Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
AUSTIN – Unemployment in the state and East Texas held steady in February. The state’s unemployment was placed at 4.0%, the same as it was in February. The nation’s jobless figure is 4.1 %. The state’s economy added 40,500 jobs, the 20th straight month of employment growth. Tyler’s unemployment rate in February was 3.8%, the same figure as January. Longview’s jobless rate for February was the same as January, 4.5%. And the jobless rates in Tyler and Longview are far below where they were a year ago.
PALESTINE – A man wanted in connection with a Palestine shooting has been arrested. Frank Potts, 42, of Palestine, had been wanted for the shooting of Carlos Scott, 34, of Palestine on March 12th. Scott was shot multiple times at a home on San Jacinto Street. He was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment. Potts was arrested after speeding away from a police officer shortly after midnight on Thursday morning. His pickup was found in a ditch behind a convenience store on East Palestine Avenue. Potts was found hiding in the ditch near the pickup. The pickup had been reported stolen on Monday. Potts was booked into the Anderson County Jail on a charge aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond on that warrant had previously been set at $500.000. He is also charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and a Palestine Municipal Court warrant. Bond has not yet been set on those two charges.
LONGVIEW – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department is warning that scammers are calling claiming to be with your utility company. The claim your bill is past due by several months and without immediate payment, the service will be disconnected. The sheriff’s department says on their Facebook page, do not give these callers any of your information, after all, they called you about your account and they should know the pertinent information. Their advice to you is, if you have questions about having a past due bill based on a call you receive, you should contact your utility company using a customer service phone numbers on your monthly billing statement or look up the number yourself. They remind you to never use the phone number you are given by the person calling without checking it first.
LONGVIEW – A Longview man will spend a long time in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage boy. A jury on Thursday found Lester Levelle Reedy, 44, guilty of the assault. Then, state district Judge Alfonso Charles sentenced him to life in prison. Reedy had been accused of pulling a 16 year old boy into a dressing room in the Longview Mall and sexually assaulting him in July of 2015. The Longview News Journal reports Reedy is registered in Texas as a high-risk sex offender after a 2004 conviction in Dallas County for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy
TYLER – The former CEO of Pharmaceutical Technologies in Nebraska has been sentenced for making unlawful kickback payments in East Texas. He pleaded guilty to the charges in February of last year. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield, in Tyler, sentenced Douglas M. Pick, 58, of Omaha, Nebraska, to one year and one day in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and restitution in the amount of $348,195.50.
TYLER – Six Jacksonville men have pleaded guilty following a drug trafficking investigation in East Texas. The plea hearings were held in Tyler before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love on Wednesday and Thursday. The men are Lenard Donnell Atkins, 31, Keyonta Monquan Johnson, 23, Carlos Brejohn Battle, 33, Carlton Deshan Johnson, 28, Jimendrick Clenon Shedd, 37, and David Lee Williams, 32. Under federal statutes, the defendants face sentences ranging from five to 80 years in federal prison. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the U.S. Probation Office.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY – A young boy has died in an accidental shooting in the Martinsville area east of Nacogdoches. It happened around 1:45 Wednesday afternoon at a resident on Highway 7. Sheriff Jason Bridges said the 11 year old boy went into the parent’s closet for some unknown reason and found a pistol. The gun somehow went off, hitting the boy in the head. He later died at a Nacogdoches hospital. His name was not released. Sheriff Bridges said the boy who was an avid hunter and very familiar with guns. He had also taken a hunters education class. An autopsy has been ordered.
TYLER – As many as 400 employees have accepted voluntary severance, job re-assignments or have been laid off following the purchase of ETMC Regional Healthcare System by Ardent Health Services of Nashville and the concurrent combining of the ETMC clinical operations with those of UT Health Northeast. The reductions amount to about 5% of the combined workforces and affect employees at UT Health Northeast and employees at the former ETMC. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A Longview woman has been arrested after she was found sleeping in the wrong bed. Arrested shortly before 11:00 Tuesday night was Kelly Latain Chaney, 52, of Longview. She was arrested after police were called by a man who said he found a woman asleep in his bed. She told officers they could take her ID out of her wallet. That’s where they found a plastic bag of methamphetamine. They also found a Xanax bar and a pipe. Chaney is in the Gregg County jail on two charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bonds total $8,500.
TYLER – It is now easier for Texas College students to transfer to the University of Texas at Tyler. The two schools have signed a memorandum of understanding. It took place Thursday morning as the officials from the schools signed the document in the Ratliff Library on the U-T Tyler campus. With this partnership, undergraduate students from Texas College will be able to transfer into selected undergraduate programs at UT Tyler. Also, well-qualified students from Texas College will begin limited study in selected master’s programs at UT Tyler as they complete their baccalaureate degree from Texas College.
