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TYLER — The United Way of Smith County will host the 24th annual Day of Caring today. Over 400 volunteers are donating their time and skills to complete multiple projects that can be “done in a day” for local nonprofits. The day begins at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast at First Christian Church and the dispensing of work assignments for 33 projects that are scheduled at local nonprofit organizations. The work day is over by 1:00; volunteers then return to First Christian for lunch and to celebrate and draw for door prizes provided by local merchants. According to a news release, the United Way sponsors the Day of Caring to showcase the value of volunteers and the impact their collective efforts can have on the community. Continue reading United Way Holds Day of Caring

TYLER — State Representative Matt Schaefer of Tyler says his office was misled by a group claiming to be a veterans organization. Schaefer said the group sought logistical help with a political rally at the state Capitol, and he initially agreed. But he tells KTBB he withdrew the offer after learning the rally organizers have participants with a reputation for racist rhetoric. Schaefer added that an Austin restaurant was misled in a similar fashion. Jim Brennan is with The Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations and said such problems are all too commonplace. He encourages people to contact his coalition with any questions about the legitimacy of anyone claiming to be part of a veterans’ group.

TYLER — Due to ongoing questions and concerns about the operation of golf carts on public roadways, the Tyler Police Department is issuing a reminder about the legal requirements and expressing its own safety concerns. According to a police department news release, Texas State Law (Transportation Code 502.001) defines a golf cart as a motor vehicle. The legal requirements for motor vehicles apply to the use of a golf cart on a public roadway. This includes the requirement that the operator be a licensed driver and obey all traffic laws. Continue reading Tyler Police Issue Golf Cart Advisory

TYLER — Identities have been released in a recent officer-involved shooting in Smith County. Sheriff Larry Smith says the suspect, Kenneth Alan Carner, is a Larue resident in his mid-fifties. Smith says Carner remains hospitalized and criminal charges are still pending. The deputy is Lauren Fite, who has been employed by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office for several years, first in the jail and in the Patrol Division since November 2014. In a news release, Smith says, “Deputy Fite has an exemplary record with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and has excelled both as a Detention Officer and as a Patrol Deputy.” Continue reading Identities Released in Officer-Involved Shooting

KILGORE – A Kilgore teenager died Saturday from injuries sustained in a car wreck the night of April 29. KETK reports Jeremy “Jay” Cox, 16, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the wreck after he dropped off his prom date. Since the wreck, Cox had spent the last seven weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at Dallas Children’s Hospital. Cox’s mother, Rachel Rowe, serves as the Kilgore Police Department dispatch supervisor. Jeremy’s stepfather, John Rowe, is a detective with the department. Following the accident, friends of the family held fundraisers, including a benefit bass fishing tournament, in order to assist the family with its needs. Continue reading Teen Dies Following April Car Accident

NEVADA COUNTY, Ark. – A Quitman man was killed in a crash Monday in Nevada County, Arkansas. According to KETK, Arkansas State Police say around 8:35 a.m., 48-year-old Lee Thomas Wise was killed along Interstate 30 when his pickup truck went off the roadway. Officials say Wise’s vehicle went into a ditch before hitting a tree. Authorities say it was raining at the time of the accident and the crash remains under investigation.

GILMER — Four East Texans have been indicted on murder charges related to a March homicide in Upshur County. Devontay Hunter, 20, of Lone Star; Xavier Mumphrey, 19, of Kilgore; Alize Sharda McFall, 20, of Kilgore; and Decorian Quantez Robbins, 19, of Avinger were indicted by an Upshur County grand jury, according to information released Tuesday by Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd’s office. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report each is charged with murder in connection to the death of 29-year-old Kendrick Lemichael Jackson. Continue reading Four Indicted on Murder Charges in Upshur County

LONGVIEW — Voting just got a little easier in Gregg County. KETK reports that come Election Day, people can cast their votes at any polling location within the county — a service that until now was only available to early voters. It’s a move that had earlier been made in Smith County. Gregg County Elections Administrator Kathryn Nealy and her team have been on a mission. to simplify voting. Nealy says, “We’ve had so many elections so close it could throw it into a run off and those one or two votes could make all the difference.” Gregg County finally got the OK from the Texas secretary of state to implement countywide balloting.

