Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TROUP – A burn ban has gone up in Troup. Troup Mayor Pro-tem Carol Wilson signed the proclamation on Monday. It was issued at the recommendation of the Troup Fire Chief Tim Mager. Occording to the proclamation, the burn ban will remain in effect until it is rescinded.
ATHENS – A Smith County man has been indicted for a Henderson County murder. The Henderson County District Attorney’s Office tells KETK that Dennis Odell Metcalf, 40, of Tyler, was indicted for the September murder of James Arthur Featherston, 24, of Murchison. The shooting occurred in a home on Easy Street in the Forest Grove subdivision of Chandler. Metcalf later surrendered to deputies without incident. He reportedly admitted to fatally shooting Featherston. In a news release following the shooting, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said there was no indication of an altercation between the two men and no immediate signs the two knew each other before the shooting.
TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying three theft suspects. The three men committed the theft from a motor vehicle. It occurred on November 10th around 10:00pm. According to the department’s Facebook posting, the suspects left the establishment and stole the victim’s tailgate off of their Chevrolet pickup. They then drove away in a newer model Chevrolet Suburban. It is believed they are from the Jacksonville area. You can go to
https://www.facebook.com/SmithCountySheriffsOffice and see some pictures of the suspects.
TYLER – A Tyler fire has turned up a marijuana grow in the city. The fire was reported shortly after 7:15 Monday morning at a home on West 31st Street. The fire in the duplex was quickly extinguished with only light damage. Besides finding the fire started from candles near a bed, they also found around 100 marijuana plants. With the plants were special grow lights and items related to the operation. Tyler police investigators are looking into the ownership of the grow operation for future prosecution.
TYLER – It was a strong showing for University of Texas at Tyler students and faculty at this year’s Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering Conference. The ATMAE student chapter placed second in the robotics competition among the top 10 teams nationwide. In addition, senior mechanical engineering major Caleb Nehls of Tyler placed second among 32 students nationwide in the “Industrial Technology IQ†competition. Also at the conference, professor Dr. Mark Miller, chair of the Technology Department and interim chair of the Human Resource Development Department, received the prestigious Charles W. Keith Award. It recognizes exemplary accomplishments toward the significant development of ATMAE. This was the first year the UT Tyler student chapter had ever competed in these competitions. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A Gregg County man is facing a variety of charges after fighting with, and trying to run away from, a Longview police officer. It started with a call about criminal trespass on Rainbow Drive. It ended with two fights, and two foot chases and the suspect, Jason Lee Jones, 37, of Gladewater, arrested on a variety of charges. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Two Longview robbery suspects were arrested a short time after a convenience store was held up. The EZ Mart on South High Street was robbed shortly before 8:45 Sunday night. An off duty officer, who was driving in the area, saw two men running from the store. One hand a bandanna over his face. The officer detained Christopher Lawerence Williams, 25, of Kilgore and Corey Tremayne Lilly, 18, of Longview. When it was determined the men were the suspects in the holdup, they were arrested and booked into the Gregg County Jail on aggravated robbery charges and each placed under a $100,000 bond. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – An auto/pedestrian accident in Smith County has killed 44 year-old Jason Brandon Lyons of Tyler. The accident happened shortly before 8:45 Saturday night on State Highway 155, about 5 miles south of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety reports it started when a pickup towing a boat stopped in the road, blocking the southbound lanes. A car heading south hit the pickup which hit Lyons, who was standing beside it. The truck’s driver, Elizabeth Ann Arnold, 39, of Hillsboro, and the car’s driver, Terri Lynn Flusche, 49, of Palestine, are both in stable condition in a Tyler hospital. The accident remains under investigation.
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district for the week of November 27. Weather conditions or other unforeseen issues could change these work schedules.
In Smith County, daily lane closures remain in effect on I-20 eastbound and westbound at Toll 49 as the contractor for the Lindale Relief Route conducts work to install deck panels and overhangs of the Toll 49 Mainlane Bridge. Closures on I-20 will begin with the westbound right lane, then the left lane, eastbound right lane, and then the left lane. Lane closures are planned for 9:00am to 4:00pm, Nov. 27 – 30, and from 9:00am to noon on December 1. Local law enforcement will be on site to assist with traffic control. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Two Longview residents have been arrested after leading law officers on a two county chase. In the Gregg County Jail is Ethan Brett McKinney, 46 and Whitney Rene Hubbard, 24. White Oak police knew McKinney was a fugitive, and tried to stop his pickup Friday night on Highway 80 near Moody Boulevard. He didn’t stop and headed toward Gilmer on State Highway 300. After numerous turns and U-turns, the truck crashed into a ditch at the intersection of McCann Road and Farm Road 1844. Besides multiple warrants in Gregg County, McKinney is also charged with evading arrest. Hubbard is charged with possession of a controlled substance. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – The state has started its winter stocking of pounds and lakes of rainbow trout. They are stocking 150 bodies of water with 300,000 rainbow trout through March. A total of 18 Neighborhood Fishing lakes and ponds located in Texas’ 11 most populated urban centers were the first of the season to offer rainbow trout fishing. Stockings start November 21 in most locations and continue every two weeks. Tyler State Park has received its first stocking of 3,430 rainbow trout. Tyler’s Faulkner Park Lake has been stocked with 1,900 fish and Woldert Park Pond has been stocked with 1,344 fish with other stockings scheduled. You can go to http://www.tpwd.texas.gov/troutstocking for the full list of public water bodies receiving rainbow trout this year, along with scheduled stocking dates and numbers of fish. You will need a license to fish if you are 17 or older. Kids fish for free and no license is needed at Texas State Parks.
