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CHAPEL HILL – Detectives with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department have found a credit card skimmer. It was found Wednesday on a pump at a station on Highway 64 East in the Chapel Hill area. The device captures credit card information which is used by the thieves to make fraudulent purchases. Detectives believe that this is part of a large criminal operation targeting a large area.

KILGORE – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department is looking for two men who robbed the E-Z Mart on Highway 135 in Kilgore. It occurred around 4:15 Sunday morning. The suspects are described as two thin males; both wearing dark clothes and both had their faces concealed. They were said to be driving the car pictured here. You can go to the department’s Face Book page for an audio recording of the robbery.

PALESTINE – Palestine police are looking for the armed man who robbed a service station Tuesday night. It happened at the Mini Mart station on West Palestine Avenue. He was last seen running across the parking lot and into a residential area. A search was unable to locate him. He is described as a black male wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and a white or gray skull mask. The suspect had what appeared to be duct tape around both of his hands as well as both of his shoes. He was armed with a black handgun. No injuries were reported.

TYLER – Republican Texas House Speaker Joe Straus has announced he will not seek re-election. He will step aside in December of next year when his term ends. Tyler Republican State Representative Matt Schaefer was pleased with Straus’ decision. Scahefer said we have had conservative leadership from Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick. But he said, “we have had a speaker of the house who has stood in opposition to much of what conservatives have been asking for.” Continue reading Rep. Schaefer Applauds the Decision of Joe Straus

KILGORE – A new vice president of administrative services and chief financial officer is on the job at Kilgore College. He is Fred Gore, who comes to Kilgore from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, where he served as associate vice president of finance. Gore graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s Honors Business Program with a bachelor’s of business administration, earned a master of business administration in finance and accounting from Missouri State University and is currently pursuing a doctorate of business administration in higher education finance from the University of South Florida Muma College Of Business. Gore has worked 31 years as a CPA and 25 years in the non-profit business world which he says will really help with the technical part of accounting at Kilgore College.

PALESTINE – The city of Palestine has issued a temporary burn ban. The burn ban, which was issued Wednesday, coincides with the burn ban in effect in Anderson County. Palestine’s burn ban will last 90 days, or until lifted by Fire Marshal Kelly Hughes.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday adopted modifications to the city’s downtown street closure policy. City Managing Director Stephanie Franklin cites the area’s continuing growth and popularity and a goal of creating an environment for “safe and fun events but one that also protects downtown businesses and property owners.” Updates establish a 60-day deadline to apply for a street closure. Applicants must also notify all property and business owners whose operations fall within the closure area. Those notifications must also take place no fewer than 60 days prior to an event. In addition, a permit fee of $250 will be charged for a closure. The policy update also covers guidelines for parking spaces and streets allowed to be closed, and there’s a provision for a deposit that may be refunded pending successful cleanup of the closure area and the downtown parking garage.

TYLER — Smith County taxpayers will still be left paying the salary of a constable while he sits in a federal prison in Seagoville. KETK reports Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson will begin his six-month sentence sometime between now and Friday. Jackson pleaded guilty in May to four counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns from 2010 to 2013. He will also have to pay restitution at just more than $154,000. But Jackson’s an elected official, and the county government has no authority to remove him from office. Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran sent Jackson a two-page letter asking him to resign. Moran says he made the request privately and face-to-face several weeks ago. He said he “did so privately in an effort to avoid embarrassing the constable publicly.” The constable continues to decline the request.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A Henderson County traffic stop lands two men in jail. Deputies stopped a car Tuesday night on FM 315 in Chandler and noticed the driver, Michael Oldham, moving around the car in a suspicious manner. Deputies found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the console of the vehicle. One of the passengers, Joshua Spivey,(pictured) admitted to having drug paraphernalia and meth. More drugs were found in his boot when he was booked into the county jail. The two were charged with possession. Oldham was also charged with driving without a license.

LONGVIEW — Two men are behind bars following a prostitution sting in Longview. Longview Police along with CODE agents conducted an undercover prostitution operation on East Marshall Avenue. During the five-hour operation, two suspects, Jermaine Darnell Jackson, 35, of Longview, and Jorge Armondo Lopez, 39, of Marshall, were arrested for prostitution. Police said the operation was designed to attract “Johns” to solicit sexual conduct from undercover officers.

TYLER — If you have a Smith County jury summons asking you to report for duty on Wednesday, October 25, you can ignore it. Smith County residents who were planning to report for jury duty Wednesday with their yellow cards don’t have to make the trip to the county courthouse. No new panels will be needed on Wednesday, Smith County Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett said. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.

