Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
HENDERSON – A former Tatum police officer is being charged with second-degree sexual assault. Arrested Friday was Terry Lofties, 26. He is accused of assaulting a 60 year old woman. Pending an investigation, he was suspended from the police department when the complaint was filed earlier this month. He has since been fired from the department.
GILMER – An Upshur County man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the death of an 11 month old boy in March of last year. Javarrious Troy Kimeyan Dixon, 22, of Gilmer, pleaded guilty on Friday to injury to a child with a deadly weapon. The grand jury indictment said that Dixon “intentionally or knowingly” caused the death of 11-month-old Armani Troy Berrospe by “striking him on or about the head, face and neck with the hands, fists, arms or feet” or with an unknown object. The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said in March, 2017, that deputies responded to a 911 call to Farm Road 2088 near Bettie in reference to an injured child. The child was taken to East Texas Medical Center-Pittsburg, where he later died from the injury. The autopsy report showed the boy died of “blunt force injury to the head.” .
TYLER – The Tyler school district is investigating a video that has turned up on the social media that shows a John Tyler teacher pushing a student. But the school district says the video may not show the whole story. According to a TISD statement, the preliminary investigation reveals the teacher was assaulted first, and the video doesn’t show the entire situation. The teacher has been put on administrative leave. And the district says the student will be disciplined according to the district’s code of conduct.
SMITH COUNTY – Motorists on Interstate Highway 20 are asked to be alert for wet conditions and a fatal accident. The two vehicle accident occurred on the west bound lanes near the 546 mile marker, near the Smith/Van Zandt County line. Expect traffic delays in the area. We will have more information when it becomes available.
LONGVIEW – In state district court in Longview Friday, a Kilgore man pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child. Sentenced to 35 years in prison was Brigido Sanchez. He waived all rights to appeal. Sanchez, who was arrested in May of last year, also has an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold for illegal entry into the United States from Honduras. According to investigators, the sexual abuse happened in 2015 when the victim was 12 years old and also in 2017 when the victim was 13 years old.
CORSICANA – The state representative whose district covers the Palestine area, is asking the governor to call a special session this summer on school safety. The request comes from State Representative Byron Cook. The request comes in the wake of the school shooting at Santa Fe. In his letter to the governor, Cook says he commends the governor on the school safety roundtables that have started. But he says much more must be done. Cook says, if we act now, “we can implement state policy and appropriate funding to ensure that our schools will be safer before the next school year begins.” The letter was sent to the governor the first of this week.
MARSHALL – The East Texas Baptist University Enactus Team has partnered with the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) clients at Marshall’s Community Healthcore (CHC) center to create a soap-making company. It is called the Heavenly Scents Soap Company. The students developed a marketing plan, obtained initial funding, created a website, and trained IDD clients to make artisanal glycerin and goats milk-based soap lines. They sell their produce to the public through craft shows, boutiques, and an online store. The company currently offers Lavender Goat’s Milk Soap Bars, Strawberry Vanilla Soap Bars, and Vanilla Goat’s Milk Soap Bars for $7.00 each. All profits go back into Heavenly Scents Soap Co., benefiting IDD clients at CHC. You can go to http://www.heavenlyscentsoap.com to learn more about the product.
TYLER – Following the action of the city’s planning and zoning commission, the Tyler City Council has approved some big changes for the Broadway Square Mall. The changes would add nearly 118,000 square feet of new retail space to the property. The plan calls for adding restaurants on outlying sections of the property, along South Broadway, changing the parking layout and adding three retail stores on the south side of the mall. Also included in the changes is the demolition of the building where Sears is located and rebuilding it smaller.
TYLER – Tyler Sister Cities installed Peace Pole in the Tyler Rose Garden. It displays the message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth,†and highlights the international cities that have established formal collaborations with Tyler. The pole stands about six feet high and lists six Sister Cities and points in the direction of each country and provides the distance you would have to travel to reach each city. More peace poles will be placed around the city, as funding allows.The Tyler Sister Cities program began in 1982 through efforts of former UT Tyler President Dr. George Hamm. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – With the help of a state grant, extra police patrols will be out in Tyler over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, starting Friday. The additional patrols are targeting DWI drivers and seat belt violations. Police spokesman Don Martin says a suspected drunk driver will be asked to submit to a breath test. If they refuse, officers will obtain a search warrant signed by a judge on call to have blood drawn by a nurse on staff at the Smith County Jail. Officers will also be watching to make sure all occupants are properly restrained with a seat belt. That includes those in the back seat. The extra patrols will be on the street through Monday.
