Hawkins mayor faces lawsuit, calls to resign

HAWKINS — In the wake of an eventful month for Hawkins, including the resignation of the city’s third police chief and increasing calls to disband the police department, Mayor Deborah Rushing now faces growing pressure to step down. Rushing, who took office as mayor in April 2024 for the small town of Hawkins (population 1,401), is now named in a lawsuit filed by Shahaub Tafreshinejad, son of Alderwoman Eleta Taylor, seeking her removal from office.

According to our news partner KETK, the 26-page lawsuit alleges that Rushing displayed “early signs of incompetence and misconduct” due to issues such as illegal dual-office holding. Specifically, the lawsuit claims Rushing simultaneously served as both the mayor and municipal judge, a position forbidden by law.

The document also accuses Rushing of repeatedly using her mayoral position to place herself on the city council’s agenda, despite lacking the necessary support. The lawsuit details how, after multiple failed attempts to get on the agenda, Rushing’s persistence led to an “unwilling” council decision to appoint her, described as occurring “under duress” following what was characterized as “borderline harassment” from Rushing. (more…)

19 illegal gambling machines seized in Rusk

RUSK – According to our news partner KETK, Cherokee County officials have seized 19 illegal gambling machines from three businesses operating in Rusk. Members of the Special Investigative Unit from the sheriff’s office and Jacksonville Police Department started a month-long undercover investigation of the three businesses after receiving numerous complaints about illegal gambling from the community.

The 19 machines were seized from: Big Easy Market and Game on 591 N. Main Street, Rusk Eagle Mart at 555 South Dickinson Drive, DK’s/Skeeter’s Gas Station at 467 North Dickinson Drive. $66,000 was seized along with the 19 machines and that the stores will remain open for business without the illegal gambling machines. Investigations into other illegal gambling operations across the county including in Jacksonville, Mount Selman and Alto are in progress. (more…)

Court says banning gun sales to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional

BATON ROUGE (AP) — A U.S. appeals court on Thursday ruled against a federal law requiring young adults to be 21 to buy handguns, finding it violated the Second Amendment.

The ruling, handed down by a panel of three judges on the conservative U.S. 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, comes amid major shifts in the national firearm legal landscape following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights in 2022.

The court found that people aged 18-to-20 should not be prohibited from buying guns.

“Ultimately, the text of the Second Amendment includes eighteen-to-twenty-year-old individuals among ‘the people’ whose right to keep and bear arms is protected,” the court wrote in their ruling. The ruling sends the case back to a lower court judge.

In the past, the appeals court has upheld the age restriction. However, since the Supreme Court’s ruling that said firearm restrictions must be rooted in the nation’s historical traditions, judges in states like Minnesota, Virginia and Texas have struck down similar laws.

The Biden administration had fought those rulings. It is uncertain exactly how the Trump administration might proceed, but he told an NRA audience during last year’s campaign that “no one will lay a finger on your firearms.”

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, decided to keep a federal gun law on the books last year. The high court overturned a different ruling from the 5th Circuit and upheld a law intended to protect victims of domestic violence.

Those challenging the ban included the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Louisiana Shooting Association. “If we can trust young adults to defend our country, we can certainly trust them to own any and all legal firearms,” said Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation

Federal law requires a person to be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer and 18 to buy a long gun from a dealer, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. There is an 18-year-old minimum for handgun purchases from unlicensed sellers and no minimum age for long guns, according to the group’s research.

The Giffords Law Center called the decision reckless and said age restrictions help prevent violence. “We hope the current law will be ultimately upheld,” legal director David Pucino said.

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Whitehurst reported from Washington.

School choice bill will move towards Texas Senate

LINDALE – School choice is one step closer to becoming a reality in the State of Texas despite public school officials’ disapproval according to our news partner KETK. The Texas Senate Education Committee is allowing the school voucher legislation to go up for a floor vote in the coming days. The governor has made this a top legislative priority, but some public school officials and lawmakers are fighting back.

