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TYLER — A pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler police received a call about the incident around 6:30 p.m. The pedestrian reportedly left Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on Troup Highway and was attempting to cross the roadway, not in a designated crossing area, and was hit by a car in the northbound outside lane. The pedestrian has been identified as Malcolm Johnson, 35, from Tyler. He was transported to UT Health on Beckham by EMS where he died from his injuries. No charges are pending for the driver of the vehicle.

TYLER — CHRISTUS Health revealed on Tuesday who was selected as their 2022 Miracle Child. According to our news partner KETK, 3-year-old Corbin Lance Robinson is receiving the special recognition, and he will make his debut at the 2021 Rotary Clubs of Tyler Christmas Parade. Robinson will also light the city’s Christmas tree on Thursday Dec. 2 at the T.B. Butler Foundation Plaza in downtown. Every year, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at CHRISTUS choose a Miracle Child to represent them for a year. Dania and Craig Robinson welcomed their baby boy after 37 weeks. Continue reading 2022 CHRISTUS Miracle Child revealed

MARSHALL — Two Marshall men are behind bars in connection with a shooting that left six people injured. Just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 6, police responded to reports of multiple shots fired on South Alamo Blvd. More than 200 people were believed to be on-scene when the shooting started. The two suspects have been identified as Brandon Bernard Richardson, 30 and Raphael Perignon Hendrix, 31. Four of the victims were hospitalized after the shooting, including one that was flown to Tyler in critical condition. Richardson was detained shortly after the shooting. Hendrix turned himself in on Monday. Richardson was charged with deadly conduct and interfering with public duties while Hendrix has been charged with six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

TYLER — The United Way of Smith County hosted their second annual “Tyler Gives” online fundraiser on Nov. 30, which fell on International Giving Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the event was aimed at meeting local needs for the organizations 26 non-profit partners as a gift for the end of the year. More than 550 individuals came together last year and raised over $168,000 online in a matter of hours. This year, they raised over $200,000. United Way and Tyler Gives sponsors, Express Employment Professionals and Specialized Recruiting Group, are providing a $75,000 match this year. Last year, they matched the first $50,000 given, which they reached only 13 minutes after the donation went live. This year, they reached $75,000 within 6 minutes of the donation portal opening. Continue reading United Way of Smith County raised over $200,000 for Giving Tuesday

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Authorities said a man led them on a high-speed chase from East Texas to Dallas after he allegedly stole a car at gunpoint in Van Zandt County. According to our news partner KETK, Tommy McArthur Jones III was arrested on Monday. The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call about the carjacking at the Loves Truck Stop in Van around 11:30 a.m. Law enforcement responded and set up multiple units along I-20 westbound to find the stolen vehicle, which was a 2020 white Nissan Sentra. A sheriff’s deputy and Precinct 4 Constable found the vehicle and began following it. They attempted to stop the car, but Jones drove faster to avoid apprehension, said the sheriff’s office. Continue reading Man arrested following carjacking, high-speed chase

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran will give a campaign announcement Thursday in both Tyler and Longview. According to our news partner KETK, after Congressman Louie Gohmert announced his run for Texas Attorney General, Moran made his intentions known that he was “exploring the possibility” of running for Congress on Nov. 9. Moran is expected to give a campaign announcement on Thursday, Dec. 2 at both the Plaza Tower in Tyler at 10 a.m. and the Gregg County Courthouse at 2:30 p.m. Continue reading Judge Moran to give campaign announcement on Thursday

MARSHALL – Harrison County Sheriff Brandon Fletcher announced Monday afternoon that he “does not foresee… an arrest being made” in a hunting accident that killed an 11-year-old girl Saturday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, Daisy Grace Lynn George was shot by her father with a high-powered rifle just east of Hallsville in what Fletcher called “a tragic accident.” Though authorities had requested a care flight, all helicopters had been grounded due to inclement weather. Continue reading Sheriff: No arrest anticipated in hunting accident

