Today is
Sunday July 19, 2026
HENDERSON COUNTY – A Chandler man has been incarcerated for allegedly pushing and striking a two-year-old, causing fractures to his legs and skull. Joshua David Brooks, 23, is accused of causing harm to a minor. On June 15, Henderson County deputies received reports of a two-year-old child who had been taken to a hospital in Tyler due to head injuries. This prompted the start of the investigation. An arrest affidavit listed a six-millimeter fracture of the skull, tibia fracture, brain shift of four millimeters, swelling of the brain, and a bruised and swollen eye as injuries. The two-year-old’s mother was dating Brooks, who later admitted to deputies that he had bathed the child and placed her on a rug. Read the rest of this entry »
WOOD COUNTY – A man from East Texas was given a 25-year prison sentence for repeatedly sexually abusing a 13-year-old. On June 15, Donald Ray Cady, 45, of Alba, entered a guilty plea to charges of persistent sexual abuse of a young child. After that, he received a 25-year sentence. In addition, he was mandated to pay $1,100 in fines and court expenses. Additionally, Cady is not permitted to be within 200 yards of the victim or their parents or to interact with them in any way. According to the Wood County District Attorney’s Office, he must also register as a sexual offender for the remainder of his life. Read the rest of this entry »
HOUSTON – Monday, Chevron Corporation announced that a 20-year power purchase agreement has been signed between Microsoft Corp. and Energy Forge One LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary, to develop a co-located power facility in West Texas that will supply dedicated electricity to a Microsoft-operated data center. Project Kilby is the development that Chevron and Engine No. 1 have been working on together.
Kilby is anticipated to provide roughly 2.67 gigawatts of capacity, constructed using a modular, phased architecture that allows for gradual expansion. Large GE Vernova turbines and related electrical infrastructure will provide the majority of the generation, with Solar Turbines, a fully owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., contributing additional capacity. By utilizing America’s natural gas edge, this places Kilby among the biggest co-located natural gas power and data center expansions in the United States and supports the next stage of American AI growth.
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville police are looking into two shooting incidents that happened on Sunday night, including one near a nearby park that injured three. The Jacksonville Police Department reports that at approximately 9:35 p.m., several 911 calls reported a shooting near MB Davis Drive and Holloway Ave. in Lincoln Park. Three men with gunshot wounds were discovered. Private vehicles transported them to nearby hospitals for medical care. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS – Some rescued dogs and cats from East Texas are being prevented from leaving the state on transport flights due to New World screwworm concerns in Texas. More than sixty animals from East Texas shelters were scheduled to be transported by Wings of Rescue to adoptive homes and out-of-state partners, but as a precaution, some destination states are no longer accepting animals from Texas. Shelters claim that because fewer animals can be placed out of state as a result of the change, overcrowding may get worse. Read the rest of this entry »
HAWKINS – Candidates running for Hawkins City Council seats informed voters a month ago that, if elected, they would deal with a number of issues, including the lack of a police department. They started the process of doing just that this month. Kayla Ross and her fellow council members unanimously decided to start accepting applications for the position of city police chief during her first full meeting as mayor on Monday night. That is the first step toward reviving the city’s police force, which was shut down a year ago by council members and former mayor Deb Rushing.
LINDALE – A firefighter from the Lindale Fire Department had surgery on Saturday after being struck by a burning tree that fell on him on Friday while they were responding to a call. Firefighters were dispatched to the 14000 block of County Road 496 at approximately 5:53 p.m. on Friday due to a reported burning tree, according to the Lindale Fire Department. A firefighter was struck in the arm when the tree suddenly collapsed while they were attempting to put it out. He received emergency care on the spot before being transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Garrett Rose was identified by the department as the injured firefighter. He will probably require another surgery in the future, according to a family friend.
