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WASHINGTON – Government lawyers have filed a motion opposing an East Texas man’s plea to have his electronic monitoring removed while he is awaiting trial for his role in the January Capitol riot. According to our news partner KETK, Alex Harkrider (left), a 34-year-old Carthage native, was released on bond in April until his trial. He is charged along with 30-year-old Ryan Nichols (right), a Longview resident, with several crimes stemming from the riot ranging from civil disorder to assaulting federal officers. The removal request was based heavily on the recommendation of Harkrider’s pre-trial officer. Among other things, DOJ officials wrote that “the facts of this case are very concerning and the defendant has been indicted on very serious charges.”

SMITH COUNTY — The plea deadline for two Smith County parents charged in the death of their three-year-old daughter has been set for August 12. According to our news partner KETK, 40-year-old Manuel Williams and 31-year-old Courtnie Williams both could face the death penalty. 241st District Court Judge Jack Skeen gave the couple a little more than a month to decide whether they will go to trial. On July 15, 2020, first responders found Kodie Williams, 3, unresponsive in her Tyler home. Police found that she “had numerous bruises to the face,” according to a warrant obtained by KETK. She was rushed to a local hospital where she later died. Continue reading Plea deadline for Tyler parents charged with capital murder

LONGVIEW — Longview Police filed multiple charges with the DA’s office in connection to a shooting incident that happened Wednesday at a Motel 6. According to our news partner KETK, a domestic disturbance turned into a shooting, police said. Witnesses told officers that a male was assaulting a female by attempting to strangle her in one of the motel rooms. Police say a third person went to the victim’s defense and shot the male subject. The injured male remains in a local hospital. Because of the circumstances around the case, LPD will file two criminal offense charges with the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office for review and presentation to the Gregg County Grand Jury. Identities have not been released.

AUSTIN — East Texas state Senator Bryan Hughes Thursday filed Senate Bill 1, addressing the security, accountability, and accessibility of Texas elections, as the special legislative session got underway in Austin. It’s a followup to his SB 7, which fell short during the regular session. In a prepared statement, Hughes said, “In Texas elections, we want to make sure it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. Senate Bill 1 does just that by making sure Texans can cast their votes with confidence that they’ll be counted and the results will be reported accurately.” A public hearing on the bill is set for Saturday. Governor Abbott has made such legislation a priority for the special session.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank is holding another mega drive-thru produce distribution Friday in Longview from 8-10 a.m. at the Gregg County Fairgrounds, and several more are scheduled later in East Texas. As with past distributions, the events are open to anyone and there are no eligibility or paperwork requirements. These are drive-thru distributions and walk-ups will not be accepted. Multiple households can carpool. To pick up items for another household not present, a note must be provided. Food bank officials reiterate that even as the pandemic is ending, they are still seeing an increased need for food assistance. Continue reading Another produce distribution in Longview

TYLER – A Whitehouse man charged with murder will have his trial in September after a hearing on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, Lars Theorine, 53, is accused of stabbing 43-year-old Michael Reed to death in January 2020. Responding officers say Theorine muttered, “He tried to kill me.” Theorine was the owner of Paradise Skating Rink and Big Kahuna Indoor Parties in Whitehouse.

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD recently experienced a disruption to certain computer systems due to a cybersecurity incident, according a WISD news release. Officials say, “We responded immediately to contain this incident. We are working diligently with third-party forensic specialists to investigate this matter, confirm its impact on our systems, and restore full and secure functionality to our systems as soon as possible. Whitehouse ISD’s primary concern remains its students and community. Although our investigation is ongoing, unfortunately it appears that limited information relating to certain student and employee records was compromised.” You can click here to get all the details.

TYLER — Vexus Fiber says it will spend $50 million to bring its ‘fiber-to-the-home’ network to Tyler and Whitehouse. According to our news partner KETK, Vexus Fiber plans to have full-network completion within two years, said a statement from the company. Some neighborhoods and businesses in Tyler will see network availability as soon as the first quarter of next year. “We are thrilled to announce our expansion into Tyler,” Jim Gleason, CEO of Vexus, said in news release. Continue reading Vexus Fiber to build $50M optic broadband

SMITH COUNTY — On Thursday morning, Smith County Criminal District Attorney Jacob Putman announced his run for re-election. He took office January 1, 2018. In a press release, Putman said his office has made significant strides in improving the office while continuing tough punishments for serious offenders. He went on to list a few of those improvements: Continue reading Smith County DA announces run for re-election

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department is investigating a robbery that occurred Thursday, July 1, around 7:45 p.m. Officials say a light-skinned either Hispanic or white male entered the Kroger on E. End Blvd. North, wearing a facemask, blue and black jacket, and a cap. Officers were informed that the suspect approached the customer service desk and slid a handwritten note to the clerk which said to give him all the money because he had a gun. Cash was given to the suspect and the suspect exited the store. If you recognize the suspect or have any additional information, contact the Marshall Police Department at (903) 935-4575.

