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HENDERSON COUNTY — An East Texas fugitive, wanted on numerous charges, including warrants, is arrested Sunday. According to the Henderson County Sheriff, Timothy Brian Berry, AKA “Blue, 41, Gun Barrel City, was wanted for three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a violation of protective order. Continue reading Henderson County Fugitive Arrested

EAST TEXAS — A bill to save the failing police and fire pension fund in Dallas will face an important vote in Austin today. The House Pension Committee, which has been hearing from both sides of the hot-button issue, will take a vote on a bill designed to bailout the fund, which could run dry in coming years because of bad investments in the past. If the bill, sponsored by Republican Dan Flynn of Van Zandt County passes it would then be voted on by the full house. But some, like Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings have testified to lawmakers that the pension rescue plan would put too much burden on taxpayers and limit the city’s ability to provide services. Mayor Rawlings says it could be out a billion dollars.

GUN BARREL CITY – An aggravated sexual assault is being investigated by Gun Barrel City Police. It occurred on the walking track at the city park Saturday night. Due to the nature of the current investigation, the amount of information that has been released about the incident is limited. They are asking any person who was at the walking track between the times of 7:00pm and 8:00 Saturday night to please contact the Gun Barrel City Police Department at 903-887-7151 and ask for Investigator Sgt. Jeff Norris.

TYLER — Tyler’s North Tenneha Church of Christ hosted “First Responders Day” Saturday — a chance for residents to meet, greet, and build relationships with public safety personnel. Evangelist Kennon Olison Sr. says the event was a big success. He commented, “I’m very happy to see the community. I was very surprised by how many non-members of the faith-based community…actually showed up and were a part of it. So I think it was very good — I think it was a very good start. I think there’s more to do, but there was a very good start.” Continue reading First Responders Recognized in Tyler

MARSHALL – Two persons are facing drug charges following a traffic stop in Marshall. Arrested early Saturday morning were Tobias Prudencio, 30, of Marshall, and Stephanie Carbajal, 19, of Maryland. Their car was stopped on East End Boulevard South. Officers said they could smell marijuana as they approached the vehicle. Prudencio denied a search of the vehicle claiming there were no drugs inside. A police K9 indicated there were drugs in the car. Officers found 87.5 grams of methamphetamine, two digital scales, a .45 caliber handgun and small bags, commonly used in the sale of narcotics in the vehicle. They also learned the car had been stolen in Maryland. Both were booked into the Harrison County Jail.

TYLER – One man has been injured in a Tyler shooting. It was reported shortly before 11:00 Sunday morning at Noble E. Young Park on Seaton Street. A 25 year old man was taken by private vehicle to a Tyler Hospital with a hand wound. Investigators say the two subjects knew each other and had got into an altercation while in the park. The police are withholding the names of the suspect and victim pending further investigation.

TYLER – The Tyler Fire Department held its Twenty-Sixth Annual Awards Banquet Saturday night at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. During the ceremony, firefighters, along with retired firefighters and civilians were honored for their actions and service to the City of Tyler. Additionally, firefighters receiving promotions over the past year were also recognized. Among the awards that were handed out; Firefighter of the Year Award went to Driver/Engineer Damon Daugherty

Other awards included:
Outstanding District Award:
District 1 A-Shift, led by District Chief Joey Wiggins Continue reading Tyler Firemen Honored

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is facing drug and weapons charges following his arrest. James Earl Buchanan, 29, was arrested on Ruby Lane after the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit, SWAT team, Longview Police officers, the Special Investigations and Apprehensions Unit, and the ATF executed a warrant. In the house officers found meth, cocaine, heroin, hydrocodone, marijuana, K2, and promethazine. They also found 3 handguns, 1 AK-47, and several hundred rounds of ammunition in the house. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail on bonds totaling half a million dollars. Buchanan is being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, 3 outstanding Gregg County warrants and an outstanding warrant from Upshur County.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is being charged with charged with assault family violence strangulation with a previous assault family violence conviction. In the Gregg County Jail under a $20,000 bond is Joseph Patrick Bible, 27. The woman he is accused of assaulting told officers Bible does not live with her but they have two children together. She said she was pushed into a coffee table, grabbed by the neck and hair, pushed her to the floor and then Bible attempted to strangle her. A friend of the victim, who was visiting, was able to separate the two.

HENDERSON – A East Texas man has been sentenced to prison for cattle theft in Rusk County. Charlie Long, 36, is the last of four Nacogdoches men to be sentenced in the case. Long has been sentenced to two years in state prison, plus court costs and a $75 donation to Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s Operation Cow Thief. In October 2014, Long and Christian Collins, Jovante Fields and Gwivonna Long cut a lock and stole four cows, which they took to the livestock auction in Athens. That’s where the cattle were recovered. That’s when TSCRA Special Ranger Larry Hand, an other law officers, began the investigation that resulted in the arrest, conviction and sentencing of the four suspects.

