Today is
Thursday July 23, 2026
BULLARD — The City of Bullard announced on Thursday that some residents may encounter little to no water pressure due to a water main break, according to our news partner KETK.
The city said its utility department is currently working on repairing the issue, and thanks its residents for their patience during this time.
CANTON – Two parents were arrested on Monday in Van Zandt County after a child was found in a hot car, sweating and bleeding from the nose, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
On Monday, deputies from the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s office responded to the Wagon Train RV Park on 7869 Interstate 20 South Service Road in Canton to help DPS on a vehicle pursuit. Once arriving, deputies were made aware that the driver had fled from DPS, abandoned it and officers located it at the RV park.
“DPS advised that when they approached the vehicle that they observed a child inside the vehicle while the vehicle ignition turned off, and the child appeared to have been bleeding from the nose and to be very hot and sweating,” the sheriff’s office said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler is updating road markings at three busy intersections as part of its annual road safety enhancement project, according to our news partner KETK. These updates include the addition of new turn lanes, bike lanes, and parking spaces, aimed at reducing accidents and improving traffic flow.
The intersections affected include West Houston Street and Fair Park Drive, where a new turn lane, bike lane and parking spaces have been added. This area is near the Rose Garden, Brookshire’s Center and a football stadium. On Rieck Road, between South Broadway Avenue and New Copeland Road, a two-way left-turn lane has been introduced to address a history of run-off-road crashes. Additionally, a turn lane has been removed at the Walmart driveway on Shiloh Road to better reflect current driving patterns and improve traffic flow, the city said.
These changes are expected to enhance safety and reduce confusion at intersections, contributing to a more efficient transportation network in Tyler.
LONGVIEW – Two Mexican nationals illegally living in Longview, have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the East Texas, according to a press release from the Acting U.S. Attorney’s office.
On May 2, 2024, two men were detained by law enforcement as passengers in a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers deployed a K9 to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle, resulting in a positive alert for the presence of a controlled substance. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 2,972 grams of methamphetamine hidden in an interior void in the vehicle.
Immigration records revealed that both men were unlawfully present in the United States and that one of them, Julio Cesar Tello-Olmos, 49, was previously deported twice, onece following convictions for two separate felony DWIs. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY – A Longview man who sold fake prescription drugs has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Kym Andrew Wallace, also known as “Trigga”, 28, admitted to selling what were supposed to be prescription pills, which a 17-year-old juvenile consumed them and died from a an overdose on May 29, 2024. The pills purchased from Wallace were round and light blue, bearing the markings “M” and “30,” which are the same manufacturer’s markings for 30 milligram tablets of generic oxycodone. Following the overdose of the juvenile victim, investigators analyzed the pills,and determined they contained fentanyl. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the desk of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Enrique Adrian Gomez, 29, met two minor victims online in September 2021 and continued communicating with them through November 2021. Both minors were less than 13 years old at the time. Gomez communicated with the victims through text messaging and social media applications. During these real-time online conversations, the victims were persuaded to engage in prohibited, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – An East Texas man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after officers found multiple files of child pornography inside his home in January, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
Arrest documents show that a criminal investigator with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Dec. 18, 2024, about a tip they received from Snapchat. The app had reported an incident listed as online enticement of a child for sexual purposes that took place on Sept. 22, 2024. The child victim involved in this incident reported to Snapchat that someone was trying to exploit them with child pornography of them. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY– An investigation is underway following a fatal house fire southwest of Tyler Tuesday night. According to a news release from Smith County, numerous departments responded to the blaze on Pecanridge Drive around 10:30. The victim, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was said to be a 70-year-old man. He was the sole occupant of the home. An autopsy has been ordered. Officials said the house was a total loss. Foul play was not suspected.
HENDERSON – According to a press release from CHRISTUS Health, the opening of CHRISTUS Emergency Center Henderson is celebrated with a ribbon-cutting and blessing event.
“When we stood here back in 2024, I made a promise to the community that we would be open by summer 2025, and here we are celebrating this amazing facility,” said Todd Hancock, president of CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System.
More than 300 guests, including representatives from CHRISTUS, the city of Henderson, Rusk County and elected officials, got a sneak peek of the 12,500 square-foot facility, which will open to the public at 7 a.m. on Thursday, July 31.
