Today is
Saturday June 20, 2026
KILGORE — Kilgore police have made an arrest in a fatal hit and run accident. A warrant for accident involving death was issued Monday for Krysten Nycole McCarty, 25, of Kilgore. She has been identified as the driver of the minivan that struck and killed Robert Jack Moorhead, 5. She was arrested and booked into the Kilgore Municipal Jail. The vehicle, a 2006 Dodge Caravan, has been found about a block away from the accident scene and was seized. The young boy was riding a push scooter near the roadway when hit by a grey mini van. He later died at a Kilgore hospital. The accident happened shortly after 3:00 Sunday afternoon in the 1900 block of Florence Street
JACKSONVILLE — Cherokee County authorities have announced a body found nearly a year ago has been identified. The body found between Alto and Wells on September 3, 2014, has been identified as that of Julie Ann Wiggins, a transient, in her early 50s. Her body was found while TXDOT crews were mowing near the intersection of US Highway 69 and County Road 2620. It took a DNA sample to determine the woman’s identity. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON — A registered sex offender, who was wanted for evading arrest, has been arrested in Harrison County. We told you last Thursday that the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office wanted Jamie Dale Walker, of Henderson. He was also wanted by the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office for contempt of court. Walker was arrested around 4:00 Monday afternoon On Interstate Highway 20 near Marshall. The arrested was made by the US Marshalls service along with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and Marshall’s Police Department.
TYLER — Legislation that takes effect in Texas today gives local school districts flexibility to employ highly qualified teachers for career and technical education courses. The bill was filed in the Texas house by State Representative Matt Schaefer of Tyler. He said Austin had been making the matter very difficult. His bill cuts the red tape. According to Schaefer, “I want our local school officials deciding whom to put in the classroom, not bureaucrats in Austin.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County authorities are still looking for three suspects thought to be responsible for a weekend shooting that left one person dead and three injured. It started with a report just after 1:00 Saturday morning of a disturbance at the Flamingo Club off Farm Road 14. As deputies responded to the scene, they heard multiple gunshots coming from Bunny’s Truck Stop nearby. Killed was Laprida Shears, 25. Treated and later released were Bertram Amie, 30, and Romel Johnson, 29. Still hospitalized is Damonte Shears, 26. Deputies have been looking over surveillance videos and searching for the suspects.
MARSHALL — A Marshall man has died after being shot in the stomach by a juvenile. The shooting occurred shortly after 6:15 Sunday evening in the 200 block of Albermarle Road. The victim, Jimmy Thomas Henington, 55, is said to have died in a Marshall hospital around 4:00 Monday morning. Marshall police say the victim’s wife first called authorities. A short time later the 14 year old boy called police to say he would be waiting for their arrival. He will be charged with murder.
NACOGDOCHES — A teenager has died in an ATV accident in Nacogdoches. Patrick Clayton Ryan, 14, died at a Nacogdoches hospital following the Saturday night accident. It occurred on private property of County Road 302. Investigators say the accident occurred as Ryan attempted to jump and embankment. It appears as if the front tire of the four-wheeler caught the lip of a concrete edge, causing the vehicle to flip.
JACKSONVILLE — A registered sex offender from Tyler who allegedly violated his parole has been captured in Jacksonville by the U.S. Marshal’s Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force (JETTF). KETK reports Justin Lee Paul, 27, was wanted for an alleged violation on the original offense of aggravated sex assault of a child. Officials also say he was not in compliance with his sex offender registration requirements. According to a news release, the JETTF developed information that Paul was in the Jacksonville area. Officials say he was located and arrested around noon Sunday without an incident, as was booked into the Cherokee County Jail.
TYLER — The date has been set for the annual Texans Against Crime (T.A.C.) block parties in Tyler. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 13, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. T.A.C. celebrations are held throughout East Texas on the second Tuesday in October. Last year Tyler had over 120 block parties. Registration is now open, and you can register your block party at http://www.tylerpolice.com or by calling the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1096. According to information from the police department, T.A.C. is designed to unite neighbors and communities to encourage neighborhood communication, community involvement and crime prevention. Police say the program helps to educate residents about crime prevention and inform residents that communities are safer when neighbors work together.
Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the weeks of August 31 and September 7. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.
A $5.2 million night time operation gets underway Tuesday, September 1 on U.S. Highway 79 in Henderson (Rusk County). The contractor will start work at 7:00pm. The repair project runs from Farm Road 225 going north to the Traffic Star. Work will be conducted in one-mile sections from 7:00pm to 6:00am each Sunday through Thursday for the duration of the project. Business access will be temporarily affected as the contractor stages equipment. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — A hit and run accident in Kilgore has left a child dead. Robert Jack Moorhead, 5 was riding a push scooter near the roadway when hit by a grey mini van driven by a white female. The youngster died at a Kilgore hospital. The accident happened shortly after 3:00 Sunday afternoon in the 1900 block of Florence Street. If you see a van matching this description, with damage to the front of the vehicle, you asked to contact Kilgore authorities.