Senate Bill 2 would create education savings accounts per student and lawmakers would approve $1 billion to get this program started. It’s money that Lindale ISD superintendent Stan Surratt said could go toward improving public schools instead.

The vote was 9-2 in the State Senate Education Committee with all Republicans voting to advance the school choice bill to a floor vote. (more…)

Immigration Q&A session to be held in Tyler

TYLER — Smith County residents are encouraged to attend an informative immigration Q&A session where specialists and Sheriff Larry Smith will address community concerns and provide insight into recent changes at the federal level. According to our news partner KETK, the session will be held at the Garnica Event Center behind El Norteño restaurant on 1027 E. NE Loop 323 in Tyler on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. The event will offer a valuable opportunity for local residents to engage directly with experts, ask questions about current immigration policies and how they may affect the community, especially in light of the new presidential administration’s recent actions. Whether people have specific questions about legal processes, enforcement practices or how recent policy shifts could impact their community, this is a chance for the community to get accurate, up-to-date information.

Lawyers and other East Texas sheriffs are expected to be at the event, however a full list will soon be published on Facebook.

Residents are encouraged to bring their own questions and participate in this open forum. However, those who will not be able to attend, can soon submit their questions on the Facebook event page and watch a livestream of the session.

SPCA of Texas rescues abandoned dogs, woman arrested

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, two abandoned dogs were rescued in freezing conditions at a Van Zandt County house on Jan. 20 after their owner was evicted and is now facing charges of animal cruelty. “An Investigator with the SPCA of Texas’ Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit responded to the property and discovered two adult dogs on a couch that was sitting outside by the curb,” the SPCA of Texas said. “At the time, in this area, it was 23 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chills in the teens and the dogs were shivering due to the extreme cold without any protection from the elements.”

Officials determined that both dogs needed urgent care due to the freezing temperatures and visible medical issues they were suffering. The investigator took custody of the dogs and transported them to their Dallas facility where they obtained immediate veterinary care.

“One of the dogs, an adult Rottweiler, had an untreated ruptured eyeball that was oozing, infected and painful,” the SPCA of Texas said. “The other dog was covered in tumor-like masses. Both dogs were infested with fleas, causing raw and itchy skin and they both had advanced stages of dental disease.” (more…)

East Texas nonprofits worried about federal fund freeze

TYLER – East Texas nonprofits are anxiously waiting to see what happens next after a federal judge blocked the pause on federal loans and grants. Many of the organizations rely on federal money to provide critical services to people in our communities.

On Monday night, the Trump Administration announced that there’s a temporary pause on “All activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, non-governmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology and the green new deal.”

According to our news partner KETK, the Andrews Center and the East Texas Crisis Center felt blindsided by the freeze. Administrators said they are unsure on what is going to happen next. They’re worried they might have to cut back on services many East Texans rely on if they lose federal money permanently. The Andrews Center in Tyler heavily relies on healthcare grants. (more…)

One dead in two-vehicle crash on FM 2015 in Smith County

SMITH COUNTY – Our news partner KETK is reporting that one person has died after two vehicles crashed on FM 2015 on Tuesday. According to Smith County Emergency Services District 2, the crash happened at about a mile north of Interstate 20 on FM 2015 at around 8:17 p.m. One person was killed in the crash and officials said another person was taken for medical treatment at a local hospital.

Traffic was down to one lane at FM 2015 but ESD 2 officials told KETK the scene has been cleared. The Texas Department of Public Safety also responded to the scene.

Three injured in trailer fire near Mabank

MABANK – Firefighters from Payne Springs Fire Rescue were dispatched to the scene of a home burning in the Hidden Hills Harbor near Mabank on Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the single-wide trailer was totally engulfed when the first Payne Springs Fire Rescue crew arrived at the scene. When a second crew arrived a short time later, officials said the fire was able to be extinguished. The home’s heavy metal roof required Henderson County Precinct 2 to respond to the scene with a backhoe. Gun Barrel City Fire Department, Long Cove Fire Department, Log Cabin Fire Department, Malakoff Fire Department, the Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office, UT Health EMS and the American Red Cross also responded to the scene.

