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TATUM — A Tatum thrift shop and food pantry, designed to support the community, recently experienced a series of alleged thefts that resulted in the loss of dozens of bags of donated goods, Jan. through Jan. 20. According to our news partner KETK, a total of 31 bags of resale items and pantry supplies were stolen during these three incidents. Using surveillance video, the Tatum Police Department have identified suspects in the case. 34-year-old Thomas Frazier, whose currently in the Panola County Jail on unrelated charges.

Another suspect, Amy Nichole Terry, 36, later contacted investigators and identified herself as one of the women in the video. She claimed that she believed she had permission to take the items and offered to repay their value, according to authorities. Also arrested was 29-year-old Haley Marie Dean. She was arrested on Friday morning at a business in Carthage. Terry was taken into custody later the same day at a residence in Beckville. Both were booked into the Panola County Jail with a bond set at $12,500. While Frazier remains in custody.

UPDATE: The boil water notice in Mount Enterprise was rescinded on Friday due to all conditions requiring the notice being resolved.

MOUNT ENTERPRISE – A boil water notice has been issued in Mount Enterprise following a water line break. A notice has been issued to all Mount Enterprise Water Supply Corporation customers, asking them to boil water for at least 2 minutes and to let it cool before consumption.

“To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and making ice should be boiled and cooled to prior use,” Mount Enterprise Water Supply Corporation said. “The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two (2) minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source.”

Water system officials will provide a notice when water is safe for consumption. For questions or concerns about the boil water notice, residents may contact the water office at 903-822-3464.

Tyler – Four Tyler ISD campuses have been recognized as Star Schools on the 2025 Texas Honor Roll Schools list, presented by Educational Results Partnership (ERP) as part of the national Campaign for Business and Education Excellence. The honored schools include Owens Elementary School, Andy Woods Elementary School, Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, and Early College High School. The Texas Honor Roll recognizes schools that demonstrate consistently high academic achievement and progress. In 2025, approximately 15% of eligible schools statewide earned a place on the list, with 1,076 schools across Texas receiving the distinction. Continue reading Star Schools on Texas Honor Roll

PANOLA COUNTY – A body was found floating in Clear Lake Thursday afternoon in Panola County. According to our news partner KETK and the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received reports of an unoccupied boat floating in the area off Country Road 4552. Once deputies arrived at the lake, along with game wardens, the boat was recovered, and a body was discovered floating nearby. The Justice of the Peace was notified about the investigation. According to the sheriff’s office, an autopsy has been ordered, and the victim is being transported to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences (SWIFS) in Dallas for examination. No foul play is suspected at this time, and family members have been notified. The victim will not be identified until family members have been contacted.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin pediatrician was arrested on Thursday after killing a person and dog in a car crash earlier this month while driving intoxicated. The crash occurred on Jan. 17 after the Lufkin Police Department said Demarcus Hadnot was driving west on College Drive near the Texas Bible College when a Mercedes crashed into Hadnot’s Kia at around 10:15 a.m. Handot and his dog were pronounced dead following the crash.

According to our news partner KETK, the driver of the Mercedes was later identified as Woodland Heights Pediatrician George Fidone. On Thursday, Fidone was arrested and booked into the Angelina County Jail after it was revealed he was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Following his arrested Fidone was charged with two counts of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle. His bond was set at $92,500. He’s since been released from the Angelina County Jail after posting his bond. Continue reading Doctor charged after fatal car crash

JACKSONVILLE — One man has been arrested after a drug-related search warrant of a home led to deputies discovering narcotics, firearms and a pipe bomb.

According to our news partner KETK and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies obtained a probable cause for the search warrant of a home in the 200 block of County Road 1814 in Jacksonville, after attempting to serve arrest warrants for 42-year-old Charles Phifer and smelling marijuana coming from the residence. Deputies arrived at the home on Wednesday and executed a narcotics search at the residence where they found methamphetamine, firearms, marijuana and a suspected pipe bomb.

According to officials, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the scene and safely removed the pipe bomb. Continue reading Pipe bomb, drugs, firearms found

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Two people in Van Zandt County have been arrested after officers discovered an emaciated dog left outside in freezing weather on their property over the weekend. According to our news partner KETK, this happened Jan 24, when the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at a property where a male shepherd-mix dog was found chained to a tree.

The dog was found to appear emaciated, with ice coating his fur, and had no access to shelter to protect him from the 20-degree weather. The sheriff’s office requested assistance from the SPCA‘s Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit, which promptly arrived at the scene.

The dog’s owners, Charles Brumbelow and Darla Brumbelow, agreed to surrender the dog to the SPCA of Texas. The dog is currently being treated for starvation after being transported to the SPCA of Texas’s Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center in Dallas. The pair were arrested and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail the same day with cruelty to nonlivestock animal charges. Their bonds were set at $5,000 each, but they have since bonded out.

EAST TEXAS — With temperatures expected to return to freezing across East Texas overnight, several warming shelters in our area remain open, offering a warm place to stay, with some providing beds and cots to spend the night. Our news partner KETK has the list, you can find it here.

WINNSBORO – Due to a water line break, the City of Winnsboro has issued a boil water notice. According to our news partner KETK, the notice has been issued for all of the City of Winnsboro public water system customers, asking them to boil water for at least 2 minutes and to let it cool off before consumption. City officials will notify customers when water is safe to consume and will issue a rescission notice. For questions or concerns about the boil water notice, Winnsboro residents may contact the water office at 903-342-3654

MARSHALL —Our news partners at KETK report that Marshall ISD has been closed for the past several days due to icy road conditions. Now, the district is warning families of a fraudulent email that claims school will be canceled for the remainder of the week. “Marshall ISD has been made aware of a fraudulent email that is going around, falsely stating that campuses will remain closed this week due to icy road conditions,” the district said. “If you have received this email, please disregard.” The district said it plans to resume school on Thursday and is looking into the fraudulent emails sent out.

TYLER — UPDATE: CenterPoint Energy had capped off the main natural gas line so no further natural gas will be released into the air from the damage caused by the single vehicle crash. Any residents who were evacuated can now return to their homes.

Residents near U.S. Highway 31 were asked to evacuate after a vehicle crash on Thursday morning ruptured a main natural gas line. According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Police Department responded to a crash at 2:45 a.m. on U.S. Highway 31 West and Whiteside Drive where a vehicle struck a natural gas pipeline, causing it to rupture.

The driver of the van is identified as Don Porter, a 57-year-old male from Tyler was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and booked into the Smith County Jail. Continue reading Gas line repaired, evacuation over

TYLER — Smith County property taxes were due Saturday, January 31. Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber is warning taxpayers that changes at the post office mean you should drop your payment in the mail as soon as possible. Officials say the easiest and fastest way to pay your property tax bill is online. Payments can be made by scanning the QR code on your statement — which will take you directly to the payment page on your account.

“If you want to skip the long lines at the Tax Office, I highly recommend you pay online,” he said.

Taxpayers can also make their payments in person, through the Tax Office’s drop box outside of the Cotton Belt Building, or by mail. The U.S. Postal Service recently changed how postmark dates are determined.

In the past, the postmark reflected the date you dropped your mail in a mailbox or at the post office. Now, the postmark will show the date your envelope is first processed by an automated postal service sorting machine. This could be later than the day you mailed it, which could mean that your tax payment is past the deadline, Barber said. Continue reading Property tax due