Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
TYLER – Time is running out for students to enter Fit City Tyler’s Youth Art Contest. The contest is for aspiring artists from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Students are encouraged to submit original artwork pieces following the theme of “Fit for Life.†The 3rd annual contest is open to all Tyler area students. The artwork will be judged in four age categories based on creativity in expression of the theme. Entries must be received by this Friday. You can go to http://www.fitcitytyler.com for entry forms and consent forms.
TYLER – From 8:00 till 5:00 on Tuesday, it will be international Day at Tyler Junior College. This marks the 26th year for the activities at TJC. There will be cultural exhibitions, international music, entertainment, food fair, and arts and crafts from countries all around the world. There will be over forty countries represented as well as other educational exhibits. Entertainment throughout the day includes Greek dance, African tribal dances and even the hula. The U.S. Post Office will have a table set up for passport applications and renewals. Read the rest of this entry »
HAWKINS – A two vehicle accident in Wood County over the weekend left one person dead and one injured. It occurred just before 10:45 Saturday morning on Farm Road 14, just over 2 miles north of Hawkins. Steven Joseph Almanza, 28, of Dallas, died in a Tyler hospital. His passenger, Jenny Paine, 31, of Dallas, is in serious condition in a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety says the accident happened when a pickup driven by Emily Catherine Moore, 17, of Hawkins, hydroplaned and crossed the road and hit Almanza’s SUV. Moore was treated and released at a Tyler hospital. The crash remains under investigation.
TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work throughout the district during the week of April 15. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Tyler Maintenance crews plan to continue base repair operations on State Highway 110N near Farm Road 3271. Crews will also conduct ditch maintenance on roadways around the county. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS – Heavy thunderstorms rumbled through East Texas Saturday afternoon. Some produced deaths, injuries and damage. In Angelina County, two children, ages three and 8, were killed when a tree fell on their car. Some streets around Alto are closed to traffic because of storm damage. We have had reports of trees down and damage to homes and businesses. Over 20 persons were injured at the Caddo Mounds Historic Park, where they were part of a group celebrating Caddo Culture Day. The park has been closed till further notice. Public Information Officers Kathi White in the TxDOT Tyler District office says crews are assessing roadways after possible tornadic activity in Alto in Cherokee County. Current closures are on US 69, SH 21, and SH 294. Caution is advised for motorists traveling through this area. Visit DriveTexas.org or call 1-800-452-9292 for updated road conditions and closures. Read the rest of this entry »
ARP – A Harris County man has been killed in a Smith County accident. It happened just after 3:00 Thursday afternoon on U.S. Highway 64, three miles west of Arp. Dead at the scene was Lejuan Keith Holmes, 47, of Humble. In stable condition in a Tyler hospital was James Whitney Callis, 43, of New London. The Department of Public Safety says Holmes changed lanes, hitting the car next to him. That car then hit a tractor-trailer rig driven by Timothy Julius Johnson, 53, of Bullard. Johnson was not injured. The crash remains under investigation.
TYLER – Tyler Police are searching for a Critical Missing Person who is identified as Anthony Patrick Dodds, 17. He is autistic and acts the age of 9-10. He was last seen in the area of Paluxy and Loop 323 around 7:30 Friday evening. He is 5’05 tall, 132 pounds, black short hair, brown eyes, wearing glasses. He was last seen wearing a green/white horizontal striped shirt “Guess”, blue jeans, blue/black Nike shoes. If you locate or have any information related to this subject please contact the Tyler Police Department immediately at 903-531-1000.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – State troopers were called to the scene of a two vehicle fatal accident on State Highway 64 and County Road 2132 in Van Zandt County. One person has been killed. Highway 64 was shut down as emergency responders worked to secure the scene. The road has since been reopened. More information will be released as it becomes available.
TATUM – A Tatum high school school student has been arrested after being accused of bringing a gun on the campus. He is said to have showed the gun to other students around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. They reported it to school officials on Thursday. The student and his belongings were removed from the classroom and searched, but no gun was found. Surveillance footage showed he had a real or fake gun, but he did not threaten anyone.
LONGVIEW – The Longview city council has approved the purchase of property for the police department headquarters. The building will sit on seven acres near their current building, which they share with the municipal court. The new building will nearly double the size of the current 31,000 square foot facility. The price tag for the new building on Luckett Street is $33.4 million. It should be ready to move into within three years.
SMITH COUNTY – A fatal accident in eastern Smith County remains under investigation. The three vehicle wreck occurred on U.S. Highway 64, just east of County Road 298, between Chapel Hill and Arp. The accident involved two passenger cars and a truck tractor towing a semi-trailer. One person was dead at the scene and one person was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment.
TYLER – It’s life in prison for a Smith County murder. In a Thursday court appearance, Charles Edward Lennon III, 30, pleaded guilty to murder. He had been charged with the July 2018 death of Rachel Lynn Jackson of Bullard. She died after being beaten with a tire knocker. And, because he failed to pay probation fees, Lennon’s probation was revoked on two prior cases of possession of a controlled substance. On each of those charges he had been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Those sentences will run concurrently with the life prison sentence.
TYLER – Two African elephants from San Diego, California, are now living at Tyler’s Caldwell Zoo. They come from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. They are both 8 years old. Such a big transfer takes a lot of time and effort. It has taken over two years to plan the transfer. The move to Tyler came as a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. All AZA-accredited facilities work together to manage populations, participate in breeding programs, and promote conservation and education goals. Zoo officials say the elephants have made the transition even quicker than expected. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A capital murder defendant appeared in a Tyler court Thursday for a pretrial hearing. Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 26, of Bullard, is accused of the November 2016 death of Kayla Gomez-Orozco, 10. Her body was found days later inside a well on the suspect’s property following her abduction from a Bullard church. During the hearing, several routine motions were handled. Still pending are defense motions to suppress statements he made to authorities after his arrest and a defense request for a change of venue. State District Judge Jack Skeen said those will be handled at a later date.
TYLER – Don’t be surprised to see a Tyler Fire Department truck on the campus of U-T Tyler Friday night. The truck will be there in connection with the school’s homecoming activities. One of the events is a fireworks display. It had originally been scheduled for Saturday evening. But, with rain in the forecast, the fireworks were moved to Friday night. The fire truck will be on stand-by during the fireworks to provide services, if needed. The display is expected to begin at around 9:00pm and should last for 15 to 20 minutes.