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TROUP – Smith County road crews were out on Wednesday improving several City of Troup roads, which also falls in Cherokee County, as part of a interlocal agreement. According to our news partner KETK, the road improvements are being funded by the Troup Community Development Corporation, using a half-cent sales tax. The Troup City Council and county commissioners approved the funding.

Smith County Road and Bridge crews worked on paving North Georgia Street from East Duval to East McKay streets and North Carolina Street from East Duval to East Bryant streets. They will work on roads that are used a lot by business and school traffic.

A release also said crews will also work on East McKay Street to the Union Pacific Railroad crossing and Pascal Street from Front to Alabama streets at a later date

HENDERSON COUNTY – Authorities report a man drowned Tuesday night on Lake Palestine. According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said they were called around 8 p.m. to assist Game Wardens on a report of a missing person in the Coffee City area. The man’s body was later recovered and he was identified as Harley Crouch.

SMITH COUNTY – An investigation by Smith County authorities led to the arrest of a man accused of running an asphalt paving scam in several states, according to our news partner KETK. Timothy Mark Adams allegedly skipped town after running scams in Smith County in 2020, and was found Monday in a Florida RV park after Smith County investigators were tipped off to his whereabouts.

The investigation started with an elderly couple reporting that they hired Adams from a Facebook advertisement for asphalt paving in March 2020. They allegedly paid Adams $3,000 in advance to asphalt their driveway, but no work was ever done. Smith County authorities coordinated with investigators in Hoover, Alabama who said they were investigating Adams for similar scams. Through cooperating with other law enforcement agencies, Smith County investigators said that they discovered Adams was running these scams in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Texas.
Continue reading Man arrested for multi-state fraud scheme

LONGVIEW — Brookshire’s Grocery Company held an event for the groundbreaking of their upcoming FRESH location in Longview on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the new FRESH will be located at the corner of US Highway 259 and North Fourth Street and is expected to be finished by the summer of 2025.

This location will be the third FRESH by Brookshire’s, joining one in Tyler and one in Fate. FRESH isn’t just a grocery store, like its sister locations this store will also include dining options, a playground and a patio with an outdoor entertainment space. Continue reading Brookshire’s breaks ground on FRESH location in Longview

RUSK COUNTY — FEMA is opening a Disaster Recovery Center in Rusk County to provide one-on-one help to Texans affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding April 26 – June 5. The center will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday- Saturday, closed Sunday. Any center can help with both Hurricane Beryl and the April 26-June 5 storms and flooding. To find the center location nearest you, click here.

Residents in Anderson, Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, San Jacinto, Rusk, Sabine, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. No appointment is needed. Continue reading FEMA opens recovery center in Rusk County

TYLER — The Tyler Parks and Rec Department is beginning renovations to W.E. Winters Park, formerly known as Peach Park, located at 910 S. Peach Ave. The park will be closed to the public until the end of 2024. According to a news release, W.E. Winters Park renovations will include improvements to the playground, restrooms, pavilion, and parking lot and will feature a pollinator-themed design. Additional renovations will be completed at a later stage of development, including adding additional play elements, amenities, and renovations to the multipurpose courts. The current phase of renovations is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. For more information about this and other Tyler Parks and Rec Improvement Projects, click here, or call (903) 531-1370.

RUSK COUNTY — A man has been arrested in Rusk County after officials recovered three reported stolen ATVs, according to our news partners at KETK. According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office on July 23, a search warrant was served on Rusk County Road 2161 where deputies recovered three stolen ATVs worth around $93,700 that had been concealed behind an outbuilding on gated property. Willie Calvin Stoker II, 41 of Longview, the owner of the property, was also found in possession of a prohibited weapon, a short barrel firearm. Continue reading Longview man arrested after stolen ATVs recovered

POLK COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report that the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man on the Top 10 Wanted Sex Offender List on July 18. The sheriff’s office said in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, Spencer Alexander Smith, 32 of Livingston, was arrested after an extensive search across the Polk County area. Smith was a Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive. Continue reading Authorities catch Top 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the identify of one the people involved in a Monday chase on I-20 that ended after shots were fired at East Texas law enforcement, according to our news partners at KETK. Bykearean Javar Green, 26 of Dallas, was arrested for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle in connection to the chase. Green is being held on a $250,000 bond at the Smith County Jail. The sheriff’s office said three people were in the car, including Green and a minor.

Officials said the sheriff’s office picked up the chase from Harrison County at around 9 a.m. after the car was reportedly stolen from Mississippi. Shots were reportedly fired from the car at law enforcement during the chase in Lindale. Continue reading Officials reveal identity of man in I-20 chase

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler announced that one of their students was selected as the university’s first-ever Jonas Scholar. According to our news partner KETK, Ryan Schalles, a PhD student at UTT’s School of Nursing, has been selected by Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to be the school’s first-ever Jonas Scholar.