Payne Springs Fire Rescue said one adult and two children were treated for minor injuries by EMS. They were all reportedly released before the firefighters cleared the scene.

Asylum-seekers pushed to new extremes in Mexico after Trump’s border crackdown begins

ATOTONILCO DE TULA, Mexico (AP) — When Dayana Castro heard that the U.S. asylum appointment she waited over a year for was canceled in an instant, she had no doubt: She was heading north any way she could.

The 25-year-old migrant, her husband and their 4- and 7-year-old children had nothing left at home in Venezuela. They already had trekked the perilous Darien Gap jungle dividing Colombia and Panama and criminal groups that prey on migrants like them.

Castro was one of tens of thousands of migrants across Mexico with appointments to apply for U.S. asylum at the border scheduled out through February until President Donald Trump took office and issued a series of executive orders to beef up border security and slash migration. One ended the use of the CBP One app that had allowed nearly 1 million people, many seeking asylum, to legally enter the U.S. since January 2023.

“We’re going to keep going. We can’t go home after all we’ve been through, after all the countries we’ve fought our way through, only to give up now,” she said from a small shelter in central Mexico beside a freight train line they were riding north.

Now, migrants like her are adjusting to a new and uncertain reality. Many remain determined to reach the U.S. through more dangerous means, riding freight trains, hiring smugglers and dodging authorities. Some lined up in Mexico’s refugee offices to seek asylum in that country, while others contemplated finding a way back home.

Trump on Monday declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and announced plans to send U.S. troops and restrict refugees and asylum, saying he wants to halt illegal entry and border crime. The measures follow a drop in illegal crossings in recent months.

Supporters of the CBP One app that people like Castro used to try to enter legally say it brought order to a chaotic border. Critics say it was magnet for more people to come.

Adam Isacson, defense oversight analyst for the human rights organization Washington Office on Latin America, said Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration will surely deter migrants in the short term but will also have cascading humanitarian consequences.

People with valid asylum claims may die in their own countries, he said, while migrants fleeing countries like Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti who cannot easily return home may end up floating around the Americas “completely unprotected.” Isacson and other analysts expect Trump’s policies will lead to increased demand for smugglers and push migrants — many of whom are children and families — to more dangerous terrain to avoid capture.

By Tuesday, Castro was wrapping her mind around the fact that continuing on after her Feb. 18 appointment with U.S. authorities was canceled would likely mean putting her life, and the lives of her family, at risk as cartels are increasingly extorting and kidnapping vulnerable migrants.

“There’s the train, the cartels, migration police, and they all make you pay them,” she said as she fed her children bread beside a small shelter where they slept. “But if we don’t put ourselves at risk, we’ll never arrive.”

Along Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala another group of migrants in Tapachula took a different approach.

Cuban migrant Rosalí Martínez waited in line outside the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid in the sweltering southern city. Traveling with her child, she had hoped to reunite with her husband in the U.S.

Now, she was biding her time, joining an increasing number of migrants who have sought asylum in Mexico in recent years, either temporarily due to shifting American restrictions or more permanently.

Like many Cubans in recent years, Martínez was fleeing a spiraling economic crisis.

“I’m going to stay here and see what happens,” she said. But “I’m not going back to Cuba. I’ll become a Mexican citizen, but there’s no way I’m going back to Cuba.”

Others like 42-year-old Jomaris Figuera and her husband want to throw in the towel after years trying to build a life outside Venezuela, where economic and political crises have prompted nearly 8 million people to flee in recent years.

They spent more than four years picking coffee in neighboring Colombia, but struggling to make ends meet, they decided to traverse the Darien Gap. They waited nearly a year and a half for a legal pathway to the U.S. in a wooden shelter in a crime-riddled migrant camp in the center of Mexico City.

But due to Venezuela’s crises, they have no passports. And without money, they fear their only pathway back will be traveling south through Mexico and Central America, and walking days through the same rugged mountains of the Darien Gap.

