Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Police Department said that a 29-year-old woman was found shot and killed on Gillespie Avenue on Saturday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Jacksonville PD, Jacksonville Fire Department and EMS responded to the 400 block of Gillespie Avenue at around 2:52 a.m. on Saturday morning after a report about a shooting. When Jacksonville PD officers arrived on scene they found Clara Deane Wilson dead from an apparent gunshot wound. The shooting is being investigated by Jacksonville PD and the Texas Rangers.
UPDATE: Rusk County officials said one person is dead after the crash on US 79 Wednesday afternoon. The Rusk County Emergency Management said the highway has reopened and DPS is investigating.
RUSK COUNTY – At least one person is injured after a major crash on US 79, Rusk County officials said. The highway is currently closed and drivers are being rerouted. Our news partner KETK is reporting that Rusk County Emergency Management Coordinator Patrick Dooley, the crash affected eastbound and westbound traffic. “Traffic is being rerouted from FM 1798 South to FM 348 back to US 79,†Rusk County officials said.
Dooley confirmed at least one person is injured, but their condition is unknown at this time.
The Rusk County Emergency Management and Fire Marshal’s Office Facebook page will share when the highway has reopened.
LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, a 19-year-old has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a Longview shooting where the victim succumbed to their injuries. According to the Longview Police Department, Ja’Michael Devorea O’Quinn, 19 of Longview, was arrested on Monday for the Aug. 6 shooting at Hubbard Drive that led to the death of another teenager.
At around 6 p.m. on Aug. 6, Longview PD said they found a teenager with an apparent gunshot wound and they were taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. On Tuesday, the police department said the victim died as a result of the shooting.
O’Quinn was charged with murder and he is being held at the Gregg County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
TROUP — The remains of two dogs were reportedly dumped in Troup near an Austin Bank, the Troup Police Department said. According to our news partner KETK, two dogs were reportedly dumped months apart and were found “very decomposed†in black trash bags in the same area. The first dog was found on June 14 and was reportedly “a bag of bones†by the time the police department was notified. On Monday at around 10:15 a.m., Troup officers went to the same location and found the second dog also decomposing.
A public works employee took the dog from the scene and found no locator chip. Officials said the dog was in the late stages of decomposition and they could not tell if it had any physical wounds.
The Troup Police Department said they are investigating the case and are seeking the people who did this. Anyone with information relevant to the case is asked to contact the police department at 903-842-3211.
GUN BARREL CITY – Two people were taken to the hospital on Saturday following a structure fire on Cedarglen Street, the Gun Barrel City Fire Department said. According to our news partner KETK, firefighters and police responded to a structure fire at around 11:39 p.m. in the 100 block of Cedarglen Street where smoke and flames were visible. Officials said the departments worked together to rescue the elderly residents from the home. The residents were taken to the local emergency room and are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
Crews were reportedly on scene for 90 minutes to bring the fire under control. The home sustained fire, smoke and water damage, the fire department said.
Gun Barrel City FD said the fire marshal’s office is conducting an investigation to figure out what caused the fire.
GILMER – According to our news partner KETK, a man was sentenced to at least 50 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography on Monday, Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd said. According to Byrd, Yale’s offenses happened on Oct. 2, 2023 after someone in a relationship with him found hidden files on his phone and contacted law enforcement. Officials reportedly recovered several videos and images of child victims as young as 5-years-old on Yale’s phone.
Clinton Scott Yale, 36, has been sentenced to two 50 year sentences in state prison for the child pornography charges and a two-year sentence in state jail for possession of lewd visual material.
Byrd said there was no evidence that the victims shown were in the area except for two that Yale recorded in his possession of lewd visual material case. Byrd added that if Yale is ever released he will have to register as a sex offender for life. The case was investigated by the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office.