“Being named a Jonas Scholar is a remarkable achievement for Ryan Schalles and a significant milestone for the UT Tyler School of Nursing,” Dr. Barbara K. Haas, School of Nursing dean, said. “We are immensely proud of him and grateful to Dr. Barbara McAlister for supporting Ryan. Her dedication to mentoring and guiding our students is invaluable and reflects the commitment typical of the UT Tyler School of Nursing faculty.” Continue reading UT Tyler names first-ever ‘Jonas Scholar’ for school of nursing

TEXARKANA — The Texarkana Police Department is searching for a woman accused of stealing $18,000 from a local business where she was employed as a manager, and a reward is being offered for information leading to her arrest. Officials said Jill Wright was to make daily bank deposits as part of her job responsibilities, however she reportedly failed to make deposits for several days in May. According to our news partner KETK, her supervisors reported the theft to Texarkana PD who talked to Wright on the phone weeks ago. She reportedly agreed to visit the station to inform the department what was going on.

Wright allegedly never showed up and avoided calls from the police department. Continue reading Police searching for local manager they say stole $18k

TYLER – The Salvation Army of Tyler Family Store has reopened its doors after a fire caused the store to temporarily close last month. According to our news partner KETK, the North Broadway store is open to shoppers Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Store officials said the June 14 fire caused around $100,000 worth of losses. The Tyler Fire Department said, a cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

SMITH COUNTY — A three-vehicle wreck involving two 18-wheelers and one dump truck is causing traffic delays near the Smith and Van Zandt County line. According to our news partner KETK, DPS Sergeant Adam Albritton said at around 12:30 p.m., a dump truck had made a full stop on I-20 west near mile marker 546 due to traffic from a previous wreck. An 18-wheeler carrying chicken waste and byproducts attempted to slow down and make a stop but crashed into the dump truck and hit the guard rail. Another 18-wheeler attempted to stop, but reportedly failed due to the chicken waste and grease and crashed into the dump truck.

Hazmat crews are at the scene cleaning up the chicken waste. Traffic is being rerouted to a weigh station. Albritton said no injuries have been reported at this time. Officials do not know when roads will be cleared and urge drivers to use caution.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department said one person has been cited in connection to a fatal pedestrian crash in Tyler on July 9. According to our news partner KETK, the unnamed person was cited with failure to yield the right of way, a Class C misdemeanor, in connection to the death of Sandra Abrego. Tyler PD did not release the identity of the person cited and did not comment if any additional charges would be added.

SMITH COUNTY – A pursuit ended in Smith County Monday morning after officials said that a car rolled over on I-20 according to our news partners at KETK. According to officials in Smith County, the sheriff’s office picked up the chase from Harrison County around 9 a.m. after the car involved was reportedly stolen from Mississippi. It was reported during the chase that shots were fired from the car at law enforcement and left I-20 onto Jim Hogg Road before getting on 69 and back onto I-20 heading west with more agencies joining the chase. Near the Van Zandt County line, the pursuit ended after the car rolled over. Law enforcement at the scene rendered first aid, and two passengers were detained while the driver was taken to the hospital to treat their injuries.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) – The Nacogdoches Police Department said that one driver is dead after their vehicle left S.W. Stallings Drive and hit road equipment on Saturday. According to Nacogdoches PD, officers responded to the crash scene in the 400 block of S.W. Stallings Drive at around 9:49 p.m. on Saturday. Once they arrived at the scene, they found a single passenger vehicle that had been heading north when it left the road and hit road equipment sitting off the side of the road.

Our news partner KETK is reporting that the driver was taken by EMS to a local hospital but they later died. Nacogdoches PD is currently withholding the identity of the driver while they notify their next of kin. No other injuries have been reported from this crash and an investigation is ongoing.

UPDATE: Last week on the 6 month mark of Harley Morris being missing, his mother Wendi Attaway Morris went to his last known location to pass out flyers in hopes of getting his name brought back up. Shortly after that, according to our news partner KETK, a man reached out to the family saying he had seen someone matching Harley’s description. That possible sighting happened at the Longview Walmart on Estes Parkway recently. Today their message remains the same, hope that everything they are doing is helping keep Harley’s name alive.

“A man said that he might have possibly seen him in Longview near Estes and that he spoke to him, he was pretty sure, of course, he can’t be 100% sure that it was Harley, and so the police have gone and they’re investigating this, they’re hopefully pulling footage to be able to identify if this possibly was Harley,” Tyler Texas Missing Persons Support and Awareness Group founder Alexandra Ashcraft said. Continue reading UPDATE: Man comes forward with possible Harley Morris sighting

LINDALE – The Lindale Police Department reported there was a multi-vehicle crash, involving an 18-wheeler. The wreck occurred around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, on Interstate-20 east near Hideway Lake. Because the 18-wheeler jackknifed on the interstate, traffic was at a standstill for several hours. According to our news partner KETK, DPS troopers reported no injuries or fatalities. Traffic started getting back to normal around 9 p.m.

