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Lynette Hooker’s daughter grateful Coast Guard is conducting new search in Bahamas

US Coast Guard dive team is shown in Hope Town in the Bahamas as the investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Hooker continues. (ABC)

(NEW YORK) -- The daughter of Lynette Hooker, an American woman who went overboard in the Bahamas and vanished two months ago, is grateful a U.S. Coast Guard dive team is on the scene conducting new searches.

"She has to be somewhere, so all the help that we could get, it's greatly appreciated," Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told ABC News.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service, which is leading the investigation, received permission from the Bahamas to send U.S divers to areas that were previously not searched, according to multiple U.S. officials.

This search comes after forensic evidence found on electronic devices belonging to Lynette Hooker's husband, Brian Hooker, led investigators to new areas of interest, officials said.

A U.S. official told ABC News that what Brian Hooker told investigators does not match the GPS data recovered from his devices.

Aylesworth told ABC News she doubts her stepfather Brian Hooker's story and said she's not spoken with him since the day after her mother went missing.

Aylesworth said she's hopeful the new search points investigators in the right direction.

"I’m happy they were able to get Brian's location and discover new areas to look," she said. "... I know they're working very hard."

Lynette Hooker has been missing since the evening of April 4. Brian Hooker told authorities that after the couple departed Hope Town on their dinghy to head to their yacht, called the "Soulmate," bad weather caused her to go overboard.

Brian Hooker was arrested on April 8 and questioned by police. He was released on April 13 without charges.

On April 14, Brian Hooker told ABC News that he was staying in the Bahamas with a "sole focus" of finding his wife. But hours after that interview, Brian Hooker left the Bahamas, with his attorney saying he wanted to be with his terminally ill mother.

Aylesworth said of her missing mother, "I hope she's just in Cuba or something, just needing a break from life, living it up. But I feel like at this time, she would have at least contacted my grandma and me. So I don't, at this point, I don't really have much faith that she's out there still alive."

She added that if she could speak to her mother now, she'd tell her, "I just hope you're still out there. I have doubts with how long it's been, but I love you and I hope I can see you again."

1 year in, South Korea’s Lee enjoys strong support but faces legal shadow

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung takes an oath during his inauguration at the National Assembly on June 04, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Anthony Wallace - Pool/Getty Images)

(SEOUL, South Korea) -- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party swept nationwide local elections Wednesday, tightening President Lee Jae Myung's grip on power one year into his term, though the conservative opposition captured Seoul's mayor's office.

The vote drew 61% turnout, the highest for a local election in three decades.

Lee enters his second year Thursday with approval ratings around 60%, according to South Korea's major pollsters. That is the second-highest at the one-year mark since 1987, behind only former President Moon Jae-in.

When South Koreans elected Lee a year ago, they did so in the wreckage of a constitutional crisis after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, vowing to "eradicate the anti-state forces."

He sent troops toward the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting it down. The attempt failed within hours, and Yoon was impeached and removed by the Constitutional Court four months later, triggering the snap election that made Lee president.

Governing out loud

Lee has made the presidency unusually public. He live-streams weekly cabinet meetings, a first in Korean history, and his office briefs on camera far more than its predecessor.

Lee also uses social media to announce policy, rebut coverage he disputes, take questions and air his opinions -- often without the vetting a formal statement would get. Aides call it a deliberate effort to reach citizens directly rather than through the traditional layers of staff that usually filter a president.

"Unlike politicians before him, he's citizen-friendly -- clearly distinct," said Park Myoung-ho, a political science professor at Dongguk University.

His style has drawn criticism, however. In May, Lee used social media to attack Starbucks Korea over a promotion that critics linked to a 1980 massacre of pro-democracy protesters, branding the company "low-grade profiteers" guilty of "gutter-level behavior."

"Given how much power a president holds, it's too direct and too unfiltered," said Lee Hyun-woo, who teaches political process at Sogang University and warned that the president's posts are often misread because Koreans are used to presidents speaking in measured, formal language.

A record-breaking market

The benchmark KOSPI, which bottomed out near 2,300 in April 2025 after President Donald Trump's tariffs, has surged to a record high above 8,700, blowing past Lee's campaign pledge to reach 5,000. The rally has been catalyzed by a global boom in semiconductors and AI infrastructure that has lifted companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

But rising share prices have not reached many ordinary households across the country and home prices around Seoul are starting to climbing again and is testing one of Lee's central promises.

