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COFFEE CITY – Police are looking for a person they say was carrying more than 900 grams of suspected meth in a backpack while fleeing from police.

At around 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Sgt. Welch with the Coffee City Police Department attempted to stop a blue 2005 Kawasaki 1300 motorcycle on State Highway 155. Police said the motorcycle fled north and crashed near the 22900 block of Lakeway Harbor Drive.

Officers reported finding roughly 952 grams of suspected methamphetamine in a backpack next to the wrecked motorcycle. Police describe the driver as having a medium build, possibly white or Hispanic, wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and a black helmet and possibly armed with a handgun. Continue reading More than 900 grams of suspected meth found

RUSK COUNTY – The Texas Rangers are investigating an in-custody death that happened at the Rusk County Jail on Sunday afternoon. According to our news partners at KETK and the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, Johnny Bradley, 61, was found unresponsive in his bed by jail staff on Sunday afternoon. Officials said that staff immediately began CPR before Bradley was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Bradley’s family was notified and according to the sheriff’s office, his body is being taken to Tyler for an autopsy. The Texas Rangers are conducting an investigation into Bradley’s death as per standard procedure.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council recognized first responders for their combined, 175 years of service to the Rose City, at Wednesday morning’s city council meeting, our news partner KETK reports. “It’s amazing how quick 25 years has gone,” said Cordell Parker, Fire Battalion Chief. The City of Tyler recognized seven firemen who have served the city for 25 years. “We’re just here to serve them and what they need, you know they need something done, an emergency we’re here to take care of them,” said Parker. Mayor Don Warren presented honorary certificates to each first responder for their commitment over several years. Continue reading Several Tyler firefighters honored for 25 years of service

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Sheriff’s Deputies are searching for a 14-year-old runaway. According to the sheriff’s office, Lincoln Legg ran away from his residence on July 10. He was subsequently located on July 24, although he ran away again after returning home. Lincoln is considered to be a chronic runaway and his welfare is of  high concern. Officials believe Lincoln to be in circumstances and situations that would be considered dangerous for a child. Lincoln is described as a white male, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5’06, 130 lbs. Lincoln is reported to have recently shaved his head. He has been located in the past, within the city limits of Tyler and is known to frequent the East Loop 323 corridor area. Continue reading Smith County Sheriff’s Office searching for runaway

GREGG COUNTY – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is trying to locate two unidentified males in regards to several crimes in Gregg County. According to our news partner KETK, officers believe the men pictured are a African American Male and Hispanic Male between the ages of 18 to 23. They are wanted for burglary of a vehicle, possession of marijuana, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Authorities ask if you have information to contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office or click greggcountycrimestoppers.com here.

MARSHALL – Marshall Police Department have made arrests in the a shooting of a 13 year-old boy. According to our news partner KETK, MPD was called late in the evening July 5 to the scene of a shooting on West Emory Street. Officers found the unnamed victim shot with a non-life-threatening injury, he was transported to a local hospital. In the course of their investigation, Marshall Police identified 18 year-old Eric Lavigne of Marshall and 19 year-old Christiana Whitt of Henderson as the assailants of the unnamed victim. Lavigne remains in the Harrison County Jail on a $200,000 bond. Whitt was arrested on July 19 and has since been released on a $75,000 bond.

TYLER – The 2023 fall semester is rapidly approaching. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler ISD and Longview ISD begin August 9. With Jacksonville starting their fall session a week later August 16. To find your schools opening day, click here.

TYLER – The Tyler City Council approved on Wednesday a $873,961 contract to rehabilitate roughly 21,355 square feet of brick streets. Our news partners at KETK report that the contract is with Crown Civil Construction Corporation, and work is scheduled to begin this fall. As part of the project, Bois D’Arc Avenue from South Oakwood Street to the railroad tracks will be reconstructed.
Continue reading Tyler’s historic brick streets to get $870,000 in improvements

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith was sworn in as President of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas at an event in Fort Worth on Tuesday night, according to our news partner KETK. As president, Smith will represent sheriffs from all of Texas’ 254 counties and oversee day-to-day affairs at the association, which is said to be one of the oldest law enforcement associations in the nation and the host of the largest composite gatherings of officers in the Lone Star State. One of Smith’s top priorities is addressing mental health in Texas jails, stating “the largest mental health facility in most cities is the county jail.” Another of his priorities is addressing the border crisis and getting help to sheriff’s offices in those regions. Continue reading Larry Smith sworn in as president of Sheriffs’ Association of Texas

LONGVIEW — A Community Meeting to discuss improvements to Rollins Park funded by the 2018 bond election has been postponed and will be rescheduled. Spring Hill, McWhorter, and Rollins parks are the second set of parks identified for improvements as part of the bond initiative. Lois Jackson, McWhorter, Patterson, Spring Creek, and Stamper parks were renovated as part of the first set of park improvements.

