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PALESTINE — An East Texas lawmaker announced on Friday that he has secured nearly $50 million to fund NASA’s Balloon Facility in Palestine.

According to our news partner KETK, U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey said the funding will come from the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, and though the bill has yet to be passed out of committee, it is expected to be considered in early September. Ellzey says this funding will support operations and scientific missions, which play a key role in NASA’s research efforts.

“The Balloon Facility in Palestine is a unique and critical part of NASA’s mission, and it’s right here in East Texas,” Ellzey said. “I’ve seen firsthand the incredible work being done there—not just for science, but for the community. This proposed funding will help ensure the facility remains strong, supports good jobs for Texas families, and continues advancing American innovation.”

Ellzey has served on the Appropriations Committee, which writes legislation that allocates federal funding to government agencies, departments and organizations.

SABINE COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a wanted man was arrested by the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office Monday morning on 15 active warrants, including charges from over seven years ago. Around 2:06 a.m. Chad Henry McGown was located and arrested for the following active warrants: Sabine County – four felony warrants for failure to appear. eight misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear. Other county: $67,000 total bond for felony warrant for failure to appear, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and criminal mischief,

All of McGown’s local warrants in Sabine County have been set to no bond. “His original charges included a multitude of violations, ranging from burglary of a building to evading, some of which date back to cases in 2017,” officials said. “McGown will remain in custody of the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office until his next appearance in court.”

TEXARKANA – The Texarkana Police Department announced that they arrested a 17-year-old for the murder of 22-year-old Trewan Sanders of Texarkana, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Shortly before 5 a.m., Texarkana police officers responded to the 1200 block of Nolthenius Street, where they found a 22-year-old who had been shot to death just inside the door of the house.“It’s very early in the investigation, so there are more questions than answers at this point,” officials said. “Detectives are still working to determine exactly what happened there and identify the suspect(s).”

The Texarkana Police Department announced that they arrested 17-year-old Kamarion Omar Fricks of Ashdown, Ark., for the murder of 22-year-old Trewan Sanders of Texarkana that happened Friday morning.

Fricks is currently being held at the Bowie County Jail on a $2 million bond for the murder.

TYLER – A Lupita’s Restaurant food truck caught fire near the corner of Center Avenue and East Ferguson Street in downtown Tyler on Monday afternoon, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Tyler Fire Marshal Joey Hooten said the fire began around 11:45 a.m., and was likely caused by the truck’s generator. Flames could be seen coming from the left side of the truck, leaving a large hole in the truck’s exterior. According to Hooten, the food truck was set up near the construction site of the new Smith County courthouse to provide food for the construction workers. Some pallets at the construction site also caught fire before a unit from the Tyler Fire Department contained the flames.

Hooten said nobody was injured during the incident and it is unclear if the food truck is repairable.

SMITH COUNTY — A Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Correctional Officer was arrested on Thursday in Tyler after she attempted to traffic methamphetamine into the prison, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

A Smith County arrest affidavit says that Diamond Dunn, a TDCJ Correctional Officer for the Boyd Unit, agreed to meet with an undercover officer at a CEFCO gas station on 16158 State Hwy 31 W. This is where she took $2,500 and around 71 grams of methamphetamine from the undercover cop.

“Dunn was to take the money in exchange of introducing the methamphetamine to the TDCJ Boyd Unit,” the affidavit said. At the time of the exchange, she was also wearing part of her TDCJ uniform. Continue reading TDCJ officer reportedly caught trying to traffic meth into prison

TYLER — The Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced their inductees today for the class of 2025. Among the inductees is our very own sports director, Bill Coates.

KTBB owner and general manager, Paul Gleiser, talks about the professionalism that Bill brings to the airwaves: “When I bought KTBB, one of the things I got in the bargain was Bill Coates, and thank God because he’s been a real pillar in KTBB’s success.” Gleiser adds, “Bill is all pro… he’s an all pro sportscaster… he’s an all pro talk show host… he’s an all pro advertising executive. He’s just an all around consummate broadcaster and it is entirely appropriate that he’s a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. I couldn’t be more proud.”

The Texas Radio Hall of Fame annual reunion and and induction is the weekend of October 31, at the Texas Museum of Broadcasting and Communications in Kilgore. For more information, click here.

