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SMITH COUNTY — Since issuing a burn ban on October 8, Smith County officials have been called out to about 50 calls for illegal burning. “Due to the burn ban being in place for about a week and the information being highly promoted, we are transitioning to issuing citations rather than giving warnings,” Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said.

As of Tuesday, October 15, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) for Smith County was at an average of 727. The KBDI ranges from 0 to 800 and is used to determine forest fire potential. For the next several days, there is very little chance of rain and low humidity, increasing the fire danger even more.

“The Fire Marshal’s Office would like to thank Smith County residents for understanding the potential fire danger conditions and choosing not to burn during this burn ban,” he said.

The Commissioners Court issued an “Order Prohibiting Outdoor Burning” on Tuesday, October 8. It is in effect for 90 days, unless conditions improve, and the Commissioners Court approves terminating the order early. Continue reading Smith County Burn Ban update

TYLER – Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for many counties across the state including several in East Texas due to the current risk for wildfires.

The declaration was issued by Governor Abbott on Thursday. You can find the list of counties, including the 27 East Texas counties bolded, on our news partner KETK’s website or by clicking here.

Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate more emergency response resources to support firefighters working on wildfires across the state.
Continue reading 27 East Texas counties declared disaster areas

LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, a Longview woman who was on trial for murder in a 2021 fatal shooting case has been sentenced to nine years in state prison after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Tolla McNeely, 43 of Longview, was initially arrested for murder in connection to the death of Jose Manuel Delarosa, 40 of Henderson, in 2021. At the time, Longview PD reported that McNeely shot Delarosa while they were arguing in a car parked at 110 Triple Creek in Longview.

Delarosa was then taken to a local hospital where he died. The murder charge against her was dismissed and she will now serve up to 9 years in state prison for manslaughter.

KETK spoke with David E. Moore, McNeely’s attorney, and he said that she was able to plead down to manslaughter instead of the murder charge against her because of “extenuating circumstances” in the case.

UPDATE: The Longview Police Department said Thomas has been found as of 4:31 p.m. Previous story: LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department have issued a missing person alert for a 27-year-old woman. According to our news partner KETK, missing is Allison Thomas. She is described as 5 foot and 2 inches tall, around 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Allison was reportedly last seen wearing a black top and jean shorts. She also has a tattoo of a red and blue feather on her upper left arm.

Allison was last seen around East Marshall Avenue, near Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center. Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is asked to contact Longview Police at 903-237-1199.

HOPKINS COUNTY – An organized criminal group took items including firearms and tools from several unlocked vehicles Monday morning. The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office said the burglars are likely the same people who committed crime sprees in other counties. According to the sheriff’s office, footage uncovered by investigators shows unknown people as they burglarized vehicles on Monday in the southern part of Hopkins County. “Additionally, we have discovered that this is likely the same criminal organization that has committed similar crime sprees in multiple counties to the south of Hopkins County,” the sheriff’s office said. 100 miles south of Hopkins County, Rusk County authorities faced a similar issue in mid-September. Continue reading Crime spree targets unlocked vehicles in East Texas

TYLER — The City of Tyler said that street repairs on East Dawson Street will block the west entrance of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital’s Dawson parking garage this week. According to our news partner KETK, East Dawson Street to Clinic Drive will be closed from Monday, Oct. 14 to Friday, Oct. 18. The city of Tyler said to use South Fleishel Avenue to get to the emergency room entrance or the parking garage.

TYLER – Tyler Fire Marshal Joey Hooton confirmed that one family was displaced after a one-alarm fire at the River Oaks Apartments in Tyler on Saturday. The fire was eventually put out and law enforcement has cleared the scene. Officials from the Tyler Fire Marshall’s Office and the Tyler Police Department responded to the scene in the 4400 block of Troup Highway at around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

According to our news partner KETK, the cause of the fire is currently unknown but looks like it started in a closet before it ended up leaving eight units with smoke damage and displacing one family.

HALLSVILLE, Texas (KETK) – The West Harrison Volunteer Fire Department said that firefighters responded to a wildfire near FM 2625 south of Hallsville and Marshall on Sunday.

West Harrison VFD said the Hallsville Fire Department and Emergency Services Districts 3 and 4 responded to the scene off of FM 2625 near Cave Springs Road. Hallsville Fire Department assistant chief Bert Scott told our news partner KETK that the fire was more than 120 acres in size and took three hours to contain.

No structures were damaged by the blaze and officials said the Texas A&M Forest Service also responded to the scene with their bulldozers. The Texas A&M Forest Service said the fire was 138 acres in size and 100% contained as of 6:22 p.m. on Sunday.

Harrison County Judge Chad Sims issued a county-wide burn ban on Oct. 9.

TYLER – Smith County has won a 2024 County Best Practices award from the Texas Association of Counties for their program to recruit jail detention officers from local schools according to our news partner KETK. The county said their Detention Officer Program is the first of it’s kind in the state. The program was started to help address recruitment issues at the Smith County Jail by getting interested high school students to take the state jailer exam after they graduate.

