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Thursday June 04, 2026
TATUM – Following a search that revealed drugs, including more than 60 grams of meth, two individuals were taken into custody in Tatum on Tuesday. A Ford Escape SUV with a damaged windshield was seen traveling south on North Hill Street when an officer made a traffic stop, according to the Tatum Police Department and our news partner KETK. A probable cause search was conducted after the officer reported smelling a strong marijuana odor coming from the vehicle during the traffic stop.
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JACKSONVILLE – Earlier this month, a single-vehicle collision near Jacksonville killed a 17-year-old. The victim, identified as Hunter Endsley, was killed on January 9 when he struck a tree while driving east on Country Road 1405 near Jacksonville, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety and our news partner KETK. Authorities say Endsley crashed into the tree while attempting to make a turn on wet roads at dangerous speeds. Later that night, Endsley was declared dead at a local hospital.
ANDERSON COUNTY – Following a recent altercation that left a prisoner injured, five employees of the George Beto Unit state prison near Tennessee Colony were relieved of their duties. According to our news partner KETK, on January 6, an inmate was accused of assaulting a correctional officer. Staff members and the prisoner got into another alltercation after the assault. While the prisoner received medical attention from within the prison, the assaulted correctional officer received treatment at a facility outside the prison. It was not made public how serious those injuries were.
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GILMER – Congressman Wesley Hunt of Houston made a campaign stop in Gilmer on Thursday as he runs for U.S. Senate. Hunt is running in the March 3 Republican Primary against incumbent Senator for Texas John Cornyn and fellow candidate Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General. If Hunt wins the Republican Primary, he’ll face the winner of the Democratic Party Primary in November. Our news partners at KETK had the chance to interview Hunt which you can watch here.
SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 Tuesday to submit an application for the Sheriff Immigration Law Enforcement Grant. Our news partners at KETK report that Senate Bill 8, which instructed the Texas Comptroller to create a grant program to support sheriffs in counties with fewer than a million residents that take part in the 287(g) program, is the source of this grant. This grant is provided directly by the state. The $100,000 grant is available to Smith County, which has a population of over 200,000. If granted, the funds must be used within two years.
Commissioner for Precinct 4 Ralph Caraway Sr. voted against the application, but County Judge Neal Franklin, Commissioners Christina Drewry, J. Scott Jerod, and John Moore voted in favor of it during the commissioners’ court meeting on Tuesday.
MOUNT ENTERPRISE – The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK have confirmed that one person is dead after a serious crash has blocked State Highway 315 to the north of Mount Enterprise on Sunday. County Emergency Services officials have not released the name of the lone fatality, nor has any information regarding any injuries.
SMITH COUNTY – A man wanted on a drug-related warrant was apprehended during a routine speeding stop in Smith County. Authorities also found evidence of a money laundering scheme, a firearm, and almost $30,000 in cash. On December 28, Smith County deputies pulled over a car on Highway 31 East and identified Tyler James Starling, the driver. Starling was wanted on an active warrant for possessing about ten pounds of marijuana that had allegedly been smuggled and left at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. After Starling was placed under arrest, deputies searched his car and found a handgun, a cellphone, and $29,528 in cash.
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SMITH COUNTY – Smith County property taxes are not due until later this month, but Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber is urging taxpayers to plan ahead because recent changes by the U.S. Postal Service could affect whether mailed payments are considered on time. The deadline to pay property taxes without penalty is Jan. 31.
Barber said the easiest and fastest way to pay is online by scanning the QR code on the tax statement or visiting the county’s public tax website. Payments can be made using a debit or credit card or by electronic check. “If you want to skip the long lines at the Tax Office, I highly recommend you pay online,” Barber said.
Taxpayers may also pay in person, use the Tax Office drop box outside the Cotton Belt Building, or mail their payments. However, Barber warned that changes to how postmarks are determined could result in late payments. In the past, postmarks reflected the date mail was dropped off at a mailbox or post office. Read the rest of this entry »
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GLADEWATER – According to police, a Gladewater woman attempted to steal a truck while the driver was inside and then managed to get away, leading to two arrests this week. The incident occurred on Wednesday during a child custody exchange, according to Gladewater police. Izabel Osteen, the 28-year-old suspect, allegedly entered another person’s 2020 Ford F-150, causing a struggle as the victim attempted to prevent the theft. The victim was thrown from the truck when Osteen drove off while the victim was only partially inside. The victim had minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. The stolen truck was found at several locations throughout Longview by police using vehicle tracking technology. After the car was eventually found and Osteen was taken into custody by Gregg County deputies, she was charged with robbery and booked into the Gladewater Jail.
HARRISON COUNTY – Two men were taken into custody by Marshall police on Tuesday following allegations that they shot at one another in a residential area. According to the Marshall Police Department and our news partner KETK, officers were called to the 1100 block of Melanie Street around noon after hearing reports of a man and a woman shooting at one another. One suspect escaped into a neighboring wooded area before police arrived.
After searching the area, police found both people and arrested them. Tyrell Smith, 40, of Hallsville, and Lacrystal Carter, 38, of Marshall, were taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault. Carter was accused of tampering with identification numbers as well. The investigation is still ongoing, and no injuries were recorded. As the case progresses, more charges could be brought, according to the authorities.
MARSHALL – Following a shooting on Monday night, a 28-year-old was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Our news partners at KETK report that at around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Marshall police officers arrived at the 700 block of N. Loop 390 Highway following a report of gunshots in the area. Tyterrius Qwantrell Lafayette, a 28-year-old suspect, was sought after overnight by the Marshall Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Joint Harrison County Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force. Lafayette was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon at the Harrison County Jail, with a bond set at $25,000. No injuries were reported by authorities.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A dog attack in Van Zandt County on Monday morning seriously injured a man from East Texas. When deputies from the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene, they discovered a 53-year-old man with multiple dog bites from two adult pit bull mix dogs.
According to our news partner KETK, the victim was taken to the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances emergency room before being life-flighted to the UT Medical Center in Tyler, where he was treated and is said to be in stable condition, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.
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UPSHUR COUNTY — A high-speed pursuit in Upshur County ended in a fatal crash that killed a minor Sunday night. According to our news partner and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began around 9:48 p.m. on Sunday, when a sheriff’s deputy observed a dark-colored passenger vehicle speeding northbound near the intersection of State Highway 155 and Apricot Road. When the deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the driver, identified as Steve Reneau, did not stop and continued driving northbound. Reneau entered Gilmer and turned onto State Highway 271, where officials say he drove through the city at around 90 miles per hour.
Reneau continued increasing his speed to more than 100 mph and lost control of the vehicle, which led to the crash in the 3300 block of Chipmunk Road. Both Reneau and a passenger who remains unidentified were ejected from the vehicle, which ended up on top of them, officials said.
Fire and emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene and worked to remove the passenger from beneath the vehicle. Other personnel used equipment to free Reneau, who was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Read the rest of this entry »