Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
RUSK COUNTY – A woman was arrested in Rusk County earlier this month after 20.3 grams of methamphetamine were reportedly found inside her vehicle, according to our news partner KETK.
At around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a call regarding a suspicious white Ford F-150 being parked in a closed dental office parking lot near State Highway 43. Once deputies arrived on the scene, the driver had left, and a witness told authorities that they had given them enough money to get to a gas station and stated the driver had two dogs with her. Read the rest of this entry »
HUNTINGTON — A Huntington ISD teacher has resigned after students reported she made a negative comment following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Superintendent Carolyn Fiaschetti confirmed to our news partner KETK that Brianna Parrish, who taught U.S. government and world geography, stepped down on Tuesday. Parrish had initially been placed on leave after the district learned of the reported comments, though officials did not disclose what was said. The resignation comes as the Texas Education Agency reviews more than 280 complaints against teachers accused of making inappropriate remarks about Kirk.
“While all educators are held to a high standard of professionalism, there is a difference between comments made in poor taste and those that call for and incite further violence – the latter of which is clearly unacceptable,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement.
UPDATE: According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Police Department arrested a 21-year-old woman on Wednesday afternoon for the fatal shooting at an apartment complex on Sept. 12. Jarya Lashay Wilson, 21, of Longview, was arrested for murder and booked into the Gregg County Jail, where she is being held on a $50,000 bond.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is currently investigating a fatal shooting that happened at an apartment complex on Bostic Drive on Friday.
Longview PD said officers responded to a shooting that was reported at around 10:31 p.m. on Friday in the 200 block of Bostic Drive.
When officers arrived to an apartment complex on Bostic Drive, they found two male victims who had been shot. A Longview PD press release identified one victim as Jonathan Lee, of Lakeport. Lee was pronounced dead at the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
FLINT– The father of the Flint man accused of vandalizing the marble statue of Jesus at St. Mary Magdalene Church explained to officers that his son acted in this way because he is a worshipper of Satan, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
At around 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 7, Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered that the face and hands of the Jesus statue located at the front of the church had been vandalized. Officials were able to obtain video footage of the incident, which showed around 1:14 a.m. the suspect shattering the hands, wrists and part of the face of the statue. After damaging the statue, the suspect was seen walking south towards County Road 1299. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – State Representative Jay Dean of Longview has announced a $10 million grant for the East Texas Regional Airport, secured with the help of Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows. According to our news partner KETK, the grant, awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), will be used to make state-of-the-art upgrades to the airport, enhancing the services provided to customers from Gregg County and across East Texas.
Dean expressed gratitude for the funding, thanking Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt and the Gregg County Commissioners Court for their efforts in securing the grant. He specifically praised Judge Stoudt for being “warrior” throughout the process of upgrading the airport.
To learn more about the airport’s services, visit the East Texas Regional Airport online or in person at 269 Terminal Circle in Longview.
TYLER – Smith County Commissioners considered deducting the time Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips spent in jail from her salary on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, Phillips makes nearly $96,000 a year. Commissioners took no action on Tuesday, so Phillips pay will not be deducted. Instead they took a vote asking the Texas State Legislature for clarification.
In a public comment at the commissioner’s court on Tuesday, Phillips asked “why would you start a new precedent with my case?”
Phillips, was found guilty last year for interfering with public duties after a 2023 traffic stop involving her son. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – The Texas Rangers are currently investigating the case of a woman who died on Sunday while in the custody of the Harrison County Jail.
According to our news partner KETK and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Alicia Stuebenbrach died after being transported to a hospital in Marshall. The cause of her death is currently unknown after she was pronounced dead at 4:21 p.m. on Sunday.
The Texas Rangers are investigating Stuebenbrach’s death in accordance with state law, which requires that an outside agency must investigate an in-custody death. The investigation remains ongoing at this time.
A press conference regarding the case will be held at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office starting at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is asking East Texans for their input on local trolley service and high-speed rail along the Interstate 20 corridor.
The Tyler Rail and Regional Transit Study is entering it’s final stages and so the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is asking local residents to respond to a survey that will help them decide how rail service could be deployed in the area. Consultants are currently examining a limited trolley service on existing rail lines in the short-term future and they’re also looking at possible connections to high-speed rail service proposed for along Interstate 20.
