Today is
Tuesday July 21, 2026
TYLER — A runoff has been called for the Tyler mayoral race after neither of the four candidates running received enough votes on Saturday to fill the position. According to our news partner KETK, John Nix leads with 32% of the votes, while Stuart Hene trails with 26%. Candidates James Wynee and Shirley McKellar will not appear on the runoff ballot after not receiving enough votes on Saturday to qualify.
The runoff for the mayoral race has been scheduled for Saturday, June 13.
As Nix and Hene look to keep voters engaged leading up to the runoff, Nix said he will continue campaigning and interacting with voters over the next few weeks.
“We’re super excited that our vote total is coming out on top tonight,” Nix said. “We knocked on over 10,000 doors and we’re going to continue to go strong. We’re just excited to be able to continue the conversation with the voters into the runoff.”
Meanwhile, Hene said he will work to sustain the support he received from voters on Saturday while continuing to preach his campaign message of positivity.
“It’s the same positive message that we’ve been running, and I hope to continue to reach out across the city to gain the support that we have with the voters who turned out today,” Hene said. “While hopefully attracting new voters with the same positive message of continuing that momentum that we have going in our city, we have been the second-best place to live in the state of Texas.”
MARSHALL – A disturbance on the campus of Wiley University led to the arrest of two women. The Marshall Police Department said it was called to the university campus on April 26 regarding a reported disturbance. Working in coordination with Wiley University Security, MPD learned that Marietta Denise Taylor, 50, allegedly made threatening statements in the presence of university security personnel that were directed toward the university.
According to our news partner KETK, it was through their investigation that it was determined there was probable cause to arrest Taylor for making the terroristic threat, a third-degree felony. She was arrested without incident and booked into the Harrison County Jail. On Friday, May 1, Jayla Unique Jackson, 24, was arrested for criminal trespass in connection with the same incident.
“The Marshall Police Department takes all threats of violence seriously and will continue working closely with its law enforcement and community partners to ensure the safety and security of
the public,” MPD said in a statement.
The department asks that anyone with information about this incident to call 903-935-4575.
TYLER – As the May 2 elections approach, several East Texas School districts are asking their residents to pass school bond proposals to help expand facilities for students, repair campuses and more. Our news partner KETK has put together the following list of school bond proposals that will appear on May ballots across East Texas:
ALBA-GOLDEN
Alba-Golden ISD is calling for a $20.6 million bond proposal to fund the following:
Career & Technology Education (CTE) Facility
Agricultural Mechanics & Metal Tech workshop (3,500 SF)
Construction Tech workshop (3,500 SF) Read the rest of this entry »
LINDALE – The City of Lindale honored retiring police chief Dan Somes on Friday after he spent more than 20 years serving with the Lindale Police Department. According to our news partner KETK, Somes was part of Lindale PD for 27 years and lead the department as Chief of Police for the past 20 years. He started his career with the city of Seven Points Police Department before joining Lindale’s police force. He was able to radio out his last call at an retirement celebration held at Picker’s Pavilion on Friday. During the event Somes was presented with a shadow box containing a Lindale PD badge and patches.
Part of the new blood Somes referred to is Brent Chambers, who started his tenure as Lindale PD’s new chief of police in March.
TYLER – Smith County Animal Control and Shelter has announced it’s looking to coordinate with local animal shelters to better help local animals following a recent controversy. Pawsitive Place Rescue and Nicholas Pet Haven took to social media recently to criticize how the Smith County shelter reportedly euthanized a dozen dogs without notifying any of the nearby shelters so they could take the animals and spare them from death. Following these posts, the Smith County Animal Shelter detailed several recent policy changes they’ve made to their euthanasia protocols at a meeting of the Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday.
Pawsitive Place Rescue and Nicholas Pet Haven said they spoke with Smith County Judge Neal Franklin on Wednesday and that he heard their complaints. They explained that even after these recent policy changes, they’d like to see the county, community and state support efforts to foster, spay and neuter pets to prevent shelters from filling up in the first place.