ANGELINA COUNTY – Eight people were hospitalized Sunday evening after a six-vehicle accident near Hudson, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Around 5:47 p.m., firefighters from the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department responded to a six-vehicle crash with possible entrapment on the 7000 block of State Highway 103 West. First responders found three out of the six vehicles to have major damage. Officials said there were a total of eight people injured, with seven taken to a local hospital and one life-flighted due to being in critical condition.

This accident is currently being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department said first responders were deployed to the scene of an 18-wheeler that rolled over on U.S. Highway 59 on Saturday, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Lufkin Fire Department members and Lufkin police officers responded to the scene of an 18-wheeler rollover crash that happened on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. 59 off ramp and North Medford Drive.

Luckily, Lufkin PD said the driver of the 18-wheeler and his dog were not injured by the crash.

ANDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a man was arrested on Thursday afternoon after a fatal shooting was reported in Tennessee Colony. Following the shooting, the Palestine Police Department spoke with a witness who identified the suspect as 23-year-old Cyrus Johnson, who allegedly told her he had killed a woman and left her there.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office later received information from a caller who found the victim’s body in a parking lot near the intersection of State Highway 321 and FM 645. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Kia-Patrick Roushelle Walker, who had previously dated Johnson, law enforcement confirmed.

Investigators found Johnson on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. at a rest stop on U.S. Highway 69 near Jacksonville, and he was taken into custody after being charged with murder. Officials then took a vehicle into custody and recovered a firearm during his arrest.

Johnson was booked into the Anderson County Jail for the charge of murder on Friday. He’s currently being held on a $1,000,000 bond.

KERR COUNTY – Three East Texans were among the 119 people who died during the July 4 Kerr County floods, according to a list released by the Texas Rangers on Friday. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. shared the Texas Rangers’ official list of victims from the floods, which devastated Kerrville, Kerr County and much of Central Texas on July 4. Many people were reported as missing in the days after the floods and according to the list, two people, Jeffery Ramsey, 63 of Lewisville, and Cecilia Steward, 8 of Austin, are still missing.

Three East Texans have been confirmed to have died in the floods, Carol Andrews, 65 of Athens, along with James and Cynthia Rushing of Sulphur Springs.

The full list can be seen on our news partner KETK’s website.

ARP – Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was back in his hometown of Arp on Saturday to host his third annual school supply giveaway. Overshown, a former Arp Tiger, spent his time in Arp on Saturday signing autographs and giving out nearly 300 backpacks full of school supplies to local children. According to our news partner KETK, many parents and Cowboys fans also attended the event to see Overshown while enjoying Arp City Park.

Overshown’s currently recovering from a season-ending knee injury but said he expects to be back on the field for the Cowboys soon.

The Cowboys’ first regular season game is on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:20 p.m. on KETK, against their longtime rival and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

TYLER – More than 2,800 Tyler ISD staff members joined together to kick off the new school year on Friday at the district’s annual convocation. According to a report from our news partner KETK, this year’s convocation included speeches from administrators, music, the unveiling of a new district logo and the performance of a new song written specifically for Tyler ISD.

“It’s always about continuous improvement and we had a great year last year. We jumped back up into a B-rating overall,” Tyler ISD Superintendent Marty Crawford said. “As a school district, we’re striving to become that A-rated district… and we have had a lot of great stories within a lot of our campuses. Looking forward to seeing what they can build on this coming year.”

The event was held at Green Acres Baptist Church from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Friday. Tyler ISD’s school year officially starts on Wednesday.

TYLER – With back-to-school around the corner and hot deals on the table, stores are gearing up for the tax-free weekend in East Texas, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

“They’re buying their back-to-school supplies, apparel and footwear,” Tyler Academy Store Director Randy Smiley said. “It’s just a fun day for us here at Academy.”

Academy is one hot spot for Tyler shoppers, Smiley said Friday started pretty slow, but as soon as it hit lunchtime, hundreds of shoppers began entering their stores. He expects even more people to come through their doors this weekend. At Broadway Square Mall in Tyler, several businesses said they picked up just as much traffic on the first day of the tax-free weekend as well. Continue reading Tax-free weekend kicks off for back-to-school shoppers

HENDERSON – Our news partner KETK reports that the Henderson Police Department is currently trying to identify a man potentially involved in an assault that they say happened at a local gas station on Thursday.

According to the department, the man pictured to the left was involved in an assault that happened at the Fast Stop South in Henderson on Thursday at around 8 p.m.

