Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
RAINS COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a second Rains County judge has been arrested for tampering with a witness.
According to records obtained from the Rains County District Clerk, Judge Linda Wallace has been indicted for witness tampering in the case State of Texas v. Robert Jenkins Franklin. Franklin was a justice of the peace who was arrested in May for official oppression and witness tampering. He is accused of telling a victim, “You take that deal, boy – or dead man can’t testify.”
“Wallace….did coerce [victim] who was a prospective witness in an official proceeding, by pressuring her as supervisor of her employment with intent to influence [the victim] to withhold testimony,” the indictment reads.
Wallace was appointed to fill the vacant Rains County judge position for the unexpired term of Rains County Judge Wayne Wolfe in 2021.
ANGELINA COUNTY – One man is dead after threatening members of the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office with what was later revealed to be an airsoft gun, according to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK.
On Tuesday morning, deputies were patrolling Stubblefield Road off of US Hwy 69, northwest of Lufkin, searching for John Franklin Carter, who had an active felony warrant for assault family violence. The warrant was issued after investigators say Carter had strangled his girlfriend into unconsciousness and also cut another man with a knife who was attempting to get Carter off the victim.
While searching for Carter, deputies recognized his Toyota and immediately began to approach the vehicle. A female driver, along with Carter, then exited the car. According to officials, Carter began acting upset and was holding what appeared to be a black handgun. Read the rest of this entry »
TEXARKANA -A federal inmate has received an additional prison sentence for assaulting a correctional officer 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 November 29, 2022, Andrew Hunter, 23, of Mount Pleasant, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana, had an altercation with a correctional officer in a hallway at the Federal Prison Camp. During the altercation, Hunter shoved the officer causing him to strike the back of his head against a wall. The officer sustained serious injuries that required medical attention.
Hunter pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer and was sentenced to an additional 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on July 2, 2025.
TEXARKANA – A 29-year-old Texarkana mother was arrested on Sunday after leaving her children alone for nearly five hours at home, which later caught on fire.
At around 12:50 p.m., officers from the Texarkana Police Department responded to a fire in the 1900 block of Walnut Street, where they saw flames shooting from the roof. A neighbor was able to get the two boys out to safety across the street. As officials spoke to the children, they found out that their mother, Hilda Xona Cojoc, had left them alone since 8 a.m. to go to work. The children had been left alone for about five hours. Officers then contacted Cojoc, who came straight home.
Cojoc was arrested and taken to the Bi-State jail with a bond set at $150,000. Her children were placed in the care of Children’s Protective Services.
“We’re just incredibly grateful this didn’t turn into something even worse,” the Texarkana Police Department said. “This could have been ended in absolute tragedy.”
UPSHUR COUNTY – After an incident occurred on a Union Grove campus, a criminal investigation has been launched against a student and the district’s superintendent, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office received information on on June 11 from Union Grove ISD, and a parent of the alleged student victim who was involved in an incident on campus.
After speaking with the victim’s parents and members of the Union Grove ISD, a criminal investigation was opened against a student for allegedly engaging in invasive visual recording, which is considered a felony in Texas. During the investigation, information was revealed that led to Superintendent Mrs. Kelly Moore being investigated for failure to report, which is a class A misdemeanor.
According to officials, both cases are under active investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.
TITUS COUNTY — Authorities are searching for the driver accused of killing a cyclist after a fatal hit-and-run on Tuesday night in Titus County, our news partner KETK reports.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, around 8:40 p.m., officials received a 911 call of a hit-and-run fatality on FM 2152 involving an unidentified vehicle and a bicyclist.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the bicyclist was traveling northbound when the vehicle hit him from behind, throwing the man off the bicycle and into the ditch, and then the vehicle fled the scene.
DPS has since released a picture of a vehicle they believe to be involved in the crash. The bicyclist has been identified and the next of kin have been notified. Officials did not release the victim’s name to the media at this time.
Anyone with information regarding the crash or the vehicle is asked to contact DPS at 903-255-5701.
TYLER – From July 4-7, Tyler residents can expect to see several more officers on the streets as the Tyler Police Department launches measures to increase public safety.
Tyler PD public information officer Andy Erbaugh said the department will be stationing more officers throughout the city in an effort to protect the public during this Fourth of July weekend.
Officers will be following the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) to help deal with the expected increase in traffic and intoxicated driving. STEP is a program that teaches officers how to address different traffic situations including pedestrian safety, speed and occupant protection.
Erbaugh said officers are on the lookout for impaired or intoxicated driving and the department encourages people to drive responsibly.