TYLER – On Thursday, a Frisco woman entered a guilty plea to first-degree child injury. Authorities accused Frisco resident Kamilla Musser, 47, of repeatedly abusing her child, leading to her arrest in Tyler in May 2024. She was sentenced to ten years of probation, which cannot be ended early, after entering a guilty plea to causing serious bodily injury or serious mental deficiency/impairment to a child through intentional, knowing, reckless, or criminally negligent actions. She is prohibited from communicating with the victim or the family involved in this case. She will also be imprisoned for ninety days. She will also not be able to renew her teaching license in Texas. Read the rest of this entry »
MINEOLA – After attacking an elderly man, a California man was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and given a 15-year prison sentence. The Wood County District Attorney’s Office reports that Arne Arthur Oliver, 46, of California, received a sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon that was only five years short of the 20-year maximum. After less than an hour of deliberation, a Wood County jury found him guilty on June 16. Oliver must complete half of his sentence before being eligible for parole because the offense involved the use of a deadly weapon. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – In the case against a Tyler woman accused of fleeing the scene of a collision that killed a 19-year-old bicyclist, a judge on Wednesday granted a 30-day continuance. The defense requested the delay, which was granted during a pre-trial hearing in the 241st District Court.
Andrea Somer Tanner is accused of being involved in a collision that occurred on December 7 on East Fifth Street in Tyler. A car hit a 19-year-old man riding a bicycle and then drove away, according to arrest records. After being transported to a hospital, the victim died from his wounds. Read the rest of this entry »
TROUP – A Smith County Grand Jury has indicted a man for his involvement in the June 2024 arson of a Troup mobile home, leading to his arrest. The indictment states that Raymond Earl Thorndyke IV of Bonham was charged in August 2025 with arson of a mobile home located in the 700 block of East Paschal Street in Troup. According to the indictment, Thorndyke used a device to ignite an ignitable liquid inside the mobile home, setting it on fire. Natalie Nulf, a 35-year-old woman from Troup, was detained for the arson and entered a guilty plea in November 2025. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK – Charlotte Goff, 55, was identified by authorities as a bicyclist killed in an 18-wheeler collision on Wednesday night, according to Rusk police. The collision happened in the 1200 block of U.S. Highway 84 close to Loop 343 at approximately 8:50 p.m., according to investigators. Preliminary findings revealed that Goff was riding a bicycle when an 18-wheeler passed by and she fell into the road. Goff died at the scene after being hit by a truck. She was declared dead by Cherokee County Justice of the Peace Brenda Dominy. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – According to Henderson County authorities, a shooting investigation in Athens resulted in the discovery of suspected drugs and the arrest of three people on Tuesday night. Investigators were called to the 400 block of Jonathan Street in Athens on Tuesday after a building was hit by several bullets, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators found the following items in a backpack while they were helping at the scene: two big plastic bags that possibly contained cocaine, a big plastic bag containing what appeared to be marijuana, digital scales and smaller plastic bags that are consistent with the distribution of drugs. Additionally, a bottle that appeared to contain Xanax pills was taken from the home by investigators. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A $25,000 reward has been offered by the FBI for information that results in the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for the shooting of a five-year-old. On the evening of May 29, Josiah Williams was shot at the Victory Parks Apartment in Tyler. For emergency care, Josiah was flown to a hospital in Dallas. Over thirty shell casings were found at the scene by investigators. Josiah was an innocent bystander, and officials believe the incident was gang-related. According to the FBI, multiple people are thought to have participated in the shooting, and all of the suspects are men.
PALESTINE – Robert Robertson continues to challenge his 2003 conviction in the death of his young daughter, Nikki. Robertson is currently sitting on death row. Last Friday, Robertson’s attorney submitted written arguments showing how a court decision that set a Texas man free in 2024 should also apply in Robertson’s case.
Andrew Rourke was freed after spending 35 years in prison when new scientific discoveries debunked the shaken baby theory used in his conviction in 2000. Robertson was sentenced to death using the same theory. Robertson’s execution was stayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in October, halting his execution for a third time. The state missed last Friday’s deadline set by the judge and has instead filed another extension to submit their arguments.
NACOGDOCHES – After attempting to escape from police, resisting arrest, and injuring an officer during a struggle, a man from Nacogdoches was taken into custody on Saturday night. Around 9:05 p.m., officers tried to pull over Jakelin Greer, 37, who was riding a bicycle close to the 1300 block of Meisenheimer Street, according to Nacogdoches Police Sgt. Brent Ayres. Before crashing and continuing to run on foot, Greer is said to have fled on the bicycle. According to the police, Greer resisted their attempts to arrest him, leading to a struggle in which one officer was hurt. After receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, the officer was discharged. Greer was discovered in possession of several controlled substances, including marijuana and other suspected drugs, according to investigators. Greer was accused of assaulting a peace officer, resisting arrest, evading arrest, possessing marijuana, and possessing a controlled substance. An investigation is ongoing.
