Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
TYLER – A new wholesale store is coming to East Texas after the City of Tyler approved BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to expand into the Rose City, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
BJ’s is the newest wholesale store to arrive in Texas and offers food, electronics and tire services. The store will be opened at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and West Cumberland Road and is expected to include 16 gas pumps and 453 parking spaces in total.
There are currently no BJ’s stores in Texas; however, four new locations are expected to open up in the state in Forney, Waxahachie, Grand Prairie and Southwest Fort Worth.
PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department is still searching for a K9 officer who escaped from his enclosure after Sunday night’s storm. According to our news partner KETK, police K9 Hondo managed to escape from his handler’s enclosure in the Fort Houston addition area of Palestine. Hondo is not kept outside and was not outside during the time of the storm.
Despite the heat of the day, Palestine resident Justin Smith continued searching. “As soon as I saw the post, I threw my shoes on and got in my car and started driving around and see if I could find him,” Smith said. Smith is one of many Palestine residents looking to bring Hondo back home. “This is not just a dog, this is a police officer,” Smith said. “So I feel like as a community, we should be grouping together, try to help out any way we can, just like the police do for us.”
Smith is creating a social media page, hoping to coordinate people’s efforts and bring as many boots on the ground as possible. Read the rest of this entry »
LINDALE – On Wednesday, August 6, at 8:35 pm, an individual called 911 to report an active shooting at a residence on CR 4116, just north of Lindale. Upon arriving to the location with DPS Troopers, a Smith County Deputy contacted the victim, Russell Lee McKinney, 35, of Lindale, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. The suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputies secured the crime scene while a Trooper applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg.
An additional Deputy responded to the 800 block of N. Main, in Lindale, where the suspect had been detained by a Lindale officer. The suspect was identified as Justin Wayne Hayes, 28, of Troup. A handgun was recovered from Hayes. Read the rest of this entry »
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Update: Rusk Rural Water Supply boil water notice was rescinded Friday afternoon.
RUSK – The Rusk Rural Water Supply Company issued a boil water notice for more than 30 county roads and areas on Wednesday.
According to the company, the boil water notice was issued after a water main leak. Our news partner KETK has compiled a full list of the affected areas and roads. Any customers living on the roads and areas listed are required to bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.
To view the full list of affected roads and areas, click here.
Rusk Rural Water Supply said they would notify customers when the boil water notice is no longer required. Any questions can be directed to the company by phone at 903-683-6178 or in person at 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.
TYLER – The City of Tyler announced that East 6th Street will be closed for the next six months as part of the 2025 Stormwater Repair Project, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
City officials said that since Monday, East 6th Street has been closed from South Sneed Avenue to South Wall Avenue to complete the replacement of an inlet box and to repair the culvert over the next six months.
“During construction, residents will still have access to areas east of the creek from South Sneed Avenue and west of the creek from South Wall Avenue,” the City of Tyler said. “Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.”
JACKSONVILLE – A regional SWAT team has arrested a 23-year-old with a history of violent crimes in connection with a burglary involving a stolen AK-47 firearm in Jacksonville on Tuesday, according to a report from our news partner KETK. The Jacksonville Police Department said officers were dispatched to a reported burglary at around 7:47 a.m. involving an AK-47 firearm that was stolen. The suspect, who was captured on surveillance footage, has been identified as 23-year-old Jayden Duane Hopson.
Due to his criminal history, including charges of murder and aggravated robbery, the Cherokee County Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY – According to a press release from the Criminal District Attorney of Upshur county, a man has been sentenced to a 99 year life sentence
On February 2, 2024, a search warrant was executed by the Upshur County Sheriff’s office for the home of Jimmy Wayne Skinner, 51. During the search, officers discovered methamphetamine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia, along with loaded guns near a recliner where Skinner had been sitting.
As he was exiting his living quarters, Skinner immediately closed the door behind him, and was non-compliant with officers’ orders to get on the ground. He stated that he, “ain’t afraid to go to jail”, and attempted to block the door to prevent officers from entering. He was subsequently arrested. Read the rest of this entry »
GUN BARREL CITY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man is accused of sexually touching his girlfriend’s young daughter earlier this summer and has since been put behind bars. The 32-year-old man claims it was ‘all a misunderstanding.’
In a Henderson County arrest affidavit, on June 14 to June 15, the victim and her mom were staying at Daniel Joseph Rodgers’ house in Gun Barrel City.