The department described the man as a Hispanic male with black hair, a black beard and mustache, wearing a green long sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information on the assault is asked to called detective Randolph at 903-657-3512.

LINDALE — A boy is in the hospital and a family dog is dead following a Lindale house fire that engulfed a residence around 11 a.m. on Friday, officials said.

According to Lindale Assistant Fire Chief Troy Prichard, a single story residence located at the 12900 block of County Road 474 was almost fully engulfed with flames when fire crews arrived around 11:18 a.m. Crews discovered that the home and a nearby car were on fire, along with downed power lines at the scene.

Assistant Fire Chief Prichard said a 13-year-old boy was sent to a local hospital in stable condition to be treated for possible smoke inhalation and a family dog died as a result of the fire. Prichard also believes the home is a “total loss” and the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Smith County Fire Marshalls.

ATHENS – Our news partner KETK reports that the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens announced an “emergency closure” Thursday night, just weeks after it reopened to the public.

According to TFFC, the fishery will be closed to visitors until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances and safety concerns. This announcement follows just five weeks after they reopened to the public on July 1. The fishery said that they look forward to welcoming back the public soon and they apologize for any inconvenience.

KILGORE – An East Texas father was sentenced to 20 months in jail after his son died from a swimming accident at a Kilgore hotel in 2021, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On April 25, 2021, 2-year-old Luke Wayne Killough was about to go swimming with his sister at the Kilgore Holiday Inn and Suites when he fell into the hot tub. Luke’s sister tried to save him, but was unable to, so she ran and got her father, Scotty Wayne Killough, who was nearby, making a bottle for his baby. She told her dad that her “boogie,” a nickname for her brother, was floating face-down in the hot tub. According to the mother, Dominique, Scotty ran over, pulled Luke from the water and performed CPR until medical personnel arrived. He was then care-flighted to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, where he died five days later due to brain trauma. Continue reading Father gets 20-month sentence due to toddler’s death

TYLER – Two lanes are currently closed going north on Old Jacksonville Highway due to a three-vehicle crash, according to a report from our news partner, KETK.

The crash took place on Dueling Oaks Drive and Old Jacksonville Highway, and one vehicle is currently on its side. First responders are currently on the scene. The condition of the vehicles’ occupants remains unknown.

Updates will be made as soon as they become available.

ANDERSON COUNTY – A suspect has been taken into custody on Thursday afternoon following a fatal shooting in Tennesse Colony, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Following the shooting, the Palestine Police Department spoke with a witness who identified the suspect as 23-year-old Cyrus Johnson, who allegedly told her he had killed a woman and left her there. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office later received information from a caller who found the victim’s body in a parking lot near the intersection of State Highway 321 and FM 246. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Kia-Patrick Roushelle Walker, who had previously dated Johnson, law enforcement confirmed.

Investigators found Johnson on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. at a rest stop on U.S. Highway 69 near Jacksonville, and he was taken into custody after being charged with murder. Officials then took a vehicle into custody and recovered a firearm during the arrest.

The sheriff’s office said there are no further details regarding the case available at this time.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department said that a 45-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly approaching an 11-year-old girl while he was wearing a diaper and a pacifier, according to press release from the Tyler Police Department.

Tyler Police officers responded to Andy Woods Elementary School on Fry Avenue in Tyler on July 29 because of a report that a man was making lewd comments to an 11-year-old girl while wearing only a diaper and a pacifier. The girl quickly rode away from the man on her bicycle, Tyler PD said.

Wesley Worl, 45 of Tyler, was arrested on Thursday at his workplace without incident, and charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and criminal trespassing in connection to the incident at Andy Woods. He is currently being held at the Smith County Jail on a total bond of $600,000.

SMITH COUNTY – The 2026 proposed budget will keep property taxes the same, but organizations will receive the same amount as last year, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Smith County Historical Society is one of 15 organizations that currently get money from the county.

They receive a little more than $3,000, which goes to lawn and trash maintenance. At last week’s commissioners court meeting, they requested nearly $13,000 more to fix up Camp Ford.

“What we submitted was just the bare minimum of what’s needed to kind of keep the place safe for visitors,” Andy Bergfeld, president of the Historical Society, said. Continue reading Smith County budget won’t increase donations to non-profits

TYLER – On Wednesday, August 6th at approximately 11:45am officers with the Tyler Police Department responded to a child left in a vehicle at Stanton Optical on S. Broadway Ave. According to a press release from the Tyler Police Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, it was determined that an 8-week-old child had been left in a car that was not running by her mother during an eye appointment. The mother was identified as Adasia Henderson, a 22-year-old female from Tyler. The child was in the car for over an hour when police were notified. The child was transported to a local hospital by EMS for treatment and observation.

