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TYLER — Beginning Tuesday, June 24, at 7 a.m., Neighborhood Services will reopen its Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List for the first time since the pandemic. Applications will be accepted online only through 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, allowing eligible applicants to access housing assistance.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is the federal government’s primary tool for helping low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities afford safe, decent homes in the private rental market. Accepted applicants may use the assistance to lease single-family homes, apartments, or townhomes, not limited to public housing units.

“Access to housing is foundational. It is what helps families build stability and move forward,” said Prentice Butler, Housing Manager for the City of Tyler. “Reopening this list gives our residents a fair shot at finding a safe place to live and thrive.” Continue reading City of Tyler opens housing voucher applications

TYLER – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made a brief appearance in Tyler to discuss several pending bills, including Senate Bill 3, which would ban THC from Texas. According to our news partner KETK during the press conference, Patrick said more than 8,000 smoke shops have opened in Texas and that these shops are statistically located near high schools to lure students. “We have to take care of our young people and our schools; this is an organized assault on the State of Texas by the cannabis industry,” Patrick said.

When asked if regulating the usage of THC, Patrick said it would never be possible:

“You can’t regulate 8,000 to 9,000 shops. We don’t have enough law enforcement for that,” Patrick said. “Our number one issue as elected officials is public safety it is up to us to protect the public, and this has the potential to destroy this entire generation of young people coming up.”

While Patrick believes that SB 3 will have a positive impact across the state, several East Texas business owners spoke about the potential negative implications. Co-owner of Dragon’s Breath in North Tyler said a full THC ban will do more harm than good. Continue reading Patrick says THC businesses are targeting East Texas youth

TEXARKANA – According to our news partner KETK, the Texarkana Police Department, with the help of their K9 Gator, arrested a woman who had escaped from a community correctional facility on Sunday afternoon.

Around 4:50 p.m. Olivia Alexandria May, 32 of New Boston, escaped from the Bowie County Substance Abuse Treatment Facility for women but she was soon tracked down by their K9 “Gator” and several officers. Officials said May was found in the woods behind Highland Park Baptist Church and was arrested for unauthorized absence of a community correction facility. She is currently being held in the Bi-State Jail on a $30,000 bond.

CAMP COUNTY – A man was killed after a tree fell through his mobile home on Sunday night near Pittsburg, according to our news partner KETK.

Deputies responded around 11:48 p.m.to a mobile home on Farm to Market Road 556 where a fallen tree left 55-year-old Kevin Ford dead and his mother injured. Officials said the residence was almost split in half due to a tree falling down the middle and the man was found crushed under it. The man’s mother was found trapped inside the house but was eventually taken to a local hospital for her injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

“When they arrived on the scene, they found an oak tree, big tree that had fallen over right in the center of the motorhome,” Camp County Sheriff John Cortelyou said.

Pittsburg Mayor David Abernathy said they had trees and powerlines down but no injuries have been reported within city limits.

TYLER – Lance Phillips, who was recently convicted for assaulting a peace officer while being removed from a Smith County Commissioners court, has filed a federal lawsuit against Smith County officials.

According to a report from The Tyler Morning Telegraph, Lance Phillips claims that his constitutional rights were violated while attending commissioners court meetings. The meeting in question is the same one where the assault occurred.

Prior to his trial for that charge, Phillips filed the federal lawsuit on May 4th against Smith County , Smith county Judge Neal Franklin, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith, and the Smith County Courthouse Head of Security, LT. Matt Lazarine. The complaint claims Phillips’ constitutional rights, including the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment, were violated. He alleges that this infringement happened when he was told to stop talking during the public comment section of multiple commissioners court meetings, due to his going off topic and when he was physically removed because he refused to get back on topic. Continue reading Lance Phillips files a two million dollar lawsuit against Smith County

CAMP COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports a man was killed after a tree fell through his mobile home on Sunday night near Pittsburg.

According to the Camp County Sheriffs Office, around 11:48 p.m. deputies responded to a mobile home on Farm to Market Road 556, where 55-year-old Kevin Ford was found dead, and his mother injured.

