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TYLER — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office was busy recently in Smith County addressing human trafficking allegations. In his Law Enforcement Round-Up for January 16–31, Paxton says from January 23 through January 26, the Office of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit and Fugitive Apprehension Unit participated in a proactive online solicitation operation in Tyler. The operation resulted in the arrest of Jose Ernesto Hernandez of Tyler, Delano Roosevelt Phelps of Tyler, Matthew Blake Organ of Whitehouse, James David Amos II of Flint, Lobo Monterrey of Jacksonville, and Charles Alexander McLarty of Flint. All individuals were arrested and charged with solicitation of prostitution of a person under the age of 18.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Classified documents and the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment were addressed by Congressman Nathaniel Moran during his weekly visit with KTBB. Moran discussed his new bill, the Information Security Act, which seeks to train government officials in the proper process of designating and handling classified government documents. Moran told us, “There’s a number of documents that are out there that probably have been over-classified. Typically, “classified” should only be assessed to information that if released would have some detrimental effect on our national security.” Continue reading Moran shares thoughts on classified documents, toxic train derailment

EAST TEXAS — Texas Park and Wildlife Game Wardens have arrested three men and may arrest others in an investigation covering four states. 21-year-old Carson Don Bottoms, of Longview, 24-year-old Drake Anthony Cannon, of Mount Pleasant, and 18-year-old Reagan Beavan Farquharson, of Heath, are accused of illegally shooting and processing deer in East Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Iowa. Game Warden Shawn Hervey says the poachers would drive around at night, at times trespassing on private property. Hervey said, over the past three years, up to 100 deer have been illegally killed.

HENDERSON – A Henderson woman has been arrested and charged in relation to a May 21, 2022 crash that left at least one child dead, according to Texas DPS. Iliana Esther Ayala, 29, was booked into the Rusk County Jail Saturday and charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle. According to our news partner KETK, she’s being held on bonds totaling $220,000. In 2022, DPS reported that Ayala was driving down Highway 64 at 7:45 p.m. when her car left the road and flipped over its front end, ejecting three children. Inside the car with Ayala was also Edna Grinaldo, 25, of Tyler, who was the only one wearing their seatbelt. Continue reading Woman charged with intoxication manslaughter after deadly crash

QUITMAN – Wood County officials last week conducted two search warrants that led to approximately 1,600 pounds of marijuana being seized, according to a release. One warrant was executed Thursday on County Road 1350 near the Lake Quitman area after investigators received information of a growing operation allegedly in that area. According to our news partner KETK, officials reportedly seized approximately 1,000 pounds of marijuana and arrested two Russian nationals at the location. Authorities say one of the suspects had just crossed the border of Mexico a few weeks prior after flying into Colombia. The other warrant was executed Saturday on County Road 1573, where officials say they located and seized another 600 pounds of marijuana. Continue reading Sheriff: 1,600 pounds of marijuana seized in Wood County, eight arrested

TYLER – A former Tyler ISD integrated student supports teacher was arrested Thursday for sexual assault, accused of having an improper relationship with a student while working at Three Lakes Middle School. According to our news partner KETK, Andre Jefferson, 28, of Tyler, was arrested for sexual assault of a child Feb. 23, three days after Tyler ISD police were notified of the allegations and Jefferson was suspended by the school pending an investigation. According to an arrest warrant, the middle school student told someone with the Smith County Children’s Advocacy Center that she “has been seeing Mr. Jefferson” at his apartment since January. Jefferson’s bond was set at $500,000.

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to accident involving death and intoxication manslaughter in an April 2022 crash that killed a local teenager. According to our news partner KETK, Justin Pierce, 30, also pleaded guilty to assault of a peace officer for an April 2021 incident in which he was also arrested for public intoxication. According to a DPS report, Pierce was driving down Highway 64 near Tyler when he struck 18-year-old Marissa July-McCuin of Tyler, who was trying to cross the road. July-McCuin was taken to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries. According to the DPS report, Pierce had left the scene of the crash but was later caught. Pierce was booked into the Smith County Jail the day of the crash and remained jailed during the duration of his case.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is asking for public assistance in locating a missing woman. According to our news partner KETK, a news release says Vanitra Odom, 46, is 5’3″, weighs approximately 300 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes, and wears glasses. Police said she could be driving a silver Honda Accord with a license plate number of NKT6466. Odom’s family believes she could be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. If you have any information on Odom’s whereabouts, contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.

