Local musician dies in Fort Worth area crash

Local musician dies in Fort Worth area crashTYLER — A Tyler musician has reportedly died in a Bedford crash early Monday morning. According to our news partner KETK and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, at least one person died in the crash on Texas 183. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Heber Hernandez, 24, who died at a Fort Worth hospital. Hernandez was the main vocalist for the band Petroleros Del Bravo, a popular Grupo Norteño band with sax in the Tyler area. “Thank you all for the love, support and prayers we have received in these difficult times. It hurts to know we lost a son, brother and friend. Our Heber Issac Hernandez, the heart of what we present here. Los Petroleros and our brother’s dream will live on just like he always wanted it. With all faith and love to Heber,” the Petroleros Del Bravo said in a statement. A funeral service will be held on Friday in Tyler.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Republican Primary headed to recount

Precinct 1 Commissioner Republican Primary headed to recountSMITH COUNTY — The Republican Primary for the Smith County Precinct 1 Commissioner is officially heading for a recount after the race came down to only 101 votes. According to our news partner KETK, Pam Frederick, the incumbent, has petitioned for the manual recount since the 101 vote difference is less than the 10% of the total vote legally required for a recount. According to a notice from the Smith County Republican Party, only the votes for Commissioner Precinct 1 will be recounted. Smith County election results show that challenger Christina Drewry is currently ahead with 4,636, beating Fredrick’s 4,535 votes by 101 votes. The only people allowed to be there for the recount will be the recount chair, recount members, candidates, up to two watchers per recount team, the custodian of the voted ballots, the recount supervisor and state or federal inspectors. Continue reading Precinct 1 Commissioner Republican Primary headed to recount

WWII Ghost Army members given Congressional Gold Medal

DALLAS (AP) — With inflatable tanks, radio trickery, costume uniforms and acting, the American military units that became known as the Ghost Army outwitted the enemy during World War II. Their mission was kept secret for decades, but on Thursday the group stepped out of the shadows as they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in Washington.

“The actions of the Ghost Army helped change the course of the war for thousands of American and Allied troops and contributed to the liberation of a continent from a terrible evil,” Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said during the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

She said that many of the techniques the Ghost Army pioneered are still used on the battlefield. “Even though technology has changed quite a bit since 1944, our modern techniques build on a lot of what the Ghost Army did and we are still learning from your legacy,” she said.

Three of the seven known surviving members attended the ceremony: Bernard Bluestein, 100, of Hoffman Estates, Illinois; John Christman, 99, of Leesburg, New Jersey; and Seymour Nussenbaum, 100, of Monroe Township, New Jersey.

Their work during the war “was like putting on a big production,” Nussenbaum said in an interview before the ceremony.

“We have had in some cases people impersonating generals, putting on a general’s uniform and walking around the streets,” he said.

Nussenbaum, who grew up in New York City, was studying art at the Pratt Institute before he joined the Army. Eventually, he joined a unit specializing in camouflage that was part of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.

“Our mission was to fool the enemy, to put on a big act,” said Nussenbaum, a painter who went on to a career in commercial art.

Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said during the ceremony that the Ghost Army members were “creative, original thinkers, who used engineering, art, architecture and advertising to wage battle with the enemy.”

“Their weapons were unconventional but their patriotism was unquestionable,” he said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said during the ceremony that it’s estimated that between 15,000 to 30,000 lives were saved because of the Ghost Army’s work.

The legislation to honor the military units with the Congressional Gold Medal — Congress’ highest honor — was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. That came after almost a decade of work by family members of the soldiers and Rick Beyer, a filmmaker and author who has who helped bring their story to light after their mission was declassified in 1996. Beyer, president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project, produced and directed the 2013 documentary “The Ghost Army” and co-authored the 2015 book “The Ghost Army of World War II.”

“They put themselves in harm’s way wielding imagination, bravado and creativity in order that other soldiers might be able to fight and live,” Beyer told those gathered Thursday.

“This is a day that has been a long time coming but it has been well worth the wait,” Beyer said.

The Ghost Army included about 1,100 soldiers in the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, which carried out about 20 battlefield deceptions in France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, and around 200 soldiers in the 3133rd Signal Company Special, which carried out two deceptions in Italy.

One of the biggest missions, called Operation Viersen, came in March 1945 when the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops’ deception drew German units away from the point on the Rhine River where the 9th Army was actually crossing.

“They had hundreds of inflatables set up,” Beyer said in an interview before the ceremony. “They had their sound trucks operating for multiple nights. They had other units attached to them. They had set up multiple phony headquarters and staffed them with officers who were pretending to be colonels.”

“This was an all-hands-on-deck affair and it was completely successful,” Beyer said. “It fooled the Germans. They moved their troops to the river opposite where the deception was.”

In September 1944, the Ghost Army helped fill a gap in Gen. George Patton’s line during an attack on the Germans in the French city of Metz.

“They end up holding this part of the line for eight days, which is really long in terms of doing a deception, trying to keep up appearances,” Beyer said.

