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TYLER — A Tyler lawyer is making his plans known to supersede 114th District Court Judge Christi Kennedy. She has announced she will retire at the end of her term. In a news release on Friday, Jarad Kent, 36, announced his bid. Kent’s official campaign will launch on Monday, at 3:30 p.m. at the Smith County Courthouse. Kent runs the Tyler office for the law firm Chamblee Ryan. He went to high school in Tyler and attended the Catholic University of America where he double majored in Politics and Philosophy. Kent earned his Juris Doctorate degree at Baylor Law School. Kennedy announced her retirement in July. She has served the court since winning election in 2008. Her current term expires on December 31, 2020.

WHITE OAK — A Gladewater man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a child. According to our news partner KETK, Christopher Squires, 32, was arrested for the assault that was reported two years ago in July. He had been held on a $75,000 bond by White Oak police. Squires will not be eligible for parole until 2034. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.

TYLER — A Texas man was back in court on Thursday for a crash that killed 20-year-old Haile Beasley in 2016. According to our news partner KETK, Fulton appeared before 241st District Judge Jack Skeen for a bond hearing. Bond was set at $50,000. Fulton, 44, was convicted in 2017 of criminally negligent homicide for the crash that killed Beasley on Grande Boulevard. Their cars collided head-on, killing Beasley. Fulton was not injured. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Continue reading New Sentencing Trial for Man Convicted of Criminally Negligent Homicide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s longtime mayor, Al DuPont, has died at a nursing home in East Texas. He was 94. The Tuscaloosa News reports DuPont, who died Wednesday, was first elected mayor in 1981 and served six terms before he retired on his 80th birthday in 2005. DuPont lived in a home he rebuilt after the April 27, 2011 Tuscaloosa tornado until his health worsened a few months ago. He moved to a nursing home in Canton, Texas, to be near his family after suffering a stroke in April. Continue reading Longtime Tuscaloosa Mayor Dies at 94 in Canton

TYLER — On Tuesday, a dog being held at the Smith County Animal Shelter birthed 20 puppies, a near world record. Over 100 dogs and puppies are picked up by officials from Smith County Animal Control on a monthly basis. Luna, a Heeler/Lab mix is one of those dogs. Animal Control picked her up on July 12 and awaited the arrival of her puppies. After hours of labor Tuesday and still no pups Smith County sent Luna to Kingdom Vet Clinic in Flint. Emergency surgery was needed and Luna delivered a total of 20 puppies, with 18 surviving. More details are available at http://www.because4paws.org/

TYLER — Tyler ISD sent out acceptance letters to Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten students who have qualified for the programs on Thursday. A mandatory parent orientation schedule for Head Start families has been announced as well as important information for Pre-K. Continue reading TISD Head Start and Qualifying Pre-K Details

TYLER — The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees is one of five school boards selected as 2019 Honor School Boards by the Texas Association of School Administrators. Each year, the association recognizes outstanding school boards for commitment and service that have made a positive impact on students, according to a TISD news release. As quoted in the release, Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford says the Tyler board “continues to provide stellar leadership and vision for Tyler ISD.” Along with the Harlingen, Pasadena, Rockwall, and Frenship school boards, Tyler is now a finalist for 2019 Outstanding School Board. The winner will be named at the statewide group’s convention in September, when the regional winners will also be recognized.

TYLER — The City of Tyler and Tyler Police Department will host the “School is Cool!” event Thursday evening at the Harvey Convention Center and the Rose Garden. The affair is in its sixth year and is meant to help children and parents prepare for the new school year. Admission is free. Organizers say 2000 free backpacks filled with school supplies will be given away on a first-come first-served basis to school-aged children in line. Various vendors will also offer a variety of services. Lineup begins at 4:30 p.m. and concludes at 7:00 p.m.

TYLER — Tyler Parks and Recreation Department will host its second Family Fun Night on Thursday, Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bergfeld Park on S. College Ave. Households are invited out to enjoy water games, oversized games, horseshoes, cornhole and cool off in the new Splasher water feature. Food Trucks will be on hand with food and drinks to purchase. For more information or to participate, contact Debbie Isham at (903) 531-1214 or visit http://parksandrec.cityoftyler.org/.

