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UPDATE: Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace identified James Robert Belcher as the worker who was found dead at a cell tower in Trinity on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Wallace said that Belcher’s next of kin has been notified.

TRINITY COUNTY — A man was found dead after he apparently fell off a cell tower he was working on near State Highway 94, Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said.

According to Wallace, the sheriff’s office got a call at around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday from Mastec Network Solutions. The company asked them to do a welfare check at a cellphone tower located at 7587 State Highway 94 after worker assigned to that tower didn’t return home on Monday. When deputies arrived, they found the man dead after he seemingly fell off a platform raised about eight feet in the air, Wallace said.

The sheriff’s office is currently investigating the worker’s death.

CANTON – The Elmo Fire Department confirmed that one person was injured in a crash involving three 18-wheelers on Interstate 20 west of Canton on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, the driver of one of the 18-wheelers was flown to a hospital in Tyler after being extracted from the truck cab.

TYLER – The City of Tyler and Tyler Fire Department held the annual Veterans Luncheon on Friday, Nov. 8 for all city employees to remember the bravery and dedication to Tyler’s military heroes. The event was held at Tyler Fire Station 5 and honored the 108 veterans who are now city employees. During the luncheon, a small ceremony, including the Presentation of Colors, was held to pay tribute. City Council members presented City veteran employees with a commemorative gift to thank them for their service.

“This luncheon is a small token of our gratitude for their service,” said City Manager Edward Broussard. “Our veterans, much like our city’s motto, have answered the Call to Serve, demonstrating unwavering commitment and sacrifice for our community and country.”

WINNSBORO– Our KETK news partner reports that a 74-year-old East Texas man has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison after a 2020 murder in Winnsboro.

According to the Wood County Criminal District Attorney, police arrested Billy Dwaine Cotten, 74, of Winnsboro, on May 13 of 2020 after they found him covered in the blood of Steven Wayne Lancaster. Officers were responding to reports of a stabbing at Bob’s Garage on East Carnegie Street, Albers said.

They found Lancaster on the floor of the garage and he was rushed to the where he later died, according to a press release. Cotten was still at the scene and he reportedly told the officers “he kicked me and I stabbed him.”

Cotten also reportedly told law enforcement that he and Lancaster were arguing about a scooter battery when the argument got physical. Cotten is quoted by officials as saying he “had to kill [Lancaster] or [Lancaster would] stomp me in the ground.” Continue reading Winnsboro man sentenced to 15 years for 2020 murder

TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a 37-year-old Tyler man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison with out parole for sexually abusing two children. The Tyler Police Department investigated the case into Saldierna.
Jorge Perez Saldierna, 37 of Tyler, was convicted and sentenced for continuous sexual abuse of of two children under 14 on Wednesday in the 114th District Court of Smith County, according to a press release.

The district attorney’s office said that Saldierna “subjected his two victims to various types of sexual abuse over several years” and was “mostly emotionless when the jury sentenced him to 50 years confinement without parole.” The prosecutors in his case, Emil Mikkelsen and Catherine McQueen, had the victims, their families and an expert from the Children’s Advocacy Center in Tyler testify at trial.
According to a press release, the expert testified about how children speak out about abuse and the barriers that can prevent them from coming forward after abuse happens. “The Children’s Advocacy Center is an invaluable partner in the fight against child abuse,” said Smith County District Attorney, Jason Putman.

TEXARKANA – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Texarkana Police Department has arrested a man for unauthorized use of a vehicle after a chase on Tuesday.

According to Texarkana PD, an officer saw a car that matched the description of a stolen vehicle at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Officials said the officer then reportedly turned to follow the vehicle.

“As soon as he went to turn around, the driver hit the gas and tried to make a quick getaway—speeding through alleys like he was in a high-speed chase scene from a movie. Unfortunately for him, real life doesn’t come with a stunt coordinator,” Texarkana PD said.

Officials said the driver tried to onto West 6th Street and lost control of the vehicle, crashing into a fence in the process. After crashing, the driver got out and fled into the woods nearby. Texarkana PD officer Cole Bredenberg and K9 officer Thor arrived on the scene and reportedly found the driver within minutes, Texarkana PD said in a post on Thursday.

