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MT. VERNON – According to our news partner KETK, oil giant Halliburton has been awarded a contract to plan and design a geothermally-powered lithium mining project in Mt. Vernon that planners said could help end America’s dependence on Chinese lithium.

GeoFrame Energy’s geothermal and direct lithium extraction (DLE) project is set to start work with Halliburton in late 2025 and will extract battery-grade lithium carbonate from the Smackover Formation, which lies beneath much of East Texas. Halliburton, a company with more than 100 years of expertise in drilling wells, will work with GeoFrame Energy during the drilling, construction, design and operation phases of their first demonstration wells before the companies expand to “full field development.”

“This major breakthrough in East Texas could be the key to solving the U.S. lithium supply challenge. GeoFrame Energy is expected to produce approximately 83,500 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually—enough to meet 100% of domestic demand,” GeoFrame Energy said in a press release. “By establishing a reliable, homegrown supply, the project offers significant economic and strategic benefits. It could also mark a turning point in ending U.S. dependence on Chinese lithium imports—a win for both Texas and the Trump administration.” Continue reading Geothermal lithium drilling wells coming to East Texas

SMITH COUNTY — A man has pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in connection to a 2024 fatal crash that left two people dead on FM 2767. According to our news partner KETK, Jose Bravo Jr., was arrested for intoxication manslaughter after a red 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-350 was driving southwest on FM 2767 on May 27, 2024 and took “faulty evasive action to avoid striking a dog” causing the vehicle to leave the road, ejecting three people.

Jose Bravo Delgado and Santa Lucia Bravo both died after they were ejected from the vehicle. Bravo Jr. submitted his blood for a voluntary test and officials said he told them he had been drinking before the crash. According to Smith County judicial records, Bravo Jr. entered a guilty plea on Monday in front of Kerry L. Russel of the 7th Judicial District Court.

His sentencing hearing is set for July 24.

TYLER — A twice-deported Mexican national has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations, according to acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Jose Mercedes Saucedo-Guerrero, 34, a Mexican national illegally living in Longview, was stopped for a traffic violation in Kilgore.

During the stop, officers deployed a K9 to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle, resulting in a positive alert for the presence of a controlled substance. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 2,972 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed Saucedo-Guerrero was unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously prosecuted and deported on two separate occasions for immigration crimes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Continue reading Illegal immigrant sentenced for drug trafficking

HENDERSON COUNTY — A three-year-old and five-year-old girl both died when the boat the were in lost power and capsized on Cedar Creek Lake in Henderson County on Sunday night. According to our news partner KETK, the 21-foot-long boat capsized at around 10 p.m. on Sunday when they were heading back into shore. 10 adults were on board and made it to shore but the two children got stuck under the hull.

The boat reportedly began to take on water because it was over loaded and was then turned over by choppy water on the lake. First responders attempted to search for the girls but the tide was against them and they were pinned under the dock. The boat was eventually overturned a few hours later and the girls were found

POLK COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports an East Texas man was arrested on Friday after allegedly tricking an elderly person into paying him thousands of dollars in roof repairs he didn’t complete.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, on June 11 officers received a report from a local resident of a retirement community who had been scammed by 38-year-old Matthew “Billy” Boyce of Athens. Officials said Boyce scammed the elderly person out of several thousand dollars after Boyce told them he would repair their roof but didn’t do any work.

Boyce was arrested in Athens on Friday for exploitation of an elderly person and theft of a property, but has since bonded out of the Polk County Jail.

East Texans are encouraged to reach out to the Polk County Criminal Investigations Division if they were contacted by Boyce or have any information about him.

HENDERSON COUNTY – A Pennsylvania truck driver was arrested on Thursday after attempting to meet up with a 15-year-old boy during a Henderson County sting operation in February, according to our news partner KETK.

An affidavit from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office reveals that on Feb. 2, an officer started an operation using the online dating website and messaging platform, Hornet, to target people looking for sexual relations with minors.The document revealed that the officer created a profile with the persona being a 15-year-old boy living in Henderson County.

“On Feb. 8, at approximately 2:03 p.m., the officer’s profile received a Hornet direct message from an account with the username ‘Bek,’” the affidavit said. “… during the course of chatting with the Hornet profile, the user believed the officer to be a 15-year-old minor living in Tool, Texas as indicated in the chat log.” Continue reading Pennsylvania truck driver arrested for child solicitation

TYLER – UPDATE: Today is the set deadline for an agreement to be reached between CHRISTUS Health and BlueCross BlueShield.

According to a released statement from CHRISTUS Health, despite months of negotiations, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas(BCBSTX) has so far been unwilling to seriously consider CHRISTUS Health’s requests for equitable reimbursement rates to cover the rising costs of providing quality health care.

