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SMITH COUNTY — Four people were killed after a Monday morning predawn crash on Highway 31 near the Smith and Gregg County line. An initial investigation by the the Texas Department of Public Safety said a vehicle was eastbound on State Highway 31 East. A second vehicle was traveling west on SH 31 East. The first vehicle drove onto the wrong side of the road, entering into the path of the second vehicle. DPS said it was nearly a head-on collision.

The driver of the first vehicle was identified as 19-year-old Julian Martinez. His passengers were Jonathan Josue Perez, 20 and 21-year-old David Morales Ramos, all were from Kilgore. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle, 40-year-old Nicholas Colby Sanders of Kilgore, was also pronounced dead at the accident site.

Kilgore ISD released the following statement: “Our prayers and thoughts are with all of the families who have been affected by this morning’s car accident on Highway 31,” the district said. “Our KISD Counselors have been made aware of this accident and are available for our Bulldog students and staff.”

Longview – Longview has claimed victory in the second annual “Spread the Love Peanut Butter Drive,” a friendly competition between the cities of Longview and Tyler to support the East Texas Food Bank. Longview residents this year donated 6,452 pounds of peanut butter, Tyler chipped in 2,259 pounds. The total collected, 8,711 pounds will help fight hunger in East Texas. September is Hunger Action Month. The goal is to raise awareness about food Insecurity. In East Texas, 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 4 children face hunger on a daily basis.

“Everyone is a winner in this friendly competition because the food and funds collected will help East Texans in need,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Each jar donated represents a family that will receive nutritious, protein-rich food. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in this drive.”
Continue reading Longview Tops Tyler in “Spread the Love” Peanut Butter Drive

PALESTINE – Our news partners at KETK report that three people have been arrested after several children were left abandoned at a motel in Palestine. Officers arrived at the unnamed motel and found 4 children ages 6, 4, 20-months-old and a 7-month-old who were left alone in a room with no adult supervision. The room was registered to Eric Adams, 30, who had been staying there with others since Sept. 12. After officers arrived, Leah Vernon, 37, and the mother of the children, Laquella Berry, 26, arrived to the room where they were all arrested. The trio was charged with four counts of abandoning/endangering a child and booked in the Anderson County Jail.

TYLER – In a statement, the University of Texas at Tyler announced a new executive director of the Cowan Center. Ryan Poynter was given the nod late Monday morning, and is a graduate from the University of the Cumberlands. Poynter also has experience in both property management and capital budgeting. The R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center opened in 1997 according to the university.

WILLS POINT – A minor has confessed to the murder of a Wills Point man, who was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds on Sunday night at a residence on Bull Durham Road, according to our news partner KETK. Wills Point Police Department received reports of a shooting Sunday. As part of their investigation, authorities interviewed a juvenile who confessed to the murder just before 4 a.m. on Monday. They also confessed to using a family-owned revolver. The victim has been identified as Derek Abernathy. Chief of Police Aaron Long stated that the suspect and the victim were well acquainted. The minor is anticipated to face charges.

SMITH COUNTY, Texas – Our news partners at KETK reports that four people are dead after a Monday morning crash on Highway 31 near the Smith County and Gregg County line. Smith County ESD 2 Public Outreach Coordinator Nikki Simmons in a statement said the crash occurred at around 7 a.m. on Highway 31 near FM 2767. The four victims were dead on arrival. Traffic along the highway and nearby CR 245 is expected to be closed for several hours. No children were reportedly involved.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Criminal District Attorney’s Office announces the retirement of Mike West after 21 years of service with Smith County. West, who has served as the Appellate Chief over the Appeals Division for much of his career, will conclude his tenure at the end of this month.

Last week, Mr. West was honored with the Kepple Award by the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA). The DA’s office says throughout his career, Mr. West has played a vital role in shaping the work of the Smith County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, particularly through his leadership in appellate advocacy. He has argued and overseen numerous complex cases, including many death penalty appeals, ensuring justice was diligently pursued and upheld.

“Mike’s expertise, commitment, and steady guidance have left a lasting impact on this office and the criminal justice system in Texas,” said Criminal District Attorney Jacob Putman. “We are grateful for his decades of service and proud to see him recognized with the Kepple Award. His legacy of integrity and professionalism will continue to inspire prosecutors across the state.”

Mr. West’s colleagues describe him as a fierce advocate for justice, and a trusted resource in the courtroom and beyond. His retirement marks the close of an extraordinary career.

TRINITY – The Trinity Police Department arrested a 17-year-old driver after a multi-county chase on Sunday morning.

