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TYLER – Jury duty in Smith County on Wednesday has been cancelled. If you have a Smith County jury summons for Wednesday, you do not have to report to the Smith County Courthouse. Smith County Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett said no new panels will be needed. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.

VAN (AP) — The investigation continues into a murder and suicide in Van Zandt County that left three persons dead. Authorities have identified the dead as 68 year old Terry Combs, his ex-wife, Brenda, 67, and his grand daughter, 20 year old Fawn, (pictured) all of Van. Investigators say Brenda and Terry were divorced but still lived at the same residence with daughter Dawn, and her daughter Fawn. All three bodies were taken to Forensic Medical of Texas in Tyler for autopsies. The shooting occurred around 5:00 Monday afternoon on Farm Road 314 South of Van. Continue reading Three Killed in Van Zandt County Identified

DALLAS (AP/Staff) — Johnny Manziel is trying to reassure a judge concerned that the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback isn’t being serious about the conditions of getting his domestic violence case dismissed, saying his “life is trending upward” and that he is “taking care of this.” And apparently Manziel is having some success. Dallas judge Roberto Canas called the hearing Tuesday because Manziel missed a deadline to provide the court an update on how the former Cleveland player was meeting stipulations that include him participating in a substance-abuse program through the NFL or something similar. The judge has now agreed to let Manziel continue with his plea deal. Continue reading Manziel to Continue with Plea Deal, Will Remain Out of Jail

TATUM — Tatum ISD officials on Monday gave the name of a district official who resigned last week. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the information came in response to a News-Journal public information request. The district said Tatum High School Assistant Principal Thomas Sheppard resigned amid an investigation. Late Thursday, the district said it was notified Feb. 20 of possible inappropriate communication between an employee and students. The employee was placed on administrative leave during the investigation but resigned while on administrative leave, Drenon Fite, assistant superintendent of human resources and community relations, said last week. Continue reading Tatum ISD Identifies Resigned Employee

TYLER — The U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force Monday arrested a suspect in numerous Smith County Church burglaries last year. Tyler police say 36-year-old say Kinon Peacock was picked up in Houston based on a collateral lead from the US Marshal’s Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force. Police say Peacock was located at a residence hiding in a closet when he was taken into custody. The Tyler Police Department had three outstanding warrants on Peacock for burglary of a building. Continue reading Suspect Taken Into Custody in Numerous Church Burglaries

VAN (AP) — The Van Zandt County sheriff’s office says a man fatally shot two female family members while two others were able to escape the home during the attack. The shooting occurred late Monday afternoon at the home near Van. After shooting the two women, the gunman then fatally shot himself. The bodies were found in different rooms of the house. Another woman and her daughter, also members of the same family, escaped when the shooting began and notified authorities. Sheriff’s officials have not released the names of the gunman or his victims, and have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.

KILGORE – A Longview woman is free on bond after being accused of stabbing her husband during an argument. Darelene Annette Crooms, 40, has been charged with aggravated assault of a date/family/household member with a weapon. She is free on a $25,000 bond. According to the Longview News Journal, she was arrested by Kilgore police after she was said to have stabbed her husband several times, including in the neck. Police say he was not in critical condition.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man remains in the Gregg County Jail after he was said to have threatened to shoot his stepsister. The Longview News Journal reports Robert Louis Smith, 47, was arrested Friday. Police were called to a home on Pleasant Green Road where a woman Smith said pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. She said he even shot the lock off of a locker during their argument. Smith has been charged with aggravated assault of a date/family/household member with a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. His bonds total $120,000.

MARSHALL – Traffic began flowing normally again late Monday afternoon on Interstate Highway 20 in Harrison County following a multi-vehicle accident. Traffic had to be redirected at Highway 59 into Marshall then to State Highway 43 back to the interstate. The wreck happened Monday morning near the 617 Mile Marker. The Department of Public Safety reported that a truck tractor towing a semi-trailer loaded with plywood was westbound when the driver lost control. The vehicle roll over, spilling the load across the Interstate Highway. Several cars crashed while attempting to avoid the hazard. Four people were been transported to a Marshall hospital in stable condition.

QUITMAN – A murder trial for a Wood County man, which had been set to begin on Monday, is being rescheduled. The trial of Jason Russell Walter, 41, has now been reset for June 12th. Walter is accused of the shooting death of Christopher Jason Griffin, 19, of Mineola. The shooting occurred on Father’s Day of 2014. It stemmed from an argument that started inside a Mineola convenience store The shooting occurred after the argument moved outside and behind the store. Walters was at the scene with a gun when police arrived.

