Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
LUFKIN, Texas (KETK) – A Lufkin man was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm on Thursday.
According to our news partner KETK, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Abe McGlothin, Jr. said that Bradley Skyler Bryan, 27 of Lufkin, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines and possession of a firearm by a felon.
In April 2024, Bryan’s vehicle was searched during a traffic stop in Lufkin. An officer reportedly found “marijuana, vape pens, pills and a large amount of methamphetamine” along with a concealed handgun. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Acccording to our news partner KETK, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith has apologized after holding an immigration panel where he attempted to ease concerns within the Hispanic community. Smith said the forum came about after Hispanic employees working for the sheriff’s office reportedly advised Smith that many illegal immigrants were afraid to send their children to school, attend church, go to work and report violent crimes.
“I am but a mortal human being who strives to always do what is right. That does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that I am exempt from making mistakes. In a rush to try to make matters better, unfortunately I made some of those matters worse,” Smith said.
He apologized to Smith county residents, Gov. Greg Abbott and his office, Border Czar Tom Homan and President Trump. Read the rest of this entry »
JACKSONVILLE – In reports from our news partner, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have arrested five “undocumented aliens” in Jacksonville.
According to a press release from Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson, an ICE Removal Operations team and Homeland Security investigators arrested five people in a “targeted enforcement action.”
The five people arrested were described as “undocumented aliens ranging in age from mid-30’s to mid-60’s with criminal histories.” No further information on their arrests was provided by the sheriff’s office.
The arrests come during continued stress and confusion around this latest round of ICE raids. On Jan. 30, several East Texas sheriffs held an immigration Q&A session held in Tyler to explain the role of local sheriff’s offices in regards to ICE raids. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is not a part of ICE’s 287(g) program unlike Smith County and Gregg County, which just joined the program on Tuesday. The program allows local deputies to identify undocumented immigrants with criminal charges for ICE to pick up.
UPDATE: According to the Tyler Police Department Cathy Gray was found on Thursday evening not far from her home.
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that Tyler officials are searching for missing 62-year-old Cathy Gray who is believed to have walked away from her home.
The Tyler Police Department said Gray was last seen at her residence in the 3400 block of Pebblebrook Drive at around 9 a.m. on Thursday. She is described as being 5 feet, 2 inches and is slim with brown hair and blue eyes. Authorities said she was last seen wearing a white puffy coat, blue jeans and brown shoes. Anyone who has seen her is asked to contact the Tyler Police Department.
SMITH COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that an East Texas man has been sentenced after a jury found him guilty of murder in July 2024.
Melvin Orlando Guevara, 22 of Tyler, was sentenced on Wednesday in the 114th Judicial District Court for capital murder by terror threat. This comes seven months after the murder of Eduardo Torrez, who was shot at his birthday party. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a house in the 8900 block of CR 4136 at approximately 6:30 p.m. after receiving reports that a man had been shot and was not breathing.
Once deputies arrived, they reportedly found Torrez in his bedroom, and began lifesaving measures before EMS arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene. A court document said that Torrez was celebrating his birthday with family and friends when Guevara walked into the residence displaying a pistol, entered Torrez’s room, and shot him multiple times in front of his ex-girlfriend. After obtaining an arrest warrant, officials located a vehicle said to belong to Guevara at Highway 31 East and Loop 323. A felony stop was conducted at a nearby car wash and he was taken into custody.
LONGVIEW — OUr news partner KETK is reporting that the Longview Police Department will begin encrypting their radio communications, or police scanner, as an essential move to protect department communication and combat crime. Many calls contain sensitive information including medical information, addresses and witness identities. By encrypting their communication, the police department says this will ensure that information remains protected and out of the public domain.
Additionally, the move is expected to improve officer safety, especially during rapidly developing situations. Suspects can flee crime scenes, destroy evidence or ambush officers if they have access to instant information through the radio channels. Though, this access will be closed to the public, authorities reassured they are committed to transparency and will continue to provide timely updates through official channels.