According to our news partner KETK and Trinity PD, law enforcement chased a truck for over 100 miles through Trinity, Houston, Polk and Tyler counties. The truck evaded spike strips and eventually came to a stop after the wheels came off just outside of Kountze in Hardin County.

The driver, a 17-year-old male, was arrested without incident and taken back to Trinity County, Trinity PD said. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Highway Patrol and the Houston County Sheriffs Office also assisted with the chase.

TYLER – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Starbucks location on South Broadway Ave and South Town Drive in Tyler is closing permanently along with hundreds of other stores around the United States. The Tyler location confirmed that they officially closed on Sunday and have started to move equipment out of the store. As of Sunday, the only other location known to be closing is the Crockett Starbucks, Houston County’s only Starbucks.

The closures come as the coffeehouse-giant Starbucks announced that they’ve shut down hundreds of locations around United States and across North America as a part of an internal review of their portfolio of stores.

An exact number of stores effected hasn’t been released yet, but unofficial lists contain more than 500 stores that are reportedly closing. Niccol said that Starbucks will close about 1% of their North America locations by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. Continue reading Tyler, Crockett Starbucks locations closing

TYLER – The Republican Party of Texas is currently threatening to censure East Texas State Representatives Cody Harris of Palestine and Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, because of some of their votes this year. Republican Party of Texas Rule 44 allows county Republican Party executive committees to adopt resolutions censuring their representatives. According to our news partner KETK, since Harris and VanDeaver have both been censured by local county Republican Parties, the state party is now taking up their own versions of the county party censure resolutions.

Harris and VanDeaver are just two of ten Texas State Representatives who are facing censure resolutions from the Republican Party of Texas. The resolutions each list several actions that the representatives made that are “in opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas.”

The members are being encouraged to attend an Oct. 11 meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee, which will decide whether or not they’ll agree with the county censure resolutions and whether they’ll issue any penalties.

Henderson County Republican Party vice chair and parliamentarian Clint Stutts spoke to our news partner KETK News about their June 30 resolution to censure Harris. Continue reading East Texas State Reps facing censure from Republican Party

LINDALE – The Lindale Fire Department (LFD) and our news partners at KETK report that one person has been flown to a hospital after they were injured in a rollover crash on Interstate 20 near Lindale Sunday. LFD responded to the crash at 12:11 p.m. and found a driver trapped in their vehicle. A UT Health helicopter helped extract the victim and flew them to receive medical attention. Department officials stated that the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening.

CORRIGAN, Texas – Corrigan-Camden ISD is asking for the community’s support after a student athlete suffered a medical emergency at Friday night’s football game against Joaquin.

According to our news partner and the district, the athlete was supporting his team from the sidelines when he collapsed. The medical emergency was unrelated to the game but local first responders, students and staff all immediately rushed in to care for the student. The student was then taken to the hospital where they remain in critical condition, according to a post from the district.

“We appreciate our first responders, staff, students, and community members for their prompt assistance last night,” Corrigan-Camden ISD said. “It is comforting to know that we have a caring community.”

Corrigan-Camden ISD asked the community to help support the student’s family by donating, gift cards, cash or food. To donate contact Corrigan-Camden High School or Lindsey Ratliff at 334-332-1171.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler, after two years of construction, announced the grand opening of the newly renovated and expanded David G. and Jacqueline M. Braithwaite School of Nursing building Saturday. Our news partners at KETK reports Interim dean Dr. Jennifer Chilton said the new facilities are a is a ‘win-win’ for students and the future of East Texas healthcare. In an interview with KTBB, Dr. Chilton expanded on the importance of the facility, stating “it’s a beacon of healthcare that can be seen beyond East Texas.”

TYLER, Texas (KETK) — According to our news partner KETK, a Tyler man has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after a dog was found dead at his residence on Glass Avenue.

Arrest documents revealed that Tyler police officers found the deceased dog in August, noting that it had died due to a lack of food and water and was living in poor conditions. A second dog was found extremely emaciated and is under the care of Tyler Animal Control.

Police arrested Titus Demar Hambrick on Tuesday and was released the following day.

The City of Tyler announced on their Facebook page that parts of downtown will be closed as construction continues. Beginning on Monday, September 29th, work will begin at the corner of Erwin Street and College Avenue. Erwin Street will close to thru traffic during this phase along with College Avenue, while Ferguson Street will remain open. You can find a map of the effected roadways here.

