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SMITH COUNTY – The Cities of Tyler, Lindale and Arp have races on the ballot for the Joint City Election on Saturday. There will be six polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 4.

Arp First Baptist Church, 304 W. Front St. in Arp
Heritage Building, 1900 Bellwood Road in Tyler
The Hub, 304 E. Ferguson St. in Tyler
Lindale Kinzie Community Center, 912 Mt. Sylvan St. in Lindale
St. Louis Baptist Church, 4000 Frankston Highway in Tyler
Three Lakes Middle School, 2445 Three Lakes Parkway in Tyler

For those voting Saturday at the Hub, Ferguson Street has been closed this week but it is being reopened in front of the Hub Saturday for voter parking only. Only 660 people voted during the seven days of early voting.

Early voting numbers are expected to be posted at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and Election Day results will be posted once all six Election Day locations have delivered their ballots. To find out the results Saturday evening, visit http://www.smith-county.com and click on the red banner at the top of the page. If you need information on Election Night, please call the Elections Office at 903-590-4777.

TRINITY COUNTY – Trinity County declared a local state of disaster on Monday following severe damage caused by tornados and storms. By Thursday, mandatory evacuations were ordered for part of the county. According to our news partner KETK, the county suffered severe damage because of tornadoes, continuous rain, flooding on county roads and damage to infrastructure on Sunday. With more rainfall into Thursday morning, mandatory emergency evacuations were ordered for the end of Doug Bell Road. County officials went door-to-door in boats to collect residents and their pets to take them to safety.

Trinity County Judge Danny Martin signed the disaster declaration after determining that measures had to be taken to “alleviate the suffering of people and to protect and rehabilitate property.”

“You are more than willing to stay at home if you want to, but we are not coming back for you after today,” Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said in a video posted to social media. Continue reading Boat rescues underway as mandatory evacuations continue

LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, an increased police presence was seen Thursday morning at the rheumatology practice of a murder suspect’s son. Dr. Kayvan Kamali’s Rheumatology Association of Longview, located on Judson Road, had several sheriff’s office and DPS vehicles parked outside.

Kayvan’s father, Reza Kamali, was recently charged with the 2016 murder of a beloved community figure. Though sources said Gregg County is leading the investigation, some DPS troopers were called to assist at the scene. A DPS spokesperson said he believes this event is in connection to the murder investigation of Ron Horaney, in which three people have been charged so far.
‘I hope no parent ever has to go through this’: Ron Horaney’s mother reacts to arrests made in case

On May 30, 2016 Horaney was found dead in his home from multiple gunshot wounds. The case went with few new developments until April, when authorities arrested Reza Kamali first. According to Reza’s arrest affidavit, Reza ordered Horaney killed “up close and personal because of a family dispute.”

The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office was not able to comment on the situation because of a pending judge-issued gag order.

TYLER – Road closures will start on Friday, May 3, for the Red Dirt BBQ and Music Festival, which will be held on Saturday, May 4. According to a release from the City of Tyler, Broadway Avenue from Erwin Street to Ferguson Street and the left turn lane for the East Ferguson Street and Broadway Avenue intersection will be closed. Portions of North College Avenue, Ferguson, West Erwin Street, and Broadway near the Downtown Square and Courthouse will close at 5:30 p.m. All roads will be opened on Sunday, May 5.

NACOGDOCHES – A professor at Stephen F. Austin State University has been named a Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-2025 academic year. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Roslyn Fraser, an associate professor of sociology at SFA, was named to participate in the program.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. Government’s flagship program for international educational and cultural exchange. University faculty members and professionals are selected to do research, teach and produce projects in other countries. As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Fraser will spend 10 months in Port Louis, Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, researching and teaching graduate courses at the University of Technology, Mauritius

Dr. Fraser said this about receiving the recognition, “It is an honor to be selected to travel to another part of the world to represent our university, our country and the discipline of sociology. That level of recognition has real weight to it. It feels like being told ‘You’re doing good things. Keep it up.’”

