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SHELBY COUNTY — Our news partner KETK is reporting that officials identified the body of a man who drowned on Wednesday after his kayak flipped over at Lake Timpson.

The body of Gregory Parker, 43, of Timpson was found by dive teams at 9:41 Friday morning after two days of searching, according to Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Hanson. Parker and his friend were on kayaks at Lake Timpson when Parker’s kayak suddenly flipped over and he never resurfaced. Parker’s friend told officials that he heard a yell behind him and when he turned around Parker was below the water. According to Hanson, Parker’s friend called 911 near the area where Parker went under and the dive teams found the body almost exactly where a GPS tracked the call’s signal.

Multiple dive teams and law enforcement agencies helped recover Parker’s body including the DeSoto Parish Fire District 1 dive team and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office officials along with San Augustine and Hudson Fire Departments. Authorities do not suspect foul play and Parker’s body was sent to Dallas for an autopsy.

SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a Florida man was arrested by Smith County officials on Friday after he refused to pull over while taking up both lanes on I-20.

At 1:47 p.m. a citizen reported that a gray 18-wheeler was straddling both lanes while driving eastbound on I-20 and was not allowing other drivers to pass. Officials identified the driver of the 18-wheeler as Cecil Devon Brown, 43, of Pensacola, Florida who recently quit his job at a transport company. The transport company told Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials that Brown did not have permission to drive the 18-wheeler and they believe he was fleeing to Florida.

As Brown continued to head east on I-20 near Highway 69, a constable with Smith County Precinct 5 attempted to get Brown to pull over by flashing his police lights, but Brown would not follow directions from law enforcement. Christian said officials believe that Brown was not trying to run from law enforcement because he never exceeded 70 miles per hour during the pursuit, they believe he just did not want to stop. Continue reading Florida man arrested in 18-wheeler pursuit on I-20

HENDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, after 32 years with Henderson County, Judge Wade McKinney announced on Friday that he will not seek reelection for the next term.

McKinney said he started working for the county in 1994 as a road hand who filled potholes and just wanted to chase cows. Since then he served 20 years as the county commissioner and as the county judge since 2019. McKinney is proud of what the county has accomplished during his time and he wants the public to know that his work as a public servant is ongoing.

“This is not about slowing down or saying goodbye,” McKinney said. “It is about shifting focus. I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and working on my land, getting back to some of the things I have always loved. I also want to help others navigate the challenges of local government with the knowledge and experience I have gained these last 32 years. The work is never really finished.”

McKinney thanked the public for trusting him with the honor of serving Henderson County and said that no matter what, he will still be a road hand at heart.

HUDSON – The City of Hudson in Angelina County has dissolved its police department, citing factors like leadership turnover, personnel matters and budget constraints, according to our news partner KETK.

“The decision was not made lightly and many factors went into this outcome, the most important factor, however, was ensuring that the citizens of the City of Hudson receive access to the best quality law enforcement and emergency services possible,” Hudson city officials said.

The city council voted to dissolve the police department in a special meeting on Tuesday. The decision came after city council members gave the department a 90-day grace period to find new leaders, strengthen their internal procedures and make sure their budget was used efficiently. Continue reading City votes to dissolve police department

MABANK – A construction worker has died after a trench collapse incident occurred on Wednesday morning in Mabank, according to our news partner KETK. At around 10:30 a.m., Mabank Police were dispatched to the 1000 block of North State Highway 198 after reports of a construction site accident.

When rescue crews arrived, removed a worker from the ditch, and performed life-saving measures. The worker, identified as Abraham Gomez Cruz, 38 of Hutchins, was taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and coworkers of Mr. Gomez during this incredibly difficult time,” the police department said.

The investigation remains ongoing by occupational safety officials to determine the cause of the collapse.

ARP – Nearly 20 members of the Arp ISD teaching staff will have a little extra cash in their pockets after being approved to receive the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA).

The TIA strives to recognize and retain promising teachers by creating incentivize programs for teachers who work in high-needs schools. Following the 2022-2023 school year, Arp ISD submitted applications for their educators to be entered into the TIA.

After the end of this school year, it was revealed that 17 members of the Arp teaching staff had been approved to join the TIA for their excellent work in the classroom. The teachers selected earned designations at one of three levels, including recognized, exemplary, and masters based on their classroom performance, student growth and rigorous evaluations.

“I am thrilled for these 17 teachers,” added Arp ISD Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Schminkey. “An incredible recognition for their hard work, dedication, and impact on students in the classroom.” Continue reading Arp teachers recognized for excellence

TYLER — CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler held a memorial service on Thursday to honor four medics that lost their lives in the line of duty in 1988 and 1989. According to our news partner KETK, the National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) travels across the U.S. every year to honor emergency medical services personnel that died while in the line of duty. This year, NEMSMS planned to make a total of 29 stops in 19 states and one of those stops was at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.

