Today is
Sunday June 14, 2026
KILGORE — A 62-year-old Kilgore man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after officials said he inappropriately touched a 6-year-old child multiple times, according to the Longview News-Journal. Roy Lynn Avance was charged with two counts of indecency with a child. He pleaded guilty to both counts and was sentenced this past week in the 124th District Court by Judge Alfonso Charles, court records show. In addition to his prison sentence, Charles ordered Avance to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
SMITH COUNTY — A 28-year-old man has been arrested following a Sunday afternoon shooting. It happened around 4:30 at a home on Southern Trace Circle in Flint. One person was shot in the leg following a domestic dispute. Paul Jordan, Flint, was booked into the Smith County Jail on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Bond has not been set.
LONGVIEW – A suspect has been arrested in a Longview homicide. Booked into the Gregg County Jail on the murder charge is Dominique Shaquille Harvey, 22, of Longview. He is charged in the shooting death of Cameron Taye Brooks, 19, of Tyler. He was a student at Tyler Junior College. It happened around 1:00 Thursday morning at the Highland Village Apartments on West Loop 281. Police say Brooks was found dead in the roadway. The death is Longview’s 5th of the year.
WINONA — Two people have died following a crash into a building, which then sparked a fire. It happened around 4:30 Thursday morning at Uncle Mike’s Pizza and Pasta on Main Street in Winona. According to the Department of Public Safety, the vehicle was traveling north on Hwy 155 when it veered off and crashed into the building. According to KETK, the driver and passenger in the vehicle were killed. Positive identity has not been made due to the extent of the blaze. Multiple fire crews were at the scene. Four dogs inside the building, which was destroyed, also died in the fire — but five puppies, each a day old, were saved. The restaurant owners and their son, who had been living upstairs, also escaped. The incident remains under investigation.
GILMER — A Gilmer woman faces criminal charges in two counties after police said she took a merchandise-filled shopping cart out of a Longview Walmart without paying, that’s according to the Longview News-Journal. Gabrielle Nichole Gillaspy, 19, was arrested Tuesday at the Walmart on Gilmer Road, where Longview police said she stole items valued at $632. Officers said they also found two small green pills later identified as Clonazepam while searching Gillaspy, who gave a fake name and date of birth. Read the rest of this entry »
WHITE OAK — The White Oak Police Department said an East Texas woman who they say was kidnapped overnight by her ex-boyfriend has been found safe. According to KETK, Melissa Maythe Zapata, 19, was taken from her home by her ex-boyfriend, Dylon Benefield, 21, around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Benefield is said to be a member of the Southside Bloods gang. The investigation is ongoing.
TYLER — The Tyler Independent School District School Board met last night to discuss the possible name change of Robert E. Lee High School. According to KETK, no “official” decision has been made. Residents on both sides of the issue got a chance to voice their concerns. At the meeting, one school board member commented that if a vote to change the name of Robert E. Lee is made, other schools like John Tyler High School should also be changed. Because of their connection to slavery, some say anything named after Lee or Tyler should be renamed. This follows a recent school board meeting where community members argued for and against the Robert E. Lee High School name. 43 people spoke on the subject at the August 21 meeting. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — A Longview man is being held in the Gregg County Jail after police say he pulled out a gun and aimed it at a car on Jaycee Drive. According to the Longview News-Journal, Bobby Ray Manns, 34, is held on bonds totaling $26,000. He’s been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a Rusk County charge of possession of marijuana. Longview police said two people were driving Saturday on Jaycee Drive when Manns pulled out in front of them. When they attempted to pass Manns’ vehicle, he pointed a gun at them. He was stopped a short time later. Inside the front seat of the vehicle, police found a loaded black .45-caliber handgun.
SMITH COUNTY — One person is dead following an early morning crash in Smith County. The one vehicle wreck happened around 1:00 Sunday morning on FM 346, 2 miles east of Whitehouse. According to the Department of Public Safety report, the driver of a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis, identified as Paul Lee Hawthorne, 31, of Dallas, was traveling west on FM 346 when he lost control and struck a tree. Hawthorne was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger, identified Zytrinka Doyle, 23, of Mabelvale, Arkansas was transported to East Texas Medical Center in serious condition.
SMITH COUNTY — One man has been taken to the hospital in critical condition following a shooting Sunday at Eagle Creek Ranch, off Highway 271. Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said the victim, a black male, suffered a life threatening gunshot wound. Deputies responded to the location around 1:00 following a 911 call. The victim was found in a wooded area, along with his vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an undisclosed location to be processed. The investigation is ongoing.
EAST TEXAS — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of September 18, 2017. These 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. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — A Foster Middle School student who officials said brought a loaded handgun to school has been taken into custody on a directive to apprehend, according to the Longview News-Journal. The student is facing a charge of places weapons prohibited, a felony. The student’s identity is not being released because of his or her age. A Foster staff member found a loaded .380 pistol Tuesday hidden in a bathroom. The district said Tuesday that no other students or staff were in the bathroom, and there were no direct threats made. Parents were notified of the incident through a mass recorded call. Parents are now planning a meeting with the school’s principal to discuss security. This incident is the second known gun-related incident at the campus this calendar year.
TYLER — A Tulsa, Oklahoma, man is in critical condition after he was hit by a vehicle Friday morning just before 6:30 on Highway 271 North near Loop 323 in Tyler. According to a news release, police determined that a pickup was traveling northbound in the outside lane. 27-year-old Eric Feuerborn was walking southbound on the shoulder of the same lane. He stepped out in front of the vehicle as it approached. The driver of the vehicle was not found at fault.
TYLER — An East Texas couple will spend decades behind bars for sexually assaulting children. According to KETK, Johnny Crocker, 57, and Angela Crocker, 42, both of Whitehouse, entered a guilty on Thursday. The husband, a former law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on each of five counts of aggravated sexual assault. The sentences will be served concurrently. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — More information was issued Wednesday following the announcement of a big merger announced earlier in the day. ETMC will partner with Ardent Health Services and The University of Texas System. With that merger they are hoping to expand by bringing in more job opportunities and better education. The partnership will invest $150 million for improvements over five years and provide other resources to support the operation. Ardent will assume majority ownership and day-to-day operations of the new system. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. This past February, ETMC leadership began the search for a strategic partner to assist the organization.