Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said that a high-speed vehicle pursuit that started in Van Zandt County ended in a crash at State Highway 64 and Loop 323 in Tyler on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, the pursuit started on Interstate 20 where the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office was pursuing a white Ford F-150 at 100 miles per hour. Around 6:55 p.m., the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a SCSO deputy on Interstate 20 then tried to conduct a traffic stop on the Ford. The vehicle then exited onto State Highway 110 coming into Tyler.
The Ford passed spike strips at Loop 323 and SH 110 and turned on Loop 323. The pursuit continued to State Highway 64 where the Ford reportedly crashed. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, the driver was taken into custody and has been transported to a local hospital. The Texas Department of Public Safety is reportedly working the crash and Tyler PD was called out to conduct traffic.
CHAPEL HILL – Chapel Hill Independent School District in Smith County said that they’re holding a job fair for anyone interested in working with them on Tuesday according to our news partner KETK. “We are seeking individuals who are deeply passionate about student success and are dedicated to fostering a positive community impact. Our aim is to attract top talent to our district and provide them with the necessary support for success in their roles,†said Deidra Sutton, Chapel Hill ISD’s director of human resources. The job fair will be held on Tuesday, March 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Chapel Hill High School Varsity Gym. Several Chapel Hill ISD staff will be at the event to discuss what working in the district is like from day to day and to conduct on-site interviews. Along with staff there will be several students from the Academies of Chapel Hill, including aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs.
PALESTINE – The Palestine Police Department said that a third person was arrested on Saturday after officers responded to reports of shots fired on Wednesday night near Spring Street and West Oak Street. According to our news Partner KETK, Detective J. Waldon and Officer L. Medina spoke with a witness who said he heard around eight or nine shots from two guns coming from a residence on West Debard Street. Waldon and Medina arrived at the residence and reportedly found several people “who appeared to be intoxicated†with two vehicles playing loud music. They spoke with a man near one of the vehicles who was allegedly to identify himself and asked the officers to leave. Officers said they decided to arrest him when he continued to not identify himself.
The man reportedly resisted arrest and began “using force†against Medina. The man’s spouse then reportedly got between Medina and her husband to prevent his arrest. Read the rest of this entry »
PANOLA COUNTY – Our news partner KETK is reporting that one person has died after a two-vehicle rollover crash happened on US Highway 59 South in Panola County on Friday. Details about the rollover crash are limited but the sheriff’s office said that the highway had to be shutdown for a medical helicopter to land. According to the sheriff’s office, one person received fatal injuries in the crash and the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace has been contacted for an inquest. Troopers, sheriff’s office deputies, the Precinct 2 constable, Gary Volunteer Fire Department and UT Health EMS all responded to the crash.
GROVETON — According to our news partner KETK, a Groveton ISD employee has been arrested after allegedly altering education records without authorization, affecting the top 10% class ranking. According to an affidavit, Breanna Faye Abshier, 35, was arrested and charged with tampering with a government record. Abshier reportedly changed student grade point averages and class rankings. Authorities said though her job duties as a registrar did authorize her to make grade changes within the system she reportedly made over 145 changes without the teacher’s authorization beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. By doing so, Abshier tampered with student class averages, affecting their semester average bumping down students from the top 10% ranking.
Groveton ISD said Abshier’s employment was terminated and the school has cooperated with law enforcement. The district said they have started an investigation of potentially affected records for all students grades 6-12. Read the rest of this entry »
WILLS POINT – The Wills Point Police Department said a criminal investigation led to the arrest of one of their officers on Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, Wills Point PD received a complaint of a physical disturbance in Wills Point. The police department said an investigation uncovered that an off-duty Wills Point PD officer, identified as Christopher Tomlin, was involved in a physical disturbance with a direct family member. As a result, the Van Zandt County Criminal Investigation Unit was asked to conduct an outside criminal investigation into Tomlin. Wills Point PD also conducted an internal affairs investigation. The Police department said that Tomlin was terminated effective immediately on Wednesday. “Upon conducting [and] completing the internal affairs investigation, it was found that Officer Christopher Tomlin had violated multiple department policies,†Wills Point PD said.
