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SMITH COUNTY — In a step towards pet care affordability, Smith County Commissioners have approved the launch of a new low-cost spay and neuter clinic in Tyler. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Smith County Animal Shelter and the Animal Protection League (APL). According to our news partner KETK, the APL has been dedicated to serving surrounding communities for years, offering affordable spay-and-neuter services and vaccinations. With the green light from the commissioners, they will now have a central location to operate from every Tuesday.

The clinic will be conveniently set up in the parking lot behind the county shelter, making it easier for pet owners to access essential services for their furry family members. Continue reading Affordable pet clinic approved

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Van Zandt County officials on Wednesday issued a 30-day burn ban, citing dangerous fire conditions. The ban prohibits any outdoor burning in the county’s unincorporated areas for 30 days beginning Wednesday, the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal said.

For more information on the ban visit the Van Zandt County website.

LONGVIEW — A man was found guilty on Wednesday for a dog attack that killed a person in February 2024 in Longview. According to our news partner KETK, a district court jury in Longview found Martin Rodriguez guilty of a second-degree felony for a fatal dog attack, after he pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. The attack happened early Feb. 1, 2024, the Longview Police Department responded to a report of a bicycle on a roadway in the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Rayburn Drive area.

Officers found 46-year-old Kenneth Pierson deceased with dog bite wounds along with the bicycle. Following an investigation and an autopsy, the police department obtained an arrest warrant for Rodriguez. Multiple dogs were taken from his home and he was arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail for animals at large charges. Rodriquez could face up to 20 years in prison for the verdict. Pierson’s mother has filed a lawsuit against Rodriquez, the City of Longview, Zachary Decker and Decker Properties on behalf of her son.

UPDATE: I-20 has reopened and traffic flow has returned to normal, according to the Marshall Police Department.

MARSHALL – Interstate 20 westbound through the City of Marshall is currently shut down following an accident involving an 18-wheeler. According to the Marshall Police Department, traffic is being rerouted off I-20 onto US 59 North, then directed over to State Highway 43 South. This detour is creating significant traffic backups and delays in the area.

Motorists are strongly encouraged to avoid the area if possible and plan alternate routes.Drivers who must travel through the area should anticipate slowdowns, use caution, and remain patient and courteous to other motorists.The closure and rerouting are expected to remain in effect until approximately 6:00 p.m.

TYLER – The City is taking a steady approach to planning permanent repairs on a drainage culvert along East Elm Street, following the discovery of damage. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the City Council approved two contracts to assess the extent of the damage and began planning repairs to protect nearby buildings and public infrastructure.

On Nov. 10, of last year, the City discovered that a section of a stormwater box culvert along Elm Street, between Broadway Avenue and Spring Avenue, had collapsed. This led to a large washout/void behind the culvert, leaving the culvert’s roof unsupported and in distress. Emergency shoring was installed within the culvert that month to prevent further collapse and soil washout. The box culvert is 90 to 100 years old or older and contains damaged areas beyond the collapsed section that require repair or replacement.
Continue reading East Elm Street repairs  

TYLER — Union Pacific Railroad began clearing a homeless encampment from its property in Tyler on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the company said the encampments are illegal and that removing them is part of an effort to improve safety for trespassers and the surrounding community.

The cleanup was carried out with assistance from the Tyler Police Department at an encampment site located on railroad property.

Union Pacific stated that individuals at the site were warned twice over the past month to remove their belongings and relocate, according to the company.

ALBA — The Alba-Golden Independent School District (ISD) has scheduled a $20.6 million bond election for May. They aim to build a new Career and Technology Education facility and a new District Gymnasium that the district says aligns with its ongoing commitment to enhance learning environments.

The decision follows a recommendation from the Panther Legacy Vision Team, which consists of 36 members, including students, families, alumni, community members and district staff. This team has been evaluating the long-term facility needs over the past few months. If the bond is approved, the district expects to maintain a tax rate that remains lower than that of surrounding districts.

Further details will be released in the coming months. For any questions, individuals can reach out to Superintendent Shelby Davidson at the AGISD administration building or via email at [email protected].

