Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
TYLER – State District Judge Kerry Russell on Friday sentenced Dekenndrick Lekeith Ross, 41, to life in prison. He was found guilty earlier this month of prostitution and human trafficking. Last June, Ross and Crystal Leshae Lilly, 26, also of Tyler, were arrested following a Department of Public Safety investigation of a human trafficking organization in the Tyler area. Lilly’s trial date has not yet been set.
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed three persons to the Sabine River Authority of Texas Board of Directors. Their terms will expire on July 6th, 2023. One of those named to the board is Janie Walenta of Quitman. She is is a retired telecommunications manager. She is currently on the One Call Board of Texas. Her term on that board expires at the end of August.
MARSHALL – Marshall police say two March robberies have been solved. Acting on tips from the public, Marshall police have arrested Kiandre Handy, 19, of Marshall. He is charged with the March 1st robbery of the Coin Laundry on North Lafayette Street. And he is said to be the man wearing a witches mask who robbed a West Grand Avenue convenience store on March 13th. He is facing two charges of aggravated robbery. He remains in the Harrison County Jail under bonds totaling $300,000.
ATHENS – A Henderson County woman accused of killing her two children last year, will be getting a competency hearing. At a Friday hearing for Sarah Nicole Henderson, 30, of Mabank, a judge granted the request. A meeting was set for Monday to work out the details. The next hearing is scheduled for later this year. Henderson is said to have shot her children at their home. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler ISD Foundation’s New Administrative Director is Betsy Jones. She has been involved with the Tyler ISD Foundation board since September 2017. Jones brings to the position over 10 years experience in the nonprofit world including work with the Council of Tyler PTAs, local campus PTAs, Junior League of Tyler, Women’s Symphony League, and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.
EAST TEXAS – Area residents are invited to join other Texans in talking advantage of a tax free weekend. It starts on Saturday and will run through Monday. The tax free items are emergency preparation supplies. The list includes:
*batteries, fuel containers and flashlights priced at less than $75;
* hurricane shutters and emergency ladders priced at less than $300; and
* portable generators priced at less than $3,000.
There’s no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase.
There are some things that do “not”qualify.
You can go to https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-1017.php for more on the emergency preparation supplies.
MURCHISON – A Henderson County man is accused of sexually assaulting two young girls. Arrested Thursday on two charges of aggravated sexual assault was Randy Dean York, 59, of Murchison. The charges were filed after the girls told child advocates he sexually assaulted them. Both are said to be under the age of 13. York is currently free on bonds totaling $150,000.
TYLER – Tyler Junior College has received the largest gift in the College’s history. The school says it may be the most significant monetary gift from an individual to a Texas community college and largest gift to an institution or organization in the city. The announcement was made Thursday by TJC officials. The gift is from the estate of Virginia and Jim Gatewood. When Virginia died last year, it resulted in the creation of the James F. and Virginia Hawkins Gatewood Memorial Fund at TJC. The school is working with the estate to determine the final dollar amount. The funds will ensure the long-term support of the TJC Presidential Honors Scholarship Program. The program helps attract academically talented student from throughout East Texas. Presently, 220 students benefit from the program.
LONGVIEW – Keep Texas Beautiful has named Keep Longview Beautiful a Gold Star Affiliate. Only 65 of of the statewide organization’s nearly 400 affiliates received this designation this year. Keep Longview Beautiful has received this recognition for the past 6 years.
TYLER – The Tyler city council has approved improvements at two of the city’s parks. The city council accepted a $40,300 donation for batting cages at Faulkner Park. The Rose Capital West Little League brought up the interest in funding construction of a batting cage. The cost of the project is being funded by the little league. And the City Council has approved spending nearly $32,000 on improvements to the irrigation system at Lindsey Park. By repairing a well pump at the park, the city should save around 50% in irrigation costs at the park.
TYLER – The Gustavo Zavala-Garcia capital murder trial is still on schedule for October, for now. Zazala-Garcia is charged with the November, 2016 death of 10 year old Kayla Gomez-Orozco. She was killed after being abducted from a Bullard church. At a pretrial hearing Thursday morning, DNA evidence and trace evidence analysis from the Texas Department of Public Safety was presented. But further DNA testing can be done on some of the evidence. A pretrial hearing is set for May 10th to determine which items will need additional testing.