“The real solution is mandatory spay and neuter,” Nicholas Pet Haven said. “The county and city both have the ability to put this into action yet they refuse to do so. Hopefully, this can be done at the state level. If not, the problem remains. If you are a dog owner and let your dog have one liter after another, then you are the problem.” Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW —Several members of the Longview Fire Department were honored by Governor Abbott recently for their heroic efforts. The incident occurred during the morning of Feb. 28 after a hot air balloon carrying two people crashed into a 920-foot cell tower. Once on the scene, firefighters began using multiple rope systems to safely remove both people from the balloon and bring them back to the ground.
The firefighters who helped safely remove both people from the balloon were honored by Abbott at the department’s annual banquet last Saturday.
“We were deeply honored to welcome Governor Abbott and his team, and we extend our sincere gratitude to the City of Longview and every one of our incredible sponsors,” the Longview Fire Department said. “Your support and generosity transformed this evening into a night to remember for all our members and their families.”
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – AAA Texas said the statewide average gas price spiked by 25 cents since last week amid continued uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz.
“Drivers had been seeing some minor relief at the pump, but that trend has quickly reversed as crude oil prices climb and uncertainty continues around the Strait of Hormuz,” AAA Texas spokesperson Daniel Armbruster said. “Because crude oil is the main driver of gasoline prices, continued volatility in the global oil market could keep upward pressure on pump prices in the days ahead.”
Oil prices surged above $100 this week, prompting Texas’s average regular unleaded gas price to reach $3.85 per gallon, well below the nationwide average of $4.30 per gallon.
According to AAA Texas, fuel prices haven’t been this high since 2022, as the world continues to wait and see whether the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.
FRANKSTON — A Frankston ISD parent has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a high school basketball coach and teacher of sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging her son’s playing time and grades were impacted after she rejected the coach’s advances. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, names head basketball coach and economics teacher Vance Dallas and Frankston ISD as defendants, according to our news partner KETK.
According to the complaint, the student’s mother alleges Dallas made repeated unwanted sexual advances toward her during the school year and tied her son’s athletic opportunities to her compliance. The lawsuit claims that in December, Dallas asked her to share an adjoining hotel room during an out-of-town basketball tournament, allegedly implying her son would receive more playing time if she agreed.
In another instance, the complaint alleges Dallas asked her in November 2025 to model a basketball uniform “wearing only the uniform,” again tying the request to a potential starting position for her son. Read the rest of this entry »
SEVEN POINTS – Mold and water damage have compromised police evidence left for months inside an abandoned former city hall building, once used by the Seven Points Police Department. One case is already in jeopardy — and more could follow.
According to our news partner KETK, the City of Seven Points received an email from the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office on April 22 requesting evidence for an active criminal case. But when staff searched their new evidence storage container, the requested evidence was nowhere to be found.
Back in March 2025, the City of Seven Points City Hall and police station building at 428. E Cedar Creek Parkway was significantly damaged in a storm. The roof was ripped off from the police station side of the building during the storm, taking out a electricity pole in the process and leaving the structure without power.
According to the City of Seven Points, power could not be restored to the former city hall building, prompting the mayor and police chief to coordinate a relocation plan. Mayor Keith Betts was responsible for moving the city’s administrative offices and records, while former Police Chief Raymond Wennerstrom was tasked with overseeing the police department’s move, including the transfer of its evidence room. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Smith County Judge Neal Franklin and members of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office stopped by Bell Elementary School in Tyler on Thursday to chat with local students. As a part of National County Government Month, Franklin and members of the sheriff’s office’s K-9 team showed up outside the school on Thursday with the county’s new Terradyne armored law enforcement vehicle, that students got to look inside of and learn about.
