LONGVIEW â It was announced on Monday that Eastman Chemical Company plans to invest $1.3 billion in expanding their Longview facility. According to the City of Longview, they have been named as the location for Eastmanâs second U.S. molecular recycling facility, which is expected to add more than 200 full-time jobs. City of Longview Mayor Andy Mack said the additional positions will have an average annual salary of $92,000. âWe are excited to announce this next step in our commitment to our circular strategy with the decision to locate our second U.S. molecular recycling facility at our existing site in Texas,â Eastman Board Chair and CEO Mark Costa said. âWe have decades of history successfully operating in Longview, and this will be a great investment for the local community.â The Longview site was selected due to synergies with existing infrastructure, operations and the location also has enough space for on-site renewable energy.
HENDERSON COUNTY â An Athens man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County District Attorney, Jenny Palmer said in a release that Eron Demond Anderson, 43, was found guilty by a jury for shooting at his girlfriend. Officials responded to a shooting on June 10, 2023 where the victim said her boyfriend âgrabbed her by the hair, threw her to the groundâ and shot at her vehicle several times. Anderson reportedly sent the victim messages that said âI really hope you die if I donât kill you first.â Anderson was arrested and booked the same day, and charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. âWe want to commend the victim for coming forward and reporting the abuse and violence she suffered at the hands of Eron Anderson,â Palmer said. âThis verdict sends a strong message that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our community.â
CHAPEL HILL â Chapel Hill Independent School District in Smith County said that theyâre holding a job fair for anyone interested in working with them on Tuesday according to our news partner KETK. âWe are seeking individuals who are deeply passionate about student success and are dedicated to fostering a positive community impact. Our aim is to attract top talent to our district and provide them with the necessary support for success in their roles,â said Deidra Sutton, Chapel Hill ISDâs director of human resources. The job fair will be held on Tuesday, March 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Chapel Hill High School Varsity Gym. Several Chapel Hill ISD staff will be at the event to discuss what working in the district is like from day to day and to conduct on-site interviews. Along with staff there will be several students from the Academies of Chapel Hill, including aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs.
LONGVIEW â A man is in custody for attack by dog causing death after a man was found dead lying near a Longview roadway. According to our news partner KETK and the Longview PD an arrest warrant was issued for Martin Rodriguez. Rodriguez, 56 of Longview was arrested, based on an autopsy report from Forensic Medical Management Services and was booked into the Gregg County Jail on Feb. 1 on multiple animal at large charges where he is being held without bond on the attack by dog causing death warrant. On Feb. 1, Longview PD reported that animal control had confiscated multiple dogs from a home in the area after a 46-year-old man was found lying near a bicycle âwith wounds consistent with that of a dog bite.â
GILMER – A 40-year-old man was arrested early Monday morning in Gilmer for murder. According to our news partner KETK, Gilmer PD responded to the 800 block of North Street around 1:43 a.m. for a call about a suspicious person and made contact with Craig Smith, who officials said matched the description given of the suspicious person. A release said that through the course of officers investigation, Vennessa Smith, 41, was found dead at her home. Smith was arrested and booked into the Upshur County Jail for murder, failure to identify as a fugitive and an outstanding warrant for assault family violence.
UPSHUR COUNTY â Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd said that Michael Caffey was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the murder of his father Timothy Caffey. Byrd said that Timothy Caffey, 66, had taken his son Michael off the street in order to help him but that Michael reportedly started using methamphetamines and demanded money from his father. According to our news partner KETK, Timothy was murdered at his home in the Latch community on March 26 of 2023. Byrd said Michael was arrested the next day in Liberty City while wearing clothes reportedly covered in his fatherâs blood. Byrd thanked the Upshur County Sheriffâs Office investigators Rob Bowen, Michael Barton and Linda Roberts, his investigator Jon Warren, citizens who provided information and the jury for bringing this case to a decision.
WHITE OAK â A White Oak man pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday. According to court records, James Michael Alexander Sr, 64 of White Oak, pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In July, officials reported finding the body of a deceased woman in the 100 block of Larkspur, who was identified as Kimberly Alexander, 61. Police later found James at a hotel room in Longview that he had leased, and he was taken into custody without incident.
