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TYLER — A former Tyler ISD staff member was arrested on Wednesday night on a sexual assault charge, according to our news partner KETK. Arrest documents from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office reveal that a Tyler police officer was patrolling the area of Fun Forest Park around 9:20 p.m. when they witnessed two people who “were clearly nude” in the back of a vehicle.

Officers approached the vehicle and identified the woman as Anahi Arellano, a former instructional aide at Bell Elementary, along with a male companion. Initially, the male provided false information regarding his age, but it was later verified that he is 16 years old.

Arellano allegedly admitted to officers that she and the minor had “sexual intercourse” in the back of the vehicle, prompting her arrest. She was booked into Smith County Jail on Wednesday night, facing a sexual assault charge. Continue reading Former TISD aide arrested for sexual assault

TYLER – City offices will observe the following schedule on Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. City Hall – City Hall offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 19. Tyler Water Utilities- The Water Business Office will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19. The deadline for delinquent accounts will be extended to Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m.

The kiosk at the drive-through offers 24/7 access for water utility customers with its ability to accept checks, money orders, credit/debit cards and cash payments. Those choosing to pay with cash should be aware that no change will be given.

Anyone wishing to make a payment may also use one of two available drop boxes. One box is located in front of the Water Business Office at 511 W. Locust St. The other is a drive-up box located in the Brookshire’s parking lot on the corner of South Broadway Avenue and Rice Road. Payments will be credited on the next business day. Please do not drop cash into these boxes. Payments may also be made online at CityofTyler.org, over the phone by calling (903) 531-1230, or at one of many businesses in Tyler that accept water utility payments. For a list of participating businesses, please visit the City’s website. Continue reading Tyler city schedule for MLK Day

LONGVIEW– A Longview man who was arrested last May after firing shots at police officers was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Wednesday, according to our news partner KETK.

Jory Keith Sadler was arrested after the Longview Police Department received reports of an armed person firing a gun on the 2900 block of McCann Road. Once authorities arrived on the scene, Sadler allegedly fired multiple rounds at their patrol vehicle, and in return, he was shot by an officer. After recovering in a local hospital, Sadler was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant and was booked in the Gregg County Jail.

According to court records, Sadler was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Wednesday after he was found guilty of aggravated assault.

TYLER — Several roads in downtown Tyler have seen an increase in traffic and an impact on parking due to ongoing construction. According to our news partner KETK, College Avenue and Erwin Street are the busiest roads downtown, while Elm Street, near The Foundry, is also closed. This has removed dozens of parking spaces and has made getting to restaurants like Heritage East and Moocho Burrito challenging.

Multiple businesses within the square are reporting dips in sales. Good Vibez Nutrition reports a 20% loss over the past year, Crema reports a 20% decrease, and Heritage East reports a 15% decline in bar revenue. Downtown restaurants and retail say the road projects have affected parking, equipment deliveries, and overall attendance.

Good Vibez Nutrition has started thinking of the resources needed to keep businesses up past this rebuilding period. Continue reading Lack of parking impacting businesses

TYLER – As election day approaches and campaign signs take over yards and roadsides, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reminds people of sign placement guidelines. According to our news partner KETK, as Candidates are preparing for the primary election on March 3, but TxDOT advises campaigners to be aware that placing political signs on public lands is illegal.

“We want to remind everyone that TxDOT has guidelines regarding placing signs in the right of way,” Jeff Williford, the public information officer for the TxDOT Tyler District, said. “We know that a lot of signs will start showing up as we get closer to election day, but if a political sign is placed in the right of way, we are required to remove it without notice.”
Continue reading TxDOT enforces campaign sign laws

UPDATE: According to ESD2, the fire is nearly extinguished and residents are allowed to return to their homes.

TYLER — Crews are responding to a grass fire off County Road 219 in Smith County on Wednesday. Since then, residents were asked to evacuate as a precaution. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County ESD2 said several crews responded to the fire on Haverhill Road off CR 219, but no structural damage was reported due to barriers placed around surrounding houses. Officials confirmed no injuries were reported.

The fire is believed to have quickly progressed due to windy conditions. Earlier, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office urged residents to refrain from burning as winds are predicted to be 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts possible.

