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TYLER – Suspects in a Carrollton attempted bank robbery and shooting have been identified after being arrested Thursday in Smith County. They are Rayfiel Gill, 40, of Gulfport, MS; Lillie McCoy, 43, of Wiggins, MS; Katron Pittman, 17, of Gautier, MS; and Gary Taylor Jr., 17, of Purvis, MS. They are now held in Carrollton after spending Thursday night in the Smith County Jail, where a judge set each of their bonds at $1,000,000. Continue reading Suspects identified in Carrollton attempted bank robbery, shooting

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank will expand its services in Anderson County by offering a new mobile pantry monthly with fresh produce and meat in Frankston on the second Tuesday of each month. Hours are 10 a.m.-noon, beginning September 13 at the United Methodist Church of Frankston on Weldon Street. “Anderson County has a great need for food assistance as 13.9% of the residents are food insecure or 8,060 people according to the latest data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap,” said food bank CEO Dennis Cullinane as quoted in a news release. Continue reading East Texas Food Bank to offer new mobile pantry in Frankston

EAST TEXAS – Bassmaster Magazine has ranked Lake Fork as the seventh best bass lake in the United States. The popular lake covers parts of Wood, Rains, and Hopkins Counties. According to our news partner KETK, Bassmaster ranks lakes by using tournament data, state fishery information, catch rates, and angler access. “While the fisheries may change, our goal is to point anglers toward the most productive waters so that your time is spent with rod bent. These rankings provide a bucket list of destinations for anglers,” Bassmaster Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Hall said. Lake Fork is a favorite spot for fishers from all across Texas, and the numbers show why. It is reported that 33 of the 50 largest bass ever caught in Texas were caught in Lake Fork.

TYLER – City officials gathered Thursday at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport to attend a Fire Station 3 Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle push-in ceremony. A push-in is a tradition recognized in the fire service that reflects back to the horse-drawn carriage days when firefighters had to wash their trucks and actually push them into the station. “This truck is brand new, new engine, new pump, all those things that cause maintenance issues, on this truck is new and under warranty so that is a huge benefit,” said Chief David Coble. According to our news partner KETK, officials say the ARFF vehicle was paid for with funds from the Federal Aviation Administration and is equipped with high-tech features that will allow crews to put out fires more efficiently.

WOOD COUNTY –Authorities in Wood County believe they have found the man responsible for a murder back in 2007. According to our news partner KETK, Chad Carr remains in the Wood County Jail, charged with the murder of Brittany McGlone. He was arrested Sept. 1 in the Dallas area. Wood County Sheriff Kelly Cole says all signs pointed to him after years of investigating. 19-year-old McGlone was tragically beaten, sexually assaulted and murdered in the light of day back in 2007 in a small home by Lake Winnsboro. Brittany’s case was without a suspect being publicly named for more than a decade. Continue reading Suspect in 2007 Wood County murder remains jailed

BEAUMONT – A Stratford, Missouri, man has been sentenced in Beaumont to life in federal prison for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations violations stemming from his membership in the white supremacy prison gang the Aryan Circle. According to federal authorities, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office was one of numerous organizations investigating the case. Jesse Paul Blankenship, 39, was convicted last November of racketeering conspiracy, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping in aid of racketeering. Evidence presented at trial showed, among other thihgs, that Blankenship “put in work” by committing violence on behalf of the gang, including shooting at two victims inside their home and participating in a kidnapping and removal of another member’s gang tattoo by burning it from the victim’s skin.

TYLER – The Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance Thursday presented $655,000 in grants to six organizations for providing services to approximately 740 East Texas veterans and their families. Sabine Valley Regional MHMR Center received a check for $50,000 to provide people in 12 counties with supportive services. The East Texas Council Of Governments accepted a check for $100,000 to provide transportation programs and services in 14 counties. Habitat for Humanity of Smith County’s check for $200,000 comes in the form of a Housing For Texas Heroes Grant to provide home modification services. Continue reading $655,000 in grants presented to six East Texas veteran service organizations

TYLER – The Tyler ISD Foundation has earned a 100/100 rating from Charity Navigator’s Encompass Rating System. A Tyler ISD news release cites the foundation’s “strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency.” The score designates Tyler ISD Foundation as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that the organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria. Charity Navigator is termed America’s largest and most-utilized independent charity evaluator. Since its creation in 1990, the Tyler ISD Foundation has gifted more than $3.5 million to Tyler ISD through innovative teaching grants, student and parent programs, academic and teaching recognition events, and scholarships, according to the release.

