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LONGVIEW — A Winona man awaiting trial on a murder charge was given a new lawyer last week. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, 22-year-old Alejandro Garcia asked to replace his prior representation with Gilmer attorney Tim Cone. Garcia was arrested in December in the death of 19-year-old Andres Chavez. Chavez’s body was found near Whistle-Stop Mobile Home Park in Longview. An autopsy revealed Chavez died from blunt trauma to the head and sharp force injuries to the neck.

PAYNE SPRINGS (Staff/AP) — An East Texas man has been charged with murder after it was determined the victim, his girlfriend, did not die from suicide. According to KETK, Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt says authorities were called to the 7000 block of Porthville Drive near Payne Springs around 4:30 Saturday morning. Clyde Jason Tennison, a resident there, reportedly said he found Deborah Denise Allen, 47, dead in the home. It was also learned Tennison was in a relationship with Allen and they lived together, according to authorities. Chief Deputy Botie Hillhouse said Tennison suggested the case was a suicide. Continue reading Henderson Co. Man Allegedly Kills Girlfriend, Charged with Murder

TYLER — Smith County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect responsible for striking Kenneth Jones and leaving the scene of the accident. The Tyler Police Department is continuing to investigate the fatal pedestrian accident which happened July 13th near the intersection of Van Highway and Loop 323. Investigators are seeking information on the vehicle and driver who struck and killed the 23-year-old. Investigators recovered debris at the accident scene from the suspect vehicle, and believe it to be an unknown model Chevrolet. Officials say you must call 903-597-CUFF or 903-597-2833 to be eligible for the reward.

LONGVIEW – For the third year in a row the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship has been held in Longview. Sunday, it was announced the national champion was John Petrehn, of Kansas City, Kansas. His youngest brother, Paul, was last year’s winner. According to the Longview News Journal, other winners announced yesterday: Bruce Bussey, of Longview was the overall Great Texas Balloon Race winner. Joe Heartsill, of San Angelo was the Texas State Champion. Rookie of the year honors went to Steve Mitchell, of Streetsboro, Ohio.

TYLER — Motorists should expect delays during their commutes this week as work on the Interstate Highway 20 construction projects continues. The contractor will be overlaying the roadway and repairing bridge joints which will impact multiple ramps within the project limits. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), several ramps will be closed during the day on this project which runs from just west of U.S. Highway 69 to Farm Road 14 in the EB lanes only. Continue reading Some Delays Expected Around I-20 Construction in Smith County

CONROE (AP/Staff) – Four boating-related deaths so far this year have made Lake Conroe the deadliest lake in Texas since 2000, while Lake Palestine is high on the list. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department records show 22 people since then have been killed on the 21,000-acre lake north of Houston. That’s two more than Lake Livingston, about 70 miles northeast of Houston, in the same period. Officials tell the Houston Chronicle the numbers are up despite increased law enforcement and better boater education. Alcohol is blamed for many of the deaths. Records show Lake Travis northwest of Austin and Lake Lewisville in the Dallas area are next with 17 boating-related fatalities since 2000, followed by Lake Palestine at number five with 16. In 2000, Texas recorded 53 boating fatalities. Last year, 21 people were killed.

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – The recent arrests of two Texas football players for sexual assault, including an East Texan, are a rare example of police detaining suspects in alleged campus rape cases. The Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV have found that police have responded to reports of 19 sexual assaults in the last 5 years at the University of Texas and five other Central Texas colleges. Those six schools total more than 100,000 students. Of those cases, police have arrested six people in four cases. Two of those people are Kendall Sanders (pictured) of Athens and Montrel Meander, arrested after a UT student accused them of raping her in a dorm room. Attorneys for both men have denied the allegations. Police and university officials say victims are often reluctant to come forward and pursue a prosecution.

