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VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A former Van Zandt County detention officer was placed under arrest after it was discovered he was communicating with an inmate over the phone. According to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, on March 16 it was discovered that Damion Smith was in possession of a cell phone while on duty and was using the phone to communicate with a female inmate, which is a violation of both departmental policy and state law.

It was later discovered that Smith had initially been untruthful with investigators and had later recanted those statements before he was terminated from his position.

Following the investigation, Smith was taken into custody from his home on Tuesday and was charged with contraband in a correctional facility and a false report to a peace officer.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated by our employees. When an employee criminally violates the law, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office will take appropriate action,” Sheriff Bridger said.

GREGG COUNTY — A two-vehicle crash on State Highway 149 in Gregg County left one person dead and another injured on Monday afternoon. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety and our news partner KETK, a vehicle driven by 31-year-old Braxton Meshell was traveling southbound near the 9900 block of Highway 149 while a second vehicle was traveling northbound. Meshell was approaching another vehicle that was slowing down to make a left turn when he took a “faulty evasive action” and steered into the oncoming lane and collided with the second vehicle.

The Elderville-Lakeport Volunteer Fire Department responded to the crash and located the two vehicles, one of which was on fire. Firefighters extinguished the flames and began extricating the occupant using the “jaws of life.”

The fire department did not specify which vehicle was on fire. Meshell was pronounced dead at the scene and the other driver was taken to a Tyler hospital with injuries, DPS said. The crash is still under investigation.

RUSK COUNTY — An investigation is underway after a gunfire incident left Rusk County homes and vehicles damaged on Monday night. According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, they received a deadly conduct call at 802 Cross Park at approximately 10:27 p.m. on Monday. The complainant told deputies that unknown individuals shot at his vehicle and home.

The deputies discovered that the gunfire damaged a total of two homes and two vehicles, leaving about 30 shell casings at the scene.

Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez said they are actively working on leads related to the case. He asks the public for any information on the case or those involved to contact the sheriff’s office at 903-657-3581.

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview has been awarded a grant worth over $100,000 to help ensure officer safety. The grant was provided to the department from the governor’s office and was approved by the Longview City Council last week during their most recent meeting.

According to our news partner KETK, the grant funding will be used to purchase bullet-resistant glass to install in patrol vehicles to better protect officers and officials. The grant was approved after a patrol vehicle was shot by a suspect during an incident in May 2025 while officers were inside the car.

“This is another important step in helping protect our officers and the community we serve every day,” Longview PIO LaDarian Brown said. “We are grateful for the continued support of our community and the partners who believe in investing in public safety in Longview.”

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County welcomed Gaye Boynton as district clerk on Monday as she was sworn in by the 241st District Judge Debby Gunter. Boynton was appointed to the position by the Smith County Council of District Judges after former district clerk Penny Clarkston resigned from the office on March 24. In her resignation letter, Clarkston cited personal family reasons.

Boynton was set to begin serving as district clerk on Jan. 1, 2027, following her win in the March primary election against Clarkston. The new district clerk brings more than 40 years of legal experience, having previously worked as a certified paralegal.

SMITH COUNTY – A mother has been sentenced to 10 months in jail, one year after deputies found her newborn dead in a bathtub. According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted by a hospital emergency room in March 2025 after a woman reported she had delivered a placenta at home earlier that day.

But, when the woman, 27-year-old Esmeralda Duran Rodriguez, arrived at the hospital, staff noted she did not have a baby with her. Deputies then went to her home to investigate, where they met with Rodriguez’s brother, who allowed them to search for the baby. They found the placenta on a bed along with a severed umbilical cord, according to a sheriff’s office press release. Continue reading Mother sentenced in dead newborn case

TYLER- The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is having a benefit style show and luncheon Friday, April 10, at the Holiday Inn in Tyler. Funds from this event will go toward the auxiliary’s new ID program.

