Today is
Monday June 15, 2026
ARP – The Arp Police Department is asking for help in identifying two theft suspects. The two men broke into the Arp ISD AG barn, and stole items belonging to the school district and students and put them into a white pickup. They also took a hand made trailer. If you recognize the suspects, you are asked to contact the Arp Police Department.
ATHENS – A Gun Barrel City man has been indicted on a variety of charges following an April incident. Timothy Brian Berry, 42, is said to have held his estranged wife and two other persons at gunpoint. When deputies chased Berry, he is said to have fired a couple if shots at them. No one was hit. He then abandoned his car and led deputies on a foot chase. He eventually threw down his pistol was taken into custody. He has now been indicted for aggravated assault on public servant, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, abandoning or endangering a child, unlawful possession of firearm, evading arrest possession of controlled substance, and theft. He remains in the Henderson County Jail.
ATHENS – A Payne Springs man has been indicted for murder by the Henderson County Grand Jury. Timothy Wayne Washington, 45, was indicted for the murder of a man in a Gun Barrel City home back in March. Witnesses reported seeing Washington drive off at a high rate of speed shortly after the shooting. When officers stopped his car, they found a passenger, who had been taken against their will. Washington has been indicted for murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.
LONGVIEW – Some vandalism has been reported in Longview. It was reported along the Paul G. Boorman Trail off Summers Drive. According to the police department Facebook page, no arrests have been made but the suspects have been identified. The artwork will be restored and put back up.
SMITH COUNTY — Two juveniles have confessed to a July 4th burglary. It happened at the Dollar General, 12125 Hwy 271, around 5:05 a.m. An unknown amount of cigarettes were taken during the burglary, which was caught on video. Later that day, the Smith County Sheriff’s office received a call from a parent advising that her son and another boy had committed a burglary. The boys, ages 15 and 13, confessed. Two cigarette packs were recovered from the teens. The remainder of the cigarettes had been given away. Both boys were identified as the subjects that were on the video from Dollar General. They were processed into the Juvenile Attention Center.
ATHENS — A July 4th trespassing call ended with two men in the Henderson County Jail for possession of illegal drugs. According to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Stephen Grant Ivie, 25, of Frankston, and Leslie Brian Kelley, 34, of Tyler. (pictured) were both arrested Tuesday in the Berryville area after it was reported that they were trespassing on property without the owner’s permission. The responding deputy found a clear plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine, a package of pills and marijuana. Ivie was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Kelley was arrested for possession of dangerous drugs. Both are in the Henderson County Jail awaiting arraignment.
TYLER — Carter BloodCare in Tyler is working hard this summer to keep its supply up. According to a news release, a variety of Texans might need blood transfusions — ranging from motor vehicle accident victims to cancer patients fighting for a few more months of life. You can help by visiting one of several locations holding blood drives in Tyler in coming days. The events are scheduled for this Friday and Saturday as well as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week, at three businesses and a couple of apartment complexes. Check http://www.ktbb.com/calendarofevents/ for more information. You can also go to http://www.carterbloodcare.org to learn more.
KILGORE — The 32nd season of a Texas tradition is in full swing. The Texas Shakespeare Festival continues till July 30 in the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center on the campus of Kilgore College. This year’s productions include Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Richard III.” Other productions are “Cyrano de Bergerac,” the musical “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” the children’s production “The Witch of Pickle Patch,” and “Did You Hear Thunder.” You can get tickets and more information at http://www.TexasShakespeare.com or by calling the ticket office at 903-983-8601.
TYLER — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport has posted an online survey seeking input from residents on preferred destinations. Officials say the airport has recently been in contact with several airlines about adding service to and from Tyler. The questionnaire form says the different airlines have shown an interest in servicing Tyler Pounds once the construction on Runway 4/22 is completed; that’s expected no later than December 2018. Airport officials say each airline has asked for data to support the service it would offer. Several potential destinations are included in the survey. The possibilities include Houston, additional flights to DFW, and a some out-of-state locations. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org/Portals/0/Documents/Airport/Surveys/Air%20Travel%20Questionaire.pdf to learn more and take fill out the questionnaire.
EAST TEXAS — A North Carolina man indicted last month on an aggravated sexual assault of a child charge in Longview has been arrested. Javier Bahena Quintana, 42, of Clemmons, North Carolina, is awaiting extradition to Gregg County. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Quintana has been jailed in Guilford County, North Carolina, since May 5. Quintana is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at least three times between April 2010 and May 2011. He also faces an indecency with a child/sexual contact charge from April 2016. A Gregg County grand jury indicted Quintana on the charges in May. The girl told investigators during a Dec. 30, 2016, video interview that Quintana sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — A Chandler man accused of murder is indicted by a Nacogdoches County Grand Jury. Lester Butcher, 54, was booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail June 30 on a $1 million bond. According to KETK, Nacogdoches County Deputies discovered the body of James Steitler during a welfare check on April 10. Officials said the body showed obvious signs a homicide had occurred. Butcher was arrested in Henderson County.
EAST TEXAS – Tyler renews an annual tradition with its big 4th of July fireworks show. Tyler police alert drivers of route changes for the celebration at Lindsey Park. All traffic attending the Fireworks show at Lindsey Park is required to enter at the main entrance off of Spur 364.The Greenbriar Road park entrance will be for exit only. Beginning at 9:00 tonight, Spur 364 at Loop 323 will be closed to all westbound traffic. Officers are requesting any resident who lives off Spur 364, who needs to get home during this time, to present their driver’s license showing proof of their residency to the officers stationed at this location. Officers will allow residents only to proceed westbound on Spur 364. After the fireworks show all eastbound traffic on Spur 364 will be forced to turn right onto Loop 323 heading towards Highway 155. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — If you’re planning to shoot fireworks, beware of one that is seemingly safe for kids but can cause serious injuries. 4th of July celebrations are planned statewide, and many families will celebrate with casual fireworks displays of their own. Marshall Fire Chief Reggie Cooper says a popular firework marketed to kids can be very dangerous. Cooper says sparkers “put off a tremendous amount of heat,” resulting in numerous injuries to children. In 2016, there were an estimated 900 emergency room visits related to sparklers. Roughly 400 of those injuries were children under the age of four.
RUSK – Court documents show Rusk Volunteer Fire Chief Donald Lankford has entered into a pre-trial diversion program and charges against him have been dismissed. KETK reports as part of the agreement, Lankford must undergo six months of probation, 20 hours of community service (may self-report), and pay a $500 fee. Lankford, 44, applied to the program while facing two counts of deadly conduct via the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. The charges stem from an incident in December 2015 when he chased after two teenagers, who claimed the fire chief tried to run them off the road twice. He allegedly followed them all the way to a neighboring county. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A local health official will soon move into the top position with a nationwide health leaders’ group. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has elected George T. Roberts, CEO of the Northeast Texas Public Health District, to its 2017-2018 Board of Directors as its new Vice President. Roberts began his one-year term as Vice President on July 1, and he will then become the President of NACCHO in July 2018. In a news release, Roberts says he’s “honored to be part of NACCHO’s solutions to the growing healthcare needs of our country.†As the governing body, the NACCHO Board of Directors is NACCHO’s public face and represents members in matters of policy, public health practice and collaboration with health partners in the public and private sectors, according to the news release.