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County commissioners voted Tuesday to move forward with seeking an independent audit of the county’s road bond program after a local watchdog group raised concerns about a reported $7 million discrepancy.

Grassroots America first brought the issue before the Smith County Commissioners Court, according to our news partner KETK. During its Dec. 16, 2025, meeting financial records tied to the voter-approved Road Bond Program were questioned. On Tuesday, commissioners approved a motion authorizing the county’s purchasing director to advertise for and receive sealed bids for requests for proposals for independent auditing services to review road bond expenditures and compliance. Any contract resulting from the bid process will return to the court for final approval. Continue reading Watchdog concerned with road bond

TYLER — The founder of the well-known boutique and restaurant in Tyler, the Potpourri House, died on Saturday at the age of 89.

According to the Potpourri House, Carol Ann Ellsworth, who died at Mother Francis Hospital surrounded by friends and family, initially founded the business with her husband, Frank Leslie “Les” Ellsworth II, on Front Street in Tyler in 1981.

Since then, the Potpourri House has been a popular destination for Tyler natives for over 40 years. The business was later passed down to Ellsworth’s son.

“Carol served as the visionary with Les for the business that has now been thriving in Tyler for more than 45 years,” the Potpourri House said. “Carol loved the Lord and her family and friends. She will be greatly missed.”

HENDERSON COUNTY — The Texas Rangers are investigating the death of an inmate from Henderson County Jail, who died due to unknown causes in January. According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, 42-year-old Karl Dora was admitted to the county jail on Aug. 1, 2025. He was found unresponsive in his jail cell by inmates on Jan. 25 and was taken to a local hospital.

After spending five days at the hospital, Dora was pronounced dead on Jan. 30, and the cause of death remains unknown. Dora’s death is currently being investigated by the Texas Rangers.

SMITH COUNTY — A Bullard man was arrested in early February for allegedly uploading pornographic images of children as young as one year old to his Google account. He reportedly traded his phone after learning his account had been deactivated. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County arrest documents revealed officers began investigating Dakota Reece on Jan. 8 after receiving a cyber-tip from Google Inc. through the Internet Crimes Against Children Data Systems.

The tip reported that the user, later revealed to be Reece, had uploaded 61 media files to their Google Photos at the end of 2025 that had been flagged to contain child pornography.

“All 61 media files were photos or videos of nude children ranging in age from approximately 1 year old to approximately 14 years old in provocative positions […] as well as adults engaging in [sexual acts] with children as young as 1 year of age,” documents read.

On Feb. 2, a search warrant was obtained for Reece’s Google account were law enforcement learned an email was sent to him on Dec. 3, 2025, informing him that their account had been disabled because it contained harmful content. Continue reading Man arrested for child porn

TYLER — Temple Grandin, a prominent autism advocate and leader in the cattle industry, will appear at several Tyler Junior College events this month. Grandin is widely known for her work in animal welfare and autism awareness. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she was diagnosed with autism at age 2. She experienced challenges with speech and social interaction early in life but developed a strong interest in reducing stress in livestock. Her ideas were initially met with skepticism in the cattle industry, but they later transformed cattle handling and housing practices across the United States. Grandin went on to become an influential voice in autism advocacy.

Her life and work inspired the 2010 biographical film Temple Grandin. Continue reading Autism advocate to speak at TJC

GREGG COUNTY — A house was said to be total loss following a fire on Saturday night in Gregg County, according to Fire Marshal Brian Russell. The Kilgore Fire Department responded around 10:15 p.m. to assist Sabine Fire & Rescue with a large house fire on Harvey Road in the Liberty City area near Kilgore. Russell confirmed Tuesday that no injuries were reported and said the home was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

HENDERSON COUNTY — The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing man who was last seen on Feb. 2. According to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK, Devarrius Demontre Richardson was last seen in Log Cabin on Feb. 2. He was later reported missing by the Log Cabin Police Department. Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the sheriff’s office at 903-675-5128.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin resident claimed a top prize winning ticket worth $1 million in the Texas Lottery® scratch ticket game 500X. The ticket was purchased at Kwick Korner Food Mart, located at 203 S. Timberland Drive, in Lufkin. The claimant elected to remain anonymous. For selling the prize winning ticket, the retailer may be eligible for a $10,000 bonus under the Texas Lottery’s Retailer Bonus Program. This was the 13th of 15 top prizes worth $1 million to be claimed in this game. 500X offers more than $229 million in total prizes. Overall odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.36, including break-even prizes.

