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TYLER – The Tyler Police Department said that a 45-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly approaching an 11-year-old girl while he was wearing a diaper and a pacifier, according to press release from the Tyler Police Department.

Tyler Police officers responded to Andy Woods Elementary School on Fry Avenue in Tyler on July 29 because of a report that a man was making lewd comments to an 11-year-old girl while wearing only a diaper and a pacifier. The girl quickly rode away from the man on her bicycle, Tyler PD said.

Wesley Worl, 45 of Tyler, was arrested on Thursday at his workplace without incident, and charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and criminal trespassing in connection to the incident at Andy Woods. He is currently being held at the Smith County Jail on a total bond of $600,000.

SMITH COUNTY – The 2026 proposed budget will keep property taxes the same, but organizations will receive the same amount as last year, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

The Smith County Historical Society is one of 15 organizations that currently get money from the county.

They receive a little more than $3,000, which goes to lawn and trash maintenance. At last week’s commissioners court meeting, they requested nearly $13,000 more to fix up Camp Ford.

“What we submitted was just the bare minimum of what’s needed to kind of keep the place safe for visitors,” Andy Bergfeld, president of the Historical Society, said. Continue reading Smith County budget won’t increase donations to non-profits

TYLER – On Wednesday, August 6th at approximately 11:45am officers with the Tyler Police Department responded to a child left in a vehicle at Stanton Optical on S. Broadway Ave. According to a press release from the Tyler Police Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, it was determined that an 8-week-old child had been left in a car that was not running by her mother during an eye appointment. The mother was identified as Adasia Henderson, a 22-year-old female from Tyler. The child was in the car for over an hour when police were notified. The child was transported to a local hospital by EMS for treatment and observation.

Henderson was arrested for Abandoning/Endangering a Child, a felony offense.

TYLER – A new wholesale store is coming to East Texas after the City of Tyler approved BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to expand into the Rose City, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

BJ’s is the newest wholesale store to arrive in Texas and offers food, electronics and tire services. The store will be opened at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and West Cumberland Road and is expected to include 16 gas pumps and 453 parking spaces in total.

There are currently no BJ’s stores in Texas; however, four new locations are expected to open up in the state in Forney, Waxahachie, Grand Prairie and Southwest Fort Worth.

PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department is still searching for a K9 officer who escaped from his enclosure after Sunday night’s storm. According to our news partner KETK, police K9 Hondo managed to escape from his handler’s enclosure in the Fort Houston addition area of Palestine. Hondo is not kept outside and was not outside during the time of the storm.

Despite the heat of the day, Palestine resident Justin Smith continued searching. “As soon as I saw the post, I threw my shoes on and got in my car and started driving around and see if I could find him,” Smith said. Smith is one of many Palestine residents looking to bring Hondo back home. “This is not just a dog, this is a police officer,” Smith said. “So I feel like as a community, we should be grouping together, try to help out any way we can, just like the police do for us.”

Smith is creating a social media page, hoping to coordinate people’s efforts and bring as many boots on the ground as possible. Continue reading Palestine PD still searching for missing K9 officer

LINDALE – On Wednesday, August 6, at 8:35 pm, an individual called 911 to report an active shooting at a residence on CR 4116, just north of Lindale. Upon arriving to the location with DPS Troopers, a Smith County Deputy contacted the victim, Russell Lee McKinney, 35, of Lindale, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. The suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputies secured the crime scene while a Trooper applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg.

An additional Deputy responded to the 800 block of N. Main, in Lindale, where the suspect had been detained by a Lindale officer. The suspect was identified as Justin Wayne Hayes, 28, of Troup. A handgun was recovered from Hayes. Continue reading Suspect jailed following shooting near Lindale

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Update: Rusk Rural Water Supply boil water notice was rescinded Friday afternoon.

RUSK – The Rusk Rural Water Supply Company issued a boil water notice for more than 30 county roads and areas on Wednesday.

