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TYLER – BlueCross BlueShield of Texas announced on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with CHRISTUS Health, ensuring patients can continue to receive in-network care. The insurance company said all CHRISTUS Health doctors, hospitals and other facilities will remain in their network.

CHRISTUS released the following statement Wednesday on the agreement:

“CHRISTUS Health is pleased to announce that we have reached a new contract agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, ensuring that patients can continue to receive in-network care at our hospitals, clinics and health facilities.  Our priority has always been to provide compassionate and high-quality care to all who may need us. We’re proud to offer that care without disruption to our patients covered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.”

LONGVIEW – Two Mexican nationals illegally living in Longview, have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the East Texas, according to a press release from the Acting U.S. Attorney’s office.

On May 2, 2024, two men were detained by law enforcement as passengers in a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers deployed a K9 to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle, resulting in a positive alert for the presence of a controlled substance. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 2,972 grams of methamphetamine hidden in an interior void in the vehicle.

Immigration records revealed that both men were unlawfully present in the United States and that one of them, Julio Cesar Tello-Olmos, 49, was previously deported twice, onece following convictions for two separate felony DWIs. Continue reading Mexican nationals sentenced to prison for drug trafficking

GREGG COUNTY – A Longview man who sold fake prescription drugs has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Kym Andrew Wallace, also known as “Trigga”, 28, admitted to selling what were supposed to be prescription pills, which a 17-year-old juvenile consumed them and died from a an overdose on May 29, 2024. The pills purchased from Wallace were round and light blue, bearing the markings “M” and “30,” which are the same manufacturer’s markings for 30 milligram tablets of generic oxycodone. Following the overdose of the juvenile victim, investigators analyzed the pills,and determined they contained fentanyl. Continue reading Man sentenced to 30 years for fentanyl trafficking

TYLER – A Tyler man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the desk of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Enrique Adrian Gomez, 29, met two minor victims online in September 2021 and continued communicating with them through November 2021. Both minors were less than 13 years old at the time. Gomez communicated with the victims through text messaging and social media applications. During these real-time online conversations, the victims were persuaded to engage in prohibited, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Continue reading Smith County man sentenced to 30 years for child exploitation

HENDERSON COUNTY – An East Texas man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after officers found multiple files of child pornography inside his home in January, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Arrest documents show that a criminal investigator with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Dec. 18, 2024, about a tip they received from Snapchat. The app had reported an incident listed as online enticement of a child for sexual purposes that took place on Sept. 22, 2024. The child victim involved in this incident reported to Snapchat that someone was trying to exploit them with child pornography of them. Continue reading Snapchat tip leads to conviction of a child predator

SMITH COUNTY– An investigation is underway following a fatal house fire southwest of Tyler Tuesday night. According to a news release from Smith County, numerous departments responded to the blaze on Pecanridge Drive around 10:30. The victim, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was said to be a 70-year-old man. He was the sole occupant of the home. An autopsy has been ordered. Officials said the house was a total loss. Foul play was not suspected.

UPDATE: According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Abby Grace Morales has been found safe and is in the process of being returned to her family

TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a runaway from the Bullard area. She is 15-year-old Abby Grace Morales. Abby was last seen around 11:00 p.m. last night, July 26, leaving her residence on County Road 173. She is described as a Hispanic female, 5’7, 170, with brown hair, and brown eyes. Abby was last seen wearing a gray shirt and shorts. There is a possibility she left using an Uber. Abby does not have any physical or mental issues.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Abby , please call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 566-6600. 

HENDERSON – According to a press release from CHRISTUS Health, the opening of CHRISTUS Emergency Center Henderson is celebrated with a ribbon-cutting and blessing event.

“When we stood here back in 2024, I made a promise to the community that we would be open by summer 2025, and here we are celebrating this amazing facility,” said Todd Hancock, president of CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System.

More than 300 guests, including representatives from CHRISTUS, the city of Henderson, Rusk County and elected officials, got a sneak peek of the 12,500 square-foot facility, which will open to the public at 7 a.m. on Thursday, July 31.