TYLER – 11 East Texas hospitals have been given “A” safety ratings for the spring of 2024, which has improved from eight A ratings in Fall 2023. The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit that studies hospitals across the country for errors, injuries, accidents and infections twice a year in the fall and spring. Our news partners at KETK have put together the following list of East Texas hospitals which were rated on an A to F scale, with A being the safest: Continue reading Spring 2024 safety ratings released for East Texas hospitals

LONGVIEW – Thursday morning, law enforcement was seen stationed at the business location of a murder suspect’s son. According to our news partner KETK, vehicles from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and DPS were parked outside the Judson Road office of Dr. Kayvan Kamali’s Rheumatology Association of Longview. Kayvan’s father, Reza Kamali, was recently charged in the 2016 murder of Ron Horaney.

Sources say Gregg County is leading the investigation, some DPS troopers were called to assist at the scene. A DPS spokesperson said he believes this event is in connection to the murder investigation of Ron Horaney, in which three people have been charged so far. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office was not able to comment on the situation because of a pending judge-issued gag order.

TYLER — The hemp market in Texas is growing and with it comes competition to get products on the shelves first. According to our news partner KETK, some of the most popular items found on shelves are delta-8 and 9, which are different versions of THC, a cannabinoid found in a cannabis plant. Both naturally occur in marijuana with delta-9 being more potent.

“The majority of the delta-8 or virtually all the delta-8 that you’re finding in products is manufactured from CBD,” Leo Welder, a strategic consultant, said.

Welder a consultant with LJW3 Operating, owned his own cannabis and hemp testing lab in California before moving back to Texas. He said California had stricter rules on what hit the shelves, but Texas is lacking in that department. Continue reading Lack of cannabis regulation sparks debate in East Texas

GREGG COUNTY –  An 18-wheeler crash is causing delays Thursday morning in Gregg County on I-20 near Kilgore. According to TxDOT and our news partner KETK, the 18-wheeler crashed and caught fire in the eastbound lane of I-20 near mile marker 583, between SH 135 and FM 2207, just south of Liberty City. The inside lane is open, but officials said the outside lane is closed with an estimated reopen time of about 1 p.m.

TYLER — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a disaster declaration for Texas communities affected by severe weather including many portions of East Texas. Texas counties in the disaster declaration include Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine and Tyler. The Trinity Fire and Rescue responded to multiple storm related calls including homes destroyed by a tornado and multiple calls of people trapped in flooded cars and houses.

According to our news partner KETK, on Tuesday Trinity County Judge Danny Martin issued a disaster declaration after determining that measures had to be taken to “alleviate the suffering of people and to protect and rehabilitate property.”

People can apply online and download applications on the SBA website. Applicants can also call SBA’s customer service center at 800-659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information in disaster assistance. Continue reading Disaster relief loans now available for East Texans

TYLER — East Texas Representative Nathaniel Moran’s Rural Weather Monitoring Systems Act, also known as H.R. 4654, passed in the House on Tuesday, as part of a bill to ensure that U.S. weather systems are at the forefront of reliable weather forecasting and prediction, according to reports from our colleagues at KETK. H.R. 4654, introduced by Moran in July 2023, addresses key challenges with rural weather monitoring systems including geographical differences in availability, effectiveness of rural weather monitoring systems and the number of rural areas currently affected by unreliable or unavailable monitoring systems to help track life-threatening weather events. Continue reading Moran weather bill passes

MABANK – Mabank Independent School District is seeking the approval of a $116 million bond that if passed on Election Day, will increase student capacity and prepare the district for future growth. According to the school district and our colleagues at KETK, the projects that the bond will fund include: Continue reading Voters to decide on $116M school bond for Mabank

MARSHALL – Wednesday, the Marshall Police Department announced that they have arrested three people in connection to the murder 13-year-old Tristan Phelps of Marshall According to our news partner KETK, taken into custody and charged with murder were, 35-year-old Donyan Dillard, Devin Hurd, 22 and 21-year-old Jaquavious Robinson, all three are from Marshall. They are currently in the Harrison County Jail.

