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TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District for the week of February 27. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance will begin blade level-up work on FM 2906, both northbound and southbound, from SH 149 to the state maintenance ends marker. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will have a crew performing base failure repairs on FM 15 about two miles south of SH 64. The crew will then move near Sadler St. on FM 15. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. Click here for the complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

AUSTIN — Two bills to formalize the affiliation of Stephen F. Austin State University with the UT System have been filed in Austin. State Senator Robert Nichols of Jacksonville and State Representative Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches have submitted bills that outline how the transfer will take place from the s-f-a board of regents to the u-t system board. the university will retain the “Stephen F. Austin” name. The terms of the current board members will be ended on the date the university officially enters the UT System. The UT System Board is directed to coordinate the employment of as many of the current faculty and staff as is “prudent and practical” tenured positions will be recognized under the new institution, and currently admitted SFA students will be entitled to admission under the UT System. The SFA Board of Regents voted to join the UT System last November.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 188, east of the Emerald Bay Lake subdivision, will be closed to through traffic for a bridge replacement starting Monday, February 27, 2023. A narrow bridge is being replaced with a concrete box culvert as a part of the roadway improvements to CR 188. The portion of the road that will be closed is located between FM 344 and FM 346. The road closure is expected to be for two weeks for the placement of the box culvert.

WILLS POINT – A former Wills Point ISD employee was arrested by Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office in relation to an indecency with a child investigation. According to our news partner KETK, Kenneth Dale Faling was arrested on Friday Feb. 24. He was a technology technician with Wills Point ISD, according to a statement from superintendent Richard A. Cooper. “At this time, Mr. Faling is no longer employed with Wills Point ISD. This alleged behavior did not occur on a Wills Point ISD campus or property,” Cooper said. In a Facebook comment Wills Point ISD said that Faling tenured his resignation Friday evening, the same day as his arrest. According to Van Zandt County, Faling is being held on $300,000 bond for the charge of alleged indecency with child sexual contact. Wills Point ISD Police Department and Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the situation.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Mount Pleasant Police Department has announced that they’ve made an arrest in connection to a Whataburger shooting that left a man dead Saturday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to 2321 South Jefferson Avenue because of reports of a shooting around 2:18 a.m. Police officers said they found a male, Damien O’neal Jackson, 30, of Mount Pleasant, with multiple gunshot wounds in the Whataburger parking lot. Officials said that EMS transported Jackson to Titus Regional Medical Center where he died. Mount Pleasant PD officers interviewed several eye-witnesses and said they determined that a fight started inside the Whataburger and eventually those fighting were told to leave. As they were all leaving the Whataburger, Jackson was shot. Later around 9:20 a.m. officials said they arrested Kentravion Jajuan Evans, 18, and booked him into Titus County Jail for on a murder charge.

HAWKINS – Jarvis Christian University has announced that their current president and CEO is retiring in June, after 11 years at the school. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Lester C. Newman started as JCU president in April of 2012 and has worked in higher education for 47 years. During his tenure at JCU, he helped save the school from “financial peril” and brought them to the point of operating without any debt, according to a press release. Dr. Newman also helped with turning around low enrollment, reviving Bulldog athletics, expanding degree programs and expanding the schools reach to Dallas. He recently brought them from being a college to a university through the creation of their business and criminal justice master’s degrees. Continue reading Jarvis Christian University president announces plans to retire by: Michael Garcia

HENDERSON COUNTY – On Feb. 21, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a threat written on a Cross Roads ISD High School bathroom stall. According to our news partner KETK, the Henderson County Crimes Against Children Task Force worked closely with the school district and a K9 assisted in the investigation by conducting a search for firearms in the school. Carter Echo, 18, a student at Cross Roads High School, was interviewed by the task force on Feb. 24. After the interview, investigators prepared and presented an affidavit for an arrest warrant to Henderson County 392nd Judicial District Judge Scott McKee. McKee then issued an arrest warrant for Echo for the offense of terroristic threat, a third degree felony. Investigators arrested Echo and he is now waiting arraignment in the Henderson County Jail. If convicted, Echo could face up to 10 years in prison.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of assaulting a peace officer on Thursday, according to Cherokee County. On Aug. 1 2022, Eric Paulk was arrested after hitting an officer over the head during the course of his arrest for an outstanding felony warrant, according to our news partner KETK. Paulk was convicted after 25 minutes of jury deliberation and Judge R. Chris Day sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Paulk was also fined $5000. Officials said that Cherokee County Sheriffs Office, Bullard Police Department and Jacksonville Police Department assisted in his capture.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Dollar Tree Inc. has been fined $254,478 after federal workplace safety inspectors arrived at a store in Mount Pleasant, according to the Department of Labor. According to a release, inspectors found “the national discount retailer again shortchanging employee safety” by allowing storeroom merchandise to block exits, walkways and “stacking boxes high enough to fall on workers.” The Sept. 7, 2022 inspection also said the company failed to keep areas in the store and storerooms “clean, orderly and sanitary” and announced the more than $250,000 in fines issued by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday. Continue reading Dollar Tree fined more than $250,000 after inspection at Mount Pleasant store

CADDO PARISH — An East Texas teenager has surrendered to Louisiana authorities in the shooting death of another teen at a Mardi Gras parade in Shreveport. The unidentified 16-year-old boy gave himself up at the Caddo Parish Juvenile Justice Complex, accompanied by his attorney. He is charged with negligent homicide in the death last Saturday of Kip Lewis, 17, of Elysian Fields. investigators say a group of teens were engaging in horseplay, chasing each other around with plastic swords, when for some reason one teen pulled out a gun and fired a shot, striking Lewis in the upper body. The teen charged in the killing will make a court appearance today in Shreveport.