TYLER – The Northeast Texas Public Health District, NET Heath, is hosting several back-to-school health and vaccination clinics until Aug. 13. The NET Immunizations Coalition is helping East Texas students by giving them backpacks with school supplies, vaccinations, blood pressure checks and eye exams.

The following clinics will be held across East Texas in the coming weeks:

Thursday, Aug. 1
Tyler ISD School is Cool at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Continue reading NET Health is hosting back-to-school health clinics

RUSK COUNTY – NET RMA, The North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority announced a $15 million infrastructure project that will soon begin to revitalize the Henderson Overton Branch rail line. According to our news partner KETK, this project was financed by an $8.48 million federal grant. This grant was then matched by investments from private partners. Hundreds of job are expected to be created by this project.

Highlights of this rail line upgrade include:
Rebuilding transload zones in Overton and Henderson to support increased industrial activity.
Expanding track splits to accommodate more rail traffic.
Upgrading the switch to the Union Pacific mainline, which has not been modernized in over a century.

Glenn Green, Executive Director of NET RMA said, “This $15 million project is a direct result of NET RMA’s commitment to fostering economic development in East Texas rural communities. By investing in this rail line, we are not just building infrastructure but we are also building a better future for Rusk County and the surrounding areas.”

EAST TEXAS – FEMA has opened disaster recovery centers for those affected by severe weather April 26 to June 5. In Anderson County, the center is located at the Anderson County Courthouse Annex at 703 N. Mallard St. suite 103 and 103a. In Panola County, the center is at the Carthage Fire Department Training Building located at 808 W. Panola Street in Carthage.

According to our news partner KETK, both locations will be open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. FEMA employees are available at each center to help any affected individuals who need to apply for storm damage assistance from Hurricane Beryl or any other recent storm. Anyone affected can also apply through FEMA online. To locate your nearest disaster recovery center click here.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department said that two people were arrested Thursday after a driver-by shooting. According to our news partner KETK, operators received a call from someone who said that they were shot at late Thursday night on East Bowie Street, near Albert Street intersection. When police arrived at the scene, they found no one was injured.

The two identified suspects in the shooting are, 18-year-old Abdiel Vences and Jordan Hernandez, 17. Both are in the Harrison County Jail. Vences is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, engaging in organized criminal activity, failure to identify/giving false/fictitious information and possession of marijuana .

TYLER – Smith County District Clerk Penny Clarkston was arrested for contempt of court for not handing over information related to a high profile case. According to our news partner KETK, Court documents said that the district clerk was given several chances over the last two months to hand over information to the district court pertaining to the William Davis capital murder case. Davis was found guilty and sentenced to death in October 2021 after accusations that he intentionally blew air in the arterial lines of patients at a local hospital where four patients were killed and several injured.The case has recently reentered the spotlight with accusations that Davis’ defense team was harassing jurors in April.
Continue reading Smith County District Clerk arrested

CANTON – East Texas landowners made themselves heard at a public meeting Thursday night in Van Zandt County hosted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, according to our news partners at KETK. They were there to ask questions and voice concerns about a proposed permit of land use of biosolids in Mabank. According to the EPA, biosolids come from the wastewater treatment process. It’s human waste converted into organic materials that can be used as fertilizer. The permit reveals that Denali Water Solutions, based in Arkansas, would distribute biosolids on a landowners farm in Mabank raising concerns about potential risks. Continue reading East Texans raise concerns on proposed land use of biosolids

TYLER – On Wednesday, July 24, the City Council approved a contract for the development of the Lake Tyler Master Plan, which will consider the City’s current and future needs at Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. The contract will total $449,275, and Halff Associates, Inc., was selected to provide the City with a comprehensive set of recommendations for the Master Plan. The Lake Tyler Master Plan will focus on areas like recreation and tourism, water quality, public safety, planning and development, and grant funding opportunities. Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East are owned and operated by Tyler Water Utilities and are treated as a single reservoir. Continue reading Council approves development of Lake Tyler Master Plan

AUSTIN — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding shoppers they can save money on clothes and school supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9-11. This will be the 25th year of Texas’ oldest sales tax holiday.

State law exempts sales tax on qualified items — such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks — priced below $100, saving shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. The dates of the sales tax holiday and list of tax-exempt items are set by the Texas Legislature. Continue reading Texas sales tax holiday is Aug. 9-11

TEXAS – The ACLU of Texas said Wednesday it found 51 school districts, including three East Texas school districts, in violation of the Texas CROWN Act, which bans race-based hair discrimination, and urged them to update their dress code policies, according to the Texas Tribune and our news partners at KETK. The Texas CROWN Act prohibits schools, workplaces and housing authorities from discriminating against hairstyles historically associated with race such as dreadlocks, cornrows or afros. Continue reading Three East Texas school districts violate the Crown Act