The statement says that BlueCross BlueShield’s similar aggressive negotiation tactics recently used with other health systems also raise concerns about their commitment to reach a fair contract.

CHRISTUS said in the statement, “We continue to make good-faith efforts to negotiate fair insurance rates to ensure all who might need us have access to the largest, highest-quality health care system in the communities we serve.”

CHRISTUS Health also said that they remain dedicated to reaching an agreement that is in the best interest of their employers, physicians, care centers and most importantly, their patients – and hope that the same is true for BCBSTX.

More information about the agreement, or lack thereof, will be released as details become available. Continue reading CHRISTUS Health continues negotiations with BlueCross BlueShield

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Emergency Services District 2 responded to the scene of a boat crash on the Sabine River that left one person injured on Saturday according to our news partner KETK.

According to the district, a man was injured when one boat crashed into another boat on the Sabine River at around 10:30 a.m. near FM 14 in Lindale. The man was then flown by helicopter to be treated at a local hospital for a head injury he got in the crash.

Smith County Emergency Services District 2 told KETK that both boats made it back to boat ramp. Officials said Texas Game Wardens will be investigating the boat crash.

TYLER – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed East Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes’ Life of the Mother bill into law on Friday to clarify Texas’ ban on abortion for doctors.

According to our news partner KETK, Senate Bill 31, also known as the Life of the Mother Act, clears up language from the abortion ban law that Texas passed in 2022. According to Hughes, the bill is designed to make sure that women having medical emergencies can get an abortion. The bill includes a number of edits and clarifications to the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code and the Texas Health and Safety Code. One change is to the definition of the term “life-threatening” which now includes conditions which may not be actively injuring a patient.

“This bill is to look at our pro-life laws and make the language even clearer, so there’s no question, no excuse when a mom presents with a medical emergency, she gets treated,” State Hughes said in March.

“For the purposes of Subsection (b)(2),”life-threatening” means capable of causing death or potentially fatal. A life-threatening physical condition is not necessarily one actively injuring the patient,” the text of Senate Bill 31 states. Continue reading Gov. Abbott signs Hughes’ Life of the Mother abortion bill

TYLER – Beginning Monday, June 23, the eastbound right lane of I-20, at Grand Saline Creek (east of mile marker 531), will be closed for repairs to a sinkhole near the bridge slab. Work is expected to occur primarily during daylight hours; however, a nighttime closure may be necessary early in the week.

The lane closure is anticipated to remain in place through Friday, June 27. Motorists should expect delays and are advised to use caution in the work zone.

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran has given his backing to the United States’ attack on three Iranian nuclear sites announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday.

Moran tweeted, “Peace through strength in action. This was a necessary step to protect America and its ally Israel from the clear and present danger presented by Iran and its advanced nuclear program. This is the kind of leadership the moment demands.”

Moran’s tweet came after President Trump posted on the social media that the United States’ planes had bombed Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.

District 8 Representative Cody Harris of Palestine reposted a statement supporting the attack and President Trump from Speaker of The Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows. Continue reading East Texas representatives react to Iranian strikes

SHELBY COUNTY — Our news partner KETK is reporting that officials identified the body of a man who drowned on Wednesday after his kayak flipped over at Lake Timpson.

The body of Gregory Parker, 43, of Timpson was found by dive teams at 9:41 Friday morning after two days of searching, according to Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Hanson. Parker and his friend were on kayaks at Lake Timpson when Parker’s kayak suddenly flipped over and he never resurfaced. Parker’s friend told officials that he heard a yell behind him and when he turned around Parker was below the water. According to Hanson, Parker’s friend called 911 near the area where Parker went under and the dive teams found the body almost exactly where a GPS tracked the call’s signal.

Multiple dive teams and law enforcement agencies helped recover Parker’s body including the DeSoto Parish Fire District 1 dive team and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office officials along with San Augustine and Hudson Fire Departments. Authorities do not suspect foul play and Parker’s body was sent to Dallas for an autopsy.

SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a Florida man was arrested by Smith County officials on Friday after he refused to pull over while taking up both lanes on I-20.

At 1:47 p.m. a citizen reported that a gray 18-wheeler was straddling both lanes while driving eastbound on I-20 and was not allowing other drivers to pass. Officials identified the driver of the 18-wheeler as Cecil Devon Brown, 43, of Pensacola, Florida who recently quit his job at a transport company. The transport company told Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials that Brown did not have permission to drive the 18-wheeler and they believe he was fleeing to Florida.

