Today is
Saturday November 23, 2024
TYLER – A Smith County man, accused of setting a hospital bed on fire, is back in jail. Mason Reid Wyatt, 20, of Lindale had been free on bond. He was arrested last August at UT Health – Tyler following the bed fire. Emergency room personnel quickly put out the fire with only minor damage and no injuries. Wyatt was indicted in the case last month by the Smith County grand jury. He was arrested on Monday and booked into the Smith County Jail. His bond was set at $75,000 on the arson charge.
LONGVIEW – The Green Street overpass in Longview has claimed another victim. A cement truck got stuck at the railroad overpass around 10:00 Monday morning. Crews worked to free the vehicle and both northbound lanes, that hand been blocked, are now open.
CHAPEL HILL – One person has been injured and one arrested in a Smith County shooting. It happened around 5:00 Monday morning on Highway 64 East in the Chapel Hill area. Demmond McGowen, 27, of Lindale, was taken to a Tyler hospital by private vehicle for treatment of a gunshot wound to the leg. A witnesses identified the shooter as Brenton Taylor, 33. It was his home where the shooting occurred. Investigators obtained arrest warrants on Taylor for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He is now in the Smith County Jail under bonds totaling $300,000.
MARSHALL – A former Harrison County Justice of the Peace is now under two felony indictments. On Monday, Megan Nicole Grigsby was indicted by the Harrison County Grand Jury. She is accused of theft, the value of $2,500 or more but less than $30,000. She is also accused of abuse of official capacity. The property came into her possession because of her status as a public servant. Grigsby is free on a $10,000 bond following her arrest last week.
TYLER – The Smith County jail is now up to standards. It failed its inspection in early April. The jail was found to be deficient in the amount of time that an inmate has to exercise during the week. The deficiency was on two specific floors within the old jail facility and was due to a manpower problem. Sheriff Larry Smith says, even fully-staffed, the Smith County Jail is about 32 officers short to have an ideal inmate to detention officer ratio. The Sheriff and his staff made critical adjustments within the jail to accommodate the low manpower shortage and to correct the deficiency.
JACKSONVILLE – Some Jacksonville residents are under a boil water notice because of a sewage spill. Over 100,000 gallons of sewage spilled around 10:00 Sunday night at South Bolton Street on Sunnydale Drive and the Lake Shore Lift Station. They believe the spill is due to excessive rainfall that occurred over the weekend. According to a city news release, the city of Jacksonville’s water supply is not under a boil water notice. This notice is for individuals with private water wells in the immediate vicinity of the spill.
EAST TEXAS – Saturday’s storms spawned a tornado in Smith County. A team from the National Weather Service surveyed the storm damage in East Texas. They have confirmed than an EF-1 tornado touched down in the Chapel Hill area. The storm, with maximum sustained winds around 90mph, touched down around 5:45 Saturday afternoon near the intersection of highway 64 east and spur 248. Trees were uprooted, large limbs were broken and shingle damage was reported. The team also looked over the damage in Harrison county. The damage there was done by straight line winds.
TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work throughout the district during the week of May 20. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.
In Tyler, night work is scheduled from 7:00pm to 6:00am through Thursday, weather permitting, on the Farm Road 2493/Old Jacksonville Hwy Turn Lane Project at Grande Blvd. The contractor will be placing the final surface. Motorists can expect lane closures and delays during this work. Get more information on the project in the Smith County section of this release. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – County Road 1133 has been reopened. The road west of Noonday was closed after heavy rains caused a wash out nearly two weeks ago. Repairs have been made and it is now save for drivers. County Roads 2186, west of Troup, 26 and 247, both east of Tyler, remain closed until further notice while wash outs and culverts can be repaired.
BEN WHEELER – The victims of a Van Zandt County shooting that left two dead and one injured have been identified. The suspect is identified as Fernando Ruiz, 35 of Ben Wheeler. Taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment were Ismael Lugo-Cervantez, 57, and Amanda Dawn Roberts, 33, both of Ben Wheeler. Cervantez later died at the hospital. Roberts is in stable but critical condition. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home in answer to a disturbance call. The suspect is said to have shot at deputies, who returned fire. The suspect was later found dead behind the house. The investigation is ongoing. Heading up the investigation are the Texas Rangers.
TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Department is looking for two women charged with aggravated assault/causing serious bodily injury. They are Maquesha Renee Henderson, 26, and Akia Saleece Mosley, 19. Warrants have been issued for their arrest. If you know where they may be found, you are asked to contact Detective Hill at 903-566-6600. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler’s Breckenridge Village held a ribbon cutting Friday for three new homes. Each will offer a long-term home to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. This phase of the campus construction started in 2017. Among those providing assistance throughout the building process has been the Texas Baptist Men, led by Bill Pigott. One of the homes was dedicated and named in his honor. The other two homes were posthumously dedicated and named for Pierre deWet and Paul Powell. In addition to the ribbon cutting at each residence, butterflies were released at the homes.
TYLER – It was graduation walk time Friday for some seniors at John Tyler High School. The school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination seniors visited elementary campuses Friday as part of their annual Graduation Walk. It’s the 4th year they visited every elementary school in their attendance zone. Next week the seniors will walk a stage at Chistus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium and get their diplomas. Graduation day for Seniors at Robert E Lee will be next Friday evening at 8:00. John Tyler Seniors Graduate the following night at 8:00.
LONGVIEW – A Longview school will be shuting down at the end of the school year. Citing a lack of enrollment, East Texas Christian School will be closing after 25 years of operation. It is located on Farm Road 5621, just south of Interstate Highway 20. It is next to the main campus of New Covenant Church, whose lead pastor and wife, Chuck and Diana Warnock, founded the school. The Longview News Journal reports, according to an email from the Head of School, Renee Sawyer, the decision to close was made final during the school board meeting on May 7th.
MARSHALL – Marshall police have released the name of the officer injured in a Monday evening chase. Officer Zach Lastra was running after a man who was accused of threatening a woman a 3 small children. During the chase, the officer and suspect crashed into an apartment window. The officer was taken to a Longview hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to repair injuries to his arm. He is expected to make a full recovery. The suspect he was chasing, Antonio Dejuan Trammel,34, of Marshall, was arrested the following day. In addition to a parole warrant, Trammel was charged with evading arrest or detention causing serious bodily injury and evading arrest or detention with previous convictions.