HENDERSON – Rusk County authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating a man accused of beating a child. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office says he is Raheem Marshall, 25. He is wanted for injury to an 18 month old child. Marshall is described as a black male around 5’8 weighing around 155 pounds. He was last seen in the Carthage area. If you know where he can be found, you are asked to contact the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department.
TYLER – TISD has announced its valedictorians and salutatorians from the 2018 graduating class. Emmanuel Daniels is the Valedictorian at John Tyler High School and Cody Olson is the Valedictorian at Robert E. Lee High School. The salutatorians are Bryce Holloway at John Tyler High School; and Kamal Bains at Robert E. Lee High School. John Tyler High School will graduate on Friday, June 1 at 7:30pm. Robert E. Lee High School will graduate on Saturday, June 2 at 7:30pm. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – It appears as if smoking in bed was responsible for a Tyler fire death. On May 18th, the body of Shirley Bradshaw, 71, was found in her bed in her home on East Second Street. Her bed was on fire. Tyler Fire Fire Marshal Paul Findley said it was determined the fire started at the foot of her bed and was most likely caused by improperly disposed of smoking materials. She had limited mobility and disposed of the items by throwing them on the floor. There were numerous cigarettes and matches found in the area where the fire started. The preliminary autopsy report showed she died from smoke inhalation.
LONGVIEW – An investigation of mail in ballots in Gregg County is underway. County officials announced the investigation during a mid day news conference on Wednesday. The investigation is over the large number of mail-in ballots cast in the Pct. 4 commissioner’s race. Over 800 mail in ballots were received. Because of the mail in vote, Shannon Brown defeated former Longivew City Councilwoman Kasha Williams by 5 votes. A voter in the precinct, the Rev. D.J. Nelson, has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office and the state is investigating.
LONGVIEW – Several East Texas youth are among the finalists for the 2018 youth blues guitar competition at the Big Pines Blues Festival Junior Showcase in Longview. The finalists will will face off in head-to-head competition to determine winners in two age groups on Saturday afternoon, May 26, on the Heritage Plaza stage. Among the Junior Showcase contestants in Grades 6 through 8 are Ethan Rivers, 11, of Athens; Austen Walls, 12, of Chandler; and Cody Lattis, 13, of Murchison. The grade 9-12 hopefuls include Grant McInnis, 16, Bullard. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – A Longview man is free on bond following a fatal weekend accident in Harrison County. The accident also injured two persons, including a Smith County woman. Brian Keith Woods, 48, is accused of hitting three pedestrians who had stopped to help a driver parked on the side of the road. The accident happened around 12:30 Saturday morning on Interstate Highway 20 near Marshall. A Shreveport, Louisiana woman was killed in the accident. The two, who were injured, are hospitalized in Shreveport in serious condition. One of them is Sherri Beeson, 41, of Winona. Woods is facing charges of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury.
AUSTIN – Gregg County is one of 31 governmental entities and nonprofit organizations in the state getting a grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. They will be sharing in the $15 million grant funds. According to a state news release, the grants will fund community programs to expand treatment, promote recovery and improve quality of life for persons with mental illness. Examples of expanded treatment and services include supported housing, coordinated jail release, behavioral health services in schools and peer support services.
TYLER – The Democratic Party runoff election for governor was the only item on the ballot in Smith County on Tuesday. The contest is between former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston businessman Andrew White, the son of former governor Mark White. With 65 of the 73 precincts reporting in the county, the unofficial returns shows Andrew White with 569 votes to 511 votes for Lupe Valdez.
LONGVIEW – A northeast Texas woman has died in a four vehicle accident that shutdown Judson Road, just north of Hawkins Parkway. Cathy Hall Davis, 51, of Paris was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident happened shortly before 1:45 Tuesday afternoon when Davis’ SUV pulled from a private drive into the path of two vehicles. As the result of the accident a fourth vehicle was hit. Three occupants of the vehicles were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
TYLER – A social media posting caused a third of the students at Tyler’s Three Lakes Middle School to stay home on Tuesday. The posting followed an incident between two students in class and a perceived threat. A TISD news release said a Three Lakes student made an inappropriate response to unacceptable taunts. They said the incident was investigated thoroughly and the issues addressed through the student code of conduct. There was no word on what disciplinary action was taken or if the student would be allowed back on the campus.
