Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
TYLER – Six Robert E Lee High School seniors have been presented Presidential Fellow Scholarships by the University of Texas at Tyler. The scholarships were presented Tuesday morning to Kyle Ferrer, Kaleb Hill, Madison Hysell, Idara Imoh, Katherine Jennings and Mercedes Ojeda. To earn the scholarship, a student was receive ACT scores of 29 or above or 1350 or above on SAT examinations, along with various other academic requirements. The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board.
GREGG COUNTY – Gregg County authorities are continuing their investigation into a weekend shooting that injured a Smith County man.The shooting occurred around 4:00 Sunday morning at Club Sensation on State Highway 31 near Kilgore. The victim was found in a car in the parking lot of a convenience store on Highway 135. Ashtin Javon Arnett-Adams, 26, of Tyler, was taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury. Investigators are still trying to determine the circumstances that led up to the shooting and put together information on a possible shooter. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Investigator David Falco.
LINDALE – A Lindale teacher has been named as a finalist for the 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. The award spotlights the best educators in in the state. Lindale High School teacher J.P. Fulger has been presented a $1,000 check for himself and a $1,000 check for his school. As a finalist in the Rising Star Secondary category, Fugler has the opportunity to compete at the statewide level against four others in his category for a cash prize of $5,000 for himself and $5,000 for his school. All of the finalists are invited to Houston on May 5th and 6th to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling $430,000.
TYLER – Young Audiences of Northeast Texas announces the winners of the 2018 Arts in Education awards. This year, two persons will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Amy Baskin, Executive Director said “After reviewing the judge’s findings, it was impossible to choose one or the other.” The winners are are Johnny Ray, music teacher at All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler and Denny Whitley, recently retired as band director at Whitehouse High School, Whitehouse ISD. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – A gas skimmer that turned up in Bullard has resulted in the arrest of two persons. The skimmer was found at a station on East Houston Street. A Tyler police detective, with the North Texas Financial Crimes Task Force, saw two known suspects from prior investigations pull up to the station to retrieve the skimmer. They fled when they saw the skimmer had been found. A state trooper stopped their car near Loop 49 and Farm Road 2493. The two men, both from the Metroplex were already under investigation by the task force. The investigation had already established that this criminal organization had previously made 780 fraudulent transactions on at least 187 different credit cards in 29 cities and 3 different states. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University has been recognized by the Annual RegisteredNursing.org Registered Nurse (RN) Program State Rankings as the eighth ranked RN Program in Texas. This is out of 114 programs evaluated and 50 ranked. The rankings were measured by analyzing the percentage of graduates who pass the exam. ETBU Nurses have consistently achieved 100% passing rates on the National Council Licensure Examination and 100% of the ETBU Nursing School graduates within the last three years have received job offers upon degree completion. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – One person remains in the hospital from a Henderson County wreck that killed two persons. The wreck occurred around 2:00 Sunday afternoon on U.S. Highway 175, about 5 miles southeast of Athens. Dead at the scene was Ingrid Munoz Perdomo, 24, of Jacksonville. A passenger in her car, Brandon Munoz, 3, of Jacksonville, later died at an Athens hospital. Two youngsters were treated and released and a third is in stable condition at an area hospital. The DPS says the Perdomo vehicle went out of control on the icy road and crossed the center stripe. It was then hit by a tractor trailer rig and then collided with an SUV.
MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department says it has received help in identifying a man who passed counterfeit money. In late January, man went into the Family Dollar store located on East Grand and passed 10 counterfeit $50.00 bills. The suspects vehicle appears to be a silver Dodge Charger with black racing stripes on the hood. It is possible that the man is from Louisiana, since the vehicle did not have a front license plate. Since they released this information and his picture Monday morning they have identified the suspect. His name has not been released and he is not yet in custody.
AUSTIN – The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has appointed a Tyler educator as a member of the Political Science Field of Study Advisory Committee. He is Tyler Junior College’s Department Chair of Government and Economics Geoffrey Willbanks. The committee is composed of 24 voting members, 12 from public community colleges and 12 from public universities. They come from a representative sample of institutions of varying sizes, peer groups, and regions of the state. The is charged with identifying the block of courses that students may transfer to a general academic teaching institution. Read the rest of this entry »
WODEN – A former Woden teacher is being charged with two counts of improper relationship between educator and student. Kelly Diann Searles, 45, of Nacogdoches, was also charged with two counts of Indecency with a child when she was arrested around 9:00 Monday morning. Nacogdoches County Sheriff Jason Bridges says warrants for her arrest came after after analyzing hundreds of texts messages, pictures and other information.
