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Tyler – Discovery Science Place welcomes East Texas educators to its annual Educator Open House on Friday, July 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. This free event is designed exclusively for teachers and school staff, offering a preview of educational programming for the upcoming school year, along with hands-on STEM fun and networking.

The Open House, held inside the Discovery Science Place Museum at 308 N. Broadway Ave. in downtown Tyler, is for adults only and open to anyone working in education. Attendees will enjoy museum access, classroom activity ideas, free food from Jucy’s Tacos, and the chance to win door prizes. The evening is also an opportunity to learn about field trip offerings and in-school programs designed to bring science to life for students of all ages.

“This event is our way of saying thank you to educators and equipping them with tools to make science education even more engaging,” said Bradley Lindsey, Director of Education at Discovery Science Place. “We want teachers to leave inspired, connected, and excited about the resources we can offer them throughout the school year.”

Peltier Chevrolet serves as the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Educator Open House. Additional support is provided by East Lake Medical, Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers, Cooperative Teachers Credit Union, VeraBank, Sinclair Law Office, and Cavender’s Boot City.

Admission to the event is free. Learn more at http://www.discoveryscienceplace.org/educator.

TYLER — Bishop of Tyler Gregory Kelly has announced a special collection at Masses this weekend to raise aid for those affected by the Central Texas flooding, according to our news partners at KETK. According to Kelly, the special collection will occur on July 12 through July13 and support efforts will be coordinated through the Catholic Charities of East Texas. Those who attend are encouraged to consider donating financial aid by participating in the special collection. Continue reading Bishop of Tyler calls special collection to support flood victims

TYLER — Our news partner KETK reports that after the Texas House and Senate approved House Bill 1481, which bans students from using cell phones during school hours, school districts across East Texas are now working to update their policies to comply with the new law. H.B. 1481 now requires public schools to develop a plan to implement these new regulations. The bill passed the House on April 24 with 128 votes in favor, and the Senate approved it a month later with a unanimous 31 votes. Electronics now banned include telephones, cell phones (such as smartphones or flip phones), tablets, smartwatches, radio devices, paging devices, and any other device capable of telecommunication and digital communication. Continue reading East Texas districts to enforce cell phone ban

CANTON– After serving for the past 15 years as the chief of the City of Canton Fire Rescue, Bud Sandford announced his retirement on Friday according to our news partner KETK.

Through his 15 years as chief, Sandford has been instrumental in growing the fire department from mostly a team of volunteers to a team of mostly career firefighters. “He will be greatly missed by all the men and women who’ve had the honor to serve alongside him,” City of Canton Fire Rescue said. “Thanks to the solid foundation he’s laid, we’re ready to keep growing and advancing into the future!”

WINONA – Smith County Emergency Services District 2 has confirmed that at least one person has been injured after 2 SUVs crashed into each other on Highway 271.

According to our news partner KETK, the Winona Volunteer Fire Department and Gladewater Fire Department were called out to a crash in the 23,000 block of Highway 271 at around 12:43 p.m. on Friday. At least one person was injured in the crash and had to be transported away by a UT Health EMS helicopter.

The crash reportedly happened when a black SUV and a white SUV collided head-on, injuring at least one person. Firefighters at the scene had to tie off the black SUV to keep it from falling into a ditch. The crash blocked Highway 271 on Friday but first responders are working to clear the roadway.

TYLER – In addition to more than a dozen legislative items set to be discussed in an upcoming special session, select committees will be formed by the state legislature to look into flood issues according to our news partner KETK.

“We are not going to be able to protect Texans from the weather, but we can do our best to communicate, when danger is approaching, and I think that’s going to be the challenge for the legislature coming up,” State Rep. Daniel Alders said. Lt. Dan Patrick and Speaker of the Texas State House, Dustin Burrows will each call nine members to a joint committee to examine flooding warning systems, flood emergency communications, relief funding and recovery.