Walking the line between Washington and Beijing

Lee's central foreign-policy bet has been that South Korea no longer has to choose between its U.S. alliance and its largest trading partner, China -- an approach his government calls "national-interest-centered pragmatism" -- and within seven months of taking office, he had held summits with the leaders of the United States, China and Japan.

"On foreign policy, he's done better than expected," said Shin Yul, a political science and diplomacy professor at Myongji University.

But the results have been mixed. Lee repaired ties with Japan, but his January state visit to Beijing largely fell flat.

His pragmatism faced a major test in February when the war between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition threatened the Strait of Hormuz, the route for much of South Korea's oil imports.

Lee's government leaned on national reserves, increased purchases of U.S. crude and secured replacement supplies from outside the region. A senior presidential official said the effort, together with the market's resilience, helped keep Lee's approval ratings steady through the spring.

Two presidents, two reckonings

In February, a Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon to life in prison for the martial-law attempt; his former defense minister got 30 years. To Lee's supporters it was accountability for an assault on democracy. To Yoon's base, it felt like political revenge.

But Lee carries his own legal shadow. He took office facing five criminal trials, including corruption, subornation of perjury and illegal fund transfers to North Korea, which were all frozen once he became president.

His Democratic Party then went further by pushing a special counsel that could cancel the charges against him outright -- a move Lee declined to endorse or oppose publicly.

To Shin, the silence was strategic. Lee's side, he said, "will try to get the charges dropped," likely using the special counsel "to pursue cancellation of the cases against him."

The push drew public backlash and many analysts read the local-election result as a warning from voters wary of a governing party clearing its own leader.

"This may be President Lee's Achilles' heel," said Park. "I suspect he himself feels a real burden over it."

For Lee Hyun-woo, the principle is simple: "Serving well and being remembered as a great president, and paying for crimes committed in the past, are entirely separate matters."

ABC News' Hakyung Kate Lee contributed to this report.

Indictments following FBI operation

TYLER – Federal charges have been brought against two women who have ties to an East Texas company where an FBI operation was carried out on Tuesday. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell announced the federal indictments of Keyla Valdivia and Virginia Ponce Gamez on Wednesday during a court appearance at the federal courthouse in Tyler. They both filed not guilty pleas. Multiple agencies, including the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety, responded to Ximena’s Furniture at 10623 Highway 69 North and 10713 US 69 North. Neither the FBI nor local law enforcement agencies have publicly confirmed the nature of the operation. Gamez is charged with conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants, trafficking and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Valdivia is charged with conspiracy to harbor undocumented people and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Gas prices are falling despite the Iran war’s impact. Will it last?

Fuel prices are displayed at a gas station in Brooklyn on June 01, 2026, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NEW YORKI) --Drivers stung by high gas prices have enjoyed some welcome relief over the last couple of weeks, even as the impact of the Iran war continues to choke off oil supply.

The national average price of a gallon of gas stood at $4.26 on Wednesday, marking a decline of 30 cents, or 6.5%, since a recent peak on May 21.

Still, prices remain well above where they clocked in before a historic oil shock set off by the war. In late February, the average gallon of gas ran less than $3.

The dropoff in gas prices owes to a decline in oil costs over the latter part of last month, which coincided with a slump in demand following Memorial Day weekend, some analysts said.

Still, they cautioned, gas prices may rise again as oil prices jump and the war shows little sign of an imminent resolution. If the war continues, some analysts said, gas price could top $5 a gallon by next month.

"It's so volatile," Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University, told ABC News. "If the war ended, prices would likely go down. But if it continues, you'll see prices go up."

In Georgia, the state with the lowest average gas prices, a gallon costs about $3.79, AAA data shows. In all, the AAA data says six states currently sell gas at or below an average price of $4 per gallon.

By contrast, the cost of a gallon of gas in California stands at $5.99, making it the state with the highest prices, AAA data shows. Even in California, however, the average price has fallen about 10 cents over the past week.

At the outset of the war, gasoline prices surged in response to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global crude supply.

Oil prices began to fall in mid-May, however, as Iran and the U.S. appeared willing to strike an agreement that would reopen the strait. Crude oil is the main ingredient in auto fuel, accounting for more than half of the price paid at the pump, according to the federal U.S. Energy Information Administration.

On Friday, U.S. oil prices fell as low as about $86 a barrel, marking a drop of about 20% over a 10-day stretch.