TYLER – John Tyler students got a first hand look Thursday of the impact of drinking and driving. Juniors and seniors were dismissed to go to Lion and Leon Drive where they found a mock accident. Tyler police, fire and EMS units were there as was the Air 1 helicopter. There was even a coroner and a hearse on the scene. Some of the injured had to removed from the wreckage by jaws of life. Even a student portraying a drunk driver, was arrested at the scene. The Shattered Dreams event was designed to allow the students to experience the sensations of being involved in an alcohol-related collision.
GLADEWATER – Vandals have hit an historic Gregg County building. The vandalism was discovered Monday night at the Rock Springs School House on Old Highway 135 just south of Gladewater. The one teacher school was built with donated lumber in 1849. It ws in use until the 1930’s. The building was recorded a Texas Historic Landmark in 1966. The building has also been used for other functions, including a church. A sheriff’s deputy patroling the area noticed at open door at the building. He then found a significant amount of vandalism to the building. If you can help identify the vandals, you are asked to contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Department.
LONGVIEW – An Overton man has been arrested in a Gregg County murder that occurred nearly three years ago. In the Gregg County Jail under a $75,000 bond is Joseph Scott Brown, 36. He is charged with the October, 2015 shooting death of 24 year old John Allen Franco. Brown was recently indicted by the Gregg County grand jury in the case. Franco was found shot to death in his car on a county road in Liberty City. Brown’s brother, Jessie Clifford Brown, 36, was arrested in the case last October
TYLER – A man who tried to rob a Tyler bank has been arrested. Arrested Wednesday at a home on East Erwin Street was 30 year old Robert Michael Freeman. He is now in the Smith county jail, charged with aggravated robbery. Tyler Investigators received a tip that led led to his identity and his vehicle, in which evidence from the bank was recovered. Freeman is said to be the man that entered Texas Bank and Trust last Saturday morning. He handed the teller a note telling her of the robbery. The man got nervous when the clerk started to walk away. He then took the note and ran away without getting any money.
HAWKINS – A Hollywood actor is scheduled to receive a degree from an East Texas College. Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins will award an honorary doctorate degree to Terrell, Texas native Jamie Foxx. The degree is for his achievements in music, film and television. According to the School Facebook page, Foxx will be awarded the degree during the 2018 Spring Commencement activities May 5.
TYLER – Starting next month, the Troup Highway Water Booster Station will begin operation. This will improve water pressure for residents and businesses located within the Troup Hwy pressure zone, which is located on the map. You can click on the map to enlarge it. This $3.3 million investment will provide both immediate and long-term benefits to citizens by improving water pressure within the zone. For those in the zone, you can go to http://www.tylerpublicworks.com/Booster-Station for in depth information on what to expect throughout this process.
ALTO – A man who escaped from an officer in Cherokee County has been arrested, with the help of a police K9. They had been looking for Emmanuel Griffin, 27. He was wanted on a motion to revoke his probation. A warrant officer approached him last week at the probation department. He push passed the officer, ran and hit a locked glass door, breaking the glass, and then ran from the building. A mid-afternoon on Tuesday, deputies, with the assistance of Alto Police Department, went to a residence on County Road 2407 south of Alto. They saw a man run through the woods behind the residence. The K9 led officers to a building, where they found Griffin hiding. Besides the previous warrants to revoke his probation and evading arrest, he will be facing additional charges.
LONGVIEW – The Pine Tree ISD school board has named Steve Clugston, the Callisburg ISD superintendent, as finalist for the same post in Longview. The action came at a meeting late Tuesday afternoon. By law, they must wait 21 days before voting to hire Clugston as their new superintendent. The board is scheduled to vote to offer him the contract on May 17. He is slated to replace outgoing Superintendent Dr. TJ Farler. Clugston has served as superintendent in Callisburg ISD, in Eastern Cooke County in North Texas, since 2012 and has 27 years of experience in education.
TYLER – Tyler police are asking for your help in identifying two theft suspects. The two women entered a business and stole credit cards from an employee’s purse. They then went to Walmart and started charging. If you know who they are, you are asked to contact Detective David Cook at 903-531-1081 or call Tyler crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.