TYLER –The City of Tyler Parks Department and the Texas A&M Forest Service have postponed an invasive species workshop and field day that had been scheduled for Thursday. Officials now say that workshop is being rescheduled for sometime this fall. We’ll have an update when more information becomes available. For more information, call Tyler Urban Forester Cody Goldman at (903) 531-1179.

LONGVIEW — A beloved Longview businessman from one of the city’s most historic families has passed away. KETK reports Keith Anderson Castleberry, better known as “Buster,” died early Monday morning in Longview at the age of 77. The lifelong Longview resident and graduate of Spring Hill High School played a pivotal role in developing the Spring Hill area in northern Longview alongside his brother, Larry, through their company, Castleberry Construction. Continue reading Longtime Businessman “Buster” Castleberry Dies

TYLER – Four East Texas lawmakers are ranked among the best as Texas Monthly releases its annual list identifying its picks for the state’s Best and Worst Legislators of 2017. Here’s the rundown as reported by our news partner KETK:

Representative Matt Schaefer (R, Tyler – pictured)

Rep. Schaefer represents House District 6, which encompasses Smith County.

What Texas Monthly says:

“The (Texas) Freedom Caucus has become surprisingly effective. As the caucus leader, Schaefer has clearly learned how the game is played at the Capitol, and for better or worse, he was surprisingly good at it this session.” Continue reading Four East Texas Lawmakers Make Magazine’s Best Legislators List

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities began the conversion from free chlorine back to chloramine disinfection at midnight Tuesday night. Oficials say while there may be temporary changes to taste or odor, this should be minimal. They say they don’t anticipate that the conversion will be as noticeable as the conversion to free chlorine. Customers may contact Tyler Water Utilities at (903) 531-1238 to report any changes to smell or taste.

AUSTIN — Suicide rates in Texas were more than triple for white people than for black and Hispanic people in 2015, according to a new analysis from The University of Texas System and UT Health Northeast.

3,403 Texans died from suicide in 2015, the most recent year for which there are numbers. This is more than double the number killed by homicide, and was the second leading cause of death for ages 15-24, after unintentional injuries (e.g. car accidents). Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death for ages 5-64. Continue reading UT Analysis: Suicide Rates for White Texans more than Triple Rates for Black and Hispanic Texans

KILGORE – As anticipated, Kilgore College trustees have voted to close three programs. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the move came despite comments from a series of surgical technology students and educators who strongly defended that course as vital to the Longview/Kilgore medical community. A trustees committee had recommended closing the surgical technology, drafting and design, and commercial photography programs. Continue reading Three Programs Cut by Kilgore College

LINDALE — An East Texas man has surrendered to authorities in connection with a fatal accident that occurred on Super Bowl Sunday. According to KETK, Smith County judicial records show Michael Fielder, 46, turned himself in to officials around 10:15 Monday evening. Fielder was charged with intoxication manslaughter stemming from a February 5 head-on collision. According to the Lindale Police Department, Fielder was southbound in his truck on South Main Street in Lindale when witnesses say he crossed the center line and hit a juvenile who was northbound in his pickup. The teen was headed home from work at KFC. The juvenile was pronounced dead and Fielder suffered injuries. Officials ordered a toxicology report and blood test, and results showed Fielder’s BAC was .117. Fielder has since posted his $10,000 bond and was released.

LONGVIEW — Good news for drivers in Longview. KETK reports three major street projects are either on or ahead of schedule. The first is improvements of Hawkins Parkway at Eastman Road. We’re told the project is ahead of schedule and expected to be finished next month. Meanwhile, construction on East Cotton Street is only about a quarter of the way done but should be finished by next summer. And improvements to Center Street are expected to be complete by early 2018.

TYLER — It’s just about three months now until the East Texas State Fair opens — and right now fair staffers are calling all volunteers. Fair President John Sykes tells KETK at any given season, there are roughly 300 volunteers on the fairgrounds. He says it’s a very fun and rewarding job. “What does it all take to get this ready, much less what does it take to execute it?” says Sykes. “Volunteers are a critical part. You can see the joy that they get from fulfilling a specific mission, having a specific responsibility that needs to get done, and then doing that.” More than $1 million has been raised through the fair for student scholarships. Sykes says the fair is an economically powerful fundraiser for the East Texas community.

