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EAST TEXAS — Several East Texas firefighter crews have been deploy to help respond to wildfires and elevated fire conditions being reported across the state. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Emergency Services District 2 has deployed a NWCG qualified dozer operator, a dozer operator trainee and a heavy equipment boss trainee to Childress to help fight wildfires there.

The district said this was the first time the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) has been used to deploy their dozer operators. TIFMAS Coordinator Josh Bardwell said their deployment has been years in the making.

“A couple of us former TFS heavy equipment operators that came to the County years ago are proud to see this come to fruition,” Bardwell said. “We retooled the county’s fire dozer training and qualification process to meet state standards years ago and it’s paying off.” Continue reading Local firefighters sent to battle fires

TYLER – Crime rates declined in most East Texas counties over the past year, according to newly released FBI data, though a handful of counties reported significant increases. Data from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime in Texas (CIT) Online Portal shows reported crime fell in 18 of the 28 East Texas counties between 2024 and 2025.

Rains County recorded the largest decrease, with reported crime falling 36.03% between 2024 and 2025. Meanwhile, Anderson County saw the largest increase, with reported crime rising 53.19% during the same period. Smith County reported 5,793 crimes in 2025, giving it a crime rate of about 2,293.4 per 100,000 residents after adjusting for population. While Nacogdoches County has less than half the population of Smith County, it recorded a higher crime rate of 2,702.5 in 2025, meaning crimes occur more frequently there relative to the county’s population.

Our news partner KETK compiled a list showing how crime rates changed across East Texas counties from 2024 to 2025. You can view that list here or by continuing to read below. Continue reading Crime rates fall, new data shows

RUSK — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, HEAL Corp, ALERT Academy and Houston County Search and Rescue are conducting another search for Rusk missing man James David Blount.

According to our news partner KETK, Blount was last seen near his residence on Dec. 2, 2025, more than 90 days ago. The 57-year-old white man is around 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighs about 200 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. His vehicle was later found abandoned on U.S. Highway 84 at the Neches River.

The sheriff’s office is searching the woods behind Blount’s house and workshop on Highway 84. Officials are searching this area more thoroughly on Friday and Saturday in order to rule out the area immediately surrounding Blount’s home.

Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson told KETK News that “a bunch of different stuff” was found during their search but they can’t say whether any of the items are actually related to Blount’s disappearance. Dickson added that they’re looking into all of the things they’ve found during their continuing search. Continue reading Items found during search for missing man

NACOGDOCHES — A judge ruled on Thursday that Stephen F. Austin State University must maintain all existing women’s sports teams, after the university cut several sports teams in August 2025. According to our news partner KETK, a U.S. District Judge approved a stipulated agreement requiring SFA to continue its current women’s teams with funding, staffing and benefits comparable to other varsity intercollegiate programs while the plaintiffs’ claims proceed in court.

“We are pleased that SFA has entered into this agreement, which will preserve the existing women`s teams and allow the case to move forward as quickly as possible,” the Arthur Bryant Law Firm said in a statement.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by several women athletes in August 2025 alleging the Nacogdoches-based university violated their Title IX rights when it decided to cut the women’s beach volleyball and bowling teams, as well as the women’s and men’s golf programs.

JACKSONVILLE —  The Jacksonville Police Department has arrested a man following a lengthy investigation into alleged sexual coercion, stalking and harassment involving multiple victims. According to our news partner KETK, Jacksonville PD said Dewayne Scott Chapline, 58, was taken into custody Friday after investigators linked him to a prolonged campaign of online harassment carried out through email accounts, social media platforms and impersonation-style identities.

According to investigators, Chapline allegedly used threats and intimidation to pressure a victim into sending sexually explicit images. Police said he then used those images to blackmail the victim, continuing to demand additional content while threatening further harm.

Chapline faces charges of sexual coercion, stalking, online impersonation, obstruction or retaliation and harassment. Continue reading Arrest in coercion, stalking investigation

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin man found guilty of causing severe burns to a child was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday. In the 159th Judicial District Court, Judge Todd Kassaw sentenced Miguel Gonzalez, 28, to life in prison starting Thursday for his charge of injury to a child in an incident that occurred in September 2022.

