Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
UPDATE: A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened for Smith County on Saturday, June 22 at the R.B. Hubbard Center (The Hub) at 304 E. Ferguson St. in Tyler.
SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, the center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Staff from the Small Business Administration, Lone Star Legal and Crisis Response Ministries will also be at the center along with FEMA to help residents, according to Smith County officials.
“We are here, we are your one-stop shop to come out and see how we might be able to assist you, we are trying to meet the survivor where they are in their situation,†said Nikki Gaskins Campbell, FEMA media relations specialist.
“If you’re uninsured or underinsured, please still reach out to us because you could be leaving money on the table and this is grant money from FEMA that does not have to be repaid,†said Campbell. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department said that one man has died and another was injured during a shooting at the corner of Thompson Street and Myrtle Street on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, their 911 Communications Center started getting calls about the shooting shortly after midnight on Sunday morning. When officers arrived they found one man dead and another man who had to be airlifted out to a local hospital.
The Northeast Texas Regional SWAT team was called out to the first scene but then responded to a second scene where the suspect reportedly was. The suspect exited the second location after negotiations and was reportedly taken to the Kilgore Police Department. Kilgore PD said their investigation is ongoing.
HENDERSON COUNTY – Marijuana packaged in gallon size bags, rifles and large amounts of money were discovered on Thursday during a home search, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said. According to a release, a narcotic search warrant was executed at around 3:34 p.m. at an Athens home where 25-year-old Jordi Pereira was taken into custody.
According to our news partner KETK, Pereira was found to be in possession of “large amounts†of suspected cocaine and marijuana. Reportedly the marijuana was found in gallon size bags and a large amount of THC wax and THC vape cartridges were also located. Pereira was booked at the Henderson County Jail for two charges of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and delivery of marijuana. According to records, Pereira’s bond amounts totaled $450,000 and he was released on Friday after posting bail.
“Rifles with high-capacity magazines were recovered during the execution of the search warrant along with a large amount of United States currency,†a release said.
The sheriff’s office said Pereira is currently waiting arraignment.
TYLER — A Tyler man was arrested on Wednesday after reportedly assaulting and taking a weapon from an officer. According to our news partner KETK, a detective with the Tyler Police Department clocked a vehicle traveling 60 mph in a 40 mph zone in the 300 E Southeast Loop 323 area. The detective pulled over the driver, 20-year-old Cordrell Smith Radway, where he reportedly ran from the officer “while still being detained and not free to leave.â€
After a short chase, the detective caught up to Radway and “ended up on the ground†where Radway reportedly actively resisted arrest and repeatedly tried to stand up. The affidavit said the detective then used his pepper spray. During the altercation, Radway reportedly grabbed the detective’s hand while pepper spraying him, took the can away and bit the detective’s left forearm, leaving a visible bite mark. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, 37 sections of road throughout Tyler will be closed either partially or fully for the 2024 ONYX road resealing project starting on Monday, June 24. The road sections affected will start to be resealed beginning on June 24 till July 12 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. if the weather permits it.
The closures come after a $362,975.35 contract with Innovative Roadway Solutions, LLC. was approved by the city of Tyler through the general fund to reseal city streets that have lost asphalt on their surface because of years of wear and tear. The ONYX surface treatment has reportedly been used by TxDOT to treat road shoulders for years. The Onyx Mastic Seal treatment consists of an “asphalt emulsion, catalysts, polymers and fine aggregates.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — President Joe Biden issued new protections for undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens on Tuesday that protects them from deportation. The new policy would be eligible for people who have been in the country for at least 10 years. Biden’s policy would allow nearly 500,000 spouses to stay in the country allowing non-citizens to stay in the U.S. while filing for permanent residency instead of returning to their home country.
According to our news partner KETK, Republican U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran said this action taken by Biden is “unfortunate†and that the president is trying to act on border policy five months away from the election. Biden’s executive action is expected to be challenged in court, however if Biden’s policy does go into effect, it would be the most significant action on immigration, since former president Obama’s DACA policy. Read the rest of this entry »
WILLS POINT – A Wills Point animal control officer was arrested on Thursday after admitting to a Van Zandt County deputy of shooting his own dog, the SPCA of Texas said. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Goggans, with Wills Point Animal Control, was taken into custody and charged with cruelty and torture to a non-livestock animal.
