Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – A Lindale woman was arrested after her 4-year-old family member tested positive to having meth in her system, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
In May, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office became aware that the 4-year-old, who was under the custody of Brittany Hankins, had tested positive for methamphetamine while in Hankins’ care.
Officials obtained a lab report from a hair follicle test administered by The Alcohol & Drug Testing Service on May 28 that confirmed Hankins’ family member had meth in her system. Further lab reports also confirmed that Hankins had tested positive for meth on May 2 and May 14, indicating that she was using drugs during the time that the child was exposed.
Following the investigation, Hankins was arrested and charged with endangerment to a child, and criminal negligence. She is currently being held in the Smith County Jail.
MARSHALL — According to a press release from the Marshall Police department, a man was arrested for stealing equipment while firefighters were actively battling a fire.
On July 11, at the Bel Aire Apartments on Paula street, while Marshall firefighters were working to bring a fire under control, Marshall Police officers were alerted that a bag of equipment was missing. The investigation led to a suspect in a nearby apartment, identified as Marcus Donte Moore, 28, of Marshall, and the Fire Department equipment was located.
While being handcuffed, Moore broke away from officers and was apprehended after a brief chase. One Marshall Police officer sustained a hand injury during the pursuit. Read the rest of this entry »
ANDERSON COUNTY – A hearing in Palestine for death row inmate Robert Roberson, took place Wednesday morning after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton requested a new execution date in his case involving the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis.
According to a report from our news partner KETK, the hearing was scheduled by Smith County District Court Judge Austin Reeve Jackson, who has been assigned to handle the case in Anderson County.
On January 31, 2002, Roberson took his two-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, to Palestine Regional Medical Center with severe trauma to her head, and the following day, she died from her injuries. In 2003, an East Texas jury decided, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Roberson caused the death of his daughter by violently shaking her. Medical staff and the lead detective on the case were suspicious of Roberson’s seemingly cold demeanor at the time of his daughter’s death, viewing it as an indication of guilt. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE — Many lawmakers are raising urgent questions about how the state will sustain this growth, particularly regarding critical resources like water.
According to our news partner KETK, the Texas House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing in Austin on Tuesday to examine the impact of high-capacity groundwater extraction in the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation Districts. This discussion comes as Redtown Ranch Holdings LLC, based in Anderson County, seeks a permit for 21 high-capacity wells that Crockett City Administrator John Angerstein warns could extract up to 10 billion gallons annually from the Carrizo and Wilcox aquifers. An additional 11 wells proposed in Houston County could drain another 5 billion gallons each year.
To put that in perspective, Angerstein notes that the 21 wells alone would withdraw 52 times the volume of water used annually by the entire City of Crockett, enough to supply a population of 338,000. “Yet none of this water is designated for our communities,” Angerstein said. “It is likely intended to support unchecked development and sprawl in other parts of Texas, presumably in the DFW metroplex or Hill Country, areas that have failed to plan responsibly for their own water needs.” Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man was arrested in Lufkin on Saturday after officers received reports of gunshots coming from a house. Officers were called to a house in the 400 block of Laurel Avenue after receiving a call from a woman who claimed she and her son had been threatened with being shot by their female neighbor. Once on scene, officers were met by two men at the front door who claimed there were no weapons inside the home.
Subsequently, investigators heard gunshots coming from inside and requested that the men allow them to enter the location. That’s officials they say 32-year-old Courtney Howard of Lufkin, prevented them from entering the house. Officers began to forcibly move Howard out of the way and entered the house to discover a female having a seizure.
They were able to move the female outside, allowing paramedics to attend to her. After the house was cleared, Howard was arrested and charged with interfering with public duties and was taken to Angelina County Jail and is being held on a $2,000 bond.
MARSHALL – As the City of Marshall continues to repair its damaged water transmission line, the city has extended its Stage 1 water shortage.
According to a report from our news partner KETK, the damage to the line was reported on June 25 and was caused after a contractor accidentally struck the line while boring a fiber optic line off State Highway 134. The damaged line was initially installed in 1949 and serves one of two transmission lines that deliver raw water from the pump station to the Caddo Jr. Reservoir.
Permanent repairs to the line are expected to begin on Thursday and are believed to take one to two days. During the repairs, comprehensive testing will be done to ensure there are no leaks in the system. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is looking for information regarding a shooting on Monday night that led to a teenager being transported to a local hospital, according to our news partner KETK.
The Longview Police Department said officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Debra Drive in Longview around 10:03 p.m. in response to a shooting. Once officers arrived, they found a teenage victim at the scene. The Longview Fire Department took the teenager to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Longview Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 903-237-1199 or the Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.
Callers have the option to remain anonymous during the phone call.
UPSHUR COUNTY – An Upshur County drug dealer was sentenced to 35 years in prison after investigators found nearly 50 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside his vehicle in 2024.
According to the Upshur County District Attorney’s Office, on Sept. 25, 2024, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on 38-year-old Randy Ray Price, who has several previous narcotic-related stops. While searching Price’s vehicle, deputies found a large plastic bag with nearly 50 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside the glove box of the vehicle.
