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LUFKIN – A man was arrested in Lufkin on Tuesday for capital murder in the October death of his 4-month-old son according to our news partners at KETK. According to police, a warrant was obtained for the arrest of 25-year-old Anfernee Durham, of Lufkin, upon the finalization of his 4-month-old son, Kylo Powell’s, autopsy. Officials said his death was ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma to the head and torso by a Harris County medical examiner. He died in a Houston hospital on Oct. 20 after being transferred from a Lufkin hospital three days earlier. Durham was taken into custody with the assistance of the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, and his bond has been set at $1 million.

TYLER – An arrest was made by the Gregg County Sheriff’s office in the case of a murder dating back to 2016. Officials said that the suspect arrested was Reza Kamali, 87 of Longview. At his arraignment his bond was set at $7.5 million. Ron Horaney was murdered in his home on May, 30, 2016. Witnesses said that Horaney was shot multiple times while answering the door. The sheriff’s office said he was taken to the hospital, where he later died. Horaney was the owner of a major architecture business in Longview. An announced press conference scheduled for Monday afternoon will provide more details.

TYLER – The city has lifted the boil water notice for west Tyler. It was issued on Monday after a water main break. The break has been repaired, the water tested and found safe, so the notice is now rescinded.

TYLER – A skunk in Tyler tested positive for rabies, marking the second positive rabies test this month. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler Animal Services was alerted by the Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday that one skunk they had submitted for analysis tested positive for rabies. The city said that the skunk had been found near the 1200 block of Larkspur Lane and that any individuals and animals with possible exposure have been identified and addressed. This is the second skunk in the month of April to test positive for rabies in Tyler. Officials warned that preventative immunization is the only effective defense against rabies, and to make sure that pets are up to date on their vaccinations.

LONGVIEW – More than a dozen East Texas school districts are asking voters for millions of dollars in bond measures. Longview ISD is proposing $456 million in updates and new facilities according to our news partner KETK. After two failed bond proposals, Longview ISD is asking for voters’ support on another multi-million-dollar measure. “In November we asked voters to vote on two propositions, we’ve broken that into five,” Wayne Guidry, assistant superintendent of finance, said. Proposition A, with a price tag of $237 million, would go mostly toward high school renovations, CTE building expansion and security upgrades across all 13 campuses. “Proposition B, is a new early learning center, proposition C, D, and E are just addressing our athletic facilities it’s been about 35 years since we’ve addressed the majority of those facilities,” Guidry said. The district is hoping that this third time is the charm. The last time Longview residents approved a district bond was in 2008.

UPSHUR COUNTY — A Kilgore man was arrested during a traffic stop near Gladewater for transporting 163 grams of methamphetamine. According to our news partner KETK, arrested Monday was Gerald Hosea Gibson of Kilgore. Gibson was pulled over for a traffic violation in Gladewater on Highway 80. The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit conducted the search, where it vielded 163 grams of methamphetamine and $2,343. Gibson was charged with manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance. He is currently in the Upshur County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

HENDERSON – CHRISTUS Health broke ground Tuesday on a new, state-of-the-art standalone emergency center in Henderson. The center will be located on Highway 259, just south of Wylie Elementary. The new facility will feature around-the-clock emergency services, including 17 total beds, 13 exam rooms, four triage rooms, state-of-the-art full-service imaging and an onsite laboratory. Representatives from CHRISTUS, the City of Henderson, and Rusk County attended the ground breaking.

CHRISTUS Good Shepherd President and CEO Todd Hancock said, “We have been blessed to work with some great people from Henderson and Rusk County to make this facility a reality. Every stakeholder we have talked to and presented to has gotten on board immediately, as we all realize that more access to high-quality health care is nothing but great for this community.”

The expansion to Henderson is the third announced expansion from CHRISTUS Health in East Texas, joining Mount Pleasant and Palestine. Construction of the 12,500 square-foot emergency center is set to begin in the next few weeks, with a projected completion date of summer 2025.