AUSTIN (KRLD) – Casting an illegal vote would be a felony under a bill filed by an East Texas state senator. Bryan Hughes of Mineola passed an election law two years ago in the previous session, but an amendment to that bill lowered the penalty for illegal voting to a misdemeanor. He says his new bill is intended to correct what he sees as a shortcoming in the law. James Slattery of the Texas Civil Rights Project is opposed to the bill because it says a person could be prosecuted if “the person knows of the circumstance that makes the person not eligible to vote.” Hughes says voting illegally is a serious offense and the punishment should fit the crime.

PALESTINE — Palestine Police said they found the body of a man on Sunday in a creek. According to our news partner KETK, officials said they responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m. in a wooded area off Highway 155 near Loop 256 after the landowner observed what appeared to be a body. According to Palestine Police, the body was in “the later stages of decomposition” and detectives were able to locate an ID in the clothing. The man was 53-years-old from Tennessee and police said he was known to be homeless and living in the nearby woods. “Right now, there are no obvious signs of foul play, but we are looking at all possibilities,” Police Chief Mark Harcrow said. Continue reading Police find body of Tennessee man in East Texas creek

TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District for the week of February 27. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance will begin blade level-up work on FM 2906, both northbound and southbound, from SH 149 to the state maintenance ends marker. In Smith County, Tyler maintenance will have a crew performing base failure repairs on FM 15 about two miles south of SH 64. The crew will then move near Sadler St. on FM 15. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. Click here for the complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

AUSTIN — Two bills to formalize the affiliation of Stephen F. Austin State University with the UT System have been filed in Austin. State Senator Robert Nichols of Jacksonville and State Representative Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches have submitted bills that outline how the transfer will take place from the s-f-a board of regents to the u-t system board. the university will retain the “Stephen F. Austin” name. The terms of the current board members will be ended on the date the university officially enters the UT System. The UT System Board is directed to coordinate the employment of as many of the current faculty and staff as is “prudent and practical” tenured positions will be recognized under the new institution, and currently admitted SFA students will be entitled to admission under the UT System. The SFA Board of Regents voted to join the UT System last November.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 188, east of the Emerald Bay Lake subdivision, will be closed to through traffic for a bridge replacement starting Monday, February 27, 2023. A narrow bridge is being replaced with a concrete box culvert as a part of the roadway improvements to CR 188. The portion of the road that will be closed is located between FM 344 and FM 346. The road closure is expected to be for two weeks for the placement of the box culvert.

WILLS POINT – A former Wills Point ISD employee was arrested by Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office in relation to an indecency with a child investigation. According to our news partner KETK, Kenneth Dale Faling was arrested on Friday Feb. 24. He was a technology technician with Wills Point ISD, according to a statement from superintendent Richard A. Cooper. “At this time, Mr. Faling is no longer employed with Wills Point ISD. This alleged behavior did not occur on a Wills Point ISD campus or property,” Cooper said. In a Facebook comment Wills Point ISD said that Faling tenured his resignation Friday evening, the same day as his arrest. According to Van Zandt County, Faling is being held on $300,000 bond for the charge of alleged indecency with child sexual contact. Wills Point ISD Police Department and Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the situation.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Mount Pleasant Police Department has announced that they’ve made an arrest in connection to a Whataburger shooting that left a man dead Saturday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to 2321 South Jefferson Avenue because of reports of a shooting around 2:18 a.m. Police officers said they found a male, Damien O’neal Jackson, 30, of Mount Pleasant, with multiple gunshot wounds in the Whataburger parking lot. Officials said that EMS transported Jackson to Titus Regional Medical Center where he died. Mount Pleasant PD officers interviewed several eye-witnesses and said they determined that a fight started inside the Whataburger and eventually those fighting were told to leave. As they were all leaving the Whataburger, Jackson was shot. Later around 9:20 a.m. officials said they arrested Kentravion Jajuan Evans, 18, and booked him into Titus County Jail for on a murder charge.