KTBB spoke with Auxiliary President Cynthia Scott about the ID program. She said, “This is something we are excited about. It provides for people who are homeless and are struggling, to find job and so forth with their ID. And we take that for granted. Because we have one and its easy for us to obtain. But, when your homeless, that’s very difficult. So, our new ID program will help put them with a liaison who will help them get a drivers license, get their birth certificate. This way, they can apply for jobs, apply for housing. So, we are really happy that the funds we are raising in our style show April 10th will go to this new program that we just implemented.”

Some tickets are still available. You can get them here.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County will join other agencies in the area to test its emergency alert notification systems on Thursday, April 2. The Texas Division of Emergency Management has asked that Smith County, along with other cities and agencies throughout the state, test their alert systems between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Smith County will be testing its IPAWS system and its Rave system.

IPAWS (the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) is FEMA’s national system for local, state and federal officials to send life-saving emergency alerts to the public. These alerts can be sent by Smith County and its Emergency Operations Center for specific incidents in our county to citizens without them signing up for it.

The Rave mass notification system allows emergency officials to notify citizens of necessary information in times of local emergency or disaster. Citizens must sign up to receive these notifications. You can do that here.

Weather alert warnings are sent out by the National Weather Service and not local agencies. For more information, visit Smith County Emergency Management.

SMITH COUNTY — Arrest documents related to the deadly Smith County shooting in March indicate that the man charged with murder acted in retaliation for a gang shooting that occurred in December. On March 22, Smith County deputies responded to a shooting at Club Exotic on State Highway 64 West in Tyler. Witnesses reported that a man wearing a ski mask jumped onto the hood of a car and yelled, “Y’all going to die for 38!” and “If y’all ain’t gang, move.” The Smith County Sheriff’s Office believes that “38” likely refers to Aaron Jackson, who was killed at the Valley Blues Club.

The suspect, identified as Andru Davis, then began firing into the crowd, injuring four people. Among those injured were Keundas Sandford and Keoin Dewayne Redd, both of whom died from gunshot wounds at the scene.

Following an investigation, they found that Davis and the second suspect, Brandon Young, were a part of the Shoot First Nation West Side Rollin’ 60’s Crips and had gone to Houston following the shooting. Continue reading Club Exotic killing linked to retaliation

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to 39 years in prison on Monday after he was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Christopher Lynn Bowles, who was previously wanted by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office on charges of sexually assaulting a child and the continuous sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, Bowles was located in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, in November 2025 and was taken into custody, according to our news partner KETK.

During his trial, Bowles was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14. Bowles was sentenced to 39 years in prison on Monday.

HENDERSON – A former Henderson ISD teacher was sentenced to six months in state jail and 10 years in probation after she pleaded guilty to an improper relationship with a student. According to our news partner KETK, Kathryn Prior, of Henderson, was arrested in December 2024 for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. The former vocational agriculture education teacher was also charged with possession of child pornography and indecency with a child.

According to the Rusk County District Attorney’s Office, Prior’s guilty plea allowed her not to be convicted of the indecency charge, but it was taken into consideration for her sentencing. Prior’s child pornography charge was dropped and First Assistant Prosecutor Allen Ross said they “couldn’t move forward with that case.” As a part of the plea deal, Prior had to surrender her teaching license.

Prior’s 180 days in jail begin on March 30 with 10 years in probation to follow. If Prior violates her probation, she will serve the 10 years in state jail, Ross said.

LONGVIEW – A worker at Trinity Industries in Longview has tragically died after suffering severe burns in an industrial incident that happened Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Longview Fire Marshal Marcus Delaney said they received 911 a report of a patient who had been burned in an industrial incident at around 10:27 a.m.

The Longview Fire Department responded to the scene on Jordan Valley Road with a fire engine, along with EMS, who transported a man to a local hospital to be treated for life-threatening burns. Delaney said the man later died at the hospital. The fire marshal’s office is currently investigating the cause of the man’s fatal burns. Delaney was unaware of any similar incidents ever happening at the Trinity Industries facility in Longview. Continue reading Industrial burn accident kills one

TYLER — The City of Tyler is asking residents to consider following a watering schedule and to practice water-saving habits as warm temperatures and the lack of rain are increasing demand. According to our news partner KETK, the voluntary schedule suggests that residents limit outdoor watering to two days per week and only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Officials add, that following the schedule helps keep water pressure up across the community and reduces evaporation.