The residence was almost split in half due to a tree falling down the middle and the man was found crushed under it.

Ford’s mother was found trapped inside the house and was eventually taken to a local hospital for her injuries.

Pittsburg Mayor David Abernathy said they had trees and power lines down but no injuries have been reported within city limits.

FLINT – According to our news partner KETK, demolition has started for the Lakewood Church building on Sunday, after a fire in April had caused irreparable damage.

The demolition began on the day of Pentecost, and church members said that the day marks a new beginning for their church.

“Today is the day of Pentecost and it just so happens that it’s all starting today and that’s the day of fresh beginnings, the day God started a new thing on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus died. And so that is also a new thing for us, that we’re starting this new building,” Lakewood Church pastor Raymond Graham said. “God will make all things new.”

Despite the damage, they were successful in removing the church’s steeple. They plan to use the steeple for their new church building, which they hope to have open by Christmas.

TYLER – 8-year-old Abigail Vernon from Sulphur Bluff has dreamed of showing her Brahman Bull V6 Mr. Pickup Man in the show ring. Unfortunately, she was too young for the juniors catagory. According to our news partner KETK, she didn’t let that stop her, and set out to show Mr. Pickup man anyway – with the adults.

Along with Pickup Man, she has traveled all across the United States, winning banners, trophies and grand champion titles. Abigail is proving everyone wrong and showing that nothing can stop her from following her dreams. In December, Abigail asked her mother, Charli, if she could write a children’s book about her memories with Pickup Man. Continue reading Eight-year-old grand champion writes a book with her family

TYLER – As severe weather continues to move through the area, around 13,000 East Texans have been left without power as of 8 a.m. Monday.

KETK has compiled the list of East Texas power outages from the Texas Power Outage Map – you can view that map here.

LUFKIN – According to our news partner KETK, officials are currently investigating the death of a man found deceased in Lufkin on Sunday. According to the Lufkin Police Department, a man was found dead on Sunday morning on the train tracks between Abney Street and Angelina Streets. Lufkin PD said they are investigating his death and working to contact the man’s family.

The department asked anyone with information about his death to contact Lufkin PD at 936-633-0356.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department has arrested a 28-year-old man for murder in connection to a fatal shooting that happened on Melba Street on Saturday.

According to our news partner KETK, officers were sent to the 200 block of Melba Street at around 9:18 p.m. on Saturday to respond to a reported shooting. According to a Longview PD press release, officers found a man at the scene who had been shot. The victim, identified as Isaiah Ross of Longview, was taken to a local hospital where he later died. Investigators then identified a suspect and got an arrest warrant. According to Longview PD, Dominique Johnson, 28 of Longview, was then arrested in Kilgore by the Kilgore Police Department.

Johnson was booked in to the Gregg County Jail on Sunday for a charge of murder.

TYLER – As severe weather continues to move through the area, around 35,000 East Texans have been left without power as of 1:41 a.m. Monday.

KETK has compiled the list of East Texas power outages from the Texas Power Outage Map – you can view that map here.

FORT CAMPBELL, KY. – An East Texas infantryman assigned to the 101st Airborne Division has died following a training accident near Camp Croft in Hungary, according to military officials and our news partners at KETK.

The soldier was identified Saturday as Sgt. Aaron Cox of Mabank. He was a member of the division’s 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team and died Thursday in a vehicle accident while preparing for Exercise Saber Guardian 25.

Cox enlisted in the Army in 2021 and was on his second deployment, having previously served in Poland in 2022. During his service, he received several medals, including the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

The incident remains under investigation, military officials said.

WINONA – Luis Hernandez has won the Winona ISD Board of Trustees Place 3 seat after a runoff election held Saturday, following a tie in the May 3 election, according to unofficial Smith County results.

Hernandez received 244 votes, defeating incumbent Randy Hawkins, who received 181. The initial election ended in a rare tie, with both candidates receiving 137 votes. After a recount confirmed the tie, a second election was scheduled.

Hernandez campaigned on expanding athletic programs and implementing long-term planning for the district.