LONGVIEW – Two people have been indicted in connection with the July stickup of a Longview pizza parlor. According to KETK, Gregg County judicial records show Shaterica Johnson, 27, and Quadaverine Allison, 23, were both indicted on October 19. On July 13, two masked men robbed an employee as he tried to lock the front doors at 9:50 p.m. at Little Caesar’s Pizza, according to an arrest warrant signed July 25. The suspects got away with $1,212 cash from a store safe, authorities said. Continue reading Two Indicted in Pizza Parlor Heist

LONGVIEW – A Hallsville man has been indicted for online solicitation of a minor. According to KETK, Gregg County judicial records show 33-year-old Shane Chapman was indicted on October 19 following his arrest during a sting operation. The Child Exploitation Unit of the Texas Attorney General’s Office collaborated with the Arlington Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Longview Police Department during the week-long operation in May. Officials began the investigation into a mobile dating smartphone app using the undercover persona of 15-year-old children, according to a search warrant. Continue reading Man Indicted for Online Solicitation

DALLAS — An East Texas ranch is going on the auction block November 15. The Broseco Ranch covers nearly 12,000 acres east of Mount Pleasant and is currently listed at $34.2 million. The Dallas Business Journal reports the sale of the property along Interstate 30 will be followed by the sale of 2,000 head of red angus cattle. The sealed-bid auction is being handled by Icon Global Group of Dallas, which says the property includes two bass fishing lakes and a herd of deer.

MARSHALL — Marshall Police are investigating the death of a Texas State Technical College student. Officers responded to a dorm on the campus of TSTC around 9:40 Sunday night and found Derrick Lockwood, 23, Jasper, dead. His body was sent to Forensic Medical of Texas in Tyler for an autopsy.

TYLER — A UT Tyler student was struck by a car while he was walking Sunday. According to a University statement, Justin Bartie, a member of the Patriots Mens Basketball Team, was accidentally struck by a car while walking and is currently in ICU. Doctors do not believe his injuries are life-threatening. Additional information was not available due to privacy concerns.

GREGG COUNTY — A Gilmer man was sentenced Monday to life in prison for sexually assaulting a clerk working in a South Longview convenience store more than five years ago. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Shawn Michael Willard, 33, was convicted June 16 of aggravated sexual assault after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the Feb. 16, 2013, incident at the former Chanel Stop and Shop on Mobberly Avenue. Willard entered the establishment just after it opened at 7:00 that Saturday morning, forced the victim into a back room and sexually assaulted her, threatening to cut her throat if she fought back. He then choked her and pressing down on her throat with his foot.

LONGVIEW — Authorities have identified at least two suspects they say were involved in more than six dozen cases of vandalism of vehicles across Longview last week. According to the Longview News-Journal, Jose Edmundo A. Pintor-Cervantes, 21, of Longview, was booked Friday into the Gregg County Jail for violating probation on a 2016 drunken driving conviction and an Immigration & Naturalization Service detainer. Police said Pintor-Cervantes is one of two suspects in more than 76 reported cases of vandalism that allegedly occurred during the early morning hours of Oct. 16 in Longview. The identity of the second suspect has not been released. Continue reading Longview Vandalism Suspect Arrested

NACOGDOCHES — The Nacogdoches County Sheriff Office is investigating the death of a Mexican National that occurred on a farm located on Fm 343 near Fm 225. On Saturday morning shortly after 8:00, the Sheriff’s office was dispatched to the farm in reference to a worker that was ran over by a tractor. Deputies and EMS found the victim near the tractor. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released. The report said the victim was apparently standing up on the side of the tractor when he cranked it. The tractor was in gear and jerked forward when it was cranked. This caused the victim to fall off the tractor and got pinned underneath the back tire.

SMITH COUNTY — An East Texas man was arrested over the weekend for kidnapping. According to KETK, Smith County judicial records show Salman Ali Quraishi, 20, of Tyler, was arrested around 12:20 Friday afternoon by University of Texas at Tyler Police. He’s been charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count of criminal trespassing. Quraishi was booked into the Smith County Jail and was released Saturday on $200,500 bond. Quraishi is listed as a Freshman and Finance major from Plano in the UT Tyler student directory. Continue reading UT Tyler Student Arrested on Kidnapping Charges

TYLER — A Tyler police officer has been injured in a three-vehicle wreck at S. Broadway and Loop 323 around 2:31 Monday afternoon. Officers determined that a patrol vehicle driven by Officer Sean Ratliff was southbound on S. Broadway in the intersection on a green light and was struck by a Kia Optima driven by Sherika Session of Jacksonville. The Kia was traveling eastbound on Loop 323 and ran a red light, according to police. Session then struck a third vehicle that was stopped in the northbound lane. All the occupants of all three vehicles were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Session was found to be at fault for running a red light.

