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TYLER – Tyler Police Department identified the man who was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in downtown Tyler as Randy Daniels, 61. Officials said that Daniels and the victim knew each other and that this was an isolated incident.

Our news partner KETK reports that a man was cut with a box cutter in downtown Tyler on Friday afternoon according to Tyler Police Department officials. The victim’s arm was treated with a tourniquet and the alleged attacker was arrested for aggravated assault. Identities have not been released but officials said that the attack did not seem random.

TYLER- U.S. Congressman Nathaniel Moran was back home in East Texas for a fundraising event in Tyler. Our new partner KETK caught up with Moran before the event and he had a lot to say about the recent debt ceiling deal and his priorities for East Texas moving forward. After only five months in D.C., Congressman Nathaniel Moran believes major policies have already been tackled on Capitol Hill to further improve life in East Texas.

“We’ve heard that without question that border security and spending were the two largest issues, so we dealt with that border security issue and passed that out of the house. We hope we will get support in the Senate and from the president,” said Moran. “I know that bipartisanship is hard and unity is hard, but we can never stop trying. There’s no other way. No matter how tough our politics gets, we see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans,” said Biden. Moran was not for the deal, and said he voted no. He said while there are some good parts to the plan, he ultimately believes East Texans needed more from the deal that would benefit them.

He says one of the best ways as far as reducing spending and reducing our deficit is to become more energy independent. “We need to unleash oil and gas industries across this nation and become more independent so that we can be a world leader not just economically, but with foreign policy and a military standpoint,” said Moran. He added that his work in D.C. is just getting started.

COFFEE CITY – The city of Coffee City is grieving over the death of one of their police officers. According to our news partner KETK, Officer Shaun Jackson died Thursday night. Jackson had not been with the department long. In a facebook post Police Chief JohnJay Portillo said that “Though Officer Jackson had only been with us a short time he quickly demonstrated the commitment to the public safety of the citizens, visitors and business owners of the city of Coffee City.” The cause of death has not been reported.

TYLER — Three cheetah cubs were born to mother, Orchid, and father, Flap, at the Caldwell Zoo. Their birth is a significant milestone for the zoo and for the conservation of the species. The first cub of the litter was born around 7:38 p.m. and the third arrived just before midnight on May 31. The Caldwell Zoo said that the mother is being very attentive and the cubs are nursing comfortably as they would hope. Caldwell Zoo is a member of the Cheetah Breeding Coalition and works closely with accredited zoological organizations to breed the felines. Caldwell Zoo says they are dedicated to conservation and education, “striving to instill a sense of awe and respect for the natural world in all who visit.” The birth of the cheetah cubs reinforces their commitment to protecting endangered species and raising awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation.

MINEOLA – According to our news partner KETK the Collins Field Airport, in Wood County, opened a new apron expansion on Thursday. “After COVID, we had a big increase in small jets coming into the airport because the airlines were a mess, and it was hard for them and so it’s easier for businesses and personal travel to be done with personal aircraft, light twins, single engine aircraft like this one behind me, and a lot of bizjets were moving into the area,” John Wisdom, Airport Manager said. The added space and newly-painted stripes will allow for greater jet traffic and greater safety during bad weather.

MINEOLA – Mini ‘S’ Exotic Zoo is closed to the public now but offered encounters with nearly one-hundred animals. Recently, they have been dealing with federal officials investigating conditions at the zoo. An April inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture revealed what they described as filthy and unsafe conditions for dozens of animals. “There’s always another side to another story,” said Mandy Miller, who works for the zoo.
Continue reading Mineola Zoo breaks silence on federal investigation

ATHENS – An Athens woman has been arrested and charged with injury to a child in the death of her 10-year-old autistic stepson in 2022. Our news partners at KETK report that the arrest warrant says that 38-year-old Shonna Pickle told authorities that she called 9-1-1 after finding the boy unresponsive the day after Christmas. He was pronounced dead at the emergency room, but a doctor reported seeing bruising on his neck and stomach that was not consistent with CPR. After an investigation and testimony from her husband, a caregiver and medical authorities, the warrant was issued. Pickle had lost custody of her four other children due to charges of abuse. She was arrested for injury to a child and her bond set at $500,000.