A ‘Tree of Life’ memorial was held to honor three CHRSITUS ‘Flight for Life’ crew members who died in an air medical accident on Feb. 13, 1989 and another medic who died in 1988. The ‘Tree of Life’ is a memorial board that displays an image of an oak tree with the names, agencies and dates of loss of every honoree engraved on the leaves. Continue reading Four medics memorialized at Tyler hospital

UPDATE: According to our news partner KETK and the Lufkin Police Department, the juvenile who was shot Tuesday evening in Lufkin died early Thursday morning at a Houston hospital.

26-year-old Julious Griffin was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Tuesday evening, and murder charges are now pending.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man is behind bars after a shooting on Tuesday night on Percy Simond Street left one person injured. According to the police department, around 7 p.m. officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of Percy Simond Street. When they arrived, 26-year-old Julious Griffin admitted to the officers that he shot the juvenile in the leg, but claimed self-defense.

Griffin has been booked in to the Angelina County Jail on the following charges: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and Deadly conduct.

The person that was injured was taken to a local hospital, but then later flown to an out-of-town facility. Their condition and identity have not been released as of this writing.

CHANDLER — City of Chandler Police Chief Kalon Rollins was appointed as the interim city administrator on Wednesday night by the city council according to our news partner KETK.

Rollins will continue his role as chief of police while serving as the interim city administrator, and he said this new responsibility will not affect police services. Rollins’ main goal during his time as administrator is to move the city forward with the help of the mayor and city council.

“I have a great staff who already handles the daily operation of the police department and who completely support my acceptance of this new position; therefore, this change will not have any effect on police services,” Rollins said. “I have graciously accepted this position for one main purpose: to move the city forward.”

According to Rollins, city leaders will work to create the necessary changes and move in a positive direction while being honest with Chandler residents.

JACKSONVILLE– Hundreds of people across East Texas packed into Jacksonville’s City Hall for the groundwater board’s public hearing on the 21 high capacity well drilling permit.

According to our news partner KETK, the Neches and Trinity County’s Groundwater Conservation District voted unanimously to send the contested hearing to an independent state agency for mediation.
People who spoke at the meeting were resident, mayors, county commissioners, county judges, water companies and state representatives.

“All of rural East Texas, all of our rural East Texas counties, will be affected. Our cities will not be able to have businesses. Everyone’s going to have to move away,” New Summerfield resident, Jennifer Murphy-Vick said.

Other community members spoke out about how this issue may be the size of a drop of water now, but could turn into an ocean of problems if nothing is done. Continue reading Hundreds gather in opposition to well permits in Jacksonville

LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, Melissa Beckett announced on Thursday that she will enter the republican primary race to represent Texas House District 7 which oversees Gregg, Harrison and Marion counties. Beckett is a current Gregg County resident with a background in commodity trading and data analysis giving her some experience in recognizing patterns. She is also the founder of Texas Education 911 which advocates for parents whose children have been harmed in tax payer schools and help the families reach justice, according to texased911,com.

“I’m an everyday Texan, not a politician, but I feel compelled to run because we the
families of East Texas, have been forgotten,” Beckett said. “We deserve to have a representative in Austin that puts us first. That’s why I’m running.”

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is investigating the death of a 35-year-old man who was found unresponsive in a pool on Thursday morning, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The man, who has not been identified, was found at around 3:45 a.m. in a pool in the 4000 block of Stonegate Blvd. He was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:45 a.m.

When asked if foul play was suspected, Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said the case remains under investigation.

TYLER – Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 7 and Joint House Resolution 7, what he calls is the largest generational investment in the states’ water infrastructure.

Texas is growing but the water supply is not keeping up, the 89th legislature invested $20 billion to fund water projects. A part of the $20 billion investment is to fix old, decaying and costly infrastructure.

“What we’ve done with this legislation impacts generations of Texas,” State Representative Cody Harris said.

“We lose about 88 billion gallons of water a year because of broken, busted and aged pipes. We have an across-the-board urgency to make sure that we address the water issue. The good news is we had the legislature step up and get that job done with the largest water law in the history of the great state of Texas,” Abbott said. Continue reading State Rep. Harris watches as Texas Governor signs water bill

HENDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, more than 10,000 videos of child pornography were allegedly found in a Mabank man’s Snapchat account.

On March 30, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip from Snapchat for David Burlin Brewer. The sheriff’s office obtained Brewer’s IP address and Snapchat account, where they found several videos of minors showing their genital area and touching themselves. One of the videos shows a girl, who is believed to be under 10, sexually exposing herself. Officials also found multiple other videos of suspected minors performing sexual acts while naked.

“There are almost 10,000 files to view,” the affidavit said.” A lot of the files are age-difficult, but some of them are obviously children with their genitals exposed.” Continue reading Tip leads to child porn possession arrest in Mabank