Today is
Saturday June 13, 2026
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.
HARRISON COUNTY — A Marshall woman has died after she was hit by a semi. According to the DPS report, around 12:30 Saturday afternoon, Lea Celeste Williford, 32, was walking on the shoulder of I-20, 7 miles west of Waskom. Officials said she ran into the path of the tractor trailer. Williford was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported and the incident remains under investigation.
HENDERSON COUNTY — A known drug dealer has been arrested after leading deputies on a high speed chase Thursday. The Henderson County Sheriff said Bill Monday, 33, was believed to be in Athens with a large amount of illegal narcotics. He refused to stop his motorcycle and led law enforcement on a lengthy chase through Athens before he was eventually arrested. Monday was booked into the Henderson County Jail on several charges including manufacture and delivery of a substantial amount of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and evading arrest.
TYLER — Tyler Police responded to a report of shots fired on Shiloh Road just before 9:30 Thursday night. Witnesses said the shots were fired at The Waterton on Shiloh and that the possible suspect left the scene. Witnesses followed the suspect to Chelsea Creek Apartments until officers arrived. Juan Carlos Garcia, 21, was believed to be the person of interest. A gun was found at the scene. Garcia was booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of robbery, deadly conduct, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana. Bond has not been set. No injuries were reported.
HARLETON — Harleton ISD announced Wednesday the resignation of their superintendent after he was reinstated following an investigation. According to KETK, action had been taken against Dr. Greg Coleman at a school board meeting on February 20. He was placed on leave during the investigation, however, the school district never released a reason for their decision. In the most recent release, the school board cited a difference in philosophy. The school board will soon begin its search for a new superintendent as not to disrupt the district’s operations. Tina Cox is the current acting superintendent. Coleman had been the superintendent for the school district since 2007.
SULPHUR SPRINGS (AP) – Texas and federal agriculture authorities are testing birds and poultry in a northeast Texas county after inspectors detected a low-pathogenic form of avian flu at a poultry farm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the H7N1 influenza was found last week during routine surveillance of a commercial breeder’s flock of about 24,000 chickens in Hopkins County, about 75 miles northeast of Dallas. Authorities now are testing other poultry within about 6 miles of the Hopkins County farm. Federal officials last week confirmed a similar occurrence at a turkey farm in southwestern Missouri but said it poses no risk to the food chain.
UPSHUR COUNTY — A Gilmer woman has been accused of leaving two toddlers home alone. According to KETK, deputies arrested Shaina Workman, 24, of Gilmer. She is charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child. Upshur County deputies said they were at her home Wednesday afternoon for 45 minutes before she returned. Workman admitted to going to Longview with another person, leaving a one year old and two year old by themselves. The children were unharmed and have been turned over to Child Protective Services. Workman’s bonds total $60,000.
TYLER — In a hotly contested Republican race, Jacob Putman prevailed over Alicia Barkley and will be Smith County’s next district attorney. He told KTBB he’s very pleased with the outcome, saying it’s very encouraging. He said his family, friends and church had been working really hard on the election and expressed gratitude that the voters “saw the truth.” Putman says there’s a lot of work to do in the next several months, saying, “Between now and January we’ll be getting ready to have a smooth transition so that we can prepare to make Smith County the safest place it can be.” Gregg County will also be getting a new DA, with Tom Watson unseating incumbent Carl Dorrough.
UPSHUR COUNTY – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Department has announced Tony Glenn Dillard, 42, has been charged with the murder of Joseph Regan, 28 of Hallsville. He was stabbed around 4:00 Sunday morning outside a game room on Highway 259 South in Diana. He later died at a Longview Hospital. Dillard was later found hiding under a bridge in the area of Farm Road 3245 and Highway 259. He is being held under a $750,000 bond.
TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of March 5th. Schedules are always subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.
SMITH COUNTY — Night work necessitating full lane closures of I-20 is planned for the FM 849 Bridge Replacement Project at Hideaway. Traffic will be moved to the ramps overnight Tuesday and Wednesday as the contractor removes bridge forms. Eastbound lanes will be closed from 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 to 6 a.m., Wednesday, March 7. Westbound will be shut down from 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 7 until 6 a.m., and Thursday, March 8. Use alternate routes to avoid delays. Read the rest of this entry »
GLADEWATER (AP) — A boat parade planned for this weekend in Gladewater in East Texas has had to be rescheduled because there’s too much water. Heavy rains last week have led to flooding along the Sabine River, where a Mardi Gras boat parade regatta was planned for Saturday. Organizers said it’s been reset for later this month. Residents say low-lying roads near the river typically get flooded after heavy rains. In this latest round of flooding, the swollen river has inundated roads as far as a half-mile from the river.
GREGG COUNTY — An East Texas woman has been found guilty of unlawful restraint and assault on a local doctor. According to KETK, a Gregg County jury sentenced Crystal Ausborn, 37, to five years in prison for the unlawful restraint, while tacking on an addition two years for burglary of a building for an assault on a pediatrician. On March 13, 2017, a pediatrician with the Diagnostic Clinic of Longview was working after hours in her private office on the third floor of 707 Hollybrook Drive. The physician was alone on the pediatric floor when Ausborn entered her office, unexpectedly, and began hitting and punching the doctor in the face. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department is investigating the deaths of two people. Officers were conducting a welfare check around 1:40 Friday afternoon at a home on Fannin Street. The bodies of two men, 31-year-old Leon Bowman and 30-year-old Justin C. Williams, both of Marshall, were found inside the duplex. During their investigation, it was discovered that 46-year-old Jesus Molina Delatorre killed Bowman and Williams before fleeing the scene. Delatorre is listed as the sole tenant in the residence where Williams and Bowman’s bodies were found. A warrant was issued for Delatorre charging him with Capital Murder. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575 or Marshall/Harrison County Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969.
LONGVIEW — A Longview man was jailed Thursday on $3,500 bond after threatening to slam a police officer to the ground. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, Tristan Terrell Taylor, 21, is charged with terroristic threat against a peace officer. Longview police arrested Taylor around 8:30 Wednesday night on Webster Street. Taylor became “extremely aggressive and started to clinch his fists†when an officer asked if he was a subject in a previous call, police said. The officer said Taylor pointed at the officer’s uniform and suggested he could “take my weapon from me,†the officer wrote. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man has been arrested for the alleged rape and murder of his girlfriend in the fall of 2017. According to KETK, Mark Howerton, 22, surrendered to the Bexar County Magistrate’s Office Wednesday in connection with the beating death of Trinity University cheerleader Cayley Mandadi, 18, of League City. Howerton is a 2015 graduate of Grace Community School in Tyler. Howerton’s bond was set at $225,000. Court documents showed Mandadi died from a violent beating. Read the rest of this entry »