Today is
Wednesday July 22, 2026
HALLSVILLE – The pilot involved in a fatal Harrison County crash on March 9th, was not certified to fly the plane. According to FAA records, William Robert Kendrick, of Huffman, was certified to fly a single-engine aircraft. The plane that crashed was a twin engine craft. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report also said that Kendrick’s pilot log shows he had not flown in nearly 14 years. His plane, which was on its way to New Orleans, crashed 10 miles from the East Texas Regional Airport. Also killed in the crash was the pilot’s wife and daughter and her boyfriend.
SMITH COUNTY – Wednesday is Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day. There will be at least 70 students and faculty at each of 5 Smith County high schools wearing the Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day shirts. The number 70 represents the number of people that die every day in Texas from tobacco related cuases. At each participating school there will be an announcement about what’s in a cigarette, such things as rat poison, ammonia and nail polish remover. They will remind the students that they have the power to be tobacco free. The Campus Crimestopper student board members came up with this plan after attending a Texas Tobacco-Free Teen Leadership Conference. The participating schools are: John Tyler High School, Robert E. Lee High School, Early College High School (Tyler ISD), Chapel Hill High School and Whitehouse High School.
MARSHALL – An East Texas man has died in a Tyler hospital from a Harrison County accident. Killed was Tristen Alexander Jackson, 20, of Humble. The Department of Public Safety report says his car went off the roadway to the right and the driver over corrected to the left and went off the road. The car hit a culvert and became airborne, hitting a tree. He was not wearing a seat belt. The accident happened around 1:30 Saturday morning on U.S. Highway 59, Nearly 5 miles north of Marshall.
MARSHALL – One person has been arrested in a Marshall murder. The shooting was reported shortly after 11:30 Monday night on Elsie Street. Rushed to a Marshall hospital, where he later died, was Tyshun Darty, 22, of Marshall. The shooter was identified as Nathan “Nate†Irving,(pictured) 20 of Marshall. He was found, and arrested without incident, Tuesday morning. Irving has been booked into the Harrison County Jail on a murder charge
PALESTINE – Two nursing students at the University of Texas at Tyler-Palestine campus, have been elected to leadership roles in the Texas Student Nursing Association. Elected president was Rachel Barbey of Palestine and elected vice president was Allison Sheridan of Elkhart. The two students, who hold the top positions of the board of directors, will serve for a one-year period and attend board meetings throughout the year. The Texas Nursing Students Association is an organization dedicated to promoting professionalism and leadership for today’s nursing students. There are more than 3,000 members representing over 100 nursing schools in Texas.
AUSTIN – Tyler is one of six pilot sites in the state selected to take part in an initiative to increase access to clinical mental health treatment for military service members. The Andrews Center in Tyler, along with the Burk Center in Nacogdoches, were selected to take part in the program. The six centers provide services to veterans across 39 Texas counties. Veteran counselors were recently hired at the pilot sites using existing program funding. Training for the new counselors was completed a couple of months ago. They are able to provide acute mental health services to military service members, veterans and their families. Among the areas they are skilled in are suicide prevention and intervention. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Several units of a senior living community have been damaged by fire. The two alarm fire occurred around 8:15 Sunday evening at the William Booth Garden Apartments. The independent living and assisted living apartments are located on Golden Road at the Old Henderson Highway. No injuries were reported, but fire marshal Paul Findley said three apartment units suffered flame damage, while three units suffered smoke and water damage. The fire started on a porch area of one of the apartments. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
TYLER – One person has been killed in a Tyler industrial accident. Killed in the weekend accident was Kaspar Holland, 22, of Tyler. The accident occurred at the Brookshire Grocery Company warehouse. Details of what happened have not been released. The company said in a news release they have operated warehouse facilities in Tyler for nearly 70 years. This is the first on-the-job injury of this severity at one of their warehouses. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the accident.
TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work throughout the district during the week of March 18. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.
In Smith County, the Farm Road 2493/Old Jacksonville Highway widening project from Gresham to Flint, gets underway with right-of-way clearing operations. Motorists will notice a new construction speed limit of 45 mph in place throughout the work zone. Daily lane closures could also be at play as needed. Motorist should expect a change in their daily commutes. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – The east bound lanes of Interstate Highway 20 in Western Smith County are now open. According to a tweet from the Tyler TxDot Office, “The repairs are complete and all travel lanes of I-20 at Caney Creek are open and normal traffic flow resumed.” Monday evening, after a sinkhole developed at the bridge abutment at the creek, traffic had to be rerouted around the area. Crews opened the outside eastbound lane on Wednesday. The other lane was opened on Thursday.
