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SMITH COUNTY – Firefighters from across Smith County worked to contain a large fire near County Road 246 on Saturday. According to Smith County Emergency Services District 2 (ESD2) and our news partner KETK, multiple crews responded to the scene of the fire near County Road 246 and County Road 346. The Texas A&M Forest Service listed the fire as being 47-acres across and 100% contained as of 7:29 p.m. on Saturday.

No structures were endangered by the fire and no injuries have been reported. Smith County ESD2 asked drivers in the area to watch out for first responders directing traffic or bulldozers being unloaded near the fire.

GREGG COUNTY — Melissa Beckett, a Republican candidate for Texas House District 7, has filed a lawsuit against incumbent Rep. Jay Dean for defamation after he accused her of wanting to eliminate the Texas teacher retirement system. She claims that this accusation has negatively impacted her campaign, according to our news partners at KETK.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, claims that two days prior, Dean posted on his official Facebook a post from Texas Education 911 taken from X:

‘Destroy Teacher Retirement? TEXAS EDUCATION 911 Texas Education 911 @TexasEd911 X.com -If Public Education were genuinely DOGEd, we could cut so much waste and return the money to people. -Maybe it’s time to retire the TRS and switch to 401Ks 2:40 PM 12/9/25 95 Views’

He replied: “HD7 alone employs roughly 1,600 teachers, and statewide the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) serves 1.8 million Texans, including nearly 800,000 retirees who depend on it. Calling for the elimination of TRS isn’t bold – it’s reckless and irresponsible. It threatens the financial security of educators who have dedicated their lives to our kids and our communities. And let’s be clear: she knew it was wrong – that’s why she deleted the post. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”

The lawsuit says the post by Dean accused Beckett of advocating for eliminating the Texas Teacher Retirement System and of deleting that post after public backlash. Continue reading Candidate sues Rep. Dean for defamation

TYLER — There are 14 sidewalk projects in the planning stage which are expected to start construction within the year. This is due to a fatal crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian shut down all northbound and southbound lanes in the 1400 block of East Gentry Parkway on Wednesday.

According to Tyler Police Department and our news partner KETK, officers responded to the scene at approximately 3:34 p.m. on Wednesday. Responding officers found a woman who was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. The woman who was hit was then taken to a local hospital for treatment but she succumbed to her injuries. Tyler PD has since identified the crash victim as 44-year-old Lindsey Null.

The driver from Wednesday’s fatal crash also hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries and is not expected to face charges at this time.

The Tyler Police Department said Null was not crossing at a designated crosswalk when she was struck. A Tyler resident who was nearby when the crash happened said Null’s death was tragic and that the city should be safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Continue reading Push for sidewalks after pedestrian killed

ANDERSON COUNTY – The Anderson County Commissioner’s Court met on Friday to discuss taking action to recover $248,723.74 that was paid to a former judge’s wife through an unapproved county work contract. According to our news partner KETK, in a special meeting of the Anderson County Commissioner’s Court on Friday, Anderson County Judge Carol G. McKinney and the county commissioners discussed how former Anderson County Judge Robert Johnston’s wife Brenda Johnston was working for the county even though he never disclosed her employment, which he was required to do when he last took office.

According to Anderson County Commissioner for Precinct 1 Greg Chapin, Brenda had previously worked for the Anderson County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. Chapin explained that she was later contracted to work Child Protective Services cases for the DA’s office, on a part-time basis, for a $5400 a month contract.

Chapin said the county auditor had told the DA’s office that they could enter into the project with Brenda without the approval of the commissioner’s court, so the contract was never officially approved or ratified with the county. Continue reading Judge failed to disclose $248K contract

TYLER – When Alexander Kaine Johnson stepped into the 321st District Courtroom to be adopted on Friday, he was surprised to see about 45 fellow fifth graders from Bell Elementary School. Bell Principal Tamara Johnson and several teachers brought the group of kids to celebrate his adoption after a two-year-long process.

Vandria and Tyrone Johnson adopted 11-year-old Cain Coles, who officially changed his name to Alexander Kaine Johnson during the adoption ceremony. 321st District Judge Robert Wilson teared up when he said it was a great day and he was happy to see the family become a forever family.
Continue reading An event to remember

WINNSBORO — The Winnsboro ISD has hired Greg Hollingsworth as its new police chief following a unanimous 6-0 vote by the school board Wednesday night. The appointment comes nearly two months after the board voted to terminate former police chief Heath Guy in December after a closed executive session. According to our news partner KETK, Guy had been placed on administrative leave in June amid an investigation connected to a former district employee. That investigation involved former assistant football coach Nicholas Gabriele, who was arrested in June after allegedly admitting to a sexual relationship with a student.

