Today is
Saturday June 13, 2026
KILGORE — In a followup to a story we brought you earlier this week, four young women at Kilgore College are getting a series of rabies shots after they picked up what they thought was a sick, baby bat crawling on the ground. It turned out to be a rabid, full grown brown bat. BJ Owen, Director of Special Services for the City of Kilgore said the teeth are so sharp and tiny that’s it’s possible to be bitten and not know. The women were told it would be in their best interest to get a series of rabies shots. Owen says there are estimates that indicate about half of the bat population is infected with rabies but don’t show symptoms and don’t get sick.
EAST TEXAS — A Hallsville man who pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor online has been sentenced to 10 years probation. According to our news partner, KETK, Shane Jeffery Chapman, 33, was arrested May 22 on charges of online solicitation of a minor during a sting operation in which the Child Exploitation Unit of the Texas Attorney General’s Office collaborated with the Arlington Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Longview Police Department. Chapman pleaded guilty to the second-degree felony charges in January. Chapman also will pay a $10,000 fine and spend 20 48-hour periods in the county jail in the next year. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 additional years after the end of his probation.
HENDERSON COUNTY — A 42-year-old woman, suspected of selling methamphetamine, has been arrested following a traffic stop. Hollie Jo Grimes, Jacksonville, was stopped on Highway 155 near Frankston shortly after midnight Wednesday. Her vehicle was searched after a Henderson County deputy said she was acting suspiciously. The deputy found 6 baggies containing meth, a digital scale and a loaded .32 caliber handgun. Grimes was charged with manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance. Her vehicle was impounded. She also faces charges for unlawfully carrying a weapon.
RUSK COUNTY — An East Texas man has been sentenced to prison for a sex crime against a child. According to KTBB’s news partner, KETK, Jerry Lyn Vinson, 61, was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child on Tuesday. Vinson elected to waive his right to a jury trial and accept a plea of 30 years in prison. The defendant was arrested for the crime on December 28, 2016.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Three people were arrested Monday night following a game room raid in Seven Points. James Nelson 59 (pictured), and Lodia Thomas, 51, were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and illegal gambling. More than 90 gambling devices and over $13,000 cash have been seized from the Can Depot game room on Cedar Creek Parkway. The game room was shut down. Michael Ruff, 32, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamines. All other patrons found gambling at the Can Depot were cited for illegal gambling.
TYLER – Tyler police continue the investigation into a Sunday morning shooting that involved a Smith County sheriff’s deputy. Two off duty Smith County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were working security at Whataburger on Gentry Parkway. They heard several gun shots. Then, a second round of gunfire erupted that involved one of the deputies. The details of what occurred are still being investigated. Treated and released from a Tyler hospital was Khalil Collins, 22, of Hawkins. Still in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries is Brandon Woods, 22, also from Hawkins. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of March 26th. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones. In Smith County, the new FM 849 Bridge at Hideaway is scheduled to open to traffic this week. A ribbon cutting event is scheduled for 9 a.m., Tuesday, March 27, on the bridge. Work on the project will continue. Additional project information is available in the Smith County section of this news release. Work on the NETRMA’s Toll 49 Lindale Relief Route project will necessitate the contractor closing the left lane of the eastbound mainlanes to traffic Monday through Wednesday, March 26-28. The closure will be in place from FM 849 to FM 411. Local law enforcement will be assisting with work zone traffic control. For more information, visit TXDoT’s Webpage: http://www.txdot.gov/
TYLER — Tyler ISD trustees will vote Monday evening on a complete revision of elementary school attendance zones. That follows recent approval of new middle and high school attendance zones for the next school year. Several elementary schools have split zones dating to TISD’s days under a federal desegregation order that has since been lifted. Officials say the current situation puts some students far away from their schools, making for some excessively long bus trips. Officials also point out that demographics have changed significantly since the 1970 desegregation order, with the district now about 72 per cent minority. Read the rest of this entry »
HALLSVILLE — A student at Hallsville ISD’s fourth-and-fifth grade campus is facing criminal charges after the child threatened to “shoot up†the school, according to Superintendent Jeff Collum. According to the Longview News-Journal, officials declined to identify the student because of his age. The student faces a charge of terroristic threat. Collum said Friday that the student’s threat was overheard Thursday by another person. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man remained jailed Friday after police said he stabbed a man in his home. According to our news partner KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Carlo Demond Young, 39, was held on $100,000 bond, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Lakeport police arrested Young at 12:42 p.m. Thursday at Texas 149 near Jaguars club. The victim told officers that on March 10 a man named “Joe†had stabbed him, sending him to the hospital with two wounds to the back of his upper torso, according to a warrant for Young’s arrest. At the time, the victim told officers the man assaulted him over a $20 debt and then left the scene.
TYLER — An enticing a child charge against a former East Texas high school volleyball coach has been dismissed due to “insufficient evidence.” According to records obtained by KETK, the Smith County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the charge against ex-Brook Hill volleyball coach Ricky Clements, 64, of Flint, on Friday, March 16. Clements, aka “Papa Ricky,” was arrested by the Bullard Police Department on October 21, 2015, after they said he was sending inappropriate text messages to a 16-year-old boarding school student. The DA’s office said due to the “unique facts” of this particular case, they did not have sufficient evidence to prove the element of “intent to interfere with lawful custody” as required by the statue.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — Six Jacksonville men have pleaded guilty following a drug trafficking investigation in the East Texas. Keyonta Monquan Johnson, 23, Carlton Deshan Johnson, 28, Lenard Donnell Atkins, 31, David Lee Williams, 32, Carlos Brejohn Battle, 33 (pictured) and Jimendrick Clenon Shedd, 37 each pleaded guilty to possession. The plea hearings were held on Mar. 21 and Mar. 22. The defendants were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Oct. 18, 2017, charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler says it is not responsible for damage to vehicles due to the slag/sand mixture it used to de-ice roads in January. According to KETK, Tyler drivers had complained of ruined tires after driving on slag-covered roadways and blamed the city. Jenny Wells, public relations specialist for the City of Tyler, said the city had received a total 34 claims notices related to the use of the slag/sand mixture. The claims were forwarded to the City’s Third Party Claim Administrator, Innovative Risk Management, for review. INR “performed an independent evaluation and found that the City is not liable for property damage caused to tires by the use of this material on the streets during this ice event,” Wells said. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Sheriff Larry Smith and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Bullard Southern Baptist Church, are offering “free active shooter training†to the public. The training, “Civilian Response to Active Shooter Eventsâ€, teaches what happens during an event. The training will be Thursday March 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. at the Bullard Southern Baptist Church, 716 N. Houston Street, in Bullard. This subject is graphic and some portions of the training may not be suitable for children. Parents are strongly encouraged to “not†bring children younger than 13 to the training. For more information on the Smith County Sheriff’s Office visit http://www.smithcountysheriff.com. The Sheriff’s Office also has a Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter at @SmithCSO.
TYLER — Tyler Police are searching for a man accused of impersonating an officer. Around 12:30 this morning, a woman said she was pulled over at the intersection of South Broadway and FM 2813 by a dark colored SUV with red and blue dash mounted lights. The victim said a white male, in his 30’s, with scruffy facial hair, approached her vehicle and demanded money from her purse. After showing him she had none, he grabbed her by the head and slammed her face on the steering wheel, causing minor injuries. He fled the scene on FM 2813. The suspect was wearing a black hat, black gloves and blue jeans. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tyler Police at 903-531-1000.