Today is
Thursday April 03, 2025
LONGVIEW – Don Paul Rickman, 39 of Longview, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and was sentenced to 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. Rickman reportedly admitted to selling purported prescription pills that were later found to be laced with fentanyl. A person he sold to was then found dead in their bedroom from a fentanyl overdose by their mother.
LINDALE, Texas – US 69 in Lindale has reopened following an early morning wreck involving an 18-wheeler, tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons and a white pickup truck. It was reported by our news partner KETK that three people were injured in the crash, and that authorities are searching for surveillance footage to find the cause. Lindale Police said in a statement that parents should not be concerned about picking up their children from schools.
SMITH COUNTY — Our news partner KETK reports that Nadarius Tyreque Houston, 24 of Tyler, has been charged with murder. The victim, 23-year-old Cory Darell Long, died in a Tyler hospital due to a fentanyl overdose on April 17. Houston was arrested in April for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was then booked into the Smith County Jail. On Tuesday, authorities got an arrest affidavit for murder for Houston with a bond of $500,000. Houston, who was already in jail, had the charge added to his others.
KILGORE – Our news partners at KETK report that Kilgore-native and Oscar winning songwriter Will Jennings died at 80-years-old in Tyler on Friday. Jennings, who co-wrote Celine Delion’s Oscar winning song “My Heart Will Go On†from “Titanicâ€, was at his home in Tyler when he died on Friday morning. No immediate cause of death was reported but his health was declining for several years. The 2006 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee attended both Tyler Junior College and Stephen F. Austin State University.
JACKSONVILLE – Austin Bank announced in a press release that longtime banker Laurel Ann (Sissy) Phillips Austin died Thursday of Parkinson’s disease. Sissy served as a member of the Austin Bank Leadership Team. She was Chief Lending Officer, Investment Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Austin Bank and Austin Bancorp, Inc. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, September 3rd, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Methodist Church: 1031 SE Loop 456, Jacksonville TX, with the Rev. Bonnie Osteen officiating.
BULLARD – The Bullard ISD announced their budget for 2024-25 and set tax rates at a special meeting held on Monday, Aug. 26. According to a release from the district, the district Board of Trustees approved a $31,500,000 budget before adopting a total tax rate of $1.2469 per $100 valuation. The adopted tax rate includes a maintenance and operation (M&O) rate of $0.7469 and an interest and sinking (I&S) rate of $0.50. The district noted the 2023-24 rates and budget, where the M&O rate decreased by $0.0023 due to rising property values and tax rate compression. The I&S rate remains at $.50 due to the $103 million bond package voters approved in May 2022.
SMITH COUNTY, Texas – A Mesquite man who was a part of a “sophisticated†organized criminal group accused of stealing 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Our news partners at KETK report that Ramon Perez-Torres was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity on Tuesday. Duniesky Gonzalez, the suspected ringleader, was sentenced to 50 years for engaging in organized criminal activity. His confinement began in June. Two others were also convicted with multiple also believed to be at-large. 12 departments, including nine from the East Texas area assisted the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center.
MARSHALL – Eric Doung, of Alexandria, La., was arrested after nearly 100 pounds of marijuana and other drugs were found in his vehicle on Monday, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said. Our news partners at KETK report that in a statement made by the HCSO, officials conducted a traffic stop on Highway 59 in Marshall and a probable cause search revealed 93 pounds of marijuana, 10 grams of cocaine and One pill of Lortab in the vehicle. Doung was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance between four and 200 grams and possession of a controlled substance less than 28 grams.
OVERTON- A car was hit by a train on the railroad crossing at N. Commerce Street and E. Henderson Street, according to our news partner KETK. The crash occurred early Sunday morning. Overton Volunteer Fire Department also reported that there were no injuries. Information regarding the driver of the vehicle as well as a motive behind the car being on the tracks have not been released. The Overton Police Department, Overton Volunteer Fire Department and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the scene.
EAST TEXAS – Schools across Gregg and Smith counties are preparing for the new school year! The Tyler Morning Telegraph has put together a list of important information before the first bell rings:
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VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — Two Chinese nationals were arrested with $250,000 worth of gold bars after a traffic stop on I-20 on Thursday. Our news partners at KETK report that the arrests stemmed from a traffic stop in Wills Point. The driver was identified as 25-year-old Chen, Weijian. Due to a language barrier, Hughes asked Chen to go to his patrol vehicle and speak to him via a translation app. During an interview, Wills Point PD Sgt. Charlie Hughes reported that he had reason to suspect criminal activity. Chen claimed he was heading to Dallas and also claimed he went to Florida to “play.†46-year-old Lin Wenqiang, the passenger in the vehicle, gave consent to a search but seemed hesitant. A search then revealed a bag located behind the driver’s seat on the floorboard.
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TYLER – Two people were arrested in Tyler after an investigation into human trafficking. According to our news partners at KETK, Tyler police arrested 24-year-old James Emmitt Dews III and 23-year-old Hannah Nicole Moore for trafficking a child. The arrest was made in collaboration with the Texas Attorney General’s Office Human Trafficking Unit and the North Texas Human Trafficking Task Force. Both are in the Smith County Jail with bonds listed at $750,000 each. The investigation is still ongoing.
TYLER – The Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary in Tyler has announced their first public group educational tours since the COVID-19 pandemic and an animal cruelty lawsuit settlement. Our news partners at KETK report that tours will start back up on July 22 and they’ll then have tours every week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The group tours will cost $25 for 10 people’s admission and $16 for each additional person. To learn more and sign up for tours, click here.
UPSHUR COUNTY – A former bail bondswoman was arrested on drug and gun charges on Tuesday. According to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office and our news partners at KETK, Shannon Rosser of Diana was arrested on two counts of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and one charge of possession of a stolen firearm. Deputies also confiscated more than 20 other firearms in a detached storage building, with their ownership status still pending. Rosser’s bond was set at $320,000. Police also arrested John Sartor Jr., who lives at the home with Rosser, with one count of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. His bond was set at $150,000.
TYLER – After former head baseball coach of the Tyler Junior College Apaches Doug Wren became the new athletic director, the multi-time NJCAA National Champions have a new bench boss. Former Dodge City Community College(KS) head coach Brett Doe was introduced at the TJC Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center. He brings both JUCO and MLB experience as a former player at fellow Region XIV school Navarro and was a part of the Minnesota Twins. Doe won an NJCAA national Championship of his own as a shortstop at Navarro back in 2011.