SMITH COUNTY — A man is being sought in Smith County for two felony warrants for child sexual assault and continuous sexual assault of a child. Authorities claim that his wife failed to report the alleged abuse, which occurred over several years. According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office has announced that Filiberto Rodriguez Mora, 46, is currently evading capture and is wanted for:

• Sexual assault of a child with a bond of $500,000
• Continuous sexual abuse of a child with a bond of $750,000
• Assault causing bodily injury

Mora is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 250 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. He may be driving a 2006 tan Toyota Sequoia. Deputies also said that Mora is an undocumented immigrant who was previously deported. Continue reading Man wanted for child sexual assault

TYLER – On Saturday, Richard DeFreece of Tyler stopped by the King’s Academy Upper Campus gymnasium to attempt to make 250 paper airplanes, in just 60 minutes. Our news partners at KETK report that DeFreece was able to complete the feat on camera, with multiple timekeepers and in front of several witnesses, who helped count the planes and made sure they could all fly. He’ll have to wait for Guinness World Records to review the evidence of his attempt before verifying his new Guinness World Record. DeFreece said the previous record was for 200 paper planes made in an hour. For 250 planes in a hour, around 4.16 paper planes a minute had to be made.

TYLER – UT Tyler researchers recently conducted a study to see if health patterns in East Texas aligned with pre-COVID-19 data and they found that East Texans have a shorter expected lifespan than most Texans, according to our news partners at KETK. Research analyst Manuel Reyes and his team at the Hibbs Institute for Business and Economic Research took a look at 23 East Texas counties and found the average life span in this region is 75, which is four years less than the state average. Continue reading East Texas life expectancy is shorter

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities is performing smoke testing, as part of the Consent Decree, to help locate breaks and defects to improve the City’s wastewater system from Monday, Feb. 9 through Friday, Feb. 13. The testing will be conducted by Pipeline Analysis from Cambridge Road, Toll 49, Paluxy Drive and Hollytree Drive.

According to a news city release, during the process, air and smoke will be blown into the sanitary sewer system in the street to monitor where smoke escapes the system. White smoke will exit through vent pipes on the roofs of residences and through any sewer line breaks in the ground. The smoke is non-toxic, leaves no residue and does not create any fire hazards. Continue reading TWU to conduct smoke testing Feb. 9-13

UPDATE: The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said that a missing woman was found dead in a wooded area on Saturday morning. Dispatch received a call on Friday night about an abandoned car they saw stuck on a Wood County Electric Cooperative power line right of way path near County Road 4539 according to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK.

The car was determined to belong to 76-year-old Laurie Harberson who was last seen on Jan. 23 near Winnsboro. Deputies searched the area around the car on Friday night but nothing was found until a more intensive search with UTV’s and a K9 was done on Saturday morning. Harberson was found dead during the Saturday morning search, about a half mile away from the right of way path in a densely wooded area. The sheriff’s office believes she died of exposure to the recent winter weather that came through East Texas.
Continue reading Missing woman died of exposure

SMITH COUNTY — The State of Texas’ new school voucher program has broken a national record for first day applicants. According to the Texas Comptroller’s office, at least 46,000 families have applied since the portal opened on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program was approved during the 89th Texas Legislative session. The school choice program gives selected students $10,000 per year towards private school enrollment and children with learning disabilities can get $30,000.

Dr. Jay Ferguson, Head of School at Grace Community, has been advocating for this policy since the beginning and hopes it expands their special education services.