“The issue is this, we need emergency communication systems in place to be able to let folks know when there’s a natural disaster,” Alders said.

Alders said he believes there are some guidelines that can be put in place for campgrounds to have a way to handle an emergency like a flash flood. Continue reading Lawmakers prepare to address flooding systems

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Thursday after a 17-year-old died from a fentanyl overdose in 2022, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On Thursday, Billy Bernard Maddox, Jr. pleaded guilty to bail jumping, failure to appear and tampering/fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair. He was then sentenced to 35 years in prison for the overdose death of the Tyler Teen. He was previously charged with manslaughter in 2023, but the charge was dismissed.

On the afternoon of April 23, 2022, Tyler police detectives were called to a local hospital where a patient had died of an apparent overdose, identified as 17-year-old Preston Hawley. He was brought to the hospital wearing pants, a belt, socks, but no shirt, shoes or cell phone, according to court documents. Continue reading Man sentenced to 35 years after teen dies from overdose

TYLER – A woman who was accused of tampering with evidence following the murder of a 19-year-old in 2024 was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty on Thursday, according to our news partner KETK.

On July 4, 2024, Rawly Sanchez was murdered while driving with his friends in Tyler. In an affidavit, Sanchez and his friends had to do a U-turn. When they turned behind Bautista Auto, the driver reported seeing a person in a building with an AK-47-style rifle who started shooting at them.

Rawly was shot and his friends took him to a local hospital, where he died. Around the same time, a Tyler Police Department officer was driving by Bautista Auto when he saw a white Ford Explorer with bullet holes on the side. When the officer came back later, the Ford was gone, and then Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on the scene. Continue reading Woman sentenced for evidence tampering in Tyler fatal shooting

TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, East Texas lawmakers held a town hall meeting on Thursday to answer voters’ questions about the latest legislative session.

State Senator Bryan Hughes and State Representative Daniel Alders gave a recap of the progress they made down in Austin. They covered hot topics like the addition of the 10 commandments in the classroom, protection against election fraud, and the tragic Hill County flooding. Attendees also heard from the other side of the aisle when members of the political group, Smith County Young Democrats, questioned both lawmakers about Senate Bill 31 and infant and maternal mortality rates in Texas.

“There’s no doubt that the responsibility of the state government is to primarily ensure that Texans are safe, and so we need to make sure that our communities have the communication systems in place,” Alders said.

“We want answers as to why we are continuing to legislate health care instead of letting doctors do their jobs, that conversation should be between a family and a doctor, not our legislators, not our governor, not the us government,” Smith County Young Democrats member, Kristen Hardin-Zigler said. Continue reading East Texas lawmakers discuss multiple current topics

TYLER — The City of Tyler received more than $2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) to rebuild an old passenger boarding bridge at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.

According to a report from our news partner KETK, the project will provide a new jet bridge that can better serve larger aircraft, which could allow the airport to grow in the future. This new bridge will also help expand the airport’s capacity and improve its positioning.

Replacing this part of the airport first came to mind back in December 2023 after the Tyler City Council approved a study from engineers that evaluated the airport’s need for new boarding infrastructure. Some of the equipment was expensive to maintain and replacement parts were becoming harder to find.

The total cost of the project amounts to $2,163,253, with the FAA granting about 95 percent of the funds and the City of Tyler covering the other $108,163, which is funded through the Half Cent Sales Tax.

The Tyler City Council has chosen GEMS Technical Services Incorporated to take care of the bridge’s construction.

TYLER – A Mexican national has been sentenced for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

According to information presented in court, on August 5, 2024, Tomas Ocamp-Mondragon, 37, a Mexican national illegally living in Tyler, was stopped for a traffic violation in Smith County. It was determined that he was intoxicated, and he was arrested. During the arrest, a loaded firearm was discovered in his pocket.

Further investigation revealed Ocampo-Mondragon was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been found unlawfully present in the United States on September 14, 2019, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was also found to be in possession of a firearm during that encounter. He voluntarily returned to Mexico on January 3, 2020, and did not have permission to return to the United States.

