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LIBERTY CITY — The Texas Tribune reports Zachary Carnes is a government professor at Kilgore College but these days, he says, he feels more like a “traveling preacher.” When he first started at the community college in East Texas, he stood in front of a wide array of adults, those who just graduated high school and those looking for a new direction in life. Now he finds himself driving in his pickup truck between high school campuses teaching a course on government to teenagers. Continue reading East Texas high schoolers transforming Kilgore College

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tx) and his challenger Rep. Colin Allred (D-Tx) are making what could be their last East Texas campaign stops of the year on Friday. Allred will be stopping in Crockett at around noon on Friday near an oil well in town. Later that night, he’ll be campaigning with Presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Beyonce down in Houston. Cruz will be stopping at CC’s Smokehouse in Nacogdoches at 3:30 p.m. and then he’ll be in Tyler’s 1836 Restaurant at 6:30 p.m. To learn more, visit Ted Cruz or Collin Allred’s websites online.

LUFKIN– Our KETK news partners report that drivers are asked to avoid a portion of College Drive in Lufkin due to a wreck involving two 18-wheelers.

No injuries were reported in the wreck, but traffic delays are expected. College Drive from Daniel McCall Drive to South First Street will be closed for several hours Friday as officials clean up the scene.

According to the city of Lufkin, a car hauler and a commercial truck holding sand were in a wreck around 5:10 a.m. on the southbound side of U.S. 59 and South First Street. Due to the car hauler blocking the road, inbound traffic on College Drive is blocked. While traffic at the intersection of College Drive and South First is moving, the city said southbound traffic is reduced to one lane.

As the day goes on and cleanup continues, some lanes may need to be closed at various times, especially southbound lanes. Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible.

LONGVIEW – Trial started on Monday for Gregory Newson who is accused of killing a Panola County Sheriff’s deputy William Chris Dickerson, and fleeing the scene, leading to a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in Louisiana back in 2019. . According to our news partner KETK, it was moved out of Panola County, where the accused crime took place, after a judge determined that an impartial and fair trial could not happen there. The state is seeking the death penalty and Newson has pleaded not guilty.

In Gregg County court on Wednesday morning, several witnesses were called to the stand, including former Panola County Sheriff Kevin Lake and deputy Dickerson’s partner at the time. Lake described his experience the night after one of his deputies was shot, becoming emotional. Testimonies from several first responders who arrived to the scene were heard as well.

Body camera footage and dash camera footage of the night, showed the deputy being shot and the accused driving away was shown in court as evidence.

BROWNSBORO – Brownsboro ISD has a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the ballot for the current election cycle, which could increase school funding if passed. According to our news partner KETK, the VATRE is distinctly not a bond and will adjust the school’s tax rate to make way for day-to-day operational costs without increasing taxpayer costs.

Brownsboro ISD is hoping that voters approve the VATRE, that will increase the district’s Maintenance and Operations tax rate by 3.17 cents and in return decrease the Interest Sinking tax rate by 3.17 cents. Continue reading Brownsboro ISD tax rate adjustment on ballot for current election

TYLER – Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tx) and his challenger Rep. Colin Allred (D-Tx) are making what could be their last East Texas campaign stops of the year on Friday. Our news partner KETK is reporting that Allred will be stopping in Crockett at around noon on Friday near an oil well in town. Later that night, he’ll be campaigning with Presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Beyonce down in Houston.

Cruz will be stopping at CC’s Smokehouse in Nacogdoches at 3:30 p.m. and then he’ll be in Tyler’s 1836 Restaurant at 6:30 p.m.

To learn more, visit the Ted Cruz or Collin Allred websites online.

WOOD COUNTY – Wood County Sheriff’s Office reports that early Thursday morning, chainsaws and firearms were part of the items stolen from unlocked vehicles. According to our news partner KETK, authorities ask residents to lock their vehicles and limit the amount valuables left inside their vehicles. They also remind everyone that the suspects in this case are armed and are considered dangerous.