LONGVIEW – Longview’s Green Street Bridge has claimed another victim. The latest vehicle to get stuck under the bridge was a Dixie Paper truck. It became stuck around 11:00 Tuesday morning. The driver let the air out of the tires and the truck was removed from under the bridge and the road was reopened. Height barriers were installed at the underpass last summer. Besides serving as a visual sign, they also make noise when they hit the tops of vehicles. Several years ago, as part of a reconstruction project, the roadway was lowered just over a foot, making the clearance 11 feet and four inches. But, all of this did not keep the bridge from capturing another vehicle.
BIG SANDY – Through a team effort, an unwelcome visitor to Big Sandy has been relocated. The visitor was a six foot long alligator. It was found around 8:45 Monday morning in the middle of Tyler Street. Police Sgt. Manfred Gilow, along with rancher Jeff Davis, took matters into their own hands. The Longview News Journal reports it took them 30 minutes to bring the gator under control. The two put a rope around it and then duck-taped the mouth. After a ride in a patrol car, the visitor was released into the Sabine River.
TYLER – In the wake of the school shooting at Santa Fe, Texas, Tyler School superintendent Marty Crawford has released a letter concerning school safety in the Tyler school district. While he said he could not publish the more intricate systems that are in use, he did point out some of the actions taken toward keeping TISD safe. It starts with a district police department with certified officers. Then there are badge access equipment, security gates and high definition cameras across campuses and others on school buses that also included digital recording devices. Dr. Crawford said he wrote the letter, not only as the school district superintendent, but also as a parent of two students in the school system. You can go to https://www.tylerisd.org/cms/lib/TX01918383/Centricity/domain/4/.homepage/2017-2018/School%20Safety%20Letter.pdf to see Dr. Crawford’s full letter on school safety.
SMITH COUNTY – A man who barricaded himself in his home on County Road 262, east of Tyler, is in the Smith County Jail. Arrested following a standoff of around 2 hours was Larry Coleman Hicks, 46. The standoff started when Hicks, a parolee, cut off his leg monitor. A parole officer, who went to check on Hicks, was pushed out of the house and the door was locked. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was called out and they talked Hicks into surrendering.
TYLER – Voting began this morning in the Democratic Party runoff election for governor. There were 86 early votes cast in Smith County in the run off. The contest is between former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston businessman Andrew White, the son of former governor Mark White. They got the most votes in the field of 9 candidates in the March Primary Election. The polls will be open from 7:00am until 7:00pm at 10 polling locations throughout Smith County. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview school district is pulling the plug on its free college program. Parents in the district recently received a letter saying the district was ending the Early College High School Program, which started several years ago. According to the Longview News Journal, the district will still pay the tuition and fees and associated costs for juniors and seniors already enrolled in the program. But no freshmen or sophomore will be accepted in the new school year. This school year, the district has paid out around $230,000 for the 79 students enrolled in the program. The financial strain on the district is said to be the reason the Longview school district is taking the action.
PALESTINE – Palestine police will have extra patrols on the street starting on Tuesday. It is part of the police department’s efforts to encourage safe driving over the Memorial Day holiday. The extra patrols will be out through June 4th and will focus specifically on the offenses of driving while intoxicated, seat belt and child seat violations and speeding. The extra patrols are made possible by a STEP enforcement grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.
SMITH COUNTY- Two Smith County roads will be closed to traffic, beginning this week, for bridge replacements. They are County Road, 234 northeast of Chapel Hill, and County Road 356, east of Winona. The roads are expected to be closed through December. Detour signs will be placed on the roads to direct traffic around these locations. Replacing the bridges is part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s bridge replacement program.
LONGVIEW – A Longview traffic stop has resulted in two persons arrested for assault on a public servant. The officer stopped the car at Reed Road and Swan Street Sunday night. During the stop, the car’s passenger struggled with the officer over his taser. The woman driver began pulling on the officers collar, making it hard for him to breathe. A bystander came to the officers aid, allowing him to pepper spray the woman and to handcuff the man. Richard Alan Stansbery Jr., 48, of Longview was also charged with attempting to take a weapon from an officer. Maria Regina Stansbery,43, of Longview was also charged with driving while intoxicated. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – TxDOT’s district wide Summer Seal Coat program is underway in Cherokee, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. Seal coat operations will be conducted on roadways around the eight-county Tyler District for the next several months. Crews are currently working on U.S. Highway 69 in Cherokee County. Work continued Saturday on U.S. 69 as well as on U.S. Highway 80 in Van Zandt County. Seal coat is the department’s preventive maintenance program. It uses a two-step process to cover existing roadway surfaces with a layer of hot asphalt followed by rock. This seals the roadway to keep water. This will add years of life, requires less maintenance and provides a new driving surface for motorists.