Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
OVERTON – Overton School Superintendent Stephen DuBose has received a contract extension. During the Monday night meeting, school trustees went into executive session for the evaluation and contract of the superintendent. When they returned to open session, the board extended the superintendent’s contract through the 2021 contract period. DuBose has been in education over 30 year. He has served as athletic director and high school principal in Overton ISD. He was named interim superintendent in June, 2013, following the resignation of Superintendent Alan Umholtz. A month later Dubose was named as the lone finalist for the post. In 2014, school trustees extended his contract through 2017.
LIBERTY CITY – The Department of Public Safety has identified the victim of a weekend accident in Gregg County. The accident occurred on Interstate Highway 20, a mile west of Liberty City shortly after 4:00 Sunday afternoon. The victim, 71 year old Allen W. Gary, of Mendenhall, Mississippi, died in a Longview hospital Monday afternoon. Witnesses told the Department of Public Safety, Gary’s pickup was heading east when the vehicle swerved onto the right side shoulder, then back onto the roadway and crossed both eastbound lanes. The pickup ended up in the grass center median where the vehicle rolled numerous times.
LONGVIEW – A Longview man has drawn a prison sentence for a drug violation. According to the district attorney’s office, Walter Dixon, 59, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in an amount of more than 200 grams. The substance was methamphetamine. Dixon was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He was enhanced to habitual offender status due to two prior felony convictions. The charge stemmed from a Department of Public Safety arrest last June. Dixon was arrested after police found 260 grams of methamphetamine in his pickup after a traffic stop, police chase and a wreck.
TYLER – While we are shivering in cold winter weather, Tyler is looking forward to a spring event. Applications are now being accepted to be an Azalea Belle at the 59th Annual Azalea and Spring Flower Trail. It runs March 16th through April 1st. The invitation is open to freshman and sophomore high school girls living in Smith County who will enjoy working with people. The girls must be academically eligible and are required to attend certain events and trainings. Applications are due by 5:00pm, January 23rd. Read the rest of this entry »
GILMER – An East Texas man has entered a guilty plea at the start of his murder trial in Gilmer. Decorian Quantez Robbins, 19, of Avinger, entered the guilty plea Monday morning. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison in the death of Kendrick Lemichael Jackson, 29. He was found shot to death March 28th in his home in the Lafayette community in northern Upshur County. Three others are also charged in the case. One of them, Xavier Mumphrey, 19, of Kilgore, pleaded guilty in the case last month. He will be sentenced sometime this month.
LEIGH – A death in Harrison County is being investigated as a homicide. The body of Joshua Ray Tillery, 31, of Marshall, was found late Sunday afternoon. The body was in an abandoned house in the Leigh community, in Eastern Harrison County. The body was sent to a Tyler lab for autopsy. The initial investigation indicated what appears to be a gunshot wound was found on the body. Tillery has previous drug arrests on his record and they are trying to determine if the death was related to drug activity.
HENDERSON COUNTY – Two persons have been arrested in Henderson County on drug charges. Booked into the county jail were Robert Lewis White, 60, of Lindale, and Michelle Meador Cain, 51, of Murchison. Early Monday morning, White was pulled over on Forest Grove Drive south of Chandler. Currently on parole for possession of a controlled substance, a deputy found methamphetamine in several clear, plastic Ziploc baggies, a digital scale commonly used to weigh the drug for distribution and several empty baggies. He also had pill bottles containing the drug and marijuana. He has been charged with manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Drivers will see some changes on Longview’s Cotton Street beginning Tuesday. That’s when the street will be opening from Green Street to Mobbberly Avenue and closing westbound, allowing eastbound one-way traffic from Mobberly Avenue to MLK Boulevard. The purpose of the project is to replace deteriorated utilities and pavement, and add sidewalks. Drivers wishing to travel west along Cotton Street between Mobberly and MLK must use alternate routes along Oden Street or Marshall Avenue (Highway 80). Through traffic will be allowed to travel one way eastbound along Cotton from Mobberly to MLK. You’re urged to use caution if traveling this route due to heavy construction. The closure is expected to last until late this year.