Kim Seale of Dallas said that his father’s work in the Ghost Army came as a surprise to him. Only about six months after his father’s death at the age of 84 in 2001, he was told of the connection by a past member of the Ghost Army who was putting together a reunion.

“I said, ‘What do you mean, Ghost Army?’” Seale said.

“My Dad never talked about it,” Seale said. “He kept the oath.”

He said his father, Oscar Seale, who was a captain, had told him that at one point during the war that he had transitioned from a tank division to a position as a courier. Seale said he now thinks that’s when his father joined the Ghost Army.

“It’s been a 20-plus year journey of learning about the Ghost Army, learning about what my Dad did, learning about what the men did and just being amazed at that story,” he said.

Wood County Jail inmate found dead

Wood County Jail inmate found deadQUITMAN – The Wood County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday afternoon that an inmate had died. According to our news partner KETK, the WCSO said the inmate had been admitted to the jail on Wednesday. On Thursday, jail staff found the inmate unconscious and began resuscitation efforts until emergency services arrived. The inmate was taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. The sheriff’s said the inmates identity is being withheld and the cause of death is not known. The Texas Rangers have been contacted and as standard practice will conduct an investigation into the cause of death.

UT Tyler and Kilgore College to continue partnership

UT Tyler and Kilgore College to continue partnershipTYLER – UT Tyler and Kilgore College announced Thursday as they plan to continue their partnership that will allow student co-enrollment. According to our news partner KETK, the partnership would let students take a majority of their classes at KC, but would be eligible to complete three credit hours per semester from an approved list of UTT courses.

“Concurrent enrollment will facilitate a smoother transition for students who plan to transfer from Kilgore College to UT Tyler,” Dr. Tracy Skopek, KC’s vice president of instruction, said. “It will also simplify the transfer process, ensuring students have the necessary prerequisites and credits to seamlessly continue their education at UT Tyler.”
Continue reading UT Tyler and Kilgore College to continue partnership

AAA Texas: Tyler has lowest gas prices in Texas

AAA Texas: Tyler has lowest gas prices in TexasTYLER – AAA announced on Thursday that Tyler has the cheapest gas on average in Texas. According to our news partner KETK, with prices rising because of spring and summer travel, AAA’s survey showed that the average cost for a gallon of gas in Tyler was $3 per gallon. The average for Texas is $3.18, while the average price for a gallon of gas nationally is $3.53.

Several school districts closed for total solar eclipse

Several school districts closed for total solar eclipseEAST TEXAS — A number of East Texas school districts announced they will cancel classes for the total solar eclipse on April 8, according to our news partner KETK. In early March, Bullard Independent School District shared calendar adjustments and said April 8 was changed to a school holiday. Bullard ISD said the date was originally an employee workday but adjusted it so staff can experience the eclipse with their friends and family.

Canton Independent School District said time was built into their calendar year and it was decided that the eclipse day will be a day off. “We hope our families are able to take advantage of this opportunity and experience this event with their children,” the school district said. Canton ISD said they will provide eclipse glasses for each of their students prior to the event. Continue reading Several school districts closed for total solar eclipse

Two men charged with weekend kidnapping of Tyler man

Two men charged with weekend kidnapping of Tyler manSMITH COUNTY — Two men have been charged in connection to a weekend kidnapping. Our news partner KETK reports, according to an arrest affidavit, on March 17 at around 4:06 p.m., the Smith County Sheriff’s Office 911 emergency dispatch received a call from a woman claiming two men in a red Honda passenger car had put a gun to her husband’s head and forced him to get in their car before driving away with him. The woman told police two of her husband’s sons followed the Honda car and pulled over at a donut shop on Highway 271. Officials said both sons were told to leave and were shown guns as a threat. During this time, the sons were reportedly told the kidnappers wanted $10,000 ransom to get their father back. The suspects also allegedly called the victim’s wife demanding money for his return. Continue reading Two men charged with weekend kidnapping of Tyler man

Sheriff Larry Smith: Kidnapping ‘directly related’ to cartel

Two charged with weekend kidnapping of Tyler manSMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said a recent kidnapping in Smith County was related to a cartel. Smith said, “The kidnapping we had this last week is directly related to the cartel, no doubt about it, 100% directly related to the cartel. They try to extort money out of a citizen here in Tyler, Smith County who probably was involved with the cartel. He just better thank his Lord that we have the detectives we’ve got here, that we’re able to catch him and work with other agencies to free him when he got to Fort Worth,”
Continue reading Sheriff Larry Smith: Kidnapping ‘directly related’ to cartel

Two East Texans dead after overnight crash

BOWIE COUNTY – Two East Texans dead after overnight crashOur news partners at KETK report that a Texarkana woman and Tyler man are dead after a crash Tuesday night on U.S. Highway 59, four miles south of Texarkana. According to a preliminary DPS report, a 2024 Kia Telluride SUV was traveling southbound on the highway around 9:53 p.m. when it crossed into the northbound lane and struck a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV. The driver of the Kia was identified as Natasha Brewer, 48 of Texarkana, and the driver of the Chevrolet was identified as Jason Foster, 46 of Tyler. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the investigation is ongoing.

