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SMITH COUNTY — Two individuals from East Texas have been arrested for allegedly scamming an elderly person out of $750 for chimney repairs that were reportedly unnecessary.

According to our news partner KETK, law enforcement initiated an investigation in August following a report in March regarding two suspects soliciting chimney sweep services from a victim. Steven Gonzalez, 33, and Erika Salinas, 33, both residents of Tyler, are accused of telling the victim that his chimney required repairs and quoted a price of $750.

Subsequently, when the victim tried to contact the business they operated under, ETX Chimney Sweep, he received no response despite sending multiple text messages to Salinas requesting a refund. Continue reading Couple charged with scamming elderly on chimney repairs

HAWKINS – The city of Hawkins officially has a new approved budget for the upcoming fiscal year, as city council members voted on the matter Thursday. The city is already over $5 million in debt, and the approved budget will be running at a deficit of $1,157,366. The city also has multiple projects slated, including hiring employees for the city water department, railroad repair, and most notably, the lack of a city police department. The new budget addressed that as well, with $162,000 being allocated for officers. Some council-members hope the new funding will help them hire a chief. Mayor Deb Rushing suggested the vacant police building could be turned into a substation of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

JACKSONVILLE — A 68-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning in Jacksonville in connection to a child exploitation investigation. According to the Jacksonville Police Department and our news partner KETK, after obtaining a search and arrest warrant, James Bruce Gragg was found inside a home off Forest Trail and was taken into custody. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Jacksonville Police Department and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in Nebraska.

Following his arrest, Gragg was charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of harmful material. Investigators anticipate that additional charges will be added as the case progresses. The investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be released at this time. Continue reading Jacksonville man arrested in connection child exploitation case

SABINE COUNTY – The Texas Game Wardens are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 21-year-old college student, Peyton Hughes, who was last seen on Wednesday on the Toledo Bend Reservoir.

According to our news partner KETK and the Texas Game Wardens, Hughes is a student at Campbellsville University in Kentucky and was pre-fishing for Bassmaster competition when he was reported missing. Several agencies in both Texas and Louisiana are assisting in finding Hughes, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agents, the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office and the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office.

No further information is available at this time.

HUNTSVILLE – According to our news partner KETK, Rusk County District Attorney Michael Jimerson spoke at a press conference in Huntsville on Thursday after the execution of convicted murderer Blaine Milam.

Milam and his girlfriend Jesseca Carson were arrested in 2008 after Carson’s 13-month-old daughter Amora was found dead inside their home. Milam and Carson beat Amora with a hammer and bit, strangled and mutilated her body over a 30-hour period, according to prosecutors.

Milam was put to death in Huntsville at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday. His last meal included a cheeseburger, oven-fried potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, sliced bread, scrambled eggs, country gravy, a sausage patty, pears, biscuits, tea and water. Continue reading Rusk County District Attorney speaks after Milam execution

HUNTSVILLE — An East Texas man was executed at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday evening, after killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter in what the couple claimed was an exorcism to cast a demon from the infant’s body. Our news partner KETK reports that hours before the execution the U.S. Supreme Court denied Blaine Milam’s final appeal for a stay. Milam opted out of having a spiritual advisor in his final hours.

Milam, then 18, and his girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, were arrested in December 2008 after police discovered the body of Carson’s daughter, Amora, inside their home. The child had suffered extensive injuries, including bite marks, blunt-force trauma and signs of sexual assault.

The medical examiner testified that Amora’s cause of death could not be pinpointed because of the sheer number of fatal injuries. Prosecutors said Milam and Carson beat the baby with a hammer and over a 30-hour period bit, strangled and mutilated her.

The couple initially gave shifting accounts, claiming Amora had hurt herself or eaten insulation, before admitting they had tried to “beat the demons out” of her during an exorcism. Continue reading Texas man executed for brutal ‘exorcism’ murder of 13-month-old

HUNTSVILLE (AP) – Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson will not petition for clemency ahead of his scheduled execution in three weeks and will instead focus on obtaining a new trial in his capital murder conviction, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Roberson was convicted in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki, who was diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome. Roberson has maintained his innocence over the two decades he has spent on death row, arguing that scientific evidence developed since his conviction invalidates Nikki’s diagnosis and shows that she died from chronic illness — not from being shaken so violently that she died, as prosecutors claimed at Roberson’s trial.

