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TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. In Smith County, after a Tyler maintenance crew finishes up base failures on FM 848 Monday, the crew moves to Troup to perform base failures on FM 346 and SH 110. In Gregg County, maintenance crews will be reshaping ditches on SH 149 northbound near FM 2906. Daytime lane closures should be expected. Click here for the full rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER – The Arlington man accused of murdering the pastor at the Starrville Methodist Church in January has been found incompetent to stand trial and the case will be put on hold while he receives restorative care. According to our news partner KETK, 22-year-old Mytrez Woolen is charged with capital murder along with a slew of other crimes. On January 3, Woolen was allegedly leading police on a chase due to an unrelated incident. Officials say he hid out for the night in the Starrville church. Shortly before Sunday morning services started, he was found by Pastor Mark McWilliams. Sheriff Larry Smith said at the time that McWilliams drew a pistol on Woolen but Woolen was allegedly able to get control of the gun and shoot the pastor. Continue reading Man charged in church shooting found incompetent, case on hold

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Three men accused of the quadruple murder in New Summerfield pleaded not guilty to capital murder charges on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, during an arraignment hearing in Cherokee County, the attorneys for Dylan Welch, Billy Phillips and Jesse Pawlowski submitted not guilty pleas. The three were indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 6. They were detained on July 21 in connection to the deadly shooting of four people in a trailer home in New Summerfield. The three men each received a bond of $1 million. John Clinton, 18, Amanda Bain 39, Ami Hickey, 39, and Jeff Gerla, 47 were killed in the incident. Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said the shooting happened due to a robbery over clothes and guns.

SMITH COUNTY — An unresponsive inmate found by jail staff in the clinic of the Smith County Jail around 12:30 Saturday morning has died. The inmate, identified as Kevin Wayne Freeman, 52, of Tyler, died Saturday night. Detention staff noticed a shirt around the inmate’s neck, tied to a metal curtain. Detention staff immediately cut the shirt off of the inmate and began CPR. The inmate was transported to a local ER. Freeman’s family has been notified. Per Smith County Sheriff’s Office protocol, Sheriff Larry Smith contacted the Texas Rangers to conduct an investigation into this incident. The body has been transported to Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas for the autopsy.

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD said students’ personal information may have been accessed after the district experienced a ransomware attack on June 14. According to our news partner KETK, the Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted the school district in June about how they were a potential target of a cyber attack. “Your minor child’s name, social security number, health information and date of birth may have been impacted,” wrote Whitehouse ISD Superintendent Christopher Moran in a letter to parents. Whitehouse ISD was not able to access some of their computers due to the incident, so they started an investigation with the help of third-party forensic specialists. Continue reading Whitehouse ISD information may have been accessed after ransomware attack

TYLER – A 17-year-old is behind bars after an investigation into threats of a school shooting at Winona High School. According to our news partner KETK, the investigation started when the FBI National Threat Operations Center got an anonymous tip about the threat of a school shooting at an unknown date and time in the Smith County area. The case was assigned to the FBI Tyler Division as well as investigators with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday. The investigation began that same morning when a Smith County investigator and two FBI agents went to Winona High School where they met with school administrators. Through their initial investigation, they identified the suspect as 17-year-old Tyler Auston Tate, a 10th grade student at WHS. Continue reading 10th grader arrested, charged with terroristic threat towards Winona High School

TYLER – A bicyclist is dead after reportedly getting struck by a vehicle about a mile northwest of Tyler, DPS officials said. According to our news partner KETK, 30-year-old Kevin Mann Jr. of Evart, MI, was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado north on SH-110 when a bicycle rider turned in front of his vehicle around 5:50 p.m. Thursday. 47-year-old Tony Ellisor of Tyler was on the bicycle. He was struck by the vehicle and taken to UT Health East Texas – Tyler where he later died from his injuries. Mann was not injured in the crash.

