Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
HENDERSON – The Henderson Police Department is currently investigating a shooting that injured a child on South Main Street on Friday.
According to our news partner KETK and the Henderson PD, officers responded to a reported shooting in the 800 block of South Main Street at around 12:26 p.m. on Friday. Once Henderson PD officers arrived on scene, they found a child who who had been shot.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the child to a local hospital for treatment. A Henderson PD official told KETK News that the child is currently in stable condition.
The shooting is currently being investigated as an accident and Henderson PD said there’s no threat to the public at this time.
LUFKIN – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Lufkin Police Department is currently searching for a missing 12-year-old girl who was last seen on Mitchell Street on Thursday. 12-year-old Zahariah Freeman was last seen at her grandmother’s Mitchell Steet home between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. in Lufkin on Thursday.
Zahariah is described as a 5-foot-tall Black girl with brown eyes and black hair who weighs around 100 pounds. Lufkin PD said she often will wear blue sunglasses.
Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call Lufkin PD at 936-633-0356.
PANOLA COUNTY — A one-vehicle crash that happened on Friday in Panola County led to the discovery of a kidnapping victim. The case remains under investigation.
Panola County Dispatch received a 911 call on Friday at 5:03 a.m. from a female yelling for help, then the call disconnected according to our news partner KETK. Dispatch tried to call the number back and a male answered, who said that he was taking the victim to Louisiana where he would drop her off. The female victim could be heard calling for help in the background.
At 6:33 a.m. Dispatch was notified of a one-vehicle crash on CR 3031 off the loop. Deputies, investigators, a trooper and EMS responded and found that the driver was the suspect from the original 911 call. Deputies were informed by the suspect that he dropped the victim off outside of a business in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Just after 10:00 a.m. the victim was located at a residence in Shreveport and is seeking medical treatment. Investigators determined that the initial disturbance took place at a Carthage apartment complex.
The suspect is currently hospitalized with injuries from the crash and the case remains under investigation. Panola County Sheriff’s Office has stated that no names will be released while the investigation remains ongoing.
TYLER – A new mini golf course will begin construction soon in Tyler; however, people who live in the area are concerned about the noise and lights this development may bring. Due to the concerns, the City of Tyler granted the ‘Special Use Permit’ at a council meeting on Wednesday.
According to our news partner KETK, the new mini golf course would be located near the intersection of South Broadway and Donnybrook Avenue, behind ‘Andy’s Custard.’ Kyle Kingma, Genecov Planning Director, said this is all to meet an entertainment need in the growing city of Tyler.
“We have gotten feedback that there is a desire to have more outside entertainment within the city,” Kingma said. So, we think that this would probably check that box for people.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Two brothers arrested on dogfighting charges in 2024 had those charges dropped after they both pleaded guilty to other charges recently.
Kerry Jones, 36 of Tyler, and Michael Jones, 32 of Tyler, were both arrested after nearly 60 dogs were found near a residence on County Road 4136 in Tyler on Sept. 9, 2024.
Our news partner KETK spoke with Michael’s lawyer Matt Bingham after a pre-trial hearing on Thursday. Bingham said that Jones wasn’t connected by evidence to any of the dogfighting that allegedly took place at his brother Kerry’s property. Given the lack of evidence against him, Michael was able to take a plea deal that allowed him to only plead guilty to a charge of possession of marijuana between 5 and 50 pounds. According to Bingham, the dogfighting charges and a cruelty to non-livestock animals charge have been dropped as part of his plea deal.
Michael has been sentenced to 11 months in jail and given credit for time served since he’s been in Smith County Jail for the past 13 months, according to Bingham. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, a man was arrested in Henderson County on Thursday after over 455 files containing images of child pornography were found on his computer.
According to an arrest affidavit, a peace officer who had been assigned to investigate sex crimes and crimes against children in Henderson County received a Cybertip on June. 9, which is used to inform officials about suspected potential online sexual exploitation of children. The cybertip provided an IP address, along with a subpoena obtained from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, for T-Mobile regarding the IP Address. After officials received the subpoena, they discovered that the IP Address belonged to Nicholas Kent of Gun Barrel City. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Longview High School was sent into a “HOLD” on Wednesday after an altercation broke out between a small number of students, according to our news partner KETK.
Campus staff and administrators responded to the altercation immediately and de-escalated the situation with district safety personnel. Longview High School was sent into a “HOLD” during the altercation, as a part of the district’s Standard Response Protocol. The district did not offer any other information about the altercation on Wednesday.
“The situation was promptly resolved, and those involved are being addressed in accordance with district policy. At no point was there an ongoing threat to the campus. The HOLD followed our Standard Response Protocol. Longview ISD is committed to providing a safe, secure and supportive learning environment for all students, and we appreciate the continued cooperation of our families and staff.”