Located south of Wylie Elementary on U.S. Highway 259, the emergency center features 24-hour emergency services with 13 exam rooms, four triage room, advanced imaging and onsite laboratory services for easy access to care. The emergency center is the second CHRISTUS facility in Henderson, joining the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic family medicine clinic on Zeid Boulevard. Continue reading Henderson celebrates brand new CHRISTUS Emergency Center

TYLER – Two parents were arrested Monday after four children were left alone in a vehicle for at least an hour at a Tyler Walmart parking lot, according to our news partner KETK. The parents have been identified as Emily Bearden, 27, and David Bearden, 28, both of Arp.  Tyler Police responded to the Walmart on south Broadway, where four young children, ages ten, five, two and five weeks were left in a vehicle for at least an hour while the parents shopped. Officials said the five-year-old accidentally turned off the vehicle and the interior quickly became “dangerously hot.” That’s when the 10-year-old eventually got out of the car to find help. The 10-year-old’s phone call came in at around 5 p.m.

The parents then got back in the car and left the parking lot. Police began to follow the parents on Broadway Avenue, where they pulled them over for a traffic stop. Continue reading Parents accused of leaving four kids in overheated car identified

MARSHALL – According to a press release from the Marshall Police Department, Marshall Police arrested a Linden man following a serious traffic accident that sent two people to the hospital and spilled diesel fuel across the road.

The crash occurred just after 9:30 p.m. on July 25, 2025, at the intersection of Highway 59 and Loop 390. Witnesses report that a tractor trailer ran a red light and struck a pickup truck that was pulling an empty horse trailer. The collision caused a diesel fuel spill on the roadway and into a nearby drainage ditch, requiring a hazardous materials cleanup by Lone Star Hazmat.

Two individuals in the pickup were transported to a local hospital. Their conditions have not been released.

Upon investigation, the driver of the tractor-trailer, identified as 59-year-old Kenneth Janowski of Linden, was arrested and charged with two counts of Intoxication Assault with Vehicle, a third-degree felony, and booked into the Harrison County Jail.

The investigation is ongoing.

LONGVIEW — Eastman Chemical in Longview was one of 49 chemical manufacturing facilities in the United States granted a two-year exemption from environmental regulations by President Donald Trump’s proclamation, according to our news partner KETK.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted what is known as the ‘HON Rule’ on May 16, 2024. The HON Rule consists of four rules that chemical manufacturing plants must follow during the process of making synthetic organic chemicals.

The Federal Register stated that the EPA was seeking to finalize standards for the production of ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene emissions through the HON Rule. Continue reading Eastman Chemical in Longview is exempt from new EPA rules for two years

TATUM — Our news partner KETK reports that the Tatum Police Department has identified three individuals connected to a string of burglaries that occurred in East Texas over the past month.

Near the end of June, the Tatum Police Department became aware of seven burglary cases, with six incidents occurring at the Tatum baseball park and another one within city limits. The cases were identified as organized criminal activity.

On July 2, members of the Tatum Police Department were notified of a woman who had driven through a Vera Bank in Lufkin and had allegedly withdrawn several thousand dollars from a victim’s bank account. Although officials obtained video from the bank, they were unable to identify the suspect. They requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, but were also unable to identify the suspect because her face was not fully visible in the camera footage from the bank. Continue reading Three suspects arrested for linked burglaries

CROCKETT – A woman in Crockett who was accused of causing a man’s death after giving him counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl has been placed under custody, according to our news partner KETK.

On May 21, the Crockett Police Department said that they received reports of an unresponsive man and went to the person’s apartment on Sallas Street at around 11 p.m. Once on the scene, officers, along with Houston County EMS, discovered the individual had died, which was believed to be caused by a drug overdose.

Following the victim’s death, authorities discovered that he had bought the pills from Kimberlee Ann Sherman of Crockett. On May 22, Sherman was arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance. She posted a $25,000 bond and was released the following day. Continue reading Crockett woman arrested after fentanyl-related death

PALESTINE – An Anderson County man was arrested early Monday morning after three women were allegedly shot at in Palestine, according to our news partner KETK.

Around 2:38 a.m., officers responded to a home in the 200 block of Lowe Street, where three women had been shot at by Floyd Conley Jr., 50, of Palestine, after one of the victims was shoved out of the home.

“Officers established a perimeter and took up positions outside the residence,” the Palestine Police Department said. “After several attempts to get the suspect to surrender, officers were able to safely call him out of the home and take him into custody without incident.” Continue reading Palestine man arrested after shooting at three women

TATUM — The Tatum Police Department has identified three individuals connected to a string of burglaries that occurred in East Texas over the past month according to our news partner KETK.