“The community can stay informed about major incidents without compromising security or personal privacy,” the police department said.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — Our news partner, KETK, reports that two men were arrested on Tuesday after Cherokee County authorities located 44 grams of crack cocaine in back-to-back search warrants.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Police Department conducted a search warrant for a vehicle parked at 704 Sheridan Street. During the search, authorities reportedly found two grams of suspected methamphetamine and a firearm. Following an investigation, a second search warrant was conducted at on a residence on County Road 3509 in Cuney. Officials said they located 44 grams of crack cocaine, 11 grams of methamphetamine and five firearms were seized, one of which was reportedly stolen from Cherokee County. Rickey Lynn Allen, Sr., and Eddie Floyd Dennis were arrested in the investigation. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK COUNTY — Two Kilgore men were arrested on Friday after allegedly attempting to steal copper from a decommissioned mining facility according to our news partner KETK.
The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office along with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden responded to a trespassing report on Feb. 7 in the vicinity of Liberty Mine and Luminant Mining property in Rusk County. Surveillance cameras on the property reportedly captured two men unlawfully present at the site. Upon investigation, the sheriff’s office determined that the individuals were attempting to remove copper from a decommissioned dragline, or a large piece of heavy mining equipment no longer in use, without the property owner’s consent.
Deputies spoke with a man, later identified as Brandon Wright, of Kilgore, and arrested him on criminal trespass, burglary of a building and has since been released from the Rusk County Jail. A second suspect, identified as Kenneth Logan King, of Kilgore, was also taken into custody on the same charges, criminal trespass and burglary of a building and remains incarcerated on a bond totaling $16,000.
LUFKIN – According to our news partner KETK, the Lufkin Police Department have found a dead body in a secluded area of Sabine Parish in Louisiana Monday morning. Lufkin PD, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers were in the area to follow up on a lead they got this morning when they found the body of a dead male. Local investigators and Sabine County law enforcement are currently processing evidence at the scene. Lufkin PD said they’ll update the public after they’ve identified the body and notified any relatives.
Officials said they believe the body is connected to a missing persons case that Lufkin PD is investigating with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to call the Lufkin Police Department at 936-633-0356, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office at 936-634-3331 or Deep East Texas Crime Stoppers at 936-639-8477.
LIVINGSTON — A routine traffic stop in Livingston led to a narcotics investigation where five people were arrested. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, during the night on Feb. 5, officers stopped a vehicle on Mill Gate Road for a traffic violation.
Officers identified the driver as Justin Martin, 36 of Cleveland, and passenger Holli Pederson, 27 of Livingston. They began to search the vehicle after allegedly smelling burnt marijuana. Officials then determined that Martin and Pederson were in possession of meth and marijuana. Martin was arrested for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance with a $50,000 bond while Pederson was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with a $15,000 bond.
Read the rest of this entry »
TEXARKANA – Police are searching for a suspect after an argument at a Texarkana apartment complex led to a shooting that injured two people Saturday evening. According to our news partner KETK, investigators with the Texarkana Police Department say that a dispute between neighbors at the complex in the 1400 block of Richmond Road around 8:30 p.m. devolved into violence when a man pulled out a gun and fired it at the ground. The bullet ended up ricocheting and hitting two people. The alleged shooter and another suspect then assaulted one of the victims before running off, according to Texarkana PD.
Both victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police responded and found one suspect, Morgan Lanham, inside an apartment at the complex. He was arrested for assault. They are still looking for the suspected shooter, 27-year-old Dantray Copeland, on charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. They believe he may have gotten a ride out of the area.
Anyone with information on where Copeland should call TTPD at (903) 798-3876 or Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers at (903) 793-STOP.
TYLER – The East Texas Council of Governments(ETCOG) has awarded $81,429.64 to several local governments and agencies in order to reduce solid waste that ends up in landfills. According to our news partner KETK, the funds will help the awarded areas start or expand their projects which can divert waste from landfills by reducing waste at the source or on it’s way to the landfill.
ETCOG’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee is made up of local solid waste experts who rank and scores each area’s application for these grants before they send them to ETCOG’s Executive Committee which forwards their own recommendations to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for final approval.
“ETCOG appreciates the efforts of many of our jurisdictions to apply for these funds, as well as the Solid Waste Advisory Committee’s commitment to making East Texas a cleaner place to live,” ETCOG’s Economic Development Specialist, Bridget Booty said. “These essential projects led to the cleanup of hundreds of sites, over twenty tons of appliances, five tons of recyclable materials, almost 2,000 tires, and the collection of nearly 350 tons of solid waste last year. We are excited about the varied projects and look forward to seeing the results this year’s projects will bring to the region.”
