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WHITEHOUSE – A Whitehouse Junior High School student has been arrested following a social media threat that appeared Monday evening. According to the school district’s Facebook page, the student was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with making a terroristic threat. The student has also been suspended from school pending further school discipline. The school district had additional law officers on the junior high school campus Tuesday morning to ease the concerns of the parents and the students. School superintendent Dr. Chris Moran said he is thankful for the students who saw the social media posting and immediately reported it.

HARRISON COUNTY – The Department of Public Safety is continuing its investigation into a fatal Harrison County accident. It occurred around 9:45 Monday night at the intersection of Farm Road 9 and County Road 451, in the southeastern part of the county. Dead at the scene was Andrew David Henry, 65 of Deberry. His pickup hit a truck’s trailer that was turning onto the farm road.

PITTSBURG — The investigation continues into the death of a woman whose body was found Monday morning along a road in Pittsburg. She has been identified by Southwest Forensic Institute as Tashiana Sharday Taylor, 24, of Pittsburg. No word yet on the cause of death.

TYLER – Ceremonies were held Tuesday morning, signaling the construction of two new Tyler fire stations. The first ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony was held for fire station number 4. That station, currently located on Martin Luther King Boulevard, will be relocated to Cherryhill Lane,near West Cumberland Road. A couple of hours later, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for fire station number 1. Currently located at Elm Street and Fannin Avenue, it will be built on Gentry Parkway at Palace Avenue. Both capital projects, which are said to be just under $8 million, will be funded out of the Half Cent Sales Tax Fund.

WHITEHOUSE – A missing Whitehouse woman has been found and is safe. The silver alert was issued for Mildred Hightower, 83. She was last seen Monday afternoon and was reported missing Tuesday morning. The Silver Alert was discontinued Tuesday afternoon after she was found safe in Carthage.

WHITEHOUSE – A Whitehouse Jr. High student is being investigated as a result of a threatening post to social media that appeared Monday evening. According to a posting on the school district’s web site, “School officials and school resource officers responded swiftly to resolve the issue. The student is being disciplined.” The post also said additional law enforcement would be present on the junior high campus Tuesday morning “to reassure parents and students that all is safe.” The school district said it is thankful for parents and students who reported the social media post so quickly. The district added, “The student will not return to campus pending an investigation and the outcome of disciplinary measures.”

GLADEWATER – The city of Gladewater is reporting is has found elevated levels of lead in the drinking water during the period from June through September. The city said that the levels of lead they found are not a violation under federal or state law, but it did, however, prompt the city to inform the public of the discovery. According to the city’s Facebook page, a program is in place to minimize lead in the drinking water. “This program may include adding corrosion control treatment, source water treatment, and if necessary replacing lead service lines.” You can go to https://goo.gl/1Z3AoC to see the complete notice. They also added, “If you have any questions about how we are carrying out the requirements of the lead regulation, please give us a call at 903-844-6331.”

TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in a homicide investigation. They are asking for help in identifying the man in this picture who is wanted for questioning in reference to a homicide investigation. They released his photo on Monday. No information was released about the case. If you know his identity, you are asked to contact Detective Hinton at 903-566-6600.

TYLER – In an appearance in federal court in Tyler, a Fort Worth man has pleaded guilty to federal wildlife violations. Jorge Fernando Mercado, 46, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of migratory birds. Federal prosecutors say in September of last year, in Van Zandt County, Mercado sold a live Eastern Screech-Owl for $200. The bird is protected by federal statute and international conventions. Mercado admitted that he sold the owl without a valid permit or authorization. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. The owl was recovered and rehabilitated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife and has since been released back into the wild.

TYLER – Four Tyler Junior College students have earned places in the Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir. They are:
• Janeen Baldwin, music major from Tyler
• Hunter Dickens, music major from Bullard
• Erin Maharrey, music major from Forney
• Taylor White, music major from Paris

The four will perform at the Texas Music Educators Association’s (TMEA) annual convention in San Antonio in February.

EAST MOUNTAIN – An Upshur County woman is in Jail in Gregg County following a weekend brawl at a trailer park. Lovella Lea Stewart, 39, of Diana, has been charged with assault causing bodily injury. Her arrest followed a fight between several individuals. The Longview New Journal reports the fight occurred around 2:00 Sunday afternoon at the Quiet Acres RV Park on Coulter Lane.

