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SMITH COUNTY — Smith County will have 29 polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day Tuesday, November 4.

During two weeks of early voting, 10,596 in-person and mail-in ballots were received. That is only 6 percent of the registered voters in Smith County.

There are 17 Texas Constitutional Amendment Propositions on the ballot, as well as several city and school elections throughout Smith County. Smith County Elections Administrator Michelle Allcon is urging voters to do their research on the propositions before coming to the polls. Click here for that information.

The City of Whitehouse and the East Texas Municipal Utility District, as well as the Arp, Troup and Whitehouse Independent School Districts will all be holding special elections on November 4.

To find exactly what will be on your ballot where you live, you can use Smith County’s interactive map, click here.

Polling locations in Smith County on November 4 include: Continue reading Election Day information

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Police Department is searching for a man who allegedly shot one of their officers while they were on duty Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, a Jacksonville PD officer was shot during an encounter with 64-year-old Bobby Michael Dennis at around 4:41 p.m. on Sunday. Dennis is described as a Black man who was last seen wearing all black clothing.

The officer has been flown for treatment at a local hospital and is currently in stable condition, according to a press release. The Kilgore Police Department said that a Jacksonville PD K9 was also injured on Sunday and is currently in stable condition while being treated at a local emergency vet.

Jacksonville PD warned residents of Benson Memorial and the 1100 block of Churchill Street to stay inside with their doors locked because Dennis is armed with a rifle and considered dangerous. Continue reading Jacksonville police officer shot, suspect wanted

GILMER – The Gilmer Police Department has arrested eight people as a part of a Halloween weekend initiative they called “Operation BOO-ty Call”, according to our news partner KETK.

Gilmer PD said the operation was a proactive effort that resulted in the arrest of eight people for drug and prostitution-related offenses, along with the seizure of illegal drugs. The operation’s targets were partly selected based on community crime reports and Gilmer PD’s own investigations. “The department emphasizes that proactive initiatives like Operation BOO-ty Call are part of its ongoing commitment to reducing crime, fostering public trust and maintaining transparency with the community,” Gilmer PD said.

The following arrests were made as a part of “Operation BOO-ty Call”: Corey Liley, Justin White, Eric Smith, Corey Rhymes, Waymon Freeney and Juan Flores Soto were arrested for solicitation of prostitution. Mary Melugin was arrested for prostitution and Christopher Hilley was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of a dangerous drug. Continue reading Eight arrested in Halloween prostitution, drug operation

LINDALE – 1 person is in critical condition after they were injured in a rollover crash that happened on Interstate 20 near Lindale on Saturday night. The Lindale Fire Department said firefighters were sent to the scene of a one-vehicle rollover crash at around 11: 01 p.m. on Saturday near mile marker 555 on I-20 westbound.

When crews arrived at the scene they found one person who was critically injured and pinned inside a heavily damaged vehicle. Firefighters were able to remove the person and they were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Lindale Fire Department said the cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas – Christopher Hunter Rosenthal, 31 of Tatum, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography. The Harrison County Sheriffs Office and our news partner KETK reports that Rosenthal was first arrested for aggravated sexual assault of a child and 11 counts of possession of child pornography on Feb. 5 of 2024. A reported video showed Rosenthal sexually assaulting children ages three, five and seven. Rosenthal was sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography.

GREGG COUNTY, Texas – Flags are being lowered to half-staff across Gregg County to honor Precinct 4 Commissioner Danny Craig Sr. who passed away on Wednesday. Our news partners at KETK report that Craig Sr. served for decades both at his church as a pastor and in the community. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on all Gregg County buildings and facilities until Nov. 16 to honor the life of Craig Sr.

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas – Harrison County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Pato found marijuana concealed inside vacuum-sealed bags during a traffic stop on Interstate 20 Wednesday. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office made the request for the K-9, and about six pounds of marijuana concealed inside vacuum-sealed bags were later found after a search. The driver of the vehicle was later arrested.

SAN AUGUSTINE COUNTY, Texas – Jasper County Game Warden Justin Charles Eddins was arrested on Tuesday for the charge of making a false statement to obtain credit in the provision of certain services. Our news partners at KETK report that Eddins allegedly made an intentionally false statement to Southside Bank using another person’s name and credit to try to obtain loans. The value of the amount of credit he was trying to gain “was $150,000 or more but less than $300,000.” Eddins was released after posting a $50,000 bond. He’s mostly known for appearing on the TV show Lone Star Law.

GREGG COUNTY — A man arrested for attempted kidnapping that happened on Paul Boorman Trail in Longview was sentenced to 5 years of probation on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Jelan DeAaron Armond Williams, 28 of Kilgore, was arrested for attempted commit kidnapping after an Aug. 2024 incident in which a woman reported that she was attacked on the Paul Boorman Trail in Longview.

The victim’s report was similar to another report that had come in earlier that day and Longview Police Department officers were able to locate a man matching the woman’s description. That man was later identified as Williams by law enforcement.

Williams was given deferred adjudication by 124th District Court Charles Alfonso on Thursday.

RUSK COUNTY — An East Texas Man has been sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of sexually abusing a member of his family every week for 10 years. According to our news partner KETK, Daniel Alton Flanagan, 51 of Mount Enterprise, was first arrested by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 2 after one of his family members revealed that he was sexually assaulting her once a week from when she was 13 to 22 years old, according to his arrest affidavit.

After his arrest, Flanagan was interviewed at the sheriff’s office and admitted to sexually assaulting the victim. Flanagan was then charged with two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child younger than 14, prohibited sexual conduct, and sexual performance by a child under 14 years old.

Assistant Rusk County and District Attorney Tiffany T. Conner said a jury found Flanagan guilty in this case on Oct. 23. According to Conner, Flanagan has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or probation. Continue reading Man gets life in prison for sexually abusing family member

SMITH COUNTY – Here is a story with a happy ending. On September 19, Smith County Animal seized 22 Italian Greyhounds, 19 Whippets and three Poodles from a residence in rural Troup. Officers believed these dogs were part of a puppy mill operation. Smith County Animal Control kept the dogs and treated and cared for them until the dogs had healed from their abuse. On October 22, the Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation, based in Austin, drove to Tyler, and picked up all 44 dogs. The foundation said they had a waiting list of people ready to adopt the dogs. For more information about Smith County Animal Control, go here.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Our news partners at KETK report a New Boston man was taken into custody early Thursday morning following a series of armed robberies at local convenience stores, according to the Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD).

Around 1:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to the CEFCO convenience store at 100 Alexander Road after receiving reports of an armed robbery in progress. The suspect, described as a Black male dressed entirely in black and wearing a black face mask, allegedly entered the store armed with a knife and demanded money. Police said the man fled the scene in a white four-door passenger car.

While investigators were still processing the CEFCO scene, a second call came in reporting an attempted robbery at the Tiger Mart located at 2511 W. Ferguson Road. The suspect description and getaway vehicle matched those from the earlier incident, according to Mount Pleasant PD. Continue reading Suspect nabbed for triple robbery in Mount Pleasant