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ANDERSON COUNTY – A man was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after officials say he was trying to run over his father with his truck. Our news partner KETK reports that on May 15, Anderson County officials responded to a family disturbance call on FM 2054. A witness reported Rance Graham, 65, was using his truck to chase his father Billy Graham, 92, in an attempt to run him over.

Billy told police that Rance was trying to run him over and he had to run away to avoid getting injured. Rance was arrested and booked into the Anderson County Jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/family violence.

ANDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK $32,000 worth of stolen hay and livestock feed was recovered by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. On May 18, the Texas & Southwest Cattle Raisers Association (TSWCRA) and Anderson County officials located and recovered a large amount of hay and livestock feed that was reported stolen out of Hubbard. The stolen items included around 225 bales of alfalfa hay and 10 pallets of bag feed.

“This recovery was part of an ongoing criminal investigation by the TSWCRA in which fraudulent credit cards were used to purchase the items.” Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

TYLER — No injuries were reported after a car crashed into a Tyler dental office Monday morning on Old Grande Boulevard. According to our news partner KETK, the car struck and damaged the brick wall outside of East Texas Dental Group, but officials with Tyler police said the driver and people inside the office were not injured. Police cleared the scene and the car was towed.

TYLER – Authorities report a single vehicle accident early Sunday morning killed three persons and injured three others. According to our news partner KETK, Law enforcement said the accident happened on FM 2661 just north of CR 110. DPS Sgt. Adam Albritton confirmed that 19-year-old Raven Clewis of Dallas, Jumija Clewis, 17, of Elkhart and 17 year-old Sherie Butler of Palestine, were all pronounced dead at the scene. 17-year-old Jaylah Spurlock of Palestine, Brianna Price, 17, of Palestine and 16-year old Chimsi Okonkwo were taken to Tyler hospitals with injuries.

Officials said the car was traveling north on the road when it left the roadway and struck a tree. Texas DPS said the investigation is still continuing.

TYLER – One person is in custody after several reports of gunshots near a local apartment complex. According to Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, police received several calls of gunshot sounds near the Liberty Arms apartment complex located in the 2600 block of North Broadway Avenue in Tyler. There are no injuries to report at this time but several shell casings were found at the scene. Several cars and apartments were struck by bullets. The investigation is an ongoing.

HARRISON COUNTY – A Harrison County man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a 2022 murder. According to our news partner KETK, Christopher Cisco, 30 of Marshall, pleaded guilty to murder in a Harrison County court. He was accused of killing David Yale Allen, 64 of Marshall, on June 4, 2022. Allen was found dead in a Marshall home by a family member. The investigation started and Cisco was named as a suspect and booked into the Harrison County Jail the following day.

TYLER – A former Tyler ISD substitute teacher was arrested on Friday and is accused of inappropriately touching a 10-year-old student in a classroom, according to our news partner KETK. Tyler ISD Police were called to Ramey Elementary School on May 16 after the fourth grade child reported that her ISS substitute teacher Karen Dunn, 48 of Tyler, had “touched her inappropriately” with three other students in the classroom. After the alleged incident, the warrant said the child went to her classroom teacher and said she was there to grab her phone charger. “The student came up to her desk and said the ‘real reason I came here is to tell you what the ISS sub said to me. She was telling me about stuff I did not need to hear about,’” the warrant said. Continue reading Former Tyler ISD substitute teacher arrested, accused of inappropriately touching 4th grade student

TYLER – Authorities report a single vehicle accident early Sunday morning killed three persons and injured three others. According to our news partner KETK, Law enforcement said the accident happened on FM 2661 just north of CR 110. At the crash site, three people died, while three others were hospitalized with injuries. The names of the decreased and injured have not been released. The DPS is conducting an investigation.

RAINS COUNTY – The Rains County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation into the death of their K9 officer, Kumo. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Michael Hopkins stated that Kumo was found by his handler early Thursday evening May 11th dead. Sheriff Hopkins also said no other details about the case will be forthcoming until the investigation is concluded. He added that his office will hold a memorial to honor Kumo at a later time.

LUFKIN – Lufkin ISD announced that Lance Modisette was killed in a car accident. According to our news partner KETK, Mondisette, a senior baseball player with the Lufkin Panthers was on an outing with teammates Friday afternoon when the accident happened near Nacogdoches. Lance was scheduled to graduate next Friday. Sunday May 21st at 8 p.m., a vigil will be held at the Lufkin Panther Baseball field on honor him. Grief counselors will be available Monday morning at Lufkin ISD.