TYLER — The festivities and revelries of Paris will come to downtown Tyler on Saturday, August 9 as Heart of Tyler hosts its seventh annual Black Tie Bingo Gala. The fundraiser has the theme of “Moulin Rouge” this year, according to a city of Tyler news release. French-style cuisine, songs from Moulin Rouge, and even the Can Can will be part of the surrounding entertainment, but the featured activity of the evening is four “high stakes” games of bingo. Game winners will receive prizes such as cooking classes, a downtown luxury pampering package, and Texas Rangers tickets. The final prize will be a pair of Liberty Hall fall season passes. Continue reading Heart of Tyler Hosts Annual Black Tie Bingo Gala

TYLER – The latest major exhibition in the Tyler Museum of Art’s busy summer and fall season highlights the museum’s milestones in building its Permanent Collection – while celebrating its achievements in cultivating the talents and reputations of some of the state’s most noteworthy artists of the modern era. That’s according to a TMA news release about Contemporary Texas: Selections from the Permanent Collection, which opened to the public Sunday and continues through Nov. 30 in the TMA’s North Gallery. Admission is free. Continue reading Contemporary Texas Shines Spotlight on TMA’s Permanent Collection

LUFKIN (AP) – A 38-year-old Lufkin man is jailed under $75,000 bond for what police say is his second assault with an ax in eight months. Authorities say James Carl Garrett Jr. is held on an aggravated robbery charge for the July 13 attack. An arrest affidavit examined by The Lufkin Daily News says Garrett was found hiding in a bathroom closet after the victim called police. Documents say Garrett contended he was acting in self-defense. The victim told police he picked up a woman at a club and was confronted by Garrett when he returned her home the next morning. The police report says the victim received hospital treatment for a neck wound. Records show Garrett was arrested in December for aggravated assault for threatening his girlfriend with an ax.

KILGORE — An East Texas man has been killed in a one-vehicle crash near Kilgore. According to the Kilgore Police Department, shortly before 2:30 Thursday morning, officers responded to a crash on Farm Road 2087 near Farm Road 349. According to KETK, authorities determined the accident was outside city limits and turned the investigation over to DPS. Troopers discovered a truck driven by Juan Rene Marcott, 41, of Henderson, wrecked after his pickup slid on the slick road and hit a culvert, then rolled several times. Marcott was thrown from the vehicle during the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene. No other passengers were inside the vehicle. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the crash.

MARSHALL — A man accused of attacking multiple people at a Marshall Walmart with a hatchet has been found competent to stand trial. According to KETK, that information is included in a report filed July 8 by Dr. Barbara Beadles, a competency program staff psychiatrist at the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon. The suspect is Christopher Lynn Hamilton, 28, of Crawford, Arkansas. According to a trial competency evaluation document, Hamilton understood the possible outcomes following his competency test: going back to jail and trial or going back to the hospital. Hamilton had been ordered March 31 to Rusk State Hospital, where he was to spend no more than 120 days. According to the Marshall News Messenger, that order was based on a psychologist’s opinion that Hamilton wasn’t competent to stand trial. Continue reading Hatchet Slinging Suspect Found Competent to Stand Trial

TYLER — Authorities say the arrest of 31-year-old Dustin Berry has cleared four area burglaries. According to a Smith County Sheriff’s Office news release, detectives received information Tuesday from a Smith County resident regarding over $21,000 worth of tools and wires which had been taken when his business was burglarized on July 18 in Flint. He was told that it was a former employee who had stolen his property and that some of that property could now be found in the Pinecrest mobile home park on FM 2868 in Flint. That same day, another Smith County resident contacted SCSO detectives advising she also had information that her stolen property was located in the Pinecrest mobile home park. This victim’s home had been burglarized on Wednesday, July 23, and a John Deere riding lawnmower had been stolen. Continue reading SCSO: Four Burglaries Cleared with One Arrest

TYLER — Tyler City Manager Mark McDaniel announced Friday that he will be resigning after accepting a position as an assistant city manager in Dallas. “We are grateful to Mark for his 10 years of service to the City of Tyler. Mark and our entire City staff have worked diligently to make Tyler the standard for local government,” said Mayor Martin Heines. “We wish him the best of success in his future endeavors. Our city council will move forward with the appointment of an interim city manager on Aug. 13. Our permanent replacement search will focus on employing a city manager who shares our beliefs in a conservative business-like approach to City government.” Continue reading Tyler’s City Manager Heading to Dallas

NEW SUMMERFIELD — The New Summerfield Police Department received confirmation Friday from the Southwest Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas that the body discovered July 29 near Reklaw was that of Javier Jimenez. According to KETK, police say Jimenez was positively identified utilizing finger prints on file. The Medical Examiner listed the cause of death as homicide due to gunshot wound. Officials say there is no further information to release at this time and the investigation is continuing with the assistance of several allied agencies. Continue reading Body Found in Cherokee County Identified

