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MARION COUNTY – A woman was taken to a local hospital in Marion County Friday morning after being rescued from a submerged Jeep in Lake O’ the Pines. According to our news partner KETK, a fisherman called the sheriff’s office after he found the black Jeep submerged in the south side of the lake. The fisherman told dispatchers that the Jeep was about forty feet from the Woody’s Camp boat ramp. When deputies and a local wrecker crew arrived, officials said they started preparing to remove the Jeep from the lake as they discovered a person was still inside and moving. With the help of the fisherman, wrecker crew and Marion County deputies, officials said that a woman was rescued safely from the vehicle and EMS took her to a local hospital. It was determined that the woman who was rescued was listed as a missing person from the Longview Police Department. The investigation continues.

MARSHALL – A Marshall man has pleaded guilty to the 2019 murder of 22-year-old Tyshun Darty, Harrison County judicial records show. Nathan DeWayne Irving, 24 of Marshall, has been sentenced to 15 years confinement which is running concurrently with a credit for time already served, according to judicial records. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting took place near the 1200 block of Elise Street around 11:30 p.m. on March 18, 2019. A nurse was performing CPR on Darty before he was transported to CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center where he later died.

TYLER — Allison O’Neal, assistant principal of Rice Elementary School, has been named the new principal at Rice Elementary School. She replaces John Smiley, who was recently named the principal of Hubbard Middle School. “Rice feels like home,” Mrs. O’Neal said. “I attended Rice as a student, and my children currently attend Rice. I am honored to accept this position at a campus that means so much to me. I have had the pleasure of learning from many great leaders in Tyler ISD through the years and plan to continue the wonderful things Mr. Smiley has done for our campus.” In her 18th year in education, Mrs. O’Neal joined Tyler ISD in 2008 as a classroom teacher at Andy Woods Elementary School. In 2019, she moved into the master teacher role at Hubbard Middle School. In 2020, Mrs. O’Neal took over the assistant principal position at Rice Elementary.

TYLER — A come-and-go Easter event is scheduled at the Glass Recreation Center on Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tyler Police Officers and Shorty the Squirrel will be in attendance to take pictures and pass out free eggs to children. Children must bring a basket or container to carry their eggs. For more information about the above-mentioned event or about the Glass Recreation Center, click here or visit the Tyler Parks and Rec Facebook page, or call Glass Recreation Center at (903) 595-7271.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department asks for help identifying a suspect in a vandalism case at the Southside Park restrooms. The damage occurred on March 22. The bathrooms were damaged in January 2023, but were repaired before the March incident. If you recognize this person, please contact Det. Dickerson at 903-533-2088 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER — Residents have until April 30 to submit ideas to city staff for projects they want to see included in the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) program. The projects, if approved, would be funded through the Half Cent Sales Tax Program. The projects will be reviewed and scored, then ranked with the existing projects. Funding will be updated, and the top projects will be funded as revenue allows. Residents can also attend a public meeting on Thursday, April 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Tyler Development Center large conference room, 423 W. Ferguson St. The Engineering Department will be available to discuss upcoming projects and any ideas for projects they would like considered for inclusion in the City’s annual work plan. Continue reading City of Tyler wants projects ideas from public

CANTON — Canton ISD is stepped up security on Thursday because of what they called a “sensitive social media post.” Our news partner KETK reports, Canton ISD Police and Canton Police Department provided extra security throughout the day. “Providing a safe learning environment for Canton ISD students and staff is always a top priority,” Superintendent Brian Nichols said in a letter to Canton ISD families. “We will continue to be open, honest and transparent with out staff, parents and community in order to provide accurate and timely information as it becomes available.”

RUSK COUNTY– Two people were arrested for multiple charges on Wednesday after the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said they were wanted for abuse of a corpse, and a third person is now being sought in the case. According to our news partner KETK, officials say on March 30, a body had been found on CR 169D and the person was believed to have died somewhere else and taken to that location “in an attempt to conceal the cause and location of the death.” The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Cory Murphy. William Welch, 36 of Kilgore, and Stephanie Kravis, 36 of Carthage, were named as persons of interest by the sheriff’s office and on March 31, officials announced warrants had been issued for their arrests. Continue reading Suspects arrested in Rusk County abuse of corpse case

HARRISON COUNTY — A man in Harrison County was allegedly scammed out of $29,000 after he received a call from someone claiming to be an attorney out of Georgia, according to our news partner KETK. The scammer said that the man’s grandson was in jail and facing some serious charges. He was told to gather clothes, wrap the money in them and mail it off. The sheriff’s office said the man sent the money and later realized his mistake. To prevent situations like this, the FTC recommends contacting the family member who the scammer said is in trouble on a phone number that you recognize. If you’re unable to get in contact with that person, check with another friend or family member if you’re unable to reach them, and never send cash by mail, gift card or wire money to someone who is demanding it. Continue reading East Texas man scammed by bogus attorney

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — After fentanyl was reportedly being sold in at least one Van Zandt County school, District Attorney Tonda Curry held a press conference Wednesday to announce the formation of a new task force. According to our news partner KETK, the new Van Zandt County DA Fentanyl Response Task Force is made up of officers from county and state law enforcement agencies committed to making an immediate and aggressive response to the presence of fentanyl in the county. Continue reading East Texas county creates Fentanyl Response Task Force

WOOD COUNTY — A Winnsboro woman was arrested Tuesday after reportedly shooting her husband in the face. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the shooting on FM 312 around 4:15 Tuesday, where they found the man awake and coherent. He was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment. Michelle Denise Freudiger was booked into the Wood County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Her bond has been set at $100,000. The victim remains in a Tyler hospital, and is expected to survive.

