Today is
Monday June 15, 2026
LONGVIEW — A Longview man remains in jail following his Thursday arrest after police said he injured his girlfriend, sending her to the hospital. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report bond was set at $7,500 for Emile Fitzgerald Porche, 48. He’s charged with assault of a family/household member with previous conviction. Police say his girlfriend told officers that Porche had slammed her onto the ground and hit her with a lawn chair Thursday on Wylie Circle. Porche has three previous convictions for assault/family violence.
KILGORE — Four East Texans were arrested Thursday in Kilgore after police said they led officers on a high-speed chase, pulled into a woman’s garage and attempted to hide inside her home. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Andre Renauld Taylor (pictured), 33, of Kilgore, Georgelee Holt, 30, of Longview, Cheyanne Renee Worthington, 23, of Kilgore and Summer Dawn Wyatt, 22, of Kilgore were booked into the Gregg County jail. A trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety attempted to stop Taylor on Thursday on Texas 31 for speeding, reporting that Taylor was driving 109 mph in a 65 mph zone. Taylor led the trooper on the chase for about 12 minutes before turning onto Echo Lane in Kilgore, entering a private driveway and garage, then crashing into a deep freezer, the trooper said. The trooper said four people then fled the vehicle and entered the home. The trooper kicked in the front door of the home and found Worthington and Holt hiding in the living room. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Smith County Sheriff’s deputy has been injured and a suspect officers have been chasing has been arrested. The chase started around 3:00 Sunday morning on North Loop 323 and County Road 35. The chase hit speeds up to 105 miles an hour, and the suspect even turned off his lights as he drove along County Road 492. On County Road 489, the suspect’s vehicle collided with another deputy’s vehicle. Sheriff Larry Smith says the patrol unit appeared to have been intentionally rammed by the suspect, identified as Dabrett Black, 32, of Lindale. The deputy was treated and released from a Tyler hospital. Black was charged with evading arrest, aggravated assault on a public servant and reckless driving. He remains in the Smith County Jail.
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of July 3rd. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.
Due to the high volume of traffic during the holiday, TxDOT-Tyler will not allow lane closures on its construction and maintenance projects through Tuesday, July 4. Work will resume Wednesday, July 5.
In Smith County, spot repair operations continue Thursday, July 6, on I-20 at various entrance and exit ramps as well as some mainlane locations. Expect lane closures at all work locations. Once completed, operations move to Van Zandt County. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS – Strong thunderstorms moved through East Texas Saturday, knocking trees and disrupting power. At one time, over 22,000 people were without electricity. Hardest hit appears to be the Longview area where over 14,000 were without power. In the Marshall area, the figure was put at 2,500. In the Tyler area, around 1,700 people were without power.
PALESTINE – An arrest has been made in the murder of 46 year old Ricki Deann Taylor of Palestine. The police department, on their Facebook page, announced they have arrested her ex-husband, Andrew Glenn Taylor, 50, and charged him with murder. He is currently in the Anderson County Jail under a $1 million bond. Detectives got a search warrant for Taylor on Friday and he was arrested, without incident, at his home on Magnolia Street. The body of the woman was found Friday night, June 23rd, in a remote location between Grapeland and Latexo in Houston County. She was last seen last Wednesday night, June 21th, and reported missing the following day. Her blue Ford pickup was found in Willie Myers Park in Palestine. The autopsy report said she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
TYLER – A lone gunman has robbed a Tyler business. It happened around 3:00 Friday morning at the Exxon station on the North Northeast Loop. The station employee said a man with a handgun entered the store and escaped in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of money. He is described as being possibly a Hispanic male with a dark beard. He was wearing a Black hat, a black jacket, and black pants. No injuries were reported.
LONGVIEW – Eight Longview retailers have been issued citations for selling tobacco to minors. The citations came during and undercover sting operation on Friday. Police officers, along with juveniles under 18 years of age entered 32 Longview stores. On their Facebook page, Longview police say they encourage you to educate your children and employees of the dangers and consequences of using and selling tobacco products to minors. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – An East Texas man has been served with a warrant in his Tyler hospital room in connection with an officer involved shooting on June 17th. Kenneth Alan Carner, of LaRue, has been charged with aggravated assault on a public servant. Once released from the hospital will be taken to the Smith County Jail. He was shot by sheriff’s deputy Lauren Fite following a traffic stop on County Road 35, also known as Lavender Road. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – Two persons are in custody for sexual assault of a child, and one of them is the victim’s mother. Arrested were Noemi Saenz and Leonel Hernandez. The victim, who was under 14, told family members about the incident, who them reported it to authorities. After an interview with the youngster, a warrant was obtained for Hernandez. When investigators learned the mother was a witness to the sexual assault and did not report it, she was arrested. While Hernandez was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, the youngster’s mother has been charged with failure to stop or report an aggravated sexual assault, a class A misdemeanor. Both have been booked at the Nacogdoches County Jail.
KILGORE – With the approval of the school’s trustees, there will be a new director of the Kilgore College Fire Academy. Trustees are being asked to name Michael D Simmons to the post. He would replace Ronnie Gothard who retired at the end of May after serving as the director of the Fire Academy for more than 10 years. Simmons is currently the Assistant Chief of Operations at the Kilgore Fire Department, a position he has held since 2012. He also serves as coordinator of the City of Kilgore Emergency Management and is on the board of directors of the Texas Association of Fire Educators. Simmons will become full-time at the college in November, but is scheduled to be on campus each week until then to oversee the academy. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Two women have been arrested by Longview police for prostitution during a sting operation. The undercover operation occurred Thursday. Records indicate the two agreed to engage in sexual conduct with an undercover officer. Arrested were Penny Ann White, 37, (pictured) and Shawntell Aimie Wion, 27, both of Longview. Both were charged with Prostitution, previous conviction and booked into the Gregg County Jail.
There is a new leader today at CHRISTUS Health. Named as Senior Vice President of Group Operations for CHRISTUS Health is Chris Glenney. He also becomes Chief Executive Officer of CHRISTUS Health Northeast Texas. Glenney has been with the health care system since 1998. In in new position, he is succeding Lindsey Bradley, who has retired after 36 years in the health care industry. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Law enforcement agencies in Northeast Texas will be out in force over the 4th of July weekend, trying to make your holiday a safe one. State troopers will be highly visible over the Independence Day weekend. Tyler police, with the help of a state grant, will have extra patrols on the street, looking for DWI motorists. Tyler police along with Smith County law enforcement agencies will be out in force for another ‘No-Refusal’ DWI campaign. If a suspected drunk driver refuses a breath test or blood test, a search warrant will be obtained and blood will be drawn by a nurse at the Smith County Jail. Tyler police spokesman Don Martin says this program has proven to be an effective tool to combat drunken drivers. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — A Kilgore woman has been indicted on two felony counts of aggravated kidnapping of a Kilgore College Rangerette. Police said Nancy Alice Motes, 57, kidnapped Alexa Blair, 19, at gunpoint from Blair’s home on Airline Drive in Longview. She was reportedly choked until she passed out and later was tied up in a storage building in Rusk County. Blair was able to escape and call police. Blair’s mother, Rangerettes Director Dana Blair, was at home at the time of the kidnapping and was bound by Motes. Authorities have declined to discuss possible motives for the kidnapping.