Today is
Saturday June 13, 2026
MARSHALL – The Marshall Municipal Court is offering a warrant recall program this week. This will allow anyone with an active warrant, issued by the municipal court judge, to come in to meet with court staff and settle their case without being arrested. Those with an outstanding warrant can have the $50 warrant fee waived if they can pay the fine in full. If unable to pay the fine in full, a payment plan can be arranged. Payments can be made in person with cash, credit card, money order or cashier check. You can contact the Marshall Municipal Court for more information.
BRYAN – The punishment phase continues today in the trial of a man accused of killing 6 persons in Anderson County. Authorities say William Mitchell Hudson killed three generations of a family at a campsite near Tennessee Colony in November 2015. Last week, a jury in Bryan deliberated just over 15 minutes before coming back with a guilty verdict. The punishment phase went into recess on Friday before resuming today. The trial was moved to Bryan on a change of venue. Anderson County District Attorney Allyson Mitchell seeking the death penalty in the case.
SMITH COUNTY – The body of 26-year-old Jacob Dillon McDougal of Kilgore was found Friday afternoon, more than two days after he was in a one-vehicle accident in northeastern Smith County. McDougal was found in his submerged car, which was upside down in a pond off Farm Road 1252. Investigators determined that McDougal had been traveling eastbound early Wednesday morning en route to work when he lost control of the vehicle on the wet roadway. The crash remains under investigation.
LONGVIEW – Longview officials have decided to use homeless people to help keep the city clean. The Longview city council has voted to enter into a contract with House of Disciples, a nonprofit group. It will hire local homeless and low-income people to clean up litter around the city. Assistant Public Works Director Dwayne Archer tells the Longview News Journal the program stems from ideas from Mayor Andy Mack’s task force on homeless issues. Mayor Mack said he hopes the program can help decrease Longview’s homeless population by giving people a chance to become self-supportive.
LAKE PALESTINE – For once, circling buzzards at an area lake were not a dead giveaway to a body near by. Smith County game warden Chris Swift responded to a call about a suspicious-looking personal watercraft beached on an island at Lake Palestine with vultures in the trees around it. He came prepared for the worst. But, as it turned out, the craft had recently been stolen from a Wood County lake and parked near a vulture roost. The craft was recovered and the investigation into its theft how it ended up on Lake Palestine is ongoing.
TYLER – Today is Veterans Day. There are a host of activities around the area to honor our military veterans. This day was first called Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I that formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. In 1954 congress amended the bill and replaced the word Armistice with the word Veterans, and it has been know as Veterans day ever since. Many of the area schools held Veterans Day programs Friday. Saturday, Tyler’s Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home will have a variety of activities, including a parade and cookout. Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert will be the guest speaker.
MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University in Marshall has signed two more articulation agreements on Thursday. That brings to five the number of agreements signed recently with area schools. At a Thursday morning ceremony in Athens, the agreement was signed with Trinity Valley Community College. Thursday afternoon in Lindale, ETBU saigned an agreement with Youth with a Mission. The agreement with YWAM ensures the acceptance of course credit for six of YWAM’s programs, including the schools of Discipleship Training, Evangelism, Strategic Missions, the Bible, Worship, and Teacher of the Nations. The action creates a more seamless transition for Trinity Valley and YWAM students and graduates to attend ETBU. Previous agreements have been with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Kilgore College and Jacksonville College.
GILMER – An Upshur County drug suspect, who failed to attend his trial, is handed a lengthy sentence. In State District Court Thursday, Jarrod Craig McBride, 36, of Ore City, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for bail jumping. That was stacked on top of a 30 year prison sentence he received for possession of Methamphetamine with intent to deliver. He was not in the court room when his trial started in May and an arrest warrant was issued. Sheriff’s deputies forced their way into his home, made the arrest and brought him to court in handcuffs. McBride later pleaded guilty to the drug charge.
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University STING Precision Flight Team made history at the 2017 Region IV SAFECON National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) competition in Waco. The school’s team recorded the highest score ever recorded by a single team when they won 1st place overall in the competition. The LETU students finished with a score of 797 points. Delta State was second with 435 points. The Region IV competition was with schools from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – In Tyler federal court on Thursday, a Dallas woman was sentenced to prison for bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield sentenced Rachelle Dashner, 44, to 21 months in federal prison. Five others have already been sentenced in the case. Federal prosecutors say they were part of a scheme to set up surgical centers in the state through a loan with Community Trust Bank. But the doctors the documents said would guarantee the loan didn’t know about it and had not authorized it. In many instances, the medical facilities for which the financing was obtained were never built. The five fraudulent loans totaled over $7.5 million.
TYLER – A road west of Tyler is closed for repairs. As of this morning at 7:00, Reynolds & Kay, LTD has closed Pleasant Retreat Road (County Road 1145) between Pleasant Hollow Road (County Road 1179) and Negem Road (County Road1141). Closure and construction of this area should last until Friday, November 17th, at 5:00pm. Local residents will have access during this period. The road is being closed for repairs due to heavy equipment using it during the Runway 4/22 rehabilitation project.
TYLER – A Smith County Jail inmate is in very critical condition after he was found hanging in his cell Wednesday afternoon. He had been placed in a single inmate cell since he was considered to be a danger to other inmates. He was also on a suicide watch since answers to questions at his initial booking indicated he was a suicide risk. He was on a required ten minute observation and had been checked nine minutes prior to being found hanging in his cell. CPR was performed on the inmate at the jail prior to being taken to the hospital. His name has not been released.
MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University in Marshall has signed its third articulation agreement with schools. On Wednesday, the agreement was signed by ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn and Jacksonville College President Mike Smith. The agreement will maximize the resources available at the two institutions to provide an accessible and affordable avenue to earn both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree. ETBU has previously signed articulation agreements with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and Kilgore College.
NEW LONDON – A former West Rusk school teacher is being accused of of recording three people in a changing room without their consent. Arrested September 12th on three counts of invasive visual recording in a bath or dressing room was 35 year old Joshua David Pero. He is currently free on bonds totaling $45,000. The incident is said to have occurred on May 18th, the same day he resigned from West Rusk High School, where he most recently taught English and world geography. He also sponsored the high school student council. Documents don’t indicate if the incidents took place on campus or if the victims were students.
TYLER – Automated parking is coming to Tyler’s Pounds Regional Airport. Automated payment kiosks are installed and their use will be phased in at the parking exits. You will be able to pay for parking using a credit card or cash at the main exit and credit card at the newly opened exit by the end of the month. You can also expect to see is an increase in lost parking ticket fees. At Wednesday’s meeting, the city council approved a change in the lost ticket fee from $10 to $50. Airport manager Davis Dickson says the higher rate for a lost parking ticket encourages travelers to pay their parking fee rather than ‘claim’ a “lost ticket.†Customers with lost ticket fees will be able to receive a partial refund by contacting the airport administration office and provide a travel itinerary, rental car receipt or other valid form of evidence showing their approximate length of stay at the airport.