Today is
Tuesday July 21, 2026
LONGVIEW – Crews with Union Pacific are working to clean up after nine cars derailed in Longview Sunday afternoon. According to the Longview News Journal, the derailment occurred between Second and Third streets on the railroad tracks between Methvin and Cotton streets. No streets were blocked and no injuries were reported. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has up held the conviction of a Tyler woman for Injury to a child. The court affirmed the conviction of Taylor Nicole Skinner, 25. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison last June for the injuries sustained by her 15 month old child. The youngster was admitted to a Tyler hospital with severe injuries in September of 2017, and later transferred to a Dallas hospital for surgery, and has since recovered. Skinner was the second person convicted in the case. Terral Deshon Carter, 27, of Tyler, the woman’s boyfriend, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his part in the youngster’s injuries.
TYLER – It is time for annual Smith County-Wide Clean Up. The program, which will run throughout April, allows residents to take bulky items to the landfill for free. Smith County residents can use vouchers, available at the Smith County Courthouse Annex and all justice of the peace/constable offices, to redeem at the Greenwood Farms Landfill, at 12920 Farm-to-Market Road 2767, or Old Kilgore Highway, in Tyler. Smith County citizens will be able to take 3 cubic yards of solid waste, which fills the bed of a regular sized pickup, and/or bulk items to be disposed of at the landfill. Items NOT accepted include: hazardous waste, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, gasoline, oils, paint, acid, batteries, Asbestos, wet paint, Freon, whole tires, televisions, computers, refrigerators and freezers.
TYLER – Monday through Friday is Rose City Restaurant Week. The annual event, which helps raise funds for non-profits, also celebrates eating out in Tyler. The goal of Restaurant Week is to encourage the community to support some of the best local restaurants while raising money for he Junior League of Tyler. Nearly two dozen restaurants are participating in this year’s drive. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – United Way of Smith County president and CEO, Nan Moore has told her board she will retire within the next 12 months. Moore has served in executive nonprofit positions for more than 26 years. She is currently in her twelfth year of service to United Way of Smith County as President and CEO. She has led the organization in successful campaigns along with the move into the new main offices in the Tyler Woman’s Building. Moore has assured United Way’s board, staff and partner agencies that she will stay on until a successor is named. The United Way of Smith County will begin a nationwide search for a new President and CEO and has asked immediate past chairman of the board, Mike Thomas to serve as the Search Committee Chairman.
MARSHALL – A Harrison County man has been charged with killing his wife. Charged with murder is Billy Marsh, 45. He turned himself at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. He is now in the county jail. Around 7:00 Friday morning, there was a 911 call about a dead person. When officers arrived at the Big Oak Mobile Home Community on Lansing Switch Road, they found the body of Keyocea Marsh, 40. The investigation is continuing.
GLADEWATER – A Gladewater police officer has not been indicted in a shooting that occurred last November. But, while the Gregg County Grand Jury did not indict former officer Jacob Lira, they did indict the man he shot, Matthew Murchison, 30, (pictured) of Gladewater. He is charged with assault of a peace officer. Murchison was shot in the leg when he pulled his hands from his waistband into a shooting position. When he then bit and hit the officer, a taser was used on him. During the investigation, Murchison is said to have told the Texas Rangers that his intention was to commit suicide by cop. Officer Lira is currently a patrol officer for the Kilgore Police Department.
TYLER – The Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office has completed the investigation of a fatal fire that killed three persons. The fire was reported February 8th on Grand Avenue. The fire killed a 60 year old woman, a 40 year old man and a 1 year old girl. Still being treated at a Fort Worth hospital from injuries received in the fire is a six year old girl and a one year old boy. According to fire marshal Paul Findley, the fire began in the front living room area of the home and quickly intensified. He said, while they believe the fire was unintentional and originated as the result of an accident, the official cause of the fire will remain undetermined.
LONGVIEW – A 35 year old man has received life-threatening injuries after jumping from a Longview bridge. Police Lt. Shane McCarter told the Longview News Journal that the incident happened shortly after 4:00 Thursday afternoon at a bridge near Nelson and Green Streets. McCarter released no further information.
LONGVIEW – The city of Longview saw a drop in part 1 crimes in 2018. These offenses are most commonly identified as crimes against a person. These are also the most commonly reported crimes across the country. Longview saw a 7.4% reduction in violent crimes and an overall drop of 7.3% in total part 1 crimes. The largest drop was in robbery. There were 101 robberies in Longview in 2017. Last year there were 58, for a drop of 42.6%. Burglary dropped by 15.5% while forcible rape declined by 12.9%
TYLER – The Tyler city council will hold a called meeting Friday to cancel the special called election for District 6 on the council. The election was called after city councilman John Nix submitted his letter of resignation, effective this past Wednesday. The deadline for candidates to file for the post was this past Monday. The only person to file was Criss Sudduth. At Friday’s meeting, besides cancelling the election, they will also declare Sudduth as the council member for District 6. Later the city council will issue a certificate of election to Suddeth, and he will be sworn into office.
