Today is
Thursday June 18, 2026
BEN WHEELER — To help raise funds for victims of the tornadoes that ripped through Van Zandt County April 29, a benefit concert is taking place from 12:30 p.m. to midnight today at The Pickin’ Porch Park in historic downtown Ben Wheeler. The Van Zandt County Twister Relief Concert features a long list of talented musicians who are stepping forward to donate their time to the cause. Confirmed performers include Neal McCoy, Jeff Allen, the Wesley Pruitt Band, Will Burgin, Clay Thrash, Austin Layne, Heather Little, Meredith Crawford, Seek the Peace, Buddy and the Flashbacks, Diamondback TX, Chad Bennett, TuTu Jones, and blacktopGYPSY. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – With summer approaching, the Tyler Fire Department and several other agencies re-grouped Friday to finalize the draft for their 2017 Heat Response Plan. KETK reports it’s nothing new, but they continue to meet each year to make sure the public is informed properly. “It’s not uncommon to hear about heat related injuries, of course, and illnesses — but also, unfortunately, deaths,” said Tyler Fire Marshal Paul Findley. “Also tied to that, the incidents of children in vehicles.” Findley points to “some startling statistics on how hot it can get inside of an enclosed vehicle.” Their drafted plan shows if the outside temperature is 95 degrees, within an hour the interior air temperature of a car is around 140 degrees. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a theft suspect. The theft occurred on Wednesday at Texas Best Smokehouse on Eastman Road. The man in the pictures is suspected of taking a Husqvarna Backpack Blower. If you can supply information about the man, you are asked to contact Lieutenant Hope at 903-234-3118, Gregg County Crime stoppers at 903-236-STOP(7867), or greggcountycrimestoppers.org.
TYLER – A man accused of robbing Rotolos Pizza in Tyler last December will be spending a long time in prison. Freddy Lee Criss, 55, was sentenced Friday by state District Judge Jack Skeen to 6 life prison sentences. He had pleaded guilty to five counts of aggravated robbery and one count of evading arrest. As officers arrived at the restaurant, they saw his vehicle leaving. A chase followed. It ended when Criss wrecked on South Broadway at Loop 49. He then tried to flee on foot, but was arrested after a short chase. Criss has a criminal history spanning over three decades, including bank robbery. In July of 2009, Criss pleaded guilty to the April 2009, robbery of the First National Bank of Emory. He was out of prison on supervised release in the federal bank robbery case when he robbed the Tyler business.
TYLER – The Faulkner Park sprayground has closed for cleaning. The sprayground at 410 West Cumberland Road is expected to reopen Saturday morning at 9:00.
CANTON – A suspect has been arrested in a Van Zandt County road rage shooting that killed a Smith County man. Ryan Mullee, 39 of Lindale was shot to death on Interstate Highway 20 in February of last year. The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s office has announced that a suspect in the slaying is in custody in the metroplex. 32 year old Son Duong of Grand Prairie is currently in jail in Arlington on local drug charges along with multiple warrants, including the Mullee murder. He will be transported to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office upon release from Arlington Police Department. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center is bulging at the seams. To help to find homes for the felines, all cats are free for approved applications. As far as the dogs, they say, make us a deal on dogs we can’t refuse (upon application approval). Also, all will be spay/neutered, 1st set of vaccinations, 30 day flea treatment, wormed, rabies vaccination (if old enough) AND 30 days of free pet health insurance. The center says this would cost you close to $400 on that dog you saw for sale online or in a parking lot. The center, located at 303 H.G. Mosley Parkway, is open from 11:00am till 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and closed on Sunday and Monday.
LONGVIEW – Four men have been arrested in Longview in separate cases of soliciting minors. The sting operation was headed up by the Child Exploitation Unit of the Texas Attorney Generals Office. The four thought they were making arrangements with a 15 year old to have sex. It turned out they were corresponding with an officer in an undercover operation. Arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor, sexual conduct, were 27 year old Nehemias Pineda, of Tyler, (pictured) 49 year old Johnny Houston Jr. of Gilmer, 29 year old Joaquin Pineda of Henderson, and 32 year old Shane Jeffery Chapman of Hallsville. Chapman was also charged with unlawfully carrying a handgun.
PALESTINE – An alarm sent Palestine police to the Trinity Valley Teachers Credit Union on Loop 256. The call came in just after 3:30 Thursday morning. Arriving officers found the ATM at the Credit Union had been removed. The investigation is continuing.
LONGVIEW – Atmos Energy customers in Longview will be seeing an increase in natural gas rates. The Longview city council yesterday approved a 7% rate hike for the company. The company had proposed an 8% increase. But Longview and other cities negotiated the rate lower. The city council vote for the hike was 6 to 1, with councilman David Wright voting against it. He said the company had raised its rates at least 5% for each of the past two years. But inflation had only increased around 2%
AUSTIN (AP/STAFF) — Governor Greg Abbott has visited a gun range to sign a law reducing Texas’ fees for licenses to carry handguns to the lowest in the nation. The bill, which was penned by State Senator Robert Nichols of Jacksonville, drop from $140 to $40, the cost of first-time permits, and from $70 to $40 fees for 5-year-renewals. The governor then took target practice, as he often does after signing gun bills. The National Rifle Association said Texas’ gun carry fees are now America’s lowest. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is once again stepping up its patrols targeting DWI drivers over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. The department is participating in a state grant that will provide funding to the department to bring in officers who are not on regular patrol. If a suspected drunk driver refuses to take a breath or blood test, a search warrant will be obtained to have blood drawn by a nurse on staff at the Smith County Jail. And besides looking for the drunk driver, officers will also be checking to make sure everyone is buckled up. The no refusal campaign started Friday and will run through Monday.
KAUFMAN — A Gun Barrel City man has pleaded guilty to the murder of his next-door neighbor in a love triangle. Donald Coleman said John Morgan was dating his estranged wife. So in March of last year, he followed Morgan to the Kaufman Walmart, shot and killed Morgan, then turned the gun on himself. But he survived. Morgan’s daughter, Shauna Constantine, says it happened while she and her dad were having a rough time in their relationship — something she never got to patch up. Coleman, who was left with a permanent brain injury, took a 38-year prison term. A prosecutor says it will effectively keep Coleman, 59, locked up for the rest of his life.
LONGVIEW – One person has been killed in a Longview accident. The motorcycle-truck accident was reported just before 1:00 Thursday afternoon on West Loop 281 and Ray Street. Pronounced dead at a Longview hospital was Charles Tems, 40, of Gladewater. Investigators report Tems was westbound on Loop and was not wearing a helmet. The truck was making a left turn from the center lane of the loop onto Ray Street. The accident remains under investigation.
TYLER- A scholarship has been created at Tyler Junior College for students in the school’s Associate Degree Nursing program. The Smith County Medical Society Alliance presented school trustees on Wednesday a check for $30,250 to create the endowed scholarship. The endowment will allow TJC to award a $1,200 scholarship each year to a deserving nursing student. Funds for the scholarship were raised through the medical alliance’s book sales held in April and October.