Johnny Washington, 63 of Texarkana, Arkansas, was arrested and jail records show he was booked into the Bi-state Jail on a total bond of $20,000 for the charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and fleeing or attempting to allude a police officer.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Our KETK news partner reports that baggies of marijuana and suspected methamphetamine, individually packaged for distribution, were found in a shoebox during a Wednesday night traffic stop.

According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, investigators stopped Robert Martel Moreno, 55 of Mabank, who was driving a black sedan, shortly after 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of East Quanah Road and Spearman Street. A deputy and his K-9 were called to scene where a positive alert for narcotics was given, HCSO said.

“Narcotics investigators conducted a search of the vehicle and located a white shoe box with a large amount of suspected methamphetamine that was individually packaged for distribution,” the sheriff’s office said. “Also located inside the white shoe box were two Ziploc baggies of marijuana.”

Moreno was placed under arrest and taken to the Henderson County Jail. He was charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

MOUNT VERNON – Our news partners at KETK report Mount Vernon ISD is mourning the death of one of their high school juniors after he was hit by a vehicle Wednesday night. Mount Vernon Superintendent Jason McCullough said David Reeve, a junior student, passed away on Wednesday due to his injuries. Reeve was a junior at Mt. Vernon High School and a member of the audio visual team who helped produce their Friday night football broadcasts, McCullough said. According to the superintendent’s office, additional counselors will be available for students and staff for support. “Please join me and the rest of the Mt. Vernon ISD community in praying for and supporting David’s family during this time,” McCullough said. “Once we have been made aware of arrangements, we will share that information with you.”

MOUNT SELMAN – Our KETK news partner reports that authorities responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 69. According to Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson, deputies were on the scene responding to the crash around 8:30 a.m. “This is an ongoing investigation and no further information is available,” DPS Sgt. Chris Williamson said.

Brayden Siau, KETK morning meteorologist, said fog occurs because temperatures and dew points are very close together causing air to become saturated and condense. “We could have fog around the next few mornings as we’ll have pretty mild temperatures in the mornings,” Siau said. “But as we go into next week we should start to see some cooler air, so the fog won’t be a problem anymore.”

KETK crews on the scene saw at least two people taken by ambulance. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

TYLER– Our news partner, KETK, reports that a middle school student is in the hospital after a Thursday morning pedestrian crash near Tyler Junior College, officials said. Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said officers responded to South Clayton Avenue and East Fifth Street in front of TJC around 7:30 a.m. for a pedestrian vs. vehicle crash.

According to Jennifer Hines, Tyler ISD director of communications, the student was trying to cross a street when they were hit by a vehicle. The child did not have major injuries but Hines said they were hospitalized and is in the company of their parent. Erbaugh said the driver cooperated and stayed at the scene.

Tyler ISD officials want drivers to always be cautious but especially during their morning and afternoon commutes and when they are in school zones and crosswalks.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Canadian national is in custody following an Angelina County traffic stop that led deputies to believe she was “engaging in multi-national arms smuggling.” According to our news partner KETK, deputies on patrol on US 59 near the north side of Lufkin witnessed a 2024 Toyota Corolla speeding and conducted a traffic stop on Wednesday evening. Officials identified the driver as a “Lyft ride sharing driver from Houston.” When speaking to the driver, deputies allegedly smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and conducted a probable cause search for contraband.

Deputies reportedly located marijuana in the car and two large bags in the trunk. The Lyft customer, later identified as Canadian national Jahtaya O’Day Jah-Kiara Hamilton of Leamington, Ontario, stated the bags belong to her.

When officers opened the bags, a large quantity of handguns with a short barrel rifle, magazines and ammunition were found. Deputies determined there were 20 semi-automatic pistols. The sheriff’s office said a number of these pistols were reported stolen out of the Houston area. Continue reading Canadian national accused of arms smuggling in East Texas

UPDATE: Police continue to search for a Tyler 17-year-old who was last seen Nov. 1. The Tyler Police Department shared on Tuesday photos of what Lily Peppler was wearing on the day she went missing. Anyone with information on Peppler’s whereabouts is urged to contact the department at 903-531-1000. Continue reading Tyler Police search for missing teen

TYLER – Gov. Greg Abbott was in Tyler Wednesday afternoon at Kingdom Life Academy to talk about the importance of school choice. According to our news partner KETK, Abbott was joined by school director Joel Enge in a question and answer session about Education Savings Accounts. The governor gave the floor to Enge who said he was excited about the advancement of school choice in Texas.