MIDLAND, Texas (AP) — Police say the suspect in a West Texas shooting that killed one person and injured nine others is dead. The shooter had been locked in a standoff Friday morning with police in Midland, Texas, hours after the shooting began. Midland police said the active shooter situation ended hours after the gunfire erupted in one part of the city before ending up near a veterinary hospital. Police did not immediately say how the suspect died.
The shooter opened fire in Midland in an attack Friday morning that left one person dead and at least nine others injured, the city’s mayor said. The suspect was in a standoff with officers about two hours after the shooting that erupted around 8 a.m. in one part of the city before ending up near a veterinary hospital, police said. It sounded like at least 40 shots were fired, said Andrea Mendias who works at an auto body shop near the veterinary hospital. Video from Mendias showed officers pouring out of the back of an armored police vehicle and police deploying robots into the area.
Mayor Lori Blong said the situation was still evolving and that officers were containing the situation. Midland Memorial Hospital said four people were in the operating room and five others were in stable condition. The city with about 140,000 residents sits in the heart of the state’s oil region and was near the site of a deadly shooting rampage just six years ago. In that shooting, a gunman who had been fired from his oil services job killed seven people and wounded two dozen others while firing at random as he drove around the Odessa and Midland areas. The two cities are more than 300 miles (482 kilometers) west of Dallas.
SMITH COUNTY – A jury found Michael Nobles guilty of indecency with a child by sexual contact and sentenced him to 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Prosecutors Angela Faulkner and Casey Sirianni presented evidence on June 10, indicating that Nobles coerced a 14-year-old girl to touch him in December 2022.
Later that day, the jury returned a guilty verdict after considering the evidence and hearing testimony. Nobles will have to register as a sexual offender for life as a direct consequence of his conviction.
Nobles was subject to an enhanced punishment range with a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison because of his lengthy criminal history. Nobles is incarcerated for the third time in the state prison system as a result of this sentence. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – A woman who admitted to killing a Tyler man in 2017 was given a 20-year prison sentence on Thursday. According to court documents, Jakysia Rodgers, who was recently charged with capital murder in the shooting that killed Joshua Alon McGee, 22, on August 11, 2017, entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of murder on Thursday. After that, Rodgers received a 20-year sentence. She was already serving a 20-year sentence for an unrelated aggravated assault charge in 2024 prior to the capital murder indictment. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Residents may notice some unusual city employees gathering information this summer to enhance safety on trails and sidewalks. Daxbot robots will collaborate with Kimley-Horn to gather accessibility data for pedestrian facilities in Tyler’s public rights-of-way and trails beginning on June 10. These robots can yield to humans. The city of Tyler states that they only gather data about pedestrian infrastructure. Personal data is not stored by the robots. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to arrest records, three individuals are suspected of robbing a minor at gunpoint on Monday afternoon at an apartment complex in Tyler. According to arrest affidavits, Jermiyah Mackey, Latayvion Cumbie, and Markieston Deshun Hill were all charged with aggravated robbery in connection with an incident at the Liberty Arms Apartments, located at 2601 N. Broadway Ave. Documents say, the three of them stole roughly $380 from the victim, who police identified as a minor, while pointing firearms at the victim. A witness attested to seeing several individuals carrying a handgun and a rifle. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS – After being discovered unconscious, an Athens man serving a life sentence for a 2010 murder died in a prison on Monday. Athens resident James Arlie Hampton, 54, was found guilty of killing Corey David on January 4, 2010. Judicial and appeal records show that he was given a life sentence. Hampton was discovered unconscious at the Lewis Unit in Woodville on Monday, June 8, according to a report from the Texas Attorney General. Just before 1 p.m. on Monday, he was declared dead at the hospital. The results of the autopsy are still pending. Read the rest of this entry »
MCKINNEY – After only a few hours of deliberation by a jury, Judge John Roach in a Collin County Court has ruled Karmelo Anthony, the teenager accused of fatally stabbing a fellow student during a high school track meet last year, guilty of murder. Multiple north Texas news outlets reported around 2:32 pm Tuesday that after the verdict announcement was made, the punishment phase would soon begin after. The jury, which spured controversy for a lack of people of color, was given the case at 10:50 am Tuesday. Reports of a verdict being reached were first announced at 1:45 pm Tuesday afternoon. At 2:14 p.m., Karmelo Anthony and his attorneys entered the courtroom. Judge Roach entered the courtroom as well as the jury at approximately 2:30 pm. At 2:33 pm, Judge Roach announced the guilty verdict.