CALDWELL — Two red-ruffed lemur pups were born on Valentine’s Day at the Caldwell Zoo, marking the first successful birth of the critically endangered species in the zoo’s history, zoo officials announced Friday. According to our news partner KETK, their 4-year-old mother, Kintana, arrived at Caldwell Zoo in April 2025 from the Woodland Park Zoo. She was later introduced to Junior, the father, who has lived at Caldwell Zoo since 2017 after arriving from St. Augustine Alligator Park.

Red-ruffed lemurs are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Zoo officials said the birth marks an important milestone in ongoing conservation efforts to protect the species.
Continue reading Zoo has new additions

TYLER – Fire crews from Longview and Smith County have deployed to the Texas Panhandle to assist in battling the Lavender Fire in Pampa and the 8 Ball Fire in Howardwick. The deployments are part of coordinated operations through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS). According to our news partner KETK and Smith County ESD2, firefighters were sent to the Lavender Fire in Pampa, located north of Amarillo, to assist with suppression efforts. As of 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, the fire had burned more than 12,000 acres and was 20% contained. Continue reading Firefighters sent to combat wildfires

EAST Texas – Due to continued dry weather conditions and a lack of rain, several counties have issued burn bans across East Texas. These counties include: Van Zandt County, Hopkins County and Trinity County. Consult the Forest Service website for more information.

TYLER – Smith County shared that part of East Line Street in Downtown Tyler was closed starting on Thursday. According to Smith County, East Line Street from the railroad tracks to Center Avenue will be closed for around two weeks while the City of Tyler does roadwork in that area.

Smith County advised Adult Probation employees and customers to drive to their parking lot from Spring Avenue in order to avoid the road closure.

UPDATE: The woman who died on Wednesday has been identified as 44-year-old Lindsey Null. The Tyler Police Department said she was not crossing at a designated crosswalk when she was struck. The driver is not expected to face charges at this time.

TYLER – A crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian has shut down all northbound and southbound lanes in the 1400 block of East Gentry Parkway. According to Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, officers responded to the scene at approximately 3:34 p.m. As of 3:55 p.m., all lanes remain closed as police and emergency crews work in the roadway. Drivers are urged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.

UPSHUR COUNTY — A woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a tax fraud scheme tied to her two Longview businesses, resulting in a tax loss of nearly $250,000. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Texas and our news partner KETK, Marneitha Reese Scott, 57, of Gilmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid, assist, counsel or advise in tax fraud. Evidence showed that Scott operated two tax return preparer businesses in Longview under the name F.A.S.T. Financial Firm.

“Scott and others recruited tax preparers to work at the businesses to prepare and file income tax returns for clients,” the U.S. attorney’s office said. “With others, Scott created a scheme to defraud the United States by instructing the tax preparers to create fraudulent entries on client tax returns, including, for example, claims for business losses when the client had no business.”

The tax returns were reportedly filed by Scott or her employees working at her direction, resulting in a tax loss for tax years 2019-2022 of $243,899.

Scott could face up to five years in federal prison, a potential fine and restitution at sentencing.

TYLER – A Longview tax preparer has pleaded guilty to a federal violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. 57-year-old Marneitha Reese Scott, of Gilmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid, assist, counsel, or advise in tax fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on February 18, 2026.

According to information presented in court, Scott owned a tax return preparer business operated under the name of F.A.S.T. Financial Firm (“FAST”), with two locations in Longview.  Scott and others recruited tax preparers to work at the businesses to prepare and file income tax returns for clients.

With others, Scott created a scheme to defraud the United States by instructing the tax preparers to create fraudulent entries on client tax returns, including, for example, claims for business losses when the client had no business. Continue reading Guilty plea in tax fraud scheme

TYLER – Robert Harrison Johnson IV has been found not guilty by reason of insanity after a house fire in 2022 killed his half-brother with special needs. Johnson had been in a state hospital, and a report from January stated that he was insane at the time of the offense.

On May 18, 2022, Johnson’s half-brother Jack McKenzie Ross, 35, died in the house fire in the 11300 block of County Road 1113. He was arrested by police in DeSoto weeks later.

