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HENDERSON COUNTY – An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday by a Henderson County jury after he assaulted and threatened to kill a family member in 2025. According to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and our news partner KETK, 60-year-old Lawrence William Miller was arrested on Feb. 27, 2025, after officers from the Gun Barrel City Police Department responded to a call from a woman requesting an ambulance to her home on East Acres.

Once officers arrived at the home, they found the victim struggling to stand and was reportedly in visible pain with bruises covering her body. The victim initially told officers that she had fallen; however, once she was alone with EMS personel she allegedly said that Miller had kicked her in the face and body and threatened to kill her

During Miller’s trial, officers testified that they had been dispatched to the home several times over the past year. Additionally, Amanda Cooper with Breaking Chains, a coalition against family violence in Henderson County, testified as an expert witness on the trial, providing reasons why many domestic violence victims feel unable to leave and may be uncooperative with law enforcement or prosecution. Continue reading Life sentence for domestic violence

SMITH COUNTY — Several firefighters from Smith County Emergency Services District 2 (ESD 2) are being dispatched to West Texas amid potential wildfires. ESD 2 received a request for assistance from the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) regarding potential wildland fires in Pampa and Borger, both in the West Texas region. To provide assistance, ESD 2 will be sending two firefighters, one engine boss, and one dozer boss. Members of the Tyler, Nacogdoches, Texarkana and Longview fire departments are also being dispatched to provide aid.

TYLER — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made a campaign stop in East Texas on Tuesday as the keynote speaker for the Smith County Republican Party’s Lincoln Reagan Day Dinner. Abbott delivered remarks during the event at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler.

According to our news partner KETK, Abbott was joined by several state and local Republican leaders, including State Sen. Bryan Hughes, State Rep. Daniel Alders, State Rep. Cole Hefner and Nate Sheets, who is running for Texas agriculture commissioner.

PALESTINE – A woman was arrested in Palestine last week after allegedly burglarizing a vehicle in the parking lot of a Sherwin-Williams store. According to our news partners KETK and the Palestine Police Department, officers responded to a report of a vehicle burglary just before 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 12. Upon arrival, officers observed a woman matching the suspect’s description walking near a nearby pawn shop. She was later identified as 30-year-old Christie Schoolcraft, of Palestine, and was stopped and detained.

The police department said Schoolcraft initially provided a false name and date of birth but was later correctly identified. Items reported missing from the victim’s vehicle were allegedly found in her possession. Schoolcraft was transported to the Anderson County Jail, where she was booked on charges of burglary of a vehicle and failure to identify/giving false information. As of Tuesday afternoon, she remains in custody on a $12,500 bond.

TYLER – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke in Tyler on Monday as a part of his campaign to be one of two United States Senators for Texas. Monday’s campaign stop was part of the Texas-First Victoria Tour, a state-wide tour aimed at “mobilizing grassroots conservatives” ahead of the Republican Primary in March, where Paxton will face Incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Wesley Hunt.

If Paxton wins in March, he’ll face the winner of the Democratic Primary in November. Democratic Primary candidates include U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, Ahmad Hassan and Texas State Rep. James Talarico, who’s campaigning in Tyler on Feb. 24.

TYLER — Early voting for the March 3 primary election has begun. Many locations are opening for East Texans who want to get to the polls ahead of Election Day. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of early voting locations and times across East Texas where voters can cast their ballot before election day. For more county-specific information, such as hours of operation, visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Continue reading Early voting locations

LUFKIN – The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three men for murder after a Lufkin 18-year-old overdosed on fentanyl on Friday. According to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK, deputies responded to a reported seizure or overdose at a home on Benton Drive outside of Lufkin. The deputies arrived at the scene and found Sierra Grace Duckworth, 18, of Lufkin, unconscious inside the home.

Duckworth was taken to a local hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office said Duckworth’s boyfriend, Coy Allen Cook, 21 of Lufkin, told officers that they had taken some blue fentanyl pills around two hours before the deputies arrived.

Cook and Logan Wayne Ferguson, 19 of Lufkin, reportedly went to the Hudson home of Roderick “Squirrel” Johnson, 25, to buy the fentanyl. According to the sheriff’s office, a purchase of fentanyl pills was set up via text messages that were later found on Duckworth’s phone. Continue reading Overdose leads to murder arrests

WHITEHOUSE – Five polling centers all across Smith County are now set up and ready for East Texas to start early voting. Crews loaded up the truck and delivered everything from booths and tablets, to traffic cones.

