Today is
Monday June 08, 2026
NACOGDOCHES — According to our news partner KETK, a Mexican man, residing in Nacogdoches, pleaded guilty to federal immigration and firearms violations on Tuesday. 25-year-old Joel Bustamante Moreno was detained for selling multiple firearms, including a 9mm pistol equipped with a Glock switch, a device that once fixed to a pistol can make it capable of firing automatically. Officials said Moreno fled the scene when officers attempted to arrest him, wrecked a vehicle and ran to a residence where he was later arrested. Moreno has previously been deported in 2019 and 2020.
He faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
Moreno’s case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program combining all levels of law enforcement and the communities to keep neighborhoods safer. Several parties are part of the investigation including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations and the Nacogdoches Police Department.
CANTON – A Van Zandt County contractor was sentenced on Tuesday for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy that cost an electric company more than $2 million.
According to the U.S. Attorney Office’s of the Eastern District Court of Texas, James Derr, 55, was involved in a group conspiracy with Rebekah Mitchell and Brittany Burton that diverted electrical equipment for financial gain. Our news partner, KETK, reports that for five years, Derr, Mitchell, and Burton reportedly worked together to steal circuit breakers and resell them to various buyers. Derr worked as an electrical contractor with J&D Electric, and Mitchell worked for Schneider Electric in Athens. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – Stephen F. Austin State University has been on alert since an anonymous threat was reportedly shared on social media, according to our news partner KETK.
“We have been made aware of the concerning message found over spring break on a bench near campus indicating something may happen on March 24,” Interim Provost Judy Abbott said. “The University Police Department has been taking action and increasing their presence on campus.”
The university recommends the following actions to ensure safety:
JEFFERSON – The Jefferson Police Department is searching for suspects involved in an attempted ATM burglary on Monday morning.
According to reports from our news partner, KETK, at around 2 a.m. police responded to an alarm call at East Texas Professional Credit Union located on East Broadway St. What they found was the aftermath of an attempted burglary at the ATM. Officials said the suspects used a stolen truck to access the ATM’s cash compartment but they were unsuccessful and no money was stolen. The suspects fled before officers arrived.
Officers are actively investigating this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jefferson Police Department.
RUSK COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office assisted the U.S. Marshal’s Service in putting the top 10 most wanted sex offenders in Texas behind bars.
Thaddeus C. Hodge has been wanted since 2023 for violating his parole after he was found guilty on two counts of indecency with a child in 2018. Hodge has also been wanted by Rusk County since August 2024, for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements and for debit and credit card abuse.
Deputies found Hodge inside his home located at the south end of the county, and he was taken into custody.
TYLER – Tyler’s City Council approved two new Class A Burn Buildings for the Tyler Fire Department. Class A Burn Buildings are used to simulate realistic fire conditions such as smoke, fire and heat for training purposes.
According to our news partner, KETK, the city purchased these portable buildings for $129,713. There is currently one Class A Burn Building for the department. The building’s structure has a two-chamber design which mirrors actual fire scenarios .Additional buildings were needed in order to meet state requirements. Two or more Class A fires need to be ignited through their training and Tyler firefighters have had to travel out of the city to get that training.
The two new Burn Buildings will be added to the department’s current training facility located near Fair Park Drive.
LONGVIEW– A Longview middle school student was detained Tuesday morning after officers were alerted of a photo online showing the student with a firearm in a school restroom.
According to a report from our news partner, KETK, around 10:45 a.m. a Longview police school officer was made aware of an online photo of a student with a firearm in the Foster Middle School restroom. Officials said that the investigation revealed that the incident occurred on Monday during an after-school event.
The student was immediately detained and transported to Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center on third-degree felony, exhibition, use or threat of exhibition or use of firearms. Read the rest of this entry »
MOUNT PLEASANT – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a man accused of stealing over 1,500 pounds of copper wire was arrested by the Titus County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said that in late February, investigators became aware of a man selling unusual amounts of scrap copper several times a week. Investigators believed the copper was being stolen from a business in Mount Pleasant so they began to communicate with the business’s owners.
After weeks of monitoring the man, investigators received a tip on Saturday alerting them that the man was back at the business where they suspected he was taking the wire from. Officials responded to the tip and arrested the man who was identified as James David Robertson. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – J Star Ministries and Texans on Mission are preparing to bring relief and resources to tornado outbreak victims in the South and Midwest.
According to our news partner, KETK, East Texas organizations are doing what they do best gearing up to help people in need. On Wednesday, J Star Ministries will go to Cave City and Diaz, Ark. Patrick Johnson, the nonprofit’s founder, is asking for donations on his social media platform. Johnson is asking for financial donations and items, including water, non-perishables, dog food, cat food and other basic needs.