Bell Elementary recently became a partner with Smith County through the new Community Connect Program from the Tyler Area Business Education Council and Tyler ISD. Students also got to meet with the K-9 team, who told them about the work they do and the role that dogs like K-9 Bella serve in law enforcement.
HOUSTON (AP) — A North Texas man who claims he was not the shooter in a fatal robbery that killed two people nearly 18 years ago and who says prosecutors misused rap lyrics he wrote to secure his death sentence faced execution Thursday evening.
James Broadnax was sentenced to death for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. Prosecutors say Broadnax and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, fatally shot and robbed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in the parking lot of Butler’s recording studio in Garland. Cummings was sentenced to life without parole.
Prosecutors say Broadnax, 37, confessed to the shooting, telling reporters during jailhouse interviews that “I pulled the trigger” and that he had no remorse.
Broadnax was scheduled to receive a lethal injection after 6 p.m. CDT at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Houston.
His attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution, filing multiple final appeals after lower courts declined to stop the lethal injection.
His lawyers have focused his final appeals on two issues: Cummings has recently confessed to being the shooter; and Broadnax’s constitutional rights were violated because prosecutors eliminated potential jurors during his trial on the basis of race.
“I’m really gonna tell it like it’s supposed to be told, that it was me, that I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swann,” Cummings said recently from prison in a video created as part of the efforts to stop Broadnax’s execution.
Broadnax’s attorneys say in filings with the high court that Cummings’ confession is “corroborated by the fact that his DNA, and not Mr. Broadnax’s, was found on the murder weapon and in the pocket of one of the victims.”
In the video, Broadnax said his confession was false as at the time he didn’t care about his life. Broadnax’s lawyers say he was under the influence of drugs during the television interviews.
He also apologized to the families of Butler and Swan for taking part in the robbery.
“I wish I could show them my soul, so they could see just how sorry I am. I am very much remorseful for everything that happened,” Broadnax said.
His attorneys also allege prosecutors dismissed all seven potential Black jurors on the basis of their race, “utilizing a spreadsheet during jury selection that bolded only the names of every Black juror,” according to court documents. One Black juror was later reinstated to the jury. Broadnax is Black.
In a 1986 ruling known as Batson v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that excluding jurors because of their race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Broadnax’s attorneys had argued in an earlier appeal that prosecutors had violated his constitutional rights by using some of the rap lyrics he wrote to portray him as a violent and dangerous person in order to secure a death sentence. A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott,T.I. and Killer Mike, had filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax’s appeal.
But the high court rejected that appeal as well as another that focused on how forensic evidence was presented at his trial.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Tuesday denied Broadnax’s request for a 180-day reprieve or to commute his death sentence.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office has described Cummings’ confession as the shooter as “questionable new evidence.” It also said in court documents that Broadnax’s claims that potential Black jurors were targeted for removal are “entirely meritless” as these jurors were stricken not because of race but because of their answers during questioning, including that some opposed the death penalty.
Theresa Butler, Matthew Butler’s mother, has asked that the execution proceed.
“This so called confession from cummings is just a stall tactic by broadnax’s desperate defense team. Its all a lie,” Butler wrote in a post on social media.
If the execution is carried out, Broadnax would be the third person put to death this year in Texas, which has historically held more executions than any other state.
About an hour before Broadnax’s scheduled execution on Thursday, Florida is set to put to death James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, for beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death.
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Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://x.com/juanlozano70
TROUP — Antisemitic signs were spotted in downtown Troup Wednesday and city officials quickly removed them, citing a violation of state law. Our news partner KETK reports that there were around six laminated sheets of paper filled with hate speech targeting the Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities. There was also a QR code leading to a website with even more hateful content.
Texas Transportation Code § 393, in conjunction with HB 3611, makes it illegal to place signs in the right-of-way of a public road without permission from the city or county. Troup Police Chief Shawn Murray is asking businesses to remain vigilant and report anyone putting up more signs.