"Gas prices have seen a big push because crude prices have dropped. Crude prices have dropped largely because the president has been indicating that we're close to an agreement with Iran," Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Houston, told ABC News.

The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.

Oil prices have ticked up in recent days, but they remain below $100 a barrel. As long as oil prices remain under that benchmark, gas prices may continue to hold steady or even decline, Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at Dow Jones Energy, told ABC News.

A near-term drop in gas prices appears possible because gas sellers are holding onto unusually large profit margins, meaning they could reduce retail prices even if their input costs maintain current levels, Cinquegrana said. Over the past two years, the average margin for sellers came in at about 34 cents per gallon, he added, but it currently stands at 50 cents per gallon.

"There's still some room for gas prices to move down," Cinquegrana said.

Looking weeks or months into the future, however, analysts cautioned about a rise in oil and gasoline prices unless normal tariff resumes in the Strait of Hormuz.

"It's still possible later this summer, even ahead of July 4, we could see the national average pass $5 a gallon," Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, told ABC News Live on Monday.

"We could be seeing much higher gas prices in very short order if the strait doesn't reopen," he added.

Scoreboard roundup — 6/3/26

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Knicks 105, Spurs 95 (NBA Finals - Game 1)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Marlins 4, Nationals 1
Tigers 7, Rays 2
White Sox 8, Twins 0
Mets 7, Mariners 1
Padres 2, Phillies 3
Orioles 1, Red Sox 8
Guardians 5, Yankees 4
Royals 5, Reds 2
Blue Jays 3, Braves 7
Giants 1, Brewers 0
Rangers 3, Cardinals 5
Athletics 5, Cubs 4
Pirates 9, Astros 11
Rockies 4, Angels 11
Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 0

Murder trial underway for Texas teenager accused of fatally stabbing a track athlete at school meet

DALLAS (AP) — Opening statements were set for Thursday in the murder trial of a former Texas high school athlete accused of taking out a knife during a track meet and fatally stabbing a 17-year-old competitor from a rival team in the stadium’s bleachers.

The killing last year stunned an affluent Dallas suburb where the teenagers attended school and quickly drew wider attention, in part over social media posts that amplified the case in racial terms.

Karmelo Anthony, now 19, faces up to life in prison if convicted in the killing of Austin Metcalf. According to an arrest report, Anthony told police he was protecting himself when the teenagers got into a confrontation during a high school track meet in Frisco, a booming city in Dallas’ sprawling north suburbs.

A jury was seated this week under increased security at a Collin County courthouse and a judge has set strict rules over the proceedings, including prohibiting attorneys from discussing the case publicly.

“We know this case has struck a deep nerve — here in Collin County and beyond,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said while announcing the indictment against Anthony last year.

The stabbing happened on a rainy morning in April 2025. Witnesses told police the confrontation began when Anthony sat under a tent belonging to Metcalf’s team, according to an arrest report. The teens went to different high schools in Frisco.

When Metcalf told Anthony that he needed to move, Anthony reached inside his bag and allegedly replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” the report said.

A short time later, Metcalf allegedly grabbed Anthony, who then pulled out a knife and stabbed the other teenager in the chest, the report said.

A police officer said in the report that Anthony told him that Metcalf had put his hands on him, and that he was protecting himself.

Mike Howard, Anthony’s attorney, said following the indictment last summer that he expects prosecutors would “not be able to rule out the reasonable doubt” that his client may have acted in self-defense once the full details of the confrontation come out.

The parents of both teens have said they were good students who planned to go to college.

Metcalf’s father has condemned those who have seized on the race of the teenagers after the killing. Anthony is Black; Austin Metcalf was white.

“This was not a race thing. This is not a political thing. Please do not comment if you do not know what happened,” Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, said on Fox News’ “America Reports.”

“This is a human being thing,” he said. “This person made a bad choice and it affected both his family and my family forever.”

Authorities have also issued warnings about online discussions surrounding the killing. Frisco Police Chief David Shilson has urged people to beware of posts spreading “misinformation, hate, fear, and division.”’

Additional child-sex charges against church volunteer

UPDATE: Additional child-sex charges have been filed against Doyle Hodge II, a church volunteer of Polk County who was arrested after allegations of ongoing sexual abuse surfaced last week.

Hodge has now been charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to the sheriff’s office. A warrant is being issued for indecency with a child by sexual conduct and his bond has totaled $325,000.

