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TYLER — An investigation into a Tyler man for child pornography reopened a 2020 “suspended” sexual assault of child case. According to our news partner KETK, Austin Wayne Odell, 38, was arrested on possession of child pornography and sexual assault of a child on Aug. 3. According to an affidavit, a peace officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety obtained 99 videos and four images of child porn that were downloaded in 2023 from devices connected to an IP address that traced back to Odell’s address.

On Aug. 31, 2023, the officer executed a search warrant at Odell’s residence where he seized multiple devices but reportedly did not find any child porn. Later, the officer reportedly learned that Odell went out of town and took his computer with him. Continue reading Tyler man confesses to sexual assault of minor

KILGORE — With a nationwide truck driver shortage, Kilgore college is working to bridge the gap by opening a new training institution, focusing on safety in training. According to our news partner KETK, Kilgore College has been training truck drivers on campus since 2010, now their program is expanding due to a rising need. At their ribbon cutting, the college shared some staggering statistics saying the shortage of drivers has now topped 60,000 nationally.

According to the American Journal of Transportation by 2030 there will be a shortage of 160,000 drivers. The journal said several factors are causing the shortage including a high demand for truck drivers, a retiring workforce and a lack of new drivers. Continue reading Kilgore College’s new institution to help with truck driver shortage

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man was arrested for intoxicated manslaughter following a fatal crash on Highway 31 early Wednesday morning. According to an affidavit and our news partner KETK, Cesar Efrain Viramontes-Cocolan, 22, of Tyler, was driving a pickup truck traveling westbound on State Highway 31 near FM 2908. The document said that Viramontes swerved into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle head on killing the driver. DPS confirmed that the identity of the deceased driver was Maria Hernandez, 58, of Tyler.

According to Sgt. Adam Albritton, DPS media and communications, the vehicle that was struck was an SUV that had an 18-wheeler driving behind it. Albritton said that the 18-wheeler attempted to avoid crashing into the other vehicles but was unable to.

According to the affidavit, it was observed that there were no “obstacles or anything that would necessitate that Viramontes veer onto the wrong side of the road.” The document said that when interviewed at the hospital, Viramontes told officials that the other driver was “swerving in and out of their lane” but was unable to explain why he swerved into traffic. Continue reading Tyler man arrested after fatal crash on Highway 31

UPDATE: Rusk County officials said one person is dead after the crash on US 79 Wednesday afternoon. The Rusk County Emergency Management said the highway has reopened and DPS is investigating.

RUSK COUNTY – At least one person is injured after a major crash on US 79, Rusk County officials said. The highway is currently closed and drivers are being rerouted. Our news partner KETK is reporting that Rusk County Emergency Management Coordinator Patrick Dooley, the crash affected eastbound and westbound traffic. “Traffic is being rerouted from FM 1798 South to FM 348 back to US 79,” Rusk County officials said.

Dooley confirmed at least one person is injured, but their condition is unknown at this time.

The Rusk County Emergency Management and Fire Marshal’s Office Facebook page will share when the highway has reopened.

LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, a 19-year-old has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a Longview shooting where the victim succumbed to their injuries. According to the Longview Police Department, Ja’Michael Devorea O’Quinn, 19 of Longview, was arrested on Monday for the Aug. 6 shooting at Hubbard Drive that led to the death of another teenager.

At around 6 p.m. on Aug. 6, Longview PD said they found a teenager with an apparent gunshot wound and they were taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. On Tuesday, the police department said the victim died as a result of the shooting.

O’Quinn was charged with murder and he is being held at the Gregg County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

TYLER – SWEPCO released a consumer fraud alert on Tuesday, warning customers of solar panel salespeople claiming to be official partners with SWEPCO. According to our news partner KETK, the electric utility has reported an uptick in reports of door-to-door solar panel salespeople claiming to be officially partnered with SWEPCO.