Ocamp-Mondragon, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025. The case was a joint investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Department of Homeland Security, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

ATHENS – An Athens man has been sentenced to federal prison for habitual drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

According to information presented in court, on October 19, 2023, James Kiser, 40, was arrested after selling approximately 34 grams of methamphetamine to another person for $500 cash. Further investigation revealed Kiser has 27 prior convictions for criminal offenses in Henderson and Smith counties.

Kiser pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.

UPSHUR COUNTY – An Upshur County man was sentenced to 90 years in prison on Wednesday for the sexual assault of a young girl in 2024, our news partner KETK reports.

On Sept. 25, 2024, Upshur County District Attorney’s Office deputies were made aware that a woman found a video on her boyfriend’s, Gary Christopher Durham, hidden phone that showed him sexually assaulting her daughter.

Once the deputies arrived at the home, Durham arrived shortly after because the victim’s mother had called him at work to confront him. When Durham got there, he dropped to his knees and said, “I’m a monster.”

Officials said that the first assault happened on Oct. 1, 2022 when the child was between the age of eight or nine. Continue reading Upshur County man gets 90 years for sexually assaulting young girl

TIMPSON – Officials said an 18-year-old man was shot in the chest and leg in Timpson on Sunday night, but no arrests have been made, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

At around 10pm, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to gunshots on 216 Park Street in Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where they learned that 18-year-old Jakorvian Porter of San Augustine was being taken by a private vehicle to a Nacogdoches hospital.

Officials said Porter was admitted in critical condition but shortly after was care-flighted to a Tyler hospital.

“Porter is currently in stable condition, but suffered extremely serious wounds, having been shot in both the chest and one leg,” the sheriff’s office explained. “Three individuals were detained near the scene and questioned and released, during the early morning hours on Sunday.”

If anyone has any information on this ongoing investigation they are encouraged to contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 936-598-5601 or contact Criminal Investigation Division Captain Cameron Nichols.

TIMPSON – A Lufkin man was arrested for murder on Saturday after a gas station shooting in Timpson left one dead, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Around 9:06pm, deputies from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office responded to gunshots on 674 North 1st Street at Bink’s Timpson Quick Stop. There, 45-year-old Tommie Lee Bryce of Timpson was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Officials said that 40-year-old Jarrod Dukes of Lufkin was arrested for murder and is being held at the Shelby County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

If anyone has any information on this ongoing investigation they are encouraged to contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 936-598-5601 or contact Criminal Investigation Division Captain Cameron Nichols.

TYLER — Family members and friends of David Dykes are coming together today to honor his life. Dykes began preaching in 1970, and went on to serve as the senior pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church from 1991 to 2021. He then served as Pastor Emeritus of Green Acres. He was also the author of several books, including Handling Life’s Disappointments, Ten Requirements for America’s Survival, and Angels Really DO exist.

Dyke’s memorial service will be held at the Green Acres Baptist Church on July 9 starting at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers Dykes family requests that donations are made to the Green Acres Foundation.

Details into his death is unknown and his family requests privacy during this time.

TYLER– The tragedy in the Hill Country brings camp safety protocols to the forefront, the Camp Tyler director assures parents that emergency procedures are in place. Camp Tyler director, Kathy Lagesse, tells our news partner KETK she wants to ease parents’ minds this summer.

“What did happen at Camp Mystic touched the whole camp industry, Lagesse said. “Every camp I know is coming to task, going over their policies and procedures that we practice.”

Camp Tyler sits high off of Lake Tyler and according to Lagesse, they do not have flashflood issues.

“Our elevation is such that it would be just the most slim percentage that we would ever have any type of flooding at all,” Lagesse said. “You can visualize, see the slope that we’re on, so that is addressed. We know where the flood plain zone is.”