LONGVIEW – The Gregg County Commissioners Court Monday officially accepted the resignation of Precinct 2 Constable William “Billy” Fort, effective Dec. 31. According to our news partner KETK, Fort was arrested Oct. 12 for DWI while he was in a department car. He was pulled over into a Brookshire’s parking lot and was “swerving in and out of all lanes… almost striking another vehicle,” according to officials. While he was talking with police, Fort admitted to taking Xanax and a muscle relaxer. He then failed three sobriety tests. In his resignation letter, Fort called Precinct 2 “the Best Precinct in the Best County in the Best State of the Best Nation on this Earth,” adding that he regrets the circumstances surrounding his resignation.

TYLER — The Tyler Rose Garden Center will be closed to the public from Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Saturday, Dec. 4. The Junior League of Tyler will be hosting its annual Mistletoe and Magic event at the center during this time, and the event is for ticket holders only. The Rose Garden will also be closed to the public from Dec. 1 through Dec. 4. If you have any questions, call Lisa Wells at (903) 531-1212 or email [email protected].

LONGVIEW — Longview police are investigating a shooting at a sports bar that left one person injured. According to our news partner KETK, on Saturday, around 11:15 p.m. Longview police responded to a shooting at the Lodge Sports Bar & Billiards located at 501 N. Spur 63. When officers arrived, they located one adult victim inside with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The gunman ran away before the police arrived. The Longview police department said that this is an active investigation with detectives still gathering information. Anyone with information is urged to contact Longview Police at 903-237-1170 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP(7867).

LUFKIN — Lufkin police Saturday night arrested two suspects in a car wash shooting followed by a vehicle pursuit. The suspects are 25-year-olds Wade Pate Jr. of Lufkin and Darren Alexander of Rusk. Around 6 p.m., a caller reported hearing a gunshot and then seeing a truck and Kia Soul speed away. A short time later, a shooting victim arrived at a local hospital. He told officers he was approached by two men in the Kia Soul and that he believes they intended to steal his truck. Following a brief verbal exchange, the victim was shot in the back, suffering an injury not considered life threatening, according to police. The suspects were captured after a high-speed pursuit that began about two hours after the initial call. Continue reading Two arrested following shooting, chase

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Tyler maintenance will have a crew on US 271 around FM 2908 performing base failure work. This will be under a lane closure with flaggers. A second crew will start on Tuesday performing ditch work in various places around Smith County. There will also be a sweeper truck along with a truck-mounted attenuator working in various places around the county. Longview maintenance will continue mill and inlay operations on FM 2204 beginning Wednesday, Dec. 1. The work will be between Bus. US 259 and the US 259 Bypass east and westbound. Expect left lane closures with flaggers present. Click this link for the complete rundown.

TYLER — The Visit Tyler Visitor Center and Boutique Shop in the downtown Plaza Tower will be celebrating Small Business Saturday this Saturday from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. The Visitor Center will be hosting special local pop shops in addition to its regular locally handcrafted items sold in the store. In addition, Tyler Main Street will be offering the chance to win a $200 downtown shopping spree. For every $5 spent downtown on Small Business Saturday, you can submit your receipt for an entry into the drawing. Receipts can be dropped off at the Visitor Center or emailed to [email protected] by November 29. Visit Tyler President Shari Lee hopes you’ll take advantage of this chance to help boost the local economy. Through the “Shop Local Shop Tyler” campaign, Visit Tyler is also encouraging people to support local businesses throughout the city. For a full list of shopping locations in Tyler visit this link or download the free Visit Tyler, Tx app.