HAWKINS – Jarvis Christian University has announced that their current president and CEO is retiring in June, after 11 years at the school. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Lester C. Newman started as JCU president in April of 2012 and has worked in higher education for 47 years. During his tenure at JCU, he helped save the school from “financial peril” and brought them to the point of operating without any debt, according to a press release. Dr. Newman also helped with turning around low enrollment, reviving Bulldog athletics, expanding degree programs and expanding the schools reach to Dallas. He recently brought them from being a college to a university through the creation of their business and criminal justice master’s degrees. Continue reading Jarvis Christian University president announces plans to retire by: Michael Garcia

HENDERSON COUNTY – On Feb. 21, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a threat written on a Cross Roads ISD High School bathroom stall. According to our news partner KETK, the Henderson County Crimes Against Children Task Force worked closely with the school district and a K9 assisted in the investigation by conducting a search for firearms in the school. Carter Echo, 18, a student at Cross Roads High School, was interviewed by the task force on Feb. 24. After the interview, investigators prepared and presented an affidavit for an arrest warrant to Henderson County 392nd Judicial District Judge Scott McKee. McKee then issued an arrest warrant for Echo for the offense of terroristic threat, a third degree felony. Investigators arrested Echo and he is now waiting arraignment in the Henderson County Jail. If convicted, Echo could face up to 10 years in prison.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of assaulting a peace officer on Thursday, according to Cherokee County. On Aug. 1 2022, Eric Paulk was arrested after hitting an officer over the head during the course of his arrest for an outstanding felony warrant, according to our news partner KETK. Paulk was convicted after 25 minutes of jury deliberation and Judge R. Chris Day sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Paulk was also fined $5000. Officials said that Cherokee County Sheriffs Office, Bullard Police Department and Jacksonville Police Department assisted in his capture.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Dollar Tree Inc. has been fined $254,478 after federal workplace safety inspectors arrived at a store in Mount Pleasant, according to the Department of Labor. According to a release, inspectors found “the national discount retailer again shortchanging employee safety” by allowing storeroom merchandise to block exits, walkways and “stacking boxes high enough to fall on workers.” The Sept. 7, 2022 inspection also said the company failed to keep areas in the store and storerooms “clean, orderly and sanitary” and announced the more than $250,000 in fines issued by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday. Continue reading Dollar Tree fined more than $250,000 after inspection at Mount Pleasant store

CADDO PARISH — An East Texas teenager has surrendered to Louisiana authorities in the shooting death of another teen at a Mardi Gras parade in Shreveport. The unidentified 16-year-old boy gave himself up at the Caddo Parish Juvenile Justice Complex, accompanied by his attorney. He is charged with negligent homicide in the death last Saturday of Kip Lewis, 17, of Elysian Fields. investigators say a group of teens were engaging in horseplay, chasing each other around with plastic swords, when for some reason one teen pulled out a gun and fired a shot, striking Lewis in the upper body. The teen charged in the killing will make a court appearance today in Shreveport.

NACOGDOCHES (KRLD) — Video from the dashcam camera of the tractor-trailer rig involved in a fatal crash that killed two East Texas college students is missing. Attorneys for Graylan Spring, one of the Stephen F. Austin State University students killed in the crash between Nacogdoches and Houston on January 20, want to see video from the cab of the 18-wheeler. But KTRE television reports that in a hearing in a Lufkin courtroom, attorneys said there are no files on the SD card and they believe the card was wiped. They say that is not an accident. They demand information on the chain of custody of the SD card. Defense attorneys for the trucking company want access to the cell phones for Spring and Micah McAfoose.