TYLER – A Henderson County man is heading to prison for his part in a fatal Smith County accident. Sean Eammon Waite, 34, of Murchison, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced Monday to 28 years in prison. In mid June, Waite was being chased by Tyler police and sheriff’s deputies. The chase ended when his motorcycle crashed at the intersection of Highway 31 West and Farm Road 2661. Waite was arrested after a short foot chase. His passenger, Alicia Ann Adams, 28, was dead at the scene.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department has available a safe area for the exchange of internet purchases. They have two parking spaces that are dedicated for internet purchase exchange. They are located in the public parking lot at the police department on East End Boulevard North. While officers will not be assigned to monitor the transactions, the parking spaces are located in a well-lit area with 24-hour recorded surveillance. Any reluctance by either party to meet there should be taken as a warning sign about the legitimacy of the sale. And they add, a buyer or seller that will communicate only by email, will not provide a telephone number, or attempts to make a last minute change in the venue should make you reconsider following through with the purchase.

TYLER — The annual Salvation Army Red Kettle drive is underway. Red Kettles will be stationed outside stores and businesses in Tyler Monday to Saturday through Christmas Eve. Last year, The Salvation Army in Smith County raised $386,552 and is hoping to raise $430,150 this season. With fewer and fewer people carrying cash, The Salvation Army now offers several cashless ways to donate. QR Codes have been placed at each kettle stand to help make electronic donations easy. Providing a new way to engage family and friends, individuals can now fundraise for The Salvation Army in a creative way by visiting http://www.FundraiseForGood.org. You can get more information on the ktbb.com Calendar of Events.

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith reports 32-year-old county jail inmate Randall Lamont Britton has died. Smith says jailers found Britton unresponsive after being notified at 5:25 p.m. Saturday of an unresponsive inmate as they prepared to feed inmates. Jail medical personnel, the Tyler Fire Department, and EMS performed CPR until a determination was made Britton was deceased, according to the sheriff. Smith says the Texas Rangers are investigating in accordance with standard protocol and an autopsy has been ordered. According to our news partner KETK, Britton was awaiting a November 30 sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2014 incident. Sheriff Smith says Britton had last been checked at 4:04 p.m. and 4:47 p.m. and was observed to be in his cell and alert.

TYLER — Authorities have arrested three people in the murder of 77-year-old Bullard-area resident Roy Bowins. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said Saturday that 22-year-old Brentavian Keshawn Henderson (pictured) had been arrested on a warrant charging him with capital murder. Recommended bond was given as $750,000. Smith says two women, Krystal Rochell Dixon & Tationna Keeshia Mosley, were already jailed for reportedly helping Henderson. Smith County sheriff’s deputies found Bowins’s body Friday afternoon at his home on County Road 121 during a welfare check prompted by a tip from another law enforcement agency. Sheriff Smith said Henderson had reportedly been driving the victim’s vehicle “since approximately November 13th.”

WINONA – A man who fled authorities in Smith County has been arrested. The man fled a state trooper on Highway 155 in Winona just after midnight Friday morning. The officer had stopped the vehicle, which was suspected of being stolen. After a drone pilot found the suspect in a wooded area, he was arrested a short time later with the help of the drone, which was equipped with an infrared camera. Arrested was Justin Alan Meador, 27, of Tyler. He is now in the Smith County Jail on charges of criminal mischief, theft, evading arrest, possession of marijuana and two counts of possession of a controlled substance in a detention facility. His bonds total $32,500. You can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6IkI5d58g8&feature=youtu.be to see the drone footage of the pursuit.

PAYNE SPRINGS – Three persons have been rescued after their boat capsized in Cedar Creek Reservoir. According to the Payne Springs Fire Rescue Facebook page, the call came in just before 11:00 Thursday night. One of the persons in the water was able to call 911 but they were not able to exactly tell their location. The boat was later found in the vicinity of Tom Finley Park. The three persons in the water were suffering from hypothermia and were treated by EMS on scene and transported to a hospital emergency room.

EAST TEXAS — The DPS is continuing to advise East Texas drivers about a road construction issue that will affect holiday travelers going to or returning from Louisiana. Interstate 20 is restricted to one lane for a long term construction project in Louisiana near the Texas state line. The outside lane in both directions is closed for construction in Louisiana. This construction zone causes major traffic delays for motorists in Texas. The DPS says during the week of Thanksgiving anyone traveling into Louisiana from Texas, or vice versa, should be aware of this delay and, if possible, find an alternate route. Major delays are expected with the increase in holiday traffic.

TYLER – You can tell the holiday season is here. The Center for Earth & Space Science Education at Tyler Junior College has announced its holiday shows. Dome shows with a holiday theme will be presented Tuesdays-Saturdays through December 29. The shows include the “Mystery of the Christmas Star” and “Season of Light,” which recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the time of winter solstice. Then there is a program that features a mix of everyone’s favorite holiday music set to fantastic laser artwork.

And one show is called, “Let it Snow.” The 30-minute show features a variety of high-resolution scenery and artistic animation, enhanced with real-time and lighting effects for added variety and drama. All of the shows are in center’s 40’ Spitz nano-seam domed theatre, the first in East Texas.