MARSHALL – Former Harrison County District Clerk Mellinda Gayle Craig, 47, of Hallsville has been charged with driving while intoxicated. She was released on a $2,000 bond on Thanksgiving Day. She was arrested by a state trooper after she is said to have failed to stop for a Harrison County’s Sheriff’s deputy. She was said to have been driving at a high rate of speed on Farm Road 154 in Harrison County. According to the Marshall News Messenger, she was arrested in 2014 on charges of public intoxication. She was also arrested in 2014 by Texas Rangers and later indicted on three charges including misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury, misdemeanor deadly conduct and misdemeanor criminal trespass. According to the newspaper, Craig has not yet received a sentencing for those 2014 arrests.
TYLER – Tyler police are looking for the suspects who stole a banks ATM machine. It happened at the BTH Bank on the Old Jacksonville Highway around 2:00 Thursday morning. Someone had stolen a piece of heavy equipment, a skylift, from a nearby construction site. They drove it to the bank and forced the ATM from its concrete foundation and loaded into the back of a U-Haul box truck. After receiving the call, it took officers only six minutes to get to the bank, but the suspects had already left.
TYLER – An Art and Maker Gift Market has opened in downtown Tyler. The market features one-of-a-kind gift items, for purchase, made by area artists and artisans. The market opened Saturday at Gallery Main Street, 110 West Erwin Street. Artists, artisans and makers were encouraged to submit their work for a jury process to select pieces for the “micro†gift boutique. The opening coincided with downtown Tyler’s participation in Small Business Saturday. The market is a partnership between two City of Tyler programs: the Innovation Pipeline and Gallery Main Street.
For shoppers, Friday was black Friday and Monday is Cyber Monday. Sandwiched in between is Small Business Saturday. It was founded by American Express in 2010. According to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, around 112 million consumers spent $15.4 billion on that day last year. Small businesses in the area have geared up for the event with specials for the shoppers. There are 2,600,000 small business operations in Texas. They employee about 45% of all employees in the state. They say, shopping with them provides a variety of benefits, among them, It helps create jobs in the community and the tax dollars stay local.
EAST TEXAS – The Christmas season is officially here. Shoppers are flocking to area stores. And several special Christmas tree exhibits are open. At Tyler’s Prestige Estates Assisted Living and Memory Care Center, it’s the annual Winter Wonderland of Christmas Trees. Along with the beautiful and unique Christmas trees is a big 12 foot tree where you can leave an unwrapped toy for the Tyler Firefighters Toy Drive. The toys will be picked up by the firefighters on December 10th. In Palestine, the Palestine Veterans Administration Clinic is hosting an Angel Tree to benefit area veterans in need. It’s inside the Palestine Mall. And In Lufkin, The Museum of East Texas is holding its annual Festival of Trees.
PALESTINE — Acting on a tip, law officers have found a missing Palestine woman safe and unharmed. According to KETK, Palestine police say 24-year-old Haley Dawn Grant was located Wednesday evening at a location in Anderson County. Police took a missing person report on Monday. Her friend said she had been missing since November 18. She was last seen at a gas station in Palestine. Friends and family had been searching for her, not knowing why she would disappear. They said it was not of her character to just go missing. “I want to thank all of the family and friends of Haley Grant for the prayers and concern about her. I want to thank the Palestine Police Department and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office for all their work in finding her,” said Haley’s friend, David Lusk.
LONGVIEW – Gregg County authorities have charged two Kilgore men with a robbery that occurred last month. Arrested Wednesday were Jonathan Zuniga, 22, and Clarence Bedford III, 22. They were arrested at a home in the Kilgore-Liberty City area. They are charged with robbing the E-Z Mart on Highway 135 in Kilgore. The robbery occurred October 22nd around 4:15am. The arrests stem from leads developed by investigators as well as as a Crimestoppers tip. Both are in the Gregg County Jail with bonds of $75,000 each. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Dollar General building a warehouse in Longview is a step closer to reality today. Longview’s Zoning Board of Adjustments has approved zoning variance requests for a 110-acre site at the Longview North Business Park. DG Distribution of Texas wants to build a nearly 1 million-square-foot distribution center at the location. DG Distribution of Texas is a division of Dollar General Corp. in Tennessee. The Longview News Journal reports Longview is lone finalist for Dollar General’s 17th warehouse. A finalized agreement between the company and the city of Longview remains tentative pending legal matters, according to the Longview Economic Development Corporation. A city official told the paper he believes the deal can be “wrapped up” before the end of the year.
