Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
CARTHAGE (AP) — Authorities say one person was killed after severe weather, including a tornado, caused damage in several communities in East Texas. Widespread destruction across Panola County was reported, including damaged homes and downed trees, from Saturday evening’s severe weather, Sheriff Kevin Lake said Sunday in a Facebook post. The Longview News-Journal reported that a woman in the city of Deadwood was killed when a tree fell on her home. Authorities reported several people had also been injured. Officials in neighboring Rusk County reported some damage from the severe weather but no fatalities or major injuries. Read the rest of this entry »
MEXIA (AP) — The Texas Department of Public Safety says a state trooper was shot and critically wounded near the city of Mexia, about 75 miles southeast of Dallas. Officials say the suspect fled on foot and killed himself. Authorities say Trooper Chad Walker is hospitalized in critical but stable condition after being shot in the head and abdomen Friday night. Investigators say Walker had stopped to help a motorist in an apparent disabled vehicle. DPS says the gunman exited the stopped vehicle and shot Walker through the windshield of the patrol vehicle. The suspect was identified as 36-year-old DeArthur Pinson, of Palestine. Authorities launched a manhunt for Pinson and he was reported dead Saturday. Pinson had a long criminal history, including a 10-year sentence for armed robbery and an arrest for desertion from the U.S. Army.
CANTON — A registered sex offender in Van Zandt County was charged with a drug crime Friday when he was found to be in possession of meth, the sheriff’s office said. According to our news partner KETK, Van Zandt County Deputies were checking on sex offender Jimmy Beggs at his residence when they found meth and a glass pipe, often used in taking meth. Beggs was arrested and charged with the felony crime of possession of a controlled substance. Van Zandt County Sheriff Steve Hendrix said he has implemented a strict policy that requires sex offenders be checked on regularly. “We will stay on these offenders to ensure their compliance. These checks will be ongoing and can occur at any time,†he said.
EAST TEXAS — A Shreveport woman has pleaded guilty for her role in an elder fraud scheme. Monica Ruiz, 45, pleaded guilty to wire fraud Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to information presented in court, Ruiz enlisted a variety of bogus pretenses and promises in a scheme to defraud an elderly victim from Bullard, collecting more that $4.8 million. 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. Ruiz faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Read the rest of this entry »
GILMER — Two people from Gilmer will face time in prison for a scheme to take other people’s money distributed as part of COVID-19 financial assistance, a federal attorney said Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, Emilee Fenton and Dalton Brewer, both 24, have both pleaded guilty to charges relating to fraudulently taking government money intended to help people struggling financially during the pandemic. According to the indictment, from at least November 2019 through June 2020, Brewer and Fenton conspired to steal other people’s identities as part of scheme to get government payments. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE — Palestine police are investigating a fatal shooting Saturday night. It happened in the area of Spring and Magnolia Street. According to our news partner KETK, 28-year-old Dustin Rodgers, of Elkhart, had an apparent gunshot wound to the torso. A 6-year-old child suffered a gunshot to his foot. Rodgers died from his injuries after being taken to the Palestine Regional Medical Center. The child was treated and released. The other two passengers in the car were not injured. A witness said that the gunfire came from another vehicle also traveling on Spring Street. Police say the circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The class will be modeled to help students become successful adults. According to our news partner KETK, the Senior Seminar will be a 36-week course that is a requirement for graduation and will cover areas such as resume building, problem solving, and career planning. Also included is a nine-week class on helping guide students with financial planning. Instead of a traditional high school setting, learning will be done in small groups to enhance collaboration, which they hope will improve conflict resolution. Read the rest of this entry »
WILLS POINT – An East Texas man is behind bars after a four-hour standoff with Van Zandt County deputies early Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Steve Hendrix said deputies responded to a domestic disturbance situation on CR 2627, just off I-20 near Wills Point, at 7:15 p.m. Saturday night. Monte Adair, 52, allegedly pointed a long gun at deputies, who immediately took cover. Sheriff Hendrix came to the scene along with the Wills Point Police K-9 unit and the State Park Police. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — Police in Marshall are investigating a shooting involving a newspaper carrier. It happened around 5:30 Friday morning in the area of Oak Street. According to a news release, a patrol lieutenant heard several gunshots north of his location. A 34-year-old female paper carrier called 911 and stated that she believed she had been shot. Officers responded to the scene and secured the location allowing Marshall Fire Department personnel to treat and transport the victim to a Longview hospital. An unidentified person of interest has been detained. Additional details were not available.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Three people from Texas have been indicted in Las Vegas on charges including murder and terrorism stemming from a series of shootings last Thanksgiving in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. One apparently random shooting killed a man at a convenience store. Several other people were wounded. The indictment in Nevada state court included 53 charges each against Shawn McDonnell, his brother Christopher McDonnell, and Christopher McDonnell’s wife, Kayliegh Lewis. Authorities say they are from Tyler. They are jailed in Las Vegas, where attorneys for two of the suspects say they will fight the charges. They could face the death penalty or multiple sentences of life-in-prison without parole.
TYLER — An Arlington man has been indicted for capital murder after allegedly shooting Starville Methodist Church Pastor Mark McWilliams in January of this year. According to our news partner KETK, Mytrez Deunte Woolen, 21, was on the run from Smith County deputies and Department of Public Safety Troopers on the night of Saturday, January 2. After hiding in the Starville church overnight, he was discovered by Pastor McWilliams just before service was set to begin. Police say the pastor pulled out a gun and tried to hold Woolen until police arrived. But Woolen fought for the gun and shot the pastor before fleeing the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Dozens of law officers in Smith County converged Wednesday afternoon on a house where they believed a man who was running from officers was located. According to our news partner KETK, law enforcement officers spent several hours trying to make contact. They eventually entered the home after getting no response. Smith County Public Information Officer Larry Christian said the man was not in the residence on Highway 271, at County Road 332, when police got inside. The suspect has been identified as Bryan Mayfield. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A 90-year-old Tyler man, with a wrap-sheet dating back to the 1940s, has been indicted for arson in connection with a November 6, 2020 fire. Kermit Francis Gabel was booked into the Smith County Jail one week after the fire. According to our news partner KETK, it was the latest in a string of blazes at vacant buildings. Officials have not said whether a November 13 fire was connected to the arrest. Gabel was also accused of multiple crimes in Ohio. He was known as a serial cat burglar and was dubbed the “Silver Burglar.” His crime sprees date back to the 40s and early 50s. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Prosecutors are seeking plans for an alternate jury selection site for the long-anticipated trial of William Davis, the former CHRISTUS nurse accused of murdering patients. According to our news partner KETK, in a brief five-minute hearing Monday morning, Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman said that with Harvey Hall being torn down later this summer, an alternate plan would be needed to summon the hundreds of potential jurors needed to pull from for a capital murder trial. He suggested that an alternative could be having multiple small sessions in the central courthouse jury room rather than one large pool. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — Vaccines continue to roll out across the state of Texas with a new addition this week. According to our news partner KETK, starting this week, 40,900 COVID-19 vaccines will come to East Texas. Just last week, Texas only got 18,000 doses. Now, with the addition of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, that number has more than doubled. Though supplies are increasing, only those in 1A and 1B tiers are eligible. Because of a new federal directive, education and child care personnel are now eligible for the vaccine as well. Read the rest of this entry »