“The typical basic needs such as water, Gatorade, tarps, first aid kits, toilet paper, paper towel, nonperishable food items, chips, snacks, drinks and first aid kits,” founder of J Star Ministries, Patrick Johnson, said. Read the rest of this entry »
TEXARKANA– According to our news partner KETK, four men were arrested on Friday after investigators conducted a sting operation targeting individuals attempting to solicit sex with a minor or prostitute in Texarkana. According to Texarkana Police Department, for several days investigators ran a sting operation to target people attempting to solicit sex and as a result, arrested four men.
Officials said that Gregory Alane Frame, 45 of Wake Village and Derek Dean Thomas, 33 of Henderson, were communicating with an undercover officer posing as an underage girl and then showed up at a location expecting to meet her. Frame was arrested for online solicitation of a minor sexual conduct and Thomas was arrested for online solicitation of a minor sexual conduct and unlawfully carrying a weapon.
Texarkana PD said Cameron Lamont Dotson, 21 of Texarkana, was arrested for online solicitation of prostitution while Robert Hopkins, 37 of Texarkana, was arrested for online solicitation of prostitution and manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. All four men are currently being held in the Bowie County Jail.
PALESTINE – An East Texas State legislator is pushing for a bill that would support veterans who are facing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) according to our news partner KETK.
East Texas State Representative Cody Harris of Palestine has proposed HB 3717 which would provide $50 million in private and public funding for research into ibogaine-assisted therapy. The therapy focuses on working with veterans who are suffering from (OUD) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD) along with other neurological and mental health conditions. Harris spoke about how the bill could transform the lives of many veterans across the state by giving them a second chance through recovery from addiction.
“This bill puts Texas at the forefront of medical innovation and personal freedom by cutting through federal red tape and supporting life-saving research that could give our veterans and countless others a second chance. We can’t afford to wait —Texas must lead the way,” Harris said.
Click here to learn more about HB 3717 through the Texas Legislature online.
SMITH COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, three people were recently arrested in connection to an East Texas undercover prostitution victim recovery operation. Documents obtained by KETK show that a special agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigative Division in Tyler is part of an ongoing multi-agency operation tasked with identifying and recovering victims of human trafficking.
The special agent reported in an arrest affidavit that an undercover officer solicited a prostitute through an online advertisement containing a phone number. As a part of the ongoing operation, a meeting was set up for an hour of sexual services, records show. An unreported hotel address and room number were sent and when the suspected prostitute showed up they were met by law enforcement and taken to a Texas DPS office to be questioned, according to an arrest affidavit.
A message asking about why the suspected prostitute wasn’t answering their phone was then received by the undercover officer and an arrest document described how a nearby surveillance team noticed the driver of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix talking to a bystander. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Longview man was sentenced to 100 years in prison after being found guilty for multiple counts of sexual abuse to a child.
According to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office, on Thursday Justin Eugene Howard was sentenced to 80 years for aggravated sexual assault of a child to run consecutively with a 20 year sentence for sexual assault of a child followed by 10 years of probation for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Officials said that Howard’s convictions come from his continuous sexual abuse of a girl that began back in 2008, when the child was 6-years-old and it continued through 2020. The testimony at trial showed that Howard committed several sexual offenses against the child from 2008 to 2020. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to reports from our news partner, KETK, an East Texas representative filed a bill in late February meant to protect children from sexually explicit material in public libraries.
State Representative Daniel Alders filed House Bill 3225 on Feb. 24, which would require public municipal libraries to restrict accessibility to sexually explicit material for minors.
“As radicals continue to target our children with obscene content tucked away in our children’s reading material, it’s high time for Texas lawmakers to take a stand and ensure our public libraries take the necessary steps to protect our children,” Alders said. Read the rest of this entry »
MALAKOFF — Malakoff Independent School District held a special board meeting Wednesday as the Board of Trustees named Dr. PJ Winters the lone finalist for their new superintendent.
According to our news partner, KETK, Dr. Winters brings over 20 years of experience in education to the job. He was a teacher for over five years working at Lukfata Public Schools and Marshall ISD. Then, he became an assistant principal for Jefferson ISD for over three years.
Winters became a principal at Big Sandy High School for a year before returning to Jefferson ISD, where he was also a principal for two and a half years. Afterwards, he started working at the university level and became a professor. At East Baptist University he spent over eight years working as an associate professor and later as the director of music education programs. On June 2022, Winters joined Malakoff ISD becoming director of elementary curriculum.
Winters will be staying with Malakoff ISD as the new Superintendent. The Malakoff ISD Board of Trustees voted him as the lone finalist 7-0. Once the required 21-day waiting period is over, he will formally take over the role.