TYLER — The Salvation Army hosted a Thanksgiving dinner and it couldn’t have been done without their abundance of volunteers. According to our news partner KETK, The Salvation Army was able to put this Thanksgiving feast together with the help of strong fellow community members. “You know, Sam and Greenburg Turkeys stepped up again this year and donated the turkeys to us and we are so grateful and thankful for that. It just warms your heart to see how many volunteers show up and how many people come out here to help those that are in need,” said Commanding Officer, Captain Jeremy Walker. Continue reading Salvation Army serves Thanksgiving dinner, more than 100 volunteers help

TYLER — Beware of counterfeit drugs that use fentanyl as an inexpensive filler. That’s the word from Tyler-based Next Step Community Solutions as it partners with the National Guard to spread the word. It all began with a North Texas woman who bought a billboard to raise awareness after her daughter died of a fentanyl overdose. Next Step’s Rebecca Smith says the biggest message is to be sure to talk to your kids — and be sure to dispose of legitimate prescription drugs when you’re not using those because they can also be abused. Go this link for a list of prescription drop boxes in the area. Continue reading Local agency partners in fentanyl awareness effort

TYLER — It’s holiday time, and NET Health’s George Roberts has an advisory now that more people will be hitting the roads, rails, and skies: Don’t travel when you’re sick. Roberts acknowledges that it’s tempting to travel this time of year, but he says staying home when you’re not well is always the best option — and he notes that the pandemic is still very much with us. ROberts predicts continued ups and downs in coronavirus numbers, with a moderate uptick showing in the latest East Texas figures, released Wednesday. He also reminds you that NET Health’s Majesty Event Center vaccination clinic will be closed through the weekend but back in business Monday. He continues to urge inoculations for both COVID and the flu.

TYLER — The Tyler Salvation Army is holding its annual community Thanksgiving meal, planning on feeding up to 1,000 guests Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Due to the ongoing pandemic, all meals will be either delivered or served to-go. Celebrating family, the current residents of The Salvation Army will have their meal served by volunteers, according to a news release. Sam Greenberg has once again donated his delicious Greenberg Smoked Turkeys, and diners can enjoy all the fixin’s as well.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department reminds you and your loved ones to protect your vehicles this holiday season. Police say you should remember to lock your car and take your keys, remove valuables or hide valuables from plain sight to avoid attracting thieves, and never leave your car running, even if you’ll only be gone for a minute. If you own guns, you’re asked to make sure you get the serial number for each gun and keep it somewhere safe. Police say it is much easier for you to keep your property protected when it is out of sight and locked up. They add that it helps them find your stolen property if they have a serial number to reference.

LUFKIN — An 18-wheeler driver was killed early Wednesday morning after the truck drove through an AutoZone store in Lufkin. According to our news partner KETK, the truck was hauling bananas nearing the store just before 4:30 a.m. and left the road near an intersection for an unknown reason. The truck traveled several hundred yards before driving completely through the Autozone store. The 18-wheeler came to a stop in some trees at Kiwanis Park behind an office building. When officers and firefighters arrived on the scene, the driver was found dead. He is identified as Brian Golliday, 62, of St. Louis, Missouri. Golliday’s family told officers that he had a history of heart problems. An autopsy has been ordered. . Continue reading Driver of 18-wheeler dead after driving through store

TYLER – The holiday season is off to a great start in downtown Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the City of Tyler brought its 20-foot Christmas tree to the downtown square on Tuesday. The 36th annual lighting ceremony is set for Thursday, Dec. 2, following the Christmas parade. The tree will be lit by the 2022 Miracle Child, who is representing the Children’s Miracle Network at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System. The Miracle Child will be announced during a press conference at the Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum on Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. This year’s tree is a Leyland Cypress tree from Merkert Tree Farm in Beckville.

LONGVIEW – Gregg County Precinct 2 Constable William “Billy” Fort will officially resign from his post at the commissioners court meeting next week, effective Dec. 31. According to our news partner KETK, Fort was arrested Oct. 12 for DWI while he was in a department car. He was pulled over into a Brookshire’s parking lot and was “swerving in and out of all lanes… almost striking another vehicle,” according to officials. While he was talking with police, Fort admitted to taking Xanax and a muscle relaxer. He then failed three sobriety tests.

