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SMITH COUNTY – Whitehouse ISD has officially teamed up with the University of Texas at Tyler to provide discounted tuition rates for its employees pursuing advanced degrees, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

This partnership aims to support the professional growth and lifelong learning of Whitehouse ISD staff, while also strengthening ties with higher education partners. The initiative is expected to benefit district employees by making higher education more accessible, ultimately enhancing the quality of education within the district.

Whitehouse ISD and UT Tyler held a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch this agreement on Wednesday morning.

WINNSBORO — The Winnsboro Police Department announced on Wednesday that a man was arrested following the burglary of a convenience store, three more suspects remain at large, according to our news partner KETK.

The Winnsboro Police Department said that Alex Fowler was detained as a suspect in the burglary that occurred at the Armadillo Convenience Store around 2 a.m.

The department was alerted to a business alarm. When officers arrived, several suspects were spotted wearing black with face coverings. The suspects fled from the scene. One of them was caught trying to pickup another suspect in a car. Fowler, the driver, was taken to a local jail and booked on similar warrants that were previously issued out of Parker County, Winnsboro Police said. Warrants are now being issued for Fowler’s connection with the convenience store burglary. Continue reading Suspect arrested following convenience store burglary

MARSHALL — An East Texas man has been charged with solicitation of prostitution in Marshall, and now the police department is searching for potential victims. According to our news partner KETK, a search warrant was executed in Jefferson on Aug. 21, where Trevor Lee Lohr, 33, was arrested for solicitation of prostitution stemming from various incidents that occurred in Marshall. Earlier this month, Lohr had been arrested for harassment and solicitation of prostitution.

The criminal investigation division of the Marshall Police Department is leading the case and continues to follow leads to protect all victims. The investigation is ongoing, with additional charges expected to be filed.

At this point, investigators believe there “may be multiple victims.” Continue reading Police seek victims in Marshall prostitution case

ARP — An assistant principal at Arp Elementary has been arrested for failing to report that her adult son was in a sexual relationship with a minor, resulting in the minor becoming pregnant at the age of 14, an arrest affidavit revealed.

Our news partner KETK has created a timeline of the Arp Police Department’s investigation into Karla and Blake Florence and how it led to their arrests based on a Smith County affidavit. You can view the entire timeline here.

TRINITY COUNTY — All bodies have been recovered after three men died from inhaling toxic sewer gas Wednesday afternoon in Southeast Texas.

According to our news partner KETK, Trinity County Sheriff office received a call at around 3:52 p.m. that the men were found unconscious at a sewer plant in the Westwood Shores area. Deputy Chief Jeremy Carroll said two of the bodies were recovered just before 7 p.m. and the third a short time later.

The victims were ages 46, 47 and 52. Authorities said two of the men worked for H2O Innovate and the third for Hydroclear. According to Carroll, one of the crew members was working on the manhole and attempted to cap a line after a water leak that would cause sewage to back up the line they were working and during this time, he lost consciousness.

“We believe a crewmember jumped inside to cap the line to prevent the sewage from backing into the area that they were working,” Carroll said. “The gas buildup started giving him some type of medical issue or caused a medical issue, at which time one of his partners with the same company went into the manhole after him.” Continue reading Three dead from toxic manhole gas

KILGORE — The Kilgore Fire Department has named Ryan Riley its new fire chief according to our news partner KETK. Riley has been a firefighter since 1987, beginning his career as a volunteer in New London. He has been a member of the Kilgore Fire Department since 2017, serving as the rescue chief, emergency management coordinator and fire marshal.

“His leadership and dedication have been invaluable to our community,” the City of Kilgore said.

Riley will be replacing former Kilgore Fire Chief Mark Henderson.

TYLER — A new hotel is coming to downtown Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the Blackstone Hotel is being developed by Houston-based company, Valencia Hotel Group. The hotel is expected to have 144 rooms, a 5,700 square-foot meeting space and a ballroom terrace overlooking downtown Tyler.