WHITEHOUSE – Smith County Road 2191 will be closed for several weeks for improvements. The commissioner’s court has approved the temporary closure of the road, also known as Oscar Burkett Road, at the construction site of the new Brown Elementary School in Whitehouse. It could be closed up to four weeks to install storm and sanitary sewer lines 21 feet deep, as well as do necessary roadwork. The work will start as soon as the county can notify nearby residents and emergency services of the closure. Detour signs will be placed along Rhones Quarter Road and other connecting roadways, alerting drivers to use alternative routes.
HIDEAWAY – Two skunks with rabies have been found in northern Smith County. They were found last week in the Hideaway area. Both were shot because of their strange behavior. They were sent off to the Texas Department of State Health Services for testing. Both tested positive for rabies. Smith County Animal Control Coordinator Le’Kisha Stinecipher warns you to be cautious around animals, especially nocturnal animals acting strangly during the day. If you see such and animal, call and talk to an animal control officer at the Smith County Animal Shelter.
GREGG COUNTY – A news conference that had been scheduled Wednesday afternoon in the case of a missing pregnant woman from Kilgore, has been cancelled. There is no word on why the news conference on Sheryia Grant was cancelled. Grant, 20, who disappeared in August, 2016. Last May, three persons were arrested in the woman’s disappearance. Charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (human corpse) was Laneshia Lashae Young, 22, and Allen Lamont Sutton, 28, both of Overton. An unnamed juvenile from Arp has also been arrested in the case.
TYLER – Tyler fireman begin their annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign on Tuesday. More than 160 Tyler firemen will fan out across the city with boots in hand. The money they raise goes to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The funds will be used to find urgently needed treatments and cures for Muscular Dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility. Through Sunday, you will find the firemen at a dozen locations around the area. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Three Tyler Junior College professors were surprised in their classrooms Monday. They have been named with endowed teaching chairs for 2018. The program enables professors to nominate and reward their peers who demonstrate excellence as educators. This year’s recipients are:
• Ashleigh Lewis, learning framework professor, The Dorothy Fay & Jack White Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence
• C. Jeanie Oxler, voice professor and music department chair, The Watson W. Wise Foundation Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence
• Sherry Seaton, surgical technology professor and department chair, The Dorothy Fay & Jack White Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence
TYLER – Smith County Treasurer Kelli White was named as a finalist for the County Treasurers Association’s Outstanding County Treasurer Award. She is one of 12 county treasurers from around the state nominated for the honor. The winner will be chosen by ballots cast by all the members of the County Treasurers Association of Texas, and announced at its September conference in Odessa.
HENDERSON – The reward in a Rusk County cold case has been doubled. The reward for help in finding Jimmy Tidwell Jr., 58, of Mount Enterprise, has increased to $3,000. His family announced the increase at a Monday morning news conference. Tidwell was last seen on February 15th, 2012. He left his job, saying he would be back in the afternoon. He never returned. His truck, with his glasses, was later found parked along side of the road about five miles from his house. There was no signs of foul play. Tips can be called in to 903-655-TIPS(8477).
DALLAS – UT Health East Texas says an Air 1 helicopter nearly hit a drone leaving Dallas Sunday night. The aircraft had taken a patient to the Children’s Medical Center. As it took off from Love Field to return to Tyler, it found a drone in its flight path. The pilot had to bank hard right at 1,500 feet to avoid hitting the drone. The FAA tells our news partner KETK, no small unmanned aircraft should be flying in that area without permission from the FAA, and they should not be higher than 400 feet above the ground. Dallas police are looking into the incident.
TYLER – Early voting in the city and school elections in Smith County starts today. It will run through May 1st with Saturday, May 5th is the election day. There are two contested races in Tyler. Mayor Martin Heines is being challenged by Joel Rando. The open District 2 city council seat is being sought by Beverly Beavers-Brooks and Broderick McGee. Council Districts 4 and 6 also are up for election, but the races are uncontested. There are also elections for the city of Winona and East Texas Municipal Utility District and school district elections in Bullard and Troup. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the week of April 23rd. .Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.
Tyler Maintenance plans to finish up overlay operations on Farm Road 1252 east of Farm Road 757 by Tuesday and then move to Farm Road 16 east of the State Highway 155 intersection for one mile. A second crew will be performing ditch maintenance on roadways throughout the county. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control at all work locations. Read the rest of this entry »