Today is
Tuesday July 28, 2026
KAUFMAN – East Texas authorities are looking for a woman wanted for aggravated robbery and child endangerment. The Kaufman Police Department has identified her as Megan Boulter. According to the department’s Face Book page, she is believed to be hiding out and moving between Kaufman, Van Zandt, and Dallas counties. And she is said to be aided by a male friend. You can go to https://www.facebook.com/cityofkaufmanpolice and see more pictures of Boulter with her hair in different styles and colors.
TYLER – Dr. Dennis Cali has been recognized by the Media Ecology Association for outstanding academic research. Cali, a professor and chair of The University of Texas at Tyler Department of Communication, received the “Top Paper Award†at this year’s MEA Annual Convention. Cali teaches and researches primarily in the areas of media ecology, political communication, rhetorical criticism and religious communication.
LONGVIEW – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the Longview Chamber the highest level a chamber can achieve. The Longview Chamber has been awarded the 5-Star Accreditation. It is based on the chamber’s policies, organizational procedures and positive impact on the community. It’s the second straight time they have received the highest level. The The honor places the Longview Chamber of Commerce among the top 1% of chambers nationwide. Of the 7,000 chambers in the United States, only 106 are rated 5-Star.
LONGVIEW – Longview’s Hawkins Parkway will be reopening to traffic on Wednesday. Over the last five months, there has been construction to repair the dip on Hawkins Parkway at Eastman Road. Construction will continue for minor items such as pavement striping and markings. Daily lane closures will still be required to complete the last items of the construction. Drivers are encouraged to be patient and drive safely. The work is being funded by a grant from the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority through Gregg County and by the City of Longview.
MARSHALL — A man considered to be armed and dangerous has been taken into custody. Quantravious Markez Miles, 19, surrendered just after 11 a.m. on Monday. He is being held in the Harrison County Jail. Miles was wanted for one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of forgery and one count of misdemeanor theft. The aggravated assault charge is said to stem from a July 2nd shooting where Miles is accused of shooting at a car in front of him. No one was injured.
TYLER – A Large portion of Golden Road will be closed for several days. Reynolds and Kay will be seal coating a major portion of Golden Road starting today; the work is expected to last one to two days. Travelers should expect delays or find an alternative route until complete. The work will impact travel on Golden Road from Old Henderson Highway to Fifth Street.
TYLER – Tyler police have identified a woman critically injured in a Monday accident. She was injured around 9:30 Monday morning when she jumped in front of an 18-wheeler on Highway 69 north of Black Fork Creek. At first they issued a description of the woman, believed to be in her 30’s to early 40’s, medium build, with light brown short hair. They also released pictures of tattoos in hopes of identifying her. We’re now told they know who she is, but have not yet released her name.
TYLER – Work is well underway for the annual East Texas State Fair. It will be held on the fairgrounds off East Front Street in Tyler September 22nd through October 1st. There will be the exhibits, carnival, and of course, the fair food. This year’s fair will a lot of live music, more than in past years. This year they will introduce Countryfest; a music festival type event featuring ten Texas Country artists over two Saturdays. All concerts are free with regular fair admission. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN – A homeless man, trapped under a Lufkin bridge by high water, was successfully rescued. Jimmy Taylor, 49, had been resting on a couch under the Chesnut Village bridge when the water started rising. Taylor got on top of the couch inside an air pocket as the water continued to rise. The water had risen to the bottom of the bridge when officers arrived. They called the Lufkin Fire Department to request members of the Swift Water Rescue Team. Fire Department Lt. Jared Sowell, outfitted with swift water rescue gear, was able to rescue Taylor. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A man connect to a Mexican drug cartel has been sentenced in Tyler on drug trafficking charges. Regulo Ramirez-Duarte, 22, of Tyler had pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to three years in prison. This was in connection a total of 15 marijuana fields found growing in East Texas during an 18 month investigation. The man said to be the local ring leader of the group has also been arrested. With his attorney with him, Eduardo Ramirez Pineda, 24, of Tyler, turned himself in to authorities back in April.