NOONDAY – A reward has been posted in connection with the June robbery of Austin Bank in Noonday. In cooperation with the Texas Bankers Association and other sources a $15,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons involved. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600. Continue reading Reward Offered in Austin Bank Heist

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith gets some recognition from a statewide group of peers. According to a news release, Smith, along with several officials with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, attended the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas 136th Annual Training Conference and Expo in San Antonio from July 26-29. At the awards dinner Tuesday evening, SAT President and Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano presented the President’s Award to Smith for what were termed his outstanding support and cooperation with the Sheriff’s Association of Texas and his commitment to unselfish service to the people of the State of Texas. The award states that Sheriff Smith is recognized by his peers as an honorable person and an outstanding citizen.

Cerliano cited Smith’s many accomplishments throughout his almost 40 years in law enforcement, including his assistance in obtaining a confession from a shooter who had killed four people during a robbery in 1994. That confession led to the recovery of essential evidence allowing the suspect to be convicted, according to the release. Cerliano gave many examples of Smith’s willingness to assist other agencies in their investigations as well as mentor law enforcement officers in case investigations and drafting search and arrest warrants.

QUITMAN (Staff/AP) — The deaths of two young girls in Quitman have been ruled homicides. KETK reported Thursday it has obtained the preliminary autopsy report on the case. According to Wood County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Alice Tomerlin, Gabriella Guerrero, 3, died from blunt force injuries and Natalye Price, 1, died from blunt force trauma to her head and trunk. Thomas Wayne Liles (pictured), 19, of Quitman, remains jailed on $25,000 bond for allegedly tampering with the case. Continue reading Deaths of Girls in Quitman Ruled Homicides

TYLER — The Salvation Army in Tyler has accepted $150,000 in grant monies through the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans Assistance Series XIV-B to provide emergency financial assistance to prevent and end homelessness for veterans and their families. The effort is known as the Emergency Veterans’ Assistance Program. Salvation Army officials note that according to current national statistics, veterans are twice as likely as any other American to become homeless. The unemployment rate for recently discharged veterans is nearly 3 times the national average. In East Texas, according to the Salvation Army’s most recent Community Needs Assessment conducted by the East Texas Human Needs Network, 37% of veterans interviewed were living below the poverty line. 34% were living in temporary housing, and 8% were homeless. 71% stated that they were struggling financially. Continue reading Salvation Army Announces Emergency Veterans’ Assistance Program

LINDALE — The Lindale Police Department is investigating after Miranda Lambert’s face was vandalized on a billboard. KETK reports police are searching for the person or people responsible for drawing a mustache on the face. The billboard is located on Highway 69 just north of Lindale and is used to welcome visitors to the singer’s hometown. If you have any information regarding the crime, contact the Lindale Police Department.

LONGVIEW — Longview police issue another cautionary note on a problem we’re hearing too much about this summer: children left in hot cars. Police say safety should be first and foremost when it comes to children riding in child safety seats. Drivers should do whatever it takes to be reminded that there is a child in the back seat of the car, according to a news release. Police say parents should also lock their vehicles when they are parked in the driveways of their homes. Continue reading Police: Children Dying in Cars from Heatstrokes Is Preventable

TYLER — A suspect who was allegedly involved in passing counterfeit $50 bills in Tyler has been arrested on two counts of forgery of money. Police say she is identified as Jalecia Ann White, 25, of Tyler. Judge Jack Skeen set her bond at $100,000 on each charge. This is still an ongoing investigation, according to authorities. Officers had responded to Dairy Queen and Family Dollar on Gentry Parkway July 24 in reference to a suspect passing the bills. Police put out the word on the case this past Tuesday and later said they’d identified her, voicing appreciation for tips provided by the public.

CHAPEL HILL Authorities are looking for a man with reported ties to the Aryan Brotherhood who they say escaped deputies serving a warrant on him Wednesday. The suspect is considered to be armed and dangerous. KETK reports Charles Ray Griffith, 24, was wanted for possession of drugs and lives in the Chapel Hill Area. At around 5 p.m., the man ran from deputies who were attempting to arrest him at a home in the 15900 block of Dry Creek Road, according to officials. A K-9 unit was called in to assist in the search, but authorities say they lost track of Griffith after he headed into a nearby creek. Contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600 or the Pct. 4 Constable’s office at 903-590-4871 if you have information on Griffith.