TYLER – The Tyler Municipal Court has partnered with the Tyler Public Library to solidify alternative community service options as a way to pay for Municipal Court fines. According to a news release, qualifying people may now be referred to the library to complete their community service hours through spending time reading to their children, participating in educational programming, or studying for betterment of self in efforts of obtaining their GED. Continue reading Court, library team up on community service options

TYLER — Smith County Officials Tuesday held their first of five citizen input meetings to discuss the second phase of the six-year Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project with community members in every precinct. Commissioner Precinct 2 Cary Nix, County Judge Nathaniel Moran, and County Engineer Frank Davis met with a group at the First Baptist Church in Whitehouse Tuesday evening. They informed the citizens of the projects that have been done so far in Phase 1 of the road bond, as well as projects planned for Phase 2. “I thought it went great,” Commissioner Nix said of the meeting in a news release. “It was very informative and they asked some really good questions.” Additional meetings are set for July 8, 15, 20, and 29. Click here for additional information and background on this item.

LONGVIEW — Longview state Representative Jay Dean is ready to join other lawmakers as the Legislature kicks off a special session Thursday. In a recent conversation with KTBB, Dean said he’s hoping lawmakers “will get our business finished up because we know we’ve gotta come back” to deal with redistricting later this year. He adds, “We’ll do everything we can to…make sure we get the job finished.” A key item: election legislation rooted in Senate Bill 7, initially introduced by Mineola state Senator Bryan Hughes. That measure fell short in the regular session when Democrats walked out, preventing a quorum.

SMITH COUNTY — A Bullard man who federal prosecutors say is a member of the white supremacist Aryan Circle gang pleaded guilty Tuesday to being among those who attacked a man in 2016 and other crimes. According to our news partner KETK, Anthony Levi Cochran, 39, admitted in court that as a member of the gang he beat someone, was involved in a conspiracy to sell firearms to a convicted felon and participated in racketeering. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and will be sentenced later. Continue reading Bullard man pleads guilty to crimes as member of white supremacist gang

TYLER — Smith County is continuing to buy properties east of the downtown Tyler square as part of its plans to one day build a new courthouse there. According to our news partner KETK, on Tuesday, the commissioners court unanimously approved buying the property at 219 E. Ferguson St. from ALDCO LLC for $218,000. Earlier this year, an architectural group presented a detailed plan for a seven-story courthouse that spanned more than 230,000 square feet. If a parking garage is added, the cost would be about $140 million. Continue reading Smith County buys property east of square in area of proposed new courthouse

LONGVIEW — A  Hallsville woman is behind bars Wednesday morning after allegedly kidnapping a four-year-old child. According to our news partner KETK, 23-year-old Lindsey Kelley allegedly took the child from a home near Hallsville around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night. As the department was set to issue an Amber Alert, the sheriff’s office received a tip that she may have gone to Longview. The tipster also said that Kelley had made past threats “implying that she might sell her children for unknown reasons.” Continue reading East Texas woman arrested for kidnapping 4-year-old child

TYLER – Tyler police are looking for a missing man who has schizophrenia. According to our news partner KETK, Emery McCuin, 54, was seen for the last time on July 1 on Park Center Dr. in Tyler, then walked away from the area. McCuin is 6’2”, weighs 196 lbs., has brown eyes, and is bald. On July 1, he was wearing a white shirt, tan pants, black boots, and glasses. He also uses a cane. McCuin also has a pacemaker. Police are asking anyone with information to contact dispatch at 903-531-1000.

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities is working to replace about 7,500 feet of water main lines in the north end of the city, according to a news release. Next week, TWU is scheduled to complete phase I of a three-phase water line replacement project in the Azalea District. Phase I will replace about 2,000 feet of two-inch water main on West 10th Street from South Vine Avenue to South Kennedy Avenue. Phase II will consist of replacing 2,500 feet of two-inch water main line on North Azalea Drive — and the final phase will address the replacement of 2,500 feet of two-inch water main line on West Camellia Street. Another project on Sunny Lane will replace about 500 feet of two-inch water main line with a six-inch PVC line. Continue reading TWU to replace water lines

TYLER — Smith County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to apply for federal funds that would continue to help people pay their rent if they were hurt financially by the pandemic. According to our news partner KETK, County Judge Nathaniel Moran said the money is a continuation of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Act now in place. Earlier this year Smith County received more than $7 million in rental and utility assistance funding in the first phase of the program. In the extension, the county would receive about $5 million more that could be distributed through Sept. 30, 2025, Moran said. He emphasized that the county was only applying to remain in the program and could decide later whether to accept the additional money.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved an 80 percent, five-year tax abatement for Tyler Pipe Company and its parent company, McWane Inc. The tax abatement is for approximately $35 million in enhancements to the Tyler Pipe facility, and the estimated fiscal impact to Smith County for the tax abatement is $482,400. That’s according to Dr. Felecia Herndon, Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations for the Tyler Economic Development Council. Click here for more details on this story.