TEXARKANA – An East Texas police officer was placed on administrative leave on Monday, shortly before he was charged with sexual assault of a child. According to our news partner, KETK and the Texarkana Police Department, Zackary Gilley, 32, had been employed by the department since 2018 and was arrested on Monday night.

The chief of police said both an internal and criminal investigation were started after allegations involving a 15-year-old girl came to light.

Investigators gathered facts from a forensic expert and consulted with the Bowie County District Attorney’s Office before requesting warrants be issued by a district judge.

Gilley was called to the police department Monday night and arrested for: Two counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of indecency with a child by contact, one count of indecency with a child by exposure. Continue reading East Texas police officer charged with sexually assaulting a child

NACOGDOCHES — Two men were arrested on May 30 by Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office deputies for allegedly using a wrecker company to transport 48 packages of hydroponic marijuana according to our news partner KETK.

A traffic stop was conducted on a tow truck hauling a vehicle on Loop 224 near University Drive for a traffic violation. The driver, identified as Jerome Brown, 30, and the passenger, Corey Roberts, 39, told authorities conflicting information.

A K9 was brought onto the scene, where it gave a positive alert, leading to a search of the vehicle. Authorities found 48 packages of suspected hydroponic marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle. Continue reading 48 packages of hydroponic marijuana seized during traffic stop

FRANKLIN COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a 28-year-old man from Mount Vernon has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. According to information presented in court, Zachary Arzola met the victim through social media in September 2022 when she was 14 and eventually traveled to Ohio to meet her in December 2022.

While in Ohio, Arzola provided the victim’s family with a falsified driver’s license that presented him as a 16-year-old. Arzola later returned to Ohio in 2023, where he picked up the victim from her home and took her back to Texas with him.

After returning to Texas with the victim, Mount Vernon Police discovered Arzola and the victim at his house. Arzola later admitted in court documents that he persuaded the victim to have a sexual relationship with him. Continue reading Online predator sentenced after sexual relationship with minor

WINNSBORO – A former Winnsboro ISD coach has been arrested after allegedly admitting to having a sexual relationship with a student, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

In arrest warrant was obtained for 30-year-old Nicholas Gabriele on Thursday after community members notified the Wood County Sheriff’s Office that he had started a sexual relationship with a senior in high school. According to the sheriff’s office, Gabriele was an assistant football coach and an economics teacher with Winnsboro ISD for the 2024/2025 school year.

“Texas Rangers, along with an investigator from the sheriff’s office, were able to locate Gabriele in Ennis, where he was arrested without incident and admitted to the improper sexual relationship,” the sheriff’s office said. Continue reading Winnsboro ISD coach arrested for improper relationship with student

TYLER — The Texas Rangers are investigating a fatal shooting involving Tyler Police. According to a news release from the Tyler Police Department, at approximately 7:00 p.m. on June 5, officers were originally dispatched to a residence on Cascades Court regarding a suspicious person, but was changed to a disturbance with a subject inside of the home. Details are limited but officials said officers entered the residence and a shooting involving an officer occurred. The subject was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as John Augustine Tangney O’Kelly, 38, from Tyler.

In accordance with departmental policy, the investigation has been turned over to the Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers. The investigation is ongoing. The Tyler Police Department said additional information will be released once available.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department said that a 38-year-old man was killed in an officer-involved shooting on Thursday night, according to our news partner KETK.

Officers responded to the 3100 block of Cascades Court at around 7 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a suspicious person and a disturbance inside of a home. When officers entered the home, Tyler PD said an officer-involved shooting injured John Augustine Tangney O’Kelly, 38 of Tyler. O’Kelly was then taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers are currently investigating the shooting.

UPDATE: Our news partner KETK is reporting that Terrance Marshawn Carter was arrested the City of Henderson around 2:20 p.m. on Thursday and charged with evading arrest after fleeing during a traffic stop on Saturday, according to Gun Barrel City Police Department Detective Adrian Ruiz. It is unconfirmed which law enforcement agency made the arrest as Gun Barrel PD was just notified of Carter’s capture, Ruiz said.