TYLER – A Smith County Jury has found Mark Vanhouten, 55, of Tyler, guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The victim told her mother in 2016 what had happened. During the course of the investigation, Vanhouten’s DNA was identified from swabs taken from the victim. Also, incriminating pictures and internet search history were located on his computer. After convicting him the case on Wednesday, the jury in the 7th District Court sentenced him to 25 years in prison, without parole.
KILGORE – Kilgore College will become the first college in East Texas to implement a revolutionary new method of instruction which they say is proven to increase student success. They will be starting 8 week terms, rather than one long 16-week fall and spring semester. Most courses at the school will be divided into two eight-week terms with a short break in between. It begins this fall. A news release from the school says the the new eight-week term model, called “Focus to Finish,” will allow students to work smarter, not harder. Studies show full-time students who take just two or three classes every eight weeks are better able to maintain focus and excel in the classroom. This scheduling method will also give part-time students the opportunity to attend the college on a full-time basis. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler has launched a new community outreach program as part of their five-year strategic plan. it’s called the “100 Communities Initiative.” The university plans to visit communities around East Texas to learn about their needs as they work to build new partnerships. It’s all in line with their mission statement, to be the educational and economic driver of East Texas. It’s also geared to drive up the enrollment numbers and to make students aware of their options. The goal is to reach over 100 individual communities in the region.
NACOGDOCHES – Nacogdoches County authorities have arrested a man said to be a large drug distributor with ties to the Mexican cartel. Through the work of several agencies, a SUV driven by Matthew Fallis, 41, of Waxahachie, was stopped late Wednesday morning. They searched the vehicle after a sheriff’s office K-9 alerted them to drugs. They found 1. 5 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 3 ounces of black tar heroin and two loaded 9 MM pistols. They also seized over $7,000 they found in the vehicle. Investigators say Fallis has direct connections to a Mexican cartel gang that was moving large amounts of Methamphetamine from Dallas to Nacogdoches, and other areas, on a weekly basis. Fallis and a passenger, Mary King, 37, of Dallas, have been charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance. Fallis, who is on parole, was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
MARSHALL – A Marshall woman accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband has pleaded guilty. Trisha Groot George, 34, entered the plea in state district court on Wednesday to solicitation to commit capital murder for remuneration. She was then sentenced to five years in prison. The Longview News Journal reports an assistant DA told the judge that while George’s husband asked for leniency in the case, requesting that she be given probation, the state was still proceeding with its recommended plea agreement of five years’ confinement. George was arrested last August after the man she tried to hire for the job turned out to be an undercover police officer.
TYLER – Over 80 persons have applied to become Tyler Junior College’s next president. They come from throughout the United States and Canada. After a thorough review of each applicant by a board-appointed screening committee, the pool was narrowed to several semi-finalists. They will be interviewed and the TJC Board of Trustees will select three to five finalists. Late next month, the final candidates will visit the college to interview with the board, tour the campus and participate in open forums. At the conclusion of final interviews, the Board will select the sole finalist. The search for TJC’s next president began in January after TJC’s Chancellor and CEO Dr. Mike Metke announced he would retire this summer.
MARSHALL – Some Marshall area residents have received a text message that they owe a fine for red light photo enforcement violations. While the person owes a fine, the collection agency attempting to collect it, Municipal Services Board, is not authorized by the city to collect it. They have been issued instructions to stop all attempts to collect by text. If you do owe an outstanding balance on a red light photo enforcement violation in Marshall, do not attempt to pay the violation by using the site included in the text. You may view photos and a video of the violation and pay the fine by credit card at http://www.photonotice.com and enter city code MRSHL.
TYLER – One person has been injured and one is arrested following a stabbing on the Tyler Junior College campus. It occurred on a parking lot Wednesday night. Arrested was Nakearaney Domineke Reese. 21, of Tyler. Jail records show she has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and violating a no-trespassing order, which was issued last November. A news release from the school said Reese was not affiliated with TJC. The school said the injured girl was taken to the hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening stab wound.
TYLER – Tyler Junior College students Caleigh Reese and Griselle Esparza have been selected as 2019 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars. Reese, a sophomore general studies major from Rusk, has been named a Coca-Cola Silver Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship. After graduating from TJC in May, Reese plans to transfer to The University of Texas at Tyler and pursue a career in nursing. Esparza, a sophomore biology major of Tyler, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, is a Coca-Cola Bronze Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Following graduation from TJC in May, Esparza plans to transfer to a university and major in biology. Besides the scholarships, both also receive a commemorative medallion. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after cutting a man’s throat. Booked into the Smith County Jail was Danny Ray Tate, 38. The incident occurred shortly after 10:15 Wednesday morning. Investigators say the two are employed by a business on Highway 69 North. They decided to go into the parking lot and smoke K2. That led to a fight where Tate is said to have slashed the throat of the victim. Deputies later found the suspect’s car, with both men inside, on the State Park Highway, about ¼ mile north of Loop 323. The man was still bleeding heavily, so a deputy slowed the bleeding until EMS arrived. He was then taken to UT Health-Tyler for treatment.