The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office reportedly completed their criminal investigation into Tomlin and has charged him with continuous violence against the family. Tomlin is booked into the Van Zandt County Jail.
SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, David Stein, the current county chair for the Smith County Republican Party, announced his bid for vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas on Monday. During the March primaries, Stein won 66% of the votes or 14,703 votes. After being reelected, he is serving as the county chair for the third time. In a release, Stein said he has been a conservative Republican for his entire adult life and supports the core principles of the party including being pro-life, pro second amendment, pro-military, traditional families and individual liberties.
Stein said due to limited funds, the lack of staff or plan for election integrity efforts, no get-out-to-vote initiative amongst other issues is why there needs to more training for county parties and county chairs. The chairman said he looks forward to interacting with all leaders over the next 11 weeks.
“We cannot continue to take actions that further divide our party instead of trying to find that common ground, which most importantly is getting Republicans such as Donald Trump for President and Ted Cruz for Senate, elected in November General elections,†Stein said.
Due to these concerns, Stein announced his candidacy for Vice Chair of The Republican Party of Texas. The seat is currently held by Dana Myers who recently announced her bid for the Texas Republican Party Chair. Stein said if elected, he would be honored to serve with her.
“I’m asking you to support me in this effort, I’m asking you to believe this is good for our state party,†Stein said.
TYLER – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission said that a data breach might have exposed personal information about 3,392 people in or near Tyler, Texarkana, Longview, Marshall, Beaumont and Nacogdoches. Our news partner KETK reports that on Jan. 11, the HHSC said it discovered that a staff member had allegedly emailed spreadsheets containing full names, home addresses and telephone numbers, health information, services, financial information, Medicaid identification numbers and an individual’s Social Security number to their personal email. These emails were sent between September and October of 2023 and the HHSC said they only determined what the emails contained on Feb. 2 of 2024.
The HHSC said that they’ve already contacted those affected to provide them with one year of free credit monitoring, in order to keep their credit safe from any misuse of their information.
Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said three people were arrested on Friday after they discovered methamphetamine, marijuana and Diazepam (Valium) during a search of a residence. According to our news partner KETK, a search warrant was ordered after an investigation revealed methamphetamine was being sold from a residence on Walnut Street in Marshall. Decorian Kashun Stewart, 25, Savion Dashawn Hicks, 21, and Taylor Roshelle Dotie, 22, all of Marshall, were located in the residence by the Harrison County Emergency Response Team (ERT), the sheriff’s office said. Stewart allegedly tried to flush methamphetamine in the toilet when the ERT entered the home, the release said.
Stewart and Dotie were charged with possession of a controlled substance. Dotie and Hicks were both charged with possession of marijuana and Stewart was also charged with tampering with evidence.
According to the release, the drug charges were enhanced because of Drug-Free-Zone violations since the residence is within 1,000 feet of East Texas Baptist University. They are currently booked at the Harrison County Jail. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the son of two elected Smith County officials was sentenced to 30 days in the Smith County Jail on Friday after being convicted of misdemeanor interfering with public duties. Derek Phillips, 37, was initially arrested on the charge in March 2023 alongside his mother, Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips, after an incident where authorities said the two tried to interfere with a traffic stop involving Derek’s friend. Bodycam footage from the incident showed a long dispute before the arrests, and in June, both Phillips sued Smith County alleging multiple violations of their Constitutional rights related to the incident. Both were indicted for interfering with public duties in November, and the trial for Derek began on Wednesday where he was convicted. Karen’s trial is currently scheduled for March 20.
Derek’s older brother Lance Phillips, 40, also has a trial date set for April 24 for a misdemeanor charge related to an incident on Jan. 2 where he was taken into custody for disrupting a Smith County Commissioners Court meeting where his father, Terry Phillips, currently sits as Precinct 3 Commissioner.
