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PALESTINE – An East Texas State legislator is pushing for a bill that would support veterans who are facing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) according to our news partner KETK.

East Texas State Representative Cody Harris of Palestine has proposed HB 3717 which would provide $50 million in private and public funding for research into ibogaine-assisted therapy. The therapy focuses on working with veterans who are suffering from (OUD) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD) along with other neurological and mental health conditions. Harris spoke about how the bill could transform the lives of many veterans across the state by giving them a second chance through recovery from addiction.

“This bill puts Texas at the forefront of medical innovation and personal freedom by cutting through federal red tape and supporting life-saving research that could give our veterans and countless others a second chance. We can’t afford to wait —Texas must lead the way,” Harris said.

Click here to learn more about HB 3717 through the Texas Legislature online.

CARTHAGE – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Carthage Police Department has arrested the suspect accused of hitting a 5-year-old child with their car on Sunday.

According to officials, the suspect, Jhavorry Crayton, was found in Longview on Thursday afternoon and was arrested by the Longview Police Department. Crayton was taken to the Gregg County Jail and charged with collision involving injury, evading arrest and tamper or fabricating with physical evidence. Continue reading Suspect in Hit-and-run of child in Carthage arrested

TYLER – On Thursday, March 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) will conduct a come-and-go community meeting in District 1 at the South Tyler Police Station, Meeting Room, 574 W. Cumberland Rd. This come-and-go event will feature information stations staffed by Department Directors and the opportunity for individuals to speak directly with Councilmember Stuart Hene. Water Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) will also be available to assist with individual account questions. Customers are encouraged to attend the event in their district and speak one-on-one with subject matter experts to learn more about TWU, utility billing, and improvement projects, voice questions or concerns, and provide feedback on these topics. Residents should bring a copy of their water bill for specific billing questions. Continue reading TWU hosts public meeting for District 1 on Thursday

SMITH COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, three people were recently arrested in connection to an East Texas undercover prostitution victim recovery operation. Documents obtained by KETK show that a special agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigative Division in Tyler is part of an ongoing multi-agency operation tasked with identifying and recovering victims of human trafficking.

The special agent reported in an arrest affidavit that an undercover officer solicited a prostitute through an online advertisement containing a phone number. As a part of the ongoing operation, a meeting was set up for an hour of sexual services, records show. An unreported hotel address and room number were sent and when the suspected prostitute showed up they were met by law enforcement and taken to a Texas DPS office to be questioned, according to an arrest affidavit.

A message asking about why the suspected prostitute wasn’t answering their phone was then received by the undercover officer and an arrest document described how a nearby surveillance team noticed the driver of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix talking to a bystander. Continue reading Three arrested for promoting prostitution after undercover operation

CROCKETT – A man who allegedly impersonated a federal agent and then shot around 30 bullets from an AR-15 outside of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office was arrested on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, 34-year-old Clifford Heniser, of Lovelady, come into the sherriff’s office that morning around 7 a.m. claiming to be a federal agent and wanting to inspect their record. The dispatcher Heniser was speaking with, told him that a deputy was on the way as all other deputies were on patrol at that time.

Heniser then allegedly left the lobby and retrieved an AR-15 style rifle from his vehicle. Officials said he went back into the lobby to talk to dispatchers but all the dispatchers were taking cover and calling for help. According to the sheriff’s office, Heniser had reloaded and walked around the parking lot by the time that two Crockett police officers and a Texas DPS trooper arrived to confront him.
Continue reading One arrested after shooting AR-15 outside Houston County Sherriff’s Office

GLADEWATER – The Gladewater Fire Department responded to Lake Gladewater on Friday to help retrieve an SUV that fell into the water. According to our news partner KETK, an emergency call came in about an SUV in Lake Gladewater on that afternoon and when firefighters arrived on the scene they found the vehicle partly submerged in the lake near a boat ramp.

Firefighters with Gladewater Fire Department were able to contain the SUV’s fuel which was leaking into the lake. They also had to deploy their boat in order clean up parts which floated away from the vehicle. The vehicle itself was eventually removed from Lake Gladewater with the assistance of a backhoe and a tow truck.