Residents whose house address ends with an even number should water on Sundays and Thursdays, while odd-numbered addresses should water on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Continue reading Residents asked to follow watering schedule

SMITH COUNTY — A threat directed at a Chapel Hill school in Texas has been deemed a “swatting” incident and is under investigation as officials take extra precautions on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a shooting threat directed at “Chapel Hill High” in Texas made through a dormant TikTok account on Sunday has been found to be a swatting incident by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). A swatting incident is a hoax threat or call made to incite a large emergency response.

There are two Chapel Hill schools in East Texas — one in Smith County and one in Titus County. The TikTok did not specify which one it was addressing, but both schools took extra precautions on Monday morning. According to Chapel Hill ISD’s (Titus County) Superintendent Daniel Pritchett, the school received information on Sunday night of a TikTok livestream that threatened to carry out an active shooting at a “Chapel Hill High” in Texas. Continue reading ‘Swatting’ aimed at Chapel Hill high schools

CHANDLER – Residents and city administrators met in Chandler on Saturday to discuss a $5.8 million bond proposal to fund a new city hall and storm shelter complex. During a bond open house on Saturday, residents got to hear from Chandler City officials, the project architect and city bond financial advisors about what the bond will fund. For $5,864,000, the bond would fund a new police station, a new fire station, a new city hall and a new city storm shelter that would all be housed within the same complex, according to our news partner KETK.

According to tax information provided by the City of Chandler, if the bond passes, it will be implemented in one of two scenarios that would offset the I&S tax rate increase needed to fund the bond. In scenario one, the I&S tax rate increase will be offset by profits from the lease of the ESD 12 building and in scenario two, the increase will be offset by the ESD 12 lease and funds made from the sale of the current city hall building. The first scenario would lead to a $0.0762 property tax increase while the second scenario would lead to $0.0126 property tax increase. Continue reading Voters urged to pass bond

SMITH COUNTY – One person has died and another person was injured after two vehicles collided into each other in Smith County on Saturday night. According to our news partner KETK, officials with the Smith County Emergency Services District 2 say the crash happened on FM 14 at around 8:30 p.m.

Smith County Justice of the Peace Curtis Wulf told KETK News that he was called out to the accident at around 9:20 p.m. Once there, Wulf found a 54-year-old man who was killed in the crash. After pronouncing him dead, Wulf ordered an autopsy on the deceased. One other person injured was sent to a hospital for treatment.

TYLER – The latest series of ‘No Kings’ protests were held in Tyler on Saturday, as East Texans gathered to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies. According to our news partner KETK, protesters collected at Bergfeld Park in Tyler for the third round of No Kings protests to pop up across the country since Trump’s inauguration. Similar protests were held this past October and last June.

According to Indivisible Smith County, the protests were held to “remind extremists that America has No Kings and the power belongs to the people.”

East Texas organizers shared that No Kings protests were held in Athens, Dallas, Greenville, Jacksonville, Lindale, Longview, Mineola, Paris, Palestine and Tyler on Saturday.

GLADEWATER – The City of Gladewater named Tim Basham as their new fire department chief this week. Basham, who’s replacing outgoing chief Michael Robbins, came out of retirement and completed an agility test in his Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots to be requalified for service. According to our news partner KETK, Basham had previously served in the metroplex before his initial retirement.

“The City of Gladewater is proud to congratulate Fire Chief Tim Basham on his appointment as our new Fire Chief. We wish you continued success and offer our prayers as you move forward in your service to our community,” the City of Gladewater said. “Your extensive experience and knowledge gained from the metroplex will be a tremendous asset to our department and the citizens we serve. We also recognize your dedication and determination- returning from retirement and completing your agility test in true East Texas fashion, wearing Wranglers and cowboy boots, speaks volumes about your commitment and character.” Continue reading New fire chief welcomed

SMITH COUNTY – One person has been transported to a local hospital after two vehicles crashed into each other on FM 14 in Smith County on Saturday. According to Smith County Emergency Services District 2 and our news partner KETK, the crash happened on FM 14 near County Road 328 at around 8:30 p.m. Traffic on FM 14 has been shut down from CR 328 to Marble Road and drivers are urged to avoid the area until the roadway is cleared.

