Today is
Sunday June 07, 2026
CHEROKEE COUNTY — An East Texas man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for running a nationwide counterfeit meth-laced pill operation from his rural property in Cherokee County.
According to our news partner KETK, Robert Jessie Martin, 47 of Alto, was sentenced to 18 years and four mounts in prison on Thursday. Martin reportedly distributed five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, according to the evidence presented in court.
As part of the operation, Martin allegedly set up multiple rotary tablet presses on his 75-acre property near Alto, where he produced hundreds of thousands of fake pills lace with meth. These pills were then trafficked across the United States for profit. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Two men have been sentenced to prison after investigators found communication between the two, where one sent child pornography files in exchange for nude pictures of the other.
According to our news partner KETK, Antonio Guevara-Valderrama and Nathaniel Connor Mitchell pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and received combined sentences of 50 years. An affidavit obtained from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office revealed that during a search of Mitchell’s phone in November 2023, officials found “several files containing apparent child pornography.” During the investigation, officers learned that these files had been shared by Guevara-Valderrama in what appeared to be in exchange for shirtless pictures of Mitchell.
“I located about 29 files containing obvious child pornography,” the affidavit said. “The videos depicted children from infancy to pre-teen years in various sex acts with adults, including full penetration of the sex organs.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man is being held on a $1 million bond after a Wednesday police chase where he allegedly shot at officers, buildings and pointed guns at citizens.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, around 10:55 a.m., the sheriff’s office began receiving reports of a person, later identified as Mason Lowell Ahrens of Hideaway, shooting his gun out of an older model of a black Chevrolet Z71. Officials said Ahrens was shooting at buildings and pointing guns at citizens, and then left out the back gate of Hideaway. At this time, the last known location of Ahrens was on FM 16 heading towards Lindale. A detective located Ahrens and watched him pull into a gas station.
The detective pulls up behind Ahrens with his lights and sirens activated and identifies himself when he sees Ahrens look at him in his rearview mirror and flee from him, heading westbound on FM 16. Read the rest of this entry »
TEXARKANA – According to our news partner KETK, a Texarkana federal inmate pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on Tuesday and was sentenced to 100 additional months in prison, officials said.
According to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Texas, 38-year-old Jimmy Barrientos of Grand Prairie was sentenced to an additional 100 months in prison by a U.S. district judge. The statement also said that, according to court-presented information, Barrientos instructed a visitor to bring him methamphetamine at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana during a visitation.
The visitor brought a condom holding 20 grams of methamphetamine into the prison while visiting Barrientos, officials said. The visitor hid the condom with the methamphetamine inside one of the FCI’s restroom dispensers, according to the statement. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A procession and funeral was held in Tyler on Wednesday morning to honor the life of Wood County Sheriff’s Office deputy Mellissa Pollard. The funeral service was attended by her family, loved ones and brothers and sisters in blue according to our news partner KETK.
It started with a solemn procession filled with heartache as law enforcement members with agencies from across East Texas accompanied deputy Pollard from Quitman to her funeral service at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. It was part of the final goodbye to Pollard, who had been with the sheriff’s office for eight years and was killed in a crash while on duty last week. People who knew her called her a true friend and a selfless hero.
Her only daughter Alexis Locke gave a tearful eulogy remembering the bond they shared and the type of life Pollard lived. Read the rest of this entry »
LINDALE – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has released more information following a shooting incident Wednesday morning in Hideaway, where a man fired at officers from inside his vehicle.
According to our news partner KETK, it all began at a gas station near the Hideaway community. A gas station cashier said something inside their store seemed to set off one of their regular customers. Around 11 a.m., officials received a call saying that someone was actively shooting out of a vehicle inside the Hideaway Lake Addition. Smith County deputies and investigators arrived on the scene, where they found the suspect exiting the back gate of the Hideaway addition and heading toward FM 16. Deputies attempted to pull the suspect over as he continued eastbound towards Lindale. The suspect then turned onto U.S. Highway 69 and traveled southbound towards I-20. While being pursued, officials stated the suspect was still armed and began pointing his firearm at officers.
As the suspect continued on U.S. 69, he allegedly began firing at officers, including Smith County deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety personnel. In response, officers returned fire while the suspect continued south before turning left onto Ann Campbell Road. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – According to our news partner, KETK, Governor Greg Abbott has appointed a new member, Jay Herrington of Palestine, to the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority Board of Directors.
The Board’s purpose is to develop resources that help conserve water in the Upper Neches River basin in Anderson, Henderson, Smith and Cherokee counties.
Herrington is well educated in actuarial resources and science. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Actuarial Science from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Actuarial Science from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Before retiring from the financial industry after 34 years, Herrington was a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
Jay Herrington’s term as a UNRMWA director will expire on Feb. 1, 2029.
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a lawsuit has been filed by the East Texas Title Company in an attempt to block a rule requiring intrusive data collection and reporting for cash real estate purchases.
The lawsuit was filed against the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which is operating under the supervision of U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent. In 2024, the network finalized a rule that would require companies to report information about non-financial real estate transactions, including personal information from everyone involved in the sale. The rule is currently set to go into effect in Dec. 2025.