You can go to http://sciencecenter.tjc.edu for more information.

MARSHALL – The 32nd Annual celebration of Marshall’s Wonderland of Lights Festival is officially underway. The switch has been thrown that lights up downtown Marshall for over 5 weeks. There is an outdoor skating rink, a trolly ride and the restored vintage 1948 Herschel carousel. You can even visit Santa’s Village, a collection of tiny homes each featuring a fun, free activity; build a train, decorate a cookie, and visit with the big guy himself.

Other activities during the festival include a Wassail Walk on Small Business Saturday, Lighted Christmas Parade, Tigers On Ice, Outdoor Christmas Market, Jingle Bell Run, Wonderland of Sites, and the new StoryFest. You can go to http://www.marshalltexas.net/public/warrants/wonderland-of-lights and get more information.

KILGORE – Renovations and upgrades are underway at the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore. And while the work is underway, the oil museum will be closed. While the museum is closed, several of the museum’s exhibits will be upgraded and the museum will receive an overall facelift. When the work is completed, and the museum is reopened in January, visitors will see a fresh, new look. The East Texas Oil Museum is located at the corner of U.S. Highway 259 and Ross Avenue, on the campus of Kilgore College.

EAST TEXAS — It’s been just over one year since a D-P-S Trooper was killed during a traffic stop. Trooper Damon Allen was shot to death during a stop for speeding on I-45 near Fairfield on November 23rd, 2017. According to court records, the 41-year-old Allen was shot while checking a driver license in the front seat of his patrol vehicle. Dabrett Black, of Lindale, was arrested for Allen’s killing. The 33-year-old is charged with capital murder, and remains in the Limestone County Jail. A judge is expected to set Black’s trial date in January.

TYLER – Black Friday ushers in the Christmas shopping season. While being a busy time for shoppers, it is also a busy time for thieves. Thieves take the joy out of the season by stealing your gifts, purses wallets, packages or other valuables you leave in plain sight inside your vehicle. Tyler police have some basic safety tips for shoppers to prevent crimes or crashes from occurring during the holiday season. Such things as Hide your belongings and gifts from eyesight and lock them in your trunk. Don’t take your eyes off your purse or leave it unattended. And, Monitor your personal checking account on-line for fraud. Continue reading Let the Shopping Begin

PALESTINE – Two Palestine men have been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after being accused of entering an apartment and threatening to kill the resident. The apartment is located on Memory Lane. The resident said the men were armed with a handgun and an AR-15 style handgun. The suspects were found in a nearby apartment and were arrested. Officers recovered, in the suspects’ apartment, a black semi-automatic handgun and the AR-15 style handgun. Arrested were Ricky Duncan Jr., 30, and Micah Coleman, 23. Both are now in the Anderson County Jail. Continue reading Two Palestine Men Accused of Making a Threat

LONGVIEW – Funeral services are pending for former State District Judge Alvin Khoury of Longview. He died Wednesday morning at Christus Good Shephard Medical Center in Longview after a brief sudden illness. After 28 years on the bench, here retired from the court in 2008. Before that, he had spent 8 years in the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office. His wife and soon wrote of his death in a Facebook posting.

HOUSTON – The Tyler Junior College Apache Belles will be kicking off the holiday season at the 69th Annual H-E-B Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Belles are feature performers in the parade and will perform their high-kick routine at the “performance stop” in front of the grand stands. The marks the 19th year for the Apache Belles to perform in the parade. The parade will be televised live beginning 9:00am Thursday on KHOU in Houston. Live streaming will be available on KHOU.com and the KHOU Facebook page.

KILGORE – The East Texas Council of Governments has announced a new change in GoBus fares for active members of the military and veterans. Tthey can now ride for free. Whether a veteran or military client is riding GoBus to healthcare appointments or to run errands, a trip that previously would cost $4.00 each way is now complimentary. To take part in this offer, riders will need to notify the dispatch office of their service as they are setting up an appointment and show their driver a form of service identification for their first trip. GoBus is a rural transportation service providing 7,000 trips a month to the 14-county region in East Texas. Continue reading Military and Veterans Get Free GoBus Rides

TYLER – Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson has received the J B Smith Award for Service. The award from the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors, was presented at the 24th Annual First Responders Appreciation Dinner at the Rose Garden. not only was she shocked to receive the award, she was also shocked when it was presented to her by her brother, Tyler Police Officer Wayne Thomas. The award winner is nominated each year by fellow first responders in the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors’ jurisdiction. This includes Smith, Wood, Cherokee and Franklin counties. The recipient must have a minimum of 20 years of experience with exceptional performance throughout their career. Continue reading An Award for the Smith County Fire Marshal