KILGORE – Police have identified the suspect in a Kilgore shooting which left two people injured. According to KETK, the Kilgore Police Department says Kadarrius Devon Sasser (AKA Debo Brazy), 22, of Cedar Hill, shot two people on Wednesday, October 18, around 2:45 p.m., on South Street after a disturbance involving two groups of people. The victims were taken to a Longview hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police say Sasser was visiting a Kilgore College student when the disturbance occurred. Sasser is a known criminal gang member, according to officials. Continue reading Suspect Identified in Kilgore Shooting

TYLER — A pilot executed an emergency landing on Runway 1-7 at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport Monday afternoon. Airport officials say he got out of the plane safely with no reported injuries. He was the only passenger. Operations will continue normally at the airport but Runway 1-7 will be closed for cleanup until further notice. Earlier, airport staffers had been keeping an eye on the twin engine Piper Cheyenne as it experienced difficulty getting its left side landing gear in place and the pilot circled the field to burn off fuel.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is searching for a person involved in a hit-and-run accident. On Saturday, October 14, around 2:00 a.m., police say the driver of a vehicle was traveling westbound on West Tyler Street near the High Street intersection, possibly leaving a parking space, lost control, and struck a white truck parked on the south side of the roadway. KETK reports the collision caused the white truck to be knocked into the front of the Lumpkin Motorsports business causing significant damage to the building. The driver of the vehicle then drove away from the scene without calling police. If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Officer Mike Grisham at 903-239-5516. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867.

LONGVIEW – Due to an electrical transformer malfunction Monday morning, Longview Independent School District suspended high school classes for the rest of the day. All Longview High School students were released at 12:55 p.m. There was no immediate word on whether classes would be back in session Tuesday. For more information you’re asked to contact Longview High School at (903) 663-1301.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in TxDOT’s Tyler District this week. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen issues. Motorists can expect some changes to the traffic flow on the US 175 Phase II Project in Henderson County, which runs from 1.1 miles east of Loop 60B at Larue to .85 mile east of FM 315 in Poynor. The easternmost access to FM 315 and downtown Poynor will be closed beginning Thursday, remaining closed until at least November 10. Motorists are to use the westernmost access for FM 315 and Poynor. Go to http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/052-2017.html for additional information on projects throughout the district.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A Christian flag continues to fly over an East Texas school over objections from an atheist group. No action was taken at the latest LaPoynor school board meeting. Three people spoke up in favor of keeping the flag. The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a complaint. The organization’s Sam Grover calls this an open and shut case. The LaPoynor superintendent says they may take up the issue at the next board meeting.

LONGVIEW — A new distribution center could soon bring hundreds of jobs to one East Texas city. Longview is in the running to house a new Dollar General Distribution Center, which could bring with it as many as 400 new jobs and also a 700 million dollar impact on the city over the next 25 years. The Longview Economic Development Corporation says the proposed project would create a 1-million square foot facility in the city’s north business park. If built, it would be the 17th distribution center in the Dollar General supply chain.

TYLER — Tyler Police said a two vehicle wreck early Sunday morning left a 19-year-old dead and another man injured. It happened around 1:10 on Paluxy Drive, just north of Coaches & Cowboys. According to the police report, a 2014 GMC Sierra, driven by Dakota Payne, 27, Diana, was traveling northbound on Paluxy when he drove into the southbound lane striking a 2000 GMC Yukon head-on. The driver of the Yukon was identified as Cody Allbright, Flint. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Payne was transported to Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital by EMS with unknown injuries.

SMITH COUNTY — Early voting in Smith County began today. The election will include a Smith County Bond for road and bridge projects, elections for the cities of Arp and Whitehouse, and several statewide Constitutional Amendments. Early Voting will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, October 23-27; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 30 through November 1; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. November 2-3. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. The Smith County Commissioners Court called a $39.5 million bond election. If approved, the money received from the bonds would be used to pay for major county road and bridge projects over three years – Phase I of a two-phase, six-year Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project. Details of the plan can be found on the county’s website page, https://www.smith-county.com, along with an educational video about the road bond. Continue reading Early Voting Begins