“As a Black founder of schools I can speak to the issue of how important school choice is for our Black and Hispanic students in our community, in the north Tyler community.” Enge said. “We desperately need school choice in order to open up opportunities that we offer.”

MARSHALL – Law enforcement in Marshall have arrested a driver involved in a hit-and-run incident that has injured a pedestrian. According to our news partner KETK, Marshall Police received a call Tuesday night about an accident at the the intersection of West Burleson and North Bishop Street where a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle.

Officers found a male victim at the location who said he had been hit by a dark-colored vehicle, whose driver fled the scene. The victim was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken leg.

Investigators identified the driver as 30-year-old Jonathan Olvera, of Marshall. Olvera was booked into the Harrison County Jail and charged with an accident involving serious bodily injury. He had an outstanding warrant from Marion County for tampering with physical evidence.

Marshall PD said “This investigation is ongoing, and no additional details are available at this time.”

TATUM – Our news partners at KETK report that a woman who was punched and choked attempted to free herself from her attacker, who is now behind bars, by hitting him with a metal cup, the Tatum Police Department said. According to Tatum PD, Dameion Deon Simon and an unarmend woman were traveling to a friends house when they got in a verbal argument that became physical. The police department said it is alleged that Simon punched the victim several times and choked her. “Our victim, according to a written statement, attempted to free herself from Mr. Simon (victim was pinned down in Mr. Simon’s lap) by striking him with a metal cup,” Tatum PD said. Continue reading Woman fends off attack with metal cup, man arrested

MARSHALL – Our news partners at KETK report that a pedestrian is injured and a driver is behind bars after a Tuesday night crash in Marshall, authorities said. According to the Marshall Police Department, officers were called around 7:50 p.m. to the intersection of West Burleson and North Bishop Street where a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle. The department said officers found a male victim who reported that a dark-colored vehicle had hit them and then fled. Officials said the victim was taken to a local hospital to treat their broken leg. Marshall PD said an investigation identified 30-year-old Jonathan Olvera, of Marshall, as the driver. Police said Olvera cooperated with investigators and was charged with accident involving serious bodily injury. Olvera was booked into the Harrison County Jail and also has an outstanding warrant for tampering with physical evidence out of Marion County. “This investigation is ongoing, and no additional details are available at this time,” Marshall PD said.

SMITH COUNTY — One person is dead following a deputy-involved shooting in Lindale. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a threat call at a business in Lindale on Tuesday at around 12:50 p.m. The caller said Jonathan Layton had recently been terminated and had made threats that “he was going home and would return to the business to kill them.”

Before officials arrived, Layton had left the business and a description of his vehicle was released. A responding deputy noticed the suspect vehicle headed south on US 69 prior to receiving the information. Officials attempted to contact Layton at the 13200 block of CR 4109 east of Lindale, and found his vehicle in the front yard of a residence.

“When deputies attempted to contact Layton at the residence, he turned around holding a handgun pointed in their direction. One of the deputies fired at Layton with his duty weapon incapacitating him,” Smith County officials said. Continue reading Man dies in deputy-involved shooting

FORT WORTH (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won reelection Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and Democrats’ latest try at ending decades of GOP dominance in the booming state that was thrust this election year to the center of battles over immigration and abortion.

Cruz, 53, secured a third term following another expensive reelection campaign, six years after only narrowly beating Beto O’Rourke. This time around, Cruz implored Republicans to take his race seriously. He tried recasting himself to Texas voters as a get-things-done legislator, far from his reputation as an unapologetic firebrand with national ambitions.
Continue reading Ted Cruz wins a third term to the US Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Moran did not draw an opponent in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat, which includes all or part of 17 counties in far east Texas. An attorney, Moran previously served as county judge in Smith County and was first elected to the U.S. House in 2022. The seat was previously held by Republican Louie Gohmert, who launched an unsuccessful bid for Texas attorney general in 2022.

