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Thursday June 04, 2026
ANDERSON COUNTY – The Anderson County Commissioner’s Court met on Friday to discuss taking action to recover $248,723.74 that was paid to a former judge’s wife through an unapproved county work contract. According to our news partner KETK, in a special meeting of the Anderson County Commissioner’s Court on Friday, Anderson County Judge Carol G. McKinney and the county commissioners discussed how former Anderson County Judge Robert Johnston’s wife Brenda Johnston was working for the county even though he never disclosed her employment, which he was required to do when he last took office.
According to Anderson County Commissioner for Precinct 1 Greg Chapin, Brenda had previously worked for the Anderson County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. Chapin explained that she was later contracted to work Child Protective Services cases for the DA’s office, on a part-time basis, for a $5400 a month contract.
Chapin said the county auditor had told the DA’s office that they could enter into the project with Brenda without the approval of the commissioner’s court, so the contract was never officially approved or ratified with the county. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST Texas – Due to continued dry weather conditions and a lack of rain, several counties have issued burn bans across East Texas. These counties include: Van Zandt County, Hopkins County and Trinity County. Consult the Forest Service website for more information.
TYLER – Smith County shared that part of East Line Street in Downtown Tyler was closed starting on Thursday. According to Smith County, East Line Street from the railroad tracks to Center Avenue will be closed for around two weeks while the City of Tyler does roadwork in that area.
Smith County advised Adult Probation employees and customers to drive to their parking lot from Spring Avenue in order to avoid the road closure.
TYLER — New details have been released in the fatal road rage shooting that killed a 29-year-old Whitehouse Marine veteran in Tyler on Friday evening, where a preliminary investigation revealed there was no need for self-defense.
The Tyler Police Department received multiple 911 calls around 5:06 p.m. on Feb. 13 reporting that a man had been shot multiple times.
According to an arrest affidavit from Smith County, officers were dispatched to the intersection of E. Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive in Tyler, where they found a man lying unresponsive on the roadway while another man performed CPR.
According to our news partner KETK, the affidavit states that Dayton Alexander Morgan, 23, was driving a white 2008 Dodge Ram pickup eastbound with a front-seat passenger. A white Tesla was also traveling eastbound in front of Morgan’s vehicle. The Tesla was driven by a woman with Trevor Julian in the passenger seat and three children in the back. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Early voting began Tuesday, several counties have already reported their first-day totals. Our news partner KETK has compiled early voting turnout numbers for East Texas counties following the first day of voting. You can view that list here.
GILMER — A boil-water notice has been issued for parts of the City of Gilmer due to maintenance workers repairing the water system. Areas impacted include: East Scott Strett, 405 North Cypress Street (East side of the roadway).
Gilmer residents who are affected are asked to boil their water before consumption, such as brushing their teeth or washing their hands. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil, then continued to boil for two minutes.
Customers can purchase bottled water as an alternative to boiling water. Once the notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will alert all customers currently impacted.
Residents with any questions regarding the notice may contact Public Works Director Jonathan Nix at 903-843-8206 or Mayor Tim Marshall at 903-843-2552.
WOOD COUNTY — A suspect wanted on multiple felony warrants was killed Saturday night after a lengthy standoff with law enforcement in Wood County that left two officers wounded. On Tuesday, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 45-year-old Cody Joe Henderson.
The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to serve six felony warrants around the intersection of FM 515 and FM 2966 on Saturday. During the attempt, the suspect allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon, striking a Wood County deputy multiple times and wounding a DPS trooper. Both officers were transported to a hospital in Tyler, where the Texas Department of Public Safety said they’re expected to make a full recovery.
The suspect barricaded himself inside a residence on FM 2966, prompting a large law enforcement response. The Wood County Special Response Team and Texas Rangers assisted at the scene.
Authorities said negotiations continued for several hours as the suspect repeatedly fired at law enforcement. Multiple methods were used in attempts to get the suspect to surrender, including tear gas. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday by a Henderson County jury after he assaulted and threatened to kill a family member in 2025. According to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and our news partner KETK, 60-year-old Lawrence William Miller was arrested on Feb. 27, 2025, after officers from the Gun Barrel City Police Department responded to a call from a woman requesting an ambulance to her home on East Acres.
Once officers arrived at the home, they found the victim struggling to stand and was reportedly in visible pain with bruises covering her body. The victim initially told officers that she had fallen; however, once she was alone with EMS personel she allegedly said that Miller had kicked her in the face and body and threatened to kill her
During Miller’s trial, officers testified that they had been dispatched to the home several times over the past year. Additionally, Amanda Cooper with Breaking Chains, a coalition against family violence in Henderson County, testified as an expert witness on the trial, providing reasons why many domestic violence victims feel unable to leave and may be uncooperative with law enforcement or prosecution. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Early voting for the March 3 primary election has begun. Many locations are opening for East Texans who want to get to the polls ahead of Election Day. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of early voting locations and times across East Texas where voters can cast their ballot before election day. For more county-specific information, such as hours of operation, visit the Secretary of State’s website.