GILMER – The step son of a man found shot to death in Upshur County has now been charged with murder. Upshur county investigators say they had gathered enough information to charge Clinton Ray Allen, 45, of Gilmer, with first degree murder. The shooting of James Earl Robinson was said have stemmed from a family dispute. Robinson was found dead Thursday evening. Officers responded to a welfare check on Holly Road, southwest of Gilmer, around 6:00 and discovered Robinson’s bod in the house. His body was sent to Tyler for autopsy. Officials first arrested Allen on a charge of public intoxication. As the investigation progressed, the murder charge was added.

LONGVIEW – With the help of some neighbors, Longview police have arrested a man who forced his way into a couple’s home. Malique Makail Henderson, 20, of Longview is said to have hit an elderly woman in the head with a rock and forced his way into her Green Street home. He is then said to have hit an elderly man. After stealing some items from the house, he ran away. Neighbors chased him and help police locate Henderson. They found the items taken from the couple’s home. Henderson has been charged with aggravated robbery and burglary of a habitation. He is being held in the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $1.5 million.

TYLER- A man, who is said to be a local drug kingpin, is in custody in Smith County. With his attorney with him, Eduardo Ramirez Pineda, 24, of Tyler, turned himself in to authorities Friday morning. Pineda is said to be the local leader of an East Texas drug trafficking ring. He has been charged with criminal conspiracy to possess marijuana, more than 50 pounds and less than 2,000 pounds, and is being held in the Smith County jail under a $400,000 bond. The ring is believed to be connected to at least 15 marijuana fields found in the area. Continue reading Major Drug Suspect in Custody in Smith County

TYLER – A Van Zandt County man has been indicted in Smith County for running a gambling operation. The indictment against John Christopher Borgstedt, 38, of Ben Wheeler. He was indicted for engaging in organized criminal activity. He was arrested in late November for running a gambling operation in the 800 block of Lindsey Lane. A couple of weeks later, authorities found five illegal gambling devices at the Valero Gas Station on the Chandler Highway at Loop 323. Several more gambling devices were found at a location near the intersection of Loop 323 and Commerce Street.

TYLER – The Smith County Grand Jury has indicted four persons in connection with a February Tyler Robbery. The four are Keelan Rashod Smith, 21, Harley Dee Linton, 21, Kendrick Shaun Warfield, 22 and Terryaun Lamar Rodgers, 22.(pictured) They were arrested in with the help of the the US Marshal’s Service Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force. They are accused of robbing a person they contacted by way of the social media to buy a car. When the victim arrived, they pulled guns and robbed him.

SMITH COUNTY — Two East Texas women have been sentenced to prison for murder. According to KETK, Rebecca Bond, 38, Tyler, pleaded guilty to last year’s murder of Luis Martinez, 62, Tyler. As part of a plea agreement, Judge Christi Kennedy sentenced Bond (pictured) to 50 years in prison. Also on Thursday, Laurie Perry, 56, Chandler, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for tampering with physical evidence. The body of Martinez was found in a cemetery in the Anitoch Community September 23. Continue reading East Texas Women Sentenced to Prison for Murder

UPSHUR COUNTY — Upshur County officials are investigating a murder after a man was found dead Thursday evening. According to KETK, officers responded to a welfare check on Holly Road around 6:00 and discovered the body of the man who lived in the house. Further investigation revealed that foul play was involved in the man’s death. The victim has been identified James Earl Robinson. His body has been sent to Tyler for autopsy. Officials have arrested a man in connection with the homicide. He’s Clinton Ray Allen. For now, he’s been charged with public intoxication. Upshur County officials say they plan on questioning him about the murder.

TYLER – In Tyler Thursday night, Arts in Education Awards were presented to 6 teachers by Young Audiences of Northeast Texas. The awards honored the teacher for their service to the visual arts. For her years of commitment to her students and the arts, Tyler ISD art teacher Carolyn Stewart received the Lifetime Achievement Award.The Distinguished Service to the Profession Award, honors teachers who have given back to their own art form. The honoree in this category is, Kimberley Funderburk, Theatre Director at Carthage High School. Continue reading Teachers Honored in Tyler

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man has been arrested on drug charges. Kimo L. McClain, 26, was arrested at a home on Glover Drive. That’s where members of the the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit and officers of the the Special Investigations and Apprehensions Unit, executed a search warrant. McClain has been charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and theft of a firearm. He’s now in the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $116,000.