Near the end of June, the Tatum Police Department became aware of seven burglary cases, with six incidents occurring at the Tatum baseball park and another one within city limits. The cases were identified as organized criminal activity. On July 2, members of the Tatum Police Department were notified of a woman who had driven through a Vera Bank in Lufkin and had allegedly withdrawn several thousand dollars from a victim’s bank account. Although officials obtained video from the bank, they were unable to identify the suspect. They requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, but were also unable to identify the suspect because her face was not fully visible in the camera footage from the bank.

Later in July, two suspects were detained in DeSoto during a traffic stop. During the stop, one of the suspects allegedly provided officers with a fake name and date of birth. Multiple stolen identifications, checkbooks and banking information were discovered, which belonged to the victims of the Taum baseball park burglaries. Continue reading Three suspects to face charges linked to series of burglaries

TYLER – Earlier in the summer, the Texas House and Senate passed a bill that banned cell phones, smart watches, and tablets at public schools starting this school year. Now, Texas schools are having to implement their policies and guidelines. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of schools with information on how your student will be impacted. View that list here.

ANDERSON COUNTY — As the water rights controversy continues to grow, several chicken farms in East Texas, including Sanderson Farms, have filed a lawsuit against the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District.

According to our news partner KETK, the lawsuit follows the district’s transfer of the permits for Redwater Ranch and Pine Bliss LLC to drill into East Texas aquifers and extract billions of gallons of water, intended for use in the Dallas metroplex. The permit has caused many farmers across East Texas to grow worried about the future of their livelihoods, prompting nine farms to come together and take legal action to prevent the permit from being implemented.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are requesting that the court invalidate the district’s drilling permit application and issue a temporary injunction preventing the district from engaging in any further activities related to drilling permit applications. Continue reading Sanderson Farms enters lawsuit over water dispute

SMITH COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report that a Smith County father was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after he was arrested for abusing a three-month-old baby in January. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, around 6 p.m. on Jan. 8, a deputy responded to a Tyler hospital, where they were informed by hospital personnel that a three-month-old baby had received significant injuries that looked like child abuse. While the infant was undergoing CT scans and X-rays, the attending nurse informed the deputy that the baby was lethargic, weak and had bruises on their face and neck. An investigator then spoke with the baby’s mother, who told officials that her baby had just returned home after spending several days with his father, Zachray McGinn, at a home located near Whitehouse.

According to officials, the mother explained that she had been in contact with McGinn and his mother, Brittany Mackey, on Facebook Messenger while her child was away. “The mother further explained that on Jan. 8, both McGinn and Mackey dropped off the infant at her residence,” the sheriff’s office said. “It was at this time that the mother observed the lethargic manner of her child and the bruising to his face. Shortly thereafter, the mother took the infant to the emergency room in Tyler.” Continue reading Father sentenced to 10 years for child abuse

HENDERSON COUNTY — The former LaPoynor ISD coach, who was arrested in 2023 after a phone was found recording in the girls’ locker room, was convicted on Friday of tampering with/fabricating physical evidence, according to our news partner KETK.

An arrest warrant reveals that cheerleaders found a cell phone in the girls’ locker room on Sept. 26, 2023. The phone was underneath the bench inside a shoe with the camera pointed upward, recording at the time it was found.

The cheerleaders took the device to another coach at LaPoynor ISD, where Jammie Allen Maze, 46, of Brownsboro, was also there. Maze took the phone and began to press buttons. When the LaPoynor ISD Police Chief received the phone, it had been locked with no way of accessing the contents. Continue reading Former coach convicted of recording girl’s locker room

TYLER — A man attempted to escape from police after he allegedly cashed more than $1,000 in stolen lottery tickets in Tyler on Friday, according to our news partner KETK.

The Tyler Police Department responded to the Texas Lottery Office at 4801 Troup Highway, where two men were seen inside trying to cash stolen lottery tickets. A Smith County arrest affidavit reports that officers then attempted to detain the suspect, Ke’eric Armon Franklin, while he was walking out of the lottery office, but Franklin ran from the scene.