LUFKIN – The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three men for murder after a Lufkin 18-year-old overdosed on fentanyl on Friday. According to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK, deputies responded to a reported seizure or overdose at a home on Benton Drive outside of Lufkin. The deputies arrived at the scene and found Sierra Grace Duckworth, 18, of Lufkin, unconscious inside the home.
Duckworth was taken to a local hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office said Duckworth’s boyfriend, Coy Allen Cook, 21 of Lufkin, told officers that they had taken some blue fentanyl pills around two hours before the deputies arrived.
Cook and Logan Wayne Ferguson, 19 of Lufkin, reportedly went to the Hudson home of Roderick “Squirrel” Johnson, 25, to buy the fentanyl. According to the sheriff’s office, a purchase of fentanyl pills was set up via text messages that were later found on Duckworth’s phone. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler, Atlanta and Lufkin districts of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are inviting local small businesses to help them with heavy highway construction. Small businesses involved with heavy highway construction are being asked to meet with TxDOT engineers, prime contractors and local support organizations in Tyler on March 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. for a Doing Business with TxDOT event.
“Doing Business with TxDOT is an event series hosted by the TxDOT Civil Rights Division in partnership with local district offices. These events serve as a platform for connecting small businesses with TxDOT and industry personnel,” TxDOT explained. “Attendees will be introduced to key district officials, hear about upcoming projects, and learn best practices for navigating contractor resources. They will also engage with prime contractors and fellow small businesses, gaining insights into their experiences doing business with TxDOT.”
The venue where the event will be hosted on March 11 hasn’t been determined as of Feb. 15. To reserve a spot for the event, visit TxDOT online.
ATHENS – A woman died on Sunday when she was hit by a vehicle on FM 2709 near Athens in Henderson County. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) told our news partner KETK that a woman was struck by a vehicle at around 7 a.m. on Sunday while she was walking in the 4200 block on FM 2709, just off of Highway 19 near Athens. The woman was then found dead when first responders arrived at the scene.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the vehicle involved left the scene following the crash. DPS described the suspected vehicle as a 2016 to 2018 model Chevrolet Silverado truck that was heading west towards Eustace. Officials are asking the public to help them identify the driver of the Silverado, which likely has damage on the front end or the driver’s side.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Texas Department of Public Safety at 903-872-5633 and use option #2.
Update: On Tuesday, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 45-year-old Cody Joe Henderson.
WOOD COUNTY — A suspect wanted on multiple felony warrants was killed Saturday night after a lengthy standoff with law enforcement in Wood County that left two officers wounded. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to serve six felony warrants around the intersection of FM 515 and FM 2966 on Saturday. During the attempt, the suspect allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon, striking a Wood County deputy multiple times and wounding a DPS trooper.
According to our news partner KETK, both officers were transported to a hospital in Tyler, where they were listed in critical but stable condition. The suspect barricaded himself inside a residence on FM 2966, prompting a large law enforcement response. The Wood County Special Response Team and Texas Rangers assisted at the scene.
Authorities said negotiations continued for several hours as the suspect repeatedly fired at law enforcement. Multiple methods were used in attempts to get the suspect to surrender, including tear gas. Read the rest of this entry »
Texans will have more of a say over who their state elected officials will be during the 2026 primaries. Texas Republican and Democrat voters will pick which candidate they want to represent their interests and their party on the ballot for the November general election. In a state where Republicans dominate state government and where many legislative and congressional districts often are drawn to favor them, the primaries are often very significant. Yet, only a fraction of citizens in Texas vote in primary elections.
There are more than 18 statewide elected officials up for election, along with Texas’ members of Congress, state lawmakers, district-based judges and local elected officials. With the new congressional maps redrawn to boost the number of Texas Republicans in Congress, some Texans will have to vote in new congressional districts.
Here’s what you need to know about primaries and the voting process. Stay tuned for more guides about candidates in the following weeks. In the meantime, you can use this tool to see how state lawmakers – some of which are up for election this year – voted on major bills in the past legislative session. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – A man was arrested for allegedly dealing cocaine and marijuana in Athens on Friday. At around 1:12 p.m. on Friday, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said that a narcotics investigator and two deputies did a traffic stop on a Ford SUV for a traffic violation in the 6000 block of County Road 3925 outside of Athens.
According to the sheriff’s office, the driver of the Ford SUV was seen throwing out a white plastic bag while the vehicle was still coming to a stop. Deputies then approached the Ford, contacted the driver and found a white bag on the ground near where the vehicle had stopped.
The sheriff’s office said the bag was searched and contained suspected cocaine. The Ford was then searched and deputies found a plastic bag of marijuana. Investigators then secured a search warrant for the driver’s home on Deer Run Road in Athens. Read the rest of this entry »