HARRISON COUNTY – The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said an Alabama man was arrested on Thursday for breaking into a house and drinking two beers while at the residence. Our news partner KETK is reporting that Alex Ortiz, 29 of Horton, was detained after a caller reported a man had broken into their home. Ortiz reportedly admitted he drank two beers and threw a hammer at a window.
“Before he left, he became angry from things that happened in his past. Once he thought about it, he decided to throw a hammer through the window and departed the location,†the sheriff’s office said. Ortiz was taken to the main Harrison County Jail and was charged with burglary of habitation.
PALESTINE – A man was arrested for burglary after police say he broke into a local Family Dollar and took an ice cream bar. According to our news partner KETK, on Wednesday at 7:46 a.m., Palestine police officers were called to the Family Dollar at 317 E. Spring Street. They were advised the suspect had kicked in the door and made entry, and he was described as wearing a red shirt and blue shorts. The officers saw broken glass at the door and cleared the building before finding the suspect had left through the back door. That Family Dollar was reportedly set to open at 8 a.m., just 15 minutes after the reported break-in. Kilgore was booked into the Anderson County Jail for burglary of a building.
A person was found in the Kroger parking lot that matched the suspect’s description. Officers saw 25-year-old Rhett Kilgore of Buffalo, Texas. “Officers observed Kilgore to have a fresh cut on his right ankle from the sharp glass and to be eating an ice cream bar that had the same wrapper as the ice cream sold at the business,†police said. “When questioned about the burglary, Kilgore made the statement, ‘I got tired of waiting for the business to open.’â€
When officers checked security footage, they reportedly saw Kilgore attempting to enter by “pushing a shopping cart into the glass door and breaking the glass.â€
TRINITY COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for a home invasion from 2021. Rojae Daejon Kizzee, 21, was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for entering an occupied home in an attempted robbery, Sheriff Woody Wallace said. Wallace said Kizzee fired a handgun at a woman caring for her 2-year-old in the home and demanded she hand over the family dog. A fight ensued over the gun after the woman caused Kizzee to drop it. Reportedly, Kizzee regained control of the gun and fired it again before escaping. “Kizzee was on the run for several days before being captured after a manhunt with multiple agencies involved,†Wallace said.
The 21-year-old was identified in a lineup and it was confirmed through DNA evidence on the scene. “After meeting with and discussing the details of the crime with the victim in this matter and discussing with her the potential outcomes of this matter I am satisfied with the court’s sentence,†District Attorney Bennie Schiro said.
PALESTINE – According to our news partner KETK, the Palestine Police Department has released the cause of death of Trenton Lee Staneart who was found dead on Jan. 28. According to the release, a final autopsy report shows that Staneart’s cause of death was drowning and the manner of death was accidental. Police said the toxicology results showed that he had used marijuana prior to his death. Police said there was no evidence of foul play.
Trenton Lee Staneart was last seen leaving the sheriff’s office at 4:44 p.m. on Jan. 20 and was found dead in a creek in the woods off of East Lacy Street just after 11 a.m. on Jan. 28. Detectives reportedly identified Staneart and Anderson County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace James Todd ordered an autopsy after responding to the scene.
TEXARKANA – Our news partner KETK is reporting that a 17-year-old boy is dead after a Sunday night shooting in Texarkana. Officials with Texarkana police said they were called to an apartment in the 1000 block of College Drive around 1:30 a.m. where they found the victim inside. A 16-year-old was arrested and taken to a juvenile detention facility, according to authorities. The incident remains under investigation, and officials said there are still a lot of questions about what happened.
“We believe that the two boys were friends,†officials said. “The gun that we recovered at the scene had previously been reported stolen in Hope, Arkansas. “However, regardless of the circumstances, the end result is both senseless and incredibly tragic,†officials said.
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK a Tyler man was booked into the Smith County Jail on Friday based on child sex crime warrants issued from Harris County. According to his affidavit, Reginald Long, 27, is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a student while he was employed by a public and private secondary school. The affidavit said a report was initially made to the Houston Police Department after multiple students said he made inappropriate remarks to them on social media, mainly using Instagram. Arrest warrants were issued for Long on two charges of sexual assault of a child, improper relationship with a student and online solicitation of a minor. His bond has been set at $400,000.