Luke Wake, an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation representing East Texas Title Company, spoke about how they believe FinCen is unethically collecting personal information from citizens. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A woman has been arrested in connection to a Saturday morning murder in Smith County after investigators uncovered text messages allegedly revealing she helped plan a robbery leading to the victim’s death.
According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 2 a.m. on Saturday after a person reported seeing a man lying on the side of the road in Flint. Further information revealed the man had been shot. When officials arrived, they found James Michael LittleJohn unresponsive and he was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. An affidavit obtained from the sheriff’s office revealed the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat with Ashley Kate Joiner as the driver. A second suspect, John Floyd McDaniel, 55, was in the back passenger seat.
“While she was operating the vehicle…she witnessed McDaniel grab the victim from the back and attempt to rob Littlejohn with a handgun,” documents show. “Joiner stated she heard McDaniel tell [Littlejohn], ‘Don’t move, or I’ll shoot you, give me your phone.’”
After LittleJohn took out a knife to defend himself, McDaniel shot him one time, according to the affidavit. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN – According to our news partner KETK, a Lufkin man was arrested following a Monday night stand-off outside his home that lasted several hours. Lufkin officers arrived at the home after receiving a call at 10 p.m. from a witness who claimed that Flint Thompson, 46, had locked his family members inside a room and would not let them out, according to the police department.
Once at the home, patrol officers called for members of the SWAT team and crisis negotiators to help remove the family from the home. Eventually, officials stated, the family was removed except for Thompson.
After hours of requesting Thompson to surrender peacefully, officers obtained an arrest warrant and search warrant, allowing SWAT to enter the home and take him into custody. He was charged with unlawful restraint.
TYLER – UT Health East Texas is continuing to expand their health care operations by building a new facility in Tyler.
According to our news partner, KETK, the new state-of-the-art facility will have an area of more than eight thousand square feet. It will open up at Loop 323 and Earl Campbell Parkway in West Tyler near the Sam’s Club, and the new building will offer an urgent care center, a pediatric clinic, and a primary care clinic.
UT Health CEO Todd Hill spoke about the need for the new facility due to Tyler’s continued population growth.
“This location is at the heart of Tyler’s rapid growth along the western corridor,” Hill said. “As our community expands, we remain committed to meeting the increasing demand for quality healthcare close to home. This investment ensures that families in this area have convenient access to the care they need, when they need it.”
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility will be held at 10 a.m. on April 17 and the building is anticipated to be opened later this year.
UPSHUR COUNTY – According to our news partner, KETK, an Upshur County deputy received the lifesaving award on Tuesday after saving a man’s life during an overdose in March.
Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb presented Deputy Lucrecia Davidson the lifesaving award after she responded to an overdose call on March 27 where a man was found unresponsive and lying on the floor.
Officials said Davidson was the first on scene and administered two doses of Narcan and continued to provide CPR while keeping his airway clear until EMS arrived and transported him to the hospital.Then man slowly began to respond and survived the incident due to Davidson’s quick actions.
The Sheriff’s office commented, saying, “Thank you, Deputy Davidson, for your unwavering service to the citizens of Upshur County.”
SMITH COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Smith County deputy and K9 placed second out of 39 teams at a narcotics competition in Florida.
According to the Smith County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, Deputy Alvin Gordon and K9 Blaze attended the National Narcotics Detector Dog Association (NNDDA) National Training Conference at the Hyatt Conference Center in Titusville, Fla., from April 7 through April 11, where they competed against other K9s and handlers.
NNDDA holds an annual seminar for hundreds of K9s and their handlers with extensive training, including K9 liability, K9 supervisor’s course, training sites and certification, K9 troubleshooting problems, patrol competition, and narcotics competition. Officials said Gordon and Blaze came home with second place in the narcotics competition out of 39 teams.
“We could not be prouder of these two, and the work they do for Smith County,” the precinct 5 constable’s office said.
HENDERSON COUNTY – The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office has taken an “aggressive stance” to arrest child predators and keep East Texas safe.
Our news partner, KETK, visited with Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, who makes sure his team is keeping the local community protected and raising awareness for victims of abuse.
“We have seen a rise. I think it’s the aggressive stance we have taken and the Crimes Against Children Task Force that was formed. We knew when it was formed that we would work more cases than we were originally…We knew the case load would go up… when you work one of these crimes, you do the interviews and start gathering physical and digital evidence, a lot of the times you get more and more victims,” Hillhouse said.
He also said that although these are serious crimes against children, every Texan has the ability to post bond when they are first arrested. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that two people have been arrested following a Saturday morning morning murder in Smith County.
According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, they received a 911 call around 2 a.m. on Saturday after a person reported seeing a man lying on the side of the road in Flint. Further information revealed the man had been shot.
When deputies, arrived the victim, James Littlejohn, 39, was unresponsive. EMS transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim’s body was taken to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas for an autopsy. An investigation was launched immediately and authorities learned that the suspect, John Floyd McDaniel, 55, was in the back passenger seat of a vehicle driven by Ashley Kate Joiner. Read the rest of this entry »