The program was started by Smith County Sheriff’s Office chiefs Jimmy Jackson and Gary Pinkerton. The program has reportedly been a success since Smith County has reported that they’ve gone from having over 20 vacancies for several years, to having zero openings in 2024. One jail officer that was hired right after graduating from John Tyler High School is Justtice Taylor, 19 of Tyler. She, Pinkerton and Jackson have been recruiting at local schools including at her alma mater. Continue reading Smith County receives award for high school officer recruitment

ATHENS – Our news partner KETK reports that Jerry Fontenot, 59 of Athens, was arrested at his residence for four counts of animal cruelty causing death, 12 counts of animal cruelty and two counts of cruelty to a livestock animal. Deputies arrived at Fontenot’s home they found four dead dogs still in chains, 12 other dogs in bad health along with a pig and a donkey. He’s being held at the Henderson County Jail on a total bond of $26,000.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department announced that 2 people were arrested after a search found multiple kinds of drugs and firearms. According to our news partners at KETK, Longview SWAT and the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit found fentanyl pills, ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana and two firearms while executing a warrant. Demichael Johnson, 33 of Longview, and Shadiamond Chaseberry, 32 of Longview, were arrested and taken to the Gregg County Jail without incident. Johnson was charged with two counts of manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm and his bond was set at $154,500. Chaseberry was charged with possession of marijuana with a bond set at $1,000.

TYLER – Our news partner KETK reports that a fatal two-vehicle wreck occurred Friday afternoon on Highway 64 near Chapel Hill High School. Smith County Public Information Officer Larry Christian said at around 4:18 p.m. deputies responded to a crash on Highway 64 near County Road 289. Roads were blocked well into Friday evening and an investigation is pending.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A Van Zandt County man was sentenced to six years in a state prison in September after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges to non-livestock animals. According to our news partner KETK, an SPCA reports said James Henry Eubanks was arrested on Jan. 19 after an investigation led to the removal of 10 “cruelly treated dogs” from a property near Wills Point.

The SPCA release also detailed, “At the time of this investigation, about 6 p.m., the temperature in the area was 15 degrees Fahrenheit. A total of 10 Pitbull-type dogs were confined to the property. Six of the dogs were separated out and confined to their own kennels and of those six dogs, three were deceased. The four remaining dogs were running loose on the property and were attempting to find a windbreak from the freezing wind. Investigators were not able to locate any food available to the dogs and all water sources on the property were frozen solid. Eubanks was identified as the caretaker of the dogs.”

Courtney Burns, SPCA of Texas chief investigator of the Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit concluded in the release, “Animal crimes are notoriously known to yield weak punishments, so getting a sentence of six years in prison is a tremendous win for the SPCA of Texas and Van Zandt County.”

TYLER – Tyler Police report that an argument early Friday afternoon quickly compounded into a shooting leaving one person dead. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to a shooting at 3800 SSW Loop 323, at Taqueria Juniors. TPD reports the shooting suspect has been a “repeat customer” at the restaurant and there have been disagreements prior to this shooting. Police said that there was an argument at the business that escalated into a physical altercation and ultimately ended in a the fatal shooting. One person has been detained and is being questioned by police.

SMITH COUNTY – Since issuing a burn ban on Tuesday, Smith County officials have given out four citations and several warnings for burning. As of Friday, October 11, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) for Smith County was at 719. The KBDI ranges from 0 to 800 and is used to determine forest fire potential. “The potential for fire to spread easily will remain until we receive significant rainfall,” Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said. For the next seven days, there is very little chance of rain and low humidity, increasing the fire danger even more. Continue reading Smith County burn ban update

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that as the climate continues to dry in East Texas it is now causing some ranchers to put hay out early for their cattle. Normally, hay does not get put out until after the first frost but now that the grass is drying up, ranchers need to supplement. “I’m about two weeks away,” said Malcolm Williams, East Texas rancher. The clock is ticking for ranchers to start thinking about putting out hay for their cattle. Continue reading Dry weather, hay out early

TYLER – East Texas election administrators are starting to report an increase in registered voters ahead of the general election in November, according to our news partner KETK.

Local election administrators are inputting the last batch of voter registration applications for the 2024 election year. According the secretary of state, Cherokee and Angelina counties are seeing the most voters in their counties’ history. In Deep East Texas, Angelina County’s registration numbers increased from 53,166 applications in 2020 to 55,980 applications in 2024. After the signing of Senate Bill One in 2021, counties began assessing the status of registered voters.

“We currently have 31,191 voters and in 2020 we had about 29,000 registered voters. I think just as Cherokee county grows and people move to this area, we just have an increase in voters as well,” said Kandace Herring, Cherokee County election administrator. Continue reading East Texas counties see increased voter registration

TYLER – The Smith County District Attorney’s Office is reportedly seeking the death penalty in the trial of Jamaurea Britton, 20. Britton has been indicted for the 2023 murder of Dejah Hood.