The Blackstone Hotel is expected to bring in new jobs, create business opportunities and improve city services funded by tourism-driven tax revenue. Incentives for Tyler for the project will be capped at $12 million and will be entirely funded from dollars generated by the hotel. Doyle Graham, the CEO of Valencia, says construction will start immediately, and take about 42 months to complete construction.

LINDALE — Our news partners at KETK report a Lindale man was arrested on Monday evening after officer obtained a video of him “slamming” his eight-month-old infant on her side and back, an affidavit revealed. According to a Smith County arrest affidavit, on Monday, deputies responded to a home on County Road 4145 in Lindale due to a call claiming a child was being abused by the father, Tyler Kovalick. The caller also said Kovalick was aware there was a video of the incident. The affidavit explained that deputies spoke with Kovalick, who said that he got off work around 3 p.m. and picked up his children from the babysitter. Continue reading Father arrested for ‘slamming’ 8-month-old on side, back

SMITH COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report that human remains found in Smith County on Tuesday morning are believed to be those of a woman who went missing over two years ago. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, a Texas DPS dive team began searching for human remains at around 8:30 a.m. near a pond on 10068 County Road 42 near McDougle Road in New Harmony, the western part of Smith County, after a person found a backpack belonging to a missing person, Courtney Taylor Martin. The sheriff’s office said two young men found her backpack next to the pond on July 3. However, law enforcement had to postpone the search of the pond due to the Kerr County flooding. The human remains that were found will be taken to a forensic institution in Dallas. Continue reading Human remains believed to be Smith County woman missing since 2023

ARP, Texas – The assistant principal of Arp Elementary School was arrested Tuesday morning after police said she gave false information to investigators. According to the Arp Police Department and our news partner KETK, Karla Florence was taken into custody for failure to report and false report to a peace officer. Police said she failed to provide “accurate and truthful information to investigators” and did not fulfill her legal duty under Texas law to report knowledge of a felony while serving as an educator. Blake Florence, was also arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child and tampering with physical evidence. Both were booked into the Smith County Jail.

Arp ISD’s Official Statement

Update: The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said Meinert was found safely and is with his family.

MINEOLA– The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has issued a Silver Alert for a missing man with a cognitive impairment, last seen in Mineola on Monday night, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

DPS says that 72-year-old Lawrence Meinert was last seen around 11 p.m. on the 280 Block of CR 2798 wearing a gray striped shirt, gray shorts and brown flip flops. He is described as being five feet, eleven inches tall, and weighing 150 pounds with white hair and hazel eyes.

His vehicle is a gray 2005 Chevrolet Silverado with the Texas license plate number HKX4749.

If anyone sees Meinert or his truck, they are encouraged to contact the Wood County Sheriff’s Office at 903-763-2201 or their local law enforcement agency.

PALESTINE – A Palestine man was arrested on Aug. 18 after police discovered drugs and more than 40 guns in his vehicle and home. According to our news partner KETK, officers with the Palestine Police Department attempted to stop Llewellyn Lynn, 47, for alleged traffic violations around 2 p.m. on August 18, but Lynn did not stop and instead drove into the driveway of his house.

Upon exiting the vehicle, Lynn was reportedly uncooperative, but police eventually managed to arrest him. A search of Lynn’s vehicle revealed more than five pounds of marijuana and two guns, the police department said. Search warrants for the residence and two storage units were secured from 87th State District Judge Amy Thomas Ward. During the searches, police said more than five ounces of meth, an additional three pounds of marijuana and over 40 guns, some of which were allegedly stolen.

Lynn was then booked into the Anderson County Jail for possession of more than five pounds of marijuana, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon. His bond was set to $85,000, and he was released from jail on Aug. 20. The police department said additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.

NACOGDOCHES – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) visited Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) on Monday to meet with East Texas educational leaders and students. According to our news partner KETK, during that visit he spoke to SFA students and leaders about expanding Pell Grant eligibility and added funding for agriculture research facilities. He also discussed the Big Beautiful Bill and its potential benefits to the higher education system in Texas.