WCSO said the burglaries Thursday morning occurred in the 2370 series of County Roads and 1600 series of County Roads near Alba-Golden ISD.
Continue reading Wood County organized crime suspects considered dangerous

HOPKINS COUNTY – Our KETK news partner reports that more than 12 East Texas counties have been targets of vehicle burglaries in recent weeks where firearms were stolen. Now as burglaries return to the area, the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office said some firearms were recovered from being smuggled into Mexico.

According to the sheriff’s office, the group that stole items from unlocked vehicles in Hopkins and surrounding counties is sending more groups to burglarize again.

“They have hit our county once but we expect them to come back,” Hopkins County officials said.
Continue reading Stolen firearms almost smuggled to Mexico

PALESTINE — According to our news partner KETK, the UIL has voted to remove Westwood Panthers coach Richard Bishop from the regular season, post season games and will remain in probation for the 2025-2026 school year. However the UIL committee said Bishop can participate in football activities next year. This comes after allegations that Bishop allegedly carried out a plan to record their opponents signals, a plan that the DEC allegedly said was “intentional, serious and egregious.”

TYLER – Two dozen veterans are back in East Texas on Wednesday night after returning from an all-expense-paid trip to our nation’s capital, according to our news partners at kETK. 24 East Texas veterans landed from their ‘Heroes Flight’ at the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport on Wednesday night. The flight is an all-expense-paid trip by Brookshire’s Grocery Company to Washington, D.C. This is the 20th Heroes Flight and the first since the pandemic, with more than 700 applications submitted. The East Texas community gave loud cheers at the welcome home celebration for the brave veterans who fought for our freedom. Continue reading Tyler welcomes veterans home from Heroes Flight

SMITH COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK say two people died in a motorcycle wreck near Whitehouse Wednesday afternoon. According to preliminary information from the Texas Department of Public Safety, a passenger vehicle was going south on FM 756 while a motorcycle was heading north on the same road. DPS said the car tried to make a left turn into a private driveway and failed to yield the right of way to the motorcyclist. Two people on the motorcycle were taken to a hospital where they later died. DPS will not yet release the identities of those involved.

TEXARKANA – Our news partners at KETK report a 17-year-old was taken to an out-of-state hospital after being found with several gunshot wounds in Texarkana on Thursday. Officers were on their way to investigate a shooting at 2:15 a.m. in the 1500 block of Milam Street when they got another 911 call saying a victim was found in front of an apartment near the scene. Police reportedly started lifesaving measures on the teen, who they say “had been shot multiple times.” The teen was taken to Wadley Regional Hospital before being transferred to an Arkansas hospital. His condition is unknown as of Thursday at 10 a.m. “Our detectives are investigating and working to find out what happened and identify the person who did this,” Texarkana Police said.

TYLER — The City of Tyler approved a $4,429,876 Capital Improvement Project on Wednesday to address drainage and erosion. According to our news partner KETK, the city says the project will focus on improving drainage on Keaton Avenue which they say “has been a focus for several years due to erosion and flooding residents have experienced.” The contract with Reynolds and Kay was approved on Wednesday.

“The project will focus on a drainage area that collects storm water from approximately 248 acres near Pollard Park and extends towards Donnybrook Avenue and East Southeast Loop 323. Storm water is precipitation that does not seep into the ground but runs off into our storm drain systems, where it eventually flows into our streams and lakes,” the City of Tyler said.

The project is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

TYLER – The City of Tyler approved a $4,429,876 Capital Improvement Project on Wednesday to address drainage and erosion. According to our news partner KETK, the project will focus on improving drainage on Keaton Avenue which they say “has been a focus for several years due to erosion and flooding residents have experienced.” The contract with Reynolds and Kay was approved on Wednesday.

“The project will focus on a drainage area that collects stormwater from approximately 248 acres near Pollard Park and extends towards Donnybrook Avenue and East Southeast Loop 323. Stormwater is precipitation that does not seep into the ground but runs off into our storm drain systems, where it eventually flows into our streams and lakes,” the City of Tyler said. Continue reading Tyler approves $4.4M contract to improve drainage

GREGG COUNTY — The East Texas Food Bank in Longview got a $50,000 donation Wednesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Atmos Energy provided $2 million to food banks for Hunger Action Month in September, with East Texas getting a part of the goods. The ETFB said the money will go a long way by providing 250,000 meals to people in five local counties.