TYLER – The East Texas Speakers Forum will present “An Evening with Patrick Mahomes” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the UT Tyler Cowan Center. Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, through the Cowan Center Box Office. Ticket prices are $45, $75, $85, and $125. They can be purchased online here, by calling 903-566-7266, or at the Box Office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mahomes, a Tyler native who graduated from Whitehouse High School, this month led the Kansas City Chiefs to a second Super Bowl victory and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Click this link for additional information.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office says it is facing a severe staffing crisis. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office currently has about 40 vacancies, creating a need for extra overtime work. Many people left their jobs when the COVID-19 pandemic started and have not come back. Chief Deputy Craig Harrington also says people aren’t applying for other personal reasons. “It’s not a job you’re gonna get in and be rich and is a job that oftentimes folks aren’t praised for, they are criticized for being in,” said Harrington.

JACKSONVILLE – A Jacksonville police officer was injured after attempting to stop a pedestrian, which led to a fight on Wednesday, according to the Jacksonville Police Department. According to our news partner KETK, the officer stopped the pedestrian around 2:02 p.m. on South Jackson Street. Authorities said the suspect ran away after they spoke. The officer reportedly chased the man, and they got into a physical altercation. Cadarius Rashad Mitchell, 31, of Jacksonville, was later arrested. The officer suffered minor injuries, was taken to a local hospital, and was released Wednesday. Mitchell was charged with evading arrest and/or detention, resisting arrest, and obstruction or retaliation. He is now at the Cherokee County Jail. Police said they will not release the name of the officer.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A suspect is jailed for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Kip Lewis of Elysian Fields, Texas, Saturday along the Gemini parade route in Shreveport. That’s according to our news partner KETK together with its partners KTAL and KMSS. According to earlier reports, Lewis and some friends were engaging in what Shreveport police describe as horseplay, chasing each other with plastic swords. For some reason, one of the teens pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot, hitting Lewis in the upper body. Shreveport police say the 16-year-old suspect surrendered to authorities Wednesday. The suspect is facing a charge of negligent homicide and was last reported in the Caddo Juvenile Detention Center awaiting his initial hearing.

TYLER — Tyler is continuing to observe Black History Month in several ways. On Thursday, a group called “We Remember Tyler” announced efforts to place a lynching memorial on the downtown square. A news release from the group mentions the lynching of James Hodge in 1909 on the grounds of the new courthouse then under construction. According to the release, “A lynching memorial must be placed on the new grounds to tell important historical truths, reveal community resilience, encourage reconciliation, and provide dignity.” Click this link to learn more about the group and its efforts. Continue reading Black History Month includes anti-lynching memorial bid, two weekend events

TYLER – Weeks after the early February winter storm, we’re still seeing the damage. Now it’s up to solid waste to do the final stages of clean-up. “We’ve been doing about 50 work orders a day. Now we’re going to be looking to ramp it up to about 150 to 200 a day now that we have all of the contractors and all of our staff working together,” City of Tyler Solid Waste Director Leroy Sparrow told our news partner KETK. Solid Waste staffers said they have about 2,400 work orders to get through since the storm, which is more than double from the February 2021 freeze. “So far since Feb. 8, we’ve been able to do 500 work orders,” said Sparrow. Continue reading City of Tyler keeps working on winter storm limb cleanup

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD added extra security to the high school campus Thursday morning after a student was charged with ‘false alarm’ and placed in custody. According to the district and our news partner KETK, around 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the school received an anonymous tip through the “Say Something” reporting system and the district coordinated with the Whitehouse Police Department to investigate. “At no time were students or staff in immediate danger,” officials said. The district said the report was made within six minutes of the alleged threat, and Superintendent Dr. Chris Moran said they will not tolerate threatening comments. Continue reading Whitehouse ISD adds security after ‘false alarm’ at high school

RUSK – The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday a man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for continuous sexual assault of a child and aggravated kidnapping. The district attorney’s office said the charges were from incidents July 1, 2021 through Aug. 30, 2021. Jesse Ray Schmidt, then 32, was arrested on Aug. 31, 2021 after an Amber Alert was issued for two children who were later found in Kilgore after the 10-year-old and 11-year-old girls went missing from the Rusk area. According to our news partner KETK, Schmidt was convicted of the charges on Feb. 8.