ETCOG shared the list below which shows how much each area was awarded and what kind of project their funds will be spent on.
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that officials have arrested a man wanted for murder after he fled from law enforcement on Thursday.
The U.S. Marshals’ Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force tried to serve a failure-to-appear warrant for a murder charge to 29-year-old Billy Maddox Jr. at the Liberty Arms Apartments in Tyler. However, Maddox allegedly fled the scene, heading north. Officials from multiple agencies, including the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Tyler Police Department, immediately began a search for Maddox. He was then spotted crossing County Road 35 before he was arrested near County Road 14 at around 3:25 p.m., Tyler PD said.
A representative from the sheriff’s office said Maddox was arrested on a homicide warrant in connection to the 2022 death of a 17-year-old who overdosed on fentanyl. Maddox was originally indicted and arrested for manslaughter on May 26, 2023, before bonding out on June 2, 2023. Read the rest of this entry »
TENAHA – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Tenaha ISD student was removed from campus after making a threat towards one of the district’s schools on Friday.
According to Tenaha ISD, campus administrators were made aware of an incident that may threaten the safety and security of their school. The student that made the threat was then reportedly removed from campus and no longer has access to TISD. School officials said that there is no further threat from this student and appropriate disciplinary and criminal procedures are taking place.
“The safety of our students, staff and community continues to be at the forefront of responsibilities at Tenaha ISD,” TISD said.
TYLER — Our news partner, KETK, reports that a former receptionist at a Tyler law firm was arrested on Wednesday for stealing more than $30,000 from clients by falsifying receipts and hiding payments, an affidavit stated.
Sandra Arroyo Yanez was arrested on theft of property of more than $30,000 but less than $150,000. This comes after a lengthy Smith County Sheriff’s Office investigation that began late last year when deputies were contacted by an associate attorney from Moran Law Firm. The associate attorney said Yanez was hired in April 2024 as a receptionist and was responsible for accepting client payments including cash payments. However, the associate attorney told detectives that Yanez was using her own, non-firm approved receipt book, and issued receipts to the firm’s clients “as a way of hiding the monies from business records.”
The law firm claims they did not know these clients existed and hence were unaware of their obligation to provide legal services. The associate attorney said they learned of this incident on Jan. 1, when clients began calling for a status update on their cases, but the firm was unable to locate any case information. Read the rest of this entry »
WINNSBORO — According to our news partner, KETK, a Winnsboro High School student was detained after a loaded gun was found Friday morning.
According to WISD, a firearm was recovered from a student’s backpack and the situation was handled immediately after staff was made aware. The Winnsboro Police Department said the student responsible was detained by the school’s police department and there is no ongoing threat to their campus.
“The safety of our students is always our top priority, and we appreciate the swift response of our staff and law enforcement,” WISD said. “Thank you for your support as we continue to ensure a safe learning environment for all.”
MARSHALL — Our news partner, KETK, reports that a traffic stop on Wednesday led to the arrest of a 17-year-old wanted for aggravated robbery and a man for drug possession.
According to Marshall Police Department, officers conducted a traffic stop on Woodland Road when they discovered a firearm and drugs inside the vehicle, resulting in the arrest of Zamaria Parker, 17, and Jakavion Adkins, 19, both of Marshall. Officials said Parker had outstanding warrants including aggravated robbery, traffic and weapon violations and was also arrested with possession of marijuana and additional weapon violations. Adkins was arrested for possession of marijuana. Parker and Adkins were booked and taken into the Harrison County Jail, where Parker is being held on a bond totaling $115,000, and Adkins has since been released.
NACOGDOCHES — Child Protective Services officials have removed Nacogdoches children from a residence after authorities located illegal drugs easily accessible in the house according to our news partner KETK.
The Nacogdoches Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in the 300 block of Ellington Street on Wednesday where they reportedly found methamphetamines, marijuana, crack cocaine and ecstasy. Authorities said some of the drugs were easily accessible to children in the apartment. This, officials said, caused the Texas Department of Family and Protection Services to be contacted and the children were removed from the home.
