Today is
Thursday June 11, 2026
TYLER – The Tyler Rose Garden has a new attraction. It’s a sundial. The family of the 2017 Rose Queen, Miss Emily Evans, had the very special piece of art made for the Rose Garden for all to see during the 2017 Tyler Rose Festival. The Celestial Wonders sundial was a gift from Mrs. Emily Nichols in honor of her granddaughter and in dedication to her husband, Mr. Fred Nichols. A dedication ceremony was held Wednesday and the sundial has been installed in the garden next to the historical wall which was the original entrance to the garden. It was made by artist Charles Strack for the coronation ceremony and the family donated the piece to the City of Tyler.
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Brigettee Henderson of Lufkin and Ken Schaefer of Brownsville to the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents for terms set to expire on January 31, 2023 and January 31, 2019, respectively. In addition, the governor has appointed Karen Gantt of McKinney and Tom Mason of Dallas for terms set to expire on January 31, 2023.
MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University on Wednesday entered into its seventh articulation agreement with area schools. The latest is with Navarro College. School officials say the agreement will provide additional academic opportunities for students of both institutions. ETBU has entered into recent partnerships with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Kilgore College, Jacksonville College, Trinity Valley Community College, Youth With A Mission and Panola College. And they say they will continue to establish and further relationships with more institutions.
ATHENS – A Canton man has been arrested in Henderson County on a charge of online solicitation of a minor. Frank Polk, 70, was arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Henderson County Sheriff’s office, the Henderson County District Attorney and the State Attorney General’s office. An investigator posing as as teenage girl spoke with Polk online and agreed to meet Tuesday afternoon. When he showed up, sheriff’s deputies arrested him. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says Polk confessed to the crime. He’s in the Henderson County Jail under a $30,000 bond.
LONGVIEW – A Longview man is arrested after a traffic stop yields drugs. The truck of Tarvio Dwayne Cooper Jr., 28, was stopped on Wells Street. Turned out Cooper was wanted for an outstanding warrant. After the officer smelled marijuana, his truck was searched. In a knapsack in the bed of the truck they found 35.2 grams of crack cocaine, 3.2 grams of ecstasy, 14.2 grams of marijuana, and money. Besides the original warrant, Cooper is also charged with possession of marijuana and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. He remains in the Gregg County Jail.
HENDERSON COUNTY – A Henderson County chase has resulted in the arrest of a Florida woman. It started when a state trooper stopped a car for a traffic violation on State Highway 31. While the officer was talking to the driver, the passenger drove the car away and into Navarro County. The car didn’t stop until it ran over a spike strip and crashed into an unmarked Kerens Police Department squad car. Arrested was Karalyn Nicole Collins, 28, of West Park, Florida, where she has outstanding warrants for grand theft auto and possession of cannabis.
TYLER – A Tyler police officer has retired after serving the city over 19 years. A ceremony was held Wednesday afternoon for Damon H. Swan. After being an officer in California, he joined the Tyler Police Department in 1998. During that time he has served in many units, including patrol, bicycle and crime investigation. He also worked as a training officer, helping recruits adjust to their new job. Swan was also member of the honor guard, representing the police department at numerous events. Read the rest of this entry »
BRYAN- A Tennessee Colony man has been sentenced to death for killing six family members in one night two years ago. On the second anniversary of the arrest of 35 year old William Mitchell Hudson, a jury in Bryan deliberated 45 minutes before delivering their verdict. Hudson was indicted on three counts of capital murder in the slaying of six persons, three generations of a family, at a campsite near Tennessee Colony. Last week, the jury in Bryan deliberated just over 15 minutes before coming back with a guilty verdict. Read the rest of this entry »
GILMER – A Longview woman has been released from the Upshur County Jail in a case of mistaken identity. Jessica Erin Archer, 29, was arrested in August after being identified as a suspect in a 2015 criminal case. When the mix-up was discovered, she was released November 1st. The case occurred before the current sheriff, Sheriff Larry Webb, took office. In a statement released by the sheriff, he said it was a “regrettable occurrence” and that policies have been put in place to minimize the chances of people being wrongly arrested or accused. And, according to Webb, the sheriff’s office has been notified that a lawsuit may be filed in the future in connection with the case.
KILGORE – The executive committee of the East Texas Council Of Governments has approved a ninth year of funding CodeRED for 2018. The system, funded by a Homeland Security grant, is a telephone communication service that allows the county/city Emergency Management Coordinator to quickly notify citizens about emergency situations. The CodeRED system has been contracted through the Emergency Communications Network since 2009 for all of the counties served by ETCOG, with the exception of Henderson County. Their 9-1-1 district already provides them a reverse notification system. The new service agreement is for the period of beginning January 1 and was approved for $85,123. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Starting at noon today, a Tyler business man will start living on a platform on scaffolding in front of his business. He will stay there off the West Southwest Loop until he raises enough money to meet his goal. Clint Benefield is raising money to feed the hungry in East Texans. Last year he raised $2,900 for the Salvation Army. This year he is attempting to raise $3,000 for the United Way of Smith County. The money he raises will be allocated to United Way partner agencies that deal directly with hunger. He says he will remain on that platform for up to a week if necessary. You can mail or drop off a donation to the United Way office in Tyler. You can also go to http://www.uwsmithcounty.org/FightHunger and make your donation online.
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University welcomed two new members to its Board of Trustees, two returning members and a new alumni representative. New members are Julie Livesay of Tyler and Rogers Pope, Jr. of Longview. They are elected for four-year terms. The two returning members who are beginning new four-year terms are Ken Moore of Longview and Wayne Steege of Corcoran, Minnesota. Named the alumni representative is Jim Hooker of Woodbury, Minnesota. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Two persons with gas skimmers have been arrested by Tyler police. Officers spotted the two acting suspicious at the Exxon station on the Old Jacksonville Highway around 1:45 Tuesday morning. Because of their activity around the gas pumps, they contacted the Houston area men. Numerous gas skimming devices were found in their car. Both men have been charged with unlawful use of a criminal instrument. They remain in the Smith County Jail under bonds of one million dollars each. The men have been identified as Adriano Aldana-Rodriguez, 19, of Missouri City and Nelson Isac Fernandez-Lopez, 22, of Houston.
LAKE FORK – The presence of invasive giant salvinia has been found on a popular area lake. The plant has been confirmed at three locations on Lake Fork, the largest total infestation ever found on the lake. Twelve to 15 acres of the plant have been found. John Findeisen, leader of the Brookeland Aquatic Invasive Species team said, “There’s enough giant salvinia scattered throughout the lake that eradication would be almost impossible at this point.” About 90% of the infestation, about 10 acres, is confined to White Oak Creek behind a containment boom. But the other scattered plants confirmed along the highway 17 bridge at Fisherman’s Cove Boat Ramp, and directly across from White Oak Creek cannot be contained to their current locations. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER- A Smith County business relocating to Tyler is receiving a tax abatement from Smith County. County Commissioners Tuesday approved a three-year tax abatement for Estes, McClure & Associates, Inc. The engineering firm that plans to renovate and relocate to the long-vacant The Forum Building in downtown Tyler. The company plans to invest $3.5 million in renovations and equipment. Tyler Economic Development CEO/President Tom Mullins told the Commissioners Court the firm will be bringing high-paying, technology jobs to downtown Tyler. The business plans to completely gut the building for a total renovation. They expect construction to begin in February and the work take about a year. Read the rest of this entry »