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UPSHUR COUNTY — The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office has been searching for a missing 30-year-old man out of Laporte since Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Corey Dean Williams was reportedly last seen in Gilmer at around midnight on Wednesday at a friend’s house. His car, a 1995 white Mercury Cougar, was later found off of Azalea Road near Highway 154, east of Gilmer. Williams was last known to be wearing a neon yellow shirt and blue jeans. The sheriff’s office says that he has the letter “C” tattooed on his right hand, between the thumb and index finger, and the letter “W” tattooed on his left hand, again, between the thumb and index finger. Continue reading Upshur County Sheriff investigating ‘suspicious’ disappearance of Laporte man

RUSK – The City of Rusk has issued a boil water notice for residents who live east of the Cherokee Animal Clinic on East Johnson Drive. According to our news partner KETK, the notice is due to a water main break. City officials will let people know when the boil water notice is no larger in effect.

TYLER – Tyler Junior College has the Promise Program; which offers free tuition to East Texas students. According to our news partner KETK, TJC is partnering with UT Tyler to reach out to more students and communities in East Texas. Both schools will work together to help families by offering free tuition and make education affordable for their student in getting a degree. Promise Program student Marie Salazar said “I wanted to be part of the program because it was my saving grace, and its lifted so much weight off my shoulders”. School officials feel having more access to higher learning will create a better community.

TYLER — After the death of Smith County Sheriff’s deputy Lorenzo Bustos early Friday morning, East Texans and government officials have reached out to express their condolences. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Judge Nathan Moran asked that all flags across Texas be lowered to half-staff immediately. Governor Greg Abbott responded and said, “Flags may remain at half-staff through the memorial service or upon final interment, at your discretion. Flags should return to full-staff the following day,” a letter from Abbott’s office stated. Deputy Bustos died after being struck by drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop with his training officer.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Anderson County officials set a new court date for Kimberlyn Snider, the former Neches ISD principal accused of tampering with evidence and official oppression. According to our news partner KETK, That new trial date is August 8th. Snider’s first trial, which authorities say she interfered in a child sexual assault investigation at Neches Elementary School, ended in a mistrial in March. Snider has plead not guilty to all charges.

TYLER — 29-year-old Smith County deputy Lorenzo Bustos died after being struck by a drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop, according to Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith. Smith said the deputy was with his training officer when the back of the patrol unit was rear-ended at a moderate speed while he was standing at the back of the car. The patrol car had two handcuffed individuals in the back of the unit when the wreck happened. The training officer sustained mild injuries and was treated and released. One person who was detained at the time also received minor injuries. The deputy was “launched” under the patrol unit, according to Smith, and sustained major head injuries that he succumbed to at around 6 a.m. surrounded by his family and law enforcement family. He had been with the department for about five to six months, and Smith said he was well-loved by the department. The identity of the deputy will be released later this afternoon. Daniel Nyenze Nyabuto, 21 of Grand Prairie, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and intoxication assault but Smith said there are plans to upgrade those charges to intoxication manslaughter.

MABANK – A Mabank woman, Judy Coggeshall, 60, was arrested and charged with stalking in Henderson County on July 25. According to our news partner KETK, on the evening of June 6, law enforcement received a call from Henderson County Communications advising of a disturbance at a woman’s residence. The woman informed officials that Coggeshall had been stopped in front of her house for approximately 10 minutes, recording her, yelling vulgar language, and saying, “I’m going to get you” while shaking her fist at her, according to a probable cause affidavit. The outcome of this incident was a citation to Coggeshall for disorderly conduct. Continue reading Mabank woman arrested on stalking charge

HONOLULU (AP) — Bobby Edward Fort enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1994 and retired 22 years later with a secret security clearance that allowed him to land a job in Honolulu as a defense contractor. But the real Bobby Fort was dead. The man who enlisted as Fort was held without bail Thursday on charges he stole the dead baby’s identity 35 years ago. Federal prosecutors say Walter Glenn Primrose and his wife had been fraudulently living for decades under the stolen identities of two dead Texas infants. Primrose’s lawyer says the prosecutor only provided speculation and innuendo the couple was involved in more nefarious offenses than nonviolent crimes.

