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WINNSBORO — Winnsboro ISD Board of Trustees dismissed its police chief following a unanimous vote on Thursday evening. According to our news partner KETK, the decision to consider Police Chief Heath Guy’s termination in a closed executive session was agreed upon by both parties. No additional details were given by the school district regarding the evidence presented by both parties that led to Guy’s termination. Guy was placed on administrative leave in June due to reportedly failing to notify the district about a Texas Rangers investigation of a sexual relationship between a Winnsboro ISD employee and a student. The employee, Nicholas Gabriele, was arrested in June after allegedly admitting to the improper relationship.

VAN – Our news partners at KETK report a man wanted for burglary of a building, criminal mischief and theft in Van was arrested last week after a pursuit through Smith County. According to the Van Police Department, they received reports of a building burglary on Nov. 28. Within 24 hours of these reports, law enforcement identified Daylan Blue as a suspect and issued warrants for his arrest. On Dec. 11, Blue was spotted by Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies who attempted to stop his vehicle. Van PD said a pursuit ensued and Blue was subsequently arrested. Continue reading Burglary suspect arrested after pursuit

OVERTON — Our news partners at KETK report the Overton City Council voted Thursday night to appeal a Texas Department of Transportation demand to remove the horseshoes from Warren Street. TxDOT contacted the city in early December, stating the horseshoe markings did not meet state roadway standards and directed officials to remove them. On Thursday, city leaders instead chose to formally appeal the decision. The issue first gained attention in October when Gov. Greg Abbott announced that TxDOT had begun removing nonstandard surface markings from roadways across the state. City officials say the horseshoes represent Overton ISD’s mascot, the Mustang, and have been part of Warren Street since the early 1990s. While acknowledging TxDOT’s concerns, council members voted to challenge the order rather than remove the markings. Continue reading Overton appeals TxDOT demand

HARRISON COUNTY – Elysian Fields High School head girls basketball coach Crystal Roberts has resigned after being arrested for an alleged theft at Walmart’s Marshall location. Roberts, 44, was arrested on a property theft charge between $100 and $750. She was later released from the Harrison County Jail after posting a $700 bond the day of her arrest. Her resignation letter was effective as of Monday.

SMITH COUNTY — The man who vandalized a marble statue of Jesus at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Flint was sentenced Thursday to one year in state jail. Jordan Grey Clark, 36, pleaded guilty to criminal mischief at a place of worship in connection with the Sept. 7 vandalism. The statue, located outside of the church, was found with its nose and hands shattered. Deputies discovered the damage around 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 7. Surveillance footage later showed a suspect approaching the statue around 1:14 a.m. and using a hammer to break parts of the face and hands before walking south toward County Road 1299. Investigators noted the suspect was wearing gloves, which prevented them from lifting fingerprints from the statue or nearby objects.

According to our news partner KETK, an anonymous tip received days later led detectives to Clark, who lived nearby and was reportedly “acting strangely,” according to investigators. Authorities then contacted Clark’s father, who told deputies his son has schizophrenia and refuses to take medication because he believes it makes him feel uncomfortable. The father also said Clark does not own a vehicle or a smartphone, believing smartphones are possessed, and instead uses a flip phone. Continue reading Man who vandalized Jesus statue sentenced

BEN WHEELER — According to our news partner KETK, several firefighters, along with the fire chief of the Ben Wheeler Fire Department, have resigned from their positions recently. Following the resignations, the department’s Board of Directors released a statement on Thursday, stating that they are aware of the issues that led to the resignations, but they will not disclose them. The board also noted that the false claims being spread are inaccurate and have only caused drama and defamation to those who still serve the community.

The Board of Directors also addressed any financial concerns residents might have had, stating that the department is financially solvent with “more than satisfactory funds on hand.”

A new fire chief will be elected in January during the regularly scheduled elections, the board stated.

JACKSONVILLE – Community leaders, health care professionals and local officials gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of CHRISTUS Health’s new state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville that will significantly expand access to specialty medical services across the region, particularly for patients in surrounding rural communities. The 30,000-square-foot facility will house interventional pain management, pain management, orthopedic and vascular services under one roof. Once complete, the center will feature 24 exam rooms, six recovery suites, four procedure rooms and full-service imaging, creating a streamlined, patient-centered environment for both outpatient and procedural care.
  
A key feature of the new facility is a seamless integration into the hospital system’s broader network of care. The center will operate on the same electronic medical record (EMR) platform as the rest of the system, allowing physicians, specialists and care teams to access patient records in real time. This connectivity supports better care coordination, reduces duplication of services, and enhances patient safety and outcomes. Continue reading CHRISTUS breaks ground on new facility

PALESTINE – The Palestine ISD released a statement Thursday mourning the death of longtime teacher John Lamb, who was killed in a car crash on Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, the crash occurred on U.S. Highway 79 after a Ford pickup struck Lamb near Country Road 367. Lamb was pronounced dead on the scene, while the passenger in his car was taken to the hospital. The district described Lamb as a positive impact on several generations of students during his time in Palestine. “His classroom was a place where students learned not only academic lessons, but lessons about perseverance, perspective and the world beyond the page,” Palestine ISD said.

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County road bond approved by voters nearly a decade ago now shows a $7 million discrepancy between financial reports and is projected to cost more than $135 million, prompting a local watchdog group to call for a forensic audit. Grassroots America, a Smith County-based conservative advocacy nonprofit that monitors government spending, raised the concerns Tuesday during the Smith County Commissioners Court meeting. Continue reading Watchdog flags discrepancy in road bond

RUSK — Our news partners at KETK report that Heal Corp is assisting local authorities in the search for James David Blount, a 57-year-old man who has been missing since early December, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Blount was last seen Dec. 2 in Rusk. His vehicle was later found stopped on Highway 84 near the Neches River, close to the Cherokee and Anderson County line, Rusk police said. Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said Heal Corp is now helping investigators verify locations that have already been searched and eliminate potential areas of interest. Continue reading Cadaver dogs, divers join search for missing man

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County non-emergency offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, December 24-25, so that our employees can spend Christmas with their families. There will not be a Smith County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday, December 23. Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 30, in the Commissioners Courtroom. County offices will be closed Thursday, January 1, for New Years Day.

GREGG COUNTY — A former Gregg County deputy was arrested on two consecutive days this week for charges of driving while intoxicated. According to our news partner KETK, jail records revealed that former Gregg County Deputy Joshua Isaiah Tubb, 47, was arrested by Kilgore police on Sunday and again on Monday, both times on DWI charges.

Tubb was released after posting bail following his Sunday arrest. However, jail records show he remains in custody after his Monday arrest, with a bond set at $32,500.

Gregg County Chief Deputy Craig Harrington confirmed that Tubb resigned from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office following the arrests. “We hold our deputies to the highest standards and accountability,” Harrington said.

 

SMITH COUNTY– One of the candidates running for County Clerk in the upcoming Smith County Republican Party Primary election has been removed from the ballot after she lacked the required signatures needed to be eligible.

According to our news partner KETK, on Dec. 8, Terry Morrow filed her application and petitions to challenge the incumbent Karen Philips for the county clerk spot. In lieu of paying the $750 filing fee, Morrow obtained 500 signatures and her application was accepted on Dec. 11. Phillips also submitted her application for re-election on Nov. 8, which was the first day of candidate filing. She also received the 500 signatures required to appear on the ballot and her application was approved on Nov. 14.

While the county chair is required to verify the total number of signatures, they are not required to confirm the validity of each signature unless challenged by an opponent. Continue reading Smith County candidate removed from ballot