Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TYLER – The Tyler school district is coming to the aid of families impacted by the closing of the YMCA. They are offering after school care. It was announced Thursday Tyler ISD will offer affected families after school enrichment opportunities. The plans were developed and tailored to meet the current enrollment and participation needs of each affected campus. Jones and Peete elementary schools will have a temporary after school enrichment program for kindergarten through 5th grade students available every day until 6:00pm. This will be offered through November 16th. After school care at Andy Woods Elementary School will continue through the remainder of the school year. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN (AP) – A 39-year-old East Texas kindergarten teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of sexual assault with a child and improper relationship with a student for having sex with high school students. A judge in Angelina County also has ordered Heather Robertson, of Lufkin, to surrender her teaching certification and register for life as a sex offender. Robertson was a teacher in the Hudson school district, just outside Lufkin, for 13 years. Prosecutors said an investigation showed she had sex at her Lufkin apartment with at least six Hudson students between last November and February this year. She resigned as a Hudson teacher April 20 and was arrested the next day. She could have received up to 20 years on each count.
DALLAS – The State Fair of Texas opens a 24 day run on Friday, and volunteers from Tyler will be there to welcome the crowds. Volunteers from Visit Tyler will be there from 10:00am till 6:00pm, highlighting Tyler’s many events and attractions. They will help staff the Texas Heritage Travel booth in the historic GoTexan Pavilion, next to the State Fair Wine Garden and close to the Cotton Bowl. Tyler’s community banner and promotional literature will also be on hand.
WASHINGTON – Two area schools are among the 342 schools around the country named by the Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2017. Among the nearly two dozen Texas schools to receive the honor are Tyler’s Grace Community Elementary School and, in Whitehouse, Stanton-Smith Elementary. According to a news release from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, “National Blue Ribbon Schools are active demonstrations of preparing every child for a bright future.” The program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The schools will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. November 6th and 7th.
LONGVIEW – With one arrest, Longview police have recovered a car stolen in Mississippi and a dog stolen in Texas. Cam Albert Robbins, 33, of Union, Mississippi, was said to have been unsteady as he walked to his car in a restaurant parking lot late Sunday night. He was arrested for public intoxication. Then it was learned the car had been stolen the day before in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Robbins was then charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The English Bulldog found in the front seat was turned over to the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center. A microchip in the dog showed the owner lived in Lone Star. The dog and owner were reunited on Thursday.
DALLAS – A former Henderson County police officer has been ordered by a federal judge to pay $6.3 million to the family of an Iowa man who died in the officer’s custody in 2013. Judge Roy Payne ruled that Ernesto Fierro used excessive force when he arrested William Livezey Jr., 70, while off-duty. The judge said in his final judgment that Livezey suffered a heart attack induced by the arrest. Livezey was transporting lumber from his business in Iowa, to a client in Houston, when the encounter occurred. Fierro claimed Livezey was driving aggressively but witnesses said it was Fierro who was operating his motorcycle erratically. Fierro later was convicted of aggravated assault and fired from the Malakoff police force.
WINONA – The second person killed in a Winona crash and fire has been identified. Justice of the Peace Mitch Shamburger says the passenger in the car has been identified as 34 year old Subhrajit Paul. He has family in both Bangladesh and India. The driver had previously been identified as 34 year old Dhaval Ajay Bhatt, of Frisco.The preliminary autopsy shows both died from blunt force trauma. Around 4:30am on September 21st, their car slammed into Mike’s Pizza and Pasta, starting a fire that destroyed the business, which had only been open for six days.
AUSTIN – An East Texan has been appointed to the Board Of Pardons and Paroles. Governor Greg Abbott has named Brian Long Of Kilgore to the board. His term will expire on February 1st, 2023. Long is currently a hearing officer for the Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles. The Board makes parole decisions for Texas prison inmates, determines conditions for parole and mandatory supervision, and makes recommendations on clemency matters to the governor.
TYLER – In federal Court in Tyler, a Van Zandt man has been sentenced to prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations. Corey Lance Parish, 28, of Ben Wheeler, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced Thursday to ten years in prison. According to federal prosecutors, last December, Parish was pulled over for a traffic violation in Canton. A search of his vehicle produced a pistol, over 77 grams of marijuana and 329 grams of methamphetamine.
TYLER – Seal coat operations have moved to Farm Road 850 in Smith County. It is being conducted along about an 8½ mile stretch from State Highway 31 to Farm Road 2607. This work is expected to be finished Thursday evening and then move to Farm Road 2767 from Farm Road 757 eastward through the Gregg County line and back to State Highway 31. TxDOT reports that the work is anticipated to be completed Sunday. Motorists should expect lane closures and delays during these operations. This is a fast-moving construction project with work scheduled generally between 7:00am and 7:00pm.
NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches County mother is arrested and her children, who were said to be living in horrible conditions, have been removed from the house. Authorities were called to the Garrison home Wednesday morning after two of the five children swallowed paint. Sheriff Jason Bridges says conditions in the home were were horrendous and unsafe for the children. He said there were there were feces all over the residence, on beds, walls and floors. Sinks were clogged there was no way of bathing the children inside the house. The mother, Meggan Barstow, 28, was arrested for child endangerment. The children, from infant to six, were removed from the home by Child Protective Services.
RUSK – Cherokee County authorities have arrested two person in connection with a stolen pickup and a chase last week. Now in the Cherokee County jail in the case are Zachary Banks, 18, (pictured) and Carlos Dominguez, 17, both of Rusk. The stolen pickup was reported near Rusk. It was spotted several hours later at the Whataburger in Bullard. The chase that followed came through Tyler where police used spike strips on Grande Boulevard. When the truck didn’t stop, they laid down another spike strip. The two suspects bailed out of the vehicle and ran into the woods Near Sam’s Club on the Tyler Loop. They were arrested earlier this week.
ATHENS – A Henderson County man is facing a variety of charges after trying to run away from law officers. Clifton Denean Dora, 58, of Moore Station had been linked Dora to six ranch burglaries from Eustace to Larue. When officers found him in the Sand Flat area, he fled. He was later found and arrested at a Leagueville gas station. He has been charged with burglary. He was also charged with evading arrest. When illegal drug were found on him at the jail, he was also charged with possession of a controlled substance. And, to add to all of that, at the time of his arrest, Dora was violating terms of his parole for previous burglaries.
WINONA – One victim has been identified in last week’s double-fatal crash and fire in Winona. According to Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Mitch Shamburger, Frisco resident Dhaval Ajay Bhatt, 34, was killed; he was driving the car that crashed. KETK reports the passenger’s identification is being withheld pending positive dental identification. The two died when the car slammed into Mike’s Pizza and Pasta around 4:30 last Thursday morning. The following fire destroyed the business, which had only been open six days. The restaurant owners and their son, who had been living upstairs, were able to escape. A preliminary autopsy report shows the two died from blunt force trauma.
TYLER – Two firms have been retained to prepare a comprehensive storm master plan for Tyler. The plan will help identify flooding issues within the city, to address some of the prominent drainage issues and limit future losses. Halff Associates has been retained because they specializes in storm water master planning. The C.T. Brannon Corporation was chosen because they have extensive knowledge of the city’s storm water infrastructure. The project will be funded through the Half Cent Sales Tax Fund and the contract amount will not exceed $500,000.
TYLER – Tyler has a new Managing Director of Public Works and Utilities. At Wednesday’s meeting, the city council approved the city manager’s appointment of Scott Taylor to the post. The position has been vacant since previous Managing Director, Gregory Morgan, retired in April Taylor will oversee Tyler Water Utilities (water and wastewater), the Street Department, Engineering Department and Capital Improvement Projects. He comes to Tyler from Conroe where he has been the Director of Public Works since October 2013. His first day on the job in Tyler is October 23rd.
VAN – State Representative Dan Flynn has announced his bid to seek re-election to House District Two, which 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.
NECHES – Farm Road 2574 in Anderson County will be closed at the railroad bridge from 8:00am to 4:00pm on Wednesday for repairs. Traffic will be detoured during this work. The roadway will be closed at the east end at U.S. Highway 79 as well as at the Farm Road 19 intersection. Alternate routes are encouraged to avoid delays. A news release from TxDOT says motorists should use caution and look for detours and signs to help navigate traffic through the area during the closure.
TYLER – The director of distance education at Tyler Junior College, Ken Craver, has been appointed to the Learning Technology Advisory Committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The committee serves as a forum for problem-solving and generating ideas to improve online education that reflect the goals of Texas’ higher education plan, 60x30TX. Craver came to TJC in 1989 as a computer science professor. He was named director of distance education in 2005.
HENDERSON – A Henderson man has been convicted on animal cruelty charges. Last October, Larry Antone Cadwell, 51, reported two of his horses missing. When authorities went to his property off Farm Road 1251, they found nearly two dozen emaciated horses. KETK reports authorities believe all the horses had parasites because of bad pond water, their only drinking source. Also, there was no grass to feed on in the area, and the animals were forced to eat leaves from trees. He could get up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
TYLER – A suspect in a credit card scam is being sought by Tyler police. The man opened a fraudulent Target Credit Card account and immediately used it to buy two iPads. If you know who he is please contact Tyler Police Detective Wayne Allen at 903-535-0121.