TYLER – Tyler police are looking for three men involved it a hit and run accident. It happened just before 12:15 Monday afternoon at the intersection of North Palace and Nutbush Street. Police say a blue car, being chased by an SUV, ran a stop sign and hit an ice cream truck. As the two men, who were said to be armed, ran from the vehicle, which contained narcotics, The SUV, driven by a Hispanic male, tried to to run over them. The driver of the SUV was later able to evade a police officer following a brief chase. The ice cream truck driver is hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

HENDERSON – The Department of Public Safety reports a Henderson man died in a weekend accident in Rusk County. Pronounced dead at the scene was Daniel Hampton, 45. The accident occurred on U.S. Highway 259, about 5 miles north of Henderson, late Saturday afternoon. Hampton is said to have lost control of his pickup which hit two stopped vehicles from behind. His pickup then left the road and hit a mailbox and a tree. The drivers of the other two vehicles were not injured.

QUITMAN — More details have been released in the arrest of a former Wood County fire chief. According to KETK, Sheriff Tom Castloo says former Ogburn Fire Chief Darren Shane Bledsoe of Winnsboro was arrested after three incidents of “non egregious” spending, on items such as food, while getting gas with a company card. He was charged with three counts of abuse of official capacity. Bledsoe’s bond was set at $1,000 on each charge. He was released on $3,000 bond.

LONGVIEW — The High Street underpass will have the right lane closed to traffic from Tyler Street to Cotton Street beginning Tuesday February 28. Initially, the northbound outside lane will be closed. Once work is completed, the southbound outside lane will be closed. The purpose of the project is to install a brick veneer and replace the sidewalk, curb and gutter. Continue reading Portion of High Street Underpass Closed

TYLER – Three persons have been arrested in connection with the robbery of the Wal-Mart store on South Broadway in Tyler. Taken into custody was Breonna Poole, 22, Justice Poole, 18, and a 14 year old juvenile, all of Shreveport, Louisiana. Investigators continue to seek the identity of more suspects in the case, which happened shortly after 11:45 Saturday night. Witnesses say several persons entered the store with a gun, held a store employee at gunpoint, took and undisclosed amount of money, and then fled. A pedestrian was hit by a fleeing suspect’s vehicle. He was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The vehicle that struck him was described as a dark colored four door sedan, occupied with two persons. Continue reading Three Arrested for a Tyler Robbery

CHAPEL HILL – The Highway 80 Rescue Mission has purchased land in Smith County to expand the services to the formerly homeless as they progress into independent living. The Mission will construct a supportive housing and rehabilitation facility called Triumph Village on Highway 64, east of Tyler. Construction of the new facility will be completed in phases. The cost of the first phase is estimated to be $750,000. This includes renovating existing homes, improving curb appeal, and building brand new cottage units. The design plan allows Highway 80 to create a place that functions like a smaller neighborhood within the larger neighborhood. They closed on the property February 1st.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of February 27th. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

Local Jacksonville traffic is encouraged to use alternate routes when possible as mill and inlay work is conducted on US 69 from US 175 to Loop 456. The work, which started last Friday, is expected to take about 10 days to complete and will be conducted Monday through Saturday, including tomorrow. Expect lane closures and delays with flaggers providing traffic control. Continue reading TxDOT Roadwork Update

TYLER – Several persons are being questioned in connection with the robbery of the Walmart store on South Broadway in Tyler. It happened shortly after 11:45 Saturday night. Witnesses say several persons entered the store with a gun, held a store employee at gunpoint, took and undisclosed amount of money, and then fled. A pedestrian was hit by the fleeing suspect’s car. They were treated at the scene for minor injuries. A short time later, a Tyler police officer stopped a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s car. Several persons in it have been detained for questioning.

TYLER – A man has been injured in a vehicle/pedestrian accident in Tyler. It happened on the South Southwest Loop, just north of the IHop Restaurant, shortly before 2:30 Saturday afternoon. Taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury was Anthony Lane. Sergeant James Freeman said Lane was walking east across the loop, in traffic, when he was struck by an SUV. The driver of the SUV was not cited in the accident.