Longview ISD
WHITEHOUSE — With early voting underway, Whitehouse ISD is proposing a voter-approval tax rate that will “enhance teachers’ salaries,” and maintain small class sizes, allowing for more one-on-one attention between students and teachers.
According to our news partner KETK, if approved, tax rates will remain one of the lowest in Smith County, the school district said, and will focus on providing a better learning environment for teachers and students. It aims to “provide the teacher salaries needed to keep & attract experienced educators,” while also focusing on maintaining small class sizes.
Additionally, if passed, it will aim to help grow the district’s college preparation programs, as well as expand academic and fine arts programs, extracurricular activities, and the special education program. It will also allow the district to maintain its current safety programs and provide additional security measures. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – The Kilgore College Board of Trustees voted on Monday to name Dr. Staci Pollan Martin as the school’s interim president, since their current president Dr. Brenda Kays is retiring in February of 2026. Martin currently serves as Kilgore College’s vice president of organizational effectiveness and excellence, and she’ll officially become the college’s interim president on Nov. 1 according to our news partner KETK.
As a Kilgore College staff member since 2001, Martin has worn many hats including serving as vice president of student life and college affairs, vice president of student services, vice president of institutional planning, registrar and director of admissions.
Martin has a doctor of education degree in higher education from Texas Tech University, a masters of science degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M University–Texarkana and her bachelor’s of science degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M University. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Our news partner KETK is reporting that a Tyler man has pleaded guilty to two drug-related charges on Monday and accepted a 40 year prison sentence in connection with a 2024 fentanyl death.
Calvin Thomas Spencer, 28, was intially charged with first-degree murder, after Michael Crone, a Tyler-native, died after taking fentanyl pills. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said Spencer was a barber at a truck stop in the 400 block of East-Northeast Loop 323 in Tyler where he was known to give Crone haircuts.
An arrest affidavit also revealed that Spencer sold Crone M-30 fentanyl pills and later died on Oct. 5, 2024. Read the rest of this entry »
JACKSONVILLE – The Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District (NTVGCD) has voted to suspend 40 controversial permit applications for high-capacity water wells in Anderson County according to our news partner KETK.
A member of the district’s board confirmed to KETK News that the NTVGCD board met in Jacksonville on Thursday and unanimously voted to suspend their consideration of 40 permit applications that were filed with their board by Pine Bliss LLC and Red Town Ranch Holdings LLC. The applications sparked controversy earlier this year when numerous East Texas public officials began to speak out against the proposed wells and their potential impact on the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, which supplies water for much of Anderson and Houston counties.
The applications are suspended until studies can be done to determine what impact these wells could have on the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer.
East Texas State Senator Robert Nichols and State Representative Cody Harris attended the meeting on Thursday. According to Harris, the board also voted to accept a settlement offer from Sanderson Farms, a poultry company, who’s suing the district to invalidate their April vote for the permit applications. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of East Texas school bonds for the 2025 election cycle. Texas school districts do not receive state funding for renovations or buildings, which leads them to seek their funding through school bond elections. Early voting on the proposition begins Oct. 20 and ends on Oct. 31, while Election Day is set for Nov. 4. Click here to view the list.
PALESTINE — According to our news partner KETK, a registered sex offender in Palestine was arrested on Saturday after being made to believe he was meeting a 13-year-old girl.
Palestine Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence on Sugar Lane on Saturday, after a representative from a civilian group that investigated suspected online child predators advised them that they were at the location with a male individual who believed he was meeting with a 13-year-old child. The male suspect West Holmes, 52, of Palestine was identified by officers and placed under arrest after admitting during on-scene investigation to communicating online with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl and that he came to meet her in person. Holmes further admitted he sent sexually explicit messages in these communications. He was also found to be a registered sex offender, with a history of sex crimes against children.
Holmes was transported to Anderson County Jail, where he was booked for online solicitation with a minor, with his bond set at $150,000.
TYLER – Starting on Monday, East Texans will have the opportunity to vote early for the upcoming Nov. 4 Texas constitutional amendment election. Our news partner KETK News has put together the following list of early voting locations and hours when East Texans can vote early this year.
TYLER – The City of Tyler has announced that East Elm Street will be closed between Spring Avenue and Broadway Avenue which started on Monday, Oct. 20. According to our news partner KETK, the part of East Elm Street that’s closing this week will be shut down until Friday so Tyler Water Utilities can improve sewer capacity in the area as a part of Consent Decree Group 2 Segment 13a2, which is expanding 18,141 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines in Tyler.
The city added that after Friday the road will be open until their work resumes in late November or in early December. Tyler officials are asking drivers to plan ahead for this closure and any future closures they announce.
Broadway Avenue, Spring Avenue, Ferguson Street and Locust Street will also be closed from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Nov. 8 while a business uses a helicopter in the area.