Authorities say the shooting happened early Sunday on Sanford Street, near University Avenue. Police were called in after a report of 20 to 30 shots fired. When they arrived, they found Tristan Phelps shot. Phelps was transported to a local hospital where he died that afternoon.

Marshall PD thanks those giving them information on the case. However, they are still investigating the murder. You call them if you have information at 903-935-4575 or to leave an anonymous tip at 903-935-9969.

HENDERSON – The Henderson Police Department released a sketch made by a DPS sketch artist of a suspect in an aggravated robbery that took place on April 26. According to our news partner KETK, the robbery occurred at Rosita’s Conexion Latina on West Main Street in Henderson. Police say the robbery suspect said he had a sick family member and needed money. The owner of the business was shot during the robbery, but was treated for his injuries and released. Henderson Police ask if you have information on the identity of the person in the sketch, to call them at 903-657-3512.

TYLER – Authorities are searching for a man who has been missing since April 26. According to our news partner KETK, 44-year-old Jose Alejandro “Alex” Perez last known location was the Towne Oaks Apartments on Hollytree Drive. Detectives found Perez’s Hyundai Sonata on April 29 at that apartment complex. He is described as 6’1, 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Tyler PD asks if anyone with information on the location of Jose Perez to please call them at 903-531-1000.

TYLER — In a confrontation between police and protesters at UT Austin late Monday, 79 people involved were jailed, according to the Travis County sheriff’s department. Most were charged with criminal trespass. About 150 protesters sat on the ground as state troopers and police encircled them, with hundreds of others shouting when officers dragged someone away. After police cleared the original group of demonstrators, hundreds of students and protesters ran to block officers from leaving campus. Protesters pushed in on officers, creating a mass of shoving bodies before police used pepper spray and set off flash-bang devices to clear a path for a van to take those arrested off campus.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife Tuesday released the following statement:

“As I have previously stated, any attempt to shut down or disrupt UT operations will not be tolerated. There is no rationale whatsoever that justifies the endangerment of our students and campus environments. Massive crowds of students, along with outside groups with absolutely no connection to UT, have intentionally caused disturbances with plans to harm our campus community. In fact, the majority of arrests to date have occurred with agitators who are not UT students. These activities will not be allowed. Continue reading UT Regents Chairman responds to campus protests

RUSK COUNTY, Texas – Texas DPS released a report announcing that two men are dead after being in consecutive crashes involving a cow six miles west of Tatum. According to our news partner KETK, Jerry Moore, 58 of Tatum, was traveling on CR 2142 when he struck a cow on the road at approximately 2:23 a.m. on April 23. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Five minutes later, the same cow was struck by Michael Moore, 53 of Tatum, along the same road. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.

PALESTINE – Multiple citations have been issued after Palestine PD said they conducted a tobacco/vape sales compliance check on Saturday at various locations according to our colleagues at KETK. The operation consisted of a minor decoy going to the following businesses, where police officials said they were sold a tobacco product by an employee: Continue reading Citations issued after compliance check of tobacco sales

TRINITY — Our news partners at KETK report that the National Weather Service has confirmed that a EF1 tornado hit Trinity County on Sunday. According to a release, the NWS meteorologists are surveying storm damage near Trinity and a preliminary survey shows an EF1 struck the Rock Creek Subdivision. An EF1 tornado is described as having 86-110 mph wind that can cause roof’s edges or corners to be torn off. The Trinity Fire and Rescue responded to multiple storm related calls including a home that was destroyed by a tornado, multiple flooded roads and calls of people trapped in flooded cars and houses. City of Conroe Chief of Police Jeff Christy said that on Sunday evening, Lieutenant James Waller and his wife were at their Trinity County property when their home was hit by a suspected tornado. Continue reading EF1 tornado confirmed in Trinity County, lieutenant and wife injured

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the City of Tyler announced that certain bus routes downtown have been rerouted by Tyler Transit due to the upcoming Red Dirt BBQ and Music Festival this Saturday. Continue reading Tyler Transit announces changes ahead of festival

BROWNSBORO — A Brownsboro elementary student was selected to be a model at the 34th annual Children’s Cancer Fund’s gala and she was escorted by Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott. According to our news partner KETK, Brownsboro Elementary School student, Cami, was selected to be a model at the fundraising gala that took place on April 19 in Dallas.