BULLARD — According to our news partner KETK Bullard ISD has added two more officers as a response to Governor Greg Abbott’s new law, House Bill 3. This new law requires each school district in Texas to have one security officer on each school campus. “That brings us to five and that’s just an added security measure for students staff and our entire community,” said Bullard ISD Superintendent Jack Lee. New police chief Pat Hendrix says policies and procedures will continue to be followed and stressing the importance to keep an up-to-date secure building. “We have films, camera systems, we have different types of door locks, and we have a lot of safety procedures on these campuses,” said Hendrix. Continue reading Bullard to start school year with new security measures

TYLER — Leadership from Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Tyler announced Monday the creation of the TJC and UT Tyler Promise Transfer Scholarship. According to our news partner KETK, starting this fall, the scholarship will enable TJC grads who have been in the college’s promise program to take the next step up to UT Tyler to continue their education. The James I. Perkins Family Foundation, who funded the first 25 scholarships at $8,000 each, announced Monday they would fund an additional 25 more for a total gift to the program of $400,000.
Continue reading TJC and UT Tyler create a unique scholarship program

TYLER – A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on U.S. Highway 69, four miles north of Jacksonville, according to our news partners at KETK. On Saturday, DPS said that a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling north on U.S. 69 when it struck 49-year-old Derrick Wayne Steele as he was also traveling north riding on a bicycle. Steele was pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the Peace Brenda Dominey. According to DPS, the posted speed limit in the area was 70 mph and the driver of the Tahoe was not injured. No further information is available as DPS said this is an ongoing investigation.

TYLER — Leaders from Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Tyler signed an agreement Monday to create the TJC and UT Tyler Promise Transfer Scholarship, according to our news partner KETK. Beginning this fall, the new scholarship will enable TJC graduates who have been successful in one of the college’s Promise programs to further pursue their higher education at UT Tyler, according to TJC. In support of this partnership, the James I. Perkins Family Foundation announced a gift to fund an initial 25 scholarships at $8,000 each. During Monday’s event, the Perkins family made a surprise announcement of an additional 25 scholarships, for a total gift of $400,000. Continue reading TJC/UT Tyler agree to create Promise Transfer Scholarship

HARRISON COUNTY — A man was arrested after a traffic stop led to the seizure of several drugs, drug paraphernalia and a firearm. According to our news partner KETK, on Saturday, a deputy with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at Pinecrest and Highway 59. The driver was identified as Eduordo Garcia. While speaking with the Garcia, officials said the deputy received consent to search the vehicle. The search reportedly led to the discovery of 127 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 9.5 grams of cocaine, a firearm, a scale and a package containing small empty plastic bags. Garcia was booked into the Harrison County Jail on the charges of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on U.S. Highway 69, four miles north of Jacksonville, according to DPS. According to our news partner KETK, on Saturday, DPS said that a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling north on U.S. 69 when it struck 49-year-old Derrick Wayne Steele as he was also traveling north riding on a bicycle. Steele was pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the Peace Brenda Dominey. According to DPS, the posted speed limit in the area was 70 mph and the driver of the Tahoe was not injured. No further information is available as DPS said this is an ongoing investigation.

CLARKSVILLE – An AMBER Alert issued Monday afternoon reached a safe conclusion. According to our news partner KETK, Red River County Sheriff’s report that 15-year-old Erika Anderson was found safe early Monday evening and is being reunited with her family. At this time, that is all the details that are available.

TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a driver has been arrested after allegedly running over a pedestrian around 12:15 a.m. on Monday near State Highway 64 West and County Road 1125 in Tyler, according to our news partners at KETK.

Jesus Mora, 38, called 911 and told dispatchers that he had ran over a man with his vehicle and fled the scene, according to authorities. The sheriff’s office said another witness had called 911 and reported that Mora had run over the pedestrian on purpose before leaving the scene. Continue reading Driver arrested for running over pedestrian near Tyler

ANGELINA COUNTY – Several East Texas counties have enacted burn bans due to dry conditions and fire risk. When a county issues a burn ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited in that county. Courtesy of our news partners at KETK, here is a list of burn bans across East Texas: Continue reading LIST: East Texas counties under burn bans