WINONA — We’re hearing more about the resignation of Dede Stroud as Winona Mayor after less than three months in office. Stroud tells KETK she was harassed and neglected, and couldn’t handle it any longer. She says she knew it would be difficult but that she didn’t anticipate “a day-to-day battle on the inside of the City Hall in order to get control of the situation” going on in the city. She added, “The Council stripped me of all of my duties other than signing checks and preparing the budget.” Stroud also says, “I feel like I let everyone down, and I’m sorry. I did not turn my back on the community. I did turn my back on the council members and the people at City Hall” because “I refuse to let them treat me like that.” Mayor Pro Tem Earl Brown will fill in as mayor for the time being. The Council will meet this evening to discuss the resignation and the future of the financially troubled city.

HAWKINS — The Hawkins mayor says everything said about him in an arrest affidavit is not true, except for the fact that he was at the residence where the alleged violation took place. Will Rogers is accused of overstepping his duties as mayor and threatening to fine a resident $500 if she didn’t cut her grass. Rogers tells KETK he never threatened to write the woman a ticket or impose a fine about her grass. He says he wanted to talk to her about her concession stand. Rogers claims it’s a nuisance and people were complaining. That stand could have also cost the woman $500 a day. Continue reading Hawkins Mayor Tells His Side of the Story

REKLAW — Cherokee County law enforcement is working to determine the identity of a body found Tuesday near Reklaw. KETK reports that according to the New Summerfield Police Department, on July 24, officials began a missing person investigation for Javier Jimenez. He was reported missing by his wife the day before. Jimenez left his house for work in Jacksonville at 7:00am, but he never returned home. On July 29, a truck was found abandoned on a piece of land in the Reklaw area. Deputies and police officers responded to the scene and found a body in the bed of the vehicle. Continue reading Body Found in Cherokee County

HENDERSON — Authorities have released the results of a blood alcohol test for an East Texas woman who reportedly killed a mother and her two children in a July 10 drunken-driving accident. KETK reports that according to Rusk County officials, the blood alcohol content level for Shelby Taylor, 22, of Henderson, was .16, twice the legal limit, at the time of the crash. Taylor remains free on $501,000 bond. She was facing a 2013 DWI accusation, among other charges, before the fatal crash occurred. The Rusk County District Attorney’s Office has filed three manslaughter charges against her for the deaths of Rudra Patel, 5, Trisha Patel, 12, and Heena Patel, 43. The father, Ketanbhai Patel, 42, survived the crash. Continue reading Blood Alcohol Results Released in Triple Fatality

LONGVIEW — Today’s the deadline for Longview residents to share their thoughts and ideas about the future of parks in the city. As part of the Longview Comprehensive Plan, the city is updating the 5-year Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan. Residents can give their input by completing a survey. According to Director of Community Services Laura Hill, “This Master Plan is very important to our staff members, park board members, and city council because it informs us of citizens’ priorities. For instance, over the last several years, we have seen a major improvement to our walking trails, which was a direct result of residents telling us those were a top priority.” You can go to
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LongviewParks for the survey.

TYLER — Wednesday’s ribbon cutting has officially opened the Fair Plaza Parking Garage at 208 South College Ave. in Tyler. “The garage will be an integral part of the entry point into downtown,” said City Engineer Carter Delleney. “We are particularly pleased that the façade will be in keeping with the look, history and feel of our downtown.” The garage’s exterior design incorporates architectural elements from the Blackstone Hotel, Tyler Commercial College, the clock tower from the historic Smith County Courthouse, and other former landmark buildings. Continue reading Fair Plaza Garage Officially Opens

LONGVIEW – Gregg County deputies are continuing to investigate the death of a Longview man. According to KETK, preliminary autopsy results ruled out foul play as a factor in the death of Donald Merrills, 40. His body was found just after 6:00 Monday evening outside a residence on Rebecca Circle near his home. The Sheriff’s Department says Merrills is known to have had mental issues. He was found wearing multiple layers of clothing and a fleece lined coat. Toxicology results are pending.