Today is
Friday July 24, 2026
EAST TEXAS – Weekend rains have caused some area burn bans to either be lifted or modified. Gregg County lifted its burn ban Monday. County Judge Bill Stoudt said the county has received sufficient rainfall, and drought conditions have abated. Rusk County commissioners on Monday rescinded an unconditional ban and enacted a provisional one. Rusk County residents can burn outdoors if they take the proper precautions. This means they can burn out doors by using a burn barrel under certain circumstances. There are still burn bans in place in Smith, Cherokee, Upshur, Wood and Harrison counties.
TYLER – Tyler police have arrested a man they say was trying to pawn stolen items. Wendell Halkman, 23, of Fort Worth is said to have broken into a Tyler home on Sunday. He then took the items he had taken from the home to First Cash Pawn on South Broadway. When they saw he was not familiar with the value of the items he was trying to pawn, they called police. As officers started arriving, he fled on foot. They later found him hiding in a dumpster at Broadway and Amherst. He is being held in the Smith County Jail for burglary of a habitation and evading arrest. He is also wanted in Fort Worth for robbery.
TYLER – Free rides are being offered, for a limited time, to Tyler Junior College. Tyler Transit and TJC have partnered to create the “Invest in our Future” campaign. It allows students, parents and guardians to ride the Tyler Public Transportation System’s fixed routes for free when riding to TJC. The campaign will run through the end of the month. Registration for fall classes at TJC continues now through August 26. A bus stop is located on the TJC main campus at the corner of Fifth Street and Baxter Avenue. Read the rest of this entry »
DALLAS – Mail processing operations are resuming at a Mentroplex postal facility. Postal officials have announced the North Texas Processing and Distribution Center in Coppell resumed daily operation on Monday. Last Tuesday the facility was shut down when mercury spilled from an improperly mailed package. Mail on its way to the Tyler area is routed through this facility. While the north Texas mail center was shut down, mail was diverted to other mail processing facilities in the Metroplex area. This slowed and delayed mail coming to this area. But now, since the plant has been cleaned and certified to be safe, mail delivery is returning to normal.
LONGVIEW – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that people are once again getting the IRS scam phone calls. Someone is calling, claiming to be an IRS official, wanting payment for a past due tax bill. They try and con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent†callback requests through phone “robo-calls,†or via phishing email. The IRS says, this is not the way they operate. If you don’t owe back taxes, or have no reason to think that you do, don’t give out any information, just hang up.
ATHENS – A Silver Alert has been issued for an Athens woman. The Department of Public Safety issued the alert for Diana Lynn Musella. She was last seen leaving her apartment around 9:00 Wednesday morning. When she never arrived at her destination that day, she was reported missing. She is said to be driving a silver or beige Toyota Corolla with the Texas license plates DNZ2279. If you see her, you are asked to contact the nearest law enforcement agency.
EAST TEXAS – Another area county has been added to the burn ban list. There are over a dozen counties on the list, including Smith and Gregg counties. That latest to join the list is Wood County. Sheriff Tom Castloo say the county is now under a burn ban effective immediately.
TYLER – The annual United Way campaign in Smith County is off and running. The campaign had its kickoff Thursday as it attempts to raise funds to support 34 programs in the county. Through these programs, the United Way serves an average of 60,000 persons each year. Their goal this year is to increase its donor base by 20% over last year. That would bring it to just over 6,100 donors. And, again this year, anyone contributing $5 or more per week to the Smith County United Way campaign is automatically entered in a drawing for a car.
TYLER – UT Tyler’s Innovation Academy has been rebranded. The kindergarten through 12th grade charter school’s new name is University Academy. Dr. Jo Ann Simmons, the University Academy superintendent, said the name is appropriate because their students will graduate with an average of 30 hours of college credit from a UT institution. Operated by the UT Tyler College of Education and Psychology, University Academy enrolls more than 750 students on campuses in Palestine, Longview and Tyler. The charter school was founded in 2012. It will graduate its first class in the Spring of 2019.
TYLER – Tyler ISD Athletics has announced a new bag policy for CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. It is being implemented for the 2018 football season to enhance security measures. Fans are encouraged not to bring any types of bags inside CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium during football games; however there are exceptions. Read the rest of this entry »
COPPELL – Area mail service has been disrupted because of a hazardous material spill in the Metroplex. Tuesday, there was a mercury spill at the processing and distribution center in Coppell. Mail on its way to Tyler is routed through this facility. The spill, which came from a package that had been mailed, caused delays in mail distribution. There is no official word as to when normal mail service will be reestablished. We understand it may not be until early next week. Meanwhile, the Postal Service has temporarily suspended operations at the North Texas facility, and mail is being redirected to other processing facilities.