LONGVIEW – A traffic stop in Gregg County has resulted in an Overton man being arrested on drug charges. Darrell Euguene Fort Jr., 43, was stopped on Interstate Highway 20 southwest of Longview. Fort is said to have told the deputy he had bags and baggies of marijuana in the vehicle. He also is said he had Ecstasy pills and a small scale and an illegal gun in the vehicle. When the items were found, Fort was charged with drug violations and unlawful carrying a weapon. He’s in the Gegg County Jail under bonds totaling $50,000.
BEN WHEELER – A Smith County woman has died in a one vehicle accident in Van Zandt County. The crash happened shortly before 9:45 Sunday night on Highway 64, east of Ben Wheeler. Dead at the scene was Angela Davidson McCollum, 47, of Tyler. According to the preliminary investigation, her suv was heading south when, for some unknown reason, it left the road. She drove through a grass ditch, hit a culvert and then went airborne. It landed on the passenger side of the vehicle.
ATHENS – A toddler has been killed in a Henderson county accident. The one year old boy wandered onto Highway 175 West, just northwest of Athens. The accident happened shortly after 9:00 Sunday night. Santiago Sanchez was hit by a car driven by a Garland man, who was unable to avoid hitting the youngster. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. The Department of Public Safety says the accident remains under investigation.
TYLER – Last year, after the death of 5 Dallas police officers, State Senator Kevin Eltife started the “We Back Our Law Enforcement” Campaign. It was to raise funds for body armor vests for law enforcement. Smith County sheriff’s deputies and constables showed off 97 rifle resistant vests Friday. The vests, which will also go to Tyler policemen, cost $204,000. The city and county will pay a portion of the cost. The rest came from the community. The goal was to raise $104,000. But the community drive exceeded that goal. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE- Kilgore police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man accused of passing stolen checks. The checks were said to have been stolen from an elderly Kilgore resident. The suspect pictured here has tattoos on his left arm from the elbow down, and on the inside of his right arm. He was driving an older model red Dodge Dually extended cab pickup. If you have any information, you are asked to contact the Kilgore Police Department.
LONGVIEW – A Longview woman, arrested on warrants, is now also facing drug charges. Sydney Beth Caldemeyer, 38, was first arrested on two outstanding warrants. According to the Longview News Journal, while being taking to jail, she faked a seizure and then threw herself on the ground and resisted arrest. On her way to jail she told an officer she had a bag containing an illegal substance in her underwear. Female jailers found the bag containing methamphetamine. She remains in jail in lieu of bonds totaling $7,000.
TYLER – A Smith County man has been indicted for the sexual abuse of a child. The grand jury, last week, returned the indictment against 31 year old Mark James Nunley of Lindale. He was arrested last December for continuous sexual abuse of a child. The youngster was under the age of 14. The youngster described being sexually abused repeatedly by Nunley for an extended period of time. An adult told investigators they had caught the suspect in the act of abusing the child. Nunley remains free on a $350,000 bond.
AUSTIN – An Anderson County man has been added to the Department of Public Safety’s 10 most wanted list. Briggs Clinton Lawhon, 57, who last know address was in Palestine, has been on the run for two years. A a Bandidos gang member, Lawhon has a long criminal history, including aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, assault, burglary and delivery of methamphetamine. The Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for his arrest last year. A reward of up to $7,500 has been offered for information leading to his arrest.
DALLAS (ABC) – A year ago Friday, five police officers were gunned down after a peaceful demonstration in downtown Dallas. The five are being remembered in a variety of ways. Tyler Police will honor them with their patrol vehicles in front of the police department. The patrol cars’ emergency lights will be activated for one minute at 10:00 Friday morning. On Thursday, a memorial was unveiled in Dallas to honor the five men, one who had been married only two weeks. Their families attended the unveiling of the Dallas Circle of Heroes Memorial two miles from the site of the Dallas ambush.
TYLER – Tyler police now report a portion of U.S. Highway 271, which had been closed, has been reopened. It had been shut down in the 10800 block, at East Nutbush, due to an eighteen-wheeler blocking all lanes.