Roberson, 58, is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16. His deadline to submit an application for clemency with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is Thursday, 21 days before his execution date. Continue reading Robert Roberson will not seek clemency ahead of October execution

SMITH COUNTY — A woman was arrested Wednesday on a charge of endangering a child after her daughter reportedly suffered an overdose. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received a 911 call regarding a possible overdose at a home on Candleridge Drive. Officials say a female child,23-months-old, was in a lethargic state. EMS transported the girl to UT Health ER in Tyler.

Smith County Investigators found that at approximately 3:15 pm, the child had ingested a THC gummy belonging to her mother, Kendall Johnson, 27, of Tyler. The child and her older brother were left unattended in Johnson’s vehicle while at a residence near Dixie Elementary School. When she returned to the vehicle, she realized her son and daughter had gotten into her THC gummies which were left in the vehicle. By this time, the daughter had already ingested a portion of one gummy. Johnson then went to the residence on Candleridge Drive where she stayed until she called 911 at approximately 5:00 pm. Continue reading Child flown to Dallas hospital after ingesting THC gummy

LONGVIEW — A pedestrian sustained serious bodily injury on Friday after being involved in a suspected hit-and-run situation, the Longview Police Department said. According to our news partner KETK, on Sept. 19 at around 8:35 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of Mobberly Avenue, where they found a pedestrian with a serious bodily injury. The black pickup suspected to be involved had left the scene. The department is asking anyone with information regarding this case to call 903-237-1188 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7827.

HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas man faces execution Thursday for killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter during a torturous ordeal the couple said was part of an “exorcism” to expel a demon from the child’s body. Blaine Milam, 35, was condemned for the December 2008 murder of Amora Carson at his trailer in Rusk County in East Texas.

Milam was scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. At around the same time Milam was to be put to death, authorities in Alabama were planning to execute Geoffrey West for fatally shooting a gas station employee during a 1997 robbery.

Milam has claimed he is innocent, blaming then-girlfriend Jesseca Carson for the killing and alleging she was the one who claimed the girl was possessed by a demon. Continue reading East Texan facing execution for fatally beating 13-month-old during ‘exorcism’

LINDALE – According to our news partner KETK, a woman who was caught on camera abusing toddlers at a daycare in Lindale in 2024 pleaded guilty on Tuesday to injury to a child.

Catherine Elizabeth Guziejka was arrested in October of 2023 while working at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care. While working for the day care, video footage reportedly showed about 100 incidents where Guziejka was seen assaulting six children under her care. Guziejka has since been booked into the Smith County Jail on Oct. 30 and on Tuesday she pleaded guilty to injury to a child. Her trial has been scheduled for Nov 12, 2025.

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, Blaine Milam will be executed Thursday for beating his girlfriend’s daughter to death in an alleged exorcism.

Milam and his girlfriend, Jessica Carson, were convicted in 20210 for the brutal killing of Amora Carson with a hammer and 24 human bite marks. Milam’s good friend, Jennifer Martin, continues to visit him and will be by his side until the last moment. Martin .”He is innocent 100%,” Martin said.

Martin met Milam on death row through her brother-in-law, Robert Roberson, who is set to be executed next month. Martin visited him just 24 hours before he is set to die on Thursday and said he is in good spirits. Continue reading Blaine Milam’s execution scheduled Thursday amid plea effort

HENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the current Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4 (JP4) announced on Tuesday that he will be retiring as JP following the completion of his current term. Judge Milton K. Adams has served East Texas for the past three decades, and his retirement will conclude more than 47 years of involvement in the criminal justice system, including his time as a Justice of the Peace.

“It’s been an interesting ride to say the least,” Adams wrote in his announcement. “I’d like to take a moment to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you.”

Adams encourages residents to learn about the candidates who will seek the seat in the upcoming election, noting the lasting impact of the court.

“Most people don’t realize that a Justice of the Peace is a State Judge and noted in the Texas Constitution as a ‘Conservator of the Peace,’” Adams said. “It’s not always an easy task to take on.”

UPDATE: According to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Pruitt was found and taken into custody earlier this evening following an anonymous tip.

WOOD COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report that a man with outstanding felony warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon escaped from Wood County deputies on Wednesday. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said around 6 a.m., they had received an anonymous tip of a person who had outstanding felony warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. They then went to Caden Eric Pruitt’s residence in Hawkins, where they took him into custody. While deputies finished their investigation, Priutt escaped and fled. Continue reading Aggravated assault suspect in custody

TYLER – A new AAA study reveals that 96% of drivers admit to aggressive driving behaviors when on the roads. According to our news partner KETK, actions like speeding, running red lights and honking out of anger, is prevalent among nearly all drivers. Some of the main factors were listed as stress, impatience and overall road congestion. Contrary to popular belief, aggressive driving is not limited to urban areas but is increasingly seen in smaller and rural areas as well. Since 2016, the act of cutting off another driver is up 67%, hitting the horn is up 47%, but the acts of tailgating and yelling at another driver are down 24% and 17% respectively.