PALESTINE – A naked man, identified as Tiron Billups, has been arrested in Palestine. According to the department’s Facebook page, the arrest came after they received several reports of a naked man walking the streets. He was arrested after climbing onto the hood of a police car. According to the posting, “He was arrested for public intoxication, unknown narcotic.†The photo was taken by a Palestine resident.
LINDALE – Three persons have been killed in a two vehicle accident in a northern Smith County wreck. The accident happened around 12:30 Sunday morning on State Highway 110, 8 miles west of Lindale. Dead at the scene were a passenger in a pickup driven by Gilberto Gomez, 26, of Saginaw and Jaewoong Jang, 34, of Lindale. A passenger in Jang’s car, Mikyung Ji, 29, of Lindale, was also killed. Gomez is in stable condition in a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety reports the truck, driven by Gomez, was heading south when it crossed over the double yellow lines and hit the northbound car. Both vehicles burned. The accident remains under investigation.
PALESTINE – Begining at midweek the Palestine Municipal Court is offering amnesty to those with outstanding warrants. Persons who have failed to appear in court and have arrest warrants or defendants who have been convicted and failed to pay their fine and have capias warrants will both be given amnesty. Beginning Wednesday through March 29, defendants who appear in open court before the judge can take advantage of this offer. The judge will be available every Wednesday, excluding March 14, at 9:00am or 1:30pm and March 1 and 29 at 9:00am. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – The Henderson County Jail in Athens has passed state inspection. The unannounced review took place late last week. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the inspector from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards performed a top to bottom inspection. Every aspect of the jail was reviewed including maintenance records, general paperwork, medical records, mental health reports, logs and time-check records. The sheriff said the two-day inspection left no stone unturned.
KILGORE – Gregg County authorities continue their investigation into an early morning robbery. It happened shortly after 1:00 Friday morning at Zippy J’s #7 on Old Highway 135 near Kilgore. Two men with a handgun demanded money from the clerk. They took an undisclosed amount of money and left in an unknown direction. They may have been driving a late model, light-colored Dodge Charger R/T. They are described as two thin White or Hispanic males; both wearing dark clothes and both had their faces concealed. One suspect is said to be around six feet tall, and the other was around five feet five inches tall. No injuries were reported. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Construction has now started on a large warehouse being built in Longview. It’s the Dollar General distribution center that is being built in Longview’s North Business Park. The Longview Economic Development Corporation signed the deal with the Dollar General Corporation in December. The nearly 1 million-square-foot distribution center, which is being built on a 110-acre site, will be bringing 400 jobs to Longview. The Longview Economic Development Corpation estimates the economic impact of the project could reach $700 million during the next 25 years. The facility is expected to open sometime next year
WINONA – Smith County authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying two robbery suspects. The robbery occurred January 25th at the that the Aces High Liquor Store on South Main Street in Winona. Two white males entered the store and pointed guns at the clerks. They demanded money from the cash register, took several bottles of liquor and then left the store. The store’s employees were not injured. Detectives have been using video surveillance footage in their investigation. You can see pictures from that video at the Smith County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page
ATHENS – Traffic stops in Henderson County lead to drug charges and three persons arrested. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says when Roderick Gerard Young, 47, of Athens, was pulled over, he had 35 white rocks, believed to be crack cocaine, in his possession. Deputies also found a large sum of money. From the evidence, investigators believe Young was selling drugs in Henderson County. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail on the charge of the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview Municipal Court is offering a warrant amnesty program in an effort to clear outstanding warrants. When a person comes in voluntarily and either pays in full or pays a minimum of half the total amount due and starts a payment plan for the balance owed, all warrant fees will be removed. You can save an additional 20% off the fine amount. The percentage savings is only on the fine, not the court costs. And, if you see them now, they will lift the warrants and give you an extension of time to pay. This way you can use your income tax refund to pay the fine. The amnesty program will run through the end of next month.
TYLER – Two persons have been arrested after two suspected gambling operations are raided in Smith County. Dilshad Ali, 58, and Salin Hussain, 65, were placed under bonds of $150,00 each for keeping a gambling place, gambling promotion, and possession of gambling devices and equipment. Their arrests follow raids at the Minute Stop Valero gas station as well as the Express Beer and Wine store, both on Highway 64 west. Deputies seized 11 gaming machines and money, issued 6 citations. They also served a warrant at a residence on Heritage Drive looking for financial records. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – A Palestine man is accused of making a bomb threat. Charged with making a false report or alarm is John Arthur Stephens Jr., 35. Employees with Metro PCS told officers Stephens came into the store on Crockett Road wanting to disconnect his phone. They said that Stephens said that a bomb would be delivered to the store. He then left. Officers found Stephens in a nearby parking lot and arrested him. He was booked into the Anderson County Jail.