TYLER – A record-breaking 2,000 students from all over East Texas competed in the 27th annual East Texas State Fair Academic Rodeo. And the winners have now been announced. The event consists of 14 different contests including Mathletics, Computer Science, Spelling Bee, One Act Play, and many more. The Academic Rodeo is an event operated by The Park of East Texas, the same organization that operates the East Texas State Fair. The Academic Rodeo is open to both public and private schools, as well as homeschool coalitions and similar groups. In total, there were 101 groups competing in the Academic Rodeo, spanning from Grand Prairie to Diana, and from Mt. Pleasant to Hemphill. Top performing school districts included Tyler ISD, Lindale ISD, and Whitehouse ISD. Continue reading Academic Rodeo Awards Celebration

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department has disposed of over 400 guns that were either confiscated in cases or were recovered but never reclaimed by the owners. They called in a Dallas company, which used an acetylene torch or regular saw, to cut the handguns and rifles in half. They were then disposed of at an undisclosed location. The guns were destroyed so they wouldn’t end up on the streets. Linda Roberts, who works in the property room at the Longview Police Department, told the Longview News Journal, that in the past, the department has given the guns to the Department of Public Safety for use in its weapons crime labs. This is the first year the department destroyed them.

MARSHALL – April Gibbons, 33, of Longview, was released on a $20,000 bond Friday after being charged with two counts of endangering a child. The death followed the February 12th death of one of her 18-month old twins. She told police one twin rolled on top of and smothered the other one. She has since admitted she had given both twins adult sleep medication. Investigators say the surviving twin was found to have several over-the-counter medications in her system that were not suitable for the child’s age. The investigation is ongoing as they await a toxicology report.

TYLER – Brookshire’s and the East Texas Food Bank are a step closer to getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. Friday afternoon, the final 2 cans, of 36,000 cans, were placed on the top of a 12-foot-tall pyramid, with a 17-by-17 foot base. They were put in place by Brookshire’s Chairman and CEO Brad Brookshire and the food bank CEO Dennis Cullinane. Next, they have to submit an evidence packet specific to this record to Guinness Book for their review. It includes photos, video, written statements, etc. Once they process it, the official certificate will be sent. Continue reading Records Are Made to be Broken

TYLER – A Tyler man plead guilty to his part in a Smith County Murder. Stanton Lane Pearce, 54, plead guilty to charges of tampering or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The charge stems from the murder of Luis Martinez, 62, of Tyler. His body was found in a cemetery in the Antioch Community last September. It took a manhunt of over 24 hours to locate Pearce. Sheriff’s deputies arrested him in the Jackson Heights Community east of Tyler. Continue reading A Guilty Plea in a Murder Case

TYLER – East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert has come under fire in some circles recently. He has chosen to forgo town hall forums before constituents for fear of drawing demonstrations by protesters of President Donald Trump. Instead, he is holding “telephone town halls.” Tonight, Gohmert will join KETK News LIVE during their news at 6:00. He will take part in a 30 minute question and answer session where he will answer questions from the KETK staff, as well as from East Texans. If you have a question for Rep. Gohmert, e-mail it to Newsroom-KETK@Nexstar.TV or submit them on the KETK Facebook page.

LONGVIEW – Ten persons have been indicted in Gregg County on a variety of drug charges. The indictments follow a year long investigation by Longview Police and the FBI. With the exception of one, all of the suspects are from Gregg County. At a news conference Friday, it was announced the investigation led to the seizure of over $1 million worth of drugs. They also recovered 14 guns and $50,000 in cash. Continue reading Indictments In a Major Drug Investigation

LONGVIEW – A man has been arrested following his indictment in Longview’s 15th homicide of 2016. At a news conference Friday, it was announced Christopher Pleasant had been indicted in the death of Victorria Jasmine Sam, 28, of Longview. On December 19th, her body was found in a car on Duncan Street. She had been shot to death. Pleasant had been arrested February 11th by Marshall Police on a parole warrant. He was served with the murder warrant in the Harrison County Jail.

LONGVIEW – The Gregg County Grand Jury has indicted a man involved in a police standoff last June. The district attorney’s office reports Sonny Dee Edwards Jr., 32, was indicted on a charge of criminal mischief causing a monetary loss of $30,000 or more but less than $150,000. He had been under a protective order and not suppose to be in the house on Mamon Drive. Edwards was said to have fired several rounds at a police robot, slightly damaging it. Two women in the home were able to escape unharmed through a bedroom window. Edwards surrendered after the over 7 1/2 hour standoff.

TATUM – A Rusk County woman remains jailed on drug charges. Melissa Wallace, 35, of Tatum was arrested following a Crime Stoppers tip. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Department and Tatum Police arrested her at a Tatum motel. Officers seized 34 grams of suspected methamphetamine, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, firearms and money. Wallace is in the Rusk County Jail under a $100,000 bond. Investigators anticipate additional arrests as the investigation continues.