Located south of Wylie Elementary on U.S. Highway 259, the emergency center features 24-hour emergency services with 13 exam rooms, four triage room, advanced imaging and onsite laboratory services for easy access to care. The emergency center is the second CHRISTUS facility in Henderson, joining the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic family medicine clinic on Zeid Boulevard. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Two parents were arrested Monday after four children were left alone in a vehicle for at least an hour at a Tyler Walmart parking lot, according to our news partner KETK. The parents have been identified as Emily Bearden, 27, and David Bearden, 28, both of Arp. Tyler Police responded to the Walmart on south Broadway, where four young children, ages ten, five, two and five weeks were left in a vehicle for at least an hour while the parents shopped. Officials said the five-year-old accidentally turned off the vehicle and the interior quickly became “dangerously hot.” That’s when the 10-year-old eventually got out of the car to find help. The 10-year-old’s phone call came in at around 5 p.m.
The parents then got back in the car and left the parking lot. Police began to follow the parents on Broadway Avenue, where they pulled them over for a traffic stop. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – According to a press release from the Marshall Police Department, Marshall Police arrested a Linden man following a serious traffic accident that sent two people to the hospital and spilled diesel fuel across the road.
The crash occurred just after 9:30 p.m. on July 25, 2025, at the intersection of Highway 59 and Loop 390. Witnesses report that a tractor trailer ran a red light and struck a pickup truck that was pulling an empty horse trailer. The collision caused a diesel fuel spill on the roadway and into a nearby drainage ditch, requiring a hazardous materials cleanup by Lone Star Hazmat.
Two individuals in the pickup were transported to a local hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
Upon investigation, the driver of the tractor-trailer, identified as 59-year-old Kenneth Janowski of Linden, was arrested and charged with two counts of Intoxication Assault with Vehicle, a third-degree felony, and booked into the Harrison County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing.
LONGVIEW — Eastman Chemical in Longview was one of 49 chemical manufacturing facilities in the United States granted a two-year exemption from environmental regulations by President Donald Trump’s proclamation, according to our news partner KETK.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted what is known as the ‘HON Rule’ on May 16, 2024. The HON Rule consists of four rules that chemical manufacturing plants must follow during the process of making synthetic organic chemicals.
The Federal Register stated that the EPA was seeking to finalize standards for the production of ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene emissions through the HON Rule. Read the rest of this entry »
TATUM — Our news partner KETK reports that the Tatum Police Department has identified three individuals connected to a string of burglaries that occurred in East Texas over the past month.
Near the end of June, the Tatum Police Department became aware of seven burglary cases, with six incidents occurring at the Tatum baseball park and another one within city limits. The cases were identified as organized criminal activity.
On July 2, members of the Tatum Police Department were notified of a woman who had driven through a Vera Bank in Lufkin and had allegedly withdrawn several thousand dollars from a victim’s bank account. Although officials obtained video from the bank, they were unable to identify the suspect. They requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, but were also unable to identify the suspect because her face was not fully visible in the camera footage from the bank. Read the rest of this entry »
CROCKETT – A woman in Crockett who was accused of causing a man’s death after giving him counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl has been placed under custody, according to our news partner KETK.
On May 21, the Crockett Police Department said that they received reports of an unresponsive man and went to the person’s apartment on Sallas Street at around 11 p.m. Once on the scene, officers, along with Houston County EMS, discovered the individual had died, which was believed to be caused by a drug overdose.
Following the victim’s death, authorities discovered that he had bought the pills from Kimberlee Ann Sherman of Crockett. On May 22, Sherman was arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance. She posted a $25,000 bond and was released the following day. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – An Anderson County man was arrested early Monday morning after three women were allegedly shot at in Palestine, according to our news partner KETK.
Around 2:38 a.m., officers responded to a home in the 200 block of Lowe Street, where three women had been shot at by Floyd Conley Jr., 50, of Palestine, after one of the victims was shoved out of the home.
“Officers established a perimeter and took up positions outside the residence,” the Palestine Police Department said. “After several attempts to get the suspect to surrender, officers were able to safely call him out of the home and take him into custody without incident.” Read the rest of this entry »
TATUM — The Tatum Police Department has identified three individuals connected to a string of burglaries that occurred in East Texas over the past month according to our news partner KETK.
Near the end of June, the Tatum Police Department became aware of seven burglary cases, with six incidents occurring at the Tatum baseball park and another one within city limits. The cases were identified as organized criminal activity. On July 2, members of the Tatum Police Department were notified of a woman who had driven through a Vera Bank in Lufkin and had allegedly withdrawn several thousand dollars from a victim’s bank account. Although officials obtained video from the bank, they were unable to identify the suspect. They requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, but were also unable to identify the suspect because her face was not fully visible in the camera footage from the bank.