AUSTIN – Texas game wardens have completed a two day operation to find businesses who were trying to circumvent laws regulating commercial seafood operations. More than 50 facilities, including seafood restaurants, fish markets, and wholesale commercial fish dealers, were targeted in the operation. More than 60 warnings and citations were issued for a range of commercial seafood health and safety related violations. At a Wood County business, game wardens seized around $1,600 worth of oysters packaged in 37 undocumented one gallon plastic storage bags. Investigators also took possession of undocumented oysters in Gregg, Nacogdoches and Angelina counties. They promise they will be conducting more frequent inspections in the future with warnings replaced with citations and arrest warrants.
EAST TEXAS – A line of severe thunderstorm caused heavy damage around East Texas Thursday morning. The storms brought severe lightning and straight-line winds which included winds up to 50 and 60 miles an hour. One hard-hit area was Kilgore, where thousands of homes were damaged and power knocked out. The damage calls to the city started coming in around 3:15 Thursday morning. City crews and emergency responders spent Thursday working to clear trees from streets. Officials said The Kilgore College Parks Fitness Center, on Laird Street west of Broadway Boulevard, is open to the public. Anyone in need will be able to shower and charge their electronic devices.
TYLER – According to new data from Terminix, 7 Texas cities are on the company’s list of the Top 50 most termite-infested cities in the United States. Number 7 on the list is Tyler-Longview. According to the company’s web site, as temperatures increase, so does termite activity. They say the average cost associated with treating and repairing damage from an infestation is over $8,000. Termites cause around $5 billion in damage in the U.S. every year. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – A man accused of robbing a Palestine gas station last month, and setting a customer on fire, has been indicted by the Anderson County grand jury. Robert Lawrence Thompson, 40, is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of arson. He is said to have bound the employee and a customer with duct tape. He then doused both women with lighter fluid and set the customer on fire. She was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas for treatment. Thompson was later arrested at another Palestine gas station. He remains in the Anderson County Jail under bonds totaling $4,000,000.
TYLER – The Smith County Fire Marshall’s office has not been able to find the cause of a that killed a mother and her daughter last month. Killed were Alejandra Mayorga Chavez, 66, and Herlinda Beltran, 35. The February 12th fire was reported shortly after 5:15 that morning in their mobile home in Chapel Hill. Assistant Fire Marshall Chad Hogue said his office and the ATF, have completed their investigation into the fire. He said, while the cause of the fire is undetermined, foul play is not suspected.
MOUNT PLEASANT – East Texas businesses have been alerted to watch out for checks written by John Granger. He has been passing hot checks around the area. The Mount Pleasant Police Department reports he has written over $85,000 in hot checks in their area. He has bought vehicles, jewelry and other expensive items. And he hasn’t stopped there. His checks have also turned up in Marshall, Gilmer, Pittsburg and Omaha. And they expect many more hot checks will be reported. They say he is on the run and is extremely deceptive. They believe he is driving a new truck purchased with a stolen check. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The deadline for filing income tax returns is fast approaching. Senior adults in the Tyler area have some help in preparing their returns. The Tyler Senior Center is partnering with Tyler AARP to provide help for local seniors. The Senior Center on Garden Valley Road is 1 of 4 locations to provide help with Free Tax Aid Preparation Service. Every Monday and Wednesday from 9:00am to 1:00pm, on a first come first serve basis, seniors can meet with accountants and enjoy coffee and popcorn while waiting. Since the service is free, service and assistance is not guaranteed on a given day if demand is high. The service will run through April 15th. You can call the Tyler Senior Center at 903-597-0781 for more information.
PALESTINE – Palestine police have increased patrols during spring break. The increased enforcement will focus on speeding, seat belt, safety seat, and DWI violations. The police department will utilize the Texas Department of Transportation Selective Traffic Enforcement Grant to fund overtime for off-duty officers to work this increased enforcement effort in an effort to help eliminate traffic crashes and fatalities. The increased enforcement will run through March 24th.
LONGVIEW – On Thursday, Industrial Drive in Longview will be closed between Marshall Avenue, U.S. Highway 80, and Cotton Street. It will be closed to through traffic from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The Railroad Crossing on Industrial will be closed to all traffic for railroad track maintenance. Drivers are encouraged to use Eastman Road as an alternate.
LONGVIEW – A Longview man finds himself back in jail on, among other things, forgery charges. In the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $138,500 is Mark Sebren Greer II, 34. He is also charged with fraud and theft of property. The Longview News Journal reports he is accused of passing counterfeit $100 bills at several businesses. He is also accused of using a Fort Worth man’s identification to buy a $97,000 car last month. Surveillance video and witness statements led authorities to Greer, who is a convicted felon.
TYLER – The Better Business Bureau has presented its annual Awards for Excellence during a ceremony in Tyler. Over 30 businesses were nominated in 5 categories. The winner in the nonprofit category was Champions for Children. The small business winner was SEO Skyrocket. The recipient for the Mid-Size Business Category is The Original Evans Air Conditioning and Heating. The large business winner was Encore Multimedia. And, this year for the first time, the BBB recognized outstanding veteran-owned businesses. That award went to Dean Waskowiak with Encore Multimedia. The BBB say the awards went to organizations who exemplify ethical behavior and display integrity in all aspects of their operations.