PAYNE SPRINGS – The fire chief in Payne Springs has been suspended following his arrest. The volunteer fire department’s Face Book page says Randy Harley, of Mabank, has been suspended indefinitely. This follows his arrest for bribery and tampering with a governmental record. He was arrested by the Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office. Harley was booked into the Henderson County Jail on Thursday. He was later released under bonds totaling $60,000.
TYLER – Tyler has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. It is for the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget document. This is the twelfth consecutive year that Tyler’s budget document has received this special recognition. The award, from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, was presented to the Mayor and Council during the Wednesday’s city council meeting.
TYLER – A Flint man has been arrested for the aggravated sexual assault of a child. Arrested was Levester Cauley, 72. He is currently free on a $250,000 bond. The victim in the case told a family member who told the youngster’s mother, who in turn reported it to the sheriff’s department. After a medical evaluation and forensic interview, investigators determined that the step-grandfather had sexually assaulted the victim. On Tuesday, an arrest warrant was obtained for Cauley. He was arrested the following day.
MARSHALL – A ceremony has been held, as four new Marshall policemen took their oath of office. The ceremony was held late Thursday morning at the Marshall Police Department. All four have been assigned to the patrol division. The men are Cory Lemons of Whitehouse, Jordan Stiff of Waskom, and Dustin Gauthier of Marshall, all who graduated from the East Texas Police Academy last Friday. The fourth man is Michael Spencer of Marshall, who graduated from the Central Texas Police Academy in June of 2015.
EAST TEXAS – East Texans will be joining others around the state to take advantage of a weekend of Tax free shopping. The sales tax holiday comes along at just the right time as families take care of back to school needs. The tax holiday weekend has been an annual event since 1999. The state comptroller’s office estimates shoppers will save $90.3 million in state and local sales taxes Friday through Sunday. The law exempts most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced below $100 from the sales tax. This saves shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend this weekend. You can go to https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490/clothing-footwear.php for a list of the items that are tax exempt and those that are not.
LONGVIEW – Thanks to an alert neighbor, two Longview burglary suspects are in custody. The neighbor saw a unique golf cart that belonged to his neighbor being unloaded a block away from the residence into a red car by a man and a woman with blue hair. The resident had previously seen the two walking on Fairmont Street. Officers were able to find the couple leaving the woods in Lois Jackson Park on Bill Owens Parkway. According to the department’s Face Book page, Cassidy Dawn Collier 31, of Gladewater, and Daniel Thomas Barnes 28, of Longview, have been charged with burglary of a habitation. Collier had outstanding warrants for operating a motor vehicle without a license and failure to maintain financial responsibility. Both are now in the Gregg County Jail. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – A man wanted for sexual assault of a child is in custody in Marshall. The arrest was in connection with what was called “Operation Safe Summer.” It is a multi agency operation designed to make sure all registered sex offenders in Harrison County were in compliance and to arrest those with warrants for sex-related offenses. The first time they went to the home of Michael Wayne Baird, 37, of Marshall, who had a warrant our for his arrest, he wasn’t there. When they returned on Wednesday, he was taken into custody. He is currently in the Harrison County Jail under a $50,000 bond.
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville police have announced one person has been arrested and two are being sought in two armed robberies. Three persons were said to have been involved in the robbery of two gas stations, about 40 minutes apart, on June 16th. The police announced on Wednesday that a juvenile is in custody in the robberies. Arrest warrants have also been issued for Justin Allen Jones, 25,(pictured) and Torrian Stubblefield, 18. Both are said to be armed and dangerous. If you know where they can be found, you are asked to call your local law enforcement agency or Cherokee County Crime Stoppers. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Proposed tax increases are being suggested for Tyler and Smith County. Under City Manager Ed Broussard’s proposed budget, Tyler’s property tax rate would increase less than half a cent. The budget also calls for a slight increase in water and solid waste charges. The first of two public hearings on the tax rate and proposed budget is scheduled for August 22nd. The budget is scheduled to be adopted on September 12th. Smith County is also proposing a slight increase in its 33 cent tax rate. The county is scheduled to make a final decision on its budget and tax rate on August 28.