EAST TEXAS — Two of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted offenders are back in custody following their arrests in Mabank and Tyler last month. Santos Ramirez, 47, was captured on March 16 in Mabank. Ramirez had been wanted since April 5, 2022, after the Midland County Sheriff’s Office issued warrant for his arrest for continuous sexual abuse of a child, continuous violence against the family, stalking, two counts of violation of bond/protective order, interference with emergency request for assistance, and failure to identify. His arrest was the result of tip information received through Texas Crime Stoppers and a reward was paid. Continue reading Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives Captured in East Texas

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for a $35 million expansion for their School of Nursing building. UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife was present, along with UT Tyler President Kirk Calhoun, UT Tyler Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Julie Philley and UT Tyler School of Nursing Dean Barbara Haas. Calling this expansion “critically important,” Calhoun said it will allow UT Tyler to expand the number of nurses and the various disciplines and expertise they bring to the table. According to our news partner KETK, the college of Nursing is the largest college on the UT Tyler campus with roughly 2,000 students, Calhoun explained. He expects the program to get even larger in the future. Continue reading UT Tyler hosts groundbreaking for $35 million nursing school expansion

TYLER — On Tuesday, a man pleaded guilty to evading arrest in a Smith County court and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. In November 2022, Rick Dixon, 61, was involved in a multi-county chase with officers that exceeded speeds of 100 mph, our news partner KETK reported. Dixon was reportedly driving a truck with a stolen U-Haul trailer attached when he failed to stop for officials attempting a traffic stop. Officials said he continued down I-20 into Gregg County, where the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and DPS deployed spikes in front of the truck on Interstate 230 before the truck exited onto Highway 42. The truck had to be spiked a second time after authorities said Dixon blew through several red lights while sparks began to fly from the tireless rims of the truck and trailer. Continue reading Man pleads guilty to evading arrest after leading authorities on chase

SMITH COUNTY — In the Smith County State of the County address Tuesday, Judge Neal Franklin broke down the county’s plan for construction on the new courthouse and parking garage in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, The first phase will be on the parking structure and is expected to be completed in August of 2024. The second phase will be for the construction of the new courthouse to be completed by September 2026. The third and final phase will be the transition from the existing courthouse to the new one which is expected to be complete by 2027. Judge Franklin added that the 2027 projection is just an estimate, as there are often delays in projects like this.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Clerk, Karen Phillips, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly interfering with a Smith County deputy’s duties on March 28. According to our news partner KETK, around 9:45 p.m. on March 28, officials said a deputy initiated a traffic stop on Cody Voss, 28, who allegedly did not pull over until he reached the Phillips residence. Derek Phillips, 36, was traveling in front of Voss. Once they reached the residence, authorities said that Derek Phillips started interfering with the traffic stop. Soon after, his mother, County Clerk Karen Phillips, 65, allegedly came out of the residence and officials said she started interfering with the stop as well. Voss was arrested on charges of failure to identify and held on a $250 bond before being released on March 29. Derek Phillips was arrested on charges of evading arrest/detention, interfering with public duties and resisting arrest/search/transport and was held on a collective bond of $4,500. He was also released on March 29. Continue reading Smith County Clerk arrested for reportedly interfering with arrest

LONGVIEW – A shooting late Monday night killed one man in Southeast Longview. 44-year-old Derrick Spearman, was shot multiple times and died later at a local hospital. Longview police arrested Shannon Marshall, 22, of Longview in the shooting. He is in the Gregg County jail on a murder charge. Longview Police are still seeking information in this case.

GREGG COUNTY – Thrive Longview is one of more than 40 nonprofit organizations from Gregg County that are participating in East Texas Giving Day this year. According to our news partner KETK, the even it put on by the East Texas Communities Foundation and this year’s online donation event will be April 25. Thrive Longview works with middle schoolers to teach principles of community, stewardship and mentorship. They provide after-school programming from Monday through Thursday during the school year, an eight-week summer camp and leadership development programming on middle school campuses.