According to the company, the boil water notice was issued after a water main leak. Our news partner KETK has compiled a full list of the affected areas and roads. Any customers living on the roads and areas listed are required to bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.

To view the full list of affected roads and areas, click here.

Rusk Rural Water Supply said they would notify customers when the boil water notice is no longer required. Any questions can be directed to the company by phone at 903-683-6178 or in person at 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.

TYLER – The City of Tyler announced that East 6th Street will be closed for the next six months as part of the 2025 Stormwater Repair Project, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

City officials said that since Monday, East 6th Street has been closed from South Sneed Avenue to South Wall Avenue to complete the replacement of an inlet box and to repair the culvert over the next six months.

“During construction, residents will still have access to areas east of the creek from South Sneed Avenue and west of the creek from South Wall Avenue,” the City of Tyler said. “Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.”

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has set a special-called meeting for 10 a.m. Friday, August 8, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the court discussed the proposed tax rate and scheduled public hearings. They took a record vote to set the proposed tax rate, unanimously voting to keep it the same as last year, which is 0.364231 cents. The public hearings on the proposed tax rate are set for 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 2.

“I don’t want to increase that tax rate. We have a lot of residents in the same fix as our employees,” County Judge Neal Franklin said, referring to higher cost of living prices on groceries, etc. He said county departments have been working to cut costs where they can. Franklin said he would still like to see a 3 percent cost of living raise for county employees this year. Continue reading Commissioners discuss tax rate, set budget workshop and public hearings

JACKSONVILLE – A regional SWAT team has arrested a 23-year-old with a history of violent crimes in connection with a burglary involving a stolen AK-47 firearm in Jacksonville on Tuesday, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Jacksonville Police Department said officers were dispatched to a reported burglary at around 7:47 a.m. involving an AK-47 firearm that was stolen. The suspect, who was captured on surveillance footage, has been identified as 23-year-old Jayden Duane Hopson.

Due to his criminal history, including charges of murder and aggravated robbery, the Cherokee County Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated. Continue reading SWAT team arrests burglary suspect with violent history

UPSHUR COUNTY – According to a press release from the Criminal District Attorney of Upshur county, a man has been sentenced to a 99 year life sentence

On February 2, 2024, a search warrant was executed by the Upshur County Sheriff’s office for the home of Jimmy Wayne Skinner, 51. During the search, officers discovered methamphetamine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia, along with loaded guns near a recliner where Skinner had been sitting.

As he was exiting his living quarters, Skinner immediately closed the door behind him, and was non-compliant with officers’ orders to get on the ground. He stated that he, “ain’t afraid to go to jail”, and attempted to block the door to prevent officers from entering. He was subsequently arrested. Continue reading Upshur County man sentenced to 99 years in prison

EAST TEXAS – With classes beginning in most school districts, CHRISTUS Health reminds parents about required immunizations needed. State law requires children to be vaccinated against several diseases before attending school, including Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis A and B, and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis among others.

“In the simplest of terms, immunizations are helping the body build an immune response,” said Dr. Evelyn Chou, family medicine physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “Vaccines help your body understand what is dangerous and needs to be fought so that if you come across that illness in the future, your body knows what to do.”

Parents who may have questions about the vaccination status of their child are encouraged to speak to contact their family doctor as well as local school districts regarding any vaccination requirements that they have.

GUN BARREL CITY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man is accused of sexually touching his girlfriend’s young daughter earlier this summer and has since been put behind bars. The 32-year-old man claims it was ‘all a misunderstanding.’

In a Henderson County arrest affidavit, on June 14 to June 15, the victim and her mom were staying at Daniel Joseph Rodgers’ house in Gun Barrel City.

The young girl explained that when it was bedtime, she was lying on the floor while her sisters were on the couch with the babies. Rodgers then went into the living room and told the victim that she could go to sleep in another room because he didn’t want her to sleep on the floor. Continue reading Henderson County man arrested for touching girlfriend’s daughter