TYLER — The Texas Department of Transportation is hosting a virtual public meeting with an in-person option regarding the six-lane widening project on FM 2493, more commonly known as Old Jacksonville Highway. Officials encourage you to participate and share your comments on improving safety and mobility along the highway from Loop 323 to FM 2813. The virtual public meeting is available from 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 21, through Wednesday, April 12. The in-person public meeting will be held in a come-and-go format March 28 from 5-7 p.m. at the Regional Training and Development Complex on the Tyler Junior College West Campus. Click this link for all the details.
Kilgore Police find fentanyl during traffic stop
KILGORE â The Kilgore Police Department said they found a substance which tested positive for fentanyl during a recent traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, officials said the owner told them she had to spike her meth with fentanyl because âmeth just wasnât doing the trick anymore.â KPD said in a Facebook post, âWe hear about fentanyl on TV, but it is here in ETX.â They added that Kilgore youth havenât gotten into fentanyl yet but that the community has to be vigilant. âIt is not something we are yet seeing with our youth, but we canât say it will not happen in ETX. Letâs be very vigilant and stop it before it affects us,â Kilgore PD said. Continue reading Kilgore Police find fentanyl during traffic stop
Mineola school bus crash under investigation
MINEOLA â Officials are continuing to investigate a school bus crash in Wood County. According to DPS, at approximately 7:13 Monday morning, a Mineola ISD bus was traveling south on State Loop 564. A car was traveling north on the same highway. Officials say the driver of the school bus crossed the center stripe and collided with the car. The bus was occupied by students, three of whom were transported to local hospitals for minor injuries, according to a news release. The car driver was taken to UT Health Hospital in Tyler, and the driver of the school bus was transported to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, both with what are termed non-life-threatening injuries. Continue reading Mineola school bus crash under investigation
Sheriffâs Office investigating death of newborn infant
TYLER — Officials are following up on the death of a newborn infant. According to a news release, at approximately 7:20 p.m. on March 15, Smith County deputies responded to a location on US Hwy. 69 North near Tyler. Upon arrival, they were directed to the back yard, where they observed an overturned mop bucket covering the newborn’s body, wrapped in a towel. At that time, deputies secured the area and requested the assistance of investigators and the crime scene unit. During the investigation, the baby’s mother was identified as Jazzlyn Cooper-Holmes, 23, of Longview. She admitted to having the infant on March 12, wrapping the baby in a brown towel, placing the child in a red bucket, and placing the bucket outside behind the residence. Continue reading Sheriffâs Office investigating death of newborn infant
Longview man found dead after being reported missing
LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department announced that Marteleus DeShon Epps, 37, was found dead north of Longview on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, the Upshur County Sheriffâs Office said Epps was found in the woods off Highway 155 near Gilmer, with his truck parked close by. Upshur County Sheriffâs Office is investigating his death and officials said âthere is no immediate indication of foul play in this matter.â An autopsy has been ordered, which is set to be done by Forensic Medical Management Services in Tyler, officials said. Epps was reported missing on Saturday.
In Focus: 3/19/23 – Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas
Smith County Warrant Round Up underway
TYLER — The Smith County Collections Department’s annual Warrant Round Up is underway as of Sunday. âSmith County Courts have hundreds of active warrants they are seeking to clear,â Judicial Compliance/Collections Director Sheryl Keel said as quoted in a news release. âWe are encouraging defendants to take advantage of the options available to settle outstanding warrants immediately.â Keel says once the arrest period begins, Smith County will target persons on the delinquent and/or warrant list, and arrests can take place at any location — including the defendantâs home, school, or workplace. âI urge you to contact the Judicial Compliance Department at 903-590-4624 to make arrangements on your case,â she said. For more information about warrants or citations, visit this link.
TxDOTâs weekly roadwork update
TYLER â TxDOT schedules another weekâs worth of roadwork in the Tyler District for the week of March 20. In Gregg County, work continues on US 259/SH 42 (Business) in Kilgore from Woodlawn Street south to the Rusk County line. The project consists of milling and in laying hot mix asphalt on all lanes and striping. Motorists should expect alternating lane closures. You’re asked to slow down and watch for workers. Expect delays. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will have a ditch maintenance crew on FM 2964 at various locations. A second crew will be on FM 14 performing bridge maintenance. Expect lane closures and flaggers controlling traffic at both locations. There will also be an herbicide unit at various locations throughout the county. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.
