Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, a new educational program called ‘TexasWorks’ was launched Wednesday at Premier High School in Tyler, East Texas, offering tuition-free high school diplomas and career certifications for adults aged 18 to 50. The program aims to equip adults with the skills needed for high-demand jobs.
“They’re also going to earn an industry-based certification. So that could be in drone and in aviation.” Dr. Elizabeth Camarena, Superintendent of TexasWorks said. “We also have a certification in cybersecurity that we’re launching and plenty of others, including business and entrepreneurship, business and finance and also security.”
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and spoke about the importance of programs like ‘Texas-Works’ in building a skilled workforce to support the booming industries in East Texas. With the launch of ‘Texas-Works’, adults in East Texas have new opportunities to advance their education and career prospects, contributing to the region’s economic growth.
GLADEWATER – A vehicle pursuit in Gladewater led to a man being taken to a local hospital after crashing his car into two trees on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Gladewater Police Department and our news partner KETK, two officers attempted to pull over Deyron Smith, who had outstanding felony warrants. Smith refused to pull over, leading officials on a pursuit into Upshur County.
During the pursuit, Smith lost control of his vehicle on Crabtree Road and struck two trees, resulting in extensive damage to his car and injuries to himself. After crashing his vehicle, Smith was taken to a local hospital. During a search of his vehicle, 2.8 grams of black tar heroin were allegedly found inside his car. Smith was subsequently charged with two counts of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.
LUFKIN – Following a Lufkin City Council member’s decision to vacate his seat, three Lufkin residents are currently seeking to fill his position in the November elections. According to our news partner KETK, Councilman Brent Watkins, who currently serves in Ward 3, recently announced that he will be vacating his seat to run for mayor of Lufkin in the upcoming 2027 elections.
Those looking to fill Watkins’s seat on the city council include Kimberly Abeldt, Misty Ledesma, and Lin Lentz. Watkins will be looking to replace current Lufkin Mayor Hicks, who has been in office since 2021. Hicks announced earlier this year that he will not be seeking a third term.
CROCKETT — According to our news partner KETK and the Crockett Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance at around 12:15 a.m. in locating 37-year-old Jeremy Alexander Brent, who had reportedly left a residence where he had been trespassing . He left in his vehicle a person who police say was possibly being held against their will.
A Crockett officer eventually located Brent driving near the 3000 block of State Highway 7. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop; however, Brent refused to pull over, and police say he drove away at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour back toward Crockett, prompting a vehicle pursuit.
Officers successfully deployed stop sticks, causing his vehicle to stop near the intersection of South Loop 304. Brent was then taken into custody. The passenger in the vehicle was unharmed, according to the Crockett Police Department. Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE (10/29 2:40 p.m.): The National Weather Service confirmed on Wednesday that Lindale was hit by an EF-1 tornado with winds reaching up to 100 mph.
UPDATE (10/29 8 a.m.): The Kilgore Police Department said most roads in impacted areas are now passable, though some streets remain barricaded due to debris. Those barricades are expected to come down throughout the day as cleanup continues.
SWEPCO has restored power to portions of the area, and currently reports 65 customers without power. Numerous utility poles were brought down and will need to be replaced, a process city officials say will take time. Homeowners are urged to contact their insurance agents to report any damage. City crews continue to cut down damaged trees and move debris, while additional private contractors have begun work in the area.
Despite significant damage across several blocks, city leaders said the community avoided what “could have been much worse.” Police patrols will remain in the affected neighborhoods until power is fully restored. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department is reporting that a 64-year-old man died in a pedestrian crash that happened on Highway 31 in Kilgore last week. Emergency services responded to a reported pedestrian crash that happened in the 100 block of State Highway 31 East in Kilgore at around 7:11 p.m. on Friday. First responders on the scene found that a white 2017 Ram pickup truck was heading east on SH 31 as David Ray Whisenhunt, 64 of Kilgore, crossed the road.
Kilgore PD said Whisenhunt failed to yield to the truck’s right of way and was hit in the inside lane of SH 31. Whisenhunt died immediately and was pronounced dead at the scene by law enforcement. Kilgore PD is currently investigating the crash.
TYLER — Seferino Bautista-Renteria, 36, who was originally sentenced to 60 years in state prison following the murder of 19-year-old Rawly “Eli” Sanchez, has been given an additional 15 years following connected charges.
On the night of July 4, 2024, Sanchez and his friends made a U-turn in their truck behind Bautista-Renteria’s auto shop, Bautista Auto. According to our news partner KETK, while the truck was turning behind the shop, the driver reported seeing a person with an AK-47 style rifle who started shooting. Sanchez was hit in the back of the head by a bullet while sitting in the back of the truck. Sanchez’s friends immediately took him to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Law enforcement spoke with witnessed and identified Bautista-Renteria as the shooter. He was detained and booked into the Smith County Jail with a warrant for first degree murder and a $1 million bond. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — Our news partner KETK is reporting that a search is underway in Marshall following a shooting on Sunday night that resulted in the death of a 48-year-old man.
The Marshall Police Department said officers responded to the shooting around 8:56 p.m. in the 1900 block of Bean Street. When officials arrived, they found the body of a man, identified as Carlos Dewayne Hill, 48 of Marshall. A preliminary investigation indicates that the person involved fled the area before officers arrived.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at (903) 935-4575 or Marshall-Harrison County Crime Stoppers at (903) 935-9969.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Hill,” said Marshall Police Chief Cliff Carruth. “Our investigators are working diligently to identify and locate the person responsible for this senseless act of violence. We are asking anyone with information to come forward and assist us in bringing justice to the victim and his family.”