MARSHALL – A Marshall man has been arrested following an altercation that resulted in a woman being struck by his car. Taken into custody is 34-year-old Brandon Carey. MPD said they received a call early Saturday morning about a female been run over by a vehicle near the intersection of University Avenue and Wiley Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found 2018 Dodger Charger on the curb, a female partially underneath it and Brandon Carey identified as its driver. Detectives investigating revealed that Carey and the female had been involved in a physical altercation at a party. The pair left together in Carey’s vehicle. After stopping on University Avenue near Wiley Avenue, the situation escalated, resulting in the female being struck by the vehicle. The female was transported to a local medical center for treatment. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Brandon Carey was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault, as well as Abandoning and Endangering a Child, after leaving three children home alone to pick up the female. He was booked into the Harrison County Jail, where he remains. The investigation is continuing by Marshall Police.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is currently working a traffic flow at the intersection of Paluxy Dr and ESE Loop 323 in Tyler, Smith County, Texas.  A power pole, transformer and electrical lines have fallen across the roadway, blocking Paluxy on the south side of the intersection. As a result, northbound and southbound traffic is being diverted.  Oncor has responded to the scene and estimates a minimum repair time of 8 hours. Motorists are urged to use alternate routes and exercise caution in the area.
 

AUSTIN (AP) — A Texas lawmaker who helped pioneer the state’s restrictive abortion laws introduced a bill on Friday to clarify medical exceptions allowed under the law, representing a pivot from Republican legislators who have defended the state’s abortion ban in the face of lawsuits and medical scrutiny.

The bill, introduced by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, still requires that patients have a medical emergency for a physician to perform an abortion but strikes language that it be a life-threatening condition. The bill would also require doctors and lawyers to receive training about the law.

“We’ve learned in a number of cases where the physician was willing to treat the mom, but the lawyers for the hospital would advise against it,” Hughes said. “So one of the most important things we want to do is make sure that doctors and the hospital lawyers are trained on what the law is.”
Continue reading Mineola senator introduces bill to clarify Texas abortion ban

TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman after she allegedly gave birth to a baby that was found dead in her bathtub on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK,, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an emergency room in Tyler about a woman who claimed to have delivered a placenta in her home earlier that day. 27-year-old Esmeralda Duran Rodriguez, reportedly had no baby with her when she arrived at the emergency room. The sheriff’s office said deputies then went to her home in north-central Smith County to investigate.

Deputies met Rodriguez’s brother and officials reported that the deputies were allowed into the home to search for a baby. Deputies found the placenta on a bed along with a severed umbilical cord, according to a press release. After initially searching, deputies could find no baby in the home but the deputies kept searching and eventually officials said they were able to find the body of a dead baby.
Continue reading Woman arrested after dead baby found in Smith County home

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is currently managing a traffic flow at the intersection of Bow St. and N. Broadway in Tyler, Smith County, Texas. A fallen power pole has brought down LIVE electrical lines, blocking the roadway. As a result, all northbound and southbound traffic in the 700-900 block of N. Broadway is closed. Encore Electric has been notified and estimates a response time of three to four hours. Motorists are urged to use alternate routes and exercise caution in the area.

SMITH COUNTY – When Smith County officials attempted to push out an alert to residents about high winds and fire danger on Friday, a system error sent out the wrong message.
At 12:08 p.m., Smith County residents instead received a text labeled urgent that warned them of a hazard and to avoid the area.

Smith County recently started using FEMA’s IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert & Warning System), which allows officials to send urgent texts to all Smith County residents’ cell phones. The IPAWS delivery report contained the original intended message and not the mistaken message that was sent out to 9,262 people. There was never a hazard in Smith County nd officials are trying to figure out why the system sent the wrong message.
Continue reading Smith County alert sent out in error Friday

WINONA – Our news partners at KETK report the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a person was killed on Friday near Winona after equipment fell on them while at work. A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office said dispatchers received an emergency call about a workplace incident where a piece of equipment had fallen on someone at around 12:43 p.m. while working on Southside Circle near Howell Club Lake. CPR was performed on the victim until 12:56 p.m. and they were pronounced dead at 1 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. Local firefighters and EMS responded to the scene along with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, who is actively investigating the incident.

LONGVIEW – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Longview man was sentenced to 100 years in prison after being found guilty for multiple counts of sexual abuse to a child.

According to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office, on Thursday Justin Eugene Howard was sentenced to 80 years for aggravated sexual assault of a child to run consecutively with a 20 year sentence for sexual assault of a child followed by 10 years of probation for indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Officials said that Howard’s convictions come from his continuous sexual abuse of a girl that began back in 2008, when the child was 6-years-old and it continued through 2020. The testimony at trial showed that Howard committed several sexual offenses against the child from 2008 to 2020. Continue reading Longview man sentenced to 100 years after sexually abusing child

TYLER – According to reports from our news partner, KETK, an East Texas representative filed a bill in late February meant to protect children from sexually explicit material in public libraries.

