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ANDERSON COUNTY – The Anderson County Commissioner’s Court met on Friday to discuss taking action to recover $248,723.74 that was paid to a former judge’s wife through an unapproved county work contract. According to our news partner KETK, in a special meeting of the Anderson County Commissioner’s Court on Friday, Anderson County Judge Carol G. McKinney and the county commissioners discussed how former Anderson County Judge Robert Johnston’s wife Brenda Johnston was working for the county even though he never disclosed her employment, which he was required to do when he last took office.

According to Anderson County Commissioner for Precinct 1 Greg Chapin, Brenda had previously worked for the Anderson County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. Chapin explained that she was later contracted to work Child Protective Services cases for the DA’s office, on a part-time basis, for a $5400 a month contract.

Chapin said the county auditor had told the DA’s office that they could enter into the project with Brenda without the approval of the commissioner’s court, so the contract was never officially approved or ratified with the county. Continue reading Judge failed to disclose $248K contract

TYLER – When Alexander Kaine Johnson stepped into the 321st District Courtroom to be adopted on Friday, he was surprised to see about 45 fellow fifth graders from Bell Elementary School. Bell Principal Tamara Johnson and several teachers brought the group of kids to celebrate his adoption after a two-year-long process.

Vandria and Tyrone Johnson adopted 11-year-old Cain Coles, who officially changed his name to Alexander Kaine Johnson during the adoption ceremony. 321st District Judge Robert Wilson teared up when he said it was a great day and he was happy to see the family become a forever family.
Continue reading An event to remember

WINNSBORO — The Winnsboro ISD has hired Greg Hollingsworth as its new police chief following a unanimous 6-0 vote by the school board Wednesday night. The appointment comes nearly two months after the board voted to terminate former police chief Heath Guy in December after a closed executive session. According to our news partner KETK, Guy had been placed on administrative leave in June amid an investigation connected to a former district employee. That investigation involved former assistant football coach Nicholas Gabriele, who was arrested in June after allegedly admitting to a sexual relationship with a student.

CALDWELL — Two red-ruffed lemur pups were born on Valentine’s Day at the Caldwell Zoo, marking the first successful birth of the critically endangered species in the zoo’s history, zoo officials announced Friday. According to our news partner KETK, their 4-year-old mother, Kintana, arrived at Caldwell Zoo in April 2025 from the Woodland Park Zoo. She was later introduced to Junior, the father, who has lived at Caldwell Zoo since 2017 after arriving from St. Augustine Alligator Park.

Red-ruffed lemurs are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Zoo officials said the birth marks an important milestone in ongoing conservation efforts to protect the species.
Continue reading Zoo has new additions

TYLER – Fire crews from Longview and Smith County have deployed to the Texas Panhandle to assist in battling the Lavender Fire in Pampa and the 8 Ball Fire in Howardwick. The deployments are part of coordinated operations through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS). According to our news partner KETK and Smith County ESD2, firefighters were sent to the Lavender Fire in Pampa, located north of Amarillo, to assist with suppression efforts. As of 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, the fire had burned more than 12,000 acres and was 20% contained. Continue reading Firefighters sent to combat wildfires

EAST Texas – Due to continued dry weather conditions and a lack of rain, several counties have issued burn bans across East Texas. These counties include: Van Zandt County, Hopkins County and Trinity County. Consult the Forest Service website for more information.

TYLER – Smith County shared that part of East Line Street in Downtown Tyler was closed starting on Thursday. According to Smith County, East Line Street from the railroad tracks to Center Avenue will be closed for around two weeks while the City of Tyler does roadwork in that area.

Smith County advised Adult Probation employees and customers to drive to their parking lot from Spring Avenue in order to avoid the road closure.

UPDATE: The woman who died on Wednesday has been identified as 44-year-old Lindsey Null. The Tyler Police Department said she was not crossing at a designated crosswalk when she was struck. The driver is not expected to face charges at this time.

TYLER – A crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian has shut down all northbound and southbound lanes in the 1400 block of East Gentry Parkway. According to Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, officers responded to the scene at approximately 3:34 p.m. As of 3:55 p.m., all lanes remain closed as police and emergency crews work in the roadway. Drivers are urged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.

UPSHUR COUNTY — A woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a tax fraud scheme tied to her two Longview businesses, resulting in a tax loss of nearly $250,000. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Texas and our news partner KETK, Marneitha Reese Scott, 57, of Gilmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid, assist, counsel or advise in tax fraud. Evidence showed that Scott operated two tax return preparer businesses in Longview under the name F.A.S.T. Financial Firm.

“Scott and others recruited tax preparers to work at the businesses to prepare and file income tax returns for clients,” the U.S. attorney’s office said. “With others, Scott created a scheme to defraud the United States by instructing the tax preparers to create fraudulent entries on client tax returns, including, for example, claims for business losses when the client had no business.”

The tax returns were reportedly filed by Scott or her employees working at her direction, resulting in a tax loss for tax years 2019-2022 of $243,899.

Scott could face up to five years in federal prison, a potential fine and restitution at sentencing.

TYLER – A Longview tax preparer has pleaded guilty to a federal violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. 57-year-old Marneitha Reese Scott, of Gilmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid, assist, counsel, or advise in tax fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on February 18, 2026.

According to information presented in court, Scott owned a tax return preparer business operated under the name of F.A.S.T. Financial Firm (“FAST”), with two locations in Longview.  Scott and others recruited tax preparers to work at the businesses to prepare and file income tax returns for clients.

With others, Scott created a scheme to defraud the United States by instructing the tax preparers to create fraudulent entries on client tax returns, including, for example, claims for business losses when the client had no business. Continue reading Guilty plea in tax fraud scheme

TYLER – Robert Harrison Johnson IV has been found not guilty by reason of insanity after a house fire in 2022 killed his half-brother with special needs. Johnson had been in a state hospital, and a report from January stated that he was insane at the time of the offense.

On May 18, 2022, Johnson’s half-brother Jack McKenzie Ross, 35, died in the house fire in the 11300 block of County Road 1113. He was arrested by police in DeSoto weeks later.

Records revealed that Johnson was smoking a cigarette in his room when embers landed on a nearby towel. Johnson, in a conversation with investigators, claimed that a “ghost” stopped him from leaving the house. He was also asked why he didn’t help Ross who was in the next room. His response was a claim that spirits forced him out. Continue reading Not guilty by insanity

TYLER — New details have been released in the fatal road rage shooting that killed a 29-year-old Whitehouse Marine veteran in Tyler on Friday evening, where a preliminary investigation revealed there was no need for self-defense.

The Tyler Police Department received multiple 911 calls around 5:06 p.m. on Feb. 13 reporting that a man had been shot multiple times.

According to an arrest affidavit from Smith County, officers were dispatched to the intersection of E. Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive in Tyler, where they found a man lying unresponsive on the roadway while another man performed CPR.

According to our news partner KETK, the affidavit states that Dayton Alexander Morgan, 23, was driving a white 2008 Dodge Ram pickup eastbound with a front-seat passenger. A white Tesla was also traveling eastbound in front of Morgan’s vehicle. The Tesla was driven by a woman with Trevor Julian in the passenger seat and three children in the back. Continue reading No self-defense in road rage shooting

TYLER — Early voting began Tuesday, several counties have already reported their first-day totals. Our news partner KETK has compiled early voting turnout numbers for East Texas counties following the first day of voting. You can view that list here.