“Hunger takes a community to really solve,” ETFB Chief Development Officer Tim Butler said. “One in six East Texans are food insecure. That includes one in four children. So it’s more than just the East Texas Food Bank trying to solve it themselves; partners like Atmos Energy really are the ones that are going to help turn the tide and solve this problem going forward.”

ETFB’s Longview Resource Center served 6,600 families with more than 1.1 million meals last year. Continue reading Longview food bank receives $50k donation

UPDATE: SMITH COUNTY – Our KETK news partner reports that the Smith County Animal Control and Shelter has given an update on the 55 dogs seized in an alleged dogfighting ring.

On Sept. 9, Kerry Jones and Michael Jones were arrested after a call came in of wounded dogs found near a residence on CR 4136. During an investigation of the property, officials reported finding the 55 dogs, some in bad conditions.

The two cats and all 17 bully dogs have already been picked up by rescues. However, Rivera found that 11 of the dogs she evaluated were “not safe candidates for going into home environments.” These dogs were reportedly trained to fight, making them unsafe to be around other dogs and people, and are described as having a mentality to fight.

These 11 dogs will have to euthanized and Smith County officials reported that two of the dogs have already bitten staff members and tried to go after other dogs.
Continue reading Dogs seized in alleged dog-fighting ring evaluated by specialist

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Two Jacksonville men were arrested on Sunday for copper theft after leading authorities and dogs on a chase through the woods. According to our news partner KETK, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department were called to CR 3212 at a salt water plant about a theft. When deputies arrived, they reportedly noticed two people running into the woods.

Dogs were called out to help track the individuals. After a nine-mile track back toward Jacksonville, the pair were found on top of a deer stand trying to hide. The suspects were identified as 40-year-old Anthony Henderson and 33-year-old Brandon Alford, both of Jacksonville. Henderson and Alford were arrested and charged with theft of materials (copper) and evading arrest.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been sentenced after police allegedly found fentanyl inside a 6-month-old’s diaper during a traffic stop. Our news partners at KETK report that in a traffic stop on May 5, a vehicle was pulled over for a highway violation. The scent of marijuana led to the officer to conduct a search. The driver, later identified as Dre-Darian Taerondrick Ester, and the passenger, Jada La Nea Speight, the parents of the 6-month-old were asked to change the baby’s diaper. At this moment, the deputy allegedly saw a “bottle of pressed fentanyl” inside the diaper. Ester pleaded guilty to manufacturing/delivering of a controlled substance on Monday and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Speight has a trial date sent for Oct. 28.

HENDERSON — Henderson Police Department are searching for a suspect involved in a Wednesday morning shooting that left one injured. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to a shots fired call near 1100 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Main Street. When police arrived, they were told the victim had already been taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

HPD and Rusk County Sheriff’s Office are attempting to locate the suspect. While the suspect is still at large, police said, they are “not believed to be an immediate threat to the public.”

Anyone with information about the case are asked to contact the Henderson Police Department at 903-657-3512.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Henderson County authorities are asking the public for help in finding a woman wanted out of two East Texas counties. According to our news partner KETK and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Chelsea Duncan, of Mabank, is wanted out of Henderson and Kaufman County as well as Gun Barrel City and Seven Points. Records say Duncan has brown hair, green eyes, is 5’4 tall and weighs about 145 pounds.

Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said several warrants for her arrest were issued Tuesday and they include possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest with a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of identifying information. Hillhouse also said she has a bail jumping and criminal mischief warrant out of Kaufman County.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact 903-675-5128 or the Henderson County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-545-TIPS to remain anonymous.

TYLER – There’s been a record number of east Texans hitting the polls this early voting session, as many counties, including Smith, are seeing all-time highs ahead of the November 5th election. Our news partners at KETK have compiled a list of early voting totals for every east Texas county which you can find here. You can also find a complete list of polling locations for every east Texas county here. Please check with your local election officials for updated operation times.