“There is a proposed high speed rail line that would connect Dallas-Fort Worth with Atlanta Georgia,” Tyler MPO director Michael Howell said. “If this high speed rail line were to go in that would potentially give somebody the ability to get on a train in Tyler and go all the way to Dallas.” Read the rest of this entry »
HAWKINS – The City of Hawkins was unable to approve an annual budget on Monday night, as they met in a packed room filled with anxious residents.
The meeting followed the release of all Hawkins Police Department officers earlier this year and served as a way to review two proposed 2025-2026 annual budgets which reduce funding for the police and fire departments. According to our news partner KETK, Hawkins residents said in the meeting they don’t want to be left without local law enforcement and asked council members to postpone the vote and hold a community budget workshop.
“They have a police department that’s nonexistent that was budgeted for $89,000 and it’s nonexistent,” Hawkins fire chief Ty Musick said. “There’s there’s really no need to cut our budget at such a drastic mark.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Smith County Commissioner’s Court is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to our news partner KETK, to consider whether they should deduct County Clerk Karen Phillips’ salary during her recent jail sentence. Karen Phillips, 67 of Smith County, was found guilty of interfering with public duties on May 9, 2024 but later relinquished her sentence of a year’s probation and was sentenced to 30 days in Smith County Jail.
Phillips was booked into the Smith County Jail on Aug. 29 and was later released after nine days in jail on Sept. 6, according to Smith County Jail records. She was originally arrested for interfering with public duties after a March 2023 traffic stop which also led to the arrest of her son.
Smith County commissioners will vote on Tuesday on whether or not Phillips will be paid for those days she was in jail. Phillips responded to the commissioners’ potential vote by filling a public information request with the county. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A portion of U.S. Highway 69 in Smith County will be renamed Veterans Memorial Highway to honor and serve as a lasting tribute to those who served in the United States Armed Forces, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
A press conference will be held on Sept. 19 by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Veterans Committee to formally announce the designation of the Veterans Memorial Highway. The press conference will be held at First Christian Church starting at 12 p.m. Veterans and their families are encouraged to attend the press conference and participate in the dedicated photo opportunity following the event.
“This highway designation is a lasting tribute to the courage and sacrifice of our Veterans,” co-chair of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Veterans Committee Jackie Clay-Robertson said. “We are honored to see this vision become reality with the help of our local and state leaders.”
UPSHUR COUNTY — The Texas Rangers have been called in to investigate an East Texas water supply company after more than $100,000 is suspected to have been embezzled, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Upshur County District Attorney’s Office said this is not the first time they’ve heard of these complaints.
Union Grove Water Supply Corporation is reportedly missing more than $100,000, which the board believes may have been embezzled by an office employee. In 2013, they prosecuted and recovered more than $40,000 in restitution back to the water department. In 2023, $8,000 was stolen from a different employee and the person was prosecuted and the money was given back to the department. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) said it’s investigating educators’ social media posts related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that it considers “inappropriate,” according to our news partner KETK.
“These educators’ comments do not reflect the vast majority of Texas teachers who are dedicated practitioners that work diligently to serve the more than 5.5 million impressionable young minds in our classrooms,” Morath said in the letter.
Winnsboro ISD is investigating comments made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination after parents alleged that students heard an assistant band director say that Kirk “had it coming.” Read the rest of this entry »
BIG SANDY – A $250,000 lottery ticket was sold at a gas station in Upshur County last week, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
The winning ticket was bought on Sept. 5 at the Bestmart #10 gas station, which is north of Big Sandy on FM 1002. The ticket was an All or Nothing Texas Lottery ticket, which gives out a $250,000 prize to whoever can guess all twelve lottery numbers or none of the 12 numbers.
East Texas’s winner guessed none of the numbers drawn in the evening of Sept. 5, which earned them the $250,00 prize. The winning numbers for that drawing were: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 21 and 23. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Forensic DNA led to the arrest of a Tyler man on Monday for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old in July, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
On July 1, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a 10-year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted by Felix Ponce at a home in Tyler. Once deputies met with the victim and mother, the child was soon transported to a local hospital for examination. At the hospital, deputies spoke with the mother of the victim, who explained that while at work, she looked at surveillance footage from inside the residence, but could not locate Ponce or the victim. Another child at the house said the victim was “locked in the bedroom” with Ponce. Arrest documents revealed that the victim said that while in the room, Ponce had sexually assaulted her. Read the rest of this entry »