Records revealed that Johnson was smoking a cigarette in his room when embers landed on a nearby towel. Johnson, in a conversation with investigators, claimed that a “ghost” stopped him from leaving the house. He was also asked why he didn’t help Ross who was in the next room. His response was a claim that spirits forced him out. Continue reading Not guilty by insanity

TYLER — New details have been released in the fatal road rage shooting that killed a 29-year-old Whitehouse Marine veteran in Tyler on Friday evening, where a preliminary investigation revealed there was no need for self-defense.

The Tyler Police Department received multiple 911 calls around 5:06 p.m. on Feb. 13 reporting that a man had been shot multiple times.

According to an arrest affidavit from Smith County, officers were dispatched to the intersection of E. Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive in Tyler, where they found a man lying unresponsive on the roadway while another man performed CPR.

According to our news partner KETK, the affidavit states that Dayton Alexander Morgan, 23, was driving a white 2008 Dodge Ram pickup eastbound with a front-seat passenger. A white Tesla was also traveling eastbound in front of Morgan’s vehicle. The Tesla was driven by a woman with Trevor Julian in the passenger seat and three children in the back. Continue reading No self-defense in road rage shooting

TYLER — Early voting began Tuesday, several counties have already reported their first-day totals. Our news partner KETK has compiled early voting turnout numbers for East Texas counties following the first day of voting. You can view that list here.

HARRISON COUNTY – An inmate at the Harrison County Jail died on Wednesday morning following a medical emergency, that according to our news partner KETK and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said that around 1 a.m., staff members at the jail became aware that 63-year-old inmate Lawrence Siford was having a medical emergency. Prior to the emergency, Siford had suffered from chronic medical conditions and was under a medical watch according to the sheriff’s office. Siford was taken to a local hospital following the medical episode and was pronounced dead at around 4 a.m. The Texas Rangers are currently investigating Siford’s death and at this time, no foul play is suspected.

GREGG COUNTY — No foul play is suspected after an inmate died on Tuesday following a medical emergency at the Gregg County jail. According to our news partner KETK, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said that staff were notified of an inmate having a medical emergency at a dorm in the county’s north jail facility at around 2:25 p.m. When detention officers and medical staff arrived, they found a 68-year-old inmate having a severe medical episode.

Longview Fire and EMS were called to the scene, who then transported the inmate to a local hospital, where he later died. The Texas Rangers were notified and will investigate in accordance with the sheriff’s office policy and Texas Commission on Jail Standards. More information is expected to be released.

TYLER — Broadway Avenue has long been known as one of the most congested roads in Tyler. Five years ago, it ranked among the 50 most congested roads in the state, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). By 2023, its ranking improved significantly, dropping 40 spots to 87th place. In 2024, Broadway Avenue exited the top 100, landing in 102nd place. The following year, in 2025, it dropped another 18 spots to 120th place.

According to a City of Tyler news release, the continued drop is the result of multiple years of planning and annual traffic signal re-timing, initiated in 2019 as part of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Master Plan Study. This study set out a 10-year signal re-timing effort to reduce congestion and improve safety each year. Continue reading Traffic congestion continues to drop

UPDATE: The Daingerfield Police Department has confirmed the suspect’s identity as 65-year-old John Dupriest Jr.

EAST TEXAS — The Palestine Police Department is investigating a fatal crash that left one pedestrian dead on Tuesday evening after being struck by a UPS truck. According to the department and our news partner KETK, the wreck was reported around 8 p.m. Officers and firefighters arrived at the intersection of South Loop 256 and F.M. 322 and transported the pedestrian to a local hospital. The pedestrian was pronounced dead later that evening.

Based on witness statements and evidence at the scene, authorities believe the UPS driver was traveling west on South Loop 256 when the pedestrian attempted to cross the loop traveling north near the intersection. While the pedestrian was attempting to cross, the driver had a green light and entered the intersection, striking her with the truck.

According to officials, the driver remained at the scene following the crash and cooperated with authorities throughout the incident. The department said at this time no charges are being filed.

The investigation is ongoing. The pedestrian’s identity has not been released. The department stated she is not a resident of Palestine.

GILMER — A boil-water notice has been issued for parts of the City of Gilmer due to maintenance workers repairing the water system. Areas impacted include: East Scott Strett, 405 North Cypress Street (East side of the roadway).

