Today is
Sunday June 14, 2026
KILGORE – A Kilgore man, accused of several area bank robberies, has reached a plea agreement with federal authorities. Hector Camargo, 48, of Kilgore, was scheduled to go on trial next month. But, in a notice filed Monday, acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston announced the agreement. Once it is approved, a sentencing hearing will be set. He is accused of robbing banks in Longview, Kilgore and Liberty City. Camargo remains in the Gregg County Jail on three counts of bank robbery and two counts of possessing a firearm during a violent crime. His bonds total $205,000. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The city of Bullard will be getting assistance in housing stray dogs. Smith County Commissioners Tuesday approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Bullard to take its stray dogs into the Smith County Animal Shelter. According to the agreement, Bullard will be responsible for responding to animal control matters within its city, then transporting the dogs to the shelter. The city will pay any fees associated with impoundment, testing, medical treatment or other services. Whitehouse will pay Smith County $50 per dog that is brought to the shelter, as well as an additional $35 for each dog requiring euthanasia. The agreement between Smith County and Bullard is effective through Fiscal Year of 2018. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A Longview woman has won on the TV game show Jeopardy and she appears on Tuesday’s show as the returning champion. Angela Ward won $11,800 on Monday’s show. According to the Longview News Journal, Ward is a former reporter for the paper. They report that about 18 months ago, she performed an online audition, which is a timed test. Based on that score, she was invited to a live audition in Oklahoma City. Her appearance on the show was filmed in Burbank, California in April. On Tuesday’s show she will be going up against Betsy Knudson of Salt Lake City, Utah and Farhad Mahmoudi of Encinitas, California.
LONGVIEW – Two east Texas programs are in the running for a state-wide award. The Texas Downtown Association has announced Tyler and Longview are finalist for the TDA President’s Awards program. It’s for the Best Promotional Event in the over 50,000 population category. In the running is Tyler’s Toast to Downtown Tyler, a monthly happy hour showcasing local bars, restaurants, and coffee shops in the Downtown area. For Longview, it’s Downtown Live, a free concert series at Heritage Plaza. Winners will be announced on November 8 at the President’s Awards Gala held in conjunction with the 2017 Texas Downtown Conference in McKinney. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Smith County Commissioner JoAnn Hampton has been indicted by the Smith County grand jury. The indictment, which charges Hampton with one count of injury to an elderly person, was returned on September 7th. The incident is said to have occurred on Sunday, April 2, at the Spring Creek Baptist Church on County Road 46. A woman told sheriff’s deputies Hampton entered her closed door meeting with the pastor and started shouting at her. She said Hampton pushed her, causing her to fall and to injure her wrist. The woman was treated and released at a Tyler hospital. Hampton surrendered to Authorities on April 24, and released on a $10,000 bond.
TYLER – 89-year-old Auzie Manning Campbell has been killed in a Smith County highway accident Friday night on State Highway 31 East near County Road 236. According to DPS, preliminary investigation shows Campbell may have been crossing the street to pick up her mail when she was struck by a minivan. Law officers had to divert traffic for a time onto County Road 236. DPS says further information will be released as it is verified.
TYLER – Smith County sheriff’s deputies have arrested two persons in connection with an injured toddler. Arrested this week were Terral Deshon Carter, 26, and Taylor Nicole Skinner, 24. The injured child is recovering following surgery at a Dallas hospital. On August 27th, the sheriff’s department received a call from Child Protective Services concerning a suspected child abuse case. A 15 month old child had been admitted to a Tyler hospital with severe injuries that were consistent with abuse. The child was later transferred to a Dallas hospital. After an investigation, Carter was arrested on a charge of for injury to a child/serious bodily injury. A day later, Skinner was arrested for Injury to a child by omission. Both remain in the Smith County Jail.
MARSHALL – With the start of the new school year, a record enrollment is being reported at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall. The school’s enrollment is placed at 1,533 students. That’s a 5% increase from the fall of last year. And with a freshman enrollment of 419 students, that’s the largest freshmen class in the history of the institution. The school was founded in 1912 as College of Marshall.
TYLER – It has been announced that Dr. Peter J. Plantes is stepping down on November 3rd as CHRISTUS Health’s Senior Vice President of Physician Enterprises and CEO of CHRISTUS Physician Group. He will be succeeded by Jason Markham, 43, (pictured) who will officially take over as Chief Administrative Officer of CHRISTUS Physician Enterprises. Last month, Markham was named Chief Administrative Officer of CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, a role he will continue to hold in addition to his new position.
TYLER – It is time for the annual fall spruce up at Tyler’s Discovery Science Center. The children’s museum will close starting Monday for complete renovations and updates.The scheduled closing occurs each fall for updating exhibits and facilities and conducting deep cleaning and other maintenance tasks. It will reopen on Wednesday, September 27th. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Smith County man has man has pleaded guilty to arson and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. State District Judge Kerry Russell sentenced Matthew R. Dutton, 31, of Flint, to 20 years in prison. He was arrested in May for assaulting his girlfriend with a knife and setting his single wide mobile home on fire. The mobile home was destroyed by the fire, which started on a bed. His girlfriend told investigators Dutton was intoxicated when he cut her with a knife and wouldn’t let her leave the home. About three hours after being assaulted, she was able to sneak out of the house and call for help.
AUSTIN – Texas home sales increased in the first half of the year. The same was true in Tyler. According to the Real Estate Midyear Review Report, released Friday by the Texas Association of Realtors, home sales in the state jumped 5.5% compared to the first half of 2016. Over 166,000 homes were sold between January and the end of June. Texas home prices also continued to rise steadily in the first half of the year. The median sales price increased 7.7% from the previous year to $221,800. Tyler home sales increased 11.6% in the first half of 2017 to 1,439 single-family home sales. The median price in Tyler increased 4.9% to $183,000 during the same time frame. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The campus police at Tyler Junior College are investigating a report of a man exposing himself to three women. A news release from the school said it happened around 4:30 Thursday afternoon outside the OHPE faculty parking lot F-8 on main campus. The incident happened as the three were sitting in a car. He was last seen leaving the campus in a tan four-door vehicle. The man is described as a white male, slim build, 6 feet tall, short hair and appeared to be in his 20s. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Following the incident campus police issued a campus wide alert and increased patrols of the campus and nearby areas.
LONGVIEW – The 68th annual Gregg County Fair starts Friday and runs through September 16th. There’s the carnival, exhibits, fair food, petting zoo and even pigs racing for an Oreo cookie. Then you add to that the music, contests and the Miss Gregg County Pageant, there is something for everyone. Activities get underway Friday evening at 6:00. Admission is $6 per person. It is free to children 3 and younger, seniors 60 and older, and military personnel with ID. You can go to http://greggcountyfair.com for a schedule of activities and more information.
TYLER – The East Texas Human Needs Network has a new online services directory to help people in need in Smith and Cherokee counties. With access to the internet, you have help in a variety of ways by completing an anonymous help form. Help is available in such areas as abuse and neglect, crisis hotlines and helplines, housing and shelter, legal matters and much more. And there is a tool that enables you to translate the material to your native language. The organization’s founder, Christina Fulsom says, when you need help or answers as quickly as possible, before a small issue becomes an overwhelming problem, help is just a click away on the internet at 903HELP.