State Representative Daniel Alders filed House Bill 3225 on Feb. 24, which would require public municipal libraries to restrict accessibility to sexually explicit material for minors.

“As radicals continue to target our children with obscene content tucked away in our children’s reading material, it’s high time for Texas lawmakers to take a stand and ensure our public libraries take the necessary steps to protect our children,” Alders said. Continue reading East Texas representative proposes bill to protect children from explicit content

TYLER – A Shreveport, LA, man has been sentenced to over 21 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Darren Tremaine Jackson, 41, was convicted at trial in March 2024 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jackson was sentenced to 260 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on March 12, 2025. According to information presented in court, on February 13, 2020, Jackson, and co-defendant Gary Wayne Sepulvado, were stopped by law enforcement officers for a traffic violation in Smith County. After observing a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, a search was executed, and a kilogram of methamphetamine was discovered. Sepulvado pleaded guilty to related charges on November 15, 2023, and is awaiting sentencing.

MALAKOFF — Malakoff Independent School District held a special board meeting Wednesday as the Board of Trustees named Dr. PJ Winters the lone finalist for their new superintendent.

According to our news partner, KETK, Dr. Winters brings over 20 years of experience in education to the job. He was a teacher for over five years working at Lukfata Public Schools and Marshall ISD. Then, he became an assistant principal for Jefferson ISD for over three years.

Winters became a principal at Big Sandy High School for a year before returning to Jefferson ISD, where he was also a principal for two and a half years. Afterwards, he started working at the university level and became a professor. At East Baptist University he spent over eight years working as an associate professor and later as the director of music education programs. On June 2022, Winters joined Malakoff ISD becoming director of elementary curriculum.

Winters will be staying with Malakoff ISD as the new Superintendent. The Malakoff ISD Board of Trustees voted him as the lone finalist 7-0. Once the required 21-day waiting period is over, he will formally take over the role.

HENDERSON COUNTY – According to reports from our news partner, KETK, a sting operation in Henderson County has led to the arrest of a man who was attempting to solicit a minor.

During the sting operation on Monday, an officer utilized an online dating messaging platform to target individuals who were seeking to have sexual relationships with minors. The officer created an undercover persona, portraying himself as a 15-year-old girl living in Henderson County. The officer’s profile on the website received direct messages from an account with the username “Rob.” During their conversations on the platform, the user believed that the officer was a minor living in East Texas. Continue reading Man arrested for soliciting minor in Henderson County sting operation

TERREL — A Wills Point teenager was killed during a car crash in Terrell on Tuesday.

According to our news partner, KETK, the Terrell Police Department received a 911 call at around 2:49 a.m. in regards to a crash detection notification from a cell phone in the area of State Highway 205 and Colquitt Road. When officers arrived, they found an orange 2020 Chevrolet Equinox that had struck a traffic light pole on the right side of the roadway.

The passenger of the vehicle, 19-year-old Bryson Malachi Barnes of Wills Point, was pronounced dead at the scene, Terrell PD said. The driver, Preston David Grosvenor-Reed, 18 of Royse City, was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. Continue reading East Texas teen dies in Terrell car crash, driver arrested

TYLER – Congressman Nathaniel Moran, who represents Tyler in the U.S. House of Representatives, has been appointed to the House Committee on Ethics by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The committee has jurisdiction over the House Code of Official Conduct within the house, and is tasked with upholding integrity and accountability in Congress. According to reports from our news partner, KETK, Congressman Moran has been selected as one of the five Republicans to serve on the the bipartisan, ten-member panel.

“It is my honor to appoint Congressman Nathaniel Moran to the House Ethics Committee,” said Johnson. “His impeccable character, commitment to upholding the highest standards of Congress, and his unwavering dedication to public service make him perfectly suited for this role. I have full confidence that he will serve with integrity as we work to improve the American people’s trust in Congress.” Continue reading East Texas Congressman Moran appointed to House Committee on Ethics

TYLER – Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue is strongly advising residents to not burn anything while outdoors on Friday, citing high winds and low moisture as potential fire dangers.

“Due to multiple fire danger triggers predicted on Friday, March 14, 2025, Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue is strongly advising residents of Smith County to help eliminate ignition sources by not conducting outdoor burning and ensuring that all previous controlled burns are out cold,” Hogue said. “Smith County will experience very low humidity, low surface fuel moisture, and winds of 15-20 mph with gust up to 35 mph which results in unusual and dangerous fire weather conditions throughout the day on Friday. The most effective way to extinguish a fire is to prevent it.”

Hogue’s statement comes after several recent fires have popped up all across East Texas including in Smith County, Cherokee County, Rusk County and Gregg County.