LONGVIEW — One person has been arrested following a shooting at a residence on Club Drive on Wednesday morning. According to the Longview Police Department, officers responded to a shooting in the 100 block of Club Drive near E Cotton St at around 7 a.m. Upon arrival, officers located a person who had been shot; the victim was later transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Melvin Colbert, 59, was arrested during the police department’s investigation as the shooter. Colbert was booked into the Gregg County Jail and charged with aggravated assault-family violence causing serious bodily injury and unlawful possession of a firearm by felon.
MARSHALL — Police arrested a man on Tuesday after a morning shooting left another person with multiple, non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. According to our news partner KETK, Marshall Police received a report of a shooting in the 300 block of Oak Street on Tuesday at 7:42 a.m., where law enforcement found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical aid was provided to the victim, who identified the suspect as Kornelius Bell of Marshall. The victim was then taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Marshall Police Department said.
Bell was found at a residence in the 300 block of Cedar Street, where he was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Harrison County Jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. The firearm believed to have been used in the incident was recovered at the residence.
Though an arrest has been made, the Marshall Police Department continues to follow up on leads with additional charges expected. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the police department at 903-935-4575.
ALTO – Alto ISD superintendent Derrick Conley announced on Monday that he will be resigning from his position at the end of the school year. According to our news partner KETK, Conley said he will be leaving Alto to work in a school district near his grandchildren, allowing him to be more involved in his family’s daily lives.
“I am forever grateful to the Alto ISD Board of Trustees for allowing me this opportunity to lead,” Conley said. “I would like to thank all of the leaders, teachers, and staff, and I will sincerely miss our kids.”
The school district where Conley has accepted his new position has not been disclosed.
HENDERSON COUNTY – A man has been arrested after Tool Police found a woman who died at a residence on Bradley’s Bend Friday. According to Tool PD, an officer was responding to a possible burglary around 8:35 p.m. when they found a woman who had suffered fatal injuries inside her home. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity is being withheld until notifying of next of kin.
A man was also found inside the home and reportedly got into a brief physical altercation with the responding officer, according to our news partner KETK. After the altercation, the unidentified man was arrested but hasn’t been formally charged with a crime yet.
Tool PD, the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers are investigating the case as a homicide. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Tool Police Department at 903-432-2550.
TYLER – As Tyler voters head out to the polls, East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran has weighed in on the Tyler mayoral race by throwing his support behind John Nix. In an endorsement video shared to Nix’s Facebook page on Friday, Moran stressed his support for Nix’s “Thrive Tyler” action plan for for the city’s future.
“Today, I want you to know that I am fully supporting and strongly endorsing John Nix to be your next mayor and I want you to know why I think that John is uniquely qualified to lead the city of Tyler in the next few years,” Moran said. “He’s put forward a strong study plan that addresses all the critical needs that plan, the Thrive Tyler plan, is exactly on point for what the City of Tyler needs. So this week, let’s get to the polls.”
Nix and Moran are both Republicans and have both served on the Tyler City Council. Nix is currently running against fellow candidates Shirley McKellar, James Wynne and Stuart Hene.
HUNTSVILLE (AP) – When he was 19, James Broadnax jotted down rap lyrics, thoughts and even job leads in a notebook that would become evidence at his capital murder trial.
Prosecutors selected lyrics with alleged references to gang affiliation and shootings to convince jurors that instead of life in prison, Broadnax, who is Black, should be put to death after his conviction — a move his lawyers argue biased the almost all-white jury.
Broadnax isn’t the only defendant or even the only person on Texas’ death row whose rap lyrics have been introduced to a jury. Rap lyrics have featured in hundreds of court cases in more than 40 states over the past 50 years, though judges often exclude other forms of creative expression from being used as evidence, researchers have found. Treating rap lyrics as diary entries minimizes their artistic value while playing on negative racial stereotypes to influence jurors, experts say.