POLK COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — After receiving multiple allegations of ongoing sexual abuse, Polk County officials have arrested a volunteer of several local churches last week.
Mugshot of Doyle Hodge II, courtesy of Polk County Sheriff’s Office

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, they received reports on May 27 from adults and minors that 40-year-old Doyle Hodge II was sexually abusing them. After opening an investigation, deputies identified five possible victims, with additional individuals continuing to come forward.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Hodge to ensure the safety and well-being of the children involved. On Friday, he was taken into the Polk County Jail for sexual assault of a child and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

The investigation remains active, and additional charges are expected to be filed.

According to the sheriff’s office, Hodge was a volunteer at several of the local churches. Anyone with any additional information regarding the case or who believes they may be a victim is encouraged to contact investigator Kayla Hemperly at 936-327-6810.

Man arrested for minor relationship, assault

LONGVIEW — A 27-year-old man from Longview was recently arrested after being accused of having an inappropriate online relationship and sexual assault of a child. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by our news partner KETK, a deputy from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office spoke with the victim’s mother in April 2025, who had recently discovered her 12-year-old daughter was having a sexual relationship with an adult man.

The victim’s mother told authorities that she did not initially report the incident because she was under the impression that the suspect was 14 years old. The mother discovered that the suspect was an adult after going through her daughter’s phone, where she also found information proving that the suspect had sexual relationships with her daughter.

As she continued searching her daughter’s phone, the victim’s mother told officials that she had discovered that the suspect had allegedly come to her home and had allegedly sexually assaulted her daughter. The victim’s phone was later taken to the Smith County Technology Lab to be searched. Continue reading Man arrested for minor relationship, assault

Abbott announces energy grant that will strengthen the Northeast Texas power grid

EAST TEXAS (KETK)– Gov. Greg Abbott announced an energy grant on Wednesday that will strengthen electric reliability in Northeast Texas.

The funds from the grant will go toward a project to upgrade 700 miles of power equipment and are expected to impact more than 192,000 Texas consumers. Upgrades will include replacing aging copper wire with stronger aluminum and replacing existing utility poles.

“Reliable electricity powers every part of Texans’ daily lives,” Abbott said. “As our state grows, we will ensure families, businesses and communities have the reliable, affordable power they need. Through these investments to upgrade power line infrastructure, Texas will remain the energy capital of the world.”

The project is expected to be completed by early 2031.

Land protection commission fails

TYLER — A debate over how East Texans should protect their land and water came to a head Tuesday, when the Smith County Commissioners Court split 2–2 on whether to form a subregional commission with Van Zandt County — effectively killing the proposal, according to our news partner KETK. After being tabled multiple times, the measure returned for a vote and resulted in a split 2–2 decision. As the court could not reach a majority, the effort to create the subregional commission failed.

FOR: Precinct 1 Commissioner Christina Drewry, Precinct 3 Commissioner J. Scott Herod
AGAINST: Smith County Judge Neal Franklin, Precinct 4 Commissioner Ralph E. Caraway
*Precinct 2 Commissioner John Moore was not present.

What the 391 Commission Would Have Done

The subregional commission, which would have been formed under Chapter 391 of the Texas Local Government Code, was proposed by Van Zandt County to address citizens’ concerns as new infrastructure pressures from growing industries look to utilize land and natural resources in the area.

Van Zandt County commissioners asked Smith County to join a subregional commission with the intention to create a council that would oversee and assess the possible creation of industrial farms, centers and units in the region. Continue reading Land protection commission fails

$80K in coke seized, Missouri man arrested

RUSK COUNTY — A routine traffic stop in Rusk County led to the seizure of approximately 11 pounds of suspected cocaine and the arrest of a Missouri man on a felony drug charge, according to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. The traffic stop occurred on Tuesday at the intersection of State Highway 315 and Farm-to-Market Road 95. Authorities said deputies stopped a rental vehicle displaying Florida license plates.

During a consensual search of the vehicle, deputies allegedly discovered suspected cocaine concealed inside the vehicle’s door panels. Investigators estimate the seized narcotics have a street value of approximately $80,000. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, 38-year-old Jerry Williams of St. Louis, Missouri, was arrested at the scene. Williams was charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, 400 grams or more, a first-degree felony. If convicted, he could face up to 99 years in prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tyler office was notified of the seizure and is assisting the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office with the ongoing investigation. Williams remains in the Rusk County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

Gang members sentenced in drug scheme

SMITH COUNTY — Two additional gang members have been sentenced in connection to a crack cocaine trafficking scheme that led to the arrest of several people during a lengthy investigation last year. According to an arrest warrant, Derrish Graydon and Jeffery Padilla were involved in a 12-person operation of distributing narcotics and engaging in a money-laundering conspiracy connected to the 5-2 Hoover Crips street gang.