Henderson was arrested for Abandoning/Endangering a Child, a felony offense.

TYLER – A new wholesale store is coming to East Texas after the City of Tyler approved BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to expand into the Rose City, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

BJ’s is the newest wholesale store to arrive in Texas and offers food, electronics and tire services. The store will be opened at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and West Cumberland Road and is expected to include 16 gas pumps and 453 parking spaces in total.

There are currently no BJ’s stores in Texas; however, four new locations are expected to open up in the state in Forney, Waxahachie, Grand Prairie and Southwest Fort Worth.

PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department is still searching for a K9 officer who escaped from his enclosure after Sunday night’s storm. According to our news partner KETK, police K9 Hondo managed to escape from his handler’s enclosure in the Fort Houston addition area of Palestine. Hondo is not kept outside and was not outside during the time of the storm.

Despite the heat of the day, Palestine resident Justin Smith continued searching. “As soon as I saw the post, I threw my shoes on and got in my car and started driving around and see if I could find him,” Smith said. Smith is one of many Palestine residents looking to bring Hondo back home. “This is not just a dog, this is a police officer,” Smith said. “So I feel like as a community, we should be grouping together, try to help out any way we can, just like the police do for us.”

Smith is creating a social media page, hoping to coordinate people’s efforts and bring as many boots on the ground as possible. Continue reading Palestine PD still searching for missing K9 officer

LINDALE – On Wednesday, August 6, at 8:35 pm, an individual called 911 to report an active shooting at a residence on CR 4116, just north of Lindale. Upon arriving to the location with DPS Troopers, a Smith County Deputy contacted the victim, Russell Lee McKinney, 35, of Lindale, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. The suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputies secured the crime scene while a Trooper applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg.

An additional Deputy responded to the 800 block of N. Main, in Lindale, where the suspect had been detained by a Lindale officer. The suspect was identified as Justin Wayne Hayes, 28, of Troup. A handgun was recovered from Hayes. Continue reading Suspect jailed following shooting near Lindale

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Update: Rusk Rural Water Supply boil water notice was rescinded Friday afternoon.

According to the company, the boil water notice was issued after a water main leak. Our news partner KETK has compiled a full list of the affected areas and roads. Any customers living on the roads and areas listed are required to bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.

To view the full list of affected roads and areas, click here.

Rusk Rural Water Supply said they would notify customers when the boil water notice is no longer required. Any questions can be directed to the company by phone at 903-683-6178 or in person at 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.

TYLER – The City of Tyler announced that East 6th Street will be closed for the next six months as part of the 2025 Stormwater Repair Project, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

City officials said that since Monday, East 6th Street has been closed from South Sneed Avenue to South Wall Avenue to complete the replacement of an inlet box and to repair the culvert over the next six months.

“During construction, residents will still have access to areas east of the creek from South Sneed Avenue and west of the creek from South Wall Avenue,” the City of Tyler said. “Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.”

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has set a special-called meeting for 10 a.m. Friday, August 8, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the court discussed the proposed tax rate and scheduled public hearings. They took a record vote to set the proposed tax rate, unanimously voting to keep it the same as last year, which is 0.364231 cents. The public hearings on the proposed tax rate are set for 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 2.

“I don’t want to increase that tax rate. We have a lot of residents in the same fix as our employees,” County Judge Neal Franklin said, referring to higher cost of living prices on groceries, etc. He said county departments have been working to cut costs where they can. Franklin said he would still like to see a 3 percent cost of living raise for county employees this year. Continue reading Commissioners discuss tax rate, set budget workshop and public hearings

JACKSONVILLE – A regional SWAT team has arrested a 23-year-old with a history of violent crimes in connection with a burglary involving a stolen AK-47 firearm in Jacksonville on Tuesday, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Jacksonville Police Department said officers were dispatched to a reported burglary at around 7:47 a.m. involving an AK-47 firearm that was stolen. The suspect, who was captured on surveillance footage, has been identified as 23-year-old Jayden Duane Hopson.

Due to his criminal history, including charges of murder and aggravated robbery, the Cherokee County Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated. Continue reading SWAT team arrests burglary suspect with violent history