PLANO — A Tyler resident can now go by the name Queen. Saturday night, Jo Anne McMeans was named the winner of the Ms. Texas Senior Classic Pageant 2015 in Plano. Ms. McMeans, who is Community Liason Director at Tyler’s Prestige Estates Assisted Living and Memory Care Centers, was first runner up in the pageant last year. The pageant motto is “We are changing the image of aging.” It consists of judges interviews, modeling in an evening gown, “Philosophy of Life,†and talent. Even though she had no formal dance education, she to decided choreograph and perform a musical routine to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,†which the audience really enjoyed. When the five finalists were selected, each had to select a question, sight unseen, to answer. It was after this the final scores were tabulated and the winners announced. Besides taking the top prize, Ms. McMeans also was named second runnerup in Best Talent was named Most Photogenic.
LONGVIEW — The attorney for Joshua Thomas, 17, who was shot and injured by Longview police Tuesday, says his client is considering filing a lawsuit against the police department. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, attorney Daryll Bennett said there are no criminal charges filed against Thomas. “At this point, we’re trying to figure out why one out of three officers would fire on (Thomas) six times when he hadn’t done anything to them and why the cops were hiding around the corner,” Bennett said. “We don’t even know where their vehicles were at that time.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz will be making a Texas fly-around Thursday that includes a stop on the outskirts of Tyler, according to information from the Cruz campaign. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the program begins at 3:30 p.m. at Smith’s Lone Star Event Center on FM 2767. Campaign officials say the event is open to the public at no cost. You can go to http://www.TedCruz.org to RSVP and learn more about the campaign. Cruz’s other Thursday rallies will be in Fort Worth and Kingwood.
TYLER — Boulter Middle School has received a $20,000 Verizon-Project Lead the Way (PLTW) grant to use toward Introduction to Computer Sciences (ICS) classes. According to a Tyler ISD news release, the grant will allow Boulter students to expand their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) focus to include specialized units in Computer Science. The PLTW funds will be disbursed over the course of two years and will be used to pay for the costs associated with integrating ICS classes (Introduction to Computer Science I and Introduction to Computer Science II) into Boulter’s curriculum beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN (AP) – Officials say an East Texas teen has been accused of pushing a 3-year-old boy into a pond in a drowning allegedly to make room for his pregnant girlfriend’s child to live at a residence. Angelina County jail records show 17-year-old Bobby W. Woods was being held without bond Saturday on a charge of capital murder of a person under age 6. Online records don’t list an attorney to speak for Woods, who was arrested Friday and booked as an adult. Mason Cuttler’s body was discovered Aug. 18 in a pond near Lufkin, a day after he disappeared outside as his parents cleaned their home. An affidavit says Woods, who lived at the home, says he pushed Mason into the water and left. The suspect’s girlfriend is related to Mason’s father.
SMITH COUNTY — One person is dead, several others injured in an overnight shooting in Smith County. KETK reports the sheriff’s office was called just after 1:00 Saturday morning about a disturbance at the Flamingo Club off FM 14. As deputies responded to the scene, they heard multiple gunshots coming from Bunny’s Truck Stop nearby. They arrived at the scene and found multiple bullet holes and casings throughout the area, according to officials. They then received a call from an emergency room of multiple victims being treated for gunshot wounds. One person, Laprida Shears, 25, had died and three others were being treated for what were termed non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies have been looking over surveillance video and searching for three shooters. We will update you once more information is available.
HENDERSON — Another East Texas county has lifted its burn ban because of the recent rains. Rusk County Judge Joel Hale signed the order Friday morning lifting the ban. It had been put into effect August 10th.
LONGVIEW — A Longview woman, charged in connection with the accident that killed her son, has been indicted in the case. The Gregg County grand jury has indicted Dekeshia Charity Thomas, 24, on a charge of intoxication manslaughter. She was arrested in February after her SUV hit another vehicle and a tree and rolled over. A few weeks later, her 8 week old son, Terrence Demarcus Crayton, died in a Dallas hospital from injuries received the wreck. Investigators say the child was not in child safety restraints. in July, Thomas was brought back to 124th District Judge Alfonso Charles’ courtroom, accused of failing to live up to a condition of her bond. The judge set a new bond of $200,000, and she is back in the Gregg County Jail. No trial date has been set for the case.
LONGVIEW — Longview has a new Animal Shelter Director. City Manager David Willard told the Longview News Journal Shannon Johnson of Everett, Washington, has been hired for the post. Johnson was the director of the animal shelter in Everett and oversaw the construction of a new their new shelter in 2009. Her first day on the job in Longview will be October 26th.
GLADEWATER — Gladewater police have located the family of a woman found wandering along U.S. Highway 271 Thursday night. She said her name was Maria Amyla, and she may be from the Addison area. She appears to be suffering from Alzheimer’s. They are said to have made contact to a nephew of the woman. No word on how she was able to travel to Gladewater.