LUFKIN — The Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees voted Thursday night to authorize filing a lawsuit against a playground company. According to our news partner KETK the school claims that the company, PTI Sports & Recreation, used payment from the school that was supposed to go towards the construction of two new playgrounds at Anderson Elementary and Herty Primary but never held up their end of the deal. In spring 2022, LISD received approval for a substantial federal grant for two new special needs playgrounds. Standard procedure for that grant was to give the initial approval, give them a timeline and the funds come when the job is completed on time and in budget.
Whitehouse ISD to use translation earbuds to bridge language barriers. Continue reading Lufkin ISD to file lawsuit against playground contractors they say took school funds

LONGVIEW — The Longview officers assigned to the traffic unit are safer at night thanks to a family-owned business from Cincinnati, Ohio. The department received a donation of 10 new illuminated LED safety vests for night duty. Police Chief Anthony Boone discovered the new LED safety vest at a National Police Chief’s Convention and wanted them for Longview and got his wish, according to our news partner KETK.

COFFEE CITY — A man has been arrested and charged with reckless driving after a chase with Coffee City Police. According to our news partner KETK on Wednesday night the Coffee City Police Department said that an officer attempted to catch up to a reckless driver that was reportedly traveling at high speeds up to 96 mph on SH 155. The officer lost sight of the vehicle but another motorist alerted the officer saying that the vehicle had turned down County Road 4120. Continue reading Alleged reckless driver confronted by armed homeowner while fleeing from police

LINDALE – According to our news partner KETK, Lindale ISD on Friday announced they have hired Taylor Jarman as the new assistant principal for Velma Penny Elementary. Jarmen, a fifth grade social studies and science instructor at E.J Moss Intermediate School, has taught at Lindale ISD for ten years. He has also been the theatre director at Lindale High School.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A second person was arrested for murder on Wednesday in connection to a shooting death on April 21 near Gun Barrel City. According to an arrest warrant obtained by our news partner KETK, Chelsey White, 31 of Mabank, gave her husband Chaz White a bulletproof vest and firearm he used in a shooting near Gun Barrel City on April 21. The warrant said Chelsey told investigators in an interview that while at home she heard her husband Chaz talk to other people about how a man they knew was passed out in his truck. Chelsey said Chaz was excited about robbing him, according to the warrant, and witnesses told authorities Chaz and the man had problems with each other. Continue reading Second person arrested for murder in shooting near Gun Barrel City

TYLER — One of the animal ambassadors from the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler is set to be featured in a new set of Forever stamps by the USPS. The collection was released May 19th and will feature an image of an Attwater’s prairie chicken from the Caldwell Zoo, according to our news partner KETK. The rest of the collection will display photos of endangered animals selected from Joel Sartore’s National Geographic Photo Ark project, which has documented over 13,000 different species. Attwater’s prairie chickens are native to the southern parts of both Texas and Louisiana, but they are so endangered, they can only be found in two places within our state: the national refuge and the Goliad private reserve. Continue reading Caldwell Zoo’s prairie chicken to be featured on endangered species stamps

TYLER — The City of Tyler is growing and the growth isn’t limited to just one area. “We’re seeing growth in residential and industrial and retail growth,” said Scott Martinez, CEO, Tyler Economic Development Council. According to our news partner KETK, Mayor Don Warren says keeping up with the growth means tackling several major initiatives at the same time.“There’s a lot of rabbits in the hat, and we just got to figure out which one we’re going to pull out next, but there’s going to be something that comes out of that,” said Mayor Don Warren, City of Tyler. Continue reading Mayor Warren talks growth, Tyler’s future

LONGVIEW – Longview High School moved up their graduation date an hour due to the possibility of severe weather Friday night. On May 19, doors will open at 5 p.m. and commencement will begin at 6 p.m. Doors were previously supposed to open at 6 p.m. with graduation to start at 7:30 p.m. Students are recommended to arrive early and be in the Coliseum no later than 5 p.m. Graduates should park in student parking lots or have parents drop them off in the breezeway before they park. Seating is first-come, first-served. Individual seats or sections of seats cannot be reserved.

MARSHALL — Logging crews discovered human skeletal remains while working in Marshall, according to Harrison County officials and our news partner KETK. On Tuesday morning, deputies responded to a call from workers reporting they had found skeletal remains in the area of Harris Lake Road and Stagecoach Road in Marshall. Officials searched the area and confirmed that the bones were those of a human. The remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification’s Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology in Fort Worth. The investigation is ongoing. “I am very proud of our Patrol Deputies, Criminal Investigators, and Crime Scene Investigators for their long hours and commitment to recovering the skeletal remains,” Sheriff BJ Fletcher said.

EAST TEXAS – On Wednesday, several law enforcement organizations worked together in serving search warrants related to a year long investigation involving federal financial crimes. According to our news partner KETK and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, they have been working with the Department of Homeland Security Dallas Investigations Office for the past year on an investigation throughout East Texas involving crimes that include illegal gambling, conspiracy and money laundering. The targets of this investigation have been several individuals and illegal game rooms being run in Upshur County as well as other locations throughout East Texas. The release stated that this is an “ongoing and fluid case.”