TYLER – Tyler’s Salvation Army is a beehive of activity. Preparations are underway for the annual community Thanksgiving meal. They expect to feed up to 1,500 persons Thursday between 11:30 and 1:00. The staff and volunteers started the preparations Wednesday afternoon. Over 200 volunteers have signed up this year to help with the Thanksgiving festivities. The Hubbard Family, a 5-piece East Texas musical group will be performing as the guests enjoy their meal. It consists of Greenberg Smoked Turkeys, dressing, fruit salad, green bean casseroles, candied yams, and pie. The cost of the meal is underwritten by many in the community.
TYLER – What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Tyler’s Goodman Museum wants to know. The museum plans to build a Trail of Gratitude. Through December 1, the museum invites you to share your thanksgivings. They will even supply colorful paper and writing utensils for you. These papers will be collected and laminated and hung from posts to create a trail on the property for the community to walk through and enjoy. The trail will be on display through the second weekend in January.
ATHENS – A traffic stop southeast of Athens has resulted in a drug arrest. The sheriff’s deputy stopped motorcyclist Durrell Lee Hopkins, 57, of Larue, for a traffic violation at the intersection of Farm Road 804 and County Road 4712. A search turned up illegal drugs and a .45 caliber handgun. Hopkins was booked into the Henderson County Jail on charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
PALESTINE – A Palestine woman has been reported missing. She is Haley Dawn Grant, 24. Grant’s family and friends told officers Monday that they had been unable to make contact with her. She was last seen at a convenience store last Saturday. Grant is described as having dark hair, 5’8″ tall and weighing 120 pounds. Anyone with any information regarding this case is urged to contact the Palestine Police Department at 903-729-2254 or Sgt. David Kassaw at 903-731-8482.
NACOGDOCHES – The secretary of state’s office has accepted the filing of another candidate seeking to unseat Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert. The application is that of Brent Beal of Nacogdoches. He went on a tour of the 1st congressional district to get petition signatures in lieu of paying a filing fee. He submitted over 800 signatures. 500 signatures had been required. Beal who is a business professor at The University of Texas at Tyler, will be running in the Democratic Primary against Shirley McKeller, who is running for the 4th time. Beal is critical district’s current congressman. He said, “Gohmert has failed to represent East Texans beyond those in his far-right GOP base.”
LONGVIEW – Longview’s National Night Out activities was once again one of the top ones in the country. According to the National Town Watch Association, the Longview/Gregg County activities ranked 11th for a community with a population size from 100,000 to 300,000. National Night Out Block Party were held in neighborhoods and businesses around the city and county. A total of 134 parties registered for National Night Out, which was held on October 3. The activities, which are coordinated by the Longview Police Department, Partners in Prevention and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office ranked 14th in the competition last year.
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University recently placed one of its computer programing teams in the Top 10 national rankings in the IEEEXtreme 11.0 programming competition. In the competition, students compete against each other from across the globe to solve a set of programming challenges. The competition is organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. LeTourneau won 1st place in the Southwestern region, 8th place nationally, and 161st out of 3,350 teams worldwide. Team members are computer science engineering major Azrael Brown of Duncanville, Texas; computer science engineering major Chandler Griscom, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania; and computer science network security major Brian Scott of Anniston, Alabama.
AUSTIN – Two Tyler residents have been recognized in the state in the area of nursing. Vania Padilla is the Texas Health Care Association’s Nurse of the Year for Region 4. Lucretia Howard is the Texas Health Care Association’s Certified Nurse Aide of the Year for Region 4. Region 4 is one of 10 statewide, and includes Central Texas. Both employed by the Heights of Tyler Nursing Home. Both were nominated by their co-workers and selected by a panel of long term care clinicians from across the state. They were honored during the Texas Health Care Association’s Annual Convention and Trade Show in Houston.
LONGVIEW – A woman wanted in Tennessee has been arrested in Longview. Arrested was Valrie Ann Hart,36, of Longview. She was taken into custody at a home on Alpine road by U.S. Marshall’s Service Violent Crime Task Force Agents. They were assisted by the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit. Hart was named in warrants for robbery, aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, and two outstanding felony warrants for homicide. The warrants are out of Polk County, Tennessee. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Because of two businesses, some area residents will have a ham to go with a holiday meal. Hormel Foods and the Brookshire Grocery Company have donated over a 1,000 Hormel Cure 81 half hams to the East Texas Food Bank. In total, the two companies are donating over $100,000 in hams to dozens of food banks and food kitchens in communities where Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods and Spring Market stores operate. The truck with the hams arrived Tuesday morning.
TYLER – Preparations are being made to usher the Christmas season into Tyler. The city’s Christmas tree was brought in on Monday. It is sitting on the downtown square. It’s a Leyland Cypress that is 28 feet tall and 14 feet wide. For the third straight year, the city’s Christmas tree has come from the Bright Star Farm in Alba. It will be decorated in preparation for the lighting ceremony. That will take place following Tyler’s Christmas parade on November 30th. Throwing the switch to light the tree again this year will be a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital’s Miracle Child. The child’s name will be announced next week.