TYLER – More information has been released about the arrest of a T.K. Gorman High School assistant coach. Ja’Keal Latrenton Lockett, 24, was arrested last week by the University of Texas at Tyler police. He has been charged with burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a sex offense. Our news partner KETK reports the arrest warrant says Lockett stole his girlfriend’s master key card and PIN code that allowed him to access to any apartment in her complex. His girlfriend is a resident assistant at the complex, which houses UT Tyler students. Lockett remains in the Smith County Jail under a $250,000 bond. The school says he had been put on administrative leave until the case worked its way through the courts.
SMITH COUNTY – A sinkhole is causing TxDOT to shut down all eastbound traffic on Interstate Highway 20 at Caney Creek in Smith County near mile marker 544. As a precaution, Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) crews have closed the eastbound lanes of the highway until repairs can be made. Repairs are expected to take 2 to 3 days. Traffic is being detoured at Van onto southbound Farm Road 314, eastbound Farm Road 1995 and northbound State Highway 110 back to I-20. Motorists traveling eastbound I-20 should expect delays or take alternate routes.
AUSTIN – Two largemouth bass over 13 pounds were caught by anglers in Texas over the weekend, bringing the total number of “Legacy Class†Toyota ShareLunker entries up to four for the selective breeding program’s 2019 donation season ending March 31. The fish were caught out of the top two ShareLunker producing lakes of 2018, Lake Fork and Lake Conroe. Barry Prince of Lindale caught 13.73 pound ShareLunker 579 from Lake Fork Friday evening on a shallow diving crankbait in 4.5 feet of water. Prince said this is the first double digit bass he’s ever caught in more than 30 years of fishing.
SMITH COUNTY – A man has been arrested after fleeing from a traffic stop in Smith County. Arrested was Dakota Allen, 26, of Tyler. A Smith County Sheriff’s Patrol Sergeant first stopped the man’s truck on Lavender Road, north of Tyler late Monday morning, after seeing him speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. He was acting extremely nervous as the officer talked with him. When asked to get out of the vehicle, he sped away. He was arrested after he crashed into a tree. Officers found a zippered bag with about two pounds of crystal meth, various instruments used for the sale of narcotics and over $7,000 in cash. Allen has been charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, evading arrest or detention w/vehicle and tampering with physical evidence. He was booked into the Smith County jail under bonds totaling $105,000.
SMITH COUNTY – The Sheriff’s department were using jail personnel and trustees to round up a large group of loose cattle in eastern Smith County. The cows have been loose on Big Oak Bay Road near Lake Tyler. Two of the cows were hit by motorists. Sheriff’s department public information officer Larry Christian says the owner of the cattle has been found, the fence breach was repaired and the cows are now back home.
KILGORE – Kilgore police used a dog and a drone to look for a registered sex offender. The police went to were they were told he was working. As they approached, he climbed over a fence and ran down the railroad tracks behind Walmart. They set up a perimeter and brought in a K-9 And a drone to look for Richard Marcus Miller, 39. When he was spotted hiding in some thick underbrush, the dog was brought to the location. When he heard the dog approaching, he surrendered to the officers. With at least 15 prior arrests, he was wanted on failure to ID as a fugitive from Kaufman County, a bond forfeiture on a DWI charge and a parole warrant out of Gregg County. Kilgore police have also charged him with evading arrest.
LONGVIEW – A Fire has damaged a Longview club. The fire at J’s Place, on East Marshall Boulevard, was reported around 3:30 Sunday morning. The fire department’s Facebook page says arriving units found the roof on fire. They were able to contain the fire to the roof and attic with heat, water and smoke damage to the inside only. Since the building was closed at the time, there were no injuries. The fire is still under investigation but foul play is not suspected at this time.
HALLSVILLE – Federal authorities are continuing their investigation into a plane crash in Harrison county that authorities now say killed four persons. The plane went down around 7:30 Saturday night three miles south of Hallsville. Dead at the scene was the pilot, William Robert Kendrick, 51, of Huffman. The passengers were identified as Rebecca Marsh Kendrick, 47, of Huffman, and two Farmers Branch residents, Kaycee Ann Kendrick, 27, and Coty Ray Shrum, 25. The Department of public safety reports the Cessna T337C was traveling from Dallas to New Orleans when the pilot possibly encountered severe weather. The aircraft lost altitude and crashed.
MARSHALL – A two vehicle accident near Marshall has killed one person and seriously injured two. Wesley Sherard Timmins, 30, of Marshall was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in his car, and the other driver, Jerry Allen Wood, 78, of Karnack, were injured. The report from the Department of Public Safety says the accident occurred when Wood’s pickup crossed the center stripe at hit Timmins pickup. The accident happened shortly after 7:30 Sunday night on U.S. Highway 80.