TYLER — A couple of new touches were rolled out Thursday evening as the United Way of Smith County celebrated its 75th anniversary and kicked off its annual campaign. The longstanding tradition of setting a monetary campaign goal is giving way to a different approach. United Way President Nan Moore says this year’s goal is a 10% increase in participation, from 8,500 donors to 9,350. Moore calls the switch part of a “new strategic direction to focus on engagement.” Campaign chair Mandi Monk says there was also a lot of “history, excitement, and legacy” as the event honored all its past chairmen. 35 of the honorees were either on hand or represented at the kickoff. You can go to http://www.unitedwaytyler.org for more information.
LONGVIEW — Gregg County Crimestoppers is asking for the public’s help in locating a murder suspect. He is Jose Zamarripa, 27, of Longview, a suspect in a fatal south Longview shooting in January. He is a suspect in the death of Omar Hernandez, 22. Jail records show Zamarripa has been arrested five times under the name “Jose Maria Ibarra.” Charges range from possession of a controlled substance in 2007 to unlawfully carrying a weapon. Gregg County Crime Stoppers may pay up to $1,000.00 for information that leads to the arrest of Zamarripa. Contact Crimes Stoppers online at http://www.greggcountycrimestoppers.org or call 903-236-STOP (7687).
HENDERSON — One of two known gang members wanted by Rusk County authorities is in custody. Jamarion Miguel Houston, 20 (pictured), turned himself in at the Rusk County Jail last night. Still at large is Taurus Trevion Roberson, 21. Both are from Lufkin. Roberson has 13 warrants out for him and Houston has four. The two are wanted for theft of a firearm, burglary of a vehicle, credit card abuse and abuse of the elderly. If you know Roberson’s whereabouts you are asked to contact the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office at 903-657-3581 or Rusk County Crime Stoppers at 903-655-8477.
AUSTIN — A Smith County man has received one of the awards handed out by the Texas Department of Public Safety. He is State Trooper Jeremy Frazier of Tyler. He received a Lifesaving Award for his actions during a life-threatening incident last September. While on patrol, Frazier heard and responded to a request for emergency medical assistance for an unresponsive passenger in a vehicle on U.S. Highway 83 in Rio Grande City. Upon arriving at the scene, Frazier checked on the woman, removed an obstruction from her airways and began performing CPR until EMS arrived. The woman was ultimately transported by EMS to the hospital. Frazier was one of seven persons to received awards from the Texas Public Safety Commission and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
TYLER — Smith County authorities have turned up additional cases against a man arrested earlier this year for sexual abuse of a child. He is Rance Kevin Lusby, 59. The first incident is said to have occurred in 2010 while Lusby was doing landscape work for a family. Detectives then discovered there were two separate incidents reported to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in reference to Lusby who had been accused of similar acts of sexual abuse against two other children. They were said to have occurred in 2010 against a 3 year old female and 2011 against a 3 year old boy. These two cases were investigated previously but were subsequently suspended due to lack of sufficient evidence. As the investigation continued, more evidence surfaced and Lusby was arrested back in April. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON — Two known gang members are being sought by Rusk County authorities on a variety of charges. They’re asking for the public help in locating Taurus Trevion Roberson, (pictured) 21, and Jamarion Miguel Houston, 20, both of Lufkin. Roberson has 13 warrants out for him and Houston has four. The two are wanted for theft of a firearm, burglary of a vehicle, credit card abuse and abuse of the elderly. If you know their whereabouts you are asked to contact the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office at 903-657-3581 or Rusk County Crime Stoppers at 903-655-8477.
LUFKIN (AP) – An endangered jaguar has been born at an East Texas zoo as part of a breeding program called the Species Survival Plan. The Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin on Thursday announced the birth of the male cub. The jaguar was born Aug. 20 and named Balam, which is the Mayan word for jaguar. The animal weighed 1 pound, 6 ounce at birth, but has since grown to about 2 pounds. A zoo statement says the parents are 8-year-old Seraphina and 3-year-old Kabah. Zoo experts are tending to the cub because the first-time mother was not nursing her offspring and the newborn required special attention. The cub is not yet on public display.
TYLER — Smith County Extension Agent Keith Hansen is retiring. Hansen, who has served nearly 30 years as an Extension Horticulture Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, with 23 years in Smith County, he is retiring at the end of this month. Hansen said he felt like now is the right time to retire in order to spend more time with family and to try out new ventures. He will continue his business of creating and maintaining websites for businesses, while keeping his hand in the horticulture world, consulting and speaking when asked. He said he is also going to try garden coaching, giving guidance to do-it-yourself gardeners. He plans to continue blogging and is developing his new website, http://easttexasgardening.com and is contemplating writing a book. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — Three Longview police officers, on administrative leave following a shooting, have been identified. They are are Dustin Ashworth, John Delgado, and Armando Juarezortega. Officer Delgado has been identified as the one who fired his gun, wounding Joshua Kennon Thomas, 17. Thomas was said to have been hit several times. He is hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries. Read the rest of this entry »