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CARTHAGE – Carthage ISD’s director of bands Johnnie Cotton has resigned from his position, according to our news partner KETK, after he said the district asked him to hang the Ten Commandments in his classroom on Monday.

“I would like to take this chance to explain why I resigned as Director of Bands at Carthage ISD. I believe very strongly that politics and religion have no place in the public schools,” Cotton said. “I spent my 42 years as a teacher and administrator making sure that my classroom/campus stayed neutral on both counts.”

Senate Bill 10 was passed by the Texas State Legislature in this year’s legislative session and then signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 20. The bill, which went into effect on Sept. 1, requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments from the Hebrew Bible.

“This summer, The State of Texas passed a law stating that you were required to post the 10 Commandments in your classroom if someone donated them,” Cotton explained. “I was informed Monday by Carthage ISD that I must do this and I refused. I was told it was required due to state law. Seeing this as a line I refuse to cross, I resigned.” Continue reading Band director resigns, refusing to post Commandments

TYLER – On Thursday, the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant was taken offline due to multiple critical equipment failures and flooding in the filter pipe gallery. Until the flooding issue can be resolved and the equipment failures repaired, Tyler Water Utilities is relying entirely on the Golden Road Water Treatment Plant to supply water to the entire City of Tyler.

While GRWTP can typically meet the City’s daily water needs during this time of year, any large water main break or sudden surge in demand could cause system pressure to fall below safe and acceptable levels.

To help protect the system and maintain reliable service citywide, TWU has activated Stage 2 of the City’s Drought Contingency and Emergency Demand Management Plan. Stage 2 calls for a 10 percent reduction in total daily water use. As of Saturday, Oct. 11, these restrictions are still in effect.  Continue reading Tyler requiring residents to reduce water

LINDALE – A five-vehicle crash occurred on Interstate 20 Thursday afternoon, leaving one person trapped inside a vehicle. According to our news partner KETK, the Lindale Fire Department reports firefighters were dispatched to Interstate 20 eastbound near mile marker 551. At the scene, three 18-wheelers and two passenger vehicles were involved in the crash, with several vehicles sustaining significant damage. The person trapped inside their vehicle was removed and cared for by EMS. The Lindale FD assisted by Smith County ESD 2 and a local hazmat company was conducting cleanup operations on Interstate 20.

HIDEAWAY LAKE – The eastbound lanes of Interstate 20 before FM 849 at mile marker 552 are backed up following a multi-vehicle crash.

LIVINGSTON (AP) — Texas’ top criminal court on Thursday again paused the execution of Robert Roberson, just days before he was set to become the first person in the U.S. put to death for a murder conviction tied to the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome.

This was the third execution date that Roberson’s lawyers have been able to stay since 2016, including an attempt nearly a year ago that was stopped by an unprecedented intervention from a bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers who believe he is innocent.

The latest execution stay was granted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Roberson had been scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Oct. 16. Since his first execution date more than nine years ago, Roberson’s lawyers have filed multiple petitions with state and federal appeals courts, as well as with the U.S. Supreme Court, to try and stop his execution. Continue reading Appeals court pauses Roberson execution

LIVINGSTON – Palestine native and longtime death row inmate Robert Roberson has been granted a stay by a Texas court Thursday morning. The length of the stay is not yet known. The Dallas Morning News presents this stay not only as an opportunity to present new evidence, but to further look into allegations of judicial bias and misconduct during Roberson’s capital murder trial in Anderson County. Roberson has maintained his innocence for more than 22 years on death row and two previous execution dates as he and his attorneys say new evidence proves Nikki died of accidental and natural causes, including severe, undiagnosed pneumonia and a fall from bed. It is not yet know if the state will attempt to appeal the stay. Roberson, 58, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection Oct. 16 in Huntsville for his 2003 murder conviction.

Update: Tyler Police Department has arrested 35-year-old Kendrick Dawone Ross of Tyler. Ross was booked into the Smith County jail Thursday afternoon for Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. His bond has been set at $1,500,000.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an early morning shooting that left one man dead. According to the department, around 2:25 Thursday morning, officers responded to a shooting at a residence on North Grand Ave.One victim, identified as Demonta Jaquis Brown, 32, of Smith County, was transported to a local hospital by EMS with gunshot wounds. He died as a result of those wounds.

A female victim is said to be in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. A suspect was being interviewed by investigators. Police say this is not a random incident.

TYLER — The City of Tyler is taking steps to address congestion on South Broadway Avenue, one of the top 100 most congested roads in the state, by presenting a new traffic plan on Wednesday.

According to our news partner KETK, the traffic department unveiled the ‘South Tyler Mobility Study,’ conducted in 2023, as a roadmap to find short and long-term solutions to the ongoing traffic issues. The study suggests connecting other roads to Broadway and extending new roads as alternate routes for drivers.