No ruling from appeals court, SB-4 still on hold

McALLEN (AP) — Texas faced skeptical questioning at an appeals court hearing Wednesday as the state pushed to enforce a strict new immigration law that would allow it to arrest and deport people who enter the U.S. illegally.
The one-hour hearing before a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ended without a ruling, leaving Texas’ new law on hold for now. A flurry of court activity, including a decision Tuesday from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed the law to take effect for several hours, has caused uncertainty at the border.
Chief Judge Priscilla Richman raised a series of questions about how the state law would be carried out, including how Texas would respond if federal authorities don’t cooperate with a state judge’s order to deport someone. No arrests were reported during the hours the law was in effect Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said it would not have authority to deport under the state law.
“This is uncharted because we don’t have any cases on it,” said Texas Solicitor General Aaron Nielson.
The Justice Department has argued that Texas’ law is a clear violation of federal authority and will create chaos at the border. Lawyers for the department faced a grilling from Judge Andrew Oldham, who was appointed by Republican President Donald Trump. The third judge on the panel, Judge Irma Ramirez, did not ask questions during the hearing but has previously voted to keep the law on hold.
Richman challenged Texas’ assertion that it is exercising a “core police power,” getting Nielsen to acknowledge that deporting people has been a federal responsibility. But Nielsen denied that Texas is “trying to take over the field” on border enforcement and said the state wants to cooperate with the federal government on what is widely acknowledged to be a crisis.
Nielsen also said he did not know how the law would affect someone who entered the country illegally but came to Texas from another state.
Regardless of how this three-judge panel rules, the legal fight will hardly be over. The 5th Circuit has been considering the state’s appeal of a scathing injunction from a lower-court judge that put the law on hold.
The 5th Circuit issued a decision earlier this month that would have allowed the law to take effect, and the Supreme Court essentially declined to intervene Tuesday. But hours after the law took effect, the 5th Circuit reinstated the lower court injunction, pausing the law again.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the law. It instead kicked back to the lower appeals court a challenge led by the Justice Department.
Under the Texas law, once defendants are in custody on illegal entry charges, they can agree to a judge’s order to leave the U.S. or face prosecution. However, Mexico has said it would refuse to take anyone back who is ordered to cross the border.
The impact extends far beyond the Texas border. Republican legislators wrote the law so that it applies in all of the state’s 254 counties, although Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said he expects it will mostly be enforced near the border.
Other GOP-led states are already looking to follow Texas’ path. In Iowa, the state House gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that would also give its state law enforcement the power to arrest people who are in the U.S. illegally and have previously been denied entry into the country.
It now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. If signed, it would take effect in July.
“The federal government has abdicated its responsibilities and states can and must act,” Republican Iowa state Rep. Steven Holt said.
In Texas, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the top county executive, said immigration enforcement should remain a federal, not state, responsibility, echoing the Biden administration’s view. He said heightened law enforcement presence in the city of El Paso during a previous migrant surge brought high-speed chases and traffic stops based on assumptions that passengers were in the country illegally.
“We had accidents, we had injuries, we got a little glimpse of what would happen if the state begins to control what happens in respect to immigration,” Samaniego said.
Arrests for illegal crossings fell by half in January from a record-high of 250,000 in December, with sharp declines in Texas. Arrests in the Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector, the focus of Abbott’s enforcement, fell 76% from December. Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for much of the past decade, recorded its fewest arrests since June 2020.
Tucson, Arizona, has been the busiest corridor in recent months, followed by San Diego in January, but reasons for sudden shifts are often complicated and are dictated by smuggling organizations.
When Biden visited the Rio Grande Valley for his second trip to the border as president last month, administration officials credited Mexico for heightened enforcement on that part of the border for the drop in arrests. They said conditions were more challenging for Mexican law enforcement in Sonora, the state that lies south of Arizona.

 65th Azalea Trail ribbon cutting Friday

 65th azalea trail ribbon cutting FridayTYLER — The 65th Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail is set to kick off with a ceremony beginning at 10am, on Friday, March 22nd at the home of Joan Pyron, located at 212 West Dobbs. Shannon Dacus, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Board Chair, and Mayor Don Warren will also be present to give opening remarks at the ceremony. The ribbon cutting is free and open to the public. The Azalea & Spring Flower Trail will run for three weekends, March 22-April 8. Continue reading  65th Azalea Trail ribbon cutting Friday

Hwy 59 wreck leaves two dead

Hwy 59 wreck leaves woman, Tyler man deadBOWIE COUNTY — A Texarkana woman and Tyler man are dead after a crash Tuesday night on U.S. Highway 59, four miles south of Texarkana. According to our news partner KETK, a preliminary DPS report stated a 2024 Kia Telluride SUV was traveling southbound on the highway around 9:50 when it crossed into the northbound lane and struck a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV. The driver of the Kia was identified as Natasha Brewer, 48 of Texarkana. The driver of the Chevrolet was identified as Jason Foster, 56 of Tyler. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the investigation is ongoing.