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TYLER – Starting Wednesday, downtown Tyler wll be experiencing multiple road closures as well as major traffic changes. Major roadways such as Erwin Street and Broadway Avenue will be effected. Our news partners at KETK have put together a guide with everything you need to know which can be found here.

UPSHUR COUNTY — The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to join the 287(g) Task Force. According to our news partner KETK, with an agreement reached, deputies will undergo training from ICE officials to educate them on enforcing immigration laws, multicultural communication, and avoiding racial profiling.

Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb stated that he will use the resources available from joining the task force to ensure residents’ safety and well-being.

“In closing, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and well-being of every citizen in our community,” Webb said. “We will continue to use every resource available to identify criminal activity within our county and to bring those responsible before the proper courts to answer for their actions.”

BULLARD — Bullard’s City Council voted on Tuesday evening to join ICE’s 287(g) Task Force program according to our new partner KETK. This comes after they voted last month to table the motion as the city attorney was not present at the meeting. The 287(g) Task Force Model is a partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allows local law enforcement to enforce U.S. immigration laws, including identifying and processing immigrants with pending or active criminal charges.

In November, Smith County Precinct 4 joined the Task Force Model Program while Precinct 1 declined to join the same program, as Constable Ralph Caraway said his office will continue to enforce the law and protect its community without expanding its responsibility for “targeting any person because of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, color or creed.”

Bullard has become the second city in Smith County to join the Task Force Model, following the Arp Police Department’s addition on Nov. 14.

Check here for all East Texas agencies currently signed on to ICE’s 287(g) program.

HOPKINS COUNTY — More than $370,000 worth of stolen equipment and trailers from several states have been recovered due to a multi-agency investigation in East Texas.
According to our news partner KETK, the case began when investigators from the Northeast Texas Auto Theft Task Force, in collaboration with the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and several other agencies, investigated reports of trailers and heavy equipment acquired using fraudulent documents. As the investigation expanded, investigators identified links to similar thefts in several Texas counties, including Cooke County.

Cooke County investigators then partnered with the task force, combining their resources and information, which led to the discovery of a key lead in the investigation.

On Monday, investigators executed a search warrant in Kaufman County, where they recovered 14 confirmed stolen items, including equipment and trailers. These items had been reported stolen across five states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri. Continue reading Task force discovers over $370K in stolen equipment

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has announced the appointment of a new shelter coordinator. According to our news partner KETK, Holli Jones, who previously served as the executive director for Pets Fur People, will take on this role, which became vacant after the former supervisor was dismissed. Jones is expected to begin on Dec. 16. In a new structure, the animal control shelter will divide responsibilities between the shelter coordinator and a separate control coordinator. As of now, it has not been announced who will fill the control coordinator position.

SMITH COUNTY – Holli Jones has been named as the new Smith County Animal Shelter Coordinator and is excited for this new chapter in her life. Jones said she is looking forward to being a part of rebranding and rebuilding the department and she will work hard to push people to adopt dogs from the shelter.

Before becoming executive director for Pets Fur People, Ms. Jones was co-owner of the Green Acres Animal Clinic, where she also served as vice president, manager and veterinary assistant. She worked at the clinic from 2015 to 2023. From 2006 to 2016, she was the assistant to the athletic director at Grace Community School, primarily working in marketing, fundraising and coordinating volunteers. From 1992 to 2015, she was the cheerleading coach for Grace Community School. Smith County has not yet hired a Smith County Animal Control Supervisor.
 

GREGG COUNTY — After an overnight search for a man who fled during a chase with a Gregg County deputy, law enforcement apprehended him on Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, 23-year-old Austin Richert, who had multiple felony warrants, fled from deputies on Monday evening. At around 6 p.m., law enforcement tracked Richert in a wooded area near Old Highway 135.

A struggle allegedly occurred between the suspect and a deputy, causing the deputy to sustain minor injuries. Richert managed to escape, and the sheriff’s office, with the assistance of the Kilgore Police Department and Gregg County ESD 2, could not locate him overnight.

On Tuesday at around 9:30 a.m., Richert was located in Rusk County, where law enforcement arrested him. He was later taken to the Gregg County Jail. The sheriff’s office said Richert is expected to face additional felony charges. The case remains under investigation.