TYLER — A Smith County jury sentenced 35-year-old Christopher Earl on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, officials said that Earl’s mother testified that she heard the victim, her husband, tell Earl that he needed to “get a job.” She said she heard something that sounded like someone getting punched, followed by the victim saying “you hit me.” When she walked in, Earl’s mother testified that she saw Earl hit his stepfather in the face. She said that though she attempted to stop him, Earl punched his step father two more times in the face then pushed him and his mother to the ground. Earl then grabbed a wooden cane nearby, which his stepfather used to help him walk, and hit his stepfather over the head and began kicking him, the DA’s office said. In the process, he reportedly also broke his mother’s arm as she tried to lie across her husband to protect him. Continue reading Flint man sentenced to life in prison for murder of his 73-year-old stepfather

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department said on Thursday they have a person in custody after an incident regarding a “kill list” was reported at Spring Hill ISD. According to our news partner KETK, Brandon Thornton, the Public Information Officer with the Longview Police Department said that a person of interest is in custody, but no further details were provided. Spring Hill ISD shared the following statement on Facebook: “Safety is the number one priority for Spring Hill ISD. The high school encountered an incident today that required coordinated action by district administration, the school resource officer, and the Longview police department. The situation has been addressed, and students and staff are safe. SHISD will continue to follow policy and student code of conduct requirements in all situations. The administration and staff will remain proactive in matters regarding school safety. School will continue tomorrow as scheduled. Thank you for your support.”

TYLER — A jury has sentenced Martin Reynolds to 16 years in prison for the murder of Andrew Carpenter after more than 4 hours of deliberations. The prosecution had requested 40 years while the defense asked for 10. He’ll get 4 years time served for the time he was waiting for his trial and be eligible for parole in 2025. The latest he will be out is 2033. He was charged after shooting Carpenter in November 2017. According to our news partner KETK, the jury deliberated for five hours before reaching the guilty verdict. Continue reading Jury sentences Tyler man to 16 years in prison for murder

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its search for a missing woman, 72-year-old Dian (Bragg) Godwin, and is still seeking the public’s help. A Thursday update says over 1300 acres have been cleared by sheriff’s investigators with assistance from emergency personnel from Smith County Emergency Services District 2. Officials say the ESD 2 Dive Team searched and cleared a two-acre pond Thursday near Godwin’s residence. According to a Tuesday news release, on December 1, the sheriff’s office received a report of a missing person from CR 1118, north of Lake Placid Road, in the southwest portion of the county. The caller, who is Godwin’s daughter, said that on November 29, Godwin walked away from her residence in an unknown direction. Continue reading Search continues for missing woman

ANDERSON COUNTY — One person has been arrested following a murder and hostage situation Thursday morning in the Frankston area. According to our news partner KETK, Anderson County Sheriff Rudy Flores says a call came in to deputies around 1:30 a.m. from a neighbor on FM 309 reporting multiple gunshots. Deputies responded and found a dead male on the front porch of the residence who appeared to have died from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 38-year-old Marco Matthew Gonzales. An autopsy has been ordered. Continue reading One arrested after hostage situation

STARRVILLE – Former Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals justice Sam Griffith has announced that he will be running to replace congressional hopeful Nathaniel Moran as Smith County judge. Thus far, Griffith is opposed in the upcoming GOP primary by current County Commissioner Neal Franklin. According to our news partner KETK, Griffith still owns and operates the family farm that he grew up on in Starrville. Since his retirement in 2015, he has been traveling to help impoverished communities around the world. Griffith also co-founded the Texas Minority Coalition, a multiracial group of Christian conservatives. Along with that, he has published two novels.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man turned himself in on Wednesday in connection with the hit-and-run fatal crash that happened on Sunday morning. 53-year-old Gabriel Garcia, of Lufkin, was killed in the wreck. According to our news partner KETK, the driver is identified as Roberto Carlos Guerrero, 32. The Lufkin Police Department was contacted by Guerrero’s attorney earlier this week, notifying them that Guerrero would turn himself in to the Angelina County Jail once the department had a warrant for his arrest. Guerrero is charged with accident involving injury or death. Continue reading Man turns himself in after fatal hit-and-run crash