On March 5, 2025, Tyler Police Department officers surveilled a residence at 1101 N. Moore, believed to have crack cocaine, evidence of narcotics sales and usage inside. Officers observed that Padilla left the residence on several occasions while attempting to conduct counter-surveillance, the warrant said. Graydon was also observed to leave the location and later meet Samatraus Forge, who was spearheading the operation by investigators. After Graydon met with Forge and returned to the residence on North Moore, several people began coming and going, indicating narcotics sales.

Officers conducted a controlled purchase from the residence a week later, where Padilla sold an informant .4 grams of crack cocaine. Additionally, Graydon later sold an informant 3.2 grams. Continue reading Gang members sentenced in drug scheme

Gov. Abbott announces $200 million in energy grants for Northeast Texas

Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday the second agreement under the Texas Energy Fund (TxEF) Outside-ERCOT Grant Program (OEGP) with Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO). The grant, administered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), funds a project that will upgrade approximately 700 miles of power equipment in Northeast Texas, ensuring electric reliability for more than 192,000 Texas consumers.

“Reliable electricity powers every part of Texans’ daily lives,” said Governor Abbott. “As our state grows, we will ensure families, businesses and communities have the reliable, affordable power they need. Through these investments to upgrade power line infrastructure, Texas will remain the energy capital of the world.”

“The TxEF is producing tangible results for Texans,” said PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson. “This project will modernize critical electric equipment, strengthen reliability for more than 192,000 consumers, and ensure Northeast Texas communities have the dependable power they deserve. This is exactly the kind of lasting improvement the TxEF was created to support.”

“This TxEF grant allows us to accelerate critical infrastructure improvements while minimizing the financial impact on our customers,” said SWEPCO president and chief operating officer Brett Mattison. “It’s a win for reliability, affordability and the communities we serve. Across SWEPCO, our teams are united in our shared mission to serve customers, and we work diligently to pursue state and federal grants that help improve service while minimizing customer costs.”

The project will upgrade approximately 700 miles of powerline infrastructure and improve nearly 200 circuits in Northeast Texas. Upgrades include replacing aging copper wire with stronger aluminum alloy conductors and replacing existing utility poles. The project will improve the reliability and resilience of the electric distribution system and improve storm resilience in SWEPCO’s territory.

The PUCT approved a grant award of approximately $200 million for the project through the OEGP, which provides funding for electric infrastructure projects that improve reliability and resiliency for Texans served by electric utilities outside the ERCOT region.

SWEPCO’s project is expected to be completed by early 2031.

The OEGP is one of four TxEF programs. More information about these programs is available on the PUCT’s website.

Cannons lost underwater during the American Revolution will soon go on display at a Georgia museum

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A museum in Georgia’s oldest city on Wednesday welcomed a truckload of treasures from the earliest period of U.S. history — 17 cannons that experts believe sank to the bottom of the Savannah River during the American Revolution and remained undiscovered for nearly 240 years.

Workers carefully hoisted the big guns one-by-one from the back of a truck and wheeled them inside their new home at the Savannah History Museum, which will put them on display just in time for the Fourth of July celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

“They look brand new,” said Andrea Farmer, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers archaeologist who was part of the team that researched and preserved the cannons. “They could pretty much be fired if someone wanted to.”

The artifacts were discovered in 2021 when a dredge scooping sediment from the riverbed as part of an Army Corps project to deepen Savannah’s shipping channel pulled up a cannon in its metal jaws. The crew soon dug up two more.

In the course of just over a year, a total of 19 cannons were hoisted from the location just downstream from Savannah, which is where Georgia was founded in 1733 as the last of Britain’s 13 American colonies.

After being pulled from the river, most of the cannons left Georgia for several years to undergo cleaning and preservation work at a Texas lab.

Archaeologists initially assumed the cannons likely dated to the Civil War. But further research indicated they’re likely almost a century older and sank during the buildup to the American Revolution’s bloody siege of Savannah.

Savannah was under British occupation in the fall of 1779, when colonists planned an attack to retake the city with help from French allies.

When French ships carrying troops were spotted off the Georgia coast, British forces scuttled at least six ships in the Savannah River downstream from the city to block the French vessels.