BROOKSTON – An Amber Alert has been issued for a 15 years old girl who was suspected of being abducted in the town of Brookston, TX which is near Paris.The victim is a white female named Erika Anderson, though she may use the name Erika McCarver. She was last seen wearing a gray hoodie. The suspect is 22-year-old Jonathan Ramirez. He is driving a green and beige 2009 Toyota Camry. The license number is RWW6625.
If you have any information please call your local 9-1-1.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Public Library will be changing it’s hours of operation starting on Monday, July 31, according to the City of Longview. According to our news partner KETK, the library is making these changes in order to better accommodate rising daily patron attendance. The press release added that some minor adjustments might be made to weekly youth and adult programs. In total, the library won’t be losing any hours, officials said. The library’s curbside pickup will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week from Monday through Friday, according to a City of Longview press release. The library’s new hours of operation will be: Monday – Wednesday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Thursday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. Computers will shut down 30 minutes before the end of each day.

PAYNE SPRINGS – Payne Springs Fire Rescue said they responded to a grass fire that started because of alleged illegal outdoor burning around 2:35 p.m. on Saturday. Our news partners at KETK report the grass fire started in the Allen Ranch area of Payne Springs and spread to several outbuildings, one of which was completely destroyed, according to PSFR. Officials reminded the public to always have a water source nearby and to always watch any burning.

LUFKIN – A 27-year-old man was arrested late Thursday night after officials said he led officers on a high speed chase. According to our news partners at KETK and the Lufkin Police Department, officers attempted to pull over a Dodge pickup for an expired registration in the 800 block of North Medford Drive around 11:55 p.m. when the truck refused to stop. Officials said the 13-minute pursuit reached speeds more than 100 mph with the truck at times driving on the wrong side of the road. The pursuit ended on Highway 69 South after officers performed a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver on the truck. Continue reading Man accused of leading Lufkin officers on high-speed chase

TYLER – After trying to catch up from 2022’s summer drought, East Texas farmers are praying for a better crop season this year, according to our news partners at KETK. “It all depends on the weather, whether you have a good season or a bad season but it’s been good so far, now how long it’s going to last, I don’t know,” said farmer Dennis Floyd. “The okra seems to be doing really good right now, the tomatoes seem to be doing really well, we’re getting very good corn,” said Allison Lott, owner of HWY 80 Produce. Continue reading East Texas farmers facing challenges in summer heat

NACOGDOCHES – The Nacogdoches Police Department is investigating the case of a 2-year-old child that reportedly shot themself in the head around 11:37 a.m. on Saturday, according to a press release. Our news partners at KETK report that Nacogdoches police and fire departments responded to a report of an accidental shooting at a residence in the 800 block of Texas Oak Street. According to Nacogdoches PD, when first responders arrived they discovered that a 2-year-old child had found a handgun inside the residence and accidentally fired the gun which critically injured them. Continue reading Nacogdoches police investigate accidental shooting of 2-year-old

PITTSBURG — Two minors were detained after an investigation into suspicious credit card charges in Pittsburg. According to the Pittsburg Police Department and our news partners at KETK, on Monday a citizen notified the Pittsburg Police Department that their credit card appeared to have a suspicious charge after a recent purchase at McDonald’s in Pittsburg. This happened at the McDonald’s at 101 S. Greer Blvd. Continue reading Juvenile McDonald’s employees accused of credit card fraud

TYLER – The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office is encouraging citizens to postpone any outdoor burning as drought conditions worsen. Our news partners at KETK report that Officials said the county isn’t under a burn ban yet but the Keetch-Byram Drought Index is expected to rise daily. “While the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) remains in the low 500 range for Smith County, it is expected to rise daily if the area doesn’t receive significant rainfall. Historically, the County has implemented a burn ban when the KBDI reaches the mid-600 to 700 range. However, officials also monitor weather conditions and forecasts, along with the daily incident responses from fire departments throughout the county. Continue reading Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office discourages outdoor burning

TYLER — As East Texas experiences extreme heat, our news partners at KETK spoke with CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler where it’s critical to monitor its facilities’ temperatures around the clock. KETK asked: It’s easy to manage your AC at home, but what does it take to cool down more than one million square feet? Continue reading Local hospital on regulating facility temperature in extreme heat

LONGVIEW – Our news partners at KETK report that the Longview Fire Department responded to a structure fire at R&K Distributers on Wednesday. The first unit on the scene said they saw smoke coming from the west side of the building. According to authorities, an investigation showed that the fire was in a part of the building where several pallet jacks had been charging their batteries. Officials said that the building’s internal sprinklers were able to put out the fire and the firefighters helped clear out the smoke from the building. Continue reading Longview structure fire causes $250,000 in damage