TRINITY COUNTY — Trinity County animal control officer, Brandon Furman, was arrested on Tuesday for sexual assault of a child allegations, according to our news partner KETK.
The sheriff’s office arrested Furman on the same day allegations against him came to light. Wallace said he was immediately placed on administrative leave. Through an investigation from sheriff’s office officials and a constable, authorities found enough probable cause to gain and execute an arrest warrant for Furman all in the same day.
Furman was taken into custody pending further investigation and is currently sitting in the Trinity County Jail on charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
MABANK – Three people were arrested on Sunday after officials carried out a search warrant and found suspected methamphetamine along with paraphernalia, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
Jason Michael Marshall, Andrea Jennifer Rogers and Jonathon Cannon were taken into custody following a narcotics search warrant at the 100 block of Memorial Drive in Mabank.
Reports said investigators found Marshall, near a vehicle outside his residence, which held a shotgun in a passenger seat. He was then taken into custody and it was later revealed that Marshall is a convicted felon. Once Marshall was secured, investigators proceeded to search Marshall’s residence where they found suspected methamphetamine, several baggies and scales. The other two suspects, Rogers and Cannon were found inside the residence and arrested.
Officials said Rogers was in possession of suspected methamphetamine at the time of her arrest and Cannon was caught with an arrest warrant. Marshall was charged with the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. All three suspects are currently awaiting arraignment at a local jail and were booked on the following charges, according to Henderson County Jail records.
SULPHUR SPRINGS — The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office arrested a woman on Monday in connection with a minor’s fatal drug overdose that occurred in 2024, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
Officials said Diamon Leann Yates was arrested on a charge of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance. The arrest comes after an investigation conducted by the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office started on July 17, 2024 when a minor was found dead from an overdose. As part of the investigation, the American Forensics lab examined the minor’s body and a toxicology report disclosed the presence N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene, a new drug that was not recognized under Texas law at the time. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, an Upshur County man was sentenced to forty years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver as a habitual offender.
In August of 2022, Matthew Thomas was arrested after he was found slumped over and unresponsive in his vehicle on Silk Tree Road outside of a home. Once on the scene, officers reportedly saw a green glass pipe with burnt residue lying in the vehicle. Following his arrest, two large plastic bags containing meth were removed from his pocket, according to the press release.
On Monday, Thomas was sentenced to 40 years in prison by the 115th District Judge, Dean Fowler. Thomas’s sentence range was raised because of prior criminal history, including a conviction in 2007 for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He was also convicted in 2018 for evading arrest with a vehicle. Thomas waived his right to appeal the case and was given a sentence to serve 40 years in state prison.
MOUNT PLEASANT – A Mexican national, illegally living in Mount Pleasant, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Solorio-Martinez, 38, was named in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury last week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. The indictment alleges that on April 24, 2025, Solorio-Martinez was found illegally in Mount Pleasant, after having been previously deported to Mexico from the United States on August 8, 2017.
If convicted, Solorio-Martinez faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI, and Mount Pleasant Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.
TYLER – According to a press release from Eastern District of Texas, a Mexican national, illegally living in Rains County, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas.
Rigoberto Herrera-Rodriguez, 59, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury last week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on June 4, 2025, Herrera-Rodriguez was found illegally in the United States and in possession of a firearm. Herrera-Rodriguez had been previously deported to Mexico from the United States in December 2024. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – Interstate 20 near Kilgore remains closed after an Amazon truck driver rolled over early Monday morning, causing packages to spill under a bridge, according to our news partner KETK.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reported that the crash occurred at around 1 a.m. on Monday on I-20 between FM 2807 and Highway 31. A preliminary investigation indicates that the driver was either fatigued or asleep at the time of the crash. DPS said the driver is okay and there are no known injuries at this time.
The area is expected to be shut down for several hours until it is cleaned up and all packages are picked up. TxDOT is helping traffic be rerouted on FM 2807 until the roadways reopen.
SMITH COUNTY – According to a press release from Christus Health, as the Fourth of July approaches, fireworks can carry serious risks when not handled with care.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) annual fireworks report found that there were 11 deaths and over 14,700 injuries related to fireworks in the U.S. in 2024, an increase of 38% in deaths and 52% in injuries compared to 2023.
“The reality is that fireworks are explosives, and they should be treated as such,” said Hailey Evans, RN, at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital. “No matter your age or experience, fireworks can be unpredictable. It’s important to remember that safety should always come first.” Read the rest of this entry »