According to law enforcement and our news partner KETK, Gonzalez intentionally put a female child younger than 14-years-old in a bathtub with hot water on Sept. 26 2022, causing severe burns that made parts of her skin allegedly peel off. At the time of the incident, Gonzalez was dating the victim’s mother and was watching the child. The victim’s mother first told officers that her daughter had fallen into the bathtub, but upon further questioning, she said Gonzalez had pushed her.

Gonzalez later told officials that the water in the tub was lukewarm, but he allowed her to play while he spoke with his roommate for a couple of minutes. According to law enforcement, Gonzales said the child turned on the hot water. Continue reading Life in prison for burning child

RUSK – An attorney representing the Rusk Police Department said that it is aware of a sexual misconduct allegation against an officer stemming from a 2022 arrest. Attorney Antony J. King said the allegation comes from a June 20, 2022, arrest for driving while intoxicated. King said the department has begun reviewing evidence, including body camera footage, in-car dash camera recordings and incident reports.

According to our news partner KETK, the individual who came forward will remain anonymous and the department is committed to ensuring that the investigative process remains fair, objective, and consistent.

“The Department recognizes that allegations of this nature can have serious implications for all parties involved and for the community’s confidence in its public safety institutions,” King said. “Every complaint received by the Department is evaluated carefully, objectively, and without presumption. The goal of this review is to determine the facts, ensure accountability where warranted, and protect the rights and dignity of everyone involved.”

RUSK – The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers and HEAL Corp are conducting another search for Rusk missing man James David Blount. According to our news partner KETK, Blount was last seen near his residence on Dec. 2, 2025, more than 90 days ago. The 57-year-old white man is around 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighs about 200 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. His vehicle was later found abandoned on U.S. Highway 84 at the Neches River.

The sheriff’s office is searching the woods behind Blount’s house and workshop on Highway 84. Officials are searching this area more thoroughly Friday and Saturday in order to rule out the area immediately surrounding Blount’s home.
Continue reading Officials track missing man

BULLARD — A number of Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras have been installed in the City of Bullard to enhance public safety and assist in criminal investigations. The Bullard Police Department said cameras are being installed at city entry and exit points to capture vehicle license plates and basic vehicle characteristics. The cameras will allow authorities to identify vehicles associated with criminal activity.

According to our news partner KETK, the cameras do not violate their constitutional rights, stating that license plates are owned by the state of Texas and that cameras are used to capture information already visible to anyone traveling on a public roadway.

In order to remain transparent with the city, the department said that any search conducted with the Flock system while require a case number and a reason for conducting the search.

TYLER – Tyler Police continue to  investigate Thursday morning a shooting on Southridge Drive. The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Kenus Lewis. Lewis has multiple warrants out for his arrest and is on the run. Police said he should be considered armed and very dangerous. Detectives obtained warrants on Lewis for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with a $750,000 bond and felon in possession of a firearm with a $500,000 bond.

According to Tyler PD and our news partner KETK, officers responded to the 1400 block of Southridge Drive following a reported shooting. Arriving officers found a 53-year-old man who had been shot in the abdomen. The man was alert and awake at when officers arrived at the scene. Tyler PD said he’s been taken to a local hospital for treatment. Continue reading Shooting suspect still at large

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg Police Department is seeking the your help in locating two suspects, who officials said stole two trailers from a local business in Pittsburg. According to officials and our news partners at KETK, the theft occurred around 12:15 a.m. Tuesday at Work Trailer. The stolen trailers were both described as black 35-foot gooseneck trailers.

The suspects used two separate trucks to steal the trailers, believed to be a Ram 3500 and a Ram 2500. The police department is asking anyone with information regarding the individuals to contact them at 903-856-3330.