Price pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
HENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a Henderson County man was arrested on July 9 after a cyber-tip confirmed he posted videos of child pornography back in March.
According to a Henderson County arrest affidavit, around 8:20 a.m. on March 25, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) submitted a cyber-tip that said user ‘rustywinchester’ had uploaded two videos of minors engaging in sexual conduct.
After a Henderson County Crimes Against Children Investigator viewed the videos, he believed the girl was under the age of 14, but the boy did not reveal his face at any time during the video.
In the document, the user labeled the description of the production as, “rustywinchester is a five feet, 10 inches at 180 to 190 pounds country boy, redneck biker. I’ll try and get a picture in a few minutes.”
The investigator soon found an image that identified the suspect as George Richard Madis Jr., 58 of Murchison, and matched the description. Madis was arrested for possession with intent to promote child pornography on July 9, but posted his $75,000 bond the following day.
CHEROKEE COUNTY – A Rusk man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs
According to information presented in court, on December 4, 2023, Justin Jones, 37, was seen driving on County Road 2120 in Cherokee County. The Sheriff recognized Jones and attempted to stop him for an outstanding arrest warrant. Jones abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene on foot. A search of the abandoned vehicle revealed Jones was in possession of a cell phone, two rifles, and a pistol. The phone also contained a photo of Jones holding one of the rifles. Jones has several prior felony convictions, including four prior convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Jones is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.
Jones pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on July 15, 2025.
SMITH COUNTY – A Bullard man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday after two young girls told their dad they had been sexually abused in July 2024, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
On Dec. 12, 2024, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a transfer case of physical and sexual abuse involving three children from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Smith County officials learned that two sisters, under the age of 10, had been placed with their biological father. The two girls told their father they had been sexually abused in July, and he reported the allegations to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Officials also learned that Child Protective Services ordered a Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) for their 3-year-old sibling. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Our news partner KETK reports that an East Texas man is facing additional charges after he allegedly abandoned nine puppies throughout Smith County. The charges come just days after he was arrested for abusing the puppies’ mother.
Bryson Joe Jeffery was first arrested in Tyler on the Fourth of July after he admitted to kicking and hitting his dog with a surge protector power strip. The next day, officers became aware that Jeffrey had abandoned nine recently born puppies across Smith County.
According to the arrest affidavit, the puppies were found in three different locations, including New Copeland Road and Wilma Street. One woman discovered two puppies at her front door and several others around the neighborhood. She took them to a local rescue called Angel Paws, where an employee stated the puppies were newborns and not able to open their eyes yet. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — According to our news partner KETK, the Marshall City Council recently made changes to traffic patterns near schools to improve student safety and clear up traffic congestion. The council is looking to prevent traffic conflicts in these areas and to enhance safety for all pedestrians. All appropriate signage and roadway markings are now in place at the affected locations, which include: Sanford Street and West Emory Street – intersections is now a four way stop; St. Francis Street and Meadow Street – intersection is now a four way stop and Hollis Taylor Street – street is now one way westbound from Meadow Street to Washington Avenue.
“We want drivers to be aware of these changes before school starts,” Marshall Police Chief Cliff Carruth said. “These updates are designed with community safety in mind, especially for our students and school zones. We appreciate everyone’s attention and cooperation.”
For more information about these road changes, contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575.
AUSTIN – Continuing the fight against Red Town Ranch holdings’ production permit for 21 high-capacity groundwater wells in Anderson County, Texas, lawmakers are gearing up to hear from experts at Tuesday’s natural resources committee meeting in Austin.
According to our news partner KETK, during the meeting, Harris said he and several Texas lawmakers will hear from over 30 expert witnesses, including industry leaders and local officials, about how this will impact East Texas and its main water supply. Other Texas lawmakers have already shown their support for Harris and his effort to protect the East Texas water supply. State Representative Jay Dean of Longview said in a statement he’s ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with Harris and the rest of East Texas. Meanwhile, state representative Daniel Alders of Tyler said he’s ready to dive deeper into protections that already exist.
Harris said after the committee meeting, he plans to speak to Governor Greg Abbott’s team about future legislation, and to ask if it can be added to the upcoming special session, all in the fight to protect the livelihood of East Texans now and in the future. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS — According to our news partner kETK, nine people were arrested in Athens on Sunday for suspected cockfighting after Henderson County authorities found several dead birds. Henderson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said they responded to a report of suspected cockfighting near County Road 3918 in Athens. Deputies witnessed around 200 people at the scene with several of them fleeing once they saw law enforcement.
According to HCSO officials, investigators discovered many dead roosters along with evidence that suggested cockfighting transpired at the location. Once a search warrant was obtained, investigators later found a suspected fighting arena and seized various types of evidence from the scene.
“On the premises, investigators uncovered a fighting arena and confiscated sharp metal gaffs (artificial spurs attached to the rooster’s leg) commonly used in illegal cockfighting matches,” HCSO said. “A total of 89 live roosters and two deceased birds were seized from the premises along with 26 vehicles and a large amount of U.S. Currency.” Read the rest of this entry »