MARSHALL – An accident in Harrison County has killed a Hallsville teenager. Killed Sunday was Wyatt Thomas Edwards, 18. The Department of Public Safety said Edwards left his vehicle to stand on the pickup’s running board while it was moving. He lost his footing and received a fatal head injury when he hit the roadway. A passenger in the pickup was not injured. The accident occurred on County Road 3023, just east of Marshall.
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of December January 8. These 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 continue base repair work on the Loop 323 Extension and edge repairs on FM 16 between FM 757 and US 271. Expect lane closures with flaggers conducting traffic control at both locations. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/001-2018.html to find updates on the various projects in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.
TYLER – A two vehicle accident in Smith County has killed Olivia Brown Drew, 56, of Flint. The wreck occurred just after 4:30 Saturday afternoon on County Road 46, just under a mile north of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety reports Drew’s pickup was heading south on State Highway 110. Her pickup left the roadway, traveled through a fence and then several hundred yards through private property where it then struck a car that was parked next to a residence on the county road. Drew was pronounced dead at the scene.
TYLER – A two vehicle collision near the intersection of West Grande and Shady Oaks Drive has killed a Tyler man. Dead at the scene was Rodney Dean Kolac, 69. The accident happened shortly before 10:30 Sunday morning. Investigators say Kolac’s car was traveling east went it went out control in a S-curve. It then ended up in the west bound lane where it hit a pickup. The pickup’s driver was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment of with non-life threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.
LONGVIEW – A lone gunman has robbed a Longview bank. It happened Friday just before 6:00pm, at the Chase Bank branch on Judson Road at Loop 281. The suspect, a white male, fled with an undisclosed amount of money. No injuries were reported.
TYLER – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Brookshire’s Grocery Company with 8 violations due to the September 1st ammonia leak in Tyler. It an exclusive report by KETK, “on December 5, OSHA released their full report to Brookshire’s which stated their findings. They cited the company with 8 “serious” violations; serious being the lower ranking. The citations included maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes; process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals; hazardous waster operations and emergency response.†Each of the violations cost nearly $8,000 dollars. The total of the fine issued to Brookshire’s is more than $63,000.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A detective with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department has died. Sheriff Larry Smith said on the department’s Facebook page that Anthony Broyles failed to show up for work on Friday. Department personnel, along with Boyle’s mom, found him dead at his home. It appears as if he died of natural causes. According to Sheriff Smith, “Anthony was a gentle giant who worked hard in spite of his recent illness. He will be greatly missed.†Funeral arrangements are pending.
KILGORE – A suspect has been named in a Kilgore murder that occurred on New Year’s eve. He is Dwight Patrick Scott, 51. He is wanted for the death of Tracy Lynn Reedy, 50. She was found about 11:30 that evening on a sidewalk at The Village on Meadowgreen Drive apartments in southeast Kilgore. Kilgore detectives have obtained a murder warrant for Scott. The bond was pre-set at $1 million. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the shooting or where Scott can be found can contact Kilgore detective Jim Rowe.
TYLER – A student at Robert E Lee High School has been treated and released from a Tyler hospital after being hit by a vehicle on the campus. The student, whose name has not been released, was hit in the horseshoe area of the campus parking lot shortly after 9:15 Friday morning. The accident occurred as the student was changing classes. TISD Executive Director Communications and PR, Dawn Parnell, said due to the current design of the campus, some students have cross through the horseshoe parking lot when traveling to classes. Currently the campus is being remodeled and once completed all classrooms will be in one building.
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the Best College Values for 2018 nationwide. LETU was ranked 83rd on the magazine’s list of 100 best values among private universities for the third consecutive year. Kiplinger’s quality measures, which are weighted more heavily than cost, include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. The cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation. Kiplinger restricts its analysis to measurable standards of academic quality and affordability and was the first ranking to focus on value.
SMITH COUNTY – A two vehicle accident east of Tyler, in Smith County, has left one person dead and one injured. The wreck occurred just before 1:30 Friday afternoon at the intersection of Farm Roads 2767 and 2908. Dead at the scene was Robert McLouth, 34, of Arp. Taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment was Blake Owens, 28, of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety report says Owens’ SUV had entered the intersection and was hit by McLouth’s pickup, which had failed to yield the right of way at the intersection.