LARUE — A Mississippi man wanted on an outstanding warrant for sexual assault is arrested in East Texas. 41-year-old Travin Buren Blaylock was arrested just after 11:00 Wednesday morning. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Blaylock was wanted in Henderson County for sexual assault. He was also wanted in Smith County for possession of a controlled substance and possession marijuana. Blaylock was booked into the Henderson County Jail.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an Overton man charged with endangering a child. According to our news partner KETK, Matthew Labeff, 34, has an extensive criminal history including a total of three assault convictions. One of the assaults was on a a public servant and he was sentenced to seven years probation. Labeff’s bond is set at $300,000.

DALLAS — A huge shortage continues in the gift of life across North and East Texas. The supply has reached what Carter BloodCare calls grave. Spokesperson Linda Goelzer says they have put out a call for donations and people are responding — “and we are extremely pleased with that. However, we like to see about a thousand donors a day, and from what I could see (Monday), we had almost 700.” She says they need a few more days at that level to replenish the supply or some elective surgeries may have to be postponed. Tyler and Longview are among the communities served by Carter.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to an armed robbery late Tuesday Night. The burglary happened at a Valero gas station on WSW Loop 323 off Kinsey Dr. Witnesses describe the suspects as 2 black males approximately 5’10” and 6’00” tall and between the ages of 17 and 25. The suspects fled on foot and officers were unable to locate them in the area. The clerk was not injured. If you have information involving this crime contact the Tyler Police Department or Crimestoppers. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and charges filed against the suspects in this case or any felony case.

HARRISON COUNTY — A teenager missing since Monday has the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office searching for the East Texas girl. Jordan Chastain of Marshall was last seen leaving her house on Muntz. Family and friends have not heard from her since Monday. If you know where she is or have any information on her disappearance contact the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.

MARSHALL — City residents of Marshall are able to report streetlight issues through AEP/SWEPCO’s online outage reporting platform at: http://www.swepco.com/outages/report/StreetlightProblem.aspxor by calling the automated telephone outage reporting line at 1-888-218-3919. If you want to report the outage online, you simply fill out the form on the webpage with the applicable information and then click the submit button. After submitting the form, AEP/SWEPCO will send a crew member to fix the streetlight Continue reading Marshall Residents Have New Platform for Reporting Streetlight Outages

TYLER — The Faulkner Park Splash Pad will be closed for repairs all day Thursday, Aug. 1 and is scheduled to reopen Friday, Aug. 2. The work includes installing a pressure regulator that will lower the pressure of the water going through the pipes and prevent pipes from bursting in the future. The park is located on W. Cumberland Rd.

TYLER — Brookshire’s Grocery Company has reached a settlement with OSHA over the death of a warehouse worker in Tyler back in March. According to our news partner KETK, the Department of Labor records shows that Brookshire’s reached a $10,608 settlement with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration after initially being fined nearly $26,500. The company was cited for two “serious” violations in the incident back in June, but one of them was deleted after the settlement. It is unclear why one of the violations was removed. Continue reading Brookshire’s Reaches Settlement in Warehouse Death

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man was arrested on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a child. According to our news partner KETK, Victor Sacco, 25, was arrested for an incident that occurred on Tuesday, July 16. Sacco has no previous convictions or arrests in the State of Texas, according to public data. He’s being held in the Gregg County South Jail. Bond has not been set.

TYLER — A seal coat project is underway in Tyler. Crews will seal coat Palace Avenue – between West Vance Street and West Houston Street along with East Line Street / East Commerce Street – between North Beckham Avenue and North Fleishel Avenue. Wednesday’s list also includes South Baxter Avenue – between East Front Street and East Devine Street. Expect lane closures, road closures and traffic delays. Travelers are encouraged to find an alternative route and to pay attention to all traffic and construction signs. Continue reading Seal Coat Operation Underway in Tyler

KILGORE — After nine months of major renovations, Kilgore’s surface water treatment plant is being put back into operation by pumping treated water into the system. It began Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. The City of Kilgore has been using all groundwater from wells since last October. Officials say with the increase of water being delivered in to the system, citizens may experience discolored water from disturbances to the 70-year-old cast iron pipes. This should clear within a few days. If issues persist contact Kilgore City Hall.