ARP – East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran encouraged more than 350 teachers, administrators and school board members at a teacher appreciation address ahead of the school year. As more than half of the East Texas school districts head back to the classroom this week, Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) wanted to reassure our educators they are being seen, heard and are appreciated all the way to Washington D.C. Among topics discussed with the media regarding the upcoming legislative session, Moran spoke clearly of the federal government inching its way into our public school systems. Representatives from five districts, Arp, Mount Enterprise, West Rusk, Sabine and Carlisle ISDs, were present at the teacher appreciation address Monday morning. Rep. Moran ultimately wanted East Texas teachers to know they are “heroes,†saying “educators are heroes from top to bottom.â€
“I wanted to communicate back to our school teachers here in East Texas that we are thankful for what they do,†Rep. Moran said. “We’re going to support them and what they do.†“Quite frankly, we’re going to keep the federal government out of their business,†Moran said. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a Smith County inmate has died at a local hospital after being found unresponsive in his cell, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said. At around 8:13 p.m. on Sunday, 57-year-old inmate Albert Lee Moore was found unresponsive in his cell. A code blue was reportedly activated and medical personnel at the facility responded to the cellblock where they performed lifesaving procedures.
Once EMS arrived, Moore was taken to a local hospital where he reportedly died on Monday at 6:57 a.m. Smith County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Derrick Choice arrived at the hospital for the inquest. An autopsy has been ordered and Moore’s body was taken to the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.
“This custodial death has been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards in Austin and the death is being investigated by the Texas Rangers as is Smith County Sheriff’s protocol,†the sheriff’s office said.
Moore had been incarcerated since Feb. 13 and reportedly made frequent visits to the clinic.
HUGHES SPRINGS – According to our news partner KETK, the Hughes Springs Police Department is investigating the burglary of several vehicles on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. According to the police department, the burglaries were allegedly done in the “hours of darkness†by people on foot. Hughes Springs Police Department is asking any security camera owners to review their footage from the nights of Aug. 10 and into the morning on Aug. 11.
Anyone with information into the vehicle burglaries is asked to call Hughes Springs PD at 903-639-2621.
PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department arrested a man on Friday for allegedly attempting to rob the First Convenience Bank inside of Walmart. According to our news partner KETK, officers were dispatched to the First Convenience Bank inside of the Walmart Supercenter at approximately 3:41 p.m. on Friday following reports of a robbery in progress.
According to officials, a male subject entered the bank and demanded a large amount of money from an employee at the bank. The subject allegedly stated that he would use force if the employee did not comply, the employee was able to text a relative stating that they were being robbed, after which a 911 call was made. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – According to our news partner KETK, the arrest documents of seven East Texans charged with capital murder reveal the events leading up to their arrests and a plan to steal drugs. Documents state that police were called to a trailer park on California Street at around 9:15 p.m. due to numerous calls about gunshots heard in the area. Officers reportedly entered a trailer home that had been hit multiple times by gunfire to check on the occupants welfare. That is where officials found 18-year-old Angel Bonilla dead.
The affidavit said one of the occupants was taken to a local hospital by two others and claimed that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Based on the arrest documents, it is believed four people including Bonilla were residing at the California Street home when two of the suspects entered to conduct a drug transaction.
“A total of three individuals are believed to have been struck by gunfire during the homicide,†Nacogdoches PD said. Read the rest of this entry »
POLK COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, the Polk County District Attorney’s Office will be seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham in February. A trial date for Don Steven McDougal has not been set as the case is still an open investigation. McDougal is facing one charge of capital murder for Cunningham’s death. Officials said a final decision will be made once all evidence has been received.
He is charged with capital murder because Audrii was under 15, and because the killing allegedly occurred while he was committing the felony of kidnapping her.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said McDougal was a family friend of the Cunningham’s and lived on their property in a camper. On Feb. 15, McDougal left with Audrii in his 2003 Chevrolet Suburban with the supposed plan of dropping her off at the school bus stop outside of the subdivision. Read the rest of this entry »
CASS COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a former Atlanta ISD teacher and coach was convicted on four counts of indecency with a child and four counts of improper relationship between an educator and a student on Aug. 2. The Cass County Criminal District Attorney said Taureaus Alvaro Maxwell, 31, a former teacher and coach at Atlanta ISD has been convicted on four counts of indecency with a child by contact and four counts of improper relationship between educator and student. He will now start a 60-year sentence in prison and will have to pay a $10,000 fine on each charge.