TYLER – Smith County Commissioners learned about the community of Whitehouse during Tuesday’s commissioners’ court session. City Manager Aaron Smith discussed activities in the city with a population of 8,300. Smith said they could reach the 10,000 mark by the next U.S. Census. The city has a paid, full-time fire department; traffic counts are up; 346 permits for new construction were filed last year and there are six new additions or apartments under construction. Smith reported that new batting cages and a play area are being planned for the city’s sports complex and a new operator has taken over the former YMCA facility to provide similar services with a savings to taxpayers. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler school trustees, at a called Tuesday meeting, got to look over the proposed renovations for John Tyler and Robert E Lee High Schools. The school board approved the schematic designs for the schools. The work is made possible by a $198 million bond package approved by voters in May. The John Tyler renovations will run $87 million. The Lee renovations are expected to cost $122 million because the only current buildings to remain will be the field house, auditorium and varsity gym. And the school will stretch south to Shiloh Road. Both facilities will be able to handle 2,750 students. Some demolition has already begun on both campuses. Groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for October 26th.
LONGVIEW – Two teens have been indicted in a July robbery in Longview. The grand Jury inticted Steven Williams, (pictured) and Robert Blackshear, both are 19 and both are from Longview. When arrested in late July, both were charged with burglary of a habitation. They were indicted for aggravated robbery because they stabbed a man in the back during the robbery. The two were arrested shortly after the robbery when they were involved in a one vehicle wreck. One of the teens were injured in the robbery and they were on their way to the hospital when the wreck occurred.
SEVEN POINTS – Henderson County sheriff’s deputies serving a search warrant has led to two drug arrests. Arrested at a home on County Road 2404 was Joseph Autry, 49, of Seven Ponts, and Christy Marie Rich, 44, of Kemp. Deputies found in the home methamphetamine, Marijuana and guns. Autry was booked into the Henderson County Jail on charges of manufacture and delivery of methamphetamine and is facing additional charges. Rich is charged with possession of marijuana.
PALESTINE – Palestine’s Assistant City Manager, Michael Hornes, will be the next City Manager. The city council made the announcement on Monday. He succeeds Mike Alexander, who left the post earlier this month. Hornes started working for the City of Palestine in 2013 as a GIS analyst. During that time, he has also served as a Deputy Director of Public Works. Last November, he became Assistant City Manager. He has also served the city as an interim Police Chief. Holmes will be a training facilitator for the city on a contract basis for the next fiscal year. Previously, he has served the city of Lubbock and the city of New York.
LONGVIEW – A Longview man has been sentenced to prison for a murder in late August of last year. GeKainnon Ikemoin-Kenyon Harris, 20, pleaded guilty Monday. In connection with a plea agreement, Harris was sentenced to 13 years in prison and fined $5,000. He was charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Alexis Bell, 26, in an apartment on Lake Lamond Drive. Originally, Harris was arrested at the scene on two unrelated assault family violence warrants. He was later charged with Bell’s death.
TYLER – Motorists are experiencing some delays on Toll 49 From State Highway 31 North to Interstate Highway 20. This is because of improvements that are being made on the toll road. The work includes building a four foot flush medium between lanes, adding rumble strips and reflectors between lanes and additional signs stressing passing and no passing zones. According to the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the work will continue into 2018. You can keep up with the current work locations by signing up for text alerts, text Toll49 to 444222.
MURCHISON – Two person have been arrested after Henderson County authorities shut down Murchison horse track. According to a news release from the Henderson County Fire Marshal, state law requires the horse races to get a permit if over 100 persons will be there. Over 1,000 persons were counted Sunday when County Fire Marshall Shane Renberg and Sheriff Botie Hillhouse and deputies arrived. The track was shut down and arrested were Moises Antonio Hernandez of Murchison and Rebecca Rodriquez Chaffee of Dallas. They were charged with promoting a mass gathering without a permit, a class B misdemeanor. It carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
WASKOM – A weekend accident in Harrison County left one person dead and one injured. The accident occurred around midnight on Friday. It was not discovered until shortly after 5:45 Saturday morning. Killed was Angel Pace of Karnack. Listed in fair condition in a Shreveport hospital is Carl Johnson of Karnack. The accident occurred on Mt. Zion Church Road north of Waskom. According to the Department of Public Safety report, Johnson fell asleep at the wheel and his car hit a piped fence and came to rest against an oil storage tank. Both Johnson and Pace were not wearing seat belts.