Today is
Wednesday June 10, 2026
GILMER – According to our news partner KETK, the Gilmer Police Department is asking for the public’s help finding the parents or guardian of a 3 or 4-year-old girl found in Gilmer. The girl is white, has brown hair, brown eyes, weighs 41 pounds and is 3-foot-3-inches tall. According to Gilmer PD, she was found with a purple night gown and a diaper on. Gilmer PD said she couldn’t tell them where she lives, her name or her parents or guardians names.
Anyone with information about the girl is asked to call Gilmer PD at 903-843-5545.
JACKSONVILLE – According to our news partner KETK, the four fallen Jacksonville police officers were honored on Wednesday for their sacrifice and service as a part of National Police Week. The Jacksonville Police Department and other law enforcement agencies came together to remember the local fallen officers. The names of the officers will be added on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington. National Police Week was first established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to pay respect and offer recognition to officers who died protecting others.
“It’s important that we take time every year to stop and remember them and their sacrifice and their service to our community,†Jacksonville Police Chief Joe Williams said.
UPSHUR COUNTY – A 50-year-old Upshur County man was found guilty of 12 counts of sexual assault of two children. According to our news partner KETK, Walter Bartram was tried for seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of child under 14 and five counts of sex assault to another child.
The Upshur County district attorney’s office reported that in January 2020 one of the victims came to them to report the abuse that occurred between 2006-2011. Both victims testified in the trial, and the jury later returned a verdict of guilty. The defense asked for the judge to sentence Bartram, and the State said they will be asking for the maximum sentences for the charges.
Criminal District Attorney Billy Byrd said, “Both victims were brave and while moving forward in life they too still deal with the pain and hurt these horrific crimes caused both of them and have impacted their lives forever.â€
A sentencing hearing will take place after a presentence investigation report. Bartram currently remains at the Upshur County Jail.
TYLER – The Tyler Police Department was notified by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences of Dallas that remains found by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office belonged to Jose “Alex†Perez who had been missing since April 26. According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office discovered the remains on May 5, and they were later identified as Jose Alejandro “Alex†Perez, 44 of Tyler. Perez went missing from the Towne Oak Apartments in Tyler at 9 p.m. on April 26. The Tyler Police Department said that they are working closely with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office to proceed with the investigation of his disappearance and death. Anyone with information regarding Perez’s last days is encouraged to contact the Tyler Police Department.
LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, a Longview man that was accused of killing one of his housemates during a dispute over loud noises and stabbing another pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Monday. According to court records, Michael Ralston, 51 of Longview, pleaded guilty to murder on Monday and was sentenced to 30 years of confinement.
Records also show that Ralston pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Monday and was sentenced to 20 years of confinement concurrently.
In March of 2022, Ralston and his housemate Eric Wynns, 44, were having a dispute over loud noises. The two were reported as “intentionally being loud to annoy each other.†Another housemate told police that both Ralston and Wynns were hearing impaired and that they called Ralston the “Deaf Dragon.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously to name Julie V. Philley, MD, the next president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Philley currently serves as the university’s executive vice president for health affairs and vice provost and is a board-certified physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Philley will begin her appointment on June 1, 2024, succeeding Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, following his retirement on May 31. A native of Overton, Philley returned to East Texas in 2012 as an assistant professor of medicine at UT Health Tyler. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and studied medicine at UT Health Houston’s McGovern Medical School. Philley and her husband, Richard Lee, are engaged in numerous Tyler activities, where Lee is the Music Director of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and the Tyler Civic Chorale.
TYLER – ERCOT issued a “weather watch†due to high temperatures and a high level of expected maintenance outages that could lead to the potential for lower reserves. According to our news partner KETK, a weather watch is issued during times of expected high demand, mainly during the summer or winter months. Jason Blakeney, owner of Blakeney Hardware, has spent years working in the energy industry and believes there is simply too much demand on our state’s power grid.
“When that happens and you have the housing industry build up as fast as it has it puts a strain on our already strained power supply,†Blakeney said.
According to census data, Texas added more people than any other state in the last year, growing by half a million people. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, Gov. Greg Abbott released a letter on Wednesday “instructing” the state’s higher education leaders to ignore revisions made to Title IX, a federal law prohibiting public schools from discriminating based on sex. Rep. Nathaniel Moran spoke in Congress claiming East Texans are against the new regulations.
Moran spoke to Congress on Tuesday, claiming the new regulations, which are set to take effect on Aug. 1, are an attack on women’s sports. Moran said that East Texans feel the new rules are “an inexcusable federal assault towards girls and women that has no place in schools.†Moran said Title IX rule is immoral and offensive to women across the country.