The affidavit said that in an interview with authorities, Long reportedly confessed to having sex with one of his students and sending sexual messages through Instagram to several other students who also attended the school where he used to work.
Airdate: 02/25/24
Guests: Beth Godsey & Beth Hawthorn with East Texas Alzheimer’s Alliance
LONGVIEW – A man is in custody for attack by dog causing death after a man was found dead lying near a Longview roadway. According to our news partner KETK and the Longview PD an arrest warrant was issued for Martin Rodriguez. Rodriguez, 56 of Longview was arrested, based on an autopsy report from Forensic Medical Management Services and was booked into the Gregg County Jail on Feb. 1 on multiple animal at large charges where he is being held without bond on the attack by dog causing death warrant. On Feb. 1, Longview PD reported that animal control had confiscated multiple dogs from a home in the area after a 46-year-old man was found lying near a bicycle “with wounds consistent with that of a dog bite.â€
LUFKIN – The Lufkin Police Department said they are searching the area near Green Meadows Apartments for juveniles who were allegedly involved in a shooting that injured a woman on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, the authorities responded to shots fired at the apartment complex around 2:45 p.m. where a woman was bleeding from her leg after being hit by bullet. Witnesses told police four Black juveniles fled the scene and there was a dispute between the people involved, Lufkin PD said. The police department said two of the four suspects were detained and the investigation is ongoing.
LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Police Department said they are seeking the public’s help in locating a man suspected of robbing a bank at gunpoint on Thursday afternoon. Longview PD responded to a call at 2001 Judson Road for a bank robbery. Police said the suspect entered the bank, waved a firearm and demanded money. The suspect then reportedly fled the scene in a stolen vehicle. The police department said the vehicle was found a short time later. Now, officers are searching for the suspect, described as a white man wearing a dark colored hooded jacket, dark colored jeans and black shoes. There were reportedly no injuries and the suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money.
If anyone recognizes the suspect or know any information, they are asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1110, Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP (7867) or provide information online at greggcountycrimestoppers.org.
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the SPCA of East Texas announced on Wednesday that they are closing their animal intake for the time being, due to full shelters and intensive cases. SPCA of East Texas said that they already have over 200 animals in their care, with many of them being medical cases. They also recently had a case of critical rescue from neglect where it was later discovered that some of the animals were pregnant, increasing the strain on their resources. Due to these factors, SPCA of East Texas is asking for the help of the community. They encourage the public to consider adoption, donation, or fostering as ways to contribute to their mission. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – According to our news partner KETK, East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran stopped at Pine Tree ISD on Monday in hopes to inspire the younger generation to follow their calling. “We’re going to try to be at as many schools as possible,†Moran said. Moran spoke to middle and high school students at Pine Tree ISD in Longview about several topics including possible career paths and what it takes to be successful. Pine Tree ISD Superintendent Steve Clugston said Monday was the first time Moran got to sit down with students. Students had the opportunity to ask Moran questions on subjects like term limits for Congress and school choice. Recently, Moran has made similar visits to several East Texas schools.
“As we’re growing these young people up, what I want to remind them is they have a special and unique call in this life and so, I challenged them by giving them challenge coins to find and follow their call,†Moran said. “Today I got some of the hardest questions I’ve had in any form there is,†Moran said. “That’s because these kids were prepared, they were excited, they were engaged. I love to see that.†Moran said he hopes to inspire students during these visits in any way he can. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Fire Marshal is urging residents to avoid burning. Over the last few days, several wildfires fueled by current windy and dry conditions started across East Texas. The Texas A&M Forest Service reported dozens of East Texas fires since Friday. Between Saturday and Sunday, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office had to respond to nearly 30 grass fires. Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is also raising awareness of the danger of burning, after battling a 10-acre contained fire that got out of control this past weekend.
