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RAINS COUNTY — Remains that were found in Rains County in November 2022 were identified as a retired Dallas firefighter who was missing since 2017. According to the Rains County Justice of the Peace, DNA confirmed that the remains were identified as Michael Glenn Chambers who was reported missing on March 10, 2017. Our news partner KETK reports that Chambers’ remains were found in a wooded area near Highway 276 east of the City of East Tawakoni. The Texas Rangers and Hunt County Sheriff’s Office assisted RCSO with the recovery and investigation. The remains were then sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification in Fort Worth.

“I ask for the continued prayers for the Chambers family. Mr. Chambers’ family has waited for answers for a long time, and I hope this brings some closure to the Chambers family. This remains an open investigation and my office will continue to diligently investigate this case,” Hunt County Sheriff Terry Jones said in a statement.

Officials said the investigation remains open and no further information will be released as of this writing.

RUSK COUNTY — Two people were arrested on Thursday for being in possession of a reported stolen truck out of Rusk County. Our news partner KETK reports that on May 4, patrol officers received a call regarding a suspicious vehicle on Highway 323. The caller reportedly saw the truck pull in behind a house and when deputies got to the location, they ran the plates and discovered it was a vehicle that had recently been reported as stolen out of Rusk County.

Officials said deputies arrested Brandon Matthews and Alyssa Williams for being in possession of the stolen vehicle and charged them with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle adding that the vehicle is to be returned to the owner.

FRANKSTON – Two people are dead after a tree fell on a house during Thursday night storms in Frankston. According to Anderson County Sheriff Rudy Flores, a 29-year-old woman and 33-year-old man were killed during the storms. “He was pinned down in the house by a big oak tree this morning, it’s devastating on his family and his kids and stuff,” said Derrick Fields owner of Fields and Sons Logging and Tree Service. The tree was removed from the home on CR 3000 Friday morning and their bodies have been taken to a funeral home.

According to our news partner KETK Frankston was hit hard in the overnight storms. Roma’s Italian Restaurant lost their roof during the storm, and managers say it may take a month before they can reopen their doors. They added that they are grateful for everyone that has stopped by and offered to help clean up.

BULLARD – According to the district, a man arrived at the Bullard Primary School at about 11:15 a.m. with a gun holstered on his hip. To that point, all Bullard ISD schools were placed on lockdown.

Superintendent Dr. Jack Lee said that the person insisted that he had the right to take the pistol anywhere they pleased according to our news partner KETK. Officials stated the person refused to identify himself and an officer could smell alcohol. According to the district, the lockdown was put in place as a precaution while the officer detained the individual and secured the scene. It was lifted and the individual is in custody, law enforcement said.

The district is pursuing the maximum criminal charges in this case.

EAST TEXAS — Election Day for the City/School Election is Saturday, May 6, 2023. Elections are on the ballot for the Independent School Districts of Bullard, Chapel Hill, Lindale, and Tyler District 4; as well as for the City of Winona and Emergency Services District No. 1. There will be nine polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Continue reading Election Day is Saturday

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has earned Military Friendly Silver status. This means offering vets and their families opportunities to succeed, our news partner KETK reports. More than 1,800 schools across America participated in the 2023-24 survey performed by VIQTORY. Schools that earned the Military Friendly School Designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Continue reading TJC earns Military Friendly silver status

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to multiple reports of a male walking around waving a firearm in the air and yelling outside of Super 1 Foods and Academy on South Broadway Avenue around 7:20 p.m. Thursday. According to our news partner KETK and Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, when officers arrived and approached the man, he turned the gun on himself. Tyler Fire and UT EMS were then dispatched to the scene. The unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene.

TYLER — Select Tyler Transit downtown stops closed on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, 2023. Normal operations will resume on Monday, May 8. Due to the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival this Saturday, May 6, Tyler Transit will deviate Route 10 and Route 14 starting Friday, May 5. Affected bus stops will remain closed until the start of service on Monday, May 8. Continue reading Tyler Transit downtown bus stops rerouted for music festival

TYLER – Around East Texas, numerous communities celebrated the National Day of Prayer. It gave places like Tyler, Longview, Lufkin and Gladewater a chance to show how passionate they are about their faith. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler held its 32nd annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast early Thursday morning. The mayor of Tyler Don Warren said they prayed for everyone. “We prayed for first responders, we prayed for young people, we prayed for hope and love,” said Warren. He added the whole point of these events is to bring people with different backgrounds together. In Gladewater, an outside prayer service was held at the Veterans War Memorial. The mayor of Gladewater Scott E. Owens said there’s no better time than now to get together and pray. The National Day of Prayer is held the first Thursday in May and has been observed across the country since 1952.

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2021 fatal wreck on Loop 323. Jose Esparza, 25, was initially arrested in November 2021 after a high-speed, three-car crash in front of Mercado’s. According to our news partner KETK, Esparza was driving in a black Corvette westbound on the road when he struck the back of a truck “at a high rate of speed.” The Corvette’s computer showed he was driving at 113 mph when the brakes were slammed. Esparza had minor injuries, but his passenger was taken to hospital in critical condition and died two days later. The warrant said Esparza was not intoxicated at the time of the wreck, and the Corvette “was almost unrecognizable due to the severity of the damage.” Esparza was indicted for manslaughter in April 2022, and pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge on Wednesday.

EDGEWOOD – Authorities arrested an Edgewood woman Monday for allegedly pointing a knife at clerk in a grocery store. According to our news partner KETK, Edgewood police say the woman, identified as Brandy Ackerman told the cashier at Brookshire Brothers grocery store in Edgewood to open the cash register and give her all the money. She did this while pointing a knife at the cashier. When the cashier would not hand over the cash. It was said Ackerman put the knife away and said “I was just kidding”. Continue reading Supermarket aggravated robbery arrest

TYLER — Early voting ends with low turnouts in parts of East Texas. Tuesday marked the last day to vote early in East Texas as local races are once again expected to be close come election night. “It affects your life,” said Smith County Elections Administrator Michelle Allcon. According to our news partner KETK, an important race in Smith County with a lot of money at stake is the Chapel Hill ISD bond that is worth $125 million dollars. It’s the third time the proposal will be up for election and exactly a year ago, it failed by less than 50 votes. If the bond gets enough votes, it would give the school a chance to renovate aging buildings. Continue reading Early voting in East Texas ends with low turnouts

TYLER — A Tyler roadway is partially blocked off Wednesday morning due to a sinkhole in the area of Commerce Street at Oakwood Drive, our news partner KETK reports. Officials at the scene said the sinkhole was caused by a water main break and estimate about four hours for repair.

LONGVIEW — A former Longview ISD employee was sentenced to nine years deferred adjudication on Monday after pleading guilty to sexual assault of a child. According to our news partner KETK, Richard Williams, 30, of Longview, was arrested and accused of having an improper relationship with a student in 2018. According to an affidavit, Williams, who was employed as an aid by Longview ISD, began a sexual relationship with a then 16-year-old that lasted nearly nine months before the girl told her parents. The two also knew each other from church and Williams was reported to be the child’s pastor at the time of his arrest. He was indicted for sexual assault of a child in August 2019, and pleaded guilty on Monday. Officials with Longview ISD at the time said this was an isolated incident.