HARRISON COUNTY — A man has been arrested in Harrison County for allegedly smuggling five individuals. According to our news partner KETK, around 1:10 p.m. Sunday, a Harrison County deputy conducted a traffic stop for a moving violation on Interstate 20 eastbound at the 619 mile marker. When speaking with the driver of the vehicle, the deputy said the driver’s behavior indicated that criminal activity was taking place.  During the deputy’s investigation of the vehicle, the driver was identified as Benjamin Rios-Perez, 32, and officials said that he was participating in human smuggling by transferring five individuals for $700 per person which led to the vehicle and $3,701 being seized. Continue reading Man charged with human smuggling following traffic stop

TYLER — Tyler Junior College will hold a mock emergency exercise on Tuesday, in collaboration with the TJC fire and law enforcement academies, emergency medical services professions, communications and theatre departments. The event will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, in the parking lot between Mike Carter Field and Rose Stadium, located on Fair Park Drive in Tyler. According to a TJC news release, by simulating a multi-vehicle accident involving an intoxicated driver, this scenario will allow students to experience various challenges, such as extinguishing a fire, rescuing passengers, providing medical attention, securing the scene and addressing legal/media interaction best practices. Continue reading TJC to stage mock emergency drill near Rose Stadium on Tuesday

TYLER – In recognition of members of the community above and beyond for survivors of sexual violence, the East Texas Crisis Center handed Hope Award to those being recongized. Those from Smith County receiving the Hope Award were Angela Faulkner with the Smith County District Attorney’s Office. Sgt Joseph Durr with the Office of the Attorney General and Bethany Morgan with the Counseling Nook for Trauma and Disassociation. East Texas Crisis Center Volunteer. Tyler Mayor Don Warren noted that the Center provided services in 2022 to 327 survivors of sexual violence. April is sexual assault awareness month and East Texas Crisis Center will be hosting survivor support events during the month.

CARTHAGE –An employee in the Panola County Sheriff’s Department was arrested for theft and abuse of official capacity. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Cutter Clinton said that county employee Torey McLemore of Carthage resigned his position just prior to being booked. Clinton also said that his office became aware of possible violations in March and launched an internal investigation with the Texas Rangers assisting. The charges against McLemore are Class C misdemeanors.

SMITH COUNTY — The deadline to register to vote or make a change of address to be able to vote in the upcoming election is Thursday, April 6. If you are not sure if you are registered, you can find out here. You can also find an application at this website to fill out, print and return to the Smith County Elections Office. You can also visit the Smith County Elections Office, at 302 E. Ferguson Street in Tyler, to fill it out in person. Continue reading Thursday is the deadline to register to vote in May 6 election

MINEOLA — Police are investigating two separate threats allegedly made by students toward Mineola ISD on Thursday and Friday, the district said. One student was searched and no harmful objects were found, another student was detained, the district said. Our news partner KETK reports, on Thursday a report was made to the middle school administration office about a broad threat made on a church van the evening before concerning possible harm to the middle school campus. “As required by law, a Behavioral Threat Assessment was conducted to investigate the student and these comments,” the district said. Continue reading Mineola ISD reports two threats allegedly made by students

TYLER — A canine virus is making its way through Pets Fur People in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, Gayle Helms with Pets Fur People says the rescue had 27 dogs dumped at the facility at the end of February and that’s where the sickness began.“We have had the worst outbreak of parvo that we have ever had in the history of pets fur people,” said Gayle Helms, executive director, Pets Fur People. “We’ve had 15 cases of parvo and we have lost 8 puppies,” said Helms. Continue reading Pets Fur People faced with parvo outbreak

TYLER –  Former Rose Heights Church pastor Doug Anderson passed away on Saturday afternoon, according to a post from the church. Anderson had recently retired from the church in January of 2023. Anderson spent 37 years of his life preaching and leading at Rose Heights Church. Congressman Nathaniel Moran honored Anderson at his retirement ceremony in January. “In recognition of their persevering efforts to follow the teachings and admonitions of Jesus Christ, I present to you this flag and certificate. Congratulations Doug and Gina,” Moran said. Continue reading Former Rose Heights Church pastor Doug Anderson dies

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was arrested on Wednesday, March 29 after a search conducted at his home found a variety of drugs, money and guns, according to officials. According to our news partner KETK, Devarious Ramone Craig, 39 of Longview, was arrested for 11 different possession charges, a money laundering charge and a theft of a firearm charge. The Joint Harrison County Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force searched his residence after starting an investigation into drugs allegedly being shipped there. Officials obtained a search warrant and HCSO Patrol, MPD Crime Scene and Texas DPS CID officers assisted in the search. Continue reading Longview man arrested after search finds guns, cocaine, meth and more at home

RUSK COUNTY — The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office is searching for two individuals that they believe were involved in the abuse of a corpse. According to our news partner KETK, on Thursday, Rusk County investigators responded to a death investigation on County Road 169D. During the investigation, officials said they were led to believe that the body in the case had died at an alternate location and had been transported to Rusk County Road 169D in an attempt to “conceal the cause and location of the death.” A follow up investigation resulted in a evidentiary search warrant on Layton Street in Kilgore. The during the search, officials said they seized suspected methamphetamine, suspected fentanyl and other items believed to be of evidentiary value in the death investigation. Continue reading Two people wanted in connection to abuse of corpse