LONGVIEW – A man was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries early Wednesday morning after being shot by Longview police. According to our news partner KETK, police responded to a report of assault family violence around 1:30 a.m. in the 800 block of Ownings Street. “Officers began talking with the involved parties and then attempted to contact the suspect,” officials said. “The suspect then lunged out of a room armed with hammers in each hand and charged at the officers.” Officials said due to the advancing threat, shots were fired and the suspect was shot. Officers on the scene administered first aid and contacted EMS. Charges are pending for the suspect. “The safety of the community is paramount to the Longview Police Department, and the men and women of the department will continue working diligently to protect the community while providing professional policing,” officials said.

TYLER — Tyler police continue to seek your help investigating a homicide. Officers responded to a residence on W. Mims near the Gaston Avenue intersection on February 6th. A person was found inside, dead of a gunshot wound. Police identified the victim as 61-year-old Warren Edward Rogers. Anyone with any information that may assist in this case is asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER — Paving on Donna Drive, Melinda Lane and Elm Street in Tyler is scheduled to begin today and last through the end of the week. The city is asking residents to refrain from parking vehicles on the roadways while the work is done. Drivers can expect traffic delays in the area. Flaggers will be present. Drivers are reminded to obey the signs and flaggers and drive with caution.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Houston Engineering Center placed second overall in a NASA design challenge. According to our news partner KETK, they competed against 16 other teams from around Texas including teams from UT Austin and Texas A&M University. They placed first in model/display and peer evaluation, and placed second in oral presentation and design. The team was awarded scholarships in the amount of $750 each. The annual Texas Space Grant Consortium’s NASA Design Challenge attracts collegiate teams from across Texas to propose, design and fabricate a solution towards solving NASA’s research objectives. Continue reading UT Tyler engineering team takes second place in NASA challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Nathaniel Moran and Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, of Georgia, introduced the Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act. The act is meant to remove the additional permitting process for upgrades that are made to wireless towers. According to a release, with the current law, any changes made to existing wireless towers “must undergo a burdensome environmental and historic preservation reviews.” Moran and Carter believe that this delays broadband improvements which they say makes a difference in getting high-speed internet to rural communities. “Closing the digital divide for those living in rural America is long overdue,” Moran said. “This commonsense legislation reforms the burdensome permitting process that holds back American communities from broadband improvements and access. I am proud to work alongside Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) to introduce this essential piece of legislation that will connect our communities to the rest of America by reducing regulatory barriers needed to make necessary broadband upgrades.”

PITTSBURG – Texas Oncology is set to open a new location in Pittsburg this July, and close their Mount Pleasant location at the end of June. According to our news partner KETK, the new location will occupy nearly 4,000 square feet of space at 408 Quitman Street with renovations slated to start in late May. When it opens, the Texas Oncology Pittsburg location will have a new infusion suite and four exam rooms that give patients medical oncology and hematology services, chemotherapy and specialty infusion, radiation oncology consultation, access to relevant clinical trials and genetic risk evaluation and testing. Continue reading Texas Oncology to open new Pittsburg cancer center

ATHENS – Two Athens police officers were hurt while chasing a suspect after a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, the traffic stop happened Monday afternoon. Officer Matthew Halbert and his training officer, Cpl. Melissa Goss, stopped a silver four-door sedan driven by 41-year-old Jonathan D. Cumby with 39-year-old Glendon Armstrong as a passenger. During the stop, officers reportedly found that Armstrong had an outstanding warrant and suspected Cumby could be in possession of narcotics. Authorities said Cumby fled the scene while the officers investigated. Goss pursued him and reportedly broke her femur while trying to apprehend him. Halbert suffered a sprained knee during the altercation, but detained Cumby with the help of nearby onlookers. Armstrong was arrested on his outstanding warrant and Cumby was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest and resisting arrest. Both officers were taken to an Athens hospital for treatment. Goss was held overnight and Halbert was treated and released.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A man was arrested on Monday for murder in connection to a shooting that left a 25-year-old woman dead near Gun Barrel City on April 21. According to our news partner KETK, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said Chaz White, 32, of Mabank, was arrested after a tactical team came to his home and took him into custody based on arrest and search warrants that were issued. About a week after the shooting, Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the shooting that killed a woman, identified as Alexis Garoutte, was believed to be drug-related. “We located methamphetamine, we located heroin and we located a pretty large amount of fentanyl,” Hillhouse said. “We’ve been working on this case ever since.” The sheriff’s office said more arrests could come in connection to their ongoing investigation.

LONGVIEW – A man was arrested for intoxication manslaughter early Saturday morning after a single-car crash left a 23-year-old passenger dead, according to our news partner KETK. Longview police responded to the crash on West Methvin Street around 2 a.m. and found that Hunter Tigert, 22, of Lone Star, was driving a black Dodge Charger at a high speed with three passengers inside. Officials say the car failed to navigate a curve and left the roadway, and struck a brick building. Sydney Van Rijn, 23, of Longview, was taken to a local hospital where she later died of her injuries. The other two passengers were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Tigert, who sustained injuries in the crash, was taken to a local hospital before being arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail. He was released after posting a $30,000 bond.