TYLER — It may take until late Tuesday afternoon before cable and internet service is restored to much of southern Smith County, said a posting from Suddenlink, the service provider. According to our news partner KETK, the cable went out Monday after a car wreck damaged a pole. Suddenlink is estimating the restoration time is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Some customers say their service has been out since about 3:30 p.m. Monday.

DALLAS — One political strategist says a new poll spells doom for Matthew McConaughey. A new Dallas Morning News/UT Tyler Poll shows Governor Abbott with a one-point lead over McConaughey, erasing a 12-point deficit in the process. Dallas-based political strategist Kendall Scudder says with this new poll coming out before we learn anything about McConaughey’s political positions,or even his party affiliation, this spells bad news for any potential gubernatorial run by the actor. The poll shows Abbott with 39 percent support, compared to 38 for McConaughey, and Scudder says that could mean trouble for the governor as the campaign kicks into high gear.

TYLER — A family member is now offering a $500 reward for the safe return of two children as Smith County authorities seek leads in a child custody case. A news release from the sheriff’s office says CPS was given oversight of two children, Amber and Tristan Jackson, ages 9 and 13. But officials say their mother, Cynthia Hodges, illegally picked them up from a placement family. She was later arrested for outstanding felony warrants. But officials say a law officer who had no knowledge of the situation allowed her to contact a family member — who allegedly took the children to other relatives who weren’t authorized to have custody of the youngsters. Authorities are now seeking Cynthia, Jimmy, and Francis Hodges on charges of interference with child custody. Continue reading Reward offered in child custody case

HENDERSON – Henderson police are searching for a missing teenager who has not been seen since Monday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, 16-year-old Lexi Thibodeaux was last seen on Monday and police believe that she “left a residence voluntary.” Police did not release Lexi’s age, but it was confirmed by her mother in a phone interview with KETK News. Lexi is 5’3″ and weighs 115 pounds. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue shorts. According to Lexi’s mother, she told her grandmother that she was going for a walk and never came back. If you have seen or know her whereabouts, please call Det. Bynum at 903-657-3512.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin woman was arrested after she reportedly ran over her adult daughter with a car. According to our news partner KETK, Loreeka Dodd, 45, of Lufkin was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/family violence. She was booked into the Angelina County Jail on a $10,000 bond. Around 1:10 a.m., officers responded to Shady Bend following a report of a woman who had been hit by a Chevy Impala following an argument with her mother. Officers found 25-year-old Zena Lewis lying in the road, seriously injured. Continue reading Lufkin woman arrested after argument with daughter

MARSHALL — A park survey has been created in an effort to help examine the need for additional parks and recreational activities within the city of Marshall, according to a city news release. Officials say answering survey questions will allow individuals to express their opinions, wants, and needs regarding city owned and managed parks and event facilities, the future development of open space, and recreational programs. The results of the survey will help to establish the highest need park priorities within the city, according to the release. Click here to learn more.

RUSK COUNTY — 13 people were arrested and around 125 animals were seized after an illegal cockfighting ring was discovered in Rusk County on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, two phone calls were made to 911 on Sunday because people were watching rooster fights in a wooded area. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said they arrived at the 15000 block of County Road 2132. They detained individuals, and charged them with felony offenses or misdemeanors. The owner of the land was also arrested. Some of the animals that were found were dead. Continue reading Illegal cockfighting ring discovered in Rusk County

BROWNSBORO — The Brownsboro Independent School District announced on Sunday one of their students died after being injured in a car crash. According to our news partner KETK, the district said they recently learned of the death of Grace Montgomery, an 8th grade student. Grace was “wonderful” and participated in band, theatre and athletics. The district has not been notified of funeral arrangements. Continue reading Brownsboro ISD ‘deeply saddened’ following death of student

TYLER – TxDOT is planning to get busy on a number of construction and maintenance projects in the Tyler District during the week of July 5. Work schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention in work zones. To allow for more efficient travel during the July Fourth holiday, from Friday, July 2, through Monday, July 5, TxDOT will not allow lane closures that impact traffic flow on its construction and maintenance projects. Click here for the complete roadwork rundown.