The land battle that followed was one of the bloodiest of the war. British forces killed nearly 300 colonial fighters and their allies, and wounded hundreds more.

The Savannah History Museum sits right next to the battlefield. Its staff on Wednesday hoisted the cannons, weighing up to 1500 pounds (680 kilograms) apiece, onto custom display mounts that staffers likened to giant wine racks.

The cannons will be part of a new exhibit on Savannah’s role in the American Revolution, which is scheduled to open Fourth of July weekend, said Samantha Moss, the museum’s curator.

“Our great team has been prepping for months — building mounts and planning how we can safely display these very large, very special artifacts,” she said.
Cleaning the crusty cannons took years

Each of the iron cannons emerged from the river covered by a thick crust of mud and minerals.

Two were left in that raw state and put on display at the museum. The other 17 were sent to Texas A&M University, which has a lab that specializes in preserving underwater artifacts. Its staff spent years painstakingly cleaning the big guns and coating them in paint and wax to prevent rusting and corrosion.

“A lot of them have scour marks on the side from anchors or dredging, so there’s some scarring on the cannons,” said Chris Dostal, a professor of nautical archaeology who leads Texas A&M’s Conservation Research Lab. “But most of them look pretty exceptional.”

Most of the cannons arrived with wooden plugs still sealing their bores, which remained packed with cannonballs and gunpowder charges.

Dostal said radiocarbon dating of the wooden stoppers placed them roughly in the late 1700s. His team shared the cannons’ measurements and other details with experts in London, who concluded three of them were very likely forged by the British military.

The rest appeared to be of French design but bore no telltale markings. Dostal said he suspects those guns may have been cast in America around the time of the war.

Other artifacts found with the cannons included pieces of anchors and a portion of a ship’s bronze bell. Like the cannons, none of them bore engravings indicating which ship they came from.

That means many details of the cannons’ origins remain a mystery.

“You don’t have all of the information,” Farmer said. “You’re trying to piece it together as best as you can.”

Metal recycling business is nixed

TYLER – The North Tyler Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to deny a zone change for a proposed metal recycling business. The change would have converted areas designated as light commercial and single-family residential into an industrial district. According to our news partner KETK, the board’s decision came after 90 minutes of public comment at a public hearing, during which the majority of speakers expressed opposition to the proposed development. The site for the planned business was located near the southwest intersection of Loop 323 and West 34th Street. Continue reading Metal recycling business is nixed

Pet risks in Texas heat

TYLER — The Texas summer heat doesn’t just take a toll on people; it can be dangerous and even deadly for pets. A 2024 report from the SPCA of Texas shows the state ranks number one in the nation for heat?related pet deaths, a statistic that worries veterinarians across East Texas. Our news partner KETK talked to Dr. Gary Spence of Spence & White Veterinary Hospital in Tyler. Dr. Spence says the extreme temperatures seen across the region each summer put all dogs at risk.

“Hot weather, particularly in Texas, is a big challenge because we get such heat extremes,” Spence said.

While any dog can suffer from heat stroke, he says, overweight, elderly and long-haired dogs are especially vulnerable. Warning signs can appear quickly. Continue reading Pet risks in Texas heat

ETBU nursing students back from Costa Rica

MARSHALL – Students and faculty from the East Texas Baptist University Teague School of Nursing recently returned from a medical mission trip to Costa Rica, where they served local communities through healthcare clinics and patient education.

Led by Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dr. Kelly Arraf, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dr. Britney De La Rosa, and Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dayna Davidson, ETBU nursing students partnered with local churches, translators, and healthcare providers to deliver compassionate care in multiple communities. Students assisted with triage, patient education, pharmacy services, and clinical support while gaining firsthand experience in global healthcare missions.

On the first day of ministry, students established a clinic inside a local church and immediately began serving patients with a variety of needs. Among the memorable experiences were witnessing a mother see her baby on an ultrasound for the first time, assisting during a tooth extraction, and teaching patients non-pharmacological methods for pain management and wellness. Continue reading ETBU nursing students back from Costa Rica

Downtown traffic changes

TYLER – There are some traffic changes to note in downtown Tyler. The intersection of North College Avenue and West Erwin Street is now open. Both College Avenue and West Erwin Street in that area will operate as two-way streets. Drivers heading northbound on North Broadway Avenue are now able to turn left onto West Erwin Street. Drivers are encouraged to exercise caution at the intersection due to the new traffic patterns.