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview invited community members to attend an open house meeting on Tuesday to address residents’ current and future housing challenges. According to our news partner KETK, several Longview residents attended an open house meeting at the Maud Cobb Convention Center to learn more about the city’s Housing Needs Assessment and Action Plan. The plan dives into an analysis of Longview’s housing situation, including affordability, market value, and demographic trends.

Housing Manager for the City of Longview Housing Agency, Shateva Marshall, spoke with many attendees to gather more information about potential adjustments that can be made for Longview residents. Continue reading City of Longview holds housing needs assessment meeting

TYLER — The Caldwell Zoo is mourning the loss of its popular Red Fox ‘Sox’, who recently died. According to our news partner KETK, Sox has been a member of the Caldwell Zoo family since he was rescued in 2013 after being hit by a car on the outskirts of Tyler. According to the Zoo, Sox’s health has declined over the past few years due to hearing loss and decreased vision.

“We are honored to have provided a safe and secure home for this sly, ole fox. His tenacity and strength will certainly be missed,” Caldwell Zoo said.

ATHENS – After being arrested for possession of meth at his apartment almost three weeks ago, Athens ISD Board of Trustees have accepted the resignation of now former band director Nicholas Bartlett Durham. According to our news partner KETK, the 45-year-old had his apartment searched by Henderson County deputies at the 200 block of Wood Street. Found in his possession was an undisclosed amount of suspected methamphetamine. Durham was later taken to the Henderson County Jail for possession of a controlled substance and released the following day. After Durham’s resignation was accepted, the board announced Cheyenne Hernandez as the district’s interim band director.

UPDATE: The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed on Tuesday that the woman who lived on the property where the dogs were discovered has died.

TROUP – Our news partner KETK is reporting that 44 dogs were seized from an East Texas property on Friday morning at what Smith County investigators believe is a puppy mill. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, around 11:45 a.m., first responders were dispatched to a medical call in the 19200 block of FM 345 near Troup. Once on the scene, medical personnel smelled a strong odor of feces, with multiple kennelled and loose dogs.

When Smith County investigators arrived on scene, they found that none of the dogs had received care of any kind for at least twelve hours and that they were not receiving an adequate amount of care, food or water.

“Smith County Animal Control responded to the location, and upon arrival, 44 dogs were seized and transported to the Smith County Animal Control Shelter,” officials said. “Of the 44 dogs rescued, 41 appear to be pure-bred Whippets and 3 appear to be pure-bred Standard Poodles. Several of the dogs were malnourished with skin disorders, overgrown nails and possible gastrointestinal disorders.” Continue reading Woman living on property with 44 malnourished dogs confirmed dead

LONGVIEW — A 66-year-old man has been booked into the Gregg County Jail for murder after a fatal shooting in Longview on Monday afternoon. According to the Longview Police Department and our news partner KETK, just after 4:00 p.m., officers were dispatched to a home on Crystal Street in response to a welfare check. Once they arrived on scene, authorities located Kathleen Bullock, who had been shot and was pronounced dead by the Gregg County Justice of the Peace.

Investigators later identified Lavan Bullock of Longview as the suspect. He was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Following medical treatment, Bullock was booked into the Gregg County Jail and charged with murder.

The department said the investigation remains active and no further details will be released.

LUFKIN – Lufkin ISD said Tuesday morning that an unloaded gun was brought into their middle school on Sept. 12. According to our news partner KETK, this made it the second gun-related episode that happened at their district that week. District officials released a statement Monday that a report was made to Lufkin Middle School administrators that an unloaded firearm was found on campus, Sept. 12. They added that the unloaded firearm was seen by more than one student.

The release also said, “This serves as a reminder that unauthorized possession of a firearm on campus is a serious crime, and Lufkin ISD will pursue all legal measures,” the district said. “Student safety is our top priority, and we urge parents and guardians to talk with their children about the importance of immediately reporting any safety concerns.”

This Sept. 12 incident comes just four days after a Lufkin High School student was removed from campus after an unloaded gun was found in a bathroom.