CANTON – According to our news partner KETK, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man in connection to the theft of a vehicle that was reported stolen on Monday.

Deputies took a report of a stolen vehicle, and during an investigation, officials were able to identify the suspect as Mark A. Thomas of Wills Point and tied him to an address in Van Zandt County.
Mugshot of Mark Aaron Thomas Jr., courtesy of Van Zandt County Jail records. The sheriff’s office said: “A short time later, [deputies] saw Thomas drive by in the stolen vehicle and along with additional deputies, stopped the vehicle.”

Thomas was arrested for theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and an aggravated assault warrant. During a search of the vehicle deputies reportedly found suspected methamphetamines leading to Thomas also getting charged for possession of less than 1 gram of a controlled substance, according to the sheriff’s office.

UPDATE: According to our news partner KETK, the Diboll Police department have found Brynn Maxwell.

DIBOLL – The Diboll Police Department is seeking help locating a missing woman who is believed to be in danger. Brynn Maxwell was reported missing on March 7 and is believed to be with her boyfriend Anthony Cathcart, who police say had court orders to stay away from her. “Brynn is believed to be in danger and we are actively trying to locate her to ensure she is okay,” the police department said.
Longview company lays off 68 employees due to extensive facility issues

Anyone with any potential information regarding Maxwell is asked to contact Diboll PD and speak with either Lt. Reid or Assistant Chief Hopper at 936-829-5586.

TYLER – TJC police are searching for an individual after a student reported being a victim of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the victim alerted police on Thursday at 1:10 p.m., two days after the incident occurred. He said he had been approached while at the library near the quiet room. The suspect asked to speak with him in a quiet room.

“The student and the suspect went into the quiet room where they talked,” TJC PD said. “After a period of time, the student went to leave and the suspect pulled a knife from a front pocket, held it to the student’s neck area and said, ‘We are not finished talking.’” Continue reading Police search for man after TJC student reportedly threatened

SULPHUR SPRINGS – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Sulphur Springs Police Department has arrested a man in connection to a Wednesday shooting on Putman Street.

Arrest reports show that Sulphur Springs police officers responded to reports of shots fired on Putman Street at around 2:59 p.m. on Wednesday. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who was shot in the leg and began applying medical aid. Witnesses at the scene identified the suspect, and one witness told officers that the person had taken their car and left the scene. Officers discovered a possible location for the suspect on Beckham Street. Continue reading Sulphur Springs man arrested after shooting victim in leg

TYLER – A California man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. John Khuu, 29, of San Francisco, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on March 12, 2025. According to information presented in court, Khuu conspired with others to launder the proceeds of his drug trafficking organization through cryptocurrency.  Khuu illegally imported counterfeit pharmaceutical and MDMA (“ecstasy”) pills from Germany then distributed them to customers across the United States, primarily on dark web markets (DWMs).  Customers paid for their purchases by transferring cryptocurrency, usually Bitcoin (BTC), from their DWM customer accounts to one of Khuu’s vendor accounts.  Khuu and his co-conspirators traded the BTC for U.S. currency and laundered and transmitted the proceeds through hundreds of transactions and dozens of financial accounts. Continue reading California man sentenced for cryptocurrency money laundering

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report a total lunar eclipse will be visible for all of the United States Thursday Night & Friday Morning. The moon will be in its full moon phase and appear as a distinct reddish color in the skies over East Texas Thursday night. The Eclipse will begin around midnight central Daylight Time (CDT). The total lunar eclipse will be between 1:30 AM CDT and 2:30 AM CDT. You don’t need any special equipment like a telescope. We could see cloud cover in East Texas Thursday Night. However, there will be cloud breaks every so often for this stargazing treat. A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth passes between the sun and moon and earth’s shadow is cast directly on the surface of the moon. The moon will appear a reddish color and described as a “blood moon.” The last total lunar eclipse was visible in the United States on November 8th, 2022, the next lunar event won’t be visible in North America until March 2026.

LONGVIEW – HATCO in Longview laid off 68 employees in late February after discovering issues at the facility were far more extensive than anticipated, according to our news partners at KETK. HATCO said due to the discovered issues, they were unable to safely continue operations and closed the Longview facility located at 302 Huntsman Way on Feb. 27, laying off 68 employees. While the company initially budgeted to repair the issues, the cost of the repairs was far more than what they were able to afford. According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, HAVCO was required to provide employees 60 days notice of facility closure unless an exception applies. “Due to the unexpected and unforeseen nature of the facility issues, an exception applies and we are unable to provide such notice,” HAVCO said. Continue reading Longview company lays off 68 employees