Later in July, two suspects were detained in DeSoto during a traffic stop. During the stop, one of the suspects allegedly provided officers with a fake name and date of birth. Multiple stolen identifications, checkbooks and banking information were discovered, which belonged to the victims of the Taum baseball park burglaries. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Earlier in the summer, the Texas House and Senate passed a bill that banned cell phones, smart watches, and tablets at public schools starting this school year. Now, Texas schools are having to implement their policies and guidelines. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of schools with information on how your student will be impacted. View that list here.
HENDERSON COUNTY — The former LaPoynor ISD coach, who was arrested in 2023 after a phone was found recording in the girls’ locker room, was convicted on Friday of tampering with/fabricating physical evidence, according to our news partner KETK.
An arrest warrant reveals that cheerleaders found a cell phone in the girls’ locker room on Sept. 26, 2023. The phone was underneath the bench inside a shoe with the camera pointed upward, recording at the time it was found.
The cheerleaders took the device to another coach at LaPoynor ISD, where Jammie Allen Maze, 46, of Brownsboro, was also there. Maze took the phone and began to press buttons. When the LaPoynor ISD Police Chief received the phone, it had been locked with no way of accessing the contents. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A man attempted to escape from police after he allegedly cashed more than $1,000 in stolen lottery tickets in Tyler on Friday, according to our news partner KETK.
The Tyler Police Department responded to the Texas Lottery Office at 4801 Troup Highway, where two men were seen inside trying to cash stolen lottery tickets. A Smith County arrest affidavit reports that officers then attempted to detain the suspect, Ke’eric Armon Franklin, while he was walking out of the lottery office, but Franklin ran from the scene.
“In full Tyler Police uniform, I told Franklin to ‘halt’ and he asked, ‘Why?’ then sprinted out of his shoes northbound and out of sight,” the officer said. “Franklin ran barefoot to the intersection of Tanglewood and Old Omen, where police told him to stop, but he replied, ‘No, I’m not going to.’” Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – The University of Texas System Board of Regents have unanimously named the sole finalists to be UT system chancellor and the president of UT Austin according to our news partner KETK.
On Monday, the board named John M. Zerwas, MD as sole finalist for the chancellorship of The UT System and James E. Davis as sole finalist for the presidency at UT Austin. Board chairman and former Tyler mayor Kevin Eltife praised both Zerwas and Davis for their leadership qualities.
Zerwas, a former physician and Texas State Representative for Fort Bend County, thanked the board of regents and Eltife for supporting him in his current role as interim system chancellor.
Davis, a former Navy cryptologist, Texas Deputy Attorney General and current UT Austin Interim president, was praised by Eltife for the progress that UT Austin has made during Davis’s time at the university. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is searching for a woman who was last seen over two weeks ago, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
52-year-old Brandy Whitaker has been missing since July 7. Whitaker is described as being 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with brown hair and blue eyes. She also reportedly has epilepsy and is known to faint.
If anyone has any information about Whitaker’s whereabouts, they are encouraged to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000
CHEROKEE COUNTY – An East Texas man was arrested on Thursday evening after he stabbed a man at an Alto gas station over money and truck keys, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
An Alto arrest affidavit revealed that police officers responded to a Texaco gas station at 539 Lovers Lane around 8 p.m., where a stabbing had occurred. Witnesses identified the suspect as 46-year-old Cory DeWayne Poole of Rusk, who was standing beside a car. While Poole was being handcuffed and put into the patrol car, police found a gray knife in the pocket of his pants. Officers then went inside to check on the stabbing victim, where they saw him holding his stomach in pain.
“I saw a puncture wound on his left side stomach area,” the officer said. “I applied gauze to the wound and applied pressure. Shortly after, EMS arrived to take over medical care.”
The victim explained to police that they were arguing about money when Poole stole his truck keys from the ignition. Read the rest of this entry »
PANOLA COUNTY – A man who was wanted in Panola County for burglary was arrested after he was found inside a vacant house, according to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers found Kobe Holt on Wednesday night inside a vacant residence off County Road 104. Holt attempted to flee from authorities but was taken into custody after deputies used a Taser.
According to a report from our news partner KETK, investigators later discovered that Holt had broken into the residence and stole property that was stored inside the home. Holt was subsequently arrested and charged with burglary of habitation, resisting arrest and evading arrest.
Holt also received charges relating to his previous burglaries, including burglary of a building, burglary of a vehicle,burglary of a habitation, and theft of firearms
Following the arrest, Holt was transported to the detention center and the case will be presented to the Criminal District Attorney for further charges.
LONGVIEW– A Longview resident was recognized during a city council meeting on Thursday for his heroic act of bravery on a bus ride earlier this year, according to our news partner KETK.