“I think it’s great that so many families around Texas are wanting to participate in the program. For years Grace has been trying to make private Christian education as accessible to as many people as possible. We also have had the opportunity over the past several years to serve kids with learning differences and special needs and hopefully this will expand our ability to serve that group of kids,” Dr. Ferguson said. Continue reading Educators react to record school voucher applications

SMITH COUNTY – A civil lawsuit filed against Smith County in 2023 was settled on Thursday after more than 100 former Smith County Jail inmates alleged they were held in custody for unreasonably long periods. According to court documents and our news partner KETK, the plaintiffs in the case are former Smith County inmates Ladarion Hughes, Angela Alonzo and Demarcus Lively, who alleged that their constitutional rights were violated by the county’s policy and practice of holding individuals in jail for days or weeks beyond their release dates.

All three plaintiffs in the case stated that they were held in the Smith County Jail past their expected release dates, including Hughes, who was subjected to 27 days of unlawful incarceration from late 2021 to early 2022. Additionally, Alonzo stated that he was held in custody for 33 days beyond his 2022 release date. Continue reading Jail settles $1 million lawsuit

GLADEWATER – A Gregg County man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for possession of child pornography on Thursday. Elijah Paul Leggett, 24 of Gilmer, was first arrested for possession of less than 50 depictions or videos of child pornography on March 18, 2025, after a CyberTip came into the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 29, 2024, according to our news partner KETK.

The CyberTip showed that a user on the social media app Kik had uploaded 34 videos of child pornography. The tip showed that the videos were all uploaded from the same IP address and a sheriff’s office investigator was able to identify Leggett as a suspect. The investigator got a search warrant for Leggett’s residence in Gladewater and his residence was then searched on Oct. 2, 2024. Leggett’s affidavit shows that during the search, the investigator interviewed him after he had waived his right to an attorney. Continue reading 18 years for possessing child porn

LUFKIN – Public clarifications about a planned AI data center under development near the city have been issued. A data center project representing a $1.05 billion capital investment is currently being negotiated for the Southland Paper Mill site, According to a City of Lufkin press release and out news partner KETK.

The site lies outside Lufkin’s city limits but is projected to create up to 500 construction jobs over a four-year period, according to the city. If the data center project is constructed, it could create up to 30 full-time jobs. The Lufkin Economic Development Corporation told KETK News that the Denver-based company Amp Z is behind the data center plans.

Amp Z describes their company as an “AI-era digital-infrastructure platform” that combines “utility power with onsite self-generation to deliver gigawatt-scale AI data center campuses.” Continue reading $1B AI data center project planned

SMITH COUNTY – The State of Texas’ new school voucher program has broken a national record for first day applicants. At least 46,000 families have applied since the portal opened on Wednesday, according to the Texas Comptroller’s office and our news partner KETK.

The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program was approved during the 89th Texas Legislative session. The school choice program gives selected students $10,000 per year towards private school enrollment and children with learning disabilities can get $30,000. While many are excited for the new faces that could be joining their campus, some worry about a potential decline in enrollment at public schools. There are also concerns voucher money could be going to families who don’t need it.

According to the Texas Comptroller’s office, about a third of applicants come from households making less than $66,000 a year and eight out of every ten overall said they intend to go to a private school next year. Continue reading School voucher application record

SMITH COUNTY – A grass fire burned an out building, a chicken coop and several vehicles at a residence near Lindale in Smith County on Friday. According to officials and our news partner KETK, firefighters were first sent to County Road 448 early Friday afternoon for a reported grass fire threatening buildings. The Van Fire Department, the Lindale Fire Department, the Mineola Fire Department and the Grand Saline Fire Department all responded to the scene with Smith County Emergency Services District 2.

Firefighters at the scene stopped the fire’s progression and started mopping up any spot fires before any residences were damaged. One family lost an out building, several nearby vehicles and a chicken coop. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Officials said Smith County isn’t currently under a burn ban but residents should take caution and avoid burning because of wind gusts and low relative humidity. The Texas A&M Forest Service said they’ve responded to eight fires from across East Texas on Friday.