LINDALE — Lindale police are searching for the woman pictured on the left. She is accused of stealing multiple items from the Walmart in Lindale. According to our news partner KETK, it is believed that she was driving a black Kia. If you recognize this person, contact Det Curtis Philpot at 903-882-3313 or by email at [email protected].

EAST TEXAS — Employees of Jacksonville ISD will be getting the highest pay raise in the districts history. According to a news release from JISD the newly adopted budget includes a compensation package 240% more than the state requires. Teachers with more than 5 years teaching experience receive a $7,500 dollar increase., those with less than 5 years get a $7,000 boost. All auxiliary and para-profesionsals will enjoy a 10% increase. School leaders say it was important to make sure that all staff members, not just teachers, got the increase.

TYLER — The City of Tyler is accepting applications for City Boards and Commissions through Aug. 5. Appointments will be filled on Aug. 28th at the city council meeting. The appointees serve voluntarily for two-year terms. Members must reside inside the city limits and should not have any delinquent city taxes, utilities or other assessments. There may be additional requirements for some board positions Continue reading Tyler to Fill City Boards and Commissions

GLADEWATER — Gladewater Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run involving a pedestrian. It happened around 2:00 Saturday morning on Highway 271 S. Terrel Dopson, of Henderson, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to call the Gladewater Police Department at (903) 845-2166.

TYLER — Tyler Police are searching for a shoplifter. According to our news partner KETK, a shoplifting suspect reportedly pulled a knife on several employees at Kohls Department Store on South Broadway Monday afternoon. The suspect was confronted when attempting to run from the store with stolen merchandise. No injuries were reported.

CANTON — A 19 year-old man died on Sunday after visiting Splash Kingdom Waterpark in Canton. According to our news partner KETK, the incident happened around 5pm. President of Splash Kingdom Johnny Blevins says team members responded to an “urgent medical situation.” A Canton police release says they arrived to find a man had been pulled from a 10-foot deep pool and park personnel were administering CPR and using an Automatic External Defibrillator. The man was air lifted to a Tyler hospital, but was later pronounced dead. He was identified as Emmanuel Ogunfuwa, a UT Tyler student attending classes this summer.

TYLER — TxDOT is planning another week’s worth of construction and maintenance work throughout the Tyler District. Motorists are reminded to slow down and pay attention when traveling through these and all work zones. Here is the schedule as work continues through the weekend and for next week. The schedule is subject to change. Check https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/042-2019.html for a complete rundown of work throughout the district.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump wants a congressman who represents parts of North and East Texas to become the next director of national intelligence. Republican John Ratcliffe has represented the Fourth Congressional District since 2015. Before that he served as mayor of Heath and was the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. President Trump says Ratcliffe will lead and inspire greatness for the country he loves. Ratcliffe says the president’s call to serve was not one he could ignore. He says he looks forward to the role with energy and focus, but it’s also been the privilege of his lifetime to be the voice for the people in his district. Ratcliffe’s district includes Rains and Upshur Counties, among others.

BALTIMORE (AP) – Federal officials say they’ve found a missile launcher in a Jacksonville, Texas, man’s luggage at the airport in Baltimore. The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement that the military grade weapon was located in the man’s checked luggage at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. TSA officers called airport police who found the man and detained him for questioning. The unidentified traveler said he was in the military and coming home from Kuwait. He said he wanted to keep the weapon as a souvenir. The TSA said the missile launcher was “not a live device.” But it was handed over to the state fire marshal for disposal. The man was ultimately allowed to catch his flight home.

TYLER — Jay Brooks has been sworn in as the Smith County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator. County Judge Nathaniel Moran swore in the new chief on Monday morning. After he was sworn in, Brooks deputized his staff. Brooks volunteered from 2007 through 2014, when he became the county’s fire marshal for more than a year before leaving to work in the private sector. Commissioners recently appointed Brooks after the retirement of Connie McCoy-Wasson. Brooks will fill the unexpired term through December 2020.