Cornyn also heard an update from SFA leadership regarding their $85 million Arthur Temple College of Forestry & Agriculture Extension Building. The building is part of the only doctoral forestry program in Texas. The media also had the opportunity to speak with Cornyn at the Pineywoods Dining Hall which hosted a roundtable discussion at 4 p.m. on Monday. Cornyn ended on Monday by saying he’ll bring East Texas’ education success stories back to Washington D.C.

HENDERSON COUNTY – The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that one person was killed in a shooting near Chandler on Monday night. Our news partner KETK reports that a shooting call came in at around 9 p.m. on Monday night. The shooting happened off of Shady Trail in the Westwood Beach area of Lake Palestine, to the south of Chandler.

One male was found shot dead at the scene. The sheriff’s office is currently searching for 18-year-old Chuck Brady Norris, in connection to the shooting.

According to the sheriff’s office, Norris could be driving a silver Chevrolet Impala. Anyone with information on the shooting or Norris is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 903-675-5128.

KILGORE– An eighth-grade student at Kilgore Middle School suffered a severe head injury last week after being body-slammed during lunch in the school cafeteria, sparking outrage among parents and community members. According to our news partner KETK, the incident happened Thursday afternoon when Lukas Hardeman was talking with friends at the lunch table. Family members said another student picked him up and slammed him headfirst into a steel chair.

Hardeman was rushed to a local emergency room, then transferred to a Dallas hospital where surgeons cut two holes into his skull to stop bleeding and relieve swelling. Doctors later confirmed he has a six-inch skull fracture, though thankfully no signs of permanent brain damage. He now faces a long recovery that includes monthly trips to Dallas for physical and speech therapy.

The incident has drawn criticism of Kilgore ISD’s handling of bullying reports. At a school board meeting held before Hardeman’s return home, parents and community members demanded accountability and stricter policies. Continue reading Middle school student suffers skull fracture in altercation

MARSHALL — According to our news partner KETK, two men have been arrested following a vehicle shooting early Sunday morning in Marshall that left one person seriously injured.

The Marshall Police Department responded to reports of gunfire around 2:33 a.m. in the 400 block of W. Pinecrest Drive. The victim, who sustained gunshot wounds to both legs, was taken to a hospital and remains in serious condition. As the investigation went on throughout the night and into Monday morning, police executed several search warrants. This led to the arrest of Braylon George, 20, and JerBraylon Brazzell, 19, both residents of Marshall. They are being held on a $100,000 bond.

The suspects have been charged with aggravated assault from a moving vehicle. Authorities are still searching for a third suspect involved in the incident. Continue reading Vehicle shooting in Marshall leaves one injured

LONGVIEW – Trademark Property Company announced on Monday that they are teaming up with Dillard’s Inc. to purchase the Longview Mall. According to our news partner KETK, Trademark will be handling operations and leasing for the Longview property.

“The Dillard’s-Trademark team plans to modernize the property and upgrade mall operations with the goal of bringing a better shopping experience and roster of tenants to Longview Mall,” Senior Vice President of Leasing at Trademark Daniel Goldware said. “We believe this community will support better retailers and more offerings from Dillard’s and deserves a higher-level regional shopping destination.”
Continue reading Dillard’s partners with Trademark Property to buy Longview Mall

SMITH COUNTY – A portion of Smith County Road 178 , Old Palestine Road, was closed starting Tuesday, August 26. The part closed on County Road 178, is between County Road 192, Old Noonday Road and County Road 1169. The closure will be about two weeks, so workers can install water and sewer line crossings.

WHITEHOUSE – Smith County emergency services responded to a vehicle crash Monday morning on State Highway 110 between Whitehouse and Troup. According to our news partner KETK, what’s known is that one person has died, another was sent to a hospital. Highway 110 was reopened to traffic by 12 noon on Monday.