“In full Tyler Police uniform, I told Franklin to ‘halt’ and he asked, ‘Why?’ then sprinted out of his shoes northbound and out of sight,” the officer said. “Franklin ran barefoot to the intersection of Tanglewood and Old Omen, where police told him to stop, but he replied, ‘No, I’m not going to.’” Continue reading Suspect accused of cashing stolen lottery tickets

AUSTIN – The University of Texas System Board of Regents have unanimously named the sole finalists to be UT system chancellor and the president of UT Austin according to our news partner KETK.

On Monday, the board named John M. Zerwas, MD as sole finalist for the chancellorship of The UT System and James E. Davis as sole finalist for the presidency at UT Austin. Board chairman and former Tyler mayor Kevin Eltife praised both Zerwas and Davis for their leadership qualities.

Zerwas, a former physician and Texas State Representative for Fort Bend County, thanked the board of regents and Eltife for supporting him in his current role as interim system chancellor.

Davis, a former Navy cryptologist, Texas Deputy Attorney General and current UT Austin Interim president, was praised by Eltife for the progress that UT Austin has made during Davis’s time at the university. Continue reading UT names sole finalists for chancellor, president

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department was able end a three hour standoff Sunday, triggered by a domestic disturbance. According to our news partner KETK, LPD and SWAT responded to a call at an apartment on Montrose Street. Officers found 20-year-old Francisco Farfan of Lufkin, threatening to shoot himself.

After initial conversation with police, and Farfan not coming out of the apartment, gas canisters were used. After another hour, SWAT used their truck to push in the front door of the apartment. However, Farfan pushed the door closed. At this time, the SWAT team opened the door and hit Farfan with 40-millimeter foam baton round, knocking him down and letting officers gain control of the situation. Francisco Farfan was booked into the Angelina County Jail for aggravated assault, with the possibility of more charges to be filed.

UPSHUR COUNTY – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety in a sting operation that led to the arrest of a man who was allegedly communicating with a minor online.

According to our news partner KETK, law enforcement believed David Palmer had online communications with a minor in order to meet them in person. However, Palmer was in reality talking to an undercover officer. That officer, directed him to at a meet location in Gilmer. After arriving at the location, Palmer was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor. He is in the Upshur County Jail, with his bond set at $75,000.

TYLER – On Monday, Blue Bell Creameries of Brenham announced that they’re joining a nationwide effort to eliminate certified artificial colors from their ice cream by 2027. According to our news partner KETK, Blue Bell is joining other dairy companies in the International Dairy Foods Association’s Ice Cream Commitment to end the use of Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 by Dec. 31, 2027.

The IDFA said in press release, “As national and state policies on artificial colors in food continue to change, ice cream makers are keeping pace by offering wholesome treats and snacks that families know and love. Many commercial ice cream makers have already phased out certified artificial colors and many others are working with suppliers to phase them out by 2028 in compliance with this effort and other business considerations.”

Blue Bell’s announcement noted the fact that many of their classic flavors like Cookies ‘n Cream, Homemade Vanilla and Rocky Road already do not use artificial coloring. To learn more about all of their flavors and products, visit Blue Bell Creameries online.

Kilgore — Kilgore College has terminated their assistant football coach after finding out about criminal charges in another state. According to our news partner KETK, 41-year-old Forrest Mazy, is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an Oklahoma high school. Pittsburg County, Oklahoma authorities said that Mazey is accused of “fraudulently appropriating the sum” of more than $4,600 that belonged to McAlester Public Schools. He has pleaded not guilty earlier this month and was released on a $1,000 bond.

According to the Kilgore College website, Mazey, who was listed as the teams offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was fired after college officials found out about the charges in Oklahoma. Mazey was the head coach at McAlester High School from 2019 to 2025, where he also served as the dean of students. He also spent four seasons as the head coach at Poteau High School, where he led the Pirates to two undefeated seasons.

TYLER – Southside Bancshares, Inc.,the parent company of Southside Bank, will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, July 28th. This to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Southside Bank. Lee R. Gibson, Chief Executive Officer, along with members of the Company’s management team and board of directors, will participate in the ceremonial bell ringing.

Mr. Gibson said in a press release, “We are honored to ring the NYSE opening bell to commemorate Southside’s 65th anniversary. Since we first opened our doors in 1960, we have remained committed to helping people and businesses of our Texas communities thrive and prosper. This significant milestone is a testament to the hard work of our team members and our longstanding dedication to our customers, communities, and shareholders.”

The bell ringing ceremony begins at at about 8:25 a.m. Monday and can be streamed here.