“We Responded to 60 wildfires for a total of 5,136 acres with 58 of them in East Texas alone,†said Laura Stevens, Texas A&M Forest Service wildland urban interface coordinator. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, a Tyler lawyer was arrested on Friday and is accused of transferring more than $200,000 out of a trust account meant for his client. According to his arrest warrant, Bruce Bain, 56, was hired in September 2022 as a divorce attorney for a client and was paid a $5,000 retainer fee that same day. The client told police, according to the warrant, that $235,551.44 from the sale of her home was put into a trust account set up by Bain.
The warrant said that when Bain was contacted by police about the case, he told them he was unable to give her the money due to a hold on his account. According to the warrant, Bain allegedly told the officer we would call back at a later time when he had more information, but did not call back. Officials with Tyler PD received a grand jury subpoena return from the trust account, according to the warrant, and found that multiple transfers were made from the account to two others, which were shown to be a checking and savings accounts in the name of Law Offices of Bruce D. Bain. Read the rest of this entry »
GILMER – A 40-year-old man was arrested early Monday morning in Gilmer for murder. According to our news partner KETK, Gilmer PD responded to the 800 block of North Street around 1:43 a.m. for a call about a suspicious person and made contact with Craig Smith, who officials said matched the description given of the suspicious person. A release said that through the course of officers investigation, Vennessa Smith, 41, was found dead at her home. Smith was arrested and booked into the Upshur County Jail for murder, failure to identify as a fugitive and an outstanding warrant for assault family violence.
HARRISON COUNTY – A woman was arrested for multiple felony charges in Harrison County on Sunday after a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, a sheriff’s deputy made a stop on Highway 80 for a license plate violation. After the stop, officials said the driver, identified as Hope Dickerson, 29 of Marshall, was arrested and was booked into the Harrison County Jail where her bond has not yet been set.
She was charged with the following: Possession of a controlled substance between four and 400 grams, acid tabs, possession of marijuana, over a pound, possession of a controlled substance, THC wax and the fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, social security cards for five different people.
EASTON – The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said that law enforcement and several area fire departments responded to a 10-acre grass and woods fire burning in the Easton area on Saturday. Our news partner KETK reports that the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, Airport Public Safety Division, Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Office, Easton VFD, Tatum VFD, Longview Fire Department, Elderville/Lakeport VFD, Kilgore Rescue and the Texas Forest Service all responded to the scene.
“What started as a small controlled burn turned into a large fire due to the drop in humidity and wind. Please using caution when burning. Tomorrow (Sunday) is predicted to be a high fire danger day. Please do not burn.†Gregg County Sheriff’s Office
LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, Democratic state senator Roland Gutierrez was in Gregg County on Friday campaigning for the March 5 primary election. Running up against seven other opponents including U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who currently leads in the polls, Gutierrez has made his rounds around Texas to meet voters. As Gutierrez’s district includes the city of Uvalde, he laid out the issues that matter the most to him and the people who he represents. The winner of the primary will face Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who is running for his third term. Gutierrez said his goals are for new leadership and a fresh start for the state. Gutierrez said a runoff election could happen due to how many people are running.
“We were in Tyler last week. Longview this week,†said Gutierrez. “Good group of Democrats here that want to talk about the issues that are affecting them most.†Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – According to our news partner KETK, an Athens man has been sentenced to 35 years in state prison after he was arrested on May 15, 2023 for grabbing an officer’s gun, evading arrest causing serious bodily injury and manufacture/delivery of cocaine, judicial records show. Jonathan Dewayne Cumby, 42 of Athens, was arrested after Athens Police Department officer Matthew Halbert and corporal Melissa Goss pulled him over in the 300 block of Jonathan Street, according to Henderson County District Attorney Jenny Palmer.
Several clear baggies were seen in a fanny pack that Cumby was wearing and then he was asked to get out of the vehicle. According to Palmer, he took off the fanny pack and held it in his hand, was ignoring the officer’s commands and then started running. As Cumby ran, Goss reportedly tried to grab him and she fell and broke her femur, and then Halbert sprained his knee at some point in the altercation. A press release from the DA said that, Cumby then reportedly grabbed Halbert’s gun and was arrested at some point after that. Read the rest of this entry »