Most of the camps in Texas, including Camp Tyler, are aligned with the Texas Safety Youth Act and the American Camping Association. Continue reading ETX camp discusses safety protocols amid flood tragedy

TYLER – A man stole hundreds of dollars from a Zippy J’s in Tyler early Wednesday morning after shutting off the store’s power and claiming to have a gun that he was ‘not afraid to use.’

According to a report from our news partner KETK, at Zippy J’s #19 on 1610 South Vine Avenue in Tyler, a man shut off all power to the store before entering the north side of the building.

“With his hand in a backpack, he tells them he has a gun and he is not afraid to use it,” Zippy J’s clerk said. He stole about $700 from two registers.

The store clerk said the man ran across the street towards Tyler Bingo Hall after he obtained the money. As of now, the Tyler Police Department is unsure if the man had a gun.

SMITH COUNTY – According to a press release from Smith County, county Road 431, also known as Jim Hogg Road, is closed between CR 472 (just north of Interstate 20), and CR 41 (Sand Flat Road).

The road is expected to be closed for about two weeks. Detour signs have been set in place to alert drivers that alternate routes need to be taken while a drainage culvert is replaced on CR 431.

UPSHUR COUNTY – The man responsible for causing thousands of dollars of damage to Union Grove High School in January has been sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to criminal mischief on Tuesday, according to the Upshur County District Attorney’s Office and our news partner KETK.

The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene after receiving reports of vandalism at Union Grove High School. Once at the school, deputies observed considerable damage to the campus, including broken windows, destruction of the school’s trophy case, and other damage to school property, including water fountains and monitors. Continue reading Man sentenced to ten years for vandalizing high school

TYLER – Our news partner KETK reports that a man was arrested on July 1 in Tyler after admitting to a predator-catcher organization that he had videos and pictures of children being sexually assaulted on his phone.

According to a Smith County arrest affidavit, around 5:40 p.m., deputies responded to 4373 Gallion Circle, where a private organization, EDP Watch, used a decoy to locate a possible child predator attempting to meet with a 12-year-old girl. The organization said they used a decoy that posed as a 12-year-old girl to communicate with the suspect, Joel Gaona, and that they were set to meet him, but he didn’t show up.

The document explained that EDP Watch then went to Gaona’s home, and videoed the interaction in which he admitted to having child pornography on his phone. Goana gave his phone to the organization after he was told they had software that would erase everything off of it. Continue reading Tyler man arrested for trading child pornography

TYLER – After more than a year-long pause, the City of Tyler announced the official return of its curbside recycling program, beginning Monday, July 14. The service was temporarily suspended following a structure fire at Rivers Recycling in Kilgore, which handled the processing of materials collected through our curbside recycling program. This unfortunate incident resulted in significant damage and the closure of the plant. However, we are pleased to announce that a new facility, the Northeast Texas Regional Materials Recovery Facility (NETX), has officially opened its doors, and the City of Tyler has signed a contract with them to sort and sell all curbside recycling materials. Continue reading Curbside recycling service has resumed in Tyler

WOOD COUNTY – In response to the recent tragic flooding in Kerr County, first responders in Wood County organized a donation drive at the Mineola Football Stadium on Tuesday.

According to a report from our news partner KETK, for Agriculture Mechanics teacher, Mason Wintters, the flooding hit close to home. Wintters has family in Kerr County and has spent many family reunions in the area.

“Seeing this one is kind of like its hitting in your backyard, it’s tough to see your neighbors get hit especially with something so powerful,” Wintters said.

Mineola ISD Police Chief Cody Castleberry organized the donation drive to help those recovering from the rushing waters. Castleberry said that from 5 hours away it’s hard to know how to help, but this was his solution. Continue reading Wood County gathers donations for the Texas Hill Country

LINDALE — A Lindale veterinarian is asking East Texans to donate supplies that will help comfort animals that were affected by the recent floods in Kerrville and Central Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the Lindale Veterinary Clinic is asking East Texans to donate various supplies to the Kerrville and Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Donation Center in Lindale. One of the clinic’s veterinarians has ties to the area and wants to make sure that animals in need are not forgotten during rescue efforts.