The City of Whitehouse spent all day organizing and getting things ready to show off their brand-new voting facility. Maurine Smith has been an election judge in Whitehouse since 2004 and is grateful to have the new location. The new Whitehouse City Center is located on 109 East Main Street and for this early voting period its the only place to cast a vote in the city of Whitehouse.

Smith County poll locations like the Whitehouse City Center are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week or from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Continue reading Early Primary voting today

TYLER – Texas Comptroller candidate Michael Lange stopped in Tyler on Friday to discuss the importance of financial transparency and economic fairness for Texas families.

According to our news partner KETK, Lange said on Friday, “It’s not easy making a living these days, matter of fact, it’s getting harder. A lot of people are worried about their money. A lot of people worried about affordability. What if I told you the comptroller could affect all of that? Think about it, comptroller is your money, it’s how you spend money but also the controller can do things like influence new job creation.”
Continue reading State accountant hopeful talks money

TYLER – The Tyler, Atlanta and Lufkin districts of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are inviting local small businesses to help them with heavy highway construction. Small businesses involved with heavy highway construction are being asked to meet with TxDOT engineers, prime contractors and local support organizations in Tyler on March 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. for a Doing Business with TxDOT event.

“Doing Business with TxDOT is an event series hosted by the TxDOT Civil Rights Division in partnership with local district offices. These events serve as a platform for connecting small businesses with TxDOT and industry personnel,” TxDOT explained. “Attendees will be introduced to key district officials, hear about upcoming projects, and learn best practices for navigating contractor resources. They will also engage with prime contractors and fellow small businesses, gaining insights into their experiences doing business with TxDOT.”

The venue where the event will be hosted on March 11 hasn’t been determined as of Feb. 15. To reserve a spot for the event, visit TxDOT online.

ATHENS – A woman died on Sunday when she was hit by a vehicle on FM 2709 near Athens in Henderson County. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) told our news partner KETK that a woman was struck by a vehicle at around 7 a.m. on Sunday while she was walking in the 4200 block on FM 2709, just off of Highway 19 near Athens. The woman was then found dead when first responders arrived at the scene.

Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the vehicle involved left the scene following the crash. DPS described the suspected vehicle as a 2016 to 2018 model Chevrolet Silverado truck that was heading west towards Eustace. Officials are asking the public to help them identify the driver of the Silverado, which likely has damage on the front end or the driver’s side.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Texas Department of Public Safety at 903-872-5633 and use option #2.

Update: On Tuesday, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 45-year-old Cody Joe Henderson.

WOOD COUNTY — A suspect wanted on multiple felony warrants was killed Saturday night after a lengthy standoff with law enforcement in Wood County that left two officers wounded. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to serve six felony warrants around the intersection of FM 515 and FM 2966 on Saturday. During the attempt, the suspect allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon, striking a Wood County deputy multiple times and wounding a DPS trooper.

According to our news partner KETK, both officers were transported to a hospital in Tyler, where they were listed in critical but stable condition. The suspect barricaded himself inside a residence on FM 2966, prompting a large law enforcement response. The Wood County Special Response Team and Texas Rangers assisted at the scene.

Authorities said negotiations continued for several hours as the suspect repeatedly fired at law enforcement. Multiple methods were used in attempts to get the suspect to surrender, including tear gas. Continue reading Trooper shot; suspect killed

Texans will have more of a say over who their state elected officials will be during the 2026 primaries. Texas Republican and Democrat voters will pick which candidate they want to represent their interests and their party on the ballot for the November general election. In a state where Republicans dominate state government and where many legislative and congressional districts often are drawn to favor them, the primaries are often very significant. Yet, only a fraction of citizens in Texas vote in primary elections.

There are more than 18 statewide elected officials up for election, along with Texas’ members of Congress, state lawmakers, district-based judges and local elected officials. With the new congressional maps redrawn to boost the number of Texas Republicans in Congress, some Texans will have to vote in new congressional districts.

Here’s what you need to know about primaries and the voting process. Stay tuned for more guides about candidates in the following weeks. In the meantime, you can use this tool to see how state lawmakers – some of which are up for election this year – voted on major bills in the past legislative session. Continue reading Primary vote: need to know