TYLER – Last week, Visit Tyler was presented with a Texas Destination Excellence Award at the 2022 Texas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau (TACVB) Annual Conference. According to a news release, Visit Tyler won second place for a local public relations campaign. To win the award, the staff competed against destination marketing organizations from across Texas to position Tyler as a premier visitor destination by implementing new marketing and promotions to bring more publicity and tourism to the community, according to the release. The PR campaign that won the prize was a series of videos released to area partners, detailing the media coverage Visit Tyler was able to secure for local businesses throughout the year.

MARSHALL — A huge car collection will hit the auction block in two weeks. Sotheby’s will be in East Texas later this month when they auction the Gene Ponder Collection. Housed in a custom-built museum and state-of-the-art garages in Marshall, the collection boasts more than 120 cars, motorcycles, and boats, along with an expansive selection of automobilia. Worth an estimated $20 million, the collection has automobile models spanning 92 years. The highlight is a 1960 Mercedes Benz 300 SL roadster worth an estimated $1.9 million. Those wanting to place bids can attend the onsite auction in Marshall from September 22-24.

AUSTIN — Tyler and Longview continue to look strong in sales tax allocations as reported for this month by the state comptroller’s office. Longview brought in roughly $3.38 million, up from some $3.23 million last September. Longview’s year-to-date total is around $32.8 million, an increase from the approximately $28.5 million posted at this time in 2021. Tyler’s September figure is about $4.72 million, compared to the roughly $4.49 million announced last September. For the year to date, Tyler has brought in around $43.1 million, a jump from the approximately $39.5 million total reported a year ago.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Independent School District had a special board meeting Wednesday evening to discuss the former six employees indicted for abuse and accused of being violent toward special needs students.According to our news partner KETK, former district employees allegedly committed various offenses towards students at J.L. Everhart Elementary last school year. According to the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, board members deliberated what actions to take during a closed session. Longview ISD officials were in closed session for more than an hour, and they ended their meeting shortly after the session without making a public comment about the gathering. Continue reading Longview ISD held special meeting to discuss abuse allegations

TYLER – A jury trial date has been set for a Smith County woman who was accused of abusing her children. According to our news partner KETK, Cheryl Layne, 45, was indicted on four counts of injury to a child, which is a third-degree felony. Mark Randy Layne, 51, Cheryl’s husband and a longtime Tyler police officer, was also arrested and charged with injury to a child. Cheryl is scheduled to be in court on Oct. 24. The Laynes’ two twin boys under the age of 14 told a school official on Sept. 13, 2019, that they had experienced abuse, according to court documents. Cheryl allegedly held onto one of the boys by his hair, and an arrest affidavit said she slammed his head against the wall two times. Officials said she also used an archery arrow to strike the other boy on his back. Mark has been placed on administrative leave from the Tyler Police Department.

GREGG COUNTY- TxDOT and contractor crews have planned a lane closure for I-20 in Gregg County Thursday, Sept. 8, through Tuesday, Sept. 20. It’s set for the westbound, outside lane as crews perform bridge deck repairs on the Sabine River bridge, approximately 2.4 miles west of Estes Parkway in Longview. The lane will remain closed for the duration of the project. Motorists are reminded to slow down and follow the posted work zone speed limit and adjust your driving to match conditions. Also, you’re asked to pay attention and watch out for road crews.

TYLER — Tyler ISD launches CrisisGo’s Safe2SpeakUP app. According to a news release, it’s the only mobile emergency response system to provide a student-safe app for students to quickly and comfortably communicate with safety teams, counselors, or others based on the report type. Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling Lauri Anderson says the app allows students an anonymous way to report feelings of self-harm, bullying, or any incident that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Using Safe2SpeakUP, students can report bully-related activity for themselves or their friends, submit safety tips about school incidents, and access safety resources during an emergency. The district can also allow student messaging within groups or with their school’s safety team in charge of bullying. Click here for more information.