NACOGDOCHES (KRLD) — Video from the dashcam camera of the tractor-trailer rig involved in a fatal crash that killed two East Texas college students is missing. Attorneys for Graylan Spring, one of the Stephen F. Austin State University students killed in the crash between Nacogdoches and Houston on January 20, want to see video from the cab of the 18-wheeler. But KTRE television reports that in a hearing in a Lufkin courtroom, attorneys said there are no files on the SD card and they believe the card was wiped. They say that is not an accident. They demand information on the chain of custody of the SD card. Defense attorneys for the trucking company want access to the cell phones for Spring and Micah McAfoose.

TYLER – The East Texas Speakers Forum will present “An Evening with Patrick Mahomes” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the UT Tyler Cowan Center. Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, through the Cowan Center Box Office. Ticket prices are $45, $75, $85, and $125. They can be purchased online here, by calling 903-566-7266, or at the Box Office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mahomes, a Tyler native who graduated from Whitehouse High School, this month led the Kansas City Chiefs to a second Super Bowl victory and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Click this link for additional information.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office says it is facing a severe staffing crisis. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office currently has about 40 vacancies, creating a need for extra overtime work. Many people left their jobs when the COVID-19 pandemic started and have not come back. Chief Deputy Craig Harrington also says people aren’t applying for other personal reasons. “It’s not a job you’re gonna get in and be rich and is a job that oftentimes folks aren’t praised for, they are criticized for being in,” said Harrington.

JACKSONVILLE – A Jacksonville police officer was injured after attempting to stop a pedestrian, which led to a fight on Wednesday, according to the Jacksonville Police Department. According to our news partner KETK, the officer stopped the pedestrian around 2:02 p.m. on South Jackson Street. Authorities said the suspect ran away after they spoke. The officer reportedly chased the man, and they got into a physical altercation. Cadarius Rashad Mitchell, 31, of Jacksonville, was later arrested. The officer suffered minor injuries, was taken to a local hospital, and was released Wednesday. Mitchell was charged with evading arrest and/or detention, resisting arrest, and obstruction or retaliation. He is now at the Cherokee County Jail. Police said they will not release the name of the officer.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A suspect is jailed for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Kip Lewis of Elysian Fields, Texas, Saturday along the Gemini parade route in Shreveport. That’s according to our news partner KETK together with its partners KTAL and KMSS. According to earlier reports, Lewis and some friends were engaging in what Shreveport police describe as horseplay, chasing each other with plastic swords. For some reason, one of the teens pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot, hitting Lewis in the upper body. Shreveport police say the 16-year-old suspect surrendered to authorities Wednesday. The suspect is facing a charge of negligent homicide and was last reported in the Caddo Juvenile Detention Center awaiting his initial hearing.

TYLER — Tyler is continuing to observe Black History Month in several ways. On Thursday, a group called “We Remember Tyler” announced efforts to place a lynching memorial on the downtown square. A news release from the group mentions the lynching of James Hodge in 1909 on the grounds of the new courthouse then under construction. According to the release, “A lynching memorial must be placed on the new grounds to tell important historical truths, reveal community resilience, encourage reconciliation, and provide dignity.” Click this link to learn more about the group and its efforts. Continue reading Black History Month includes anti-lynching memorial bid, two weekend events

TYLER – Weeks after the early February winter storm, we’re still seeing the damage. Now it’s up to solid waste to do the final stages of clean-up. “We’ve been doing about 50 work orders a day. Now we’re going to be looking to ramp it up to about 150 to 200 a day now that we have all of the contractors and all of our staff working together,” City of Tyler Solid Waste Director Leroy Sparrow told our news partner KETK. Solid Waste staffers said they have about 2,400 work orders to get through since the storm, which is more than double from the February 2021 freeze. “So far since Feb. 8, we’ve been able to do 500 work orders,” said Sparrow. Continue reading City of Tyler keeps working on winter storm limb cleanup

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD added extra security to the high school campus Thursday morning after a student was charged with ‘false alarm’ and placed in custody. According to the district and our news partner KETK, around 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the school received an anonymous tip through the “Say Something” reporting system and the district coordinated with the Whitehouse Police Department to investigate. “At no time were students or staff in immediate danger,” officials said. The district said the report was made within six minutes of the alleged threat, and Superintendent Dr. Chris Moran said they will not tolerate threatening comments. Continue reading Whitehouse ISD adds security after ‘false alarm’ at high school

RUSK – The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday a man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for continuous sexual assault of a child and aggravated kidnapping. The district attorney’s office said the charges were from incidents July 1, 2021 through Aug. 30, 2021. Jesse Ray Schmidt, then 32, was arrested on Aug. 31, 2021 after an Amber Alert was issued for two children who were later found in Kilgore after the 10-year-old and 11-year-old girls went missing from the Rusk area. According to our news partner KETK, Schmidt was convicted of the charges on Feb. 8.

