Today is
Wednesday June 10, 2026
SMITH COUNTY — Many voters were left concerned in the November elections after one polling place closed and voters waited hours in line. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran stated that the fall elections did not meet expectations and expects changes in the future. “Our November elections did not occur up to standard, we did not fulfill our obligations to this community to do elections in the way they need to be done, they were accurate, but we had a lot of problems we need to address,†said Judge Moran. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — New information has been released regarding an officer involved shooting in Marshall. Following a weekend filled with rumors and speculation, The Texas Rangers have allowed the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office to release more information regarding an officer involved shooting that occurred late last week. Sheriff’s Lieutenant Jay Webb said have been rumors and comments over the number of times the suspect was shot. Webb says the man was shot one time, according to the medical examiners office and The Texas Rangers office. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL (AP) – Officials say East Texas deputies trying to serve a search warrant fatally shot a man who tried to speed away from the scene. A spokesman for the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office says special tactics deputies were trying to serve the narcotics warrant about 11 a.m. Thursday at a house in southwestern Marshall when 31-year-old Demetrius Williams tried to flee the scene in a minivan. Lt. Jay Webb says while trying to speed away, Williams tried to run over a deputy. That’s when deputies opened fire, killing Williams. There were no other injuries. Webb said Williams was the subject of their investigation. Sheriff Tom McCool has asked the Texas Rangers to investigate the shooting, and Chief Deputy Brandon Fletcher said the deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
TYLER — The Tyler Christmas Parade will take over the Square tonight. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. in downtown Tyler and is followed by the 34th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza immediately after the parade.This year’s theme is “Rotary Connects the Worldâ€. Santa Claus will be taking photos immediately following the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Photos with Santa Claus will be limited to 30 minutes following the ceremony. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an aggravated kidnapping. It started around 11:30 Saturday afternoon following a report of a stabbing at the Lodge Apartments, 2709 S. Broadway. Police say the suspect, Ronnie Lee Rinehart, 34, came home from work that morning and became very aggressive towards his 29-year-old common law wife and her three small children ages 6, 8 and 9. Rinehart took her and the children to the back bedroom, tied, and gagged them, threatening them with a knife. The woman was able to free herself from the restraints and grabbed the knife. The two struggled over the knife, when Rinehart was stabbed in the back. The mother and her children were able to run from the apartment and call police. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Monday following Black Friday, known as Cyber Monday, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. With everyone shopping online and sharing their credit card information over the internet, the Better Business Bureau wants to remind everyone of the risks. According to our news partner KETK, in 2018, American consumers spent a record-breaking $7.9 billion in online sales on Cyber Monday alone. The BBB warns that scammers are well aware of the amount of spending and are keen to take advantage. They say to watch out for false advertising and to keep a close eye on the web address on your browser. Scammers are known to create look-a-like websites, which is why anti-virus software is important. It can often detect non-secure websites and phishing scams. Read the rest of this entry »
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific wants a court to invalidate an 1872 pact requiring it to keep a certain number of railroad jobs in the Texas town of Palestine indefinitely. The agreement has been amended several times over the decades and is a vestige of railroad history made by one of the railroads Union Pacific bought years ago. The lawsuit challenging the agreement was filed Wednesday in Texas. The railroad argues the agreement is invalid because railroads are regulated by the federal government, and this deal requiring jobs be maintained in Palestine improperly limits its options. Palestine City Manager Leslie Cloer says she hasn’t seen the lawsuit, but she hopes Union Pacific will maintain its operations in Palestine.
HENDERSON COUNTY — A man wanted on felon warrants was arrested Monday night near Mabank following a tip. According to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Jesse Aaron Garner, 39, was arrested after a tipster said he would be at a gas station on State Highway 198. Garner was wanted on three felony warrants for stealing a vehicle, evading arrest with a vehicle and bond forfeiture. During the routine pat down, the arresting deputy saw an orange syringe tip fall from Garner’s lap, which led to him confessing to having two baggies with meth hidden in his socks. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail.
TYLER — The city of Tyler plans to reopen Harvey Convention Center Monday if that’s approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Northeast Texas Public Health District (NET Health). The city temporarily closed the convention center this week in the wake of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that killed one person and sickened seven others. The city has since been notified by the CDC that, though testing for Legionella is positive at Harvey, the bacteria strain found in samples from Harvey was not consistent with the strain that caused the outbreak. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY — An East Texas man will spend the next 10 years behind bars after a jury sentenced him for assaulting a Big Sandy Police Officer earlier this year. In January, Thomas Paul Carroll, 28, was seen by Officer Taylor Fast stumbling across HWY 80 and believed he was drunk. According to our news partner KETK, the deputy attempted to arrest him when Carroll hit him in the face. During the ensuing fight, Carroll grabbed Fast’s taser and charged him. Fast was able to subdue him and place him into custody. Carrol has a lengthy record that includes assaulting family members and drug possession.
TYLER — UT Health East Texas EMS and Champion EMS have settled a lawsuit regarding ambulance services in Tyler. The lawsuit claimed Champion was infringing on a contract ETMC has with the City of Tyler, Smith County and the Smith County Emergency Management Service. ETMC has asked the court to order Champion to stop performing ambulance services in the region, while Champion contends ETMC conspired to form an illegal monopoly. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, UT Health East Texas EMS will continue to operate its ambulance service under the exclusive contract arrangement with the City of Tyler and Smith County. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler ISD has announced a new position to deal with campus safety. Jeffrey Millslagle has been hired as the district’s new Director of Safety and Security. Millslagle will lead the charge to ensure safety measures and emergency preparedness for all Tyler ISD facilities are in line with today’s school climate. Over the span of his 26-year career with the FBI, Millslagle has managed and directed investigations of counter-terrorism, violent crimes, drugs, white collar crimes, and crisis management. Millslagle also served two FBI deployments in Iraq in 2004 and 2007. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County leaders launch an investigation after the most recent election caused concerns with voting machines and a gas leak causing a location to close. According to our news partner KETK, after several complaints from Smith County voters, Judge Nathaniel Moran says the county can do better. “We are looking at all of those issues that have been brought to our attention last week, and we want to investigate each one to ensure we understand fully what happened, and to understand how we can address that before the March primary,†Judge Moran said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Tyler man accused of drugging and raping a John Tyler student back in 2009 has been formally indicted by a Smith County grand jury. According to our news partner KETK, Robert Robinson, 63, is accused of sexually assaulting a then-John Tyler student and getting her pregnant. According to an arrest warrant, Robinson is now suing for custody of the child. Robinson is charged with sexual assault of a child. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. His first court appearance is set for December 16.
KILGORE — The family of a Kilgore woman missing for three weeks said she has been found safe. According to our news partner KETK, Kilgore Police had been searching for Chelsey Thompson, 30, after her family reported her missing after getting into a vehicle with an unidentified person. Details of her location or circumstances were not provided. Thompson’s sister said it was not uncommon for Chelsey to be gone for a week or so, but she always returned home until recently.