Terrence Demon Jones, 42, was arrested on manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance, abandoning or endangering a child, possession of marijuana and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Alisha Denette Jones, 33, was arrested on abandoning or endangering a child, possession of marijuana and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, two East Texans were arrested on Tuesday following a drug bust at a Nacogdoches home. Deputies served a search warrant at a home in the 1500 block of Cleaver Street on Feb. 4 after an investigation led them to believe drugs were being sold from the residence. Inside the house, deputies found a loaded handgun, cocaine, ecstasy, suspected fentanyl pills, prescription medication and drug paraphernalia used for the use and sale of illegal drugs.
40-year-old George Ray Fields, Jr. and 30-year-old Ambria Nicole Curl were taken into custody. Fields was charged with a first-degree felony for the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony for possession of a controlled substance and a state jail felony for possession of a controlled substance.
A first degree felony warrant for the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance from Shelby County was also served when Fields was arrested.
Curl was charged with a state jail felony for possession of a controlled substance and posted a $6,000 bond. She was released from jail on Feb. 5.
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, many people at a Smith County Immigration Q&A session in Tyler on Thursday were confused about the role of local sheriff’s offices as ICE raids have been reported across the country and in Texas. The Smith County Sheriff, Larry Smith, reiterated that his deputies are not going into communities to look for people who are in the county illegally.
“We don’t go in Super 1 or Brookshire’s or any other Albertsons or Walmart looking for people to detain. If I’m in there, I’m looking for a dozen eggs or something else or something to eat. We don’t, we don’t profile people,” Smith said.
Sheriff Smith said Smith county is a part of the program but will only abide by the program if the level of offense is a class ” B” and above.
“A DWI or another class B misdemeanor is what I picked to through our ICE detention process,” Smith said. “Anything that are above, we will run their fingerprints once they’re incarcerated and determine whether or not they’re here illegally.”
You can watch the full Immigration Q&A Session here.
PITTSBURG — According to our news partner KETK, a surveillance video reportedly caught a young sex worker entering Naasson Hazzard’s semi-truck in Dallas on Aug. 15, 2024, at around 9:27 p.m. Eight days later, her decomposing body was found in a wooded area off Texas Highway 11 in Pittsburg with a black plastic bag tied around her head. The victim’s body was recovered on Aug. 23 where officials found her phone shattered on the side of the road.
Hazzard, 28 of Austin, traveled from the pickup location to a nearby parking lot where he remained for around 17 minutes, cell phone records showed. He then drove three hours into Pittsburg. Hazzard proceeded to text his boss that he would be out sick the following day and remained for almost an hour before finishing a load for work. The next day, Hazzard and his wife returned to the scene before getting dinner in Tyler.
Authorities said Hazzard then switched phones and deleted his Google and Life360 location-sharing accounts. He then reportedly cleaned the truck with bleach and searched “how many years for first, second and third-degree murders.” His wife also searched for “Pittsburg Texas news.”
Hazzard has been convicted of the murder of that sex worker. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS — According to our news partner, KETK, an Athens man was sentenced to eight years in prison after threatening to shoot at officers and his wife.
In reports from the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Athens Police Department responded to West College Street in Athens on April 24, 2024, after a man called 911 saying he was going to kill his wife and himself. The DA said that after officers approached the home, 35-year-old convicted felon on parole, Celso Seabo Garza II threatened to get a gun from inside to shoot at officers and his wife so she could watch him get shot.
Garza was sentenced to 8 years in state prison on Jan. 23 after he pleaded guilty to third-degree felony, obstruction or retaliation.
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that Bass Pro Shop will host a two-day hiring event in Tyler as they prepare to open their new location.
The event will take place on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at the Tyler Holiday Inn Conference Center from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The company is looking to hire over 130 full-time and part-time employees for all departments. The new store is set to include fishing and hunting equipment as well as hiking gear and will offer free seasonal experiences for the whole family. Construction for the new store remains ongoing, and a grand opening date is expected to be announced soon.
During the event, on-site interviews will be conducted and individuals who want to share their passion for the outdoors are encouraged to apply. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — A beloved East Texas hot dog restaurant is closed until further notice after a vehicle crashed into their building on Thursday morning.