TYLER — Smith County Road 188, east of the Emerald Bay Lake subdivision, will be closed to through traffic for a bridge replacement starting Monday, February 27. Officials say a narrow bridge is being replaced with a concrete box culvert as part of the roadway improvements to CR 188. The portion of the road that will be closed is located between FM 344 and FM 346. The road closure is expected to be for two weeks for the placement of the box culvert.

TYLER – A former Smith County deputy pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of unlawful transfer, possession or use of a means of identification. According to our news partner KETK, an arrest warrant says Luis Alberto Sandoval, 29, was arrested in August 2021 and accused of using a secure database to assist a drug trafficker from Mexico. The East Texas Anti-Gang Task Force also launched an investigation into the case that took several months. Sandoval was with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office from November 2017 to August 2021. His sentencing information was not immediately available.

EAST TEXAS – Two more East Texas school districts move to a four-day week starting this fall. According to our news partner KETK, trustees in Alto and Leverett’s Chapel have added their names to a growing list of area schools making or considering the action. According to the Alto ISD, the board carefully weighed the pros and cons of the transition and reviewed stakeholder input. Leverett’s Chapel trustees voted unanimously to make the switch. “LCISD would like to thank everyone that participated in the surveys and the community meeting,” the district said in a release. “Your input and perspective were greatly valued and appreciated.” The Leverett’s Chapel district said a school calendar will be finalized in March for the board’s approval.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved a contract for the 2023 Asphalt Enhancement Project. The city prioritizes asphalt repairs according to the pavement condition index scores and staff evaluations of the city’s streets, according to a news release. The project includes 25 lane miles of pavement improvements and repainting traffic lane markings on streets throughout the community, according to the release. Also in the package: installing a high-friction surface treatment on West Grande Boulevard between Gleneagles Drive and Shady Oaks Drive, where there have been several fatal and multiple non-fatal crashes over the past 10 years. Click here for all the details.

AUSTIN (KRLD) — Governor Abbott is taking his request for federal help for this month’s ice storm to the White House. The governor has sent a letter to President Biden requesting a presidential disaster declaration for Texas communities impacted by the severe winter storm. It covers 23 counties, including Denton, Smith, Travis, and Williamson. He says local jurisdictions have reported more than $63 million worth of damage to public infrastructure so far. If the White House approves the request, those communities would be eligible for FEMA’s public assistance program to help pay for debris removal and repairs to public buildings and facilities.

RUSK — Officials are investigating the death of a Cherokee County Jail inmate. According to a news release from Sheriff Brent Dickson, jail staff contacted EMS Tuesday after 21-year-old inmate Aiydasani Bryant of Jacksonville began complaining of medical issues. He says it appeared that Bryant went into cardiac arrest while she was being treated by EMS. Dickson reports that life-saving measures were performed but Bryant was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. Bryant was being held on a charge of aggravated assault family violence with a deadly weapon. Dickson says at his request, as with all death in custody situations, the Texas Rangers and the Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit are conducting an independent investigation.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — A man was charged with abuse of a corpse on Monday after he allegedly kept his mother’s body in his house for several days after her death in Van Zandt County, the sheriff’s office said. According to our news partner KETK, Douglas Dean Kilburn, 49, was arrested in the Rolling Oaks Community near County Road 3828. Authorities said they received a call from a person who was worried about Kilburn’s mother, who was their friend. Deputies conducted a welfare check on Feb. 14. Law enforcement said Kilburn told them his mother was visiting family in Oklahoma. Continue reading East Texas man arrested after being found with his mother’s body

TYLER – The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office issued a wind advisory for Wednesday due to high fire danger. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County residents should not burn outside. Fire officials said it is not safe to burn when the weather is windy or dry.

TYLER — The South Broadway Avenue and Rieck Road intersection in Tyler is open following repairs, and all traffic signals are fully operational. The intersection was closed for most of the day Tuesday while crews replaced the traffic signal pole damaged in a weekend wreck. In a news release, the City of Tyler Traffic Operations Department thanks all residents for their patience and understanding.

TYLER – Dr. Theresa Byrd has been selected as the inaugural dean of The University of Texas at Tyler School of Health Professions, beginning next month. “Dr. Byrd’s impressive depth of knowledge and 37 years of experience in health care education demonstrated that she was a perfect fit,” said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun as quoted in a news release. Formed in 2022, the UT Tyler School of Health Professions includes four academic departments: health care policy, economics and management; kinesiology; public health; and rehabilitation sciences. With a mission to train future health care professionals for East Texas, the new school ensures that native East Texans won’t have to leave the region to study health care and could help to meet projected health care needs in the future, according to the release. Continue reading Inaugural dean announced for new UT Tyler School of Health Professions