Today is
Monday June 15, 2026
LUFKIN – A Nacogdoches man is heading to federal prison because of drug trafficking violations. Jon McNeely, 24, was sentenced in Lufkin Monday by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark, to 20 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to federal prosecutors, McNeely was a major methamphetamine trafficker in Nacogdoches and Angelina counties. His drug trafficking organization was responsible for distributing over 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in the area.
LONGVIEW – A Marshall man has been indicted in Gregg County in a February murder. The district attorney’s office announced on Monday Darrell Wayne Wilson, 58, has been indicted in the February death of Ivory Neil Wilson, 57, of Longview. Her body was found in her apartment after officers had been sent there on a welfare check. Officers had been told that no one had been able to get in touch with the woman for several days. After running down numerous leads, officers were able to arrest Ivory on April 28th. He remains in the Gregg County Jail under a $250,000 bond.
PALESTINE – The preliminary autopsy report on the body of a Palestine woman shows the death to be a homicide. The body of Ricki Deann Taylor, 46, was found Friday night in a remote location between Grapeland and Latexo in Houston County. She was last seen last Wednesday night, and reported missing on Thursday. Taylor’s family members posted on Facebook that her blue Ford pickup was found in Willie Myers Park in Palestine with damage and that it looks like it had been forced off the road. The preliminary report said she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Palestine police say the investigation is ongoing and that detectives are pursuing all leads, with the assistance of the Texas Rangers. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – A second person killed in an Anderson County fire has been identified. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office says Amanda Beth Corson, 40, of Palestine was the second person killed in a June 18th fire. It occurred on County Road 2901 Southwest of Palestine. The fire also killed Casey Lee Williamson, 41, who lived at the residence. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. It remains under investigation by the sheriff’s department and the state fire marshal’s office.
TYLER — The Better Business Bureau has notified the Tyler Police Department that it’s received numerous phone calls from citizens about a caller claiming to work for the Tyler Police Department and asking for a donation to the organization. According to a news release, the Tyler Police Department will not solicit any monetary funds over the phone. If you get one of these calls, police say do not donate money — just hang up. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says two deputies stopped a Flint woman Sunday night and discovered a substantial amount of suspected methamphetamine she tried to hide in their patrol vehicle. Rachel Rush, 33, was arrested after 10 p.m. at the intersection of FM 315 and County Road 4201 after the deputies first discovered a small amount of illegal drugs, pills and needles in her vehicle, according to Hillhouse. After her arrest, she was seen on the squad car’s camera removing a concealed item from her clothing and placing it between the rear seat and the backrest. A clear, plastic baggie containing approximately 9 grams of suspected methamphetamine was logged in as evidence in the case along with the other contraband and paraphernalia. Rush faces charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a dangerous drug.
LONGVIEW — 43-year-old Robert Earl Jones Jr. of Longview has died after being struck Thursday around 9:30 p.m. by a vehicle on South Green Street. When officers arrived, witnesses told them Jones was trying to cross the street on foot in front of an oncoming car and did not allow enough time to get across the street. KETK reports the car, driven by 18-year-old Delia Espinoza of Longview, struck Jones and knocked him onto the sidewalk. Jones was transported to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center, where he died Friday night, according to the Longview News-Journal. No citations were issued.
KILGORE — Congressman Louie Gohmert recently announced that Kilgore College’s Upward Bound program will receive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $1.28 million. According to a KC news release, the grant will provide funding for KC’s Upward Bound program for the next five years. That will allow KC to partner with 50 qualifying students each year from Kilgore, Longview, and Pine Tree high schools. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in TxDOT’S Tyler District during the Week of June 26. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.
Spot repair operations continue on I-20 in Smith County at various entrance and exit ramps, including at FM 757, and the mainlanes as well. Expect lane closures at all work locations. Once completed, operations move to Van Zandt County. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE — Four dogs are safe after being rescued from a condemned house in Palestine on Friday. KETK reports officers from the Palestine Police Department and Animal Control were notified that the dogs were wandering the balcony of the structure on W. Palestine Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered there were no guard rails on the balcony, which put the dogs at risk of falling off. Neighbors told officers they believed the dogs were being fed; however, after searching for several hours, officers were unable to find their owners. After obtaining a search warrant, officers made their way inside the building to try and rescue the animals. They said they believed the dogs were using the balcony to escape the summer heat inside the structure. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE — Detectives from the Palestine Police Department located the body of Ricki Taylor, 46, Friday night in a remote location in Houston County. Taylor was reported missing on Thursday. KETK reports Taylor’s body has been transported to Dallas for an autopsy. Police say the investigation is ongoing and that detectives are pursuing all leads, with the assistance of the Texas Rangers. Anyone with information may call Det. Mark Harcrow or Det. David Kassaw of the Palestine PD at 903-729-2254 or anonymously send information via text message to PALPD, then the tip, to number 847411.
KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Department is asking for the public’s help locating a hit and run driver. KETK reports a truck crossing multiple lanes of traffic and T-boned a car in the area of Post Oak Road and Meadows Lane. The suspect vehicle is described as a red Dodge extended cab, possibly a 4×4, with black rims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Dukes at 903-218-6904.
LONGVIEW — Longview Fire Department officials say a crew took four people to a hospital Friday after apparent use of synthetic drugs. A news release says the crew responded to Magrill Park on North Green Street. Upon arrival they found several people suffering from what are believed to be the effects of an illegal substance. Bystanders advised that the patients had been using potpourri, which is a form of synthetic marijuana. Besides those hospitalized, two other patients refused EMS transport.
LINDALE — Smith County and state officials are investigating an oil tank explosion that sent two men to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. According to a county news release, the blast happened on County Road 419 at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Deputy Fire Marshal Trey Glover was first on the scene and discovered an oil tank on fire. Glover also located two men with severe burns sitting inside their vehicle. Jeremy Hernandez, 30, and Aaron Archie, 25, both of Smith County, were airlifted to Parkland. Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson says officials talked with a family member and learned the two were listed in critical but stable condition. Lindale, Dixie, and Van Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the scene. The oil tank is owned by D-S-B Properties LLC. The county Fire Marshal’s Office and Sheriff’s Office are collaborating with the Railroad Commission of Texas in the investigation.
TYLER — Texas Democrats continue their efforts to address constituents’ needs and take back some political power, and a chance to hear from some of them comes today in Tyler. The East Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, a subsidiary of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, has scheduled a town hall meeting for 11:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. at Liberty Baptist Church, on North Broadway. Organizers say it will feature statewide candidates, elected officials, pastors, preachers, community activists, and law enforcement personnel. Among its key concerns, the coalitions list healthcare, Medicare, Social Security, jobs, education, mass incarceration, water supply, homelessness, college debt, and immigration.