LINDALE – The cause of death for 8-year-old Adrian Thompson, who had a medical emergency at Velma Penny Elementary School in Lindale in April, has been announced by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Adrian Sue Thompson died in a pediatric intensive care unit on April 16 at around one in the morning. According to a recent report from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, her death was determined to be accidental and to have been caused by choking. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Federal charges have been brought against two women who have ties to an East Texas company where an FBI operation was carried out on Tuesday. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell announced the federal indictments of Keyla Valdivia and Virginia Ponce Gamez on Wednesday during a court appearance at the federal courthouse in Tyler. They both filed not guilty pleas. Multiple agencies, including the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety, responded to Ximena’s Furniture at 10623 Highway 69 North and 10713 US 69 North. Neither the FBI nor local law enforcement agencies have publicly confirmed the nature of the operation. Gamez is charged with conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants, trafficking and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Valdivia is charged with conspiracy to harbor undocumented people and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
SMITH COUNTY – A man was taken into custody in Smith County on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually abusing a fifteen-year-old girl. Tony Rincker, 60, was placed in the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 bond after being accused of sexual assault of a minor. An arrest affidavit states that a student claimed to have seen a video on the teen’s Snapchat account showing the alleged victim being sexually assaulted. What looked to be a child’s bedroom was shown in the video. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – A Scurry man who was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child in Henderson County, and given a life sentence, was upheld by an appeals court. Manuel Lynn Tijerina, 42, appealed his conviction to the Twelfth Court of Appeals, claiming the trial court had improperly admitted testimony from the victim’s relative, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office. Testimony revealed Tijerina exposed the victim to pornography, touched her inappropriately, and made sexual remarks to her. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – In Rusk County, an East Texas man was detained on suspicion of shooting a restrained goat to scare a family member. Roberto Castro, 34, of Kilgore, is accused of possessing marijuana, driving while intoxicated, driving with an invalid license, terroristic threat (family violence), and cruelty to a livestock animal. He has $56,000 in bonds. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) reports that deputies responded to reports of domestic abuse and animal abuse on Sunday on County Road 117 North in the Kilgore area. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN) – In the litigation from false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a government hoax, attorneys for Alex Jones and Free Speech Systems LLC, the Austin-based parent business of his Infowars media platform, returned to state court to contest collection efforts. In order to postpone efforts to sell or license Infowars assets to pay the Sandy Hook families, his counsel argued that the judge should impose a nominal bond. According to decisions in Connecticut and Texas, Jones owes the families around $1.5 billion.
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the State District Court in Austin stated that in order to continue delaying an order to start paying them, he must post a $4.3 million bond. The Onion, a satirical media site, may be able to purchase or license Infowars if he is unable to make the bond. However, the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals will make that determination. Last month, it ordered stays on collections in both the Connecticut and Texas rulings.
The judge rejected the testimony of Jones’s and the company’s attorneys last week that he has a negative net worth of $1.35 billion. In her decision on Friday, she stated that she “had no faith in the integrity of evidence given by (Free Speech Systems) as to its own net worth.”
TYLER – As the City of Tyler celebrates the completion of phase one of their downtown revitalization plans, the intersection of North College Avenue and West Erwin Street will remain closed until further notice. “Due to a construction delay over the weekend, the streets originally scheduled to reopen on Monday, June 1, will remain closed temporarily,” the City of Tyler said. “The contractor was unable to complete the work as planned, which has delayed the final steps needed to safely reopen the area.” Read the rest of this entry »