The DA’s office said that evidence showed that on April 10, 2023, two students from Atlanta High School outcried to school administration about sexual abuse and online solicitation by Maxwell. The student reportedly said Maxwell requested that he add him on Snapchat where Maxwell sent multiple “snaps†throughout the year. The DA’s office said that the student testified that pictures Maxwell sent where inappropriate and stated things such as “take those clothes off†and “I want videos of the ones when you’re out of the shower.†Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Police Department is currently investigating a shooting on Hubbard Drive that has left one person with life-threating injuries. Longview Police Public Information Officer Brandon Thornton said the shooting took place around 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the 100 block of Hubbard Drive. Thornton said the person injured was taken to a local hospital and police are actively investigating.
This is a developing story, we will have more details as they are released.
UPDATE: According to our news partner KETK, the Sulphur Springs Police Department is reporting that Taylor Rianna Casper was found safe after being reported missing on Sunday.
SULPHUR SPRINGS – The Sulphur Springs Police Department is searching for a 23-year-old autistic woman who went missing near Garret Drive and Highway 11 West on Sunday.
Taylor Rianna Casper is 23-years-old, weighs 160 pounds and was last seen wearing a red jacket and blue jeans. Casper reportedly was last seen walking away from a residence on Garret Drive off of Highway 11 West. Sulphur Springs PD said that Casper doesn’t have her phone. They’ve asked anyone with information about Casper to call Sulphur Springs PD at 903-885-7602.
WINONA – Smith County Emergency Services District #2 officials said that one person has died and four others were injured in a three-vehicle crash on Highway 155 near Winona on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, the crash happened on Highway 155 just north of Interstate 20 at around 4:55 p.m. According to Smith County ESD 2, there were two people entrapped and another person who died when crews arrived on the scene. Four people were then reportedly taken by EMS to a local hospital.
Winona Volunteer Fire Department, the Department of Public Safety and Smith County ESD 2 engines 122,128,127,Chief 127,BC2 T127 and B127.
PALESTINE — An Elkhart motorcyclist has died after a two vehicle wreck on Tuesday in front of the Palestine Mall, the Palestine Police Department said. According to our news partner KETK, at around 12:41 p.m., officers and the Palestine Fire Department were dispatched to the 2100 block of Crockett Road due to a two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle. Palestine PD said when officials arrived at the scene, both vehicles were blocking the road and the motorcyclist was unresponsive. Officials said McShan was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation into the wreck indicated that a silver Ford Explorer pulled out of the Palestine Mall onto Crockett Road. The motorcyclist, Gary McShan, 59 of Elkhart, was reportedly driving south on Crockett Road. The Ford Explorer reportedly pulled out in front of McShan causing him to hit the driver’s side of the Explorer.
An inquest is being performed by Anderson County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Tammy Lightfoot.
TEXARKANA — The Texarkana Police Department is searching for a woman accused of stealing $18,000 from a local business where she was employed as a manager, and a reward is being offered for information leading to her arrest. Officials said Jill Wright was to make daily bank deposits as part of her job responsibilities, however she reportedly failed to make deposits for several days in May. According to our news partner KETK, her supervisors reported the theft to Texarkana PD who talked to Wright on the phone weeks ago. She reportedly agreed to visit the station to inform the department what was going on.
Wright allegedly never showed up and avoided calls from the police department. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) – The Nacogdoches Police Department said that one driver is dead after their vehicle left S.W. Stallings Drive and hit road equipment on Saturday. According to Nacogdoches PD, officers responded to the crash scene in the 400 block of S.W. Stallings Drive at around 9:49 p.m. on Saturday. Once they arrived at the scene, they found a single passenger vehicle that had been heading north when it left the road and hit road equipment sitting off the side of the road.
Our news partner KETK is reporting that the driver was taken by EMS to a local hospital but they later died. Nacogdoches PD is currently withholding the identity of the driver while they notify their next of kin. No other injuries have been reported from this crash and an investigation is ongoing.
UPDATE: Last week on the 6 month mark of Harley Morris being missing, his mother Wendi Attaway Morris went to his last known location to pass out flyers in hopes of getting his name brought back up. Shortly after that, according to our news partner KETK, a man reached out to the family saying he had seen someone matching Harley’s description. That possible sighting happened at the Longview Walmart on Estes Parkway recently. Today their message remains the same, hope that everything they are doing is helping keep Harley’s name alive.