GREGG COUNTY – The westbound outside lane of I-20 on US 259 in Gregg County will be closed for several days starting on Monday. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said the lane is expected to be closed for three days as crews will be performing bridge maintenance. Due to the closure, drivers are being asked to plan ahead and watch out for work crews.

TYLER – Officials have confirmed that one person died and three people were injured on Thursday after an 18-wheeler and multiple vehicles crashed on Toll 49. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, an 18-wheeler and multiple vehicles crashed on Toll 49 westbound near mile marker 19 at around 1:40 p.m. on Thursday.

When first responders arrived at the scene one person was dead from the crash, a sheriff’s office official told KETK News. EMS, firefighters, sheriff’s office deputies and the Texas Department of Public Safety are all responding to the crash.

“When we arrived on scene, we found an 18-wheeler involved with a couple of other passenger vehicles,” Smith County Emergency Services District 2 spokesperson Nikki Simmons said. “Unfortunately, there was one fatality, and we did have three other individuals transported.” Continue reading Fatal Toll 49 wreck under investigation

UPDATE: A pedestrian killed in a fatal crash on Wednesday night on West Gentry Parkway has been identified as 70-year-old Daniel Walker by the Tyler Police Department.

TYLER — A fatal crash on Gentry Parkway in Tyler left one pedestrian dead on Thursday morning. The Tyler Police Department responded to a crash at West Gentry Parkway, near the Texaco station at around midnight. According to our news partner KETK and Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, a pedestrian was crossing the road at an angle, not at a crosswalk or intersection. The pedestrian was struck by a truck on the outside lane and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The driver of the truck stopped, along with a witness, Erbaugh said. There are no charges being pressed at this time and no other injuries were reported.

SMITH COUNTY — With many East Texas students on spring break this week, parents are being asked to keep track of their children’s locations after d several reports of kids banging on neighbors’ doors late at night in Chapel Hill.

Smith County Precinct 4 Constable Josh Joplin stated that after reviewing camera footage, it was confirmed that a number of boys were banging on doors and ringing doorbells at around 2 a.m. in residential Chapel Hill neighborhoods.

Joplin said that while kids may view it as a harmless prank, knocking on a stranger’s door late at night could become dangerous and possibly deadly. “We most certainly don’t want an injury or death to occur in this community from a prank gone wrong,” Joplin said. Continue reading Spring break pranks raise concerns

UPDATE: Found safe and unharmed, per the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Thursday morning.

TYLER – A Smith County teenager has not been seen since March 1, and her family believes she has run away. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Kalyiah Smith, 16, is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. She has been diagnosed with ADHD and is supposed to take medications for that, they said, but other than that, she has no medical or mental issues.

Kalyiah has ties to the immediate Tyler area, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents that anyone who is harboring a minor and is criminally negligent about whether the child is younger than 18 years of age and has voluntarily left home without the consent of a parent or guardian, can be charged with Harboring a Runaway, a Class A Misdemeanor.

If you have any information as to the whereabouts of Kalyiah Smith, please call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 566-6600.

TYLER – A new Texas House caucus created to stop Sharia Law is facing pushback. Over 30 state lawmakers have joined the Sharia Free Texas Caucus. In a statement posted on X (Formerly Twitter), one of the group’s founders, State Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville), said the caucus is looking to address the teachings of Islam in part by advancing legislation to prohibit Sharia practices they say oppress women or incite violence against non-believers. The caucus also wants to reinforce what they view as the Biblical foundations of Texas.

“We’re just saying, hey, in Texas, we want to be welcoming to people, but you got to be a Texan when you get here,” said Money. He expressed concern over what he said is a growing Islamic influence in the state and wants to ensure there is no parallel legal system in Texas that treats people differently.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX) has asked senators to look at ways to prevent Sharia Law in Texas before the next legislative session, which starts in 2027.

Continue reading Lawmaker explains caucus addressing Islam

TYLER – Tyler Police Officers were called to Green Acres Baptist Church on Wednesday afternoon after a single-vehicle crash occurred outside of the building. Once officers arrived on the scene, they discovered the vehicle had struck a tree just outside the chapel. The driver was able to exit the vehicle and was uninjured. It remains unknown at this time how the crash occurred or whether the driver will face any charges.