Whitehouse – This November, Whitehouse residents will consider eight proposed amendments to the City Charter as part of a Special Election. Earlier this year, the City Council appointed a Charter Review Commission made up of Whitehouse citizens to review the Charter and recommend updates. After a thorough review, the Commission recommended a series of amendments focused on:
• Clarifying existing language
• Aligning the Charter with state law
• Providing flexibility for future City Councils to operate efficiently.

“These propositions are about updating and clarifying our Charter so that it serves the City well into the future,” said Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley. “The Commission worked hard to review each provision carefully, and we are grateful for their commitment to ensuring our Charter is clear, consistent, and practical.” Continue reading Whitehouse residents to vote on city charter amendments

SMITH COUNTY — Two individuals from East Texas have been arrested for allegedly scamming an elderly person out of $750 for chimney repairs that were reportedly unnecessary.

According to our news partner KETK, law enforcement initiated an investigation in August following a report in March regarding two suspects soliciting chimney sweep services from a victim. Steven Gonzalez, 33, and Erika Salinas, 33, both residents of Tyler, are accused of telling the victim that his chimney required repairs and quoted a price of $750.

Subsequently, when the victim tried to contact the business they operated under, ETX Chimney Sweep, he received no response despite sending multiple text messages to Salinas requesting a refund. Continue reading Couple charged with scamming elderly on chimney repairs

HAWKINS – The city of Hawkins officially has a new approved budget for the upcoming fiscal year, as city council members voted on the matter Thursday. The city is already over $5 million in debt, and the approved budget will be running at a deficit of $1,157,366. The city also has multiple projects slated, including hiring employees for the city water department, railroad repair, and most notably, the lack of a city police department. The new budget addressed that as well, with $162,000 being allocated for officers. Some council-members hope the new funding will help them hire a chief. Mayor Deb Rushing suggested the vacant police building could be turned into a substation of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

JACKSONVILLE — A 68-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning in Jacksonville in connection to a child exploitation investigation. According to the Jacksonville Police Department and our news partner KETK, after obtaining a search and arrest warrant, James Bruce Gragg was found inside a home off Forest Trail and was taken into custody. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Jacksonville Police Department and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in Nebraska.

Following his arrest, Gragg was charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of harmful material. Investigators anticipate that additional charges will be added as the case progresses. The investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be released at this time. Continue reading Jacksonville man arrested in connection child exploitation case

SABINE COUNTY – The Texas Game Wardens are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 21-year-old college student, Peyton Hughes, who was last seen on Wednesday on the Toledo Bend Reservoir.

According to our news partner KETK and the Texas Game Wardens, Hughes is a student at Campbellsville University in Kentucky and was pre-fishing for Bassmaster competition when he was reported missing. Several agencies in both Texas and Louisiana are assisting in finding Hughes, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agents, the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office and the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office.

No further information is available at this time.

HUNTSVILLE – According to our news partner KETK, Rusk County District Attorney Michael Jimerson spoke at a press conference in Huntsville on Thursday after the execution of convicted murderer Blaine Milam.

Milam and his girlfriend Jesseca Carson were arrested in 2008 after Carson’s 13-month-old daughter Amora was found dead inside their home. Milam and Carson beat Amora with a hammer and bit, strangled and mutilated her body over a 30-hour period, according to prosecutors.

Milam was put to death in Huntsville at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday. His last meal included a cheeseburger, oven-fried potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, sliced bread, scrambled eggs, country gravy, a sausage patty, pears, biscuits, tea and water. Continue reading Rusk County District Attorney speaks after Milam execution

HUNTSVILLE — An East Texas man was executed at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday evening, after killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter in what the couple claimed was an exorcism to cast a demon from the infant’s body. Our news partner KETK reports that hours before the execution the U.S. Supreme Court denied Blaine Milam’s final appeal for a stay. Milam opted out of having a spiritual advisor in his final hours.

Milam, then 18, and his girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, were arrested in December 2008 after police discovered the body of Carson’s daughter, Amora, inside their home. The child had suffered extensive injuries, including bite marks, blunt-force trauma and signs of sexual assault.

The medical examiner testified that Amora’s cause of death could not be pinpointed because of the sheer number of fatal injuries. Prosecutors said Milam and Carson beat the baby with a hammer and over a 30-hour period bit, strangled and mutilated her.