The center is asking for the following supplies which will go toward assisting many animals caught in the recent flood: Continue reading Local veterinarian requests donations for animals affected by floods

HOPKINS COUNTY — Nearly three decades later an East Texas homicide case has come to a close after a search warrant was executed on Tuesday at the suspect’s house, where they located the firearm used in the murder.

According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Rangers reopened Geraldine Blackmon’s 1996 unsolved homicide case with renewed efforts, including interviewing witnesses, conducting extensive forensic analysis and examining new ballistic evidence. Earlier this year, officials recovered a firearm barrel that matched the bullet collected from the 1996 crime scene from William Doyle Magness’s residence. A search warrant was executed on Tuesday, where Magness was arrested without incident and charged with Blackmon’s murder.

“The arrest of Magness marks a significant step toward achieving justice for Blackmon and offers long-overdue answers to her family and the Hopkins County community,” the sheriff’s office said. Continue reading Authorities recover gun used in cold case, suspect arrested

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, officials took the next steps in revitalizing downtown Tyler on Tuesday when the Tyler City Council and Smith County commissioners coming together to help guide the future of the Rose City. The city and county leaders voted on and approved a new “lease and use” agreement for the downtown Tyler Public Square, which grants the city of Tyler access to the area.

Mayor of Tyler Don Warren said the city will be leasing the land from the county to help move the downtown improvement project forward, while also updating the city’s infrastructure.

The infrastructure improvements will be partially paid for by $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, which is included in the $23.6 million total funding from the city’s half-cent sales tax fund, along with contributions from Tyler Water Utilities, and an information technologies fund for a total investment of $25.6 million. Continue reading Tyler leaders move forward with downtown revitalization

RUSK COUNTY – 50 firearms, stolen property and suspected methamphetamine was seized from multiple East Texas homes by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office last week, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On July 1, Sheriff’s deputies searched a home in the 1600 block of East Main Street in Henderson, where they recovered 36 firearms, which were revealed to have been transported from a home on 8100 CR 334. Officials said during the search of the second home, 14 firearms, a stolen cargo trailer, body armor and meth were recovered.

Following the search, Bobby Blake Prior of Henderson, who was already in Rusk County Jail for a prior arrest, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, felony theft, unlawful possession of a firearm, and illegal possession of body armor by a felon on July 2.

He remains in Rusk County Jail with bonds totaling $55,000. The investigation remains active, and officials do anticipate more arrests will be made.

CHAPEL HILL — According to a report from our news partner KETK, a FedEx delivery truck driver has died after being ejected from their vehicle on Highway 64 near Chapel Hill on Tuesday.

Smith County Emergency Services District 2 said officials responded to the scene in the 16000 block of Highway 64 at around 1:26 p.m. on Tuesday. The driver was reportedly stepping out of their truck when another vehicle hit the truck and ejected the driver, fatally injuring them.

The identity of the driver has not been released to the media at this time.

SMITH COUNTY – According to a press release from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, the Special Investigations Unit, along with Tyler DPS Criminal Investigations Division, followed up on a lead received from the Lindale Police Department in reference to illegal narcotics being shipped to an address in Tyler.

Investigators were able to establish probable cause for a search warrant for the address of 409 Sutherland Dr. A probable cause affidavit was presented to the Honorable 114th State District Judge Reeve Jackson. After reviewing the affidavit, Judge Jackson issued a search warrant.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, Law Enforcement personnel executed the search warrant at 409 Sutherland Dr. During the search of the residence, Investigators located two kilos of cocaine, five pounds of marijuana, dangerous prescription drugs, two loaded handguns, and a loaded rifle. Also located was over $15,000 in US currency, a currency counter, as well as scales and packaging material used for re-distribution. Continue reading Smith County man arrested in drug investigation