18-year-old Dejah Hood was found dead in a ravine behind the Hollytree Apartments in September of 2023 after she was reported missing by her mother earlier that day. She was reportedly out with friends, including Britton, when she disappeared.

Britton was first interviewed by Tyler PD and reportedly said that Hood had been to his apartment and then left. An affidavit said an officer noticed blood near the entry of the apartment. Britton reportedly denied the blood was human.
Continue reading Smith County DA seeks death penalty in 2023 murder

BULLARD – The shooting death of two children and an adult woman was confirmed as a murder-suicide after a month and a week since it was reported as a triple homicide by the Bullard Police Department. According to our news partner KETK, police were dispatched on Sept. 1 to Guinn Street and found 25-year-old Tatyanna Smith and her two children Madilynn Evans, 4, and Maison Evans, 2, dead and a 10-month-old injured.

“After a comprehensive review of evidence, witness interviews, and forensic analysis, investigators have determined that no additional persons were involved, and the case is being reclassified as an isolated incident of a double murder/suicide,” the police department said.

Bullard PD said the child was released from the hospital and is with family.

“In conclusion, The Bullard Police Department is kindly asking the community to respect the privacy of the families during this difficult time,” Bullard PD said. “Your understanding and support are greatly appreciated.”

CENTER, Texas – The Center ISD and local law enforcement announced that a student was detained Wednesday night after making a school threat. According to our news partner KETK and Center ISD Superintendent Brian Morris, the FBI notified the district’s police chief of a potential threat of a school shooting. The law enforcement agencies along with school administrators went to the house of the student who the FBI said made the threat and detained them. Morris said the student was taken into questioning and will not be attending their campus “for the foreseeable future.”

PANOLA COUNTY, Texas – Two minors were charged with burglary on Wednesday after they were caught by a game camera on a stolen UTV. Our news partners at KETK and the Panola County Sheriffs Office (PCSO) report that authorities were able to identify the suspects by using a game camera found on the UTV owner’s property. Both suspects were taken into custody and taken to the Willoughby Juvenile Detention Center in Marshall. The sheriff’s office said they were charged with burglary of a habitation and theft of property.

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that Smith County District Clerk Penny Clarkston was arrested again on Monday for yelling at jurors and physically blocking exit doors during a court proceeding, court documents state.According to a document filed by Judge Austin Reeve Jackson, the court told potential jurors they were free to go when Clarkston started yelling that they couldn’t leave without her permission. As district clerk, Clarkston issues writs, abstracts of judgement and prepares warrants. According to the Smith County website, she also serves as the administrator of the county’s jury system. The document stated that on Monday, the court ordered Clarkston multiple times to stop talking to the jurors and to let them leave but she refused. Clarkston would then ignore several of the court’s orders and proceeded to say “you can’t tell me to do anything,” the documents said. Continue reading Smith County District Clerk held in contempt again

TEXARKANA – The Texarkana Police Department said that they arrested two individuals after they allegedly attacked and robbed an elderly person who was giving them a ride.

According to our news partner KETK, at approximately 11:30 a.m. the Texarkana PD responded to a call about an injured man in the 500 block of Blake Street. Officers said they found an 86-year-old man bleeding from a wound on his head that told officers he was flagged by two individuals to give them a ride to Blake Street. Police said that the man told them one of the individuals, identified as Danny Williams, started to choke him with a baseball bat and afterwards struck him in the head with the bat.

Texarkana PD said that the man also told them that the other passenger, identified as Dequeener Mitchell, proceeded to grab his wallet and take the cash out of it before the two individuals fled. Continue reading Two arrested after allegedly attacking senior in car

MARSHALL – The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Hallsville man after a search revealed that he was in possession of child pornography. According to our news partner KETK, arrested was 43-year-old Keven Barnett. HCSO detectives received information from the Terrell Police Department about a tip from the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforce that warned of juvenile exploitation in Harrison County. The ICAC and sheriff’s office reviewed the tip and identified Barnett, as being in possession of “multiple videos containing child pornography.” A warrant was issued for Barnett Monday. He was arrested and booked into the Harrison County Jail. Barnett was charged with possession of child pornography and aggravated sexual assault of a child with a bond set at $350,000.

TYLER – With hot weather and lack of rain, a fire hazard can be created easily. More counties in East Texas have issued burn bans. You can see the list provided from our news partner KETK with this link.

WILLS POINT – A Wills Point animal control officer was arrested on Thursday after admitting to a Van Zandt County deputy of shooting his own dog. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Goggans, with Wills Point Animal Control, was taken into custody and charged with cruelty and torture to a non-livestock animal.

Van Zandt County deputies reportedly told Goggans that he needed to keep his dog confined after separate calls of his dog running loose were reported on June 12 and June 13. A deputy warned Goggans that if the dog was not properly confined, a citation would be issued.

In a release from the the SPCA, “Goggans responded to the deputy’s warning by informing him of his intent to kill the dog. He contacted the deputy again to inform him that he had killed it and that the dog was in the front yard of his residence.”
Continue reading East Texas animal control officer shoots his own dog