SMITH COUNTY – The large industrial fire at Four Seasons Containers LLC in November began in a dumpster and spread to the building, Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue reported on Wednesday, January 14.

“The fire originated in a roll-off dumpster where waste from the recycling process conducted at the business was disposed of on a regular basis,” Hogue said. “The fire spread from the roll-off dumpster to the building, resulting in the destruction of the approximately 24,000-square-foot building. The exact cause of the fire within the dumpster was undetermined.”

The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office was aided by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in a thorough investigation to determine the fire origin and cause, Hogue said.
Continue reading Four Seasons Containers fire update

SMITH COUNTY – All non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed for business on Monday, January 19, 2026, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, January 20, and Commissioners Court will be held at its normal time, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Smith County Annex Building, located at 200 E. Ferguson St. in Tyler.

TYLER — The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) announced on Monday that construction of the Old Jacksonville Highway expansion project will be pushed back for a few more years.

According to our news partner KETK, on Monday, during their open house, the organization said they would hold construction until 2030, two more years than anticipated, as they wait for tech stock to buy the property needed and “move the utilities that’s going to be involved with the project.”

“It’s just taking a little bit more time than was originally forecasted. So that is really what is kind of pushing this project back a little bit, but it is definitely still moving forward, and we still see it happening,” MPO Director Michael Howell said.

The project is set to widen the highway from four to six lanes, affecting Loop 323 and FM 2813 in Gresham. Continue reading Highway expansion project delayed

HENDERSON COUNTY — An Athens traffic stop led to the arrest of a wanted fugitive and the seizure of marijuana, methamphetamine and drug distribution tools on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a Henderson County narcotics investigator and K-9 deputy conducted a traffic stop for a traffic violation and detected an odor of marijuana from the vehicle at approximately 2:30 p.m. in the 500 block of West Corsicana Street on Monday.

The deputies identified the driver as 32-year-old Armond Jamal Roberts, who kept giving different names due to being a wanted fugitive from the sheriff’s office. While conducting a search of the vehicle, deputies located a large gallon bag that contained marijuana along with small bags and scales that are commonly used in narcotics distribution. Additionally, the deputies found two plastic bags containing several small, bright-colored pills, which tested positive for suspected methamphetamine.

Roberts was arrested and booked into the Henderson County Jail is being held under a $104,285 bond for manufacture or delivery controlled substance and his warrant

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 Tuesday to submit an application for the Sheriff Immigration Law Enforcement Grant. Our news partners at KETK report that Senate Bill 8, which instructed the Texas Comptroller to create a grant program to support sheriffs in counties with fewer than a million residents that take part in the 287(g) program, is the source of this grant. This grant is provided directly by the state. The $100,000 grant is available to Smith County, which has a population of over 200,000. If granted, the funds must be used within two years.

Commissioner for Precinct 4 Ralph Caraway Sr. voted against the application, but County Judge Neal Franklin, Commissioners Christina Drewry, J. Scott Jerod, and John Moore voted in favor of it during the commissioners’ court meeting on Tuesday.

AUSTIN (AP) – Several appeals in some of Texas’ highest-profile capital punishment cases are set for 2026 as the state continues to maintain a historically low number of executions.

2025 marked the second year Texas was not the leading state in executions in a single year, but the state is still the overall leader nationally in the death penalty. Harris County alone, which handed down its 300th death sentence last year, accounts for more executions than any other state.

But Texas’ executions have gradually declined in the last decade, and in 2025 the low number of executions was in part fueled by two last-minute stays. Their resolutions, however, along with a third successful appeal for another death row inmate, may still ultimately result in executions.
Continue reading Death row appeals loom in 2026

KILGORE — An East Texas theater company has been awarded a $25,000 grant for its 2026 season as a part of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration. According our news partner KETK, the Texas Shakespeare Festival at Kilgore College was one of 50 arts projects across the country to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as a part of the federal initiative, “Celebrating America250: Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes.”

The National Endowment for the Arts was named a key partner in developing the National Garden of American Heroes, an executive order dedicated to recognizing notable historical figures.

The grant is awarded to arts projects in any discipline that celebrates the contributions to American history of one or more national heroes. Continue reading Shakespeare Festival awarded $25K