While riding on a Longview transit bus in May, a fellow passenger began acting aggressively and became a threat to other passengers and the driver, forcing Corey Street to act quickly and remove the person from the vehicle.
In a video obtained by the City of Longview, it shows a man confronting the driver of the bus with a knife while trying to operate the bus. Street can be seen on film, appearing behind the man and forcefully removing him from the bus, preventing the driver or anyone else from being injured. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, officials received reports of bricks falling off the building at around 1:20 p.m. on Thursday. The Tyler Police Department has blocked off Elm Street in downtown Tyler after bricks started falling from the garage at the Carlton Hotel on Thursday. Elm Street is currently closed from South Broadway Avenue to Spring Avenue to keep pedestrians and drivers away from the building as inspectors come in to survey the condition of the garage.
“It looks like just age,” Hooten said. “It looks like a normal age. Just got deteriorated and started falling.” “The main danger is where the crack is,” Hooten said. “It could lead to other cracks and it could lead to a ripple effect on down the side of the wall there. So we just want to make sure that no one’s underneath it. If that happened.”
“The Carlton Hotel is a historic icon in Downtown Tyler,” then deputy city manager of Tyler Stephanie Franklin said in 2023. “However, the current condition of the building has contributed to substantial blight in the Downtown district, and it poses a public health and safety risk.” Read the rest of this entry »
POLK COUNTY – The Livingston Police Department said they arrested a man at Matthews Park on Wednesday for online solicitation of a minor. According to our news partner KETK, Livingston PD was told that an investigation into online child exploitation discovered a man in the area who was trying to find an underage girl to meet for sex.
Detectives with Livingston PD were following up on the tip at Matthews Park on Wednesday afternoon when they found the man flagged by the investigation. Randy Newman, 31 of Goodrich, had driven to the park to meet a 14-year-old girl, according to Livingston PD. Newman was arrested for online solicitation of a minor and booked into the Polk County Jail.
“This is a sad reminder of the evil that is constantly reaching out to our children from behind a keyboard. Thankfully, this time, we were able to intervene before the worst could happen,” Livingston PD interim lieutenant Jack Mueller said.
TYLER – Lance Phillips, son of Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips and former Smith County Commissioner Terry Phillips, was sentenced to seven years probation on Wednesday for assaulting a peace officer, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
In May, Lance was found guilty of assaulting a police officer during an incident at a 2023 Smith County commissioner’s court meeting. After he was found guilty, Lance told KETK that he planned to appeal the verdict in this case.
“If I lose, then I will immediately file my appeal to the higher court, and go as high as necessary to get the rule of law to be enforced,” Lance told KETK in May. “There will be tons of case law that has Lance Phillips vs. Neal Franklin of Smith County. The result will help 35 million Texans who may want to speak in a public meeting.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – A 17-year-old died on Sunday when they were ejected from their vehicle during a high-speed chase on Highway 31, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies started pursuing a vehicle seen driving at 124 miles per hour on Highway 31 West at around 1:36 a.m. on Sunday. The deputies eventually caught up with the vehicle on Pleasant Hollow Road, where it had crashed.
The 17-year-old driver, Joel Munoz, was ejected from the vehicle along with a passenger. Officials said that Munoz was pronounced dead at the scene while the passenger was taken to a local hospital to be treated.
AUSTIN – Just 8 days after he execution hearing for death row inmate Robert Roberson of Palestine, his attorneys are asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) to stay his execution set for this fall in his case involving the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis.
Our news partner KETK had the opportunity to speak with Roberson’s Attorney, Gretchen Sween, Thursday morning about her reaction to the execution date being set and the two motions filed in the CCA.
On July 16, Roberson’s hearing led the Smith County District Court Judge Austin Reeve Jackson to order his execution to be set for 6 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2025. “The ruling was very disappointing, and that’s why we are now turning around to stop the execution date that we thought shouldn’t have been set in the first place,” Sween said.
“But we were grateful to be able to have a hearing, and that the judge made an effort to get Roberson there. I think it was evident there’s a lot of interest in what’s going on in this case.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – A hearing-impaired woman from outside of Texas adopted two puppies from the Smith County Animal Shelter that she and her family share a special connection with. according to our news partner KETK.
In June, the animal shelter rescued two three-month-old puppies, Anjali and Amiya, who were found abandoned on County Road 1142. After rescuing the puppies, it became apparent that both dogs were deaf.
Within days of saving the dogs, the shelter posted pictures of them on Deaf Dogs Rock, a website that showcases deaf dogs available for adoption. Nozomi Tomita, who lives in Massachusetts, viewed the dogs online and felt an instant connection, as she and her family are deaf. Read the rest of this entry »