Van Zandt County deputies reportedly told Goggans that he needed to keep his dog confined after separate calls of his dog running at large were reported on June 12 and June 13. A deputy warned Goggans that if the dog was not properly confined, a citation would be issued. “Goggans responded to the deputy’s warning by informing him of his intent to kill the dog. He contacted the deputy again to inform him that he had killed it and that the dog was in the front yard of his residence,†the release said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler ISD denounced the new Title IX regulations imposed by President Joe Biden that expands protections for LGBTQ+ students during Tuesday’s school board meeting according to our news partner KETK. During the meeting, the school board said they aim at protecting the rights of female students and rejected Biden’s new regulations that “attack the fundamental fabric of Title IX protections for daughters, wives and mothers by transforming traditionally private or single-sex settings into unsafe spaces for biological women.â€
Title IX, a regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Education, aims to protect people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. The new regulation to be enacted on Aug. 1, would mandate that schools cannot discriminate against students based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, TxDOT reports that 10 out of 657 DUI-alcohol related crashes last year in the Tyler District happened during the July 4 holiday. TxDOT said last year’s crashes in the Tyler district resulted in 46 fatalities and 106 serious injuries. The release said that from June 21 to July 7 patrols are increased to reduce the amount of DWI-related crashes and injuries. Currently, a DWI can result in fines and fees of up to $16,000 in Texas.
“Drunk driving can change lives forever,†TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “In the worst case, families lose loved ones or face devastating injuries. But even when there isn’t a crash, the decision to drink and drive can ruin careers and relationships. That’s why we want everyone to know how important and easy it is to always plan ahead for a sober ride.â€
“Even though the number of drunk driving deaths on Texas roadways in 2023 is down 15% from 2022, we must strive to continue that trend,†TxDOT said.
RUSK COUNTY – A White Oak man was arrested on Monday after allegedly attempting to steal 21 firearms from a habitation near Lake Cherokee. According to our news partner KETK, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of a burglary of a habitation in progress by a lake patrol officer. Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez said after probable cause was developed and consent to search the vehicle led to the discovery of 21 firearms, Mark Wiggins, 65 of White Oak, was arrested. Wiggins was charged with burglary of a habitation, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and theft of a firearm. He is currently at the Rusk County Justice Center with bonds totaling $65,000.
“This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information will be released at this time,†Valdez said.
UPSHUR COUNTY — An Upshur County man was sentenced to life in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a 10-year-old and 13-year-old in Pritchett. According to our news partner KETK, the jury reportedly took less than 20 minutes to assess the maximum punishment for one life sentence and two 20-year sentences for indecency with a child. The district attorney’s office thanked the jury for delivering the maximum sentence.
According to a release, the trial began on Tuesday where the jury learned that one of the children was adopted by new parents after being removed from her biological parents’ house due to neglect and drug use. Two years later, her grandfather began sexually abusing her by first showing her pornography and then acting those things out, the Upshur County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said. Read the rest of this entry »
WILLS POINT – A Wills Point man that was accused of murdering his elderly mother pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced to 25 years of incarceration on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Gerald Wayne Powell was sentenced to 25 years on Thursday with 1,144 days credit that he’s already served.
In April of 2021, Van Zandt County law enforcement was notified by Powell’s sister that he had killed a family pet and that he was planning to kill their mother. Law enforcement reported that they surrounded Powell’s home and began negotiations with him using a bullhorn and phone.
According to the former Van Zandt County Sheriff Steve Hendrix, Powell claimed that he was heavily armed and would harm law enforcement. Hendrix said that during the negotiations they learned that lived with his mother, was a veteran and claimed to be suffering from PTSD. Law enforcement reported that Powell eventually surrendered himself and they discovered his 91-year-old mother shot to death in the home afterward.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police department reported a hit-and-run crash and a series of attempted home entries, resulting in one man dead after allegedly trespassing in a home. According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Police Department said on Sunday at approximately 12:38 a.m. there was a hit-and-run crash reported in the area of George Richey and Fenton Road. Police reported that when they arrived to the scene of the crash there was one person trapped in an SUV and a witnesses said the other driver ran. 20 minutes after the crash, police received a call regarding a man that attempted to enter a home in the 3600 block of Stracener Road. The caller said that the man fled after a resident confronted him with a firearm. Longview Police said that several minutes later they received a call from the 3600 block of Clemens Road that someone had entered a home and was shot by a resident. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Petra Hawkins has won the Tyler City Council District 2 runoff, according to Smith County unofficial voting results. Hawkins won with 52.7% and 508 votes to Stephen Dinger’s 47.3% and 456 votes.
The runoff election was held after Dinger, Hawkins and Dexter Floyd each failed to reach a majority of the vote during the May elections. Dinger originally won 45.65%, Hawkins had 36.52% and Dexter Floyd had 17.83% back in May.
TYLER – The Tyler Fire Department put out a fire at the Broadway Salvation Army thrift store on Friday evening. According to our news partner KETK, firefighters responded to 633 N Broadway at around 7 p.m. where there was a heavy fire on the outside of the building. Officials said the fire mostly started in the fenced in area where donations are dropped off and traveled inside but was contained by sprinklers. Tyler Fire Battalion Chief David Admire Jr. said the building sustained some structural and water damage on the inside but it is not a total loss.
“Four or five sprinkler heads went off and they were able to control the interior fire,†Admire said. The Tyler Fire Department said no one was at the location at the time of the fire and it will be investigated.