GLADEWATER – According to our news partner KETK, the Gladewater ISD board of trustees unanimously made the decision on Monday to move to a four-day school week and opted not to have classes on Mondays. Unlike other districts that decided on having a four-day school week with Fridays off, the district of Gladewater will not be in session Mondays of the coming school year. The school board president said this will help attract and retain teachers, giving them more flexibility in their personal lives.

“As you are trying to be competitive in the workplace and attract staff, you want you want to offer something different,” Ross Morgan, school board president, said. “The main component teachers are absent because they have to go to the doctor or they have to take their child to the doctor or maybe a parent to the doctor. A lot of doctor’s offices aren’t open very long if all on Fridays and that was one kind of long discussion or kind of a really important point as to why Mondays are better.” Continue reading Gladewater ISD opts out of Mondays with four-day school week

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department said that they arrested a man and a woman following a theft incident at a Walmart in Marshall on Friday night. According to our news partner KETK, officers were called to the scene on Friday to respond to a shoplifting incident involving a man and a woman. Bridgette Eleanor Peyton, 32 of Burlington, WI, was arrested for failure to identify as a fugitive, credit or debit card abuse, theft of property worth between $100 and $750 and two warrants from Wisconsin.

After Peyton was detained, officers were reportedly told about a fight happening in the parking lot. Marshall PD said the fight was between the owner of a vehicle and a man allegedly caught trying to break into some cars in the parking lot.

Nicholas Eberle, 41 of Franksville, WI, was arrested after a reported short foot chase and charged with theft of property worth $750 and $2,500, evading arrest and detention, failure to identify as a fugitive and a warrant from Wisconsin. Continue reading Wisconsin couple arrested for theft in Marshall

TYLER — After a water main break on SSW Loop 323 in front of Sam’s Club on Monday, some restaurants in the area remain closed due to the boil water notice. According to our news partner KETK, City of Tyler officials said the water line was repaired, but with the boil water notice still in effect, restaurants like McDonalds near Walmart remain closed. Before the notice can be cancelled the city must test water samples. Some residents expressed frustration that they could not visit their favorite restaurants.

The city said new water samples have been taken to a lab. If in the clear, life can get back to normal for people in west Tyler. Originally, the city hoped to drop the boil water notice on Wednesday or Thursday. Continue reading Boil water notice continues for portion of Tyler

TYLER – GIVE, Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts awarded an $18,000 2024 grant to Bethesda Pediatrics during an event Sunday in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, GIVE decided to give a grant to Bethesda Pediatrics because they provide healthcare to children who are uninsured or are enrolled in Medicaid.

Megan Riaz, the director of community relations for Bethesda Health Clinic was there on Sunday to accept the grant for Bethesda Pediatrics said, “We are overjoyed to receive this amazing grant from GIVE to improve our dental clinic with a new dental chair. The dental clinic at Bethesda Pediatrics is growing, and the GIVE grant will allow us to repurpose an existing room to serve more patients with dental care. We are so impressed by the young philanthropists of GIVE and their desire to give back to undeserved children; it is a blessing to our patients.”

The Women’s Fund of Smith County launched GIVE in 2014 in order to help girls in high school learn about leadership and philanthropy. GIVE has given away $77,912 to Smith County non-profits since the group was started.

LINDALE – The Lindale Police Department said that a pedestrian was killed while crossing Highway 69 near Interstate 20 on Friday night. According to our news partner KETK, 60-year-old Bill Darling of Oregon was hit by a Dodge 3500 truck as he crossed the highway. Officers said Darling died at the scene. Lindale PD is continuing their investigation into the incident.

HARRISON COUNTY – A 44-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday in Harrison County after drugs were found during a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, Teresa Oney, of Harleton, was stopped for defective equipment at Highway 80 and Loop 281 where deputies conducted a probable cause search. Officials said marijuana and methamphetamines were found, and Oney had five active warrants for her arrest. She was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, tampering with evidence and the active warrants.