TYLER – Amazon has opened its first fulfillment center in East Texas, just in time for the upcoming busy holiday delivery season. The building sits on 30-acres of land and has a 140,000-square feet floor plan. President of the Tyler Economic Development Scott Martinez has been with this project since it was just a daydream.
“Seeing this project come to life and in a timeframe that was just so quick, this whole construction was less than 12 months,” Martinez said. “It’s almost like seeing a child born and start growing. So it’s been very fulfilling.”
According to our news partner KETK, Monday’s ribbon cutting on the new Tyler facility was attended by several local officials including Tyler mayor Don Warren, State Rep. Cole Hefner and State Senator Bryan Hughes.
For better traffic flow, the company also paid for a new traffic signal and turn lanes nearby. The facility is in its third week of operation, with employees fulfilling shipments overnight and loading trucks early morning. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler drivers have probably noticed a new site to see off Broadway Ave, as the construction gets underway for Parkside North, a new 92-acre development.
“What you’re seeing right now is just all of the foundational work,” Genecov president & CEO Ray McKinney said. “So you’re putting in storm sewers, which is how the rainwater gets funneled into a certain place, and so those are storm sewer pipes that you see there. All of that’s being done, the dirt works being done to flat it out so that you can build something on it because nobody wants to walk on a parking lot.”
Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Genecov Group is ready to get started on their new phases of development. The plan includes three types of areas to be built.
“The first part is the part that you see up here on the front is at the pad side, stretching from one end down to the other,” McKinney said. “Mostly, you’re looking at restaurant-type users.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A woman involved in an incident with Tyler Police Department where she discharged an officer’s gun has been sentenced to 40 years in prison according to our news partner KETK. Brianna Erwin, 33, was involved in an altercation with Tyler PD in May of 2025 when officers responded to a theft call at a Dollar General. Erwin, one of the suspects in the theft, resisted arrest causing an altercation between her and an officer. According to Tyler PD, Erwin grabbed an officer’s firearm during the struggle and discharged the weapon. Erwin was booked into the Smith County Jail on an outstanding warrant.
On Monday, at the 7th District Court, Erwin pleaded guilty to multiple charges connected to the May incident. Erwin received 12 months for possession of a controlled substance, 8 years for harassment of a public servant and 40 years for aggravated assault of a public servant.
The three sentences will be served at the same time so Erwin is expected to serve 40 years in prison. She was also ordered to pay $180 in restitution to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Our news partner KETK has confirmed that the suspect involved in the Oct. 17 triple homicide in Mabank has died. The suspect, Christopher Kyle Reid, is accused of having killed three people at around 2:30 a.m. at the Cedar Creek Cove Subdivision in Mabank. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of a woman and a man with apparent gunshot wounds.
Another woman shot at the scene was transported to a hospital, where she died. The deceased have been identified as: Kimberly Simpson, 51, Connie Patrick, 72, Ronny Hammonds, 57.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said that Simpson and Connie were both shot multiple times, along with Hammonds, who also had injuries from blunt force trauma and multiple stab wounds.
Two other victims, ages 24 and 70, were hospitalized. The 24-year-old has since been released from the hospital, while the 70-year-old remains hospitalized but is awake and responsive, the sheriff’s office confirmed. Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE: The Nacogdoches Police Department has arrested Hector Cuarenta, 17 of Nacogdoches, in connection with the shooting deaths of three people on Friday.
Cuarenta was wanted in connection to the deaths of three people on Hackberry Street on Friday but turned himself into Nacogdoches PD on Sunday night. Cuarenta was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has been booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — As of 11:58 a.m., Fredonia Elementary has been placed on secure status, due to a shooting in the area confirmed to be a triple homicide. No one is allowed to enter or exit the campus until the secure status is lifted. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Police Department had officers out in the community to take unwanted medications from East Texans as a part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events have recovered more than 20 million pounds of unused medications since 2010 as a way to help prevent drug misuse.
“Events like this help because it is pretty dangerous to flush any medication, flushing it down the toilet or even leaving it in the counter for your children or some other relative to find expired medication,” said Tyler PD community response officer Bianca Smedely.
Anyone who needs to dispose of unwanted pills or expired education medications but couldn’t make it out to Tyler PD’s event on Friday can find a list of more than 30 drop box locations online.
TYLER – As the United States government shut down threatens SNAP food benefits, the East Texas Food Bank is preparing to step up for East Texans who rely on the program’s assistance.
According to our news partner KETK and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, November’s SNAP benefits won’t be sent out if the government shut down continues on Monday. East Texas Food Bank CEO, David Emerson, explained that they’re already preparing to meet a greater demand for food.
“So we’re already buying more food in anticipation of this,” Emerson said. “So we always have truckloads coming in on a regular basis and just this week alone, just yesterday I ordered $200,000 more food, that we’re going to have to go out and purchase, that we weren’t planning on purchasing.”
Medicaid, WIC, TANF and CHIP benefits will reportedly be unaffected if the shutdown continues on Monday but the more than 41 million Americans who use SNAP will lose access to the program unless the government acts by Monday. East Texans can visit the East Texas Food Bank online to learn more about their services.