LUFKIN — The Texas Tribune reports that arapidly growing East Texas metro area is exploring new ways to ease congestion. Tyler and the surrounding area are home to about 250,000 people and counting. Fueled by a growing health care industry, nearly 2,000 people are moving to the region that includes Smith County each year. More people have meant more cars and traffic. Michael Howell, Tyler’s Metropolitan Planning Organization director, believes traffic will continue to increase, and he’d like to make Tyler more accessible. “How can you go somewhere and not have it be just you getting into a car? Because there is a finite amount of space, a finite amount of parking,” Howell asked. “There is a lot that could potentially be done, and that’s what we want to hear from everybody: If it were there, would you use it? And how would you use it?” A light rail system in a city like Tyler would be a significant shift, especially in a state known for its oil and gas industry and its historical prioritization of cars over public transit. Just this year, state lawmakers flirted with defunding light rail systems in Dallas and Houston. Continue reading Would light rail work in Tyler?

LONGVIEW – On Thursday, the Longview Police Department arrested 11 men for solicitation of a prostitute following a sting operation last week. According to our news partner KETK, last week, officers conducted a prostitution sting near the 1500 block of East Marshall Avenue. The men approached undercover female officers posing as prostitutes and agreed to exchange U.S. currency for sexual acts. James Russell, Michael Gentry, Angel Cheney, Armando Gonzales, Pablo Luna, Stefan Morrow, Jorge Real, David Grotheim, Mark Jones, Santos Morales-Villeda, and Gilberto Santana-Cruz were arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail on solicitation of prostitution charges.

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Appraisal District is looking for a community representative to help with appraising property values in the county.

The district’s board of directors has a community representative that’s appointed by the Smith County Commissioners Court in order to speak for the community as the district determines who much value a given property can be taxed for. According to our news partner KETK the county’s current representative is Annie Dwyer and she’s moving out of Smith County so her seat will be vacant starting on Dec. 31. Applicants must reside in Smith County for at least two years in order to serve on the district’s board of directors.

The court is accepting applications until Monday, Sept. 29. To apply for the two-year community representative term that starts on Jan. 1, 2026, visit Smith County online.

TEXARKANA – A man was arrested on Sunday following a shooting in a Texarkana apartment complex according to our news partner KETK.

The Texarkana Police Department received calls on Sunday stating that a 34-year-old man had been shot at an apartment complex. Once officials arrived on the scene, they identified the suspect, who appeared to have sustained several gunshot wounds, and he was taken to a local hospital, where his condition was believed to be non-life-threatening. Following the shooting, officials identified 24-year-old Jack Nelson as the suspect. Officials went to Nelson’s home, but he was not there. They returned later that day after receiving a call from his family stating that he was home and willing to turn himself in.

Following his arrest, Nelson was booked into the Bi-State Jail and charged with aggravated assault. His bond has been set at $100,000.

LONGVIEW – A 24-year-old Lonestar man has been ordered to serve 10 years on probation in connection to a 2023 fatal crash that left a 23-year-old woman dead in Longview.

Hunter Tigert, 24 of Lone Star, was originally arrested for intoxication manslaughter in May of 2023 after the black Dodge Charger he was driving crashed in the 400 block of West Methvin Street, according to our news partner KETK. The Charger was carrying three passengers when Longview PD said the vehicle failed go through a curve in the roadway and crashed into a brick building. Longview 23-year-old Sydney Van Rijn was taken to a local hospital along with the two other passengers in the crash.

Rijn later died of her injuries at the hospital. Tigert was also injured in the crash and was arrested after being treated at a Longview hospital.

Tigert’s intoxication manslaughter charge was dismissed and he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury on Sept. 22. Tigert was given deferred adjudication by 188th District Court Judge Scott Novy meaning that he’ll avoid a conviction if he doesn’t violate the terms of his 10-year probation sentence.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – The City of Sulphur Springs will soon be home to more than 1,600 acres of artificial intelligence data centers. According to our news partner KETK the centers will be run by the Florida-based tech company MSB Global.

MSB Global broke ground on their massive facility in June, they’re planning to construct 30 AI data center buildings by 2028. The new centers will host servers for AI training while also offering other resources like large language model training and cloud computing. The project has prompted growing concerns in Sulphur Springs with several local shop owners like Sharon Feldt saying they know very little about the data centers.

“I don’t know enough about what they are doing out there. I wish we had been able to vote on this,” Feldt said. Continue reading Concerns over planned AI data centers grow in Sulphur Springs