TYLER – The City of Tyler said that crews will start demolishing the unused South Glenwood Ground Storage Tank on Tuesday, bringing an end to the decades-old unused structure.

According to our new partner KETK, the water tank on South Glenwood Boulevard was first constructed more than 50 years ago in the 1940’s and was used to store water from Well 2. The well is being decommissioned this year as Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) phases out wells in favor of surface water sources, according to the City of Tyler.

TWU is working with Hunter Demolition and Wrecking Corporation on a $276,684 contract to remove the unused tank and its related structures, including a nearby wall, a brick building, water lines and the surrounding fence. Work on demolishing the tank and surrounding structures is expected to be complete by October 2025.

TYLER – The Smith County Animal Control and Shelter waived their adoption fees for their annual Clear the Shelters adoption event on Saturday, according to our news partners at KETK. The shelter started with 42 animals on Saturday and three dogs were adopted into loving families within the first two hours of the event. “With Clear The Shelter Adoption Event coming to a close, we had 3 amazing adoptions! We want to thank these families for taking in these three sweet dogs and giving them the love and care that they deserve,” the Smith County Animal Control and Shelter said on Saturday.

The shelter said that anyone interested can come adopt one of their animals for free until Clear the Shelters ends on Aug. 31. The shelter is located at 322 E Ferguson Street in Tyler. They’re open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but they close between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

TYLER – Keep Tyler Beautiful celebrated 30 years of service and community pride at their Anniversary Gala on Friday, according to our news partners at KETK.

Keep Tyler Beautiful adds five new ‘Beauty and the Box’ sites
The gala was held at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center and recognized the organization’s ongoing commitment to keeping Tyler clean, green and beautiful. During the gala, a silent auction was held and dinner was provided by Montez Brothers Catering.

Keep Tyler Beautiful was founded in 1995, and since its inception, it has played a vital role in community beautification, environmental education and volunteerism.

“This anniversary is more than just a celebration of our history. It’s a celebration of the people who make our mission possible,” Keep Tyler Beautiful Coordinator Casey Williams said. “We’re excited to invite the community to help us commemorate this moment and continue building a more beautiful Tyler together.”

TYLER – Experts from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service have reported that pork prices are expected to stay within record levels as the holidays approach, according to our news partners at KETK. AgriLife Today reported on Tuesday that average pork prices in stores were at the highest point of the year in July. July’s average price was $5.01 per pound which was up from $4.92 per pound in July of 2024. Continue reading Pork prices expected to stay high during holidays

LONGVIEW – A dead body was found near East Loop 281 in Longview on Saturday afternoon according to our news partners at KETK. The Longview Police Department said officers were dispatched to the 500 block of East Loop 281 after a dead body was found at around 4:11 p.m. Investigators are currently at the scene processing evidence and gathering information. Longview PD said there are no signs of any danger to the public at this time. Anyone with information in this case asked to call Longview PD at 903-237-1170 or the Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867.

LUFKIN – Our news partners at KETK report a man is dead following a stabbing on Glenn Street in Lufkin early Saturday. According to the Lufkin Police Department, officers responded to a disturbance reported at an address in the 900 block of Glenn Street in Lufkin at around 2:30 a.m. By the time officers arrived on scene, two people involved in the disturbance had already left, one went to a local hospital and the other went to a nearby home. Lufkin PD said officers went to a nearby hospital and found the man being treated for stab wounds. Police said the man later died from his injuries at around 3:15 a.m. Continue reading One dead after early morning stabbing in Lufkin

TYLER – Texas honeybee experts are warning that 2024 recorded the steepest beehive population decline in state history according to our news partners at KETK. There’s a sting in Texas’ honeybee population. “This past year, it’s been about 62% losses across Texas. We surveyed over 500 beekeepers, and these losses are somewhere between 60,000 to 80,000 colonies,” Honeybee Extension Entomologist with Texas & M Agrilife, Garett Slater said. Continue reading Record low honeybee populations prompt AgriLife webinar