Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TYLER – An inmate found hanging in his Smith County Jail cell earlier this month has died. Just before 11:00 Tuesday morning, Quincey Butler, 44, was removed from life support at a Tyler hospital. His body has been sent to a Dallas lab for autopsy. The former New Orleans resident had been placed in a single inmate cell since he was considered to be a danger to other inmates and was also on a suicide watch. Sheriff Larry Smith says Butler was on a required ten minute observation and had been checked nine minutes prior to being found hanging in his cell. Per department protocol, the Texas Rangers are investigating the death.
TYLER – Tyler police have identified a suspect in a recent theft at Bishop T.K. Gorman High School. After receiving numerous tips from the public, he has been identified as Vernell Richardson, 23, of Tyler. He was arrested Monday afternoon after meeting with his probation officer. He is on probation for burglary of a building. He is now in the Smith County jail. He is said to be the man got into the Gorman gym early last week by telling a student that he was there to work on the floors. He then went to the boys’ locker room and stole several cell phones and personal belongings. The following day, a man used the same story to enter the All Saints locker room and steal the same type of items. The All Saints burglary case remains under investigation.
LONGVIEW – A missing Longview teen is said to be safe. Longview police have been looking for Sophia Torres, 16. She was believed to be with “Robby†Robert Dale Amburn, 27, of Longview. A Facebook posting says she has been located and is safe. Police spokesperson Kristie Brian says, since she is a juvenile they can’t discuss more than she was a runaway and has returned home on her own.
KILGORE – Kilgore police are now saying a wreck on Interstate Highway 20 last Friday, which involved a cattle trailer, was caused by a hit an run driver. The accident, which caused a traffic flow problems for several hours, occurred between Mile Markers 588 and 589. The trailer had turned over in the median, trapping over 60 head of cattle and killing several of them. The investigation has shown the truck had been hit by another vehicle, which continued east bound on the interstate. The truck was described as a white pick-up with black and gold pinstriping and lettering down the side. It may have been a company truck. It should have damage to the front driver’s side.
TYLER – Tyler’s Beauty and the Box Program continues to grow. The beautification program began last year. It takes traffic signal boxes scattered around the city and turns them into works of art. What started as a pilot program of ten boxes in the Downtown Business Arts and Culture District has grown to 17 vinyl-wrapped boxes. The newest box added to the collection is at the corner of Erwin and Bois D’Arc. It is sponsored by Marvin United Methodist Church. You can go to http://www.KeepTylerBeautiful.com to see how you can sponsor a utility box.
TYLER – Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who stole a travel trailer earlier this month. It happened in the early morning hours of November 3rd. It is described as a 26 foot long white and gray Grey Wolf Travel Trailer. It was taken from the Cubesmart Storage Facility on Hwy 155 South just outside the Tyler loop. It was taken by a white male driving a white, newer model, Chevrolet 4×4 crew cab pickup. If you recognize him, you are asked to contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Department.
GUN BARREL CITY — We all love free stuff — but one East Texas man is accused of taking that a little too far. A federal indictment accuses Michael Barnes, 36, of Gun Barrel City of pretending to be a musician to get guitars, headphones, and amps that he said would be used in photo shoots. He wrote one company, claimed he played for the Texas Rangers, and got himself baseball gloves. Former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Richard Roper says, “And you’d wonder, gosh, maybe a member of the Texas Rangers organization would have enough money to buy his own gloves or get one from the club.” Roper adds any prison time depends on the value of the swag. Barnes is charged with 29 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
LUFKIN (AP) — An East Texas woman found incompetent to stand trial in the death of her nephew has remained in county jail eight months after she was committed to a mental health facility. The Lufkin Daily News reports that Billie Jean Cuttler, charged with capital murder after the body of 3-year-old Mason Cuttler was found in a pond, was ordered to a state hospital to undergo a program to better understand court proceedings. Afterward she would stand trial or charges would be dismissed. During a competency trial, an expert testified that Cuttler intellectually functioned below 99.8% of the population. The boy’s father and Cuttler’s then-boyfriend Bobby Woods Jr. is also charged
TYLER – Thanksgiving travelers using Tyler’s Pounds Regional Airport this week will be greeted by Therapet human-animal teams. They will be at the airport today and Wednesday to greet arriving and departing travelers to help them beat holiday stress. Therapet Executive Director Carianne Fisher said research has found that people’s blood pressure and heart rate go down, their positive hormones increase and it helps people relax when they love on a dog for a little while. In addition to the Thanksgiving holiday, Therapet will also be visiting during the Christmas season on December 21 and 22.