TYLER – Daniel Hartley and his wife bought tickets to see Bob Dylan in Tyler, but after finding out the show has been sold out for a while, the $1300 they paid is out the door. According to our news partner KETK, David’s wife bought two tickets for $1300 and printed them out but to their surprise, they didn’t have their name on them and listed prices of $135 each.

“The people that are out there now are just absolute pros. They can make anything look perfect and get your dough and be gone out the back door before you can do anything,” Hartley said. Continue reading There’s a Bob Dylan ticket scam

PALESTINE – Westwood ISD has named its new interim superintendent. According to the district and our news partner KETK, Lawrence Coleman will serve as interim superintendent. Coleman is expected to begin serving the district on April 1.

Westwood ISD said Coleman’s bringing 35 years of experience to the district as their new interim superintendent. Coleman’s lived with his wife and children in Henderson for the past 16 years and has served as a teacher, assistant principal, instructional leader and administrator.

“I am looking forward to serving as Interim Superintendent for this outstanding district,” Coleman said.

SMITH COUNTY, – The Smith County Junior Livestock Show concluded with its annual sale day, where FFA and Four-H students auctioned animals they raised over the past year. According to our news partner KETK, the event raised more than $200,000 to support student projects and future education for the upcoming year or for graduating seniors to use toward their higher education.

The sale marks a year of work for participants who raise and show their animals before selling them to local buyers.
Continue reading Student livestock show nets 200K

TYLER – A gang member was arrested in Tyler on Thursday after authorities executed a search warrant at his home and found various illegal drugs. According to our news partner KETK, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant was issued at a home on Tenaha Avenue in connection with a search for a wanted gang member, Bryan Mayfield, who was believed to be staying at the house.

Once authorities arrived at the home to issue the search warrant, several people fled from the home and one person was immediately taken into custody. During the search, Mayfield fled into the backyard of a nearby residence, dropping a handgun before unlawfully entering the home. Once inside the home, Mayfield held two people against their will, prompting officers to enter the home and take Mayfield into custody and charge him with two counts of evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance, according to officials.
Continue reading Gang associate jailed for drugs

PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department said a crash that happened on North Loop 256 on Friday has reportedly left at least one person with injuries. According to Palestine PD, the crash happened the intersection of East Palestine Avenue and North Loop 256 at around 3:25 p.m. on Friday. Drivers are asked to use caution when driving through the area as law enforcement responds to the crash.

LONGVIEW – Officials have confirmed that City of Longview employee Buddy Powell died earlier this month during a “workplace accident” when he was hit in the head with a high-pressure water hose. According to our news partner KETK, Gregg County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace B.H Jameson said, the cause of Powell’s death was determined to be blunt force trauma after being struck by the hose. Powell was pronounced dead at a local hospital following the incident. It is unknown at this time what caused the incident and whether or not negligence was involved in Powell’s death.

LONGVIEW – One person was taken to the hospital following a shooting in Longview on Friday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Longview Police Department officers responded to a call on South High Street and Marion Drive at around 12 a.m. after receiving multiple reports of a shooting. Once on the scene, officers saw several people leaving the area and found a man inside a vehicle who had been shot.

The victim was taken to a hospital for injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, according to officials. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the department at 903-237-199 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867

MARSHALL — Following a week of water outages and reduced pressure due to a major water main break, the City of Marshall is taking steps to strengthen its water infrastructure. According to our news partner KETK, at Thursday’s city council meeting, officials unanimously approved a contract with Smith Pump Company to purchase a solar pump for the raw water pump station. The $356,118 project will add a fourth pump to the system, marking the final step in restoring full pumping capacity.

The decision comes after widespread disruptions tied to a March 17 water main break that forced closures across the community. Marshall ISD canceled classes and many local businesses temporarily closed down as water pressure dropped and outages spread. Continue reading Council approves final pump purchase