LONGVIEW â A 32-year-old man was found guilty by a jury on Thursday for murder in the 2022 death of his girlfriend. According to our news partner KETK, Adrian Grissom, 32 of Longview was initially arrested on Jan. 16, 2022 after he told police in an interview they had gotten into a fight which led to her death. According to documents, 23-year-old Cyan Winn had attempted to remove a gun from her purse and told Grissom to back up during the fight. Grissom allegedly told police he then âpushed Winn to the ground from a chair as she was pulling a handgun out.â According to documents, the two fought for the gun and Grissom got control of the gun before he said the handgun âdischarged one time.â His trial began on Monday where Grissom was found guilty of first-degree murder.
GILMER â A man accused of killing his ex-partner and her sister has been indicted on capital murder. According to our news partner KETK and the Upshur County Criminal District Attorneyâs Office, Alvin âPookieâ Charles McKnight, Jr., 41 of Gilmer, was indicted on capital murder after being arrested in November 2023 when investigators found two sisters dead on Nov. 4. The Upshur County Sheriffâs Office said that the shooting happened at a house in the 2800 block of U.S Highway 271 South. When deputies arrived at the scene, they reportedly found Mandy Ray, 35 of Gilmer, and Dermetrica Dashaunda Waters, 37 of Gilmer, dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Officials said that McKnight and Waters lived with each other until recently. The Upshur County Sheriffâs Office revealed that the two victims were sisters and that McKnight has a child with Waters. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW â Additional charges have been filed against two women, formerly employed by Longview ISD, in connection to alleged abuse at an elementary school. According to our news partner KETK, Cassandra James, 49, and Linda Lister, 62, were both originally indicted for endangering a child in June 2022. The women are two of six total facing charges in connection to abuse allegations stemming from a Longview ISD elementary school. The four other former district employees indicted for charges related to the mistreatment of students are: Paula Hawkins Dixon, Priscilla Johnson, Cecilia Gregg and Cynthia Talley. The latest indictments, filed at the end of 2023, charge the women on one count of endangering a child and 16 counts of injury to a child for dates that occurred in September and October 2021. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER â Smith County Jail records show that Patrick Mahomes Sr. was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Tyler on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Police Department arrested Mahomes his alleged third DWI or more. Mahomes Sr. is the father of Patrick Mahomes II, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes Sr. was arrested for his second driving while intoxicated charge in 2018. His 40 day sentence was served on weekends through Feb. 2019 to Feb. 2020. In the late 1990âs and early 2000âs, Mahomes Sr. played for several MLB teams as a pitcher. Mahomes bond was set at $10,000 and he was released on Sunday, according to jail records from Smith County.
TYLER â Texas A&M AgriLife released a crop and weather report on Wednesday that Texas hay supply is near a 50-year low, and prices near record highs. âThereâs just no hay,â said Peter Sorensen, Midway Package & Feed Frankston employee. According to our news partner KETK and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, hay supply remains low and prices rise as Texas cattle ranchers try to feed their herds through winter. âOutside of fertilizer costs, then the actual cost of producing hay so it just depends on, itâs a lot different things that have accumulated over time that have influenced our shortages as well as our prices,â said Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Professor & Forage Extension Specialist. âA lot of the farmers and ranchers around here are having to go out of state to get it. Prices are way up and itâs a vicious cycle whatâs happening through the country though with the economy, itâs affecting the small guys, the farmers, the ranchers,â said Sorensen. Sorensen is optimistic about the upcoming East Texas weather for crops. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – Kilgore ISD announced on Thursday that they were awarded a $1.5 million grant to replace older diesel buses with new electric buses. According to our news partner KETK, Kilgore ISD was awarded the grant by the Environmental Protection Agency as a part of their Clean School Bus Program. The grant allowed for up to $375,000 per bus for replacement and $20,000 per bus for charging infrastructure. The new electric busses have a range of 120 miles between charging and will be able to reliably provide transportation throughout the district.
Kilgore ISD said that with the grant they were able to replace 2010 or older year model diesel buses with 2022 or newer year model busses that have little to no emissions, as well as two charging stations capable of charging two buses each. âWe are thrilled to introduce these electric buses to our fleet, and we are very grateful to receive the grant funding to make this transition possible,â Brady Wheeler, Director of Transportation for Kilgore ISD, said.