“It denies rap music the status of art. It is characterized as autobiography,” said Erik Nielson, co-author of the book “Rap on Trial.” “It really does speak to underlying assumptions that some people have about young men of color — and that’s almost exclusively who this practice targets — that they aren’t sophisticated enough to engage in various literary devices. That there isn’t metaphor here.”
Rap lyrics are commonly used in racketeering or gang-related cases. Prosecutors try to establish the defendant’s involvement in an underlying crime by introducing lyrics as evidence, Nielson said. If someone is charged with a shooting, for example, prosecutors look for lyrics that mention a shooting.
“If the lyrics were written before the alleged crime, the prosecutors will say this is evidence of motive,” Nielson said. “If they’re written afterward, they’re characterized as a straight-up confession.”
Rap lyrics introduced in court as autobiographical
Broadnax and his cousin were charged with murder for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. After more than a decade on death row, he is scheduled to be executed April 30.
In their pending appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Broadnax’s execution, his attorneys argue that a judge should have considered the potential for racial bias and instructed the jury that his lyrics should not be viewed as autobiographical.
“The emphasis on the rap lyrics was a key element in this racially charged narrative,” Broadnax’s attorneys wrote. “Worse, the record in this case confirms that the jury delivered a death sentence based on the racial stereotypes invoked by the rap lyrics.”
Kemba, a rapper featured in the documentary “As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial,” told The Associated Press that introducing rap lyrics is particularly effective with juries because of innate prejudices — and because prosecutors want convictions.
“There’s a lot of people that don’t see rap or Black music as artistic expression,” he said. “And when you’re in a court case, there’s already an assumption that you’ve done something (wrong).”
The defendants in these cases are “almost exclusively young men of color, often with very limited resources,” and many can’t afford a private attorney, Nielson said.
But some high-profile rappers have had their songs introduced in court, like Young Thug, whose lyrics were used as evidence at his trial on gang and racketeering charges. He pleaded guilty to those charges and was released from custody in 2024.
Stereotypes about rap emerge
“The criminalization and the targeting of hip-hop has been going on for all 50 years of the culture,” said Nielson, who noted the use of rap lyrics in court ramped up in the early 1990s.
The monitoring of Black artistic expression dates back to the antebellum South, he said, though that intensified as rap music became more critical of power structures, like N.W.A.’s 1989 song “F— the Police,” which condemns police brutality.
In 2022, The New York Times’ Jaeah Lee looked for non-rap examples of lyrics used at trial from 1950 onward and found only four. Three cases were thrown out and one led to a conviction that was overturned. In that same time period, Nielson found roughly 700 examples of rap lyrics used in court cases, including lyrics that someone rapped but didn’t even write.
Another study conducted by University of Nevada assistant professor Adam Dunbar examined stereotypes of rap. He presented people with lyrics, saying they were from rap, country or metal music. When it came to rap, respondents overwhelmingly considered the lyrics to be autobiographical.
“But if they’re given the same lyrics and told that those are country or heavy metal lyrics, they say, ‘No, it’s just art,’” said J.M. Harper, director of “As We Speak.”
Some rappers have begun directly attesting to the fictional nature of their music. The year before he was fatally stabbed in 2021, Drakeo the Ruler released the song “Fictional” from behind bars because his lyrics were being treated as nonfiction. In 2023, 21 Savage described his raps as “fiction as hell.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind that they are doing this for fear of prosecution,” Nielson said.
Rules of evidence can be open to judge’s interpretation
A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott, T.I. and Killer Mike, have filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax, cautioning against considering rap lyrics autobiographical.
Prosecutors in the case said Texas law allows evidence relevant to a defendant’s reputation at sentencing and contend the court shouldn’t consider the argument against the lyrics because Broadnax failed to raise concerns in previous appeals. State courts have ruled against other appeals by Broadnax’s attorneys.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is not the prosecutors,” rapper LL Cool J told the AP in 2024, adding that judges should better block rap lyrics from trials. “The question is: Why is it even admissible?”