GILMER – An Upshur County man has been identified as the victim of a two vehicle accident near Gilmer. Pronounced dead at the scene was 29 year old Dexture Domona Carr of Gilmer. His car hit the rear of a tractor trailer rig that had stopped to turn from State Highway 300 on to Flamingo Road, about 4 1/2 miles southeast of Gilmer. The truck’s driver, 39 year old Dewan Tyrel Mosley, of Henderson, was not injured.
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has named Mark Dunn of Lufkin as chairman of the Texas Workforce Investment Council. Dunn is president of Dunn’s Construction. A state news release says the council assists the Governor and the legislature with strategic planning for and evaluation of the Texas workforce system to promote the development of a well-educated, highly skilled workforce for Texas.
LUFKIN – A three year old girl who was pulled from a Lufkin motel swimming pool has died. She has been identified as Arianna Smith of Lufkin. She died Wednesday afternoon at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Police say the girl got out of her family’s downstairs room which faced the pool while her father was asleep and her mother was running errands. She was able to enter the fenced pool because the gate latch was broken. After the girl was pulled from the Motel 6 pool on South Timberland Drive, a bystander administered CPR. She was first taken to a Lufkin hospital and then flown to the Houston. The incident remains under investigation, but based on preliminary information, police do not anticipate charges being filed.
MARSHALL – Marshall police are asking the public’s help in finding Jerry Lee Pope, 72. He was last seen leaving his Marshall home last Sunday. Family members say he missed his doctor appointments on Tuesday and they are concerned for his welfare. Pope was last seen wearing blue overalls, a camouflage jacket and Platinum Collision ball cap. He was driving a white 2016 Nissan Frontier pickup truck with Texas plates DV90020. If you know where he can be found, you are asked to call the Marshall Police Department.
TYLER – Earlier this month we told you about a phony delivery driver who stole over $60,000 worth of jewelry from a Tyler store last December. A suspect is now in custody. Investigators obtained a warrant for 49 year old James Albert Oliver of Longview. This week, Oliver was arrested at a Longview motel. Oliver, who was also wanted on outstanding warrants out of Florida and Gregg County, was booked into the Gregg County Jail. He is being held on bonds totaling over $1 million. Investigators say it was Oliver, wearing what appeared to be a UPS uniform, who took the package of jewelry from the Zales store on South Broadway, and then fled.
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville’s new city manager didn’t waste any time getting to work. Monday, Greg Smith was unanimously approved for the post. He was at work the following day. He comes to Jacksonville from Shenandoah, just south of Conroe. He has been city administrator there for eight years. He has also served as city manager in Henderson, Overton and Angleton. Smith was one of 43 applicants for the position. That was trimmed to four from which the two finalists, Smith and Chuck Ewings of Ennis, were picked.
LINDALE – A controlled burn just west of Lindale got out of control Tuesday afternoon. It has now been contained to seven acres. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said the fire spread to high stacks of plastic tree tubs, causing the black smoke seen throughout the county. The fire crossed the property line into a pine thicket, which slowed the wind and the fire. A plow line is around the fire, but it will continue to smolder for hours. Some firefighters will be monitoring it throughout the night. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Abel Keith Fulton, 19, has pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of ricin. The plea was entered on Tuesday in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. Prosecutors say from August to September 2016, Fulton possessed ricin at his home. Ricin is a biological toxin that can be fatal if ingested, inhaled, or injected. There is no known antidote or cure for ricin poisoning. Fulton made the ricin using supplies that he purchased online. He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
MARSHALL – Three Marshall residents have been arrested for auto theft. Booked into the Harrison County jail for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle were Richard Parrott Jr., 29, (pictured) Renae Pack, 24 and Vernon Williams, 29. They are said to be responsible for the theft of three vehicles from Garrett’s Automotive Center on East East End Boulevard last Sunday. Two of the vehicles were recovered in Marshall and the third was found in Harrison County. The case remains under investigation.
TYLER (AP/STAFF) — A Tyler man on death row for the slaying of a 93-year-old woman during a robbery at her home has received an execution date. State District Judge Christi Kennedy signed an order Monday setting Clifton Williams, 34, for lethal injection June 21 in Huntsville. The execution is for the fatal beating and stabbing of Cecilia Schneider at her home in Tyler in July 2005. Evidence showed Williams entered through a back door, attacked her and then set her body and bed on fire. He fled with her car and her purse containing $40. Authorities said he wanted money for drugs. Defense attorneys argued he was mentally impaired and ineligible for the death penalty. Williams came within hours of execution in July of 2015 when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted his scheduled punishment.