TYLER – The Women’s Fund of Smith County awarded four high-impact grants at its 2018 Grants Announcement Reception Thursday evening. Grants totaling $298,457 were presented to nonprofit programs which benefit women and children in Smith County. The Women’s Fund of Smith County was created in 2007. As members of the organization, more than 250 women benefit from education on community needs and best practices in philanthropy, as well as by participating in the annual grants process. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A suspect has been arrested in a Tyler robbery. Cornelius Andre Brown, 37, of Tyler was arrested Wednesday night after the car he was in was stopped on Park Street. He is accused of the robbery of the Valero station on Tyler’s West Southwest Loop around 7:30 Wednesday night. a man is said to have entered the store, stole several music CD’s and t-shirts and then ran out and got into a car. The clerk took a photo of the suspect’s license plate. When the car was stopped, Brown had items taken from the robbery in his possession and confessed to the crime. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler man, severely burned when his clothing caught fire, has died. Family members of Otis Brown, 90, tell KETK, he died at in the burn unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. He was burned around 4:00 Wednesday afternoon at a home on North Border Avenue. Police say Brown was standing too close to a space heater when the trench coat he was wearing caught fire. He then started running through the house and into the yard where a neighbor saw him and called for help. He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns over half of his body.
TYLER – A man’s request for a new trial is being denied. James Arthur Fulton, 42, Bulverde wanted a new trial in the death of Haile Beasley, 21, of Tyler. On Wednesday State District Judge Jack Skeen approved Fulton’s request for a new attorney. But, during a Thursday hearing, the judge rejected Fulton’s request for a new trial. Fulton had wanted a new trial because he says evidence that the prosecutors had was not made available to his defense team. Two months ago, Fulton was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the wreck that killed Beasley. Read the rest of this entry »
San Antonio – The Heartland National TB Center in San Antonio, part of UT Health Northeast in Tyler, has been awarded a 5-year, $6.7 million grant by the Centers for Disease Control. The center was also selected as one of four TB Centers of Excellence in the U.S. The center works through education to reach the CDC’s goal of preventing, treating, and controlling tuberculosis (TB) and tuberculosis infection. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A narcotics search warrant served at a Longview house has resulted in the arrest of three persons. Arrested were Brenda Carol Smith, 51, David Ray Click, 59, and Paul Douglas Cash, 35, all from Longview. All three were booked into the Gregg County jail. They face a variety of dug charges. During the search of the house officers seized, 84.8 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, money, and a loaded handgun.
JACKSONVILLE – A wanted fugitive, who had evaded arrest on several occasions, has been arrested by Jacksonville police. Devante Johnson, 25, was arrested Wednesday by officers acting on an anonymous tip. He fled out the back door of a home on Earl Street. As he ran through the neighborhood he ran through a house and jumped through a closed glass window. As he tried to jump a fence, he was arrested with the help of a police dog. After being treated at the hospital, he was booked into the Cherokee County Jail. Besides several warrants, he’s facing additional charges from an ongoing investigation.
MARSHALL – A million dollar east Texas home has been destroyed by fire. The fire in the 10,000 square foot home on Forest Trail was reported shortly before 4:15 Wednesday morning. At one time, every on duty member of the Marshall Fire Department were on the scene. Fire Chief Reggie Cooper said, “Firefighters were initially able to make an interior attack, however, due to the fire’s intensity, were unable to extinguish the blaze. You can judge the intensity of the fire from the picture made by the Marshall Fire Department. All occupants were out of the house and there were no injuries.†The $1.39 million home was reduced to ashes. They are still trying to determine the cause of the fire. Initial reports indicated intense lightning in the area at the time, and that may be the cause of the fire.
CLEAR CREEK – A southeast Texas school system is naming their sports facility after a coach and John Tyler graduate who was killed while helping rescue people during Hurricane Harvey. The Clear Creek school board unanimously approved the recommendation to name a Clear Creek High School spring sports building after Coach Ruben Jordan. According to a posting on the school district’s web page, The building will bear the name Ruben C. Jordan Spring Sports Facility to honor to the coach who was beloved throughout Clear Creek High School, CCISD and the community as a whole. He had many successes as a football, track and cross country coach for 30 years at Creek before announcing his retirement in 2016. They will soon be announcing a date for a dedication ceremony.