Title IX, a regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Education, “strengthens vital protections for students in our nation’s schools and provides clear rule to help schools meet their Title IX obligation to eliminate sex discrimination in their education programs and activities.â€
According to Moran, Van ISD said in a letter, “the changes to Title IX forces schools to treat boys as if they were girls and to accept every student’s self declared gender identity.†KETK’s request to Van ISD for the full letter has not yet been returned. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is responding to a vehicle and a train collision causing several crossings to be blocked. According to our news partner KETK, the train collision occurred at the railroad crossing on North Center Street. The police department said no injuries have been reported at this time. Several crossings including Lake Lamond, North Center Street and North Fredonia are blocked by the train. People are asked to find an alternate route at this time.
SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a Bullard man accused of impersonating an officer has pleaded guilty Tuesday in the 7th District Court. Jason Fears, 36, was arrested in January 2023 after officials said he flashed red and blue lights and made a hand signal at someone to pull over in Chandler. The person Fears attempted to pull over, followed Fears into Tyler.
Fears was pulled over in Tyler for speeding and when the Tyler police officer learned about the incident in Chandler, he was arrested and charged with impersonating a public servant. Fears was sentenced to 10 years at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
LONGVIEW – More than a dozen East Texas school districts asked voters for millions of dollars in bond measures. After two failed bond proposals, Longview ISD was able to get their $456 million bond passed. The last time Longview residents approved a district bond was in 2008.
“That it’s 10 dollars a year increase on your taxes for every 200,000 dollar evaluation on your home,†Karen Haas, Longview PAC, said. But for renters and other homeowners, the district said they won’t be impacted at all. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – UT Tyler has announced that they’re partnering with U.S Dermatology Partners in order to start a new Department of Dermatology. According to our news partner KETK, they plan to start offering courses within next year, hire a department chair and program director before applying to become a Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited dermatology residency program. The aim of the department is to help create a generation of dermatologists and physicians trained in dermatology to serve local communities. The department will also engage in clinical research with U.S. Dermatology Partners, one of the largest private dermatology practices in the United States. U.S. Dermatology Partners has 11 locations across East Texas where they do surgical, medical and cosmetic dermatology. Read the rest of this entry »
TRINITY COUNTY – Trinity County declared a local state of disaster on Monday following severe damage caused by tornados and storms. By Thursday, mandatory evacuations were ordered for part of the county. According to our news partner KETK, the county suffered severe damage because of tornadoes, continuous rain, flooding on county roads and damage to infrastructure on Sunday. With more rainfall into Thursday morning, mandatory emergency evacuations were ordered for the end of Doug Bell Road. County officials went door-to-door in boats to collect residents and their pets to take them to safety.
Trinity County Judge Danny Martin signed the disaster declaration after determining that measures had to be taken to “alleviate the suffering of people and to protect and rehabilitate property.â€
“You are more than willing to stay at home if you want to, but we are not coming back for you after today,†Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said in a video posted to social media. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, an increased police presence was seen Thursday morning at the rheumatology practice of a murder suspect’s son. Dr. Kayvan Kamali’s Rheumatology Association of Longview, located on Judson Road, had several sheriff’s office and DPS vehicles parked outside.
Kayvan’s father, Reza Kamali, was recently charged with the 2016 murder of a beloved community figure. Though sources said Gregg County is leading the investigation, some DPS troopers were called to assist at the scene. A DPS spokesperson said he believes this event is in connection to the murder investigation of Ron Horaney, in which three people have been charged so far.
‘I hope no parent ever has to go through this’: Ron Horaney’s mother reacts to arrests made in case
On May 30, 2016 Horaney was found dead in his home from multiple gunshot wounds. The case went with few new developments until April, when authorities arrested Reza Kamali first. According to Reza’s arrest affidavit, Reza ordered Horaney killed “up close and personal because of a family dispute.â€
The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office was not able to comment on the situation because of a pending judge-issued gag order.
TYLER — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a disaster declaration for Texas communities affected by severe weather including many portions of East Texas. Texas counties in the disaster declaration include Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine and Tyler. The Trinity Fire and Rescue responded to multiple storm related calls including homes destroyed by a tornado and multiple calls of people trapped in flooded cars and houses.
According to our news partner KETK, on Tuesday Trinity County Judge Danny Martin issued a disaster declaration after determining that measures had to be taken to “alleviate the suffering of people and to protect and rehabilitate property.â€
People can apply online and download applications on the SBA website. Applicants can also call SBA’s customer service center at 800-659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information in disaster assistance. Read the rest of this entry »