Arrest made for Marshall shooting death
MARSHALL — Police have made an arrest in a Marshall shooting death, and the suspect has been charged with murder. On March 16 at around 1:40 p.m., police responded to a 911 call on Randolph Street from a man who said he had been shot. According to a news release, officers found Adrian Rashad Ward, 34, suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Marshall Fire Department paramedics transported him to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Investigation by police detectives led to the arrest later that day of Johnthan Antione Reeves, 28, on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. That charge has since been upgraded to murder. Reeves remains in the Harrison County Jail.
Opal Lee awarded honorary doctorate during Wiley Collegeâs 150-year celebration
MARSHALL â Another honor is given to a key figure in what has become a national holiday. Opal Lee, an East Texas native and 1953 Wiley College graduate, was named the Grandmother of Juneteenth after her efforts helped the holiday become nationally recognized. According to our news partner KETK, her alma mater has now awarded her an honorary doctorate to celebrate its 150th year. âI was grateful, I really was…Wiley means a lot to me,â said Dr. Lee. Lee was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for her activism toward making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Continue reading Opal Lee awarded honorary doctorate during Wiley Collegeâs 150-year celebration
Brigitta’s Hungarian Restaurant reopens
KILGORE — A restaurant in Kilgore reopens after strong winds tore off its roof early this month. According to our news partner KETK, Brigitta’s Hungarian Restaurant returned to its normal hours Friday. Helping hands from a local roofing company are credited with the quick return to business.
Smith County Habitat names new CEO, Mary Alice Guidry
TYLER â Habitat for Humanity of Smith Countyâs Board of Directors has approved Mary Alice Guidry as the affiliateâs new chief executive officer. Mrs. Guidryâs role with HFHSC will officially commence in early July. According to a news release, Guidry joins the Habitat team after serving six years on its Board of Directors, serving terms as secretary as well as president. She is a licensed architect with nine years of experience as a senior project manager with Fitzpatrick Architects, Inc., of Tyler. Current Smith County Habitat CEO Jack Wilson will be retiring at the end of June and returning with wife Patricia to Sarasota, Florida, where they lived before coming to Tyler in 2008.
Nexstar sued by DIRECTV
IRVING (KRLD) – A Texas-based company that owns local TV stations across the country is being sued by DIRECTV. The lawsuit accuses Irving-based Nexstar Broadcasting and two other companies of improperly working together to set prices that local TV stations charge satellite companies to carry those stations. DIRECTV’s lawsuit claims that has led to some of those stations being blocked from their service — including stations in Amarillo, Tyler, Lubbock, Abilene, Midland-Odessa, and Wichita Falls. The Tyler station is our news partner KETK. A statement from Nexstar says the lawsuit is “without merit.”
Settlement reached in lawsuit against Kilgore ISD
KILGORE (KRLD) – Taxpayers in East Texas win a settlement in a lawsuit against their school district. 13 plaintiffs in the Kilgore ISD filed the class-action lawsuit against the district in 2016. They alleged that the school district wrongly removed a homestead exemption in 2015 and illegally assessed and collected taxes as a result. The dispute had to do with changes in state law regarding homestead exemptions around that time. The case ultimately went to the state Supreme Court, but the Kilgore ISD decided to settle. A Gregg County Court-at-Law judge approved the agreed upon settlement of more than $2.9 million to the district’s taxpayers, who have until May 1 to apply to receive a payment from the settlement.
Coffee City police looking for man impersonating officer
COFFEE CITY — The Coffee City Police Department is warning people about a man who is allegedly impersonating an officer. Authorities said he is a white man between 25 and 35-years-old, and he is driving a black Tahoe with red and blue lights. The man is around 5â6â and between 165-190 lbs. The man reportedly pulled people over in Tyler and Coffee City, and he was wearing a tan or brown uniform, officials said. Coffee City officers typically wear dark blue or black uniforms, and they have their badge and name tag. Police vehicles also have âpoliceâ written on the side and Texas license plates that say exempt. Law enforcement said they have also received two reports that another man in a black Charger has pulled people over. Continue reading Coffee City police looking for man impersonating officer