HARRISON COUNTY – Multiple elk have been spotted in Harrison County. According to our news partner KETK, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said it has been made aware of elk roaming around Sue Belle Lake Road. County officals asks the public not to approach the animals or try to chase them into the woods. The owners are aware of the situation and are working with neighbors to return the elk to their enclosure.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department arrested a Center, Texas man Tuesday afternoon after he struck a Texas Department of Transportation truck while attempting to flee from officers.

At approximately 3:45 p.m. on March 10, Marshall Police received several calls reporting a reckless driver traveling northbound on East End Boulevard, U.S. Highway 59. Marshall Police patrol units located the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Near the intersection of Highway 59 and Loop 390, the vehicle pulled onto the shoulder and appeared to be stopping. Continue reading Man charged with DWI and possession

TYLER – On Wednesday, Tyler City Council approved a $167,868 contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for the Intelligent Transportation System Master Plan Year 6 – Traffic Signal Timing Improvements. According to a release obtained by KTBB, 26 highly-driven intersections in the city will be addressed. The areas being addressed include Southeast Loop 323, Beckham Avenue, Troup Highway, Shiloh Road, and East Grande Boulevard. The release quoted the improvement previous traffic light re-timings have done for city traffic flow, specifically the improvement of Broadway Avenue. Historical data from Texas Department of Transportation and Texas A&M Transportation Institute ranked Broadway as one of the most traffic-heavy roads in Texas, but since re timing plans began, the ranking has steadily improved. The project is set to be paid for with the Half Cent Sales Tax Fund.

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview is proposing to allocate $250,000 in federal funding to resurface Park Street and expand its first-time homebuyer program. The city will have $100,000 to provide additional ‘First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment’ assistance grants. The first-time homebuyer program provides financial assistance to eligible low-income homebuyers on a one-time, grant-based basis. Qualified applicants may receive up to $5,500, depending on household income.

The amendment will also reallocate $150,000 for a resurfacing project and street overlay along Park Street.

The city of Longview will live-stream the meeting on Facebook on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. for anyone interested in learning more about the proposal or providing feedback.

UPDATE: Highway 31 East has been reopened following the crash, according to Smith County ESD 2.

SMITH COUNTY — A Texarkana ISD school bus carrying more than 20 students collided with a van on Tuesday afternoon near Tyler. Smith County personnel were dispatched at around 3:50 p.m. to the 14000 block of Highway 31 East near CR 2908 in response to the crash. Smith County ESD2 said 26 kids and two coaches were on the bus and no injuries were reported.

Both vehicles are out of the roadway and one lane of Highway 31 is shut down going eastbound.

TYLER — Multiple people spoke out on Facebook about flat tires after driving through an intersection on South Broadway Avenue in Tyler.

Screws were found buried in the tires, and the manager of Discount Tire on Loop 323, Bryce Matthews, said the shop has been dealing with an increase in flat tire repairs in the last 24 hours.

“It’s been a little crazier than usual. Discount Tire is a pretty busy place, but we welcome anybody and everybody,” manager of Discount Tire on Loop 323 Matthews said. “We’ve probably seen it increase yesterday by about twenty-five percent more than usual.” He states that one driver came in with 17 screws in their tires.

The city road department was called and a message left about the screws, they were asked to please take a sweeper truck out there.” Our news partner KETK has reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation, which said it will send crews to reported locations as needed.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man has been taken into custody following an investigation that uncovered the theft of over $96,000 in hay and connected revenue. According to our news partner KETK, in February, Brandon Wiginton was arrested on charges of misapplication of fiduciary property and two counts of theft. He was subsequently booked into the Smith County Jail.

The investigation began in August 2022, initiated by the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association after they received a report about a business partnership that allegedly led to the theft of hay and revenue. The offenses were found to have occurred in Cherokee County and Smith County.
Continue reading Man arrested on hay and cash theft