MARSHALL — One man is dead, two left injured following a Tuesday morning shooting on Cross Street in Marshall. According to our news partner KETK, that’s where officers found three people with gunshot wounds. At the scene, officers also arrested Stoney Irving for murder. He was placed in the Harrison County Jail.

CENTER — With Louie Gohmert now in the race for Texas attorney general, fellow Republican Aditya Atholi remains the only candidate to announce for Gohmert’s congressional seat. Atholi, of Center, says Gohmert’s move doesn’t change his campaign focus. Atholi says he started running “not against Gohmert specifically, but because we see that D.C. doesn’t work for middle class people anymore — and so, the only path forward that we can see is a return to local self-government, like we’ve had in this country for a long time.” Continue reading Atholi comments on congressional run

TYLER — There’s more encouraging news this week on East Texas COVID numbers, but Net Health’s George Roberts reminds you that the upcoming holidays pose new challenges. Overall, Roberts urges caution during holiday gatherings, especially if you’re not feeling well. He also continues to say more people need to be vaccinated — and draws attention to one group in particular. Roberts says with college students coming home for the holidays, it’s a good time for them to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu. By the way, with Thanksgiving at hand, Roberts is notifying us that NET Health’s next COVID dashboard update will be posted Wednesday instead of Thursday.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating a vehicle accident involving a pedestrian. It happened around 3:00 Monday afternoon on Beckham. According to officers, Alicia Lopez, 70, Tyler, was crossing Beckham, not at a marked crosswalk, when she was struck by a vehicle. Lopez was transported by EMS to UT Health on Beckham but died as a result of her injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

TYLER — East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert, who has represented the Piney Woods in Washington for nearly 16 years, officially announced Monday he will be challenging Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary. According to our news partner KETK, Rep. Gohmert made the announcement his Twitter page while simultaneously interviewing live on Newsmax TV. “Texas I am officially running to be your next Attorney General and will enforce the rule of law,” said Gohmert on Twitter. “It’s my honor to let you know that we reached our initial goal of raising $1 million dollars in order to start a run for Texas Attorney General. So, I will be filing to run for Texas Attorney General,” said Gohmert. “A priority will be election integrity so that every legal vote counts.” Continue reading Gohmert officially announces run for Texas Attorney General

DALLAS — The Dallas Morning News and UT-Tyler have released their latest polling numbers for the Texas governor’s race. The poll shows that in a three-way race, Governor Abbott leads both Democrat Beto O’Rourke and actor Matthew McConaughey. In a matchup of Abbott and O’Rourke, Abbott leads by 6 percentage points, 45 to 39%. And the poll goes on to show McConaughey currently leading O’Rourke by a 2 to 1 margin, although McConaughey’s not even running yet — and has been unclear about whether he would run as a Republican or Democrat. Still, 40% want him to run. Among Republican voters, the poll shows the governor with a huge lead over his three closest challengers.

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Tyler maintenance will have two crews performing patch work in various locations throughout Smith County. A sweeper truck and truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) will also be performing work in various locations. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic with one-way traffic setups. Longview maintenance plans begin ditching operations on US 259 North, southbound from Tryon Rd. to US 80. Crews will also perform ditching on South Loop 281 westbound from US 259 North to Fourth St. Crews will also be patching and picking up debris on various roadways throughout Gregg County. Click here for the complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — On Sunday morning, a DPS trooper arrested a drunk wrong-way driver who ran away after he crashed into an 18-wheeler on I-20 in Van Zandt County. According to our news partner KETK, Christian Gomez was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when he collided with the 18-wheeler at the 529-mile marker near FM 1255. The vehicle then caught fire and Gomez fled on foot. He was captured a short time later by a DPS trooper and was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries. Sheriff Steve Hendrix said it appeared alcohol was the cause of the crash.