The couple initially gave shifting accounts, claiming Amora had hurt herself or eaten insulation, before admitting they had tried to “beat the demons out” of her during an exorcism. Continue reading Texas man executed for brutal ‘exorcism’ murder of 13-month-old

HUNTSVILLE (AP) – Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson will not petition for clemency ahead of his scheduled execution in three weeks and will instead focus on obtaining a new trial in his capital murder conviction, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Roberson was convicted in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki, who was diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome. Roberson has maintained his innocence over the two decades he has spent on death row, arguing that scientific evidence developed since his conviction invalidates Nikki’s diagnosis and shows that she died from chronic illness — not from being shaken so violently that she died, as prosecutors claimed at Roberson’s trial.

Roberson, 58, is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16. His deadline to submit an application for clemency with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is Thursday, 21 days before his execution date. Continue reading Robert Roberson will not seek clemency ahead of October execution

SMITH COUNTY — A woman was arrested Wednesday on a charge of endangering a child after her daughter reportedly suffered an overdose. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received a 911 call regarding a possible overdose at a home on Candleridge Drive. Officials say a female child,23-months-old, was in a lethargic state. EMS transported the girl to UT Health ER in Tyler.

Smith County Investigators found that at approximately 3:15 pm, the child had ingested a THC gummy belonging to her mother, Kendall Johnson, 27, of Tyler. The child and her older brother were left unattended in Johnson’s vehicle while at a residence near Dixie Elementary School. When she returned to the vehicle, she realized her son and daughter had gotten into her THC gummies which were left in the vehicle. By this time, the daughter had already ingested a portion of one gummy. Johnson then went to the residence on Candleridge Drive where she stayed until she called 911 at approximately 5:00 pm. Continue reading Child flown to Dallas hospital after ingesting THC gummy

LONGVIEW — A pedestrian sustained serious bodily injury on Friday after being involved in a suspected hit-and-run situation, the Longview Police Department said. According to our news partner KETK, on Sept. 19 at around 8:35 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of Mobberly Avenue, where they found a pedestrian with a serious bodily injury. The black pickup suspected to be involved had left the scene. The department is asking anyone with information regarding this case to call 903-237-1188 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7827.

HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas man faces execution Thursday for killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter during a torturous ordeal the couple said was part of an “exorcism” to expel a demon from the child’s body. Blaine Milam, 35, was condemned for the December 2008 murder of Amora Carson at his trailer in Rusk County in East Texas.

Milam was scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. At around the same time Milam was to be put to death, authorities in Alabama were planning to execute Geoffrey West for fatally shooting a gas station employee during a 1997 robbery.

Milam has claimed he is innocent, blaming then-girlfriend Jesseca Carson for the killing and alleging she was the one who claimed the girl was possessed by a demon. Continue reading East Texan facing execution for fatally beating 13-month-old during ‘exorcism’

LINDALE – According to our news partner KETK, a woman who was caught on camera abusing toddlers at a daycare in Lindale in 2024 pleaded guilty on Tuesday to injury to a child.

Catherine Elizabeth Guziejka was arrested in October of 2023 while working at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care. While working for the day care, video footage reportedly showed about 100 incidents where Guziejka was seen assaulting six children under her care. Guziejka has since been booked into the Smith County Jail on Oct. 30 and on Tuesday she pleaded guilty to injury to a child. Her trial has been scheduled for Nov 12, 2025.

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, Blaine Milam will be executed Thursday for beating his girlfriend’s daughter to death in an alleged exorcism.

Milam and his girlfriend, Jessica Carson, were convicted in 20210 for the brutal killing of Amora Carson with a hammer and 24 human bite marks. Milam’s good friend, Jennifer Martin, continues to visit him and will be by his side until the last moment. Martin .”He is innocent 100%,” Martin said.

Martin met Milam on death row through her brother-in-law, Robert Roberson, who is set to be executed next month. Martin visited him just 24 hours before he is set to die on Thursday and said he is in good spirits. Continue reading Blaine Milam’s execution scheduled Thursday amid plea effort

HENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the current Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4 (JP4) announced on Tuesday that he will be retiring as JP following the completion of his current term. Judge Milton K. Adams has served East Texas for the past three decades, and his retirement will conclude more than 47 years of involvement in the criminal justice system, including his time as a Justice of the Peace.

“It’s been an interesting ride to say the least,” Adams wrote in his announcement. “I’d like to take a moment to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you.”

Adams encourages residents to learn about the candidates who will seek the seat in the upcoming election, noting the lasting impact of the court.

“Most people don’t realize that a Justice of the Peace is a State Judge and noted in the Texas Constitution as a ‘Conservator of the Peace,’” Adams said. “It’s not always an easy task to take on.”