EAST TEXAS – Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to some area businesses and residents affected by the severe storms that occurred May 28 and 29. The Small Business Administration has announced the loans are in response to a request SBA received from Governor Greg Abbott on June 28. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Smith and Upshur counties. The low-interest federal disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed by late May storms. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler police have released the video of a robbery suspect. The video can be found on the police department’s Facebook page. It shows the lone gunman robbing the Exxon station on the North Northeast Loop at Commerce Street. The robbery occurred last Saturday morning around 3:00. The suspect is described as being possibly a Hispanic male with a dark beard. He was wearing a black hat, a black jacket, and black pants. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. No injuries were reported.
LONGVIEW – A Longview man is heading to prison for a robbery in November, 2015. According to KETK, 30 year old Brandon Clifton Cole III has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to robbing the Walmart store on East Loop 281. Witnesses say Cole pulled out a gun and began demanding money from a clerk at the Money Center inside the store. He was given an undisclosed amount of money and ran off. Cole was found him a short time later in the area of Harmon Drive and Eubanks Street. Officers recovered the stolen money and the gun used in the robbery.
TYLER – A Smith County capital murder trial is being moved to early next year. State District Judge Jack Skeen is moving the Gustavo Zavala Garcia trial to next February. He took the action Thursday morning after the defense and state requested more time. Both said there is still a large amount of information that needs to be reviewed and forensic testing that is being done. Garcia has been charged with the death of 10 year old Kayla Gomez-Orozco. She disappeared last November from a Bullard church during worship service. Her body was found days later inside a well on the suspect’s property. District attorney Matt Bingham has filed his intent to seek the death penalty in the case.
GREGG COUNTY — A Gladewater man has been sentenced to two life sentences after pleading guilty to murdering his parents. According to KETK, Casey Douglas Lansdale, 42, pleaded guilty to capital murder Wednesday. He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years. On January 22, Gladewater Police responded to a residence on North Main Street in reference to a welfare check on Raye and Charles Lansdale, both 68, who were reportedly missing. Officers found the two bodies inside the house. An autopsy revealed the couple had been fatally shot.
PALESTINE – The public is invited to meet the 4 finalists for the job of Palestine Police Chief. The four men will meet the public Thursday night from 6:00 to 8:00 in the Ben E Keith Community Room. They are Smith County Sheriff’s Sgt. Darrell Colsin, who has over 32 years of law enforcement experience, Andy Harvey, Lieutenant for the Dallas Police Department’s Crime Scene Response Section, Bennie Baker, of Tucson, Airzona, who has over 30 years experience in law enforcement, and Earl Morrison, who was from 2014 to 2017 the Hutto police chief. Friday, the finalists will be interviewed by current officers and staff. The officers will also have the opportunity to rank their preferences.
TYLER – Two Tyler men have pleaded guilty in Tyler federal Court to drug trafficking violations. Stacey Godsey, 44, and Joseph Shay Burton, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import anabolic steroids. They appeared Wednesday before before the U.S. Magistrate. Each man faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A man involved in a Tyler police standoff in March, has been sentenced to prison. Mario Arroyo, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of DWI 3rd or more offenses. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the aggravated robbery counts, as well as the driving while intoxicated charge. The sentences will run concurrently. He was holed up in his home on West Wilson for 3 hours before he finally surrendered to police. Prior to his arrest, his son was taken into custody on a parole warrant.
AUSTIN – Five University of Texas institutions will receive $8.2 million allocated by the UT System Board of Regents. The money will fund innovative campus-based projects designed to enhance student success. The University of Texas at Tyler will receive $803,234 to support OnCourse. The school says this is a suite of course-level supports to increase first-year GPA and retention of first-time, full-time freshmen at UT Tyler. Through a competitive process, the UT’s academic institutions prepared grant proposals. The proposals were were evaluated by higher education experts outside of Texas as well as outside the UT System. Other grants are going to U-T schools in Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and the Rio Grand Valley.
ARP – The Arp Police Department is asking for help in identifying two theft suspects. The two men broke into the Arp ISD AG barn, and stole items belonging to the school district and students and put them into a white pickup. They also took a hand made trailer. If you recognize the suspects, you are asked to contact the Arp Police Department.