TYLER – Robert E. Lee High School senior, Fritz Hager III, has been named one of six finalists in the National Endowment for the Arts 2018 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge. This is a national songwriting competition where the winner receives $25,000. The finalists, five individual composers and one pair, will each have their songs published by Samuel French. They will find out late next month who gets the top prize. The winner will be announced in New York during a weekend of workshops with well-known musicians, singers, songwriters and producers. Read the rest of this entry »
CHANDLER – A Henderson County couple is accused of exposing a baby to drugs. Arrested over the weekend were Christian Alexander David Hart, 25, and Katie Lynn Sheppard, 22. During a CPS investigation, the Chandler couple and a 10 month old child each tested positive for methamphetamine. Both have been charged with endangering a child. Hart is also charged with violation of bond or a protective order. Both remain in the Henderson County Jail. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – Marshall police are trying to locate an armed robber. Just before midnight on March 13th, the man held up the Alon Food Fast Fina on West Grand Avenue. Armed with a handgun, he demanded money and cigarettes from the clerk. He later fled the business in an unknown direction. The suspect is described as a black male who was wearing a mask, red hoodie, blue jeans and dark colored shoes. The store’s employee was not injured. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Wednesday is Texas Tobacco Free Kids Day, and some students have a message to pass along. At least 70 students and faculty at 5 Smith County schools will be wearing shirts about standing up to tobacco. The number 70 represents the number of people who die every day in Texas from tobacco related deaths. The activity is an awareness event to encourage students to live tobacco-free lives. It also serves as a way to encourage schools to participate in efforts to help kids achieve this goal. High schools taking part in the campaign are John Tyler, Robert E Lee, the TISD Early College High School as well as high schools in Chapel Hill and Whitehouse.
PALESTINE – The University of Texas at Tyler will invest around $600,000 to make safety renovations to the Innovation Academy STEM charter school facility in Palestine. School officials made the announcement Monday night at a town hall meeting in Palestine to parents of students attending the school. There had been some concern the school may have to close. The Innovation Academy closed its primary Palestine building last summer after the state fire marshal flagged safety concerns. A short-term facility solution was using Mathis Hall on UT Tyler’s extension campus in Palestine, which allowed classes to continue this academic year. The renovations will begin soon as possible. No date has been set on completion. The charter school has over 200 students from second through 11th grades. Read the rest of this entry »
GILMER – Gilmer police are seeking the name of a man taking pictures of children at a playground in the city. The photographer is a white male, who appears to be in his 40s, and had a baby at the playground of the Yamboree Grounds. He was said to have been driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup. He was taking pictures of girls going down a slide. A witness said it appeared the man was attempting to take photos up the dresses of the children. If you know who was driving this truck, you are asked to contact Gilmer police.
LONGVIEW – The Sabine River Authority of Texas will award the City of Longview a Community Assistance Program Grant. The $10,000 will be used to assist the city to build a pond on the city’s arboretum site at 706 West Cotton Street. The city says this will help prevent run-off and improve drainage.
TYLER – A Tyler man is heading to prison on child porn charges. Benjamin Andrew Cole, 34, pleaded guilty in state district court in Tyler Monday morning. He pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and an online solicitation charge. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Cole was arrested last August 17th following an extensive investigation by the Department of Public Safety. He has been in the Smith County Jail since his arrest. The child porn charges stem from incidents which investigators say occurred on August 17, 2017, and September 25, 2017. The online solicitation charge is said to have occurred on August 17, 2017.
KILGORE – Two drivers have been killed in a two vehicle accident in Kilgore. It happened just before 4:00 Sunday afternoon on U.S. Highway 259 near Farm Road 349. One driver, 19 year old Dakota Patrick Harris, of Kilgore, later died in a Tyler hospital. The other driver, 79 year old Mary Virginia Cameron, of Overton, died in a Longview hospital. Police reports indicate Cameron’s car drove into oncoming traffic, for unknown reasons, and hit Harris’ car head-on. The accident remains under investigation.
TYLER – Traffic on Rice Road in Tyler is being diverted until 4:00 this afternoon between Kinsey Drive and Old Bullard Road due to roadwork and construction. Rice Road will be closed to local traffic between Cloverdale Drive and Briar Cove Drive and closed to truck traffic from Kinsey Drive to Old Bullard Road. A city news release says the work should take around nine hours to complete.