TYLER – There is a new arrival at Tyler’s Caldwell Zoo. Lulu, a reticulated giraffe, was born on Saturday July 28. She stands six feet tall and weighed around 150 pounds at birth. The mother, Cricket, who is 8 years old, came to Tyler from the Denver Zoo in 2011. Lulu is her second calf. Her first calf Knox, was born in 2014 and he is now at the Jackson Zoo in Mississippi. Giraffes are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
AUSTIN – Tyler and Longview’s sales tax allocations from the state continue to run ahead of last years totals. The state comptrollers office is sending out $842.7 million in local sales tax allocations for August. These allocations are based on sales made in June. The figure is 8.2% more than August of last year. Tyler will be getting over $3.8 million, just over 5 1/2% more than last August. Tyler’s year to date total is just over $29 million, nearly 7% more than the same period last year. Longview’s August check is for over $3.1 million, a 20% increase. For the year, Longview has received over $21.8 million, a 10% increase
TYLER – A Smith County runaway has been found. The sheriff’s department had said they were looking for Jacob Norris. He had last seen around 5:00pm on August 6th, near his residence off Farm Road 16 West in Lindale. They announced on their Facebook page “this individual has been located and is safe.” They also added that Child Protective Services is now involved in the case.
SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man is lucky to be alive after his car crashed into Lake Palestine while he was texting and driving. Joseph Van, 41, of Flint was headed north on Farm Road 346 when the vehicle went off the west side of the road. He over corrected, crossing the road and over the east guardrail and into the lake. Two persons in a boat helped him get to safety. The accident happened around 4:00 Tuesday afternoon.
TYLER – A Wood County man, in Tyler federal court, has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. Travis E. Grindle, 65, of Mineola, entered his plea Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. Prosecutors say Grindle, retired as a brakeman from Union Pacific Railroad and since 1994, has been receiving federal disability payments from the Railroad Retirement Board. Recipients of such government benefits are obligated to report certain events that may affect continued eligibility. This includes the performing of any work or improvement of condition. For four years, Grindle failed to report that income from his truck leasing business exceeded annual earning limits for receipt of his disability benefits. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
EAST TEXAS – The Smith County Commissioners Court has voted to continue the burn ban that was issued last week. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said, if the county receives the rain forecasted later this week, she said she would need to look at the conditions before considering whether to lift the burn ban. Receiving rain does not automatically lift a burn ban. And while Smith County is extending its burn ban, Cherokee County has been placed under a burn ban for 90 days. The county commissioners approved the ban at a called meeting Tuesday. It followed a 15 acre fire Monday near Alto. It threatened several structures. County Judge Chris Davis said the ban could be lifted before 90 days, but they would need a lot of rain for that to happen. Among the area counties that were already under burn bans were Gregg, Rusk, Henderson, Harrison and Van Zandt.
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has unveiled a set of proposals to reform the bail system in Texas to protect law enforcement and the public. The Governor calls it the Damon Allen Act. Allen was a state trooper who was shot and killed in Freestone County following a traffic stop last Thanksgiving. Arrested was Dabrett Black, 33, of Lindale. The governor said, despite his previous criminal record, Black was released on bond because the justice of the peace in his case was unaware of his prior convictions. The Governors new proposals hopes to close that loophole. In early March Black, who is charged with capital murder, pleaded not guilty. His next pre trial hearing is set for September 27th.
TYLER – Smith County has launched a new web site, which they say has more information and is more eye appealing. County officials have been working for about a year to redesign the website. Besides looking good, they wanted something with more information and was easy to navigate. The new website has large buttons that are clearly labeled with county departments and the offices of elected officials. The are online services that include making payments for court fees, traffic tickets, property taxes and vehicle registration. The new website also offers mobile and tablet-friendly versions. You can check it out at smith dash county dot com.
TYLER- There will be no tax hike for Tyler Junior College. Last week, trustees gave preliminary approval to a half-cent tax hike. But, after reviewing the latest information from the Smith County Appraisal District, school trustees at Tuesday’s meeting decided to to hold the current tax rate of just over 19 cents per $100 valuation. The appraisal district’s figures show that the increased residential homestead valuations will provide enough new revenue to TJC to allow them to maintain business operations for the year with the current tax rate. This means they plan to keep the same tax rate for the 6th year in a row. Read the rest of this entry »
PAYNE SPRINGS – Two persons have died in a one vehicle accident in Henderson County. The Department of Public Safety identified the dead Monday as Kenneth Adam Case, 20, and Alex Fiedler, 23, both of Mabank. The preliminary report said the pickup, driven by Case, was traveling at an unsafe speed. As he exited a curve, the vehicle went off of the road and into the grass. The driver over steered to the left causing the vehicle to enter a side skid, go back across the road, and into a ditch where it struck a tree. The truck then caught fire. The accident happened around 9:15 Sunday night on Quanah Drive in Payne Springs. The accident remains under investigation.