Lucius T. Outlaw III, a professor at Howard University School of Law who filed the amicus brief on behalf of Nielson and Killer Mike, said judges enforce rules of evidence specific to each state.
One judge might view rap lyrics as relevant; another may disagree. One might worry about triggering “anti-rap, which is anti-Black, bias,” he said, “where another judge will say, ‘I don’t see that prejudice.’”
“Guidelines about what is relevant when it comes to artistic expression and what is overly prejudicial is so needed,” he said.
Jeff Bellin, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School, said current rules tell judges to exclude evidence if it has low value as proof and a danger of creating bias.
“The safeguard should be judges, but they are often not aware of the social issues, or the context, when it comes to rap lyrics,” he said.
New legislation seeks protection for lyrics
Bellin said legislating around the issue is difficult because lawmakers don’t want to create rules that would exclude evidence truly relevant to any case.
In the past five years, at least 27 bills have been introduced federally and in a half-dozen states to limit the use of a defendant’s creative expressions, including rap lyrics, in criminal proceedings, according to an AP analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.
On April 9, Maryland became the third state to pass legislation, creating “guardrails and a test for judges to impose anytime prosecutors want to use artistic expression, not just rap,” Outlaw said, noting it requires a factual connection between the potential evidence and the charges.
“It’s not the cure-all, but it’s a huge, important step,” he said.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release from immigration custody of the family of a man charged in a fatal 2025 firebomb attack in Boulder, Colorado, against demonstrators supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio said Hayam El Gamal and her five children can be released from a family immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, as long as El Gamal and her oldest child, who is 18, wear electronic monitoring. Biery denied the government’s request to stay his ruling so it could appeal. One of the family’s lawyers, Eric Lee, posted on X that they were released later in the day.
El Gamal was born in Saudi Arabia and is an Egyptian national. She and her family have been in immigration detention since June after her husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was accused of throwing two Molotov cocktails at people demonstrating for awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza. An 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack later died. El Gamal has said she was shocked by the attack.
Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the U.S. illegally. He is being prosecuted in both state and federal court for the attack, which prosecutors say injured a total of 13 people. Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.” He has pleaded not guilty to state charges, including a murder charge, and federal hate crimes charges.
After the attack, the Trump administration claimed the family was being rushed out of the country. The White House said in social media posts that they “COULD BE DEPORTED AS EARLY AS TONIGHT” and that six one-way tickets had been purchased for them, with their “final boarding call coming soon.”
Biery decided to release the family even though an immigration appeals court had dismissed their case to stay and issued a deportation order for them. That came after a federal magistrate judge recommended on Monday that they should be released.
Lawyers for the family claim the deportation order was directed by the “political leadership” in Washington, which the government’s lawyer, Anne Marie Cordova, denied. People who have final deportation orders are normally subject to mandatory detention.
In a statement, acting assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis criticized Biery’s ruling.
“Despite receiving full due process and a final order of removal, this activist judge appointed by Bill Clinton is releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets,” Bis said.
Biery had barred the family from being deported until he could hold Thursday’s hearing. One of the family’s lawyers, Chris Godshall-Bennett, told Biery they will also ask the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to stop the family from being deported while they seek asylum and permission to remain in the United States.
Another federal judge blocked their immediate removal after the attack. Since then, the family has tried several times to be released on bond and return to Colorado while their asylum application is considered.
The magistrate judge recommended this week that they be released after their attorneys argued they have not been treated fairly in immigration proceedings.
RUSK COUNTY — Authorities are investigating after an East Texas student was hospitalized on Wednesday for consuming suspected drug?laced gummies. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred on a West Rusk CCISD school bus, where at least one student ate gummies believed to be laced with an unknown substance. The student was taken to the hospital, treated and later released.