College Avenue is operating as a two-way street from West Ferguson Avenue to West Front Street. West Erwin Street is operating as a two-way street from Bois D’Arc Avenue to North Broadway Avenue. The intersections of North College Avenue and West Erwin Street, North College Avenue and Elm Street, and West Erwin Street and Bois D’Arc Avenue are operating as four-way stops. Continue reading Downtown traffic changes

Man accused of sexual assault

SMITH COUNTY – A man was taken into custody in Smith County on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually abusing a fifteen-year-old girl. Tony Rincker, 60, was placed in the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 bond after being accused of sexual assault of a minor. An arrest affidavit states that a student claimed to have seen a video on the teen’s Snapchat account showing the alleged victim being sexually assaulted. What looked to be a child’s bedroom was shown in the video. Continue reading Man accused of sexual assault

Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg as key Putin economic forum opens

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy April 23, 2026. (Photo by Byron Smith/Getty Images)

(LONDON) -- Ukrainian drones hit one of Russia's largest oil terminals in St. Petersburg overnight into Wednesday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, sending plumes of black smoke towering over the city as the landmark St. Petersburg International Economic Forum prepared to open.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian long-range drones struck targets including the Petersburg Oil Terminal overnight -- just under 700 miles from Ukrainian territory.

The latest round of "long-range sanctions," as officials in Kyiv refer to Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia, "yielded good results. Important facilities on Russian territory were hit last night," Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram.

St. Petersburg is known as Russia's "second capital," and is a regular target of Ukrainian drone attacks given its political and economic significance, plus its role as a key export hub for Russian oil.

Video from the city showed attendees of the International Economic Forum arriving at the venue with clouds of black smoke hanging over the city.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said in a post to Telegram that "infrastructure facilities in the Kronstadt, Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky districts were attacked" by Ukrainian drones.

"Several facilities were damaged. Currently, efforts are underway to mitigate the consequences. Several people were injured. There were no fatalities. An operational headquarters is in operation. Forces and resources have been put on high alert," Beglov wrote.

Conceived of as Russia's version of Davos, the annual International Economic Forum gathers Russia's political and business elite in St. Petersburg. Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the event also hosted many international leaders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to deliver his keynote speech to the event on Friday.

Robert Mims Cook -- the head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, who is overseeing President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project and his planned triumphal arch in Washington -- is set to attend the forum, which would make him the first American official to do so since 2022.

High profile radical conservative influencer Candace Owens has also been invited to speak at the forum, while the pro-Trump right-wing influencers Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are also in Russia.

Russia's federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said in a post to Telegram that temporary flight restrictions were introduced at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport during the overnight attacks.

Temporary restrictions were also imposed on airports in the Russian cities of Saratov, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod and Pskov, Rosaviatsiya said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a post to Telegram that its air defenses shot down at least 354 Ukrainian drones overnight into Wednesday morning.

Elsewhere, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the capital also came under Ukrainian attack. The mayor said in posts to Telegram that air defenses intercepted at least 22 Ukrainian drones heading toward the capital on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Sexual abuse conviction upheld

HENDERSON COUNTY – A Scurry man who was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child in Henderson County, and given a life sentence, was upheld by an appeals court. Manuel Lynn Tijerina, 42, appealed his conviction to the Twelfth Court of Appeals, claiming the trial court had improperly admitted testimony from the victim’s relative, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office. Testimony revealed Tijerina exposed the victim to pornography, touched her inappropriately, and made sexual remarks to her. Continue reading Sexual abuse conviction upheld

Citing ‘critical issues,’ SEC, Big Ten withhold support for bipartisan college sports bill

AUSTIN (AP) – The two biggest conferences in college sports released a statement Tuesday saying they do not support the current version of a bipartisan bill designed to regulate an industry struggling for answers in a quickly changing era in which some players make millions.

The Southeastern and Big Ten conferences said the “bill leaves critical issues unresolved,” including not “meaningfully” preempting state laws with a federal one, which has long been considered a key element for a measure to get support from the NCAA and the conferences.

In an interview last week, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who drafted the bill with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told The Associated Press “the bill is drafted to preempt state laws that conflict with the provisions in this bill.”

The SEC-Big Ten statement came out less than 24 hours before a scheduled hearing about the bill in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. Cruz chairs the panel and Cantwell is the ranking Democrat.

The legislation has received support from the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences, but the Big Ten and SEC, as the two richest leagues that also have decision-making power over the future of the College Football Playoff, hold the biggest cards.