MARSHALL – 43 kilograms of cocaine were seized on Sunday by Marshall police after a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, a semi-truck was stopped around 3:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of South East End Boulevard. A search of the truck found 39 plastic-wrapped bundles of cocaine that police said is estimated to have a street value of $4 million. The driver, identified as Ariel Martinez, 34 of Elgin, Ill., was arrested and booked into the Harrison County Jail before being released on a $100,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing.

TYLER — A Tyler woman was arrested on Tuesday after being indicted on two charges of manslaughter. According to our news partner KETK, Chasity Head, 33, is accused of “failing to yield the right of way at a stop sign” after ingesting marijuana on July 5, 2022. Documents said the wreck caused the deaths of her unsecured passengers, Aiden Rice and Kyleigh Head. Chasity Head was indicted for manslaughter on April 27. Her bond has been set at a total of $500,000.

TYLER — An official at an East Texas hospital says young people are becoming more prone to strokes. The stroke coordinator at  Christus Health, in Tyler, Jennifer Burwell says it’s not uncommon to see patients at 30, 20 and even 18 years old who have suffered strokes. She says it’s because they’re not as active as they should be. The CDC says 80% of strokes are preventable, but they are the third leading cause of death in Texas. Burwell says remember the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize the symptoms of stroke: balance, eyes, face, arm, speech, and time.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — An East Texas deputy is sentenced to 44 months in prison for hitting a handcuffed suspect in the face. Former Van Zandt County Chief Deputy Craig Shelton received 3 years and 8 months sentence in a Tyler Federal Court Wednesday. Shelton said he accepted full responsibility for violating the victim’s civil rights in the November 2021 incident. In addition to his prison sentence, Shelton will also receive drug and alcohol counseling. Also Wednesday, former Van Zandt County Deputy Blake Snell was sentenced to 1 year of probation for obstruction of justice in the incident involving Shelton.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who was reported missing. Courtney Taylor Martin, 34, was reported missing by her family on May 24. Martin was last seen near County Road 42 and FM 724 on May 18. She is described as a white female, about 5’5″ and 250 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials said Martin is reported to have a mental illness and is not taking her medication for the illness. According to the sheriff’s office, she has been known to hang out in the area of “tent city” near the Super 1 Foods store on East Gentry Parkway. Anyone with information on Martin’s whereabouts is asked to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600.

LONGVIEW – Two people are dead and nine others are injured after a five-car crash in Longview on Monday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, a white Chevrolet Sonic with one passenger was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on South Eastman Road when the car “failed to stop and struck another vehicle.” Longview police responded around 5 p.m. to the scene in the 3100 block of North Eastman Road and Fourth Street. The driver of the Chevrolet Sonic, identified as Callie Bearden, 19 of Longview, was taken to a local hospital where she later died of her injuries. Shelby Partain, 32, a passenger of a separate car, was taken to a local hospital where she died of her injuries. Nine other people were taken to a local hospital for treatment, and police said they are continuing to investigate the crash.

TYLER — The debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward a crucial U.S. House vote. East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran spoke with KTBB Wednesday morning about his thoughts on the overall Fiscal Responsibility Act package. Moran said, “As I read this bill over the past few day, I can tell you we’re in a much better place under this bill than we were 90 days ago, when the President would not negotiate on a debt ceiling increase.” Moran goes on to say, “We have a lot of spending reforms, a lot of regulatory and administrative reforms that have been needed for a while. It’s good. Whether or not it’s good enough to earn a ‘yes’ vote from me and a ‘yes’ vote from the First District of Texas…we’ll see.” Moran says, “We’re going to work through that process all the way up until the time of the vote today, and then we’ll cast the vote that best represents the interests of the people of the First District of Texas.” Continue reading East Texas Congressman weighs in on crucial debt ceiling budget vote

TYLER – A Tyler man was charged with manslaughter in connection to the April 2022 death of a 17-year-old. According to our news partner KETK, 27-year-old Billy Bernard Maddox, Jr. was indicted for manslaughter in the overdose death of Preston Hawley. In September 2022, Maddox was charged with tampering/fabricating with intent to impair evidence and bonded out the same day. He was later arrested on a manslaughter charge on May 26 in connection to the same case. According to an arrest warrant, Hawley used to live with Maddox. The warrant states that detectives were told Maddox was “a known drug dealer.” On the afternoon of April 23, 2022, Tyler police detectives were called to a hospital in response to a patient who died of an apparent overdose, identified as Hawley. Continue reading Tyler man indicted for manslaughter in connection to overdose death