Anything would be better than staying in Mexico, said Figuera.

“It’s like abandoning everything after everything that’s happened to us,” she said. “But after trying to get an appointment, and this happens, we’ve given up.”

———

Clemente reported from Tapachula, Mexico. Janetsky reported from Atotonilco de Tula and Mexico City.

Biker sentenced to life for gang related murder

TYLER – An East Texas man was given a life sentence on Tuesday after being found guilty of street gang activity in connection to the murder of Brandon Edwards. According to our news partner KETK, Kevin Dale Higgins, 58, was sentenced for his role as president of the Ugly Man Cossacks gang. He was arrested in April for allegedly giving orders to an “outlaw motorcycle gang” that led to the death of Edwards in May 2020.

Edwards was identified as a Sergeant at Arms of a local 1%er Cossacks an “outlaw motorcycle gang chapter.” According to the affidavit, the rivalry between the gangs stemmed in part, from “each ‘club’ claiming to be the ‘real Cossacks.’”

Chad Crowell, who was also arrested in April 2024 for his involvement in Edward’s death, is awaiting is trail that is set for March 31.

Arrest following ‘800 files of suspected child porn’ found

TEXARKANA — According to our news partner KETK, a Texarkana registered sex offender was arrested Thursday morning after “800 files of suspected child pornography” were reportedly traced back to his Google drive account. Police were alerted in December by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about a report from Google.

The report allegedly showed that “over 800 files of suspected child pornography” had been uploaded to a Google Drive tracing back to a Texarkana address. Detectives identified the account to belong to registered sex offender, 69-year-old Kenneth Davenport.

Officials said that officers searched Davenport’s home and seized several electronic devices. Davenport was then arrested for possession of child pornography. Davenport is in custody at Bi-state jail and his bond has not been set at this time.

Child pornography found in East Texas home, man arrested

HENDERSON COUNTY — An East Texas man is behind bars after officials reportedly found child pornography in his home according to our news partner KETK.

On Wednesday, Henderson County Crimes Against Children’s Task Force and Henderson County Sheriff’s Office searched the home of Dustyn Loyd, 24 of Murchison, on FM 2339. According to officials, during the search Loyd was arrested for online solicitation of a minor and three charges of possession of child pornography. Loyd was transported to the Henderson County Jail and is currently awaiting arraignment.

Search for missing Tyler man Harley Morris continues

TYLER – A year has passed since Harley Morris’ disappearance, and despite the tireless efforts of his family and authorities, they are no closer to finding him than they were when he first went missing. According to our news partner KETK, Harley was last seen on January 21, 2024. Three days later, the Tyler Police Department issued a missing person report. The department followed up with two additional requests for residents and businesses north of Gentry Parkway to North Loop 323 to review cameras or door on the day he went missing for any signs of Harley.

They also asked the community to check their property for items Harley was known to be wearing at the time of his disappearance: a Prime 102 cap, black shoes, and a black/grey hoodie. In an effort to aid the investigation, a Facebook group was created where community members pieced together a timeline of Harley’s final known hours.
(more…)

Tyler murder suspect, grandparents arrested

UPDATE: After being on the run for two weeks, Jorian Jackson, wanted for the deadly Tyler apartment shooting was arrested on Wednesday evening. Officers served a search warrant at around 2:45 p.m. at his grandmother’s house on Highway 31, where they located him. Jackson is headed to the Smith County Jail for first-degree murder and will be held on a $1 million bond. The grandparents have been arrested. They are identified as Carolyn Johnson, 75, and Willie Johnson, 75, both from Tyler. They’ve been charged with hindering apprehension, with bond set at $50,000 each.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is searching for a Plano man for his suspected involvement in a Monday apartment shooting that killed a woman. Officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on Bellwood Lake Road at around 3:05 p.m. in reference to a homicide. When authorities arrived, they reportedly found a woman, later identified as Cheyenne Russell, 26 from Nacogdoches, with multiple gunshot wounds. Police have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Jorian Jackson.

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