Today is
Monday June 08, 2026
RUSK COUNTY — A Henderson man has been sentenced to federal prison. Paul Wayne Kennedy, 39, pleaded guilty on April 19, 2021, to burglary of a United States Post Office, possession of stolen mail, possession of stolen money orders, damage to government property, theft of government property, and access device fraud. Kennedy was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison Tuesday. According to information presented in court, between the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2019 and the morning of Dec. 26, 2019, Kennedy burglarized post offices in Price, Bronson, Bon Wier and Evans, Louisiana and attempted to burglarize post offices in Newton, Texas, and Singer, Louisiana. At each location he burglarized, Kennedy stole mail, packages, and property belonging to the U.S. Postal Service.
EAST TEXAS — A Shreveport woman was sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday for receiving $4.85 million after committing fraud against an elderly victim from Bullard, according to our news partner KETK. Monica Ruiz, 45, pleaded guilty on March 24, 2021, to wire fraud and was sentenced to 97 months. Ruiz enlisted a variety of bogus pretenses and promises in the scheme. Some of those fake claims include: Ruiz had been in a coma, had brain surgery, had a kidney transplant, was in a car accident and was committed to a mental institution.
LONGVIEW — The Longview ISD board approved on Monday to give a one-time incentive of $1,000 to fully vaccinated district employees. According to our news partner KETK, Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox said employees must complete the COVID-19 vaccination incentive form, and submit proof of vaccination by the Nov. 1st deadline. He also mentioned getting a shot against the virus is not mandatory. The forms will be given to Longview I-S-D employees this week, and they will also be added to the district website. Wilcox says the motive behind creating the incentive is to do everything and anything the school can do, as a district, to ensure the safety of the community and the continuity of in-class instruction. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A misdemeanor prostitution trial for a Smith County constable is being pushed back to allow a separate felony oppression trial to proceed first. According to our news partner KETK, Precinct 2 Constable Josh Black was arrested for misdemeanor prostitution and felony official oppression just days after being elected last November. 114th District Court Judge Reeve Jackson announced that the trial for felony oppression would be scheduled first while a two-week continuance was granted on the misdemeanor prostitution charge. Jury selection in the oppression trial was scheduled for Monday afternoon. Another twist was added in the case when Black was arrested again Friday for a separate indictment of prostitution.
TYLER — A substance that was causing concerns has been removed and cleared from a Tyler roadway, and police say there are no more issues with it being slippery. According to police, it was determined that no cars actually hit each other, only slipped and hit the curb, and there were no injuries reported. The cause of why the substance was in the road is still under investigation. Around 7:25 Monday morning, officers responded to W. Erwin St. and found an unknown substance in the roadway that had caused a couple of cars to slip and slide into the curb. Drivers were asked to avoid the area before the substance was cleared up.
TYLER – Sept. 11, is a day that brings people of the United States together. All the things that usually divide don’t matter. “Still great sadness comes back from 20 years ago, but the day after the day, there was such a unified spirit,†Louie Gohmert, U.S. Representative said. That spirit strengthened in downtown Tyler as East Texas first responders and community members united for the people who died and for those who went above and beyond the call of duty, as reported by our news partner KETK. “When I got there the thing that I remember most getting there where the rubble was and everything was feeling helpless,†Larry Smith with the Smith County Sheriff’s office said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Tyler woman was sentenced to eight years of deferred adjudication Thursday morning and ordered to pay back more than $40,000 in restitution for an embezzling scheme. According to our news partner KETK, Vicki Melhart, 40, pleaded guilty to writing herself checks while working for Deerbrook Storage Unit. Between Oct. 2, 2019, and April 4, 2020, she wrote 107 checks for more than $40,000 out of the company’s account. The owner of the company told police that Melhart’s job had been “renting units, paying various bills, and taking payments.†She was fired when the owner found out that she had been writing the checks and forging his or his son’s signature. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK — The father of a missing 5-week-old baby pleaded guilty to charges in the disappearance and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, 36-year-old DeAndre Argumon pleaded guilty to abandoning a child nearly one year after his son Armaidre went missing in September 2020. He had already been convicted back in April for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in connection to Armaidre’s disappearance. An Amber Alert was issued when he went missing and a massive search was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies. Armaidre has not been seen since Friday, September 18 in Wells, a small community in southern Cherokee County. To this day, he still has not been found.
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill partially authored by Sen. Bryan Hughes made to protect Texans from wrongful censorship on social media. According to our news partner KETK, the legislation requires large social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to make regular reports of removed content, create a complaint system and disclose their content regulation procedures. Abbott was joined at the signing by Hughes and Rep. Briscoe Cain, who are the authors of the bill. Sen. Charles Perry, Sen. Dawn Buckingham and Sen. Angela Paxton were also present. Specifically, the bill prevents social media companies with more than 50 million monthly users from banning users based on their political viewpoints. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — More than $1 million in grants was given to six East Texas veteran organizations on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Veterans Commission’s Fund for Veteran’s Assistance presented the money at Habitat For Humanity of Smith County in Tyler. The funds were approved back in May through a program that provides approximately 140 grants to organizations across the Lone Star State. The CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Smith County, Jack Wilson, was there to receive the group’s big check. He mentioned, he felt grateful for the money because it’s going to help change lives. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — All Smith County law enforcement has been approved for pay raises, which Sheriff Larry Smith and Judge Nathaniel Moran hope will help address a massive staffing shortage. According to our news partner KETK, the two held a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the commissioner’s courtroom. Moran said while other areas of the country are “looking to defund police,†Smith County would “refund our law enforcement.†For instance, the starting salary of a detention officer in the county jail would rise from $33,620 to $41,500. This equates to nearly a 25% pay raise. The sheriff said that it also means the raises will make the county more competitive not just with other law enforcement agencies, but with the private sector as well. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER (AP/Staff) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law an overhaul of the state’s election rules following months of protests by Democrats. The sweeping bill signed Tuesday by the two-term Republican governor further tightens Texas’ strict voting laws. Texas joins more than a dozen states that have passed Republican-backed voting changes since the 2020 election. The new laws have been driven in part by former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Opponents of the changes in Texas have already begun filing lawsuits in federal court. The legislation was initiated by state Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola, who was among those on hand for the signing ceremony. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was also on hand.
TYLER — A portion of South Broadway Avenue (between Rowland Place and East Charnwood Street) will be closed to northbound traffic Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to remove a large dead tree from the right-of-way. Northbound drivers will be detoured onto East Dobbs Street where they can turn left onto South Donnybrook Avenue. There, motorists can continue north to East Charnwood Street where they will be able to turn left to go west, back to South Broadway Avenue. This will only affect the northbound traffic on South Broadway Avenue. Drivers are reminded to obey all traffic signs, flaggers, detours and slow down in and around the area.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The City Council in Portland, Oregon will vote Wednesday on an emergency resolution that would ban the purchase of goods and services from Texas in response to the new law prohibiting most abortions there. The resolution would also bar city employee travel to the state. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office said in a news release the Portland ban would be in effect until Texas either withdraws the abortion law or it gets overturned in court. The news release said the Portland City Council stands unified in its belief that all people should have the right to choose if and when they carry a pregnancy. The Heartbeat Act was authored by Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola.
TYLER — Tyler police say a portion of Front Street is now clear following a Monday morning wreck. Police had been asking drivers to avoid the street in the area near the PATH building after the wreck left power lines across the roadway, temporarily shutting down traffic in that vicinity.