LONGVIEW – The next segment of the new Farm Road 2275/George Richey Road Extension in Longview opens today. According to TxDOT, the $12.4 million project runs from McCann Road westward to State Highway 300. The remaining work will be conducted with the roadway open to traffic. This project is part of a new location four-lane divided highway designed to provide a safer and more efficient east/west thoroughfare for Longview. It stretches four miles from U.S. Highway 259 to State Highway 300. The contractor, East Texas Bridge, Inc., of Longview, started construction on this Phase II segment in summer 2016. Phase I from U.S. Highway 259 to McCann Road, at a cost of $34.3 million, opened to traffic in October 2016.
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district for the next two weeks (Week of November 20 and 27). Weather conditions or other unforeseen issues could change these work schedules. Due to the high traffic Thanksgiving Holiday, TxDOT Tyler will not allow lane closures on construction and maintenance projects from Wednesday, November 22 through Sunday, November 26th. You can go to http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/060-2017.html and see the project update for TxDOT’s Tyler District.
TYLER – TxDOT has announced an emergency contract is being put in place to expedite the Farm Road 849 bridge replacement project. This comes after the westbound overpass, located at Interstate Highway 20 in Hideaway, sustained major structural damage when it was hit Tuesday morning by an oversized load carrying a tank vessel. Engineers have evaluated the structure and found it to be unsafe for traffic until the replacement is complete. The damage includes three of the four girders being struck including the top flange of the girders being pulled away from the concrete deck. Because construction plans to replace the structure have been previously completed, expediting the project is feasible and the best option since repairs would be costly and inefficient. The timeline for moving the project forward includes finalizing the construction plans and seeking bids by early December and work getting underway shortly after that. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Longview police continue looking for a missing teenager. And they have more information about the man who may be with her. They are looking for Sophia Torres, 16. She is Hawaiian with black hair that is dyed red. She has dark brown eyes and is 5 feet 3 inches and weighs about 125 pounds. They believe she is with “Robby†Robert Dale Amburn, 27, of Longview. (pictured here) He drives a white 2006 Pontiac G6 TX LP BVN3624. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY – State troopers assisted Kilgore Police Department with a rolled over truck-tractor semi-trailer, that for a while, blocked the westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 20 in Gregg County. Crews had to off-load some 60-plus head of cattle from the truck before they could remove the wreckage. It took several hours, but the traffic flow in the area between Mile Markers 589 and 588 has returned to normal.
GILMER – A Gladewater man has pleaded guilty in Upshur County to sexual assault. Shanon Carroll Wiess, 48, of Gladewater, pleaded guilty Friday, three days before his trial was to begin. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison. In August, 2015, Wiess is said to have driven the victim around Gregg and Upshur counties for 24 hours where he raped her repeatedly. He finally let her go at the Warren City Hall. The victim said Wiess displayed a knife. As a condition of the plea agreement, Weiss has waived his right to appeal.
BROWNSBORO – A Henderson County teen is arrested for showing nude pictures of an under age girl to school students. Arrested by Brownsboro ISD police was Braden C. Molloy, 18, of Chandler. The arrest follows an investigation that began about a week ago. Molloy was arrested on Thursday and charged with possession with intent to promote child pornography. He was released from the Henderson County jail on a $15,000 bond.
LONGVIEW – Since April, Longview police have arrested 8 persons for racing on city streets. The latest arrests occurred around 2:30 Friday morning on Spur 63. Arrested were Zachary Taylor Lampkin 22 (pictured) and Joseph Matthew Ballard 23, both of Longview. The men had their vehicles impounded. Lampkin was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.
MURCHISON – A convicted felon is facing a variety of charges following a Henderson County traffic stop. Corey Jason Jones, 34, of Murchison was stopped on a county road near his hometown because of an expired vehicle registration. But the expired registration and a suspended driver’s license was the least of his worries. In his vehicle, the sheriff’s deputy found a glass pipe with white residue believed to be methamphetamine and a clear, plastic baggie containing a crystal-like substance believed to be Methamphetamine. He also had a rifle. Jones was booked into the Henderson county jail on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a controlled substance.
TYLER – Tyler police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person who is responsible for a series of thefts at Bishop T.K. Gorman and All Saints School. On Tuesday, a man got into the Gorman gym by telling a student that he was there to work on the floors. He then went to the boys’ locker room and stole several cell phones and personal belongings. On Wednesday, he used the same story to enter the All Saints locker room and steal the same type of items. If you can identify him, you are asked to contact Tyler Police or Tyler-Smith County Crimestoppers.
TYLER – A Tyler business man is still living on a platform on scaffolding in front of his business. He will stay there off the West Southwest Loop until he raises enough money to meet his goal. Clint Benefield started his quest at noon Wednesday to raise money to feed hungry in East Texans. Last year he raised $2,900 for the Salvation Army. This year he is attempting to raise $3,000 for the United Way of Smith County. The money he raises will be allocated to United Way partner agencies that deal directly with hunger. He says he will remain on that platform for up to a week if necessary. You can mail or drop off a donation to the United Way office in Tyler. You can also go to http://www.uwsmithcounty.org/FightHunger and make your donation online.
