Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
TYLER – Law enforcement agencies from five area counties will be taking part Tuesday afternoon in training to derail underage drinking parties. We’re told that drinking parties with little or no adult supervision are one of the highest-risk settings for youth alcohol use. The Controlled Party Dispersal Training allows law enforcement to control the number of partygoers fleeing the scene while safely rounding up the remaining attendees and hold responsible those who supplied the alcohol for the party. The training will be held off the North East Loop in Tyler. Counties taking part in the training are law officers from Smith, Gregg, Henderson Marion and Panola. The training is part of an initiative between Texans Standing Tall, the East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and other law enforcement groups from the surrounding area. The training is funded by the Texas Department of Transportation.
TYLER – A weekend accident that killed a Tyler woman remains under investigation. The car/pedestrian accident killed Teresa Rene Campos, 27. The accident occurred just before 11:30 Saturday night on State Highway 155, just south of Tyler. She was hit by a car driven by Willie Dunn Hayter, 71, of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety report says Campos was walking in a traffic lane when she was hit.
TYLER – The 8th annual ‘50 Gallon Challenge’ blood drive will be held Monday through Friday at Tyler Junior College. It will run daily from 10:00am till 6:00pm at various locations around the campus. A kick-off event will be held from 4:00 to 6:00pm on Monday in the parking lot on Lake Street, near Rogers Student Center. The event will include a live band, bounce house and free food. The public is invited to participate. Special designated parking areas will be reserved for members of the public who plan to donate. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University chemistry professor and patent agent Dr. Gary DeBoer has been awarded a summer faculty fellowship grant to work in the technical engagement office of the U.S. Air Force Research Lab. Unlike previous summer fellowships DeBoer has had working as a scientist with the Lab, this year he will work in intellectual property and technology transfer. He will be working with scientists to identify their patentable research. They will be working on obtaining patent protection and licensing of inventions to commercial manufacturers. DeBoer hopes to apply the air force model of technical engagement to LETU by developing a program to provide LETU faculty with an incentive to think about their patentable work, pursue patents and benefit from the return coming through revenues associated with licensing of their patent rights.
TYLER – The driver of a car has been arrested by Tyler police after a traffic stop turned into a chase. Arrested early Saturday morning was Isiah Demon Curtis, 28, of Longview. An officer saw him driving recklessly on a blown out tire on East Gentry Parkway. He wouldn’t stop for the officer. The car turned into the parking lot of the Town House Motel, crashing into a wooden fence and mailbox before striking a metal fence surrounding what used to be the hotel swimming pool. He then fled on foot, running into thick brush just north of the hotel. With the help of other officers, Curtis was arrested without incident. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of evading arrest with a vehicle, evading arrest on foot, driving while intoxicated and hit and run. A 31 year old passenger was arrested for public intoxication.
TYLER – Tyler police have started posting pictures of unknown suspects that have been caught on camera. The pictures will appear on the police department’s Facebook page in hopes you can assist them with identifying them. They are calling the feature, FIND “EM FRIDAY.” This is the first picture to be posted. He is wanted for a theft from a retail store.
TYLER – A man who was said to have been killed in a Tyler accident, is now alive and has been taken to the hospital. The 62 year old Tyler man was resuscitated at the scene. His name has not been released. The two vehicle crash occurred around 2:45 Friday afternoon at Loop 323 and U.S. Highway 271. The initial report said that a car had slid under the rear of truck’s trailer.
TYLER – New commercial air service is coming to Tyler. City officials will be joined by representatives from the airline to make the announcement. That will take place next Tuesday morning at 10:00 at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.
GLADEWATER – Two lawsuits have been filed against the Truman W. Smith Children’s Care Center in Gladewater, and its parent company, over the deaths of two children. The Longview News Journal reports the suits, filed on behalf of the childrens’ mothers, allege negligence. The suits say the children died from catastrophic injuries two years ago while being care for by the center. A lawyer who filed one of the suits, Van Wey , told the paper, that the suits were filed “to help the families find out what happened to their children and to ensure that the lapses in care have been fixed so that tragedies like these do not continue to occur at this facility.â€
GLADEWATER – The Gladewater Chamber of Commerce has handed out its annual awards. It occurred Thursday night at the chamber’s annual banquet and awards ceremony. TICO (Technical Installation Co. LLC) has been named Business of the Year. Also honored were Gladewater Economic Development Corporation board member Charla Nash, Woman of the Year and GEDCO board Vice President John Ussery, the Man of the Year. The “Educator of the Year†award was presented to Gladewater ISD Teacher/Coach Kevin Clark and Rashaud Johnson was selected as “Youth of the Year.†The Marilyn Godfrey Volunteer Service Award was presented to Jamie Ballard. The Chamber’s annual business awards are presented to companies and individuals for their contributions to the city of Gladewater and its economic growth.
TYLER – This fall, the University of Texas at Tyler will launch the new UT Tyler Pre-Med Academy. It’s a program to help students succeed in getting admitted to and being well-prepared for top medical schools across the nation. The new program will also focus on encouraging East Texas high school students to consider careers in medicine. The academy will operate through the College of Arts and Sciences. This is the latest addition to the University’s portfolio of medical-related programs. Others are the nationally ranked School of Nursing, the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy and the Department of Health and Kinesiology.
AUSTIN – County Judge Bill Stoudt of Longview has been reappointed to the state Commission On Jail Standards. He currently serves as chairman of the commission. Governor Greg Abbott made the announcement Friday. The term of the appointment, which is subject to senate confirmation, is set to expire on January 31, 2025.
HENDERSON – Search crews will be combing Rusk County Saturday, looking for a missing East Texas woman. The search is for Kimberly Flint, 57, of Reklaw, who was reported missing last September. Her car was later found wrecked on the Highway 84 bridge over the Angelina River. The car had hit a guardrail. Previous searches turned up no trace of the woman. Crews from ‘1st Priority Search and Recovery’ will be involved in Saturday’s search, using dogs and ATVs. Her family and Crimestoppers are offering a $6,000 reward for leads to help find her.
KILGORE – A large-scale cleanup effort continues in Kilgore following the severe straight-line winds that hit the city just over a week ago.The storm damaged homes and vehicles, downed power lines and trees. The damage was primarily to the city’s south side. An estimated 160 homes were damaged, with 40 having major structural damage and a dozen that are structurally unsound. The city continues to have crews collect tree and brush debris. But, due to the extensive damage, it could be a month or more before the cleanup is completed. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – After four months, County Road 411 is back open to drivers. Road crews replaced a bridge, closing the road between County Road 417 and Interstate Highway 20 last November. The bridge and roadwork was completed on Thursday.