One of the bill’s key provisions would give conferences an option to pool their media rights — an idea the Big Ten and SEC have long claimed would not result in a financial windfall that proponents suggest. The leagues’ statement did not speak to that issue.

A spokesperson for the Commerce Committee that Cruz chairs acknowledged the Big Ten-SEC position.

Scoreboard roundup — 6/2/26

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Golden Knights 5, Hurricanes 4 (Stanley Cup Final - Game 1)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Tigers 8, Rays 0
Padres 2, Phillies 3
Orioles 4, Red Sox 2
Marlins 7, Nationals 3
Guardians 9, Yankees 4
Royals 3, Reds 4
Blue Jays 3, Braves 4
White Sox 4, Twins 6
Giants 3, Brewers 8
Rangers 7, Cardinals 4
Athletics 2, Cubs 1
Pirates 10, Astros 6
Rockies 8, Angels 2
Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 5
Mets 3, Mariners 8

Parks awarded $300,000 to improve trails

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded $6.17 million in statewide recreational trails grants to improve 21 parks and trail projects across the state. According to our news partner, KETK – $354,000 is set to be distributed between parks in East Texas. The parks will receive the grant money for much needed upgrades. Continue reading Parks awarded $300,000 to improve trails

Toll 49 extension to reduce travel time

TYLER– A public meeting was held in Tyler on Tuesday to discuss the proposed extension of Toll 49, a project designed to relieve congestion and provide shorter travel times. According to our news partner KETK, during the meeting in Tyler community members had the opportunity to review project layouts and data detailing the potential positive impact on drivers.

The proposed extension would stretch from State Highway 110 to US 271 and aims to provide shorter travel times for both local and regional traffic. NET RMA Project Consultant Randall Dillard explained why he believes the extension is needed.

For those unable to attend the recent Tyler session, another public meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, June 9. This upcoming meeting will take place in Longview at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. If the project is approved, construction for the Toll 49 extension is expected to commence around 2033.

Lufkin City Council advances ordinance designed to protect children from sex offenders

LUFKIN, Texas (KETK) – The Lufkin City Council voted on Tuesday in favor of advancing a proposed ordinance that will work to keep children protected from registered sex offenders.

The ordinance, which was discussed at Tuesday’s city council meeting, is designed to restrict certain registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of locations where children frequently gather.

If the ordinance is passed, registered sex offenders whose victims were under 17 would be prohibited from living near schools, parks, childcare facilities, and churches.

According to the Texas Public Sex Offender Website, there are roughly 138 registered sex offenders within the City of Lufkin.

Investigation into park shooting

LONGVIEW — An investigation has been launched after a teenager was shot near a park in Longview on Monday night. According to the Longview Police Department and our news partner KETK, at around 11:26 p.m. officers heard gunshots coming from the 400 block of Fair Street. Once arriving to the area, the officers found a teenager who had sustained gunshot wounds while attending a gathering at a nearby park, the department said.

The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the incident currently remains under investigation. Following the incident, the department is reminding residents that the city parks close at 11 p.m. and residents should refrain from visiting the parks after hours to ensure the safety of all community members.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 903-237-199 or the Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867.

ETFB starts free summer meals for kids

TYLER – The East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) kicked off its Free Summer Food Program on Tuesday afternoon, which aims to provide kids with free meals while they’re out of school for the summer.

According to our news partner KETK, the program was launched at 43 locations across East Texas and a special event was held at the Glass Recreation Center in Tyler, which was sponsored by the PepsiCo Foundation’s Food for Good. the program is expected to distribute over 100,000 meals to nearly 4,500 kids and teenagers throughout the summer and is open to anyone under 18. Continue reading ETFB starts free summer meals for kids

Smith, Gregg County early voting

TYLER – Early Voting for the City of Tyler mayor runoff election continues through June 9. Stuart Hene is currently serving as a Tyler City Councilmember and John Nix is a former City Councilmember are running for the position.

Early voting hours will be:
*8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 1-5
*9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 6
*8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, June 8-9. Continue reading Smith, Gregg County early voting

Tyler mayor runoff through June 9

Tyler – Early Voting for the City of Tyler mayor runoff election is set for June 1-9. Stuart Hene is currently serving as a Tyler City Councilmember and John Nix is a former City Councilmember are running for the position.

Early voting hours will be:
*8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 1-5
*9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 6
*8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, June 8-9. Continue reading Tyler mayor runoff through June 9