FAIRFIELD – The trial of a Smith County man accused of killing a state trooper, will be moved out of Fairfield. Our news partner KETK, quoting court records, says the trial of Dabrett Black, 34, of Lindale, will not be held in Freestone County. Judge Patrick Simmons has granted a request for a change of venue. Where the trial will be moved has not been decided. Black is accused of the shooting death of state trooper Damon Allen on Thanksgiving day in 2017. He was shot while checking a driver license in the front seat of his patrol vehicle on Interstate Highway 45 near Fairfield.
TYLER – A new airline service has been announced for Tyler. At a Tuesday morning news conference, Frontier Airlines announced the addition of Tyler to the Frontier network. They will be offering non-stop service from Tyler Pounds Regional Airport to Denver International Airport. The service is scheduled to start July 2nd. To begin, they will fly every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. To celebrate the new route, Frontier is offering a special introductory one-way fare of $39, which is available on their website. Tyler becomes Frontier Airlines 6th destination in Texas.
TYLER – It’s business as usual at the Smith County Clerk’s Public Records Office. The office is located in the basement of the county annex building. The basement had been closed since March 18, after a pipe burst and flooded the area. No public records were damaged. The basement office is now once again open to the public. County Clerk Karen Phillips says deputy clerks are ready to assist customers in the lower level of the annex building. The area houses the County Clerk’s Official Public Records, including land records, assumed names and cattle brands. Customers are once again able to review books and carry on “business as usual.”
AUSTIN – State Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a friend-of-the-court brief defending Texas anti-revenge pornography law. He asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to overturn last years decision by the 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler that blocked the law. Paxton told the state appeals court that the text of the anti-revenge pornography law is consistent with the First Amendment. He said it only criminalizes non-consensual public disclosures of sexual images in cases where the depicted person has an expectation of privacy. According to Paxton, revenge porn can shatter lives, destroy careers and devastate families. The ruling by the Tyler appeals court included an order that a lower court dismiss charges against a man accused of posting an intimate photo of a woman without her consent. He challenged the Texas law as unconstitutional.
EAST TEXAS – Damage has been reported in East Texas from a line of thunderstorms that moved through the area Sunday night and early Monday morning. There were high winds, hail, some the size of golf balls, and rain. The rain became heavier the further east you went. According to the National Weather Service, the Tyler airport recorded 0.17 of an inch while the city recorded 0.21 of an inch. Further east, Longview measured 0.86 of an inch while Marshall had 1.24 inches.
TYLER – In state district court in Tyler Monday, Josue Alejandro Prado Ramirez, 22, pleaded guilty to a fatal hit and run accident in Tyler last June. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He had been charged in the death of Damarion Williams, 11. His body was discovered in the median of Highway 271 just after 8:00am on June 17th. The victim’s mother had called police to report her son missing around 3:00 that afternoon and investigators determined it was the same person. Witnesses gave information that led to Ramirez, who turned himself in at the Henderson County Jail around 7:30 the next night.
TYLER – It is spring and that means many door-to-door solicitors will be in your neighborhood. The Better Business Bureau serving Central East Texas urges you to make smart and safe decisions when answering the door to a salesperson.
The Better Business Bureau says not to do business with those who use high pressure sales tactics, arrive in unmarked vehicles, do not have company letterhead or business cards and require up-front cash payment. They also suggest that you request they provide you with proper identification and leave reading materials about their products and services. Be on the lookout for fly-by-night contractors and fast talkers who are just looking to make a quick buck. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – Palestine police have arrested a man wanted for multiple violent felonies. Jadarius Clewis, 19, of Palestine was chased by an officer who knew he had several outstanding warrants. That chase ended when he ran a stop sign and hit a car. He then fled on foot. The officer was able to chase him down. He is now charged with evading arrest with a vehicle, evading arrest, tampering with physical evidence and accident Involving damage to vehicle over $200. Plus, he still has active warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery and obstruction or retaliation.
HENDERSON – A Rusk County man has been arrested after his dead mother’s body was found wrapped in a tarp. Charged with abuse of a corpse without legal authority is Jeremy David Cassin, 42. His bond was set at $25,000. According to a probable cause affidavit, deputies were called to his home on County Road 308 in Henderson for a welfare check on his mother. He told the officer that his mother was in the tarp behind him on the front lawn. Cassin said he had found her dead in bed a couple of days earlier.