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SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to approve the sale of the voter-approved general obligation courthouse bonds after receiving five competitive bids. Specialized Public Finance Inc. competitively bid the Limited Tax Courthouse Bonds, which will net the county $160 million to pay for construction of the new courthouse. Closing on the sale is set for September 21, 2023. Steven Adams, managing director of Specialized Public Finance Inc., gave a brief presentation to the Commissioners Court, and reaffirmed that Smith County’s high rating of AA+ helped the County attract competitive bidders. “Five bids are really good for a bond issuance of this size,” Adams said. Continue reading Smith County Commissioners approve sale of courthouse bonds

TYLER — The U.S. Labor Department files suit against a Tyler manufacturing company. The suit against Tyler Pipe alleges violations of federal whistleblower protections. The unidentified complainant said he was having respiratory problems and asked to wear a respirator while operating a five-story furnace. The suit alleges the company did not respond. The complainant obtained a respirator belonging to the company and started wearing it. When the company safety supervisor saw him, he reprimanded him, reassigned him to shoveling gravel and then fired him. OSHA found that Tyler pipe was guilty of federal whistleblower protection violations.

WOOD COUNTY — One suspect remains at large following an hours-long manhunt in Wood County Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the search was called off as of 11 p.m. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said the unknown suspect had set a wooded area on fire before feeling from law enforcement. The suspect is believed to have been picked up by a vehicle and no longer in the area. The fire was quickly put out by Hawkins Fire. Heightened law enforcement had been in the area of County Road 3600 searching for two wanted men. One of the men, wanted on a parole violation and listed as a violent subject, was arrested around 7:30 Monday night.

MINEOLA — The Mineola Country Club is “a total loss,” according to the Fire Marshal, after a fire broke out early Monday morning, our news partner KETK reports. “When the first crews first got here, most of the structure was involved in the fire at that time,” said Mineola Fire Marshal David Madsen. Officials said the call came in around 12:30 a.m., and crews arrived at the scene on State Loop 564 just before 1 a.m. and it took about three to four hours to put out. The golf course and swimming pool weren’t touched by the flames, but officials said everything else was affected by the fire. Continue reading Cause of Mineola Country Club fire under investigation

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department charged three people in connection to the February murder of a U.S. Army veteran in his home. 61-year-old Warren Edward Rogers was found dead with a gunshot wound in a residence in the 1600 block of West Mims Street on Feb. 6. Tyler-Smith County Crime stoppers and his family offered rewards earlier this month for anyone that gave information. On Friday, TPD got capital murder warrants on three suspects: Herbert Simpson – $1,000,000 bond, Stephanie Brasher – $1,000,000 bond, Anthony Taylor – $1,000,000 bond Continue reading Tyler Police charge 3 with capital murder of a veteran

LAKE PALESTINE — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said that a man died on Sunday after being ejected from a boat which hit a pillar under the State Highway 155 bridge on Lake Palestine. According to our news partner KETK, the man crashed just north of the Henderson County line, officials said. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens arrived at the scene and later found the man’s body underwater. The Parks and Wildlife Department is handling the investigation.

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK Tyler police are reporting that one person was injured after a shooting happened in the 2700 block of Donnybrook Avenue around 7:55 p.m. on Saturday. According to Tyler PD, the shooting was reported by the person who was shot. Officers suspect that the shooting may have been an accident, a Tyler PD spokesperson said. The injured person was alert and awake and was transported to a local hospital to be treated, according to authorities.

TYLER – The National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana has issued a Red Flag Warning for northeast Texas, northern Louisiana on Wednesday, Aug. 23. This means extreme fire conditions will be present in the area because of strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation, according to NWS. The warning will be in effect for the following counties and parishes from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday: Smith County, TX, Gregg County, TX, Harrison County, TX, Cherokee County, TX, Rusk County, TX, Panola County, TX, Nacogdoches County, TX, Shelby County, TX, Angelina County, TX , San Augustine County, TX, Sabine County, TX. According to our news partner KETK the warning extends to all areas near and south of the I-20 corridor of northeast Texas and northern Louisiana. Winds of 10 to 15 mph, a relative humidity of 20% to 25% and temperatures of 103 to 107 degrees mean that “Rapid ignition and spread of wildfires is possible,” according to NWS. Continue reading NWS issues Red Flag Warning for East Texas

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department has announced the name of the driver who died in a crash on South Broadway Avenue near Loop 49 on Friday. According to our news partner KETK the driver was Austin Durrett, 36 of Jacksonville. He was driving north on South Broadway Avenue when officials said he attempted to pass traffic on the southbound shoulder and hit another vehicle. According to Tyler PD, the black Toyota Durrett was driving rolled several times. Officials said Durrett was dead at the scene and that his family has been notified. The other vehicles driver was taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

TRINITY COUNTY – Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace released a statement saying that the cause of the Ghost Branch fire has been ruled as an “Undetermined but cannot rule out Incendiary” case. “With all natural and normal causes ruled out, we feel that there could have been foul play involved. We are asking anyone with any information to please call either TCSO at 936-642-1424 or to call in anonymously and be eligible for a cash reward call Trinity County Crime Stoppers at 936-639-8477,” said Wallace. The fire started on Monday and burned up to 300 acres in Trinity County before it was extinguished.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — On Tuesday Aug. 15, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office was asked to locate Ray Lewis Stafford, an alleged suspect in a murder case in Modesto, California. The cold case revolves around the vanishing of Susan Robin Bender, a 15-year-old who disappeared on April 25, 1986. According to Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, deputies found Stafford at his home close to Wills Point. Stafford was taken into custody and is being held at the Van Zandt County Justice Center on charges of murder with special circumstances until officials in California take him into custody. The case remains under investigation by the Modesto Police Department in California.

TYLER — A Tyler man was found guilty of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in a crash that killed 20-year-old Tamyra Campbell in September 2021. According to our news partner KETK, Christopher Hardy Jr., 28, was convicted for hitting a parked car at the intersection of Plantation Drive and Spring Branch Drive, causing a crash that killed his passenger. Initial investigation into the crash revealed that Hardy was driving a black Dodge Charger with Campbell as his passenger. He was indicted in February 2022. According to the 475th District Court, the punishment phase will begin Friday morning.

TYLER – Congressman Nathaniel Moran officially announced the kickoff of his re-election campaign Thursday morning on The Square in downtown Tyler. Moran assumed the seat Jan. 3 that was previously held by longtime Rep. Louis Gohmert. In an interview with KTBB, he was asked what was on the legislative docket for the balance of his term. He said, “Border security, election integrity, energy independence, broadband bills, a lot of bills that impact East Texas. And, we want to see not only are they filed, but they pass the house, pass the senate and are signed into law.”
Continue reading U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran announces re-election bid

TYLER – ERCOT is asking Texans to voluntarily reduce electricity use due to extreme temperatures. The Voluntary Conservation Notice is in effect Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. According to ERCOT, The Voluntary Conservation Notice is part of ERCOT’s Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS), alerting the public of grid conditions. Last week, ERCOT extended a “weather watch” through Friday because of “high temperatures, high electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves.” ERCOT is requesting “all government agencies, including city and county offices, to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.” ERCOT set a new, all-time, unofficial peak demand record of 85,435 MW on Aug. 10.
Continue reading ERCOT asks Texans to reduce electricity use