TYLER – People who use Tyler Transit buses can now enjoy a cold bottle of water that will be waiting at several bus stops throughout the Tyler area. The Northeast Texas Public Health District (NET Health) continues its annual partnership in the effort with The Worthy Ones, a local nonprofit organization; several local businesses are also involved. NET Health officials say without access to water, people waiting at the bus stops increase their risk for dehydration and heat stroke. The bottled water project is in conjunction with the 2017 Heat Response Plan, developed by NET Health, the Tyler Fire Department, and the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office.

MARSHALL (Staff/AP) — Harrison County deputies were shocked Sunday when a the subject of a welfare check committed suicide in front of them. Then they connected him to a double homicide that happened in Shreveport just hours earlier. More than a dozen Shreveport officers responded to the original crime scene around 6 a.m. Sunday, where they found a man and a woman shot to death. Harrison County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Jay Webb says both Harrison County investigators and Shreveport police are investigating the case. Continue reading Officials: Suicide Victim May Have Killed Two in Shreveport

HAWKINS (AP) — An East Texas rancher lassoed a 10-foot alligator and wranglers crawled atop the thrashing reptile’s back after it got a little too close to the landowner’s cattle. Bystanders shot video of the recent takedown near Hawkins. Byron South of Convergent Hunting Solutions says he got a call from the landowner, Hal Conover, after the alligator broke into a pen where he was weaning calves. Game wardens were also summoned. South told The Associated Press that Conover was able to throw a rope around the reptile. The video later shows two men atop the gator as it thrashes and bites one man’s hand. The man suffered minor injuries. The alligator was eventually loaded into a trailer and hauled to a wildlife park.

TYLER — After completing the investigation of the fire scene at Tyler Welders Supply on Monday, June 19, 2017, Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said the fire appears to be accidental in nature.

The exact cause of the fire that occurred on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, remains undetermined, but no foul play is suspected and no criminal charges will be filed, Mrs. McCoy-Wasson said.

The fire marshal released the fire scene back to the company, and Tyler Welders Supply will begin a private investigation in to what started the fire at 3539 U.S. Highway 271 in Tyler.

TYLER – If you have a Smith County jury summons asking you to report for jury duty today, it’s your lucky day! Smith County residents who were planning to report for jury duty with their yellow cards today don’t have to make the trip to the Smith County Courthouse. No new panels will be needed, Smith County Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett said. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.

RUSK COUNTY – DPS Troopers have cleared the scene of a fatal crash located at Hwy-64 and CR-4108 in Rusk County. Troopers were called to the scene at approximately 9:15 AM. Preliminary crash investigation revealed that a Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling west on Hwy-64 when it ran into the back of Honda passenger car that was stopped along with other traffic, for a flagman on the side of the roadway. The initial crash caused a chain reaction involving two other passengers cars ahead of the Honda. The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene, next of kin has not been notified. The driver of the Tahoe and one of the other passenger cars involved went to Henderson ETMC. One driver was not injured. We will update this story as more information becomes available.

TYLER — The United Way of Smith County will host the 24th annual Day of Caring this Friday. Over 400 volunteers are donating their time and skills to complete multiple projects that can be “done in a day” for local nonprofits. The day begins at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast at First Christian Church and the dispensing of work assignments for 33 projects that are scheduled at local nonprofit organizations. The work day is over by 1:00; volunteers then return to First Christian for lunch and to celebrate and draw for door prizes provided by local merchants. According to a news release, the United Way sponsors the Day of Caring to showcase the value of volunteers and the impact their collective efforts can have on the community. Continue reading Day of Caring Scheduled for Friday

ATHENS — Authorities say a 36-year-old suspected drug dealer riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the road was arrested over the weekend by a Henderson County deputy. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says Andrew Allen Page of Chandler was apprehended in the Sunrise Shores subdivision south of Chandler. Hillhouse says Page was carrying more than five grams of suspected methamphetamine and several clear plastic baggies commonly used to distribute the illegal drug. Continue reading Suspected Drug Dealer Arrested South of Chandler

EL PASO — Former East Texas journalist Mark Allen died over the weekend following a car crash in El Paso. KETK reports details in the crash are limited. Allen worked as a videographer, editor, and writer at various news organizations in East Texas. He also worked as a mentor to students at the University of Texas at Tyler, where his wife works. A memorial is being planned for a later date in Tyler.