smith County Commissioners Court meeting. Phillips has a bond of $750,000 for the charge of obstruction, retaliation.

JACKSONVILLE – Austin Bank announced in a press release that longtime banker Laurel Ann (Sissy) Phillips Austin died Thursday of Parkinson’s disease. Sissy served as a member of the Austin Bank Leadership Team. She was Chief Lending Officer, Investment Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Austin Bank and Austin Bancorp, Inc. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, September 3rd, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Methodist Church: 1031 SE Loop 456, Jacksonville TX, with the Rev. Bonnie Osteen officiating.

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for drug possession. According to our news partner KETK, 63-year-old Billy O’Neal Black was given a life sentence for possession of a controlled substance in the amount of four grams but less than 200 grams.

A release from the Smith County DA’s office said that Black was stopped by Tyler police during a traffic stop in December of last year. He tried to run from officers initially. A vehicle search yielded multiple bags of crack cocaine and methamphetamine individually packaged for sale, marijuana, powder cocaine mixed with Viagra, and roughly $1,200 in cash. He was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and evading arrest/detention.

During sentencing, the jury received evidence that Black had three previous felony convictions, which the DA’s office said places him in the habitual offender category and can receive punishment of 25 years to life.

TATUM – Love your neighbor is not what an East Texas man was arrested for after allegedly pointing a firearm at another Tatum resident, according to our news partners at KETK. On Wednesday, a Tatum Police Department officer was investigating a report where a man had allegedly pointed a firearm and threatened his neighbor. The neighbor told police Kekoa Elijah Hurt threatened to kill him. “Our police officer made contact with the alleged suspect and determined that there was sufficient evidence to arrest the suspect,” Tatum PD said. Hurt was arrested for deadly conduct and taken to the Rusk County Jail where he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

SMITH COUNTY -DPS has confirmed two are dead after a two-vehicle collision Thursday morning. According to our news partner KETK, DPS Sergeant Adam Albritton said the accident involved an SUV on FM2908 traveling north and a pickup truck going east on CR 384. Albritton said the truck ran a stop sign at the intersection and collided with the SUV. The driver and its passenger in the pickup truck were thrown from the vehicle. They later died. The driver of the SUV was taken to a hospital. As of this time, their identities have not been released.

BULLARD – A Bullard man has been arrested after allegedly grooming multiple minors and buying them vapes and alcohol according to our news partner KETK.

According to an arrest affidavit, on July 25 the Bullard Police Department helped the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in finding a runaway that was suspected to be at 320 South Todd Street in Bullard. Upon their arrival to the residence, law enforcement made contact with an individual identified as Randy Smith, age 47 and originally of Whitehouse, the document said. Smith reportedly identified himself as the owner of the residence. Court documents state that officers found four minors at his residence, including the runaway. Smith allegedly claimed the child was dropped off at his home at some point in the night and had been friends with his daughter who recently left the state.

According to the affidavit, on July 30 a Bullard PD investigator observed a forensic interview with the runaway child at the Child Advocacy Center in Tyler. During the interview the minor said that they had snuck out of their parents residence and an unidentified individual picked them up and took them to Smith’s residence. Continue reading Bullard man harboring runaway had history with minors

TYLER – Tyler will soon be home to a brand new all-inclusive ballfield. The city of Tyler announced on Wednesday a partnership with the Miracle League of Tyler to create a state-of-the-art, all-inclusive Miracle League ballfield at Faulkner Park. According to our news partner KETK, the cost of the field is roughly $1,680,000. Completion of the construction of the field is scheduled by the end of next summer.

The Miracle League of Tyler is an organization that focuses on making baseball accessible. The new complex will have an all-inclusive ballfield with accessible bleachers, a concession stand and restrooms “to ensure that everyone, regardless of their physical abilities, can fully participate,” according to the city.

The Miracle League of Tyler is contributing $1,164,141.44 toward the project, complemented by up to $500,000 from the City of Tyler’s half-cent sales tax fund. SCI construction will complete the field.

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that arrest documents of a Jacksonville man accused of child sex crimes depict an online undercover operation where he thought he was chatting with a 15-year-old girl. 36-year-old Andrew Holmans was arrested Thursday and charged with child grooming, employing, authorizing, or inducing a child to participate in a sexual performance and online solicitation of a minor. A DPS special agent was undercover on Kik, known to law enforcement as an app used by sexual predators, when Holmans started a conversation on Aug. 8, the affidavit said. The affidavit goes on and details conversations where Holmans would send, to whom he thought was a 15-year-old, pornographic material, what he wanted to do to them and inappropriate photo requests. According to the affidavit, Holmans would describe what he was going to do to the “child” once they met up Thursday morning at a public place in Tyler. Holmans was booked into the Smith County Jail on Thursday and is being held on a combined $1.5 million bond.