William Bradford Jr., SWEPCO vice president of external affairs, said, “It’s important for our customers to know SWEPCO does not sell solar panels and is not partnered with any companies that do.”
Continue reading SWEPCO warns of solar panel scammers

TYLER – On Wednesday, Aug. 14, the Tyler City Council received the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) with a focus on serving all of Tyler efficiently and effectively. This budget continues Tyler’s tradition of responsible spending, addressing improved roadways and traffic flow, enhanced drainage systems, upgraded water and sewer infrastructure, and redeveloping public spaces. The FY25 proposed budget totals $255.9 million, reflecting a 6% increase from the previous year. Of this, $50 million will be allocated to capital expenditures upgrading water and sewer systems, and another $41.4 million will be devoted to traffic signal improvements, street reconstruction, increased drainage capacity, and the redevelopment of the Downtown Tyler square funded by Half-Cent Sales Tax revenues. Continue reading Tyler’s proposed 2025 budget

TYLER – On Wednesday, August 14, the City Council approved the 2024 Railroad Crossing Improvements project, which will enhance railroad crossings for Downtown street changes and other high-traffic areas. HDR Engineering, Inc. was awarded the contract for the project’s design for $600,000. In the 2022 Downtown Traffic Study, it was recommended that Downtown streets be changed from one-way to two-way. The railroad crossings on East Locust Street, East Ferguson Street and East Erwin Street must be reconfigured to switch from one-way to two-way streets. The City will work with Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) to accomplish this. It is estimated that the process with UPRR will take 18-24 months to get approved plans. Continue reading Council OKs $600k railroad improvement project

SMITH COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that one person is dead and another is injured after a three-vehicle crash Tuesday night on Highway 31 in Smith County. According to Smith County Emergency Services District 2, the crash happened at Highway 31 and FM 2908 after midnight. Officials said one person was dead at the scene and another was taken to the hospital. DPS is conducting the investigation.

TROUP — The remains of two dogs were reportedly dumped in Troup near an Austin Bank, the Troup Police Department said. According to our news partner KETK, two dogs were reportedly dumped months apart and were found “very decomposed” in black trash bags in the same area. The first dog was found on June 14 and was reportedly “a bag of bones” by the time the police department was notified. On Monday at around 10:15 a.m., Troup officers went to the same location and found the second dog also decomposing.

A public works employee took the dog from the scene and found no locator chip. Officials said the dog was in the late stages of decomposition and they could not tell if it had any physical wounds.

The Troup Police Department said they are investigating the case and are seeking the people who did this. Anyone with information relevant to the case is asked to contact the police department at 903-842-3211.

GUN BARREL CITY – Two people were taken to the hospital on Saturday following a structure fire on Cedarglen Street, the Gun Barrel City Fire Department said. According to our news partner KETK, firefighters and police responded to a structure fire at around 11:39 p.m. in the 100 block of Cedarglen Street where smoke and flames were visible. Officials said the departments worked together to rescue the elderly residents from the home. The residents were taken to the local emergency room and are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.

Crews were reportedly on scene for 90 minutes to bring the fire under control. The home sustained fire, smoke and water damage, the fire department said.

Gun Barrel City FD said the fire marshal’s office is conducting an investigation to figure out what caused the fire.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – An East Texas man was life flighted to a hospital on Monday after being stung by “hundreds of bees,” according to our news partners at KETK. Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said the man was stung outside of Rusk in the Reklaw community and the man’s condition is unknown at this time. According to the CDC, bees are most abundant during the warmer months and they recommend running away if attacked by several at once. A bee’s sting released a chemical that may attract other bees. “The average person can safely tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. “This means that although 500 stings can kill a child, the average adult could withstand more than 1100 stings.”

GRAND SALINE — The City of Grand Saline said on Tuesday a major water leak will impact residents who live near the intersection of North Spring Street at Wolfe Street according to our news partners at KETK. According to the city, the water leak stems from a 12-inch water main and will cause water outages especially to the north-west section of town. Crews are reportedly at the water main to restore services. People are asked to avoid the area and allow the public works department room to work. “While work is being performed expect water discoloration. Crews are assessing the situation, and a restoration time is not available currently,” city officials said. For more information and updates, people are asked to visit the City of Grand Saline Facebook.