HENDERSON — Our news partners at KETK report that a 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday after authorities say he attempted to meet what he believed was a child during an undercover sting in Henderson County. The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said Oscar Campos, of Kerens, had been communicating online and by phone with an undercover official posing as a minor. Campos allegedly traveled to an Athens Walmart expecting to meet the child, but when he tried to get into a vehicle, he was confronted by a task force investigator. Campos attempted to flee but was apprehended. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail on charges of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct and evading arrest or detention. Henderson County officials said they remain committed to identifying and arresting individuals who pose a threat to children. The case remains under investigation and additional charges are possible.

SMITH COUNTY – A fatal crash involving two vehicles on Toll 49 is currently under investigation by Smith County authorities. According to Smith County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Andy Dunklin and our news partner KETK, the collision occurred around 12:30 a.m. about a quarter-mile east of Highway 155. Two people have been confirmed dead, and another remains in critical condition. Texas Department of Public Safety officials are continuing their investigation and working to notify affected families.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Deputies responded to a deadly conduct call on CR 2194 near Whitehouse around 1:00 Sunday afternoon. According to officials, Luis Arredondo-Villalobos was waving and pointing a firearm at his neighbors. Deputies were able to speak with several individuals who were able to confirm the behavior of Arredondo-Villalobos and his intoxicated state. Deputies also contacted the brother of Arredondo-Villalobos who confirmed the presence of firearms inside the residence.

Deputies attempted to coax Arredondo-Villalobos out of his residence by using the PA speakers but were unsuccessful. Smith County SWAT responded to the location and continued to try and coax the suspect out of his residence. Continue reading Smith County man arrested on aggravated assault charge

TYLER — The former bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Joseph E. Strickland, is set to appear Tuesday at a Grassroots America – We the People meeting, a prominent constitutional conservative organization based in East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the event, titled “Closing Out 2025 with Conviction, Hope, and Perseverance,” will be held at the Holiday Inn in Tyler. A food-and-fellowship buffet is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 6:25 p.m., with the meeting set to run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Organizers say book signings and additional speakers may continue until 9 p.m.

Strickland’s appearance marks one of his most public returns to the East Texas community since his removal as head of the Diocese of Tyler on Nov. 11, 2023. Continue reading Former bishop to speak at Grassroots America

RAINS COUNTY — The criminal case against Rains County Judge Linda Wallace has been dismissed, according to newly released documents from the Rains County District Clerk’s Office and our news partner KETK.

The dismissal comes after months of developments connected to the investigation and prosecution of Rains County Justice of the Peace Jenkins Franklin. A full timeline of events is below:

MAY 1: Rains County Justice of the Peace Robert Jenkins Franklin was arrested and charged with official oppression and witness tampering. According to a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Rains County Justice of the Peace Robert Jenkins Franklin allegedly threatened a defendant to plead guilty in a case over which Franklin had no jurisdiction. Continue reading Charges dropped against another Rains County judge

TYLER – Thanks to the Texas Resilient Landscapes Initiative, Texas landowners can now earn up to $80,000 by reforesting their land. Landowners with 10 to 150 acres of land are being invited by the initiative to reforest their land through a number of different methods including: shredding or mulching for tree planting at $168.75 per acre, prescribed fire burns at $37.50 per acre, direct seeding of trees at $337.50 per acre, planting live cuttings at $375 per acre, planting bareroot or containerized seedlings at $5.60 per seedling and providing temporary browsing protection for seedlings at $4.90 per seedling.

Non-federal, non-industrial and tribal or local government forest landowners can apply to the initiative by Jan. 23, 2026 and another application period will open in the summer or fall of 2026.

To apply or learn more, visit the Texas A&M Forest Service online.

ALBA — Alba-Golden ISD has announced its new regulations after Senate Bill 8, also known as “Bathroom Bill,” went into effect on Dec. 4. According to our news partner KETK, to meet these new regulations, the school district said locker rooms will be designated “NON-PRIVATE” during specific times: 15 minutes before the start of pregame activities, 8 minutes during halftime, 10 minutes after the conclusion of a game and 20 minutes after the conclusion of a practice.

The school district stated that this will enable coaches to manage their responsibilities with teams, such as during pregame, halftime and postgame meetings, while respecting students’ privacy.

Commonly referred to as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act or the “Bathroom Bill,” Senate Bill 8 seeks to limit transgender individuals’ access to specific restrooms in the state. Continue reading Alba-Golden ISD announces ‘non private’ lockers