Today is
Monday June 15, 2026
TYLER – Two 911 calls resulted in the arrest of a Tyler teen. He is Desi Lee Griffith, 17. It started with a call about a bicycle theft. Then came a call from a girl who said a teen tried to sexually assault her near Andy Woods Elementary. She was able to get away from him and call 911. Police spokesman Don Martin said a witness to the bike theft gave them the name of the suspect, because they had gone to school with him. The description of the two suspects matched. They went to Griffith’s home, where he was arrested. He was booked into the Smith County Jail.
KAUFMAN – East Texas authorities are looking for a woman wanted for aggravated robbery and child endangerment. The Kaufman Police Department has identified her as Megan Boulter. According to the department’s Face Book page, she is believed to be hiding out and moving between Kaufman, Van Zandt, and Dallas counties. And she is said to be aided by a male friend. You can go to https://www.facebook.com/cityofkaufmanpolice and see more pictures of Boulter with her hair in different styles and colors.
TYLER – Dr. Dennis Cali has been recognized by the Media Ecology Association for outstanding academic research. Cali, a professor and chair of The University of Texas at Tyler Department of Communication, received the “Top Paper Award†at this year’s MEA Annual Convention. Cali teaches and researches primarily in the areas of media ecology, political communication, rhetorical criticism and religious communication.
LONGVIEW – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the Longview Chamber the highest level a chamber can achieve. The Longview Chamber has been awarded the 5-Star Accreditation. It is based on the chamber’s policies, organizational procedures and positive impact on the community. It’s the second straight time they have received the highest level. The The honor places the Longview Chamber of Commerce among the top 1% of chambers nationwide. Of the 7,000 chambers in the United States, only 106 are rated 5-Star.
LONGVIEW – Longview’s Hawkins Parkway will be reopening to traffic on Wednesday. Over the last five months, there has been construction to repair the dip on Hawkins Parkway at Eastman Road. Construction will continue for minor items such as pavement striping and markings. Daily lane closures will still be required to complete the last items of the construction. Drivers are encouraged to be patient and drive safely. The work is being funded by a grant from the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority through Gregg County and by the City of Longview.
MARSHALL — A man considered to be armed and dangerous has been taken into custody. Quantravious Markez Miles, 19, surrendered just after 11 a.m. on Monday. He is being held in the Harrison County Jail. Miles was wanted for one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of forgery and one count of misdemeanor theft. The aggravated assault charge is said to stem from a July 2nd shooting where Miles is accused of shooting at a car in front of him. No one was injured.
TYLER – A Large portion of Golden Road will be closed for several days. Reynolds and Kay will be seal coating a major portion of Golden Road starting today; the work is expected to last one to two days. Travelers should expect delays or find an alternative route until complete. The work will impact travel on Golden Road from Old Henderson Highway to Fifth Street.
TYLER – Tyler police have identified a woman critically injured in a Monday accident. She was injured around 9:30 Monday morning when she jumped in front of an 18-wheeler on Highway 69 north of Black Fork Creek. At first they issued a description of the woman, believed to be in her 30’s to early 40’s, medium build, with light brown short hair. They also released pictures of tattoos in hopes of identifying her. We’re now told they know who she is, but have not yet released her name.
TYLER – Work is well underway for the annual East Texas State Fair. It will be held on the fairgrounds off East Front Street in Tyler September 22nd through October 1st. There will be the exhibits, carnival, and of course, the fair food. This year’s fair will a lot of live music, more than in past years. This year they will introduce Countryfest; a music festival type event featuring ten Texas Country artists over two Saturdays. All concerts are free with regular fair admission. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN – A homeless man, trapped under a Lufkin bridge by high water, was successfully rescued. Jimmy Taylor, 49, had been resting on a couch under the Chesnut Village bridge when the water started rising. Taylor got on top of the couch inside an air pocket as the water continued to rise. The water had risen to the bottom of the bridge when officers arrived. They called the Lufkin Fire Department to request members of the Swift Water Rescue Team. Fire Department Lt. Jared Sowell, outfitted with swift water rescue gear, was able to rescue Taylor. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A man connect to a Mexican drug cartel has been sentenced in Tyler on drug trafficking charges. Regulo Ramirez-Duarte, 22, of Tyler had pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to three years in prison. This was in connection a total of 15 marijuana fields found growing in East Texas during an 18 month investigation. The man said to be the local ring leader of the group has also been arrested. With his attorney with him, Eduardo Ramirez Pineda, 24, of Tyler, turned himself in to authorities back in April.
LONGVIEW – A traffic stop in Gregg County has resulted in an Overton man being arrested on drug charges. Darrell Euguene Fort Jr., 43, was stopped on Interstate Highway 20 southwest of Longview. Fort is said to have told the deputy he had bags and baggies of marijuana in the vehicle. He also is said he had Ecstasy pills and a small scale and an illegal gun in the vehicle. When the items were found, Fort was charged with drug violations and unlawful carrying a weapon. He’s in the Gegg County Jail under bonds totaling $50,000.
BEN WHEELER – A Smith County woman has died in a one vehicle accident in Van Zandt County. The crash happened shortly before 9:45 Sunday night on Highway 64, east of Ben Wheeler. Dead at the scene was Angela Davidson McCollum, 47, of Tyler. According to the preliminary investigation, her suv was heading south when, for some unknown reason, it left the road. She drove through a grass ditch, hit a culvert and then went airborne. It landed on the passenger side of the vehicle.
ATHENS – A toddler has been killed in a Henderson county accident. The one year old boy wandered onto Highway 175 West, just northwest of Athens. The accident happened shortly after 9:00 Sunday night. Santiago Sanchez was hit by a car driven by a Garland man, who was unable to avoid hitting the youngster. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. The Department of Public Safety says the accident remains under investigation.
TYLER – Last year, after the death of 5 Dallas police officers, State Senator Kevin Eltife started the “We Back Our Law Enforcement” Campaign. It was to raise funds for body armor vests for law enforcement. Smith County sheriff’s deputies and constables showed off 97 rifle resistant vests Friday. The vests, which will also go to Tyler policemen, cost $204,000. The city and county will pay a portion of the cost. The rest came from the community. The goal was to raise $104,000. But the community drive exceeded that goal. Read the rest of this entry »