“We are so thrilled she was able to participate in such an amazing fundraiser, and are so very proud of our little bear! You looked beautiful Cami!” – Brownsboro ISD

The Cowboys said that Prescott as well as Troy Aikman teamed up with the Children’s Cancer Fund as honorary chairs for the gala. The Cowboys also announced that the gala raised over $2 million for children’s cancer research.

“Together, we raised an extraordinary $2.7 million for pediatric cancer research” – Children’s Cancer Fund and Dak Prescott

TYLER – Arrest records show that six people have been arrested after they reportedly tried to cash forged checks totaling $46,161. According to our news partner KETK, an arrest warrant for Tony Lee Head alleges that, between March 31 and April 2, he passed a forged check to Brookshire’s that said it was from Integrity Turf Management or Integrity Tree Care & Landscape.

According to Head’s arrest affidavit, the company did not authorize that check or any of $46,161 in forged checks addressed to Tony Lee Head (pictured left), Jessica Carmon Henderson, Dale Forbus Reynolds, Howard Bowen, Kevin Ray Eddins and Lizabeth Marie Arnold.

A Tyler PD detective who was investigating the check forgery case said the case started when Henderson was employed by Integrity Turf Management (ITM) as an accountant for about a month. Henderson reportedly was given access to the business’s Intuit QuickBooks and all of their financials. Continue reading $46,000 in forged checks; six arrests

PALESTINE – Palestine police apprehended a man with a variety of drugs Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, arrested was 35 year-old Daniel Cummings III, of Palestine. Cummings was stopped late Saturday morning at Woodside Village Apartments. Officers had announced there were complaints that Cummings was dealing drugs. When police arrived with a search warrant they found about 12 pounds of illegal drugs. Officers seized about eight pounds of suspected methamphetamine, around four pounds of marijuana and nearly 14 grams of Xanax along with $1,300 in cash.

Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow said in a release, “Because of the great work by these officers, a large amount of dope is off our streets. I commend these officers for their thorough investigation and a job well done.”

Cummings is now at the Anderson County Jail and charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, abandoning or endangering a child and violation of a protective order.

LONGVIEW – Three people are now charged in 2016 murder of promenent Longview businessman Ron Horaney. According to our news partner KETK, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that 26-year-old Rene Paul Garcia Jr., has been charged in connection to the slaying. Garcia is currently is in a federal penitentiary. He is the half brother of 38-year-old Alfredo Lizcano, who was arrested Wednesday, April 24 and charged with the murder of Horaney. He has a $10 million bond. The other person arrested was 87-year-old Reza Kamali of Longview. Kamali’s bond was set at $7.5 million.

At a press conference held Monday, sheriff’s office investigators say they received information from a “Cooperating Individual” who reported being contacted by someone they identified as “Ray Kamali,” who authorities identified as being Reza Kamali. Cooperating Individual 1 told investigators that two years prior to their interview in June of 2016, Kamali solicited him to murder Horaney. The Cooperating Individual then reported that Kamali wanted Horaney “killed up close and personal because of a family dispute.”

Ron Horaney was found dead in his home from multiple gunshots on May 30, 2016. Horaney’s Feed Stores in Longview and Marshall were one of the oldest family-owned businesses. His grandfather, Harry Horaney, founded the business in 1940.

MARSHALL – Authorities in Marshall said they are investigating a homicide after a 13-year-old died from gunshot wounds on Sunday according to our news partners at KETK. According to police, multiple gunshots were reported in the 1100 block of Sanford Street around 2:22 a.m. on Sunday with callers stating “about 20 to 30 shots were fired.” A 13-year-old boy was found at the scene critically injured, and authorities said CPR was immediately given. The teen was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries later that afternoon. “It is believed that this incident stemmed from an earlier confrontation on Olive Street,” officials with police said. Continue reading Marshall 13-year-old dead after weekend shooting