The young girl explained that when it was bedtime, she was lying on the floor while her sisters were on the couch with the babies. Rodgers then went into the living room and told the victim that she could go to sleep in another room because he didn’t want her to sleep on the floor. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A California man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Smith County teen who has since been found, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a 15-year-old from the Bullard area was reported missing after last being seen on July 26 at around 11 p.m. She was later found across state lines and her suspected kidnapper, Brian Chavez, was arrested in Placentia, Calif., on July 30 at around 3 a.m.
Authorities said Chavez now faces three criminal charges in Smith County involving sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 16, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A Longview Facebook post sparked controversy Tuesday morning after a McDonald’s was vandalized with pro-Palestinian and swastika graffiti, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
The McDonald’s located at 128 W Loop 281 was vandalized with red spray paint, including damage to the camera, drive-through sign and walls of the business. The vandal(s) wrote multiple pro-Palestinian rhetoric, such as “free Palestine” and “kill the billionaires.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Over the weekend, fifty-one House Democrats went to Illinois to stall a meeting that was scheduled to take place Monday at 3 p.m. for a redistricting vote. This move by Texas Democrats has ignited fiery reactions nationwide from both sides of the aisle.
Some Republican lawmakers believe the current map does not correctly represent specific groups, specifically in the state’s two largest cities, Dallas and Houston. Democrats are concerned that this could heavily favor the GOP in elections. Smith County Democratic Chairman Hector Garza said this is all a power play to give five new Republican seats in the U.S. House.
District nine representative, Trent Ashby, says efforts to redraw the map are to make it more ‘constitutionally effective’. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY – A 16-year-old boy with autism died early Sunday morning after he was hit by a pickup truck. According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chris Williamson, the incident occurred near Farm to Market Road 856 where the boy was struck by a 2025 Toyota Tundra pickup truck around 5:20 a.m.
Williamson said the boy was run over in the roadway and pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. The teen’s body was taken to Forensic Medical Management Services in Tyler for an autopsy. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. DPS is investigating the incident.
In a letter to parents, Bullard ISD Interim Superintendent Jan Hill identified Andrew “Drew” Daigle, a 10th grade student at Bullard High School, as the teen who died. He was the son of one of the district diagnosticians in its special education department. He also had a twin sister who attends Bullard High.
“Drew was very sweet and a joy for all to be around. Drew has been part of the Bullard ISD family his entire school career,” Hill said in the letter.
Counselors are available to provide support, and they can be contacted at (903) 894-3272 if anyone needs support, Hill said.
CHEROKEE COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a 51-year-old man has died, and another person was hospitalized on Saturday following a motorcycle crash in Cherokee County.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Chris Williamson, a group of motorcyclists was traveling Northbound on US Highway 69 around 12:30 p.m. when the driver of the motorcycle and a passenger were thrown from the vehicle. Williamson said the others in the group claimed the motorcycle O’Neal was driving experienced a “death wobble,” which describes when the front handlebars begin to shake violently.
Both were taken to local hospitals, where one man identified as Owen O’Neal, was pronounced dead. The other passenger’s condition is unknown at this time.The incident is currently under investigation to determine the cause.
TYLER — Authorities are investigating after a man was found shot Monday morning in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK and the Tyler Police Department, around 7:26 a.m. officers responded to the 2700 block of S. Broadway Avenue, where a man was shot. Officials said EMS transported the victim to a local hospital for medical treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Police spoke to the victim, who said that he had received his injuries at another location.
“This case is still under investigation and does not appear to be a random incident,” police said. “If anybody has any information on this case, please call the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.”
UPSHUR COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, more information has come out regarding the voluntary exit agreement between former Union Grove ISD Superintendent Kelly Moore and the district. The Union Grove ISD Board of Trustees accepted Moore’s resignation during a board meeting on July 22. Moore’s decision to resign stemmed from a criminal investigation she has been under since June for failing to report a crime that occurred on campus. The investigation remains active, and Moore could potentially face charges for failure to report, which is a misdemeanor.
Before her resignation, Moore’s contract was expected to run through June 2029. In the voluntary exit agreement provided by Union Grove ISD, it was revealed that she will still be paid her full salary of $130,500.00 over a twelve-month period. The exit agreement also states that Moore will provide assistance and cooperate with the district during this transition period. In accordance with the agreement, More will discharge the district and all of its employees and board members from any claims, attorney fees, and compensation whatsoever.
Following Moore’s voluntary resignation, Union Grove named Brian Gray, who has previously served as superintendent of Union Grove, as the interim superintendent as the district enters into this transition period.