As Brown continued to head east on I-20 near Highway 69, a constable with Smith County Precinct 5 attempted to get Brown to pull over by flashing his police lights, but Brown would not follow directions from law enforcement. Christian said officials believe that Brown was not trying to run from law enforcement because he never exceeded 70 miles per hour during the pursuit, they believe he just did not want to stop. Continue reading Florida man arrested in 18-wheeler pursuit on I-20

HENDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, after 32 years with Henderson County, Judge Wade McKinney announced on Friday that he will not seek reelection for the next term.

McKinney said he started working for the county in 1994 as a road hand who filled potholes and just wanted to chase cows. Since then he served 20 years as the county commissioner and as the county judge since 2019. McKinney is proud of what the county has accomplished during his time and he wants the public to know that his work as a public servant is ongoing.

“This is not about slowing down or saying goodbye,” McKinney said. “It is about shifting focus. I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and working on my land, getting back to some of the things I have always loved. I also want to help others navigate the challenges of local government with the knowledge and experience I have gained these last 32 years. The work is never really finished.”

McKinney thanked the public for trusting him with the honor of serving Henderson County and said that no matter what, he will still be a road hand at heart.

HUDSON – The City of Hudson in Angelina County has dissolved its police department, citing factors like leadership turnover, personnel matters and budget constraints, according to our news partner KETK.

“The decision was not made lightly and many factors went into this outcome, the most important factor, however, was ensuring that the citizens of the City of Hudson receive access to the best quality law enforcement and emergency services possible,” Hudson city officials said.

The city council voted to dissolve the police department in a special meeting on Tuesday. The decision came after city council members gave the department a 90-day grace period to find new leaders, strengthen their internal procedures and make sure their budget was used efficiently. Continue reading City votes to dissolve police department

MABANK – A construction worker has died after a trench collapse incident occurred on Wednesday morning in Mabank, according to our news partner KETK. At around 10:30 a.m., Mabank Police were dispatched to the 1000 block of North State Highway 198 after reports of a construction site accident.

When rescue crews arrived, removed a worker from the ditch, and performed life-saving measures. The worker, identified as Abraham Gomez Cruz, 38 of Hutchins, was taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and coworkers of Mr. Gomez during this incredibly difficult time,” the police department said.

The investigation remains ongoing by occupational safety officials to determine the cause of the collapse.

ARP – Nearly 20 members of the Arp ISD teaching staff will have a little extra cash in their pockets after being approved to receive the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA).

The TIA strives to recognize and retain promising teachers by creating incentivize programs for teachers who work in high-needs schools. Following the 2022-2023 school year, Arp ISD submitted applications for their educators to be entered into the TIA.

After the end of this school year, it was revealed that 17 members of the Arp teaching staff had been approved to join the TIA for their excellent work in the classroom. The teachers selected earned designations at one of three levels, including recognized, exemplary, and masters based on their classroom performance, student growth and rigorous evaluations.

“I am thrilled for these 17 teachers,” added Arp ISD Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Schminkey. “An incredible recognition for their hard work, dedication, and impact on students in the classroom.” Continue reading Arp teachers recognized for excellence

TYLER — CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler held a memorial service on Thursday to honor four medics that lost their lives in the line of duty in 1988 and 1989. According to our news partner KETK, the National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) travels across the U.S. every year to honor emergency medical services personnel that died while in the line of duty. This year, NEMSMS planned to make a total of 29 stops in 19 states and one of those stops was at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.

A ‘Tree of Life’ memorial was held to honor three CHRSITUS ‘Flight for Life’ crew members who died in an air medical accident on Feb. 13, 1989 and another medic who died in 1988. The ‘Tree of Life’ is a memorial board that displays an image of an oak tree with the names, agencies and dates of loss of every honoree engraved on the leaves. Continue reading Four medics memorialized at Tyler hospital

UPDATE: According to our news partner KETK and the Lufkin Police Department, the juvenile who was shot Tuesday evening in Lufkin died early Thursday morning at a Houston hospital.

26-year-old Julious Griffin was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Tuesday evening, and murder charges are now pending.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man is behind bars after a shooting on Tuesday night on Percy Simond Street left one person injured. According to the police department, around 7 p.m. officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of Percy Simond Street. When they arrived, 26-year-old Julious Griffin admitted to the officers that he shot the juvenile in the leg, but claimed self-defense.

Griffin has been booked in to the Angelina County Jail on the following charges: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and Deadly conduct.

The person that was injured was taken to a local hospital, but then later flown to an out-of-town facility. Their condition and identity have not been released as of this writing.

CHANDLER — City of Chandler Police Chief Kalon Rollins was appointed as the interim city administrator on Wednesday night by the city council according to our news partner KETK.