AUSTIN – Unemployment in Texas has fallen. The area report is slightly mixed. While the state added 71,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in October, unemployment in the state fell to 3.9%. That sets a record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in four decades. Tyler’s unemployment went from 3.7% in September to 3.9%. It was 4.5% last October. In Longview, unemployment went from 4.5% in September down to 4% last month. That is far below the 6.2% rate last October.
HENDERSON – A man said to be responsible for a fatal Rusk County accident will be going to prison for a long period of time. The jury that found Walter Todd Miller, 60, guilty this week of intoxication manslaughter, sentenced him to 99 years in prison. According to the district attorney’s office, because of Miller’s criminal past, the jury was able to return such a lengthy sentence. In November, 2015, Miller’s vehicle veered into the opposite lane of traffic and collided with an oncoming vehicle. One person was killed and three injured in the wreck on Highway 79 between Henderson and New Summerfield. Miller’s blood alcohol content was said to have been nearly three times over the legal limit.
VAN – In September, state house member Dan Flynn of Van said he would run again. He has now made it official. This week Flynn filed for re-election for Texas House District 2. It covers Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt Counties. Flynn, a Republican, is in his sixth term. He serves as chairman of the House Pensions Committee and serves on the Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
TYLER – The East Texas Human Needs Network is holding the annual “One Night Without a Home†event in Tyler. It is part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Activities start Friday afternoon at 4:00 with a dinner at the Salvation Army. Then, everyone will walk to Fun Forest Park for a Face of Hunger and Homelessness program. That will be followed by a candlelight vigil for the homeless who have died. After spending the night in the park, it’s up at 5:00 Saturday morning for a quick breakfast and a lessons learned conversation. Then, it’s a walk back to the Salvation Army. If you would like to participate, you need to go to http://www.ethnn.org and complete the on line registration which is required.
TYLER – Friday is Smith County Adoption Day. And a special program will show how you can help with a problem facing the state. More than 5,000 abused or neglected Texas children were adopted from state care last year. But as of September nearly 4,000 children and teens in the state are still looking for a home. You can find out how you can help. There will be a special program on adoptions Friday morning at 9:00. It will be held in the Galilee Room in the Worship Center Building of Tyler’s Green Acres Baptist Church.
AUSTIN (AP/STAFF) – A Democratic mega donor, who grew up in Smith County, has died after a battle with a mental health issue. A powerful Texas trial lawyer and prominent backer of liberal causes and candidates, Steve Mostyn, grew up in Whitehouse. Mostyn gave generously for years to top Texas Democrats. Last year, he donated $1 million to a Hillary Clinton super PAC. Mostyn’s wife, Amber, did not confirm a cause of death but said, “If you or a loved one are thinking about suicide, or experiencing a health crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline right now.” Mostyn was 46. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Smith County man has been sentenced to prison for intoxication manslaughter. Michael Christopher Fielder Sr., 47, of Lindale, pleaded guilty Thursday morning in connection with the death of Gabriel Cocolan, 19. In connection with a plea agreement, he accepted a ten year prison sentence, and was sentenced by state district judge Christi Kennedy. On Super Bowl night, in February of last year,Fielder’s truck crossed over the center line on South Main in Lindale and hit the victim’s pickup, head-on. Fielder’s blood alcohol content was .117.
BERRYVILLE – Two persons have been busted following a traffic stop in Henderson County. Charged with possession of a controlled substance was Michele Leigh Myers, 48. Arrested on two outstanding warrants from Henderson County was Charles James Myers, 34. Both are from Tyler. The two were shopped after leaving a game room. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said during the traffic stop a search of the vehicle, Michele Myers was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and paraphernalia commonly used to smoke methamphetamine.
TYLER – The City of Tyler has received the Community Partner of the Year Award from Tyler ISD. It was presented during the annual State of the District luncheon on Wednesday. The award was established in 2014 through a partnership with Tyler ISD and the Tyler Area Business Education Council. The award is given annually to organizations that provide exceptional and innovative support to Tyler ISD. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler Rose Garden has a new attraction. It’s a sundial. The family of the 2017 Rose Queen, Miss Emily Evans, had the very special piece of art made for the Rose Garden for all to see during the 2017 Tyler Rose Festival. The Celestial Wonders sundial was a gift from Mrs. Emily Nichols in honor of her granddaughter and in dedication to her husband, Mr. Fred Nichols. A dedication ceremony was held Wednesday and the sundial has been installed in the garden next to the historical wall which was the original entrance to the garden. It was made by artist Charles Strack for the coronation ceremony and the family donated the piece to the City of Tyler.