GILMER – According to our news partner KETK, a man was sentenced to at least 50 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography on Monday, Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd said. According to Byrd, Yale’s offenses happened on Oct. 2, 2023 after someone in a relationship with him found hidden files on his phone and contacted law enforcement. Officials reportedly recovered several videos and images of child victims as young as 5-years-old on Yale’s phone.

Clinton Scott Yale, 36, has been sentenced to two 50 year sentences in state prison for the child pornography charges and a two-year sentence in state jail for possession of lewd visual material.

Byrd said there was no evidence that the victims shown were in the area except for two that Yale recorded in his possession of lewd visual material case. Byrd added that if Yale is ever released he will have to register as a sex offender for life. The case was investigated by the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office.

ARP – East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran encouraged more than 350 teachers, administrators and school board members at a teacher appreciation address ahead of the school year. As more than half of the East Texas school districts head back to the classroom this week, Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) wanted to reassure our educators they are being seen, heard and are appreciated all the way to Washington D.C. Among topics discussed with the media regarding the upcoming legislative session, Moran spoke clearly of the federal government inching its way into our public school systems. Representatives from five districts, Arp, Mount Enterprise, West Rusk, Sabine and Carlisle ISDs, were present at the teacher appreciation address Monday morning. Rep. Moran ultimately wanted East Texas teachers to know they are “heroes,” saying “educators are heroes from top to bottom.”

“I wanted to communicate back to our school teachers here in East Texas that we are thankful for what they do,” Rep. Moran said. “We’re going to support them and what they do.” “Quite frankly, we’re going to keep the federal government out of their business,” Moran said. Continue reading Congressman Moran addresses teachers, transparency ahead of school year

SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a Smith County inmate has died at a local hospital after being found unresponsive in his cell, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said. At around 8:13 p.m. on Sunday, 57-year-old inmate Albert Lee Moore was found unresponsive in his cell. A code blue was reportedly activated and medical personnel at the facility responded to the cellblock where they performed lifesaving procedures.

Once EMS arrived, Moore was taken to a local hospital where he reportedly died on Monday at 6:57 a.m. Smith County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Derrick Choice arrived at the hospital for the inquest. An autopsy has been ordered and Moore’s body was taken to the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.

“This custodial death has been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards in Austin and the death is being investigated by the Texas Rangers as is Smith County Sheriff’s protocol,” the sheriff’s office said.

Moore had been incarcerated since Feb. 13 and reportedly made frequent visits to the clinic.

HUGHES SPRINGS – According to our news partner KETK, the Hughes Springs Police Department is investigating the burglary of several vehicles on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. According to the police department, the burglaries were allegedly done in the “hours of darkness” by people on foot. Hughes Springs Police Department is asking any security camera owners to review their footage from the nights of Aug. 10 and into the morning on Aug. 11.

Anyone with information into the vehicle burglaries is asked to call Hughes Springs PD at 903-639-2621.

SMITH COUNTY — At their budget workshop for the 2025 fiscal year on Wednesday, the Smith County Commissioner’s Court verbally agreed to add 10 new detention officer jobs in the county. According to our news partner KETK, the move comes after years of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office having to go over budget on overtime because of a need for additional staffing at the Smith County Jail and elsewhere.

“Each year, knowing what we spent the year before, we’ve found less and less overtime,” Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said. “The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result.”

At the workshop, Smith presented data that showed how the sheriff’s office reportedly had $300,000 budgeted for overtime and ended up spending $1,019,020 in 2020. Similarly, in 2021, they had even more overtime budgeted with $450,000 and they ended up spending $1,525,436. Continue reading County intends to hire 10 new detention officers

PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department arrested a man on Friday for allegedly attempting to rob the First Convenience Bank inside of Walmart. According to our news partner KETK, officers were dispatched to the First Convenience Bank inside of the Walmart Supercenter at approximately 3:41 p.m. on Friday following reports of a robbery in progress.