Rollins will continue his role as chief of police while serving as the interim city administrator, and he said this new responsibility will not affect police services. Rollins’ main goal during his time as administrator is to move the city forward with the help of the mayor and city council.

“I have a great staff who already handles the daily operation of the police department and who completely support my acceptance of this new position; therefore, this change will not have any effect on police services,” Rollins said. “I have graciously accepted this position for one main purpose: to move the city forward.”

According to Rollins, city leaders will work to create the necessary changes and move in a positive direction while being honest with Chandler residents.

JACKSONVILLE– Hundreds of people across East Texas packed into Jacksonville’s City Hall for the groundwater board’s public hearing on the 21 high capacity well drilling permit.

According to our news partner KETK, the Neches and Trinity County’s Groundwater Conservation District voted unanimously to send the contested hearing to an independent state agency for mediation.
People who spoke at the meeting were resident, mayors, county commissioners, county judges, water companies and state representatives.

“All of rural East Texas, all of our rural East Texas counties, will be affected. Our cities will not be able to have businesses. Everyone’s going to have to move away,” New Summerfield resident, Jennifer Murphy-Vick said.

Other community members spoke out about how this issue may be the size of a drop of water now, but could turn into an ocean of problems if nothing is done. Continue reading Hundreds gather in opposition to well permits in Jacksonville

LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, Melissa Beckett announced on Thursday that she will enter the republican primary race to represent Texas House District 7 which oversees Gregg, Harrison and Marion counties. Beckett is a current Gregg County resident with a background in commodity trading and data analysis giving her some experience in recognizing patterns. She is also the founder of Texas Education 911 which advocates for parents whose children have been harmed in tax payer schools and help the families reach justice, according to texased911,com.

“I’m an everyday Texan, not a politician, but I feel compelled to run because we the
families of East Texas, have been forgotten,” Beckett said. “We deserve to have a representative in Austin that puts us first. That’s why I’m running.”

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is investigating the death of a 35-year-old man who was found unresponsive in a pool on Thursday morning, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The man, who has not been identified, was found at around 3:45 a.m. in a pool in the 4000 block of Stonegate Blvd. He was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:45 a.m.

When asked if foul play was suspected, Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said the case remains under investigation.

TYLER – Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 7 and Joint House Resolution 7, what he calls is the largest generational investment in the states’ water infrastructure.

Texas is growing but the water supply is not keeping up, the 89th legislature invested $20 billion to fund water projects. A part of the $20 billion investment is to fix old, decaying and costly infrastructure.

“What we’ve done with this legislation impacts generations of Texas,” State Representative Cody Harris said.

“We lose about 88 billion gallons of water a year because of broken, busted and aged pipes. We have an across-the-board urgency to make sure that we address the water issue. The good news is we had the legislature step up and get that job done with the largest water law in the history of the great state of Texas,” Abbott said. Continue reading State Rep. Harris watches as Texas Governor signs water bill

HENDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, more than 10,000 videos of child pornography were allegedly found in a Mabank man’s Snapchat account.

On March 30, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip from Snapchat for David Burlin Brewer. The sheriff’s office obtained Brewer’s IP address and Snapchat account, where they found several videos of minors showing their genital area and touching themselves. One of the videos shows a girl, who is believed to be under 10, sexually exposing herself. Officials also found multiple other videos of suspected minors performing sexual acts while naked.

“There are almost 10,000 files to view,” the affidavit said.” A lot of the files are age-difficult, but some of them are obviously children with their genitals exposed.” Continue reading Tip leads to child porn possession arrest in Mabank

TYLER — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the spring 2025 STAAR test results for third through eighth graders on Tuesday and, according to our news partner KETK, improvements were seen in multiple categories.

The STAAR test score percentages are separated by three categories which are approaches, meets and masters. The Texas Education Agency said that some grade levels scored higher than students who took the test before the pandemic. Here is how every grade level compared to last year’s test takers based on the meets (standard) category, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Reading Language Arts (RLA)

Increase:
Third grade – 3%
Fourth grade – 3%
Fifth grade – 4%
Eighth grade – 2%
Continue reading STAAR test score data shows growth in younger grades

LINDALE – Our news partner KETK reports that one person was arrested near Lindale after being caught driving a vehicle that had been stolen from Louisiana.

At around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) attempted to stop the stolen vehicle that was traveling on U.S. Highway 69 driving near Lindale.

The driver of the stolen vehicle continued to flee and troopers eventually deployed spike strips which brought the pursuit to an end.

The person was taken into custody following the pursuit and according to officials has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, and outstanding warrants.

According to officials, the case remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.