TYLER – Colin Allred, named the most bi-partisan Texan in congress by the Common Ground Committee, made several stops in East Texas on Sunday and Monday.The Democratic Texas senate candidate campaigned in Tyler on Sunday and attendees at the St. Louis Baptist Church said they are excited for his grassroots campaign. “I don’t see Texans in partisan labels, I really don’t. I see us as Texans,” Allred said. Allred recognized that the state must come together to protect Medicare, social security and the border. “I want to have conversations with Texans about where I think we can go together. I think we’ve had 12 years of incredibly divisive and actually not very productive, in terms of getting things done,” Allred said. According to his campaign officials, Allred also shared his message to more than 250 people Sunday afternoon in Tyler and at Wiley University Monday. “I’m a fourth-generation Texan, former NFL linebacker, voting rights attorney and dad to two perfect little boys. On Nov. 5, I’m going to beat Ted Cruz,” Allred said.

TYLER – The Tyler City Council voted on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to authorize a $1,501,920 contract with TanksCo Inc. for the West 2nd Street elevated storage tank rehabilitation project. The one-million-gallon water storage tank on the south side of West 2nd Street and Butler Avenue was inspected in the fall of 2019 and identified as needing improvements. Rehabilitation of the West 2nd Street elevated storage tank includes sandblasting and painting the interior and exterior of the tank, access improvements, steel repairs, a tank mixer, altitude valve and appurtenances, minor yard piping and tank disinfection to prepare it for service. Continue reading Council approves elevated water storage tank rehabilitation

TYLER – All non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed for business on Monday, September 2, for Labor Day. Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, September 3. Smith County Commissioners Court will be held at its normal time, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Smith County hopes you all have a relaxing and safe Labor Day!
 

BULLARD – The Bullard ISD announced their budget for 2024-25 and set tax rates at a special meeting held on Monday, Aug. 26. According to a release from the district, the district Board of Trustees approved a $31,500,000 budget before adopting a total tax rate of $1.2469 per $100 valuation. The adopted tax rate includes a maintenance and operation (M&O) rate of $0.7469 and an interest and sinking (I&S) rate of $0.50. The district noted the 2023-24 rates and budget, where the M&O rate decreased by $0.0023 due to rising property values and tax rate compression. The I&S rate remains at $.50 due to the $103 million bond package voters approved in May 2022.

TYLER – United States senator Ted Cruz was in Tyler on Tuesday as the featured speaker at a luncheon for the Tyler Area Builders Association. According to our news partner KETK, Cruz spoke to about 200 members for the TABA and their guests at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler. 

“We are very pleased and honored today to have senator Ted Cruz come and speak today.” Sam Mezayek, former president of the Tyler Building Association, said

This is the third time in as many weeks that Senator Cruz has been in East Texas speaking about his race for the United States Senate. He said that without East Texans’ support in the 2018 election, he likely wouldn’t be in office today. He continued to thank Texas republicans for the majority support throughout the years.
Continue reading Senator Ted Cruz speaks at TABA event

UPDATE: Athens Public Safety said that as of 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, the gas leak has been contained and access to the previously evacuated businesses has been restored.

ATHENS – Multiple buildings and businesses have been evacuated due to a natural gas leak in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, Athens PD said, the natural gas leak is from a four-inch natural gas main on Ben Belt Drive. This has led to the evacuation of Gibson Pharmacy, a CEFCO convenience store and gas station and the Trinity Valley Community College administration building.

City officials say that Athens police and fire are on scene and are working with Atmos Energy to stop the leak. Drivers are urged to avoid the area until the leak has been fixed.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Former Payne Springs Chief of Police April Meadows was sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering and manufacturing/delivering drugs, according to our news partners at KETK. She was sentenced to two years for the money laundering charge and 15 years for the felony drug charge in a Henderson County court on Tuesday. Those sentences are set to run concurrently to one another and Meadows already has almost a year’s worth of jail credit. Meadows was arrested along with Jonathan Hutchison, a former police officer. Earlier this month, Hutchison was sentenced to 20 years in prison for manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said at the time of their arrests that search warrants served at their homes revealed controlled substances inside.