GUN BARREL CITY – The Gun Barrel City Police Department is currently searching for a man that led Henderson County law enforcement on a search to Eustace overnight. Gun Barrel City PD said officers were doing a traffic stop in the 100 block of Trailwind Street in Gun Barrel City on Saturday at around 9:36 p.m. when a man ran from the vehicle.
Photo of Terrence Marshawn Carter, courtesy of Gun Barrel City PD.

According to a post from Gun Barrel City PD, the man was identified as Terrence Marshawn Carter, a Black man from Henderson. Officials said Carter has a active patrol violation from the Texas Pardon and Parole Board. Continue reading Wanted East Texas man arrested in Henderson

TEXARKANA — Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-TX released a statement on Thursday urging the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, to continue funding for the Red River Army Depot (RRAD) that maintains military operations.

According to our news partner KETK, the RRAD is an over 15,000 acre U.S. Army facility in northeast Texas that is responsible for repairing and remanufacturing military supplies. This facility supports multiple military branches by providing vehicles and other supplies to warfighters during combat. With President Donald Trump’s administration looking to minimize federal spending, the RRAD faces the risk of seeing possible budget cuts.

Moran and 11 other members of congress signed a letter that was sent to the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, expressing their wish for the administration to allow RRAD’s operations to continue as usual without cuts. Continue reading Rep. Moran fights in support of military operations center

TYLER — The House has passed a budget proposal within the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. According to our news partner KETK, this results in the largest rollback of food assistance in our nation’s history, according to ‘Feeding Texas’. SNAP currently feeds 3 million Texans and cutting funding for this program would result in $300 billion lost in aid.

The estimated total of Texans at risk of losing all SNAP benefits is 392,000 and 806,000 are at risk of losing partial benefits. Additionally, the bill could leave one million Texans without health insurance, specifically putting elderly and pregnant women in rural areas at risk.

“This represents a 30 percent cut to our nation’s most important and effective anti-hunger program,” Vice President of Feeding Texas Jamie Olsen said. “Texas would be required to pay 1.8 billion dollars a year starting in 2028,” Olsen said. Continue reading House budget proposal cuts SNAP, Medicaid

TEXARKANA – According to a press release from the acting U.S. Attorney’s office, a Mount Vernon man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations.

According to court records, Zachary Arzola, 28, met a minor victim online in September 2022 when he was 26 years old, and the minor victim was 14 years old. Arzola communicated with the victim through social media applications and eventually traveled to Ohio to meet her in December 2022. Once in Ohio, Arzola presented the victim’s family with an altered driver’s license to falsely represent that he was 16 years old. Continue reading Man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for child exploitation

TYLER – With summer heat quickly approaching, our news partner KETK reports that East Texans will have the opportunity to donate fans to those who need some relief from the scorching summer temperatures.

People Attempting to Help (PATH) is currently hosting the “Beat the Heat” Fan Drive and is hoping to provide hundreds of East Texas families with a box fan. The fans will help families reduce energy costs while keeping their homes cool during summer.

According to PATH, heat is the number one weather-related killer in Texas. During the summers, older people and children are at higher risk of being impacted by the heat, and many are currently living without an AC unit in their homes.

Those who are willing to donate fans can do it through the PATH website. Up to 10 fans can be donated through the website with each fan costing $25.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Game Wardens rescued construction workers that were trapped in Wednesday’s rising floodwater in Henderson County according to our news partner KETK. The heavy rain stranded two construction workers at a job site near Malakoff after water started rising quickly.

Game wardens said instead of trying to get to safety by driving into the high water, they made the right choice and called for help.

“The area where they were working was completely flooded with swift water flowing pretty rapidly in the area,” Christ said. “So we were able to call out our swift water team, Texas Parks and Wildlife, swift water team, and we’re able to patrol up to and rescue those individuals off their pipe and get them back to dry land.”

Christ said thankfully everyone was rescued without any injuries, but warns others to take care and stay aware during heavy rainstorms. Continue reading Game wardens rescue workers from Henderson Co. floodwater