AUSTIN — It was another strong month for Tyler and Longview on sales tax allocations from the state comptroller’s office. For December, Tyler gets $4,426,909.70, compared to $3,836,417.06 a year ago. For the year to date, Tyler has tallied $53,216,955.30, well above the $45,976,112.90 shown at this time in 2020. As for Longview, the December total is $3,167,408.90, a substantial jump from the $2,549,198.73 posted at this time last year. In the year-to-date category, Longview shows $38,762,679.54, compared to the $33,602,228.20 it brought during the same period in 2020.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday acted on several key items. Following a final public hearing on the matter, councilmembers voted to adopt the city’s redistricting plan based on 2020 Census data. That follows months of compiling and reviewing information and ideas about the process. Also approved: updates to outdoor burning provisions and a resolution to sign onto a statewide opioid settlement, allowing the city to receive up to $723,829 over the next 18 years for local opioid-abatement programs. In other business, the Council okayed contracts for consent decree support, closed circuit TV analysis, and cleaning of sewer lines. Councilmembers also gave the green light to plans for renovation of Noble E. Young Park as well as an addendum to the Stewart Park deed. Click here and scroll down as needed to “Tyler News” for more details.

TYLER – Hector Garza held an event in downtown Tyler Tuesday to kick off his candidacy for Smith County Democratic Party chair. According to his Facebook page, Garza will “open all financials to inspection and engage in fundraising.” Garza said he would add meaning and purpose back into “a fractured and mismanaged local party.” According to our news partner KETK, current Chair Michael Tolbert was the subject of some controversy within the party earlier this year. Several members joined in an unsuccessful resolution calling for Tolbert’s resignation.

TYLER — East Texas business owner Joe McDaniel has officially announced his candidacy for Rep. Louie Gohmert’s U.S. House District 1 seat. According to our news partner KETK, McDaniel made the announcement Tuesday through his candidate page on Facebook. McDaniel, of Kilgore, says he’s running as a “Conservative Republican” and intends to represent East Texas as a member from the community, saying that he is not a part of the “political bubble” of Smith County. McDaniel is joined in the GOP primary race by Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran, former Gohmert staffer Aditya Atholi of Center, and John Porro of Dallas.

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is seeking help finding a missing woman. According to a news release, on December 1, the sheriff’s office received a report of a missing person from CR 1118, north of Lake Placid Road, in the southwest portion of the county. The caller, who is the daughter of the missing individual, identified her mother as Dian (Bragg) Godwin, 72. She said that on November 29, Godwin walked away from her residence in an unknown direction. She further stated that this was not unusual and that her mother frequently walked away from the residence but would return to her home within a day or two. Dian Godwin has also been known to walk for hours at a time throughout Tyler. Dian Godwin has now been missing for over a week and has not been seen or heard from by family members. Continue reading Authorities seek missing woman

LONGVIEW — Registration for the Longview Fire Department’s annual Ambulance Subscription Program for 2022 closes soon. Since 2009, the fire department has offered the program to help offset the rising cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses, according to a news release. With the typical cost associated with EMS transports averaging $800 to $1,000 per response, the program limits any out-of-pocket EMS expenses to $70/year. To subscribe for 2022, the deadline to register is December 31, 2021. Click this link for more details.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday will conduct the final public hearing on its new redistricting plan based on 2020 Census data before voting to adopt the plan. That’s according to a news release following months of compiling and reviewing information and ideas about the process. The meeting gets underway at 9 a.m. at City Hall. Click here for more information.