LONGVIEW – A Longview Fire Department official has been injured in an early morning wreck. It happened around 2:45 Friday morning on East Marshall Avenue. Taken to a Longview hospital, where he was treated and released, was Deputy Fire Marshal Bert Scott. His fire department SUV was stopped at a traffic light when it was rear ended by a vehicle driven by Micah Trumond Armstong, 23, of Longview. He was not injured but was arrested for driving while intoxicated, his second DWI in a year’s time. Read the rest of this entry »
TOOL – A Henderson County man has been busted on drug charges. Randall Caroll Palmer, 69, of Tool, was arrested Thursday at a residence on Kingsway Drive in the Royal Oaks Subdivision. Armed with a search warrant, investigators found a clear plastic baggie and a pill bottle which contained a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamines. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail on a charge of felony possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $8,500.
NEW LONDON – One person has died in a Rusk County accident. The one vehicle accident occurred around 7:30 Friday morning on State Highway 42, just over a mile and a half south of New London. Dead at the scene was 21 year old Zachary Hunter Reynolds of Overton. The Department of Public Safety says his car was heading south when it left the road, hit a tree and caught fire. The accident remains under investigation.
LONGVIEW – The honor guard of the Gregg County sheriff’s Department has it;s first female member. She is is Deputy Sarah Kirkland. The honor guard has been around for over 15 years. It represents the department at events like memorials and funerals.
TYLER – The John Tyler High School speech and debate program has been awarded a 2016-2017 Leading Chapter Award in the UIL Texas District. The award comes from the National Speech & Debate Association. John Tyler is among only 108 schools to receive the honor out of more than 3,600 schools nationwide. Only one school in each speech and debate district earns the award every year. The award is the highest recognition a school can receive from the association. The school’s speech & debate team will be presented a plaque during the final round of district competition next month.
TYLER – Two men have been arrested for stealing saddles and tack from a Smith County ranch last month and trading them for fake drugs. Arrested were Jacob Aaron McDougal, 26, of Henderson Addison Hayden Reynolds, 22, of Gladewater. Investigators with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Larry Hand, were able to link the suspects to the theft. Reynolds was arrested by Gregg County Deputies. Smith County Deputies arrested McDougal. Both have been charged with burglary of a building. Reynold has also been charged with violation of probation and McDougal is also charged with violation of parole. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Longview’s Partners in Prevention’s Unity and Diversity Committee has announced Mrs. Regina Wayne and Reverend Lewis Thompson, Jr. as the 2018 Unity Honors recipients. The award is a life time achievement award that recognizes persons in the community who have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of unity, mutual understanding, and social justice. The Unity Honors Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, February 21 from 11:30am to 1:00pm at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – It is that time of the year when the City of Tyler Parks and Recreation staff Shut off outdoor drinking fountains in all parks managed by the City of Tyler. Also, public restrooms within the following parks are now closed for the winter season. Those parks are:
Emmett J Park
Fun Forest Park
Gassaway Park
Hillside Park
Noble Young Park (upper restroom only)
P T Cole Park
Winters Park
The facilities will become fully operational again in a few months.
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed two East Texans among the five persons named to the Task Force On Academic Credit And Industry Recognition. The East Texans are Mike Bell of Henderson and Sam Hurley of Athens. Bell was also named the presiding officer. Both were appointed for terms that will expire on December 1, 2021. The Task Force was created by HB 553 during the 85th legislative session to identify academic credit and industrial recognition for offenders within the Windham School at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The sixth annual Project Cinderella campaign is underway in Smith County. The campaign is by BCFS Health and Human Services of Tyler. The goal is to gather formal wear to help youth in foster care, and those who have experienced abuse or neglect, to attend the 2018 prom coming up in March. A gift of $25 can provide a tuxedo rental or enable a youth to shop for his or her own accessories or shoes to celebrate prom exquisitely dressed. Gently used ladies’ shoes and jewelry are also on the wish list. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate is making a stop in Tyler today. El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke will be holding a Town Hall meeting at 8:00pm at the New Life Community Church, 1202 NNW Loop 323. He also had events today in Greenville and Rockwall.