Longview Hot Dog Express, on 106 E Marshall Avenue in Longview, experienced damage to their building at around 6:30 a.m. after a vehicle crashed on the right side of the building. According to the restaurant, the driver fell asleep at the wheel when they crashed into the building, but was not injured.
The restaurant is expected to reopen on Friday after the owners realized the damage wasn’t as bad as they thought.
LONGVIEW — On Wednesday afternoon, Longview residents took to the streets to protest President Trump’s recent immigration policies, as well as those he is planning to implement in the coming week. According to our news partner KETK, more than a dozen Longview residents, ranging from children to the elderly, gathered near the Longview Mall to peacefully protest Trump’s actions. Passing drivers honked in support, adding to the demonstration’s momentum.
“It’s time we speak up, with the current president and all of the outrageous changes, we need to be loud! Everyone deserves their rights,” the protest flyer said. “Immigrants, LGBTQ members, women and anyone of color! It’s time for change and we cannot go back.”
However, a small group of counter-protesters assembled across from the main demonstration, expressing support for Trump’s policies.
Similar protests are occurring statewide, including one in Nacogdoches on Saturday at 3 p.m. on 1717 North Street.
KILGORE — Our news partner, KETK, reports that a high school student was detained after a weapon was found on a Kilgore ISD bus Tuesday night.
According to KISD, during an off-campus basketball game versus Henderson, school staff and police officers learned that a student may have a weapon on a Kilgore ISD bus. During a search of the bus, officials reportedly found a weapon and later detained a KHS student. Henderson ISD said investigators believe the student left the weapon on the bus before entering the school. Now, the Henderson Police Department with the cooperation of Henderson ISD and Kilgore ISD, will continue the investigation.
“The safety and security of our students and staff both during the school day and at all school-related events remains our top priority and we appreciate all those who provided information during this incident,” Henderson ISD said.
NECHES— Our news partner, KETK, reports that Neches ISD has canceled classes for Thursday and Friday after an “unbelievable amount” of health-related absences.
According to NISD, the trend of sickness has been worse over the past couple of days, with record-low attendance leading them to cancel classes. The district said they want to allow time for families to get healthy and for their staff to thoroughly clean their facilities.
“We believe we have made the decision that is in the best interest of our district,” NISD said. “We will use banked minutes in our calendar and no make-up days will be needed.”
NISD said Friday’s basketball games will take place as scheduled and all students will return to school Feb. 17 after winter break.
WILLS POINT — According to a report from our news partner, KETK, an East Texas teacher has been arrested following allegations of sex crimes against children.
Wills Point ISD released a statement on Monday regarding, Jimmy Hanks, who was arrested by the Rains County Sheriff’s Office. Hanks is a former high school teacher in Wills Point and owns a local business, Bulldog Nutrition, in Edgewood. School officials said that the alleged behavior did not occur on the school’s campus or property and that officers will continue investigating the allegations and take proper legal action.
The sheriff’s office said during the course of the investigation, probable cause was established, and an arrest warrant was issued. Hanks was later arrested and remains at the county jail for continuous sexual abuse of a young child. School officials said that the alleged behavior did not occur on the school’s campus or property and that officers will continue investigating the allegations and take proper legal action. Read the rest of this entry »
HARRISON COUNTY — A Marshall man was arrested on Tuesday following an ongoing investigation into crack-cocaine trafficking. According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, officers searched a home on 329 Floyd Evans Road where they found crack-cocaine on the property.
During the search, officials said they identified the property owner as 72-year-old James Earl Rudd who has an extensive criminal record, including prior convictions for drug trafficking and homicide.
Rudd was arrested for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance and was booked into the Harrison County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed officials said.
MABANK — Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Dallas man has died after his vehicle crashed into an embankment and was submerged under water on Saturday in Mabank.
Officers with the Mabank Police Department were dispatched to the 17000 block of eastbound U.S. Highway 175 in reference to a vehicle crash. Once officers arrived, they spoke with witnesses who said the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into the bridge embankment and was submerged under water. Authorities attempted to remove the man from the vehicle however after several attempts, “officers realized that a rescue was not likely due to vehicle’s position in the water and the damage sustained during the crash.”
A short time later, officers pulled the vehicle from the water and located the man dead inside. The man was identified as Bradley Michael Leonard, 68 of Dallas. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.