TYLER – A project that caused Reed Road to be closed has been completed. The road was closed for installation of a culvert drainage pipe. The city has announced that the Reed Road drainage culvert project in southeast Tyler is complete and the road was reopened to traffic Thursday afternoon.

LONGVIEW – A Kilgore man is heading to prison for a home burglary last spring. State District Judge Alfonso Charles sentenced 55 year old Robin Bernard Giddings to 35 years in prison. A home owner on Post Oak Road in Kilgore surprised Giddings in his home late last May. The Longview News Journal reports A sheriffs deputy saw Giddings walking in the area. When he tried to arrest him, Giddings broke free and ran. His flight was stopped by the deputy, who shot him with a stun gun.

TYLER – Economic development was strong in Tyler in 2016. But, 2017 could even be better. That message was delivered Thursday at the Tyler Economic Development Council’s annual Investors and Contributors Luncheon. Just last month, Sanderson Farms announced it was looking at northern Smith County and southern Wood County to construct a $200 million dollar feed mill, hatchery, poultry processing plant, and wastewater treatment facility. At full capacity, the complex will employ 1,700 people, will require 80 contract growers, and will be equipped to process and sell 375 million pounds of dressed poultry meat annually. Continue reading 2017 Could Be a Banner Year for the Tyler Economy

MARSHALL – Three Marshall men have been indicted in the theft of copper wire from a utilities substation. The mean are Jeffrey Dean McCreary, 46, (pictured) Shawn Bradley Brown, 35, and Christopher Michael Parker, 43. The Longview News Journal reports the three were charges of theft of material/copper and criminal mischief, with the charges for McCreary and Parker enhanced. They were arrested in February for stealing copper wire which left more than 1,000 Panola-Harrison Electric Co-Op customers without power

TYLER – Some of Tyler’s religious leaders held a news conference Thursday to endorse the Tyler School District’s $198 million bond issue. The bond proposal on the May 6th ballot is for renovations at John Tyler and Robert E Lee high schools. The group announced they were supporting the bond package for several reasons; it would keep the kids and teachers safe, revitalize the two high schools, would remove the portables from both campuses and every student would benefit. If the proposal passes, the tax rate for a home valued at $155,000 would increase by $39 a year.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man has been arrested on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to KETK, Jessie Lee Shurum Jr., 41, was arrested by the United States Marshal Service Wednesday night. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on $500,000 bond. Additional details were not available.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was arrested Wednesday after police said he pointed a gun and threatened to shoot someone and later tried to swallow a handful of marijuana. According to KETK, Ramsey Orion Torres, 18, was charged with tamper/fabricate physical evidence with intent to impair, possession of marijuana measuring less than 2 ounces and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police were called about midnight Wednesday to the McDonald’s in the 100 block of Loop 281 in reference to a man who pointed a gun and threatened to shoot the caller. Continue reading Longview Teen Jailed on Multiple Charges

TYLER — Tyler ISD will hold two more Community Forums, including one Thursday evening, to present information to the public on proposed Bond 2017 projects. Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford, Director of Facilities Tim Loper, and other Tyler ISD administrators will present the information and answer questions. The bond package provides for remodeling & additions to John Tyler High School & Robert E. Lee High School. According to the Tyler ISD website, approximately 5,000 students will be in new or renovated spaces. Continue reading Two Community Forums Remaining on TISD Bond Proposal

TOPEKA, Kansas(AP/STAFF) Shoe chain Payless ShoeSource has released the list of the 400 stores they will be closing. Only one of them is in northeast Texas. According to the Payless web site, The Jacksonville store is only store in our area on that list. In Texas, 172 stores will be shuttered by the company. The Topeka, Kansas-based retailer said that it will be immediately closing the nearly 400 stores as part of the reorganization. Shoppers are increasingly shifting their buying online or going to discount stores like T.J. Maxx to grab deals on designer brands. That shift has hurt traditional retailers, even low-price outlets like Payless.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been sentenced to 10 years probation in connection with a July 2015 wreck that killed another man. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report, Markus Glenn Edmond, 25, was sentenced to 10 years probation and 180 days in the county jail for intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle resulting in the death of Luster Laray Mitchell, 24. District Judge Alfonso Charles added a condition that Edmond also spend 48 hours in the Gregg County Jail one weekend every late July, around the anniversary of the fatal wreck, until he completes 100 total hours — which will take at least three years. Markus also was fined $2,500 and must complete 480 hours of community work service. Continue reading Longview Man Gets Probation, Other Penalties in Fatal Wreck