As Tyler continues to grow, traffic issues are expected to worsen if not addressed promptly, according to Cameron Williams, a Traffic Engineer. He emphasized the importance of implementing a plan to prevent future congestion. Continue reading New plan aims to ease Broadway traffic

SMITH COUNTY — Michael Stoltz, Chairman of the East Texas State Fair Board, gave the Commissioners Court an estimated economic impact the nearly two-week event had on the area. For the second year at its new location, The Park of East Texas, the fair saw more than 104,000 people in attendance, making an estimated $28.8 million economic impact on Smith County.

He said $995,000 in sales tax revenue was generated, 88 percent of the food and restaurant vendors at the fair were East Texas businesses, and 550 hotel room nights were generated.

Its first-ever professional rodeo was sold out all three nights, for a total attendance of 7,500 people, and was broadcast live nationally on the Cowboy Channel. He said more than 400 athletes competed in the rodeo, for a purse of more than $40,000. Continue reading East Texas State Fair economic impact report

LONGVIEW — On Wednesday, the trial for one of the men charged in connection with the 2016 murder of Longview resident Ron Horaney has been set. According to our news partner KETK and court documents, the trial for 88-year-old Reza Kamali is scheduled for June 8, 2026. Kamali was arrested in 2024 and charged with murder eight years after the crime. His trial will be held at the 124th District Court.

Horaney was killed on the evening of Memorial Day in 2016, after answering the door of his Tryon Road residence in Longview. According to an arrest warrant, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) received a call of a reported shooting. The sheriff’s office located Horaney, who later died at a local hospital.

In 2024, court documents showed that investigators met with the initial “cooperating individual” who called the sheriff’s office on June 10, 2016, to do a photo lineup, where the individual identified Kamali as the person who solicited the individual to kill the victim. Kamali was one of three people arrested for the murder of Horaney; the other two were Alfredo Lizcano and Rene Garcia Jr. Both men were also charged with murder in connection to the case. Lizcano’s trial has been scheduled for May 11, 2026.

SMITH COUNTY — Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Smith County Animal Shelter will continue to care for the 44 dogs that were seized last month at a home in Troup after a ruling on Wednesday. A hearing was held where Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace James Meredith ruled for the shelter to keep custody of the dogs who were found malnourished with skin disorders, overgrown nails and possible gastrointestinal disorders.

The woman who lived on the property had died, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said. Now, the woman’s daughter will have 10 days to appeal the decision, but will be required to pay $24,000 to reverse the appeal. Since the shelter has taken custody of the animals, a veterinarian has examined the rescued dogs. Continue reading Court ruling keeps dogs at Smith County animal shelter

LIVINGSTON — A bipartisan group of state representatives is currently visiting the Polunsky Unit in Livingston to show support for death row inmate Robert Roberson, just days before his scheduled execution.

According to our news partner KETK, those in attendance include State Reps. John Bucy (D-Austin), Jeff Leach (R-Allen), Lacey Hull (R-Houston) and Rhetta Bowers (D-Rowlett), all of whom have publicly expressed concerns about Roberson’s conviction and the evidence used against him. Roberson was convicted in 2003 of killing his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, a case that has since drawn national attention and renewed scrutiny from lawmakers, medical experts, and criminal justice reform advocates.

Jeff Leach brought some new information to light on behalf of the other representatives, stating that they are just asking for a pause button and a new tria,l considering that Roberson was denied the chance to defend his innocence in front of a jury

“To my legislative colleagues on the other side of this issue who want to see him executed next week, and believe that nothing went wrong with the trial. I would ask them to comment on the fact that Robert’s own attorney. When Robert asked to be heard, when Robert asked to go in front of the jury to tell his side of the story to tell them I’m innocent, his attorney wouldn’t let him.” Continue reading Lawmakers visit Roberson days before execution

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Edgewood ISD has released more information after a student reportedly made a threat against their district and Canton ISD.

According to our news partner KETK and Edgewood ISD, on Friday, administrators uncovered “troubling activity” on the internet at their high school that alerted them to investigate the students’ well-being.

“While the threat was unspecific, there were references to Canton High School, and enough specific evidence to lend itself to be treated with the utmost seriousness,” the district said. “At no time has there been a weapon on campus. The school’s part in this situation was solely online materials.

The district said that there was “sufficient evidence” to involve law enforcement, and the student was immediately removed from campus upon their findings. Continue reading Student removed after making threats against schools

CANTON — Our news partners at KETK report that an East Texas woman was indicted on Friday for allegedly withdrawing money from the Grand Saline Youth Foundation for personal use without authorization. The Van Zandt County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said Sheri Raylynn Roach, 47 of Grand Saline, the former treasurer for the nonprofit, is accused of withdrawing money from the Grand Saline Youth Foundation account without accounting to the foundation for the funds. The amount of misapplied funds is estimated to be between $2,500 and $30,000. Continue reading East Texas woman charged with misusing nonprofit funds