The district says it is cooperating fully with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office as the investigation continues. “West Rusk CCISD focuses on the safety and security of our students at all times. As the investigation is conducted and completed, that information will be shared,” the district said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the gummies have not yet undergone drug testing, so their contents remain unverified. Read the rest of this entry »
BULLARD – Bullard and Winnsboro ISD were both awarded state grants this week to help support students with autism. Both districts were selected by the Texas Education Agency to receive the grant, which will provide $530,000 in the first year and $750,000 in the second year to help expand support for students with autism.
According to our news partner KETK, the grant will allow both districts to install the following initiatives that will provide support to autistic students while also providing tools to educators to create a better learning environment: Increasing opportunities for students to learn in inclusive classrooms, using proven, research-based teaching strategies, offering more resources and training opportunities for parents and providing additional training for teachers and staff.
“We are so excited about what these grant funds will allow us to do to better serve our students with autism,” Bullard ISD Director of Special Education and 504 Director Shelley Tiner said. “By working together, our districts are building a strong model that best supports our students and families.”
JEFFERSON — An East Texas judge is disputing accusations that he assaulted both a minor and an adult at a 2025 Halloween party, casting scrutiny on the timing of the adult’s complaint, which surfaced months after the incident. According to our news partner KETK, Marion County Judge Leward LeFleur, who ran uncontested in the March 3 Republican Primary, was first accused of a Class C assault misdemeanor against the minor at a fall 2025 party. After the county recused itself, the case was handed to the Morris County District Attorney’s Office.
The City of Jefferson was then handed the case for review, where acting Jefferson City Attorney George Hyde requested additional information on the allegation from the Jefferson Police Department. There, they discovered a second assault that an adult alleged happened at the same Halloween party.
“After receiving this information, it revealed additional information regarding the alleged assault and included information and a new complaint against Judge Lafleur arising from the same event and which occurred close in time to the alleged assault,” a statement from Hyde’s office said. Read the rest of this entry »
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — After nearly 30 years, human remains found in Alabama have been identified as those of James Carol Jackson, a man from Groveton, Texas, whose death has been ruled a homicide.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama said Jackson was identified using forensic genealogy in April 2026. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office in Texas confirmed that Jackson was from Groveton.
Officials said in January 1994, a person was walking in the wooded area off of State Highway 225 when they spotted skeletal remains. Found with those remains were a trucker hat, a western shirt, an inhaler, a digital watch, prescription glasses, a mechanical pencil and pen set, as well as a torch tip.
Officials believe the homicide happened in 1988 or 1989, after he arrived in the area around 1987, when he was 50 years old.
Jackson drove a 1978 to 1981 Chevrolet Camaro that the sheriff’s office has not been able to locate.
He was a welder, and in 1987, he told his family he was going to Alabama for work.
At the time, I-65 was being expanded, and officials believe he may have come to the area to help work on the project.
Officials also said he stopped communicating with his family about 12 months after leaving Texas.
It is believed that he may have been living off Highway 225 and may have frequented the Tensaw Lodge.
Family described him as a non-violent, easy-going guy.
Anyone who may have any information on the case can submit a tip through the sheriff’s office website or through Crimestoppers.
LINDALE — The Texas Rangers are investigating the death of a Lindale ISD student following a choking incident at school, district officials confirmed on Wednesday. In a letter addressed to parents and the community, Lindale ISD said the student, Adrian Thompson, suffered a medical emergency that prompted immediate lifesaving efforts on campus. According to our news partner KETK, staff responded by performing the Heimlich maneuver, using a LifeVac device and administering CPR. Emergency services were then called, and Thompson was transported for treatment before being taken to a medical center in Fort Worth.
The district commended the actions of staff, including teachers, aides, the school nurse and first responders, for their quick response. Lindale ISD also emphasized that safety protocols and lifesaving equipment have been in place across the district for medical emergencies.
