Today is
Wednesday June 10, 2026
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation. The funds will be used for the purchase and installation of a new scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the Kielhorn Welding and Materials Joining Engineering Laboratory at the school. A news release from the school says the new equipment will assist in modernizing existing materials joining engineering courses focused on welding metallurgy. It will also be used in biology and chemistry lab courses that will be able to add modules to introduce undergraduate students to SEM imaging. The new SEM is expected to be purchased and installed this spring and ready for use by summer, with undergraduate students across campus expected to be using it for a variety of different projects starting in the fall.
TYLER – The sale of the old Carlton Hotel by Smith County has been finalized. The 90,000-square-foot facility remained vacant for years. Tai Ly purchased the building for $537,500. Burns Commercial Properties LLC was the broker for Smith County on the sale. Closing documents for the sale were signed on Friday. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department is investigating a woman posing as a nurse. The Texas Board of Nursing notified the District Attorney’s Office about Stephanie Garcia. She is also known as Stephanie Halcomb. The action stems from an investigation that was prompted by a patient’s complaint at Davita Dialysis. The state board said Garcia went to work at the Marshall clinic in 2016, using information of a nurse with the same name and submitting an application with false information. According to a report in the Longview News Journal, Garcia no longer works at the facility.
IRVING – Susan Bufford Maleskey, 58, of Jacksonville was found shot to death Thursday night. A family member returned home to find the woman dead. A news release from the police department said “the motive for the shooting is unconfirmed, however, detectives do not believe it to be a random act.” They say they are following up on leads and have identified a suspect.
PALESTINE – Friday morning, the Palestine Police Department raided three gaming rooms. Over the course of several months, undercover investigators visited the rooms, collecting evidence that led to Friday’s raid. Several agencies assisted in the investigation. Chief Andy Harvey said the raids, dubbed “operation Game Over,” resulted in the seizure of 125 gaming machines, computers and standalone games, and $96,224. The warrants were served at Blow Vapor Zone and Dee’s Business Center, both on West Palestine Avenue and; and J&R Lounge on McNeil Street. The investigation is continuing and officials say charges could be filed in the case. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler teen is going to prison for sexually assaulting a child. Justin Ray Dunford, 18, pleaded guilty Friday in 7th State District Court. Judge Kerry Russell sentenced Dunford to 25 years in prison. Last May, he is said to have assaulted a girl, under the age of 14, at a home south of the Chapel Hill area. Dunford had been living with the family but was not related to them. The girl had complained of soreness and went to the doctor where she told about the sexual assault. After an investigation, which included interviewing the girl at the Child Advocacy Center, Dunford was arrested.
SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man claims a commercial scent spray to attract deer worked two well. The man tells a game warden he had to shoot two undersized bucks in self-defense. Their heads were found on top of a shed hidden in the woods. The man told a game warden he put the deer heads on the shed with the intention of turning himself in, but never got around to it. Multiple charges are pending. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – An East Texas man is facing sexual assault charges. Christopher Scott Sanders, 31, of Brownsboro was arrested in Tyler on Wednesday. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography. His bonds total $200,000. His arrest stems from material in his car which a state trooper discovered during a traffic stop in Brownsboro late last month. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches County homicide victim has been identified. The man’s body was found early Monday evening at Gravel Ridge Cemetery on Farm Road 225. With the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, using facial imaging technology, the victim has been identified as Thomas Vaiden Sluterbeck, 43, of Nacogdoches. Sheriff Jason Bridges says there is evidence that the man was murdered. But, since the investigation is ongoing, only limited information can be released at this time. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – It is a first for the Texas Rose Festival. A Tyler Junior College student has been named queen of the festival. The 85th Texas Rose Queen is Amanda Elaine Hiles of Tyler, a freshman at TJC. The announcement was made Thursday night at a gala event and a news conference. But, according to a news release from TJC, her identity as queen had actually been a closely guarded secret kept under wraps since early November. On the morning of Thursday, Nov. 2, Texas Rose Festival President Brad Curtis and a small entourage of rose festival officials, members of the Hiles family and a huge bouquet of roses, made a surprise visit to the TJC main campus to drop in on an Apache Belles rehearsal. It was then when Curtis asked Amanda, “Would you be my queen?†He got a quick, “yes.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – An optimistic evaluation of the 2018 economy, from East Texas to across the nation, has been painted by noted economist Ray Perryman. The appraisal came in Tyler luncheon Thursday at his annual speech on the economic outlook. It was the largest crowd ever to attend the luncheon. They had to bring in extra tables and chairs. Perryman sees a 4.5% increase in gross domestic product in the Tyler area. That is compared to a 4% percent increase in Texas, and a 2.9% percent increase in the nation. Perryman said the Texas economy is generally doing better than the national economy. He said the Texas economy grew faster because of the rebound in the oil and gas industry. Perryman added, the state’s economy depends on undocumented immigrants, and that poverty in the Hispanic community is a major social issue Texas will need to address.
TYLER – A man, who was one of three men accused of firing at Smith County deputies during a chase last year, has been found guilty of aggravated assault of a public servant. A Tyler jury on Thursday convicted Ricardo Martinez Pineda, 37, of Tyler. The jurors in the 241st State District Court will now consider punishment. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler district office of the Texas Department of Transportation will begin emergency preparedness operations on Friday in advance of wintry conditions that could show up in the area Monday night. Pre-treatment of elevated structures will be conducted throughout the day and completed Saturday. Crews will treat the bridges on the heavily traveled Interstate Highway 20 and elevated structures on other major roadways around the Tyler District. A brine solution consisting of salt and water designed to prevent ice and snow from sticking to surfaces will be used. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler Junior College opened its Spring 2018 semester with convocation ceremonies this week in Wise Auditorium. Activities were kicked off with a performance by the Chapel Hill High School Jazz Band. TJC President Dr. Mike Metke pointed out that 15 of the 18 members of the high school group were connected to TJC through dual credit classes, Early College High School or the TJC Promise scholarship program. Classes at TJC resume next Tuesday.
TYLER – Brookshire Grocery Co. officials have presented a check to the American Red Cross’s Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. The donation is $125,000. The company, along with customers to their stores, donated $100,000. The Western Union Foundation gave an additional $25,000. Tammy Prater, Executive Director, American Red Cross East Texas Area, said the funds will be used to provide assistance for the long-term needs of persons and communities affected by Hurricane Harvey in August.