TYLER –  After a yearlong inventory of service lines, the City of Tyler found water lines that contain lead. Replacements will take years, but they say that water is still safe to drink. According to our news partner KETK, out of 40,000 service lines, 142 were identified as lead and 3,843 are galvanized steel. However, TWU said it will take until at least 2037 for all city-owned lead service lines to be replaced. Even with the long wait, homeowners will then be responsible for their own portion.

“Everybody’s water is perfectly safe to drink right now and it has been all where doing is moving toward just making sure and mitigating that risk that all of the lead will be gone in the future,” City of Tyler Director of Utilities Kate Dietz said.

By Nov. 15, city officials said residents will be notified if their homes are affected. Continue reading Water lines containing lead found in Tyler

KILGORE — Kilgore residents may have started to notice a taste or odor change in their tap water. According to our news partner KETK, the reason is The City of Kilgore temporarily converted the disinfectant used in their water distribution center from chloramine to free chlorine.

City officials explained, “public water systems are required to properly disinfect their water and maintain an adequate disinfectant residual in the distribution system. We have chosen to implement a temporary disinfectant conversion to free chlorine based on increasing water quality complaints and decreasing chloramine residuals.”
Continue reading Temporary water change for Kilgore residents

SMITH COUNTY – The first day of early voting in Smith County saw more than 9,000 votes cast at the polls on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County officials said 10,635 ballots were cast, 9,594 were cast in person. How does this compare to early voting during the 2020 election? In 2020, Smith County only saw about 6,000 people in the first day of early voting.
Continue reading Smith County early voting is record-breaking Monday

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Two Jacksonville men were arrested on Sunday for copper theft after leading authorities and dogs on a chase through the woods. According to our news partner KETK, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department were called to CR 3212 at a salt water plant about a theft. When deputies arrived, they reportedly noticed two people running into the woods.

Dogs were called out to help track the individuals. After a nine-mile track back toward Jacksonville, the pair were found on top of a deer stand trying to hide. The suspects were identified as 40-year-old Anthony Henderson and 33-year-old Brandon Alford, both of Jacksonville. Henderson and Alford were arrested and charged with theft of materials (copper) and evading arrest.

HENDERSON COUNTY– Our KETK news partner reports that four men and two women are behind bars after methamphetamines posession, found during a search of a Coleman Alley residence.

According to the Henderson County sheriff’s office, narcotics investigators were able to execute a search warrant on Monday at around 11 a.m. with the help of deputies and Athens police. The suspects were found at the residence.

41-year-old Scotty Barker, 51-year-old Monica Camp, 58-year-old Kenneth Bowman, 39-year-old Glendon Armstrong and 39-year-old Justin Chancellor of Athens and Elizabeth Colin, 32 of Mabank, were all booked into the Henderson County Jail and charged with possession of a controlled substance. Officials said the six arrested are currently awaiting arraignment.

AUSTIN – It was a packed committee room Monday in the Texas House. According to our news partner KETK, legislators met with witnesses to listen to testimony in the case and conviction of Robert Roberson of Palestine. Roberson is on death row for a crime that is now being called into question. He was found guilty in 2003 of killing his 2-year-old daughter, a conviction for which he was set to be executed last Thursday. A ruling from the Texas Supreme Court spared him in the 11th hour, citing concerns about a last-minute subpoena ordering Roberson to be present for House testimony about his case on Monday.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice would only allow Roberson to attend the proceedings virtually, an accommodation which Roberson’s attorneys and the House committee alike argued would not be acceptable. Given that Roberson has been diagnosed with autism, and he has been in custody for more than two decades, his attorneys argue that his ability to effectively communicate would be severely impeded in a virtual setting.

On Monday’s witness list was TV personality Dr. Phillip McGraw, Novelist John Grisham, Former judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Elsa Alcala, Terry Compton, a juror from Roberson’s 2003 trial and Gretchen Sween, Roberson’s attorney.
Continue reading Roberson hearing in the Texas House, without Robert Roberson