 

Continue reading Invisible ink, coded papers add mystery to ID theft case

TYLER – Several East Texas cities have issued water conservation notices due to the extreme heat and drought-like conditions. According to our news partner KETK, Bullard, Canton, Edgewood, Tyler, Van, White Oak, Whitehouse and Wills Point are asking customers to voluntarily conserve water usage and limit irrigation of landscaped areas. The water comes from Lake Tyler and Lake Palestine, and officials said current lake levels are not causing concerns about the water supply at this time. However, more severe and prolonged drought conditions could strain lake levels, which staff is monitoring closely. TWU is asking customers to voluntarily limit irrigation to Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an even number (0,2,4,6,8). Water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) are asked to water on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Watering should be done between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The restrictions are not mandatory at this time.

EAST TEXAS — The USDA Waiver that gave all children access to free lunch during the pandemic has expired, according to our news partner KETK. The school districts affected will have the application for free and reduced lunch available for those students who will still need free lunch. In addition to the money provided for programs, a relief package will be given because of inflation. “The government gave us some extra cents, a high amount which brings us close to the amount we were getting in the summer with the feeding program so it’s going to be helpful definitely,” said Tyler ISD food director Victor Olivares. Other school districts who qualify for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) will continue to receive free lunch for all of their students. CEP eligibility requires the campus to have a minimum percentage of 42% households with income on government assistance. Longview ISD is a CEP campus and will continue to renew to provide food for their students. “Best for our students and parents and everyone concerned that we will continue to feed all the students free,” said Longview ISD’s Nutrition Director.

KILGORE – A former Kilgore ISD educator was arrested and is accused of sexually assaulting a minor and having an improper relationship with a student, according to the Seymour Police Department. According to our news partner KETK, Phillip Nix was detained in Seymour, in West Texas, on Monday. He worked as head choir director for Kilgore High School from fall 2019 through the end of the school year in 2021, when he resigned from his position, according to Kilgore ISD. Nix was wanted on two warrants from Gregg County and bonded out from jail this week.

KILGORE — Kilgore College and The University of Texas at Tyler sign an agreement for the Longview University Center to provide the greater Longview community with what officials term a public four-year university student experience. Officials say the move continues the schools’ long history of partnership and cooperation. According to a news release, the partnership will guarantee seamless pathways to include dual credit and associate degree programs offered by KC to baccalaureate (and post- baccalaureate) degree programs offered by UT Tyler — with students having access to services from both educational institutions through a special dual admission.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has approved a resolution granting the Tyler Police Department permission to apply for and accept (if selected) a grant for funding from the U.S. Department of Justice not to exceed $34,000. The funding would be used to purchase equipment for the police department to support crime scene investigations. The department will pursue a grant request to the DOJ under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for fiscal year of 2022-2023. The money would be used to purchase a Leica Laser Scanner and all accessories associated with forensics investigations. Continue reading City Council approves pursuit of grant funding for police department from DOJ

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court will hold a special called meeting Monday, August 1, to discuss the courthouse bond proposal for the November 8 election. “The Commissioners Court intends to review all of the Courthouse planning that has been discussed for the last 23 years,” Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran said in a news release. “We will have one final discussion on how best to move forward.” The deadline to call a bond election for a new Courthouse and associated Parking Garage is August 22. “I anticipate we will take a formal vote to call a Courthouse Bond on either August 9 or August 16,” Judge Moran said in the release. “This has been a 23-year discussion in the community and over the past two years, we have held several meetings with individual stakeholders, community organizations and civic groups to move forward with the planning of a new Courthouse.” Continue reading Commissioners Court to hold special meeting for courthouse workshop

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank held a groundbreaking Wednesday on a new Tyler Resource Center and Fresh Produce Processing Center. According to a news release, it’s part of the overall strategic plan aimed at expanding programs, distributing more food, and serving more people. Officials say the resource center will include a “Healthy Food Pantry” to provide nutritious food through a client-choice distribution model. It will also help clients apply for social service benefits — and it will be located in a census tract where 34% of the population lives below the poverty line. The processing center will allow the ETFB to collect, store, repackage and distribute, fresh fruits and vegetables more efficiently, according to the release. Both facilities are due to be completed by the end of next summer.