“A man said that he might have possibly seen him in Longview near Estes and that he spoke to him, he was pretty sure, of course, he can’t be 100% sure that it was Harley, and so the police have gone and they’re investigating this, they’re hopefully pulling footage to be able to identify if this possibly was Harley,†Tyler Texas Missing Persons Support and Awareness Group founder Alexandra Ashcraft said. Read the rest of this entry »
ANGELINA COUNTY — According to our newspartner KETK, a Lufkin man has died after spending nearly two days in the Angelina County Jail where he displayed “erratic and unusual behavior.†According to a release from Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman, on Sunday deputies were dispatched in regards to a call of an individual at the Clawson Assembly of God church who reportedly had been behaving erratically and appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
Deputies located Michael Stolich, 46 of Lufkin, near a pickup truck in the parking lot. After speaking with him for several minutes, officials reportedly determined he was under the influence of some type of narcotic or intoxicating substance. Stolich was then taken into custody. Read the rest of this entry »
WINNSBORO – A family filed a lawsuit against Winnsboro ISD accusing the district of engaging “in a yearslong retaliatory campaign†against them after they tried numerous times to report bullying against their son according to our news partner KETK. The lawsuit, filed in federal court against WISD and its board members, asserts that the district ignored complaints of sexual harassment and physical abuse, detailing alleged instances in which the district retaliated against the plaintiff’s family.
Board members named in the lawsuit are Duncan McAdoo, Brandon Green, Stacy Brown, Jay Murdock, Kristie Amason, Billy Saucier and Brian Busby. The lawsuit accuses them and other high ranking school officials of violating Title IX and ADA laws in addition to FERPA violations. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The SPCA of East Texas welcomed a new Executive Director last week. According to our news partner KETK, Emily Heglund comes from Athens where she served as executive director for the TVCC Foundation in Athens for the past three years and worked as executive director of CASA Trinity Valley prior to that. Heglund will oversee the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the SPCA of East Texas, their rescue and adoption program and their SNIPPET Clinic. “I first became involved with the SPCA as a foster home in 2020,†Heglund said. “I know firsthand the incredible impact this organization Heglund has a degree in news-editorial journalism from Texas Christian University, and a certificate in Fund Raising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University Indianapolis.
NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for murder in the case of a 2019 murder. According to our news partner KETK, Victor Torres was 19-years-old at the time he was initially arrested after a Sunday morning shooting in November 2019.
Authorities reported at the time that Torres approached five men who were working on a barn and began shooting at them with a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Among the men, 34-year-old Jose Rojo-Velasco was pronounced dead at the scene. Torres reportedly told confessed to being the shooter and said he had an ongoing problem with one of the victims.
Torres was sentenced to 50 years in prison on July 5 for murder, and 20 years in prison for other charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The sentences are set to run concurrently.
CROCKETT – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Crockett Police Department is currently searching for four people seen on security footage at a convenience store that was reportedly robbed on Saturday. Crockett PD said that officers responded to a burglary alarm at a convenience store in the 800 block of North 4th Street at around 4:45 a.m. The officers reportedly found that four people had forcibly entered the store, took a cash box, tried to break into the ATM and left.
Anyone with information about the people pictured above is asked to contact Crockett PD detective Humberto Gonzalez by email at gonzalezh@crocketttexas.org or by phone at 936-544-2862.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department said they are looking for a 71-year-old woman who’s been missing since July 8. According to our news partner KETK, Deborah Roberts, 71 of Longview, is a 5-foot 3-inch tall white woman who weighs around 150 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen near the 700 block of East Marshall Avenue on July 8. Roberts was reported missing by her family on Sunday. Anyone with information about her location is asked to call Longview PD at 903-237-1199.
TYLER – Reactions are pouring in from across the country after President Joe Biden announced that he will no longer be seeking reelection to a second term on Sunday. Biden’s bombshell announcement comes after weeks of speculation about his ability to win the election started up in the wake of this year’s first presidential debate back on June 27. Our news partner KETK has put together list of reactions from East Texas representatives and other current and former officials.
“This doesn’t change a thing. Whoever comes next for the Democrats will embrace the same failed Biden policies,†said U.S. House Rep for Tyler, Nathaniel Moran. “Let’s keep pressing the right messages—(1) secure our border (2) reduce spending, debt, and regulations (3) free up our energy sector (4) show strength in the world.†Read the rest of this entry »