Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
ATHENS – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department inland fisheries staff found under an acre of invasive giant salvinia in Lake Athens. It was found Monday in various locations near the Lake Athens Marina boat ramp. The next day a containment boom was deployed from just west of the boat ramp across the cove to the Athens Municipal Water Authority office. The proximity of the Lake Athens’ infestation to the boat ramp leads biologists to believe giant salvinia was introduced by a boater or angler carrying the invasive species on their boat or equipment. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Palestine gaming room has been raided and two persons were arrested. Palestine officers raided the Win City gaming room on Highway 155 North. Undercover investigators from several agencies visited the gaming room and collected evidence leading to Wednesday’s raid. A total of 59 gaming machines used in the operation and more than $5,000 were seized during the raid. The owner of the gaming room was not present at the time of the raid. Two Palestine residents were arrested on non-related drug charges. Juan Manuel Vega, 34, and Viri Fernandez, 21, were charged with possession of a controlled substance. Fernandez was also charged with possession of marijuana.
TYLER – The Tyler Police Department held its Annual Awards Banquet Tuesday night at the Harvey Convention Center. During the ceremony, employees of the Tyler Police Department along with civilians were honored for their actions and service to the City of Tyler.
Named as officer of the year was Garrett Martin. He has been constantly busy. Martin teaches classes at the academy and for Tyler Junior College. According to the presentation, he has been vital in reaching out to the community and has participated in over 30 public relations events in the last year. He routinely speaks to groups about his work and this includes many demonstrations for children and at schools talking about what a police officer does. He is always willing to alter his work hours to reduce overtime costs but this officer is always a call away and ready to be sent out with his K9 partner. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The annual Chick-fil-A Soup Drive has been a success. Because of the drive 6,034 bowls of soup are on the way to The Salvation Army in Tyler. Chick-fil-A operators Jeff Johnston and Ikey Eason presented the donation to The Salvation Army Tuesday morning. The soup that was donated was generated from the annual soup drive that was started by the late Ed King over 10 years ago. The drive was held from January 15th to January 31st. It is a big help to the Salvation Army in Tyler, which serves 12,000 meals a month.
LONGVIEW – A search warrant has led to a drug arrest in Longview. Arrested was Vandoil Artez Williams, 37, of Longview. He has been charged with four counts of the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and theft of a firearm. He also had one outstanding Class C misdemeanor warrant. His bonds total $412,500. The warrant was served Monday at a home on Tammy Lynn Drive in north Longview. During the search of the residence officers found a large quantity of marijuana, Xanax, cocaine, ecstasy, and Tramadol. They also located two pistols, one of which was reported stolen in Longview in December, 2016.
TYLER – A Tarrant County man has been charged in a fatal Smith County accident. Arrested Saturday was Gilberto Gomez, 26, of Saginaw. He has been charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter in connection with the February 12th wreck that killed three persons. It happened on State Highway 110, 8 miles west of Lindale. The Department of Public Safety reports the truck, driven by Gomez, was heading south when it crossed over the double yellow lines and hit a northbound car. Two Lindale residents in the car were killed as was an unidentified passenger in the Gomez vehicle. Gomez remains in the Smith County Jail under bonds totaling $2,250,000.
TYLER – Tyler Police have located Aviona Sowells at 11:50 in the complex of 2911 Shiloh Road. She was located safe and returned to her family. Additional details were not available. According to her grandmother, Sowells, 11, was last seen around 7:15 Monday night at The Park at Shiloh Apartments on Shiloh Road. She had taken out the trash and did not returned to the apartment.
TROUP – The Troup school system and former athletic director and head coach Dennis Alexander have reached a settlement on a suit Alexander had filed. He filed the suit last November, seeking $1.6 million and reinstatement to his former job. He was fired by the school system in March, 2016. He was fired following allegation that he struck a student. Alexander denied the allegation. Alexander told KETK they settled the suit and the school district will pay him $200,000.
TYLER – Five persons have eared the right to be Tyler police officers. At a badge pinning ceremony Monday afternoon, they received their symbol of authority. The five new Tyler police recruits have just graduated from the Tyler Junior College Police Academy. Monday’s ceremony was conducted by Chief Jimmy Toler who give the recruits the oath of office and officially welcomed them as new Tyler Police Officers. The new officers are Jonathan Stone, Jimmy Johns, Jackson Hug, Alejandra Flowers and Aaron Keathley.
KILGORE – A large explosion rocked the Kilgore area, but, there was noting illegal about it.The explosion occurred shortly after 7:30 Sunday evening. The sound was even heard in Smith County and Western Louisiana. Police dispatchers were flooded with calls about the explosion. The Kilgore police department even posted on their facebook page that it was overwhelmed with calls about the explosion and to please not to call them unless it was an emergency. According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department, the explosion was caused by folks in the Lakeport area using Tannerite to blow up a tree stump. Tannerite is the brand name of a patented exploding target used for firearms practice. It is legally purchased at sporting goods stores.
TYLER – Early voting begins Tuesday in the March 6th primary elections. The election will include contested races for U.S. and state representatives, judges, district attorney, district clerk, commissioner and justices of the peace. Most of the contested races will be decided in the primary election. The early voting will run through March 2nd. You can vote at the R.B. Hubbard Facility, next door to the Elections Office on East. Ferguson in Tyler; the Lindale Public Library; the Heritage Building on West Bellwood Road in Tyler; the Whitehouse Municipal Court, and the Noonday Community Center. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler has announced it would be renaming the College of Business and Technology. It will now be know as the Soules College of Business. The new name is part of an agreement for John Soules Foods to make a major investment supporting the college. The amount of the contribution was not disclosed. But the Chief Communications Officer at U-T Tyler, Lucas Roebuck, told KTBB, the investment will be the largest single private contribution to the university in its history. It will augment the university endowment, providing funds in perpetuity for Soules College of Business student scholarships, business innovation grants and research. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A victim of a domestic disturbance in Longview is now listed in stable condition following surgery. KETK reports the incident left one person dead and the other critically injured. The couple were found Thursday night in a car in the parking lot close to Planet Beach Tan on West Loop 281. Kenneth Jack Jordan (pictured), 54, of Longview was dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. Officers found a severely injured Diana Jordon, 46, of Longview, his wife, in the front seat of the vehicle with a gunshot wound. She underwent the surgery Saturday for what was initially deemed a life threatening injury. It appears as if the man shot his wife and then shot himself. Diana had filed for divorce last month and a protective order was issued against Kenneth on Thursday.
KILGORE – Kilgore College’s Mary Hawley was recently named Support Specialist of the Year by the Texas Association of Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE). Hawley, a support specialist for the school’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program since 2010, was recognized at the association’s annual conference earlier this month. This is the second year in a row a KC employee has won the award with Betsy Rodriguez, AEL support specialist, earning the same distinction last year. The KC AEL program offers a full range of free services to help adults improve their lives including ESL, basic literacy skills, exam preparation, GED, Integrated Education/Training and Intensive College Readiness preparation. Day and evening classes are offered at 26 locations.
MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University has received generous endowment gifts that will be used for scholarships. The school has a received $200,000 from the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Foundation. It will be used to start the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Endowed Ministry Scholarship. The grant is one of the largest foundation grants to ETBU in the last two decades. Another significant endowment gift comes from Johnny Mosley. He contributed $100,000 to launch the Johnny Eugene Mosley Endowed Scholarship. It is designed to help students of strong Christian character and leadership who are in financial need.