TYLER – Ted Cruz wins third senate term and Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran has won re-election to the U.S. House. Full election results from our news partner KETK can be found here here.

LONGVIEW – A 30-year-old man was arrested after a Tuesday morning shooting that hospitalized one person, according to our news partner KETK. Longview PD had officers responding to a shooting around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, at the intersection of Christie Road and Ruthlyn Drive. When police arrived, they found an unidentified male had been shot. EMS took the victim to a local hospital.

Investigators found out the shooting occurred because of an argument between two people and the shooting suspect. He is identified as Grant Shore of Longview. Shore was quickly found, taken to the Gregg County Jail and is facing an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge with a $50,000 bond.

TATUM – Our news partners at KETK report that after an unsigned check was taken from a local pastor’s desk, an employee that was working on the church is behind bars with a felony forgery charge, the Tatum Police Department said. According to the police department, a Tatum church pastor, who has not been named, stopped by the station and filed a report on Nov. 1.The police department said the church was having carpentry work done when an employee “began prowling” through the pastors office when he was alone. The man accused, identified as Oliver Martinez-Cruz, reportedly discovered an unsigned check in an unlocked desk drawer. Tatum PD said Martinez-Cruz would go on to take the check, make it out to himself, sign and endorse it. Continue reading Man charged with forgery after check taken from pastors office

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Commissioners Court voted to rescind the Smith County Burn Ban Tuesday, November 5, after receiving much-needed rain the past few days. Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue gave the court an update on fire conditions and recommended that the burn ban be lifted.

“We’ve gotten quite a bit of rain.” Hogue said, adding that the rain that was received countywide puts us in much safer fire conditions.

During the burn ban, which was issued October 8, Smith County responded to 285 outdoor fire incidents. The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office issued 35 citations and 10 warnings for illegal burning. Hogue said the Sheriff’s Office and Constables’ Offices also issued citations.

WINNSBORO — According to our news partner KETK, a traffic stop led to the arrest of a Winnsboro woman after officers found and seized methamphetamine, mushrooms and cannabis concentrate. The Winnsboro Police Department said officers conducted a traffic stop for speeding in the 900 block of Gilmer Road. The officer reportedly smelled marijuana coming from the car and the driver, Jamie Abbott, allegedly admitted to having narcotics inside the vehicle.

“Officer Hanner was able to recover over 20 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle as well as psilocybin mushrooms, multiple controlled substance medications, THC wax and drug paraphernalia,” the police department said. Abbott was then arrested for possession of a controlled substance and taken to the Wood County Jail where she’s being held on a $25,000 bond.

TYLER – It’s just hours before voting locations open on election day and work doesn’t stop for poll workers. According to our news partner KETK, they spent the day loading up equipment and moving it out to voting locations. “We are also, we’re finishing counting absentee ballots, our mail ballots,” Smith County election administrator Michelle Allcon said.

Before walking in and casting your ballot, there are a few things you need to remember.

“You can’t wear any paraphernalia campaigning, electioneering t-shirts, hats, buttons, things like that,” Allcon said. Firearms are not allowed and absolutely no electronic devices are allowed in when you come to vote.

“If you have your notes on which candidates you want to vote for or against write it on a sheet of paper, bring that sheet of paper in because you won’t be able to use your cell phone with your notes on it,” Allcon said.
Continue reading East Texas polling stations prepare for Election Day

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County party chairs said they hope Tuesday’s early morning showers don’t deter anyone from making their voice heard. Just hours away from Election Day, our news partner KETK reports that both the Smith County Democratic and Republican parties believe local, state and national races are going in a positive direction.

A new problem that’s risen up and could affect voting in East Texas is the weather. Even though rain is expected to linger into the first hours of Election Day, Democratic Party chair, Hector Garza said its still important to get in line.

“It’s important enough to weather the storm. It’s important enough to take an umbrella if it’s raining. This is this is your right, this is something that you do,” said Hector Garza, the Smith County Democratic Party Chair. Continue reading Smith County party officials set expectations for Election Day