The Texas Rangers are now leading the investigation into the incident. District officials said the findings will be shared with Thompson’s family and the community once available. In addition, Lindale ISD said it will seek an independent review of its safety equipment and emergency response procedures. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY— An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison last week after he was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to our news partner KETK, 81-year-old former truck driver Randall Tidwell was arrested in 2025 after two underage girls reported that he had sexually abused them over multiple years.
While both girls were living with Tidwell, he allegedly sexually abused both of them inside his truck and at his home in Seven Points. The victims later revealed Tidwell’s actions once they left his home and were living in Kansas. During the investigation, Tidwell admitted to sexually abusing the girls on more than one occasion and was given two life sentences in prison last week after he was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
“The children had so much support during the trial, from the eldest’s former principal and her 1st grade teacher, to witnesses from Kansas who flew and drove in from out of State to ensure they received justice for what happened to them,” Henderson County District Attorney Jenny Palmer said “The jury took less than 20 minutes to reach their two life sentences verdict. Tidwell will never again see freedom.”
TYLER – Multiple East Texas schools have received threats over the last few weeks, including Chapel Hill, Rusk, Alto, and Troup. Now, according to our news partner KETK, law enforcement agencies are examining the most effective tactics to prevent these threats from escalating.
Chief Kyndal Brown with Troup ISD recalled an incident on April 13: “So last week we received a phone call just after lunches were over that an individual stated that he was going to come into our high school with an AR-15 style rifle and then he was going to go down to the middle school and obviously, we immediately responded. Both officers were able to immediately secure the exterior,” Brown said. He added that the call was non-credible and that they don’t need to update their protocols in light of these threats.
Troup ISD uses the state-wide Standard Response Protocol: HOLD, SECURE, LOCKDOWN, EVACUATE, AND SHELTER. On Monday, the school entered a ‘SECURE’ status. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK COUNTY — Four people were arrested on Saturday after deputies uncovered a suspected cockfighting operation in Rusk County, where dozens of roosters were found dead. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said they received information about cockfighting taking place at a property off FM 839 in the Reklaw area. The sheriff’s office patrol and criminal investigation unit, alongside other East Texas sheriff’s offices, arrived at the property and saw the illegal activity. During the investigation, they found 56 dead roosters and 11 that were alive and seized.
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WHITEHOUSE – According to the Sheriff’s Office, one person was injured and one was arrested after a stabbing in Whitehouse Sunday morning. The stabbing suspect was taken into custody after a 45-minute standoff with deputies. The incident started on Judy Street in Whitehouse and one man was injured in the stabbing. The suspect was stopped by a deputy in the 1700 block of Centennial Parkway. The suspect refused to get out of the car and deputies negotiated with the suspect for about 45 minutes before he surrendered, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said the suspect was arrested on an unrelated warrant. The sheriff’s office decline to name the suspect as the Whitehouse Police Department is investigating this as an aggravated assault case.
LONGVIEW – UPDATE: Just days after the crash that killed a Longview teacher and a nurse practitioner, Joel Mack’s final act of generosity is unfolding: in less than 24 hours, his organs will be donated to save others.
Newly released details from the Texas Department of Public Safety shed light on the U.S. Highway 259 crash that killed a Longview nurse practitioner and a Longview ISD teacher last weekend. Our news partners at KETK report that the collision occurred at around 3 a.m. on Sunday in the Diana area, involving Longview ISD teacher Kimberly Law and Hospitality Health ER nurse practitioner Joel Mack, DPS confirmed.
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RUSK – Missing 57-year-old David Blount’s brother, Billy Blount, shared a letter on Friday calling for action and stating that the City of Rusk has “failed his brother, his family, and every resident who expects transparency.” The open letter arrived in the KETK newsroom on Friday afternoon, calling for accountability from those investigating his brother’s Dec. 2 disappearance.
“We have watched in disbelief as the City of Rusk turned what should have been a straightforward investigation into a masterclass in stonewalling and self-preservation,” David’s brother Billy said. “Thank God for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Rangers who stepped up in our family’s time of desperate need.”
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