According to officials, a male subject entered the bank and demanded a large amount of money from an employee at the bank. The subject allegedly stated that he would use force if the employee did not comply, the employee was able to text a relative stating that they were being robbed, after which a 911 call was made. Continue reading Palestine man arrested for bank robbery inside Walmart

NACOGDOCHES – According to our news partner KETK, the arrest documents of seven East Texans charged with capital murder reveal the events leading up to their arrests and a plan to steal drugs. Documents state that police were called to a trailer park on California Street at around 9:15 p.m. due to numerous calls about gunshots heard in the area. Officers reportedly entered a trailer home that had been hit multiple times by gunfire to check on the occupants welfare. That is where officials found 18-year-old Angel Bonilla dead.

The affidavit said one of the occupants was taken to a local hospital by two others and claimed that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Based on the arrest documents, it is believed four people including Bonilla were residing at the California Street home when two of the suspects entered to conduct a drug transaction.

“A total of three individuals are believed to have been struck by gunfire during the homicide,” Nacogdoches PD said. Continue reading Plan to steal drugs leads to 7 charged with capital murder

POLK COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, the Polk County District Attorney’s Office will be seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham in February. A trial date for Don Steven McDougal has not been set as the case is still an open investigation. McDougal is facing one charge of capital murder for Cunningham’s death. Officials said a final decision will be made once all evidence has been received.

He is charged with capital murder because Audrii was under 15, and because the killing allegedly occurred while he was committing the felony of kidnapping her.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said McDougal was a family friend of the Cunningham’s and lived on their property in a camper. On Feb. 15, McDougal left with Audrii in his 2003 Chevrolet Suburban with the supposed plan of dropping her off at the school bus stop outside of the subdivision. Continue reading Death penalty for man accused of killing Audrii Cunningham

HENDERSON COUNTY – An East Texas teenager was arrested for child sex crimes on Monday and arrest documents reveal several victims came forward according to our news partners at KETK. On July 31, Henderson County officials issued an arrest warrant for Jordan Smith, 18 of Athens, for indecency with a child, aggravated assault of a child, prostitution and solicitation and displaying harmful material to a minor. According to the affidavit, investigators learned from a 14-year-old victim that he and another child were shown pornographic videos by Smith and they were all drinking alcohol. Smith reportedly admitted on July 25 that he bought vodka and he and the victims drank it in his room. Continue reading Athens 18-year-old charged with child sex crimes

EAST TEXAS – Residents who were affected by the storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding this spring
have until Aug. 15 to apply for FEMA disaster assistance. Homeowners and renters in Anderson, Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, San Jacinto, Rusk, Sabine, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties designated for federal disaster assistance and who incurred storm-related loss or damage between April 26 – June 5, have one week left to apply. Continue reading FEMA assistance deadline is one week away

TYLER — Painted Tree Boutiques is coming soon to the City of Tyler where the former Bed Bath & Beyond was located. According to our news partner KETK, the boutique offers a one-of-a-kind retail experience with home decor, fashion and gifts but with a twist. The boutique will reportedly have hundreds of shops all under the same roof, creating a big way to shop small. “From the shop owners to the staff, everyone at Painted Tree Boutiques fosters togetherness,” the boutique’s website said. “It’s about supporting local entrepreneurs and giving the local community a treasure trove of delightful things.”

This will be the store’s first East Texas location with over 12 in the state. The boutique will be located at the Cumberland Mall on 8970 S Broadway Ave, Suite 144 but when it will open has not been released at this time. Small business owners and sellers can now open their own shop at Painted Tree Boutiques by visiting their website or calling 844-762-3342. Continue reading Former Bed Bath & Beyond building to house hundreds of shops