Gilmer residents who are affected are asked to boil their water before consumption, such as brushing their teeth or washing their hands. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil, then continued to boil for two minutes.

Customers can purchase bottled water as an alternative to boiling water. Once the notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will alert all customers currently impacted.

Residents with any questions regarding the notice may contact Public Works Director Jonathan Nix at 903-843-8206 or Mayor Tim Marshall at 903-843-2552.

WOOD COUNTY — A suspect wanted on multiple felony warrants was killed Saturday night after a lengthy standoff with law enforcement in Wood County that left two officers wounded. On Tuesday, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 45-year-old Cody Joe Henderson.

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to serve six felony warrants around the intersection of FM 515 and FM 2966 on Saturday. During the attempt, the suspect allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon, striking a Wood County deputy multiple times and wounding a DPS trooper. Both officers were transported to a hospital in Tyler, where the Texas Department of Public Safety said they’re expected to make a full recovery.

The suspect barricaded himself inside a residence on FM 2966, prompting a large law enforcement response. The Wood County Special Response Team and Texas Rangers assisted at the scene.

Authorities said negotiations continued for several hours as the suspect repeatedly fired at law enforcement. Multiple methods were used in attempts to get the suspect to surrender, including tear gas. Continue reading Suspect killed in standoff

HENDERSON COUNTY – An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday by a Henderson County jury after he assaulted and threatened to kill a family member in 2025. According to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and our news partner KETK, 60-year-old Lawrence William Miller was arrested on Feb. 27, 2025, after officers from the Gun Barrel City Police Department responded to a call from a woman requesting an ambulance to her home on East Acres.

Once officers arrived at the home, they found the victim struggling to stand and was reportedly in visible pain with bruises covering her body. The victim initially told officers that she had fallen; however, once she was alone with EMS personel she allegedly said that Miller had kicked her in the face and body and threatened to kill her

During Miller’s trial, officers testified that they had been dispatched to the home several times over the past year. Additionally, Amanda Cooper with Breaking Chains, a coalition against family violence in Henderson County, testified as an expert witness on the trial, providing reasons why many domestic violence victims feel unable to leave and may be uncooperative with law enforcement or prosecution. Continue reading Life sentence for domestic violence

SMITH COUNTY — Several firefighters from Smith County Emergency Services District 2 (ESD 2) are being dispatched to West Texas amid potential wildfires. ESD 2 received a request for assistance from the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) regarding potential wildland fires in Pampa and Borger, both in the West Texas region. To provide assistance, ESD 2 will be sending two firefighters, one engine boss, and one dozer boss. Members of the Tyler, Nacogdoches, Texarkana and Longview fire departments are also being dispatched to provide aid.

TYLER — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made a campaign stop in East Texas on Tuesday as the keynote speaker for the Smith County Republican Party’s Lincoln Reagan Day Dinner. Abbott delivered remarks during the event at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler.

According to our news partner KETK, Abbott was joined by several state and local Republican leaders, including State Sen. Bryan Hughes, State Rep. Daniel Alders, State Rep. Cole Hefner and Nate Sheets, who is running for Texas agriculture commissioner.

PALESTINE – A woman was arrested in Palestine last week after allegedly burglarizing a vehicle in the parking lot of a Sherwin-Williams store. According to our news partners KETK and the Palestine Police Department, officers responded to a report of a vehicle burglary just before 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 12. Upon arrival, officers observed a woman matching the suspect’s description walking near a nearby pawn shop. She was later identified as 30-year-old Christie Schoolcraft, of Palestine, and was stopped and detained.

The police department said Schoolcraft initially provided a false name and date of birth but was later correctly identified. Items reported missing from the victim’s vehicle were allegedly found in her possession. Schoolcraft was transported to the Anderson County Jail, where she was booked on charges of burglary of a vehicle and failure to identify/giving false information. As of Tuesday afternoon, she remains in custody on a $12,500 bond.

TYLER – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke in Tyler on Monday as a part of his campaign to be one of two United States Senators for Texas. Monday’s campaign stop was part of the Texas-First Victoria Tour, a state-wide tour aimed at “mobilizing grassroots conservatives” ahead of the Republican Primary in March, where Paxton will face Incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Wesley Hunt.

If Paxton wins in March, he’ll face the winner of the Democratic Primary in November. Democratic Primary candidates include U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, Ahmad Hassan and Texas State Rep. James Talarico, who’s campaigning in Tyler on Feb. 24.