TYLER — The omicron variant of COVID-19 hasn’t turned up in East Texas yet, but local health authorities are keeping a watchful eye. NET Health’s George Roberts says UT Health Science Center at Tyler has been sending samples to the state periodically, and state health officials are keeping an eye on things as well. Roberts also says local authorities are monitoring the situation elsewhere in the state and nation, and around the world, with their minds on how it may apply to the East Texas region. This week’s dashboard shows no radical changes in the East Texas COVID landscape since the last report. Roberts continues to sound the call for vaccinations. For more information on COVID-19 in East Texas, click here.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — A 13-year-old boy was injured after being shot in the face over the weekend by a 10-year-old family member. According to our news partner KETK, the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting that happened off of State Highway 21 W. Deputies said the boy was injured after the 10-year-old picked up a .380 semi-automatic handgun that had been left unattended. While playing with the gun in a back bedroom, the 10-year-old unintentionally discharged the gun, hitting the 13-year-old in the cheek, deputies said. The bullet exited the victim beneath the ear. Deputies and emergency medical personnel went to the home around 7:00 Sunday evening after 911 dispatchers received a call about a shooting. Continue reading Sheriff: Teen injured after ‘accidental shooting’ by 10-year-old family member

GILMER — 48-year-old Joseph Paul Price of Gladewater gets 50 years in prison after pleading guilty in a Gilmer courtroom to eight counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Officials with the Upshur County DA’s Office say the dates of offense were between March and May of last year. The child was eight years old at the time. Price waived his right to appeal and will be required to register as a sex offender if he is ever paroled, according to a news release.

TYLER – Jeffrey Noblitt has been appointed the new vice president of marketing at The University of Texas at Tyler, effective Jan. 1, 2022. In a prepared statement, UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun pointed to Noblitt’s “more than 20 years of experience in higher education, publishing and journalism.” Calhoun says Noblitt “has led award-winning teams to build powerful brands and advance institutions through strategic integrated marketing communications.” Noblitt’s expertise will help UT Tyler access new markets, engage new audiences, and enhance the university’s overall reputation and distinction, Calhoun added in a press release. Noblitt has been the associate vice president for marketing and communications at California State University, Northridge since 2013.

TYLER – TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Longview maintenance will continue mill and inlay operations on FM 2204. The work will be between Bus. US 259 and the US 259 Bypass east and westbound. Expect left lane closures with flaggers present. Tyler maintenance will have a crew performing base failure repairs on FM 848 near the intersection at Spur 248. A second crew will be on FM 2813 performing bridge work. Click here for the complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — An off-duty Nacogdoches police officer was arrested by Texas DPS for driving while intoxicated on Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Daniel Aburto, 30, was arrested Sunday morning around 7:45 a.m. after Nacogdoches Combined Communications Center received a call of a person asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle in Douglass, blocking the road. Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Deputies were the first to arrive, followed by Texas DPS. They learned that the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was an off-duty Nacogdoches Police Officer. Aburto was booked into the Nacogdoches County Law Enforcement Center on a single charge of DWI and was placed on suspension until the completion of an internal investigation.

TYLER — Tyler Police 911 services are experiencing technical issues which are causing it to go up and down. AT&T is working to resolve the issue but they don’t have an eta on repairing it. If you call 911 and get a busy signal, immediately call their non-emergency number 903-531-1000. 911 is working intermittently but again, if you get a busy signal when you call 911, please call 903-531-1000 for assistance. Information will be updated once the issue is resolved.

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department is investigating an auto-pedestrian, hit-and-run fatal crash that happened on Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, around 1:30 a.m. a man was attempting to cross the intersection of North Timberland Drive at Paul Avenue when he was struck by a car that did not stop. After the crash, witnesses came out of the Whataburger and saw the victim lying in the road, and called 911. The man was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead 20 minutes after the crash. A witness said they believed the vehicle that hit the man was a gray or silver Chevy Impala and that the vehicle appeared to pull into a Valero gas station down the street near the incident. Continue reading Lufkin police investigating auto-pedestrian, hit-and-run fatal crash