Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
UPSHUR COUNTY — The Union Grove ISD Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting this week to discuss the potential resignation of the district’s superintendent, who has been under investigation since June for failing to report a crime that occurred on campus. According to our news partner KETK, the special meeting will be held on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Lion Center Auditorium. One of the items on the agenda will be to consider a resignation agreement between the district and current superintendent Kelly Moore.
The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating Moore for failure to report a student who allegedly engaged in invasive visual recording of another student, which is considered a felony in Texas. The investigation remains active, and Moore could potentially face charges for failure to report, which is a misdemeanor. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Pets Fur People has turned away animals for more than a month because they are at max capacity. According to our news partner KETK, Pets Fur People in Smith County has more than 100 animals in their care, all of them needing “furever” homes.
“That does not even include the ones that are abandoned, found on the road, dropped off at our fence, tied to the fence, left in boxes,” Pets Fur People executive director Holli Jones said.
They are just one of many shelters facing overcrowding and no longer taking in furry friends. Jones said that the summer is when they see an uptick in abandonment. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities has launched new in-store payment options that allow customers to pay their utility bills while shopping at familiar neighborhood stores like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Dollar General. “This is about meeting people where they are,” said Water Business Office Manager Chris Cambra. “We’re committed to making it as simple and convenient as possible for every customer to manage their account.”
According to Paymentus, the City’s payment processor, nearly 60 percent of customers either prefer to pay in cash or continue to do so regularly, and 87 percent of the U.S. population lives within three miles of a participating retailer.
“These changes are rooted in respect for our customers’ time,” Cambra said. “We know how frustrating it can be to wait on hold or juggle errands. Now, you can pay your bill while shopping or get a call back instead of waiting in line. It’s about making the process smoother, faster and more convenient.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Police are out with a warning about scam phone calls targeting elderly victims. According to a news release from the department, the scammers will claim to be local, state, or federal law enforcement. They are asking victims to withdraw money to purchase gift cards, Green Dot cards, or deposit money into crypto currency (Bitcoin) ATMs.
In a recent case that was reported to Tyler PD, the victim was contacted by a person claiming to be with the sheriff’s office telling her she had a federal warrant for her arrest for missing jury duty. They even provided the victim with a copy of a fake warrant of arrest from a US District Court with her name on it. The victim received the call from a “spoofed” phone number indicating it was from Smith County 911. A person identified themselves as a Sergeant and gave a badge number to further the scam. They told her they would arrest her if she didn’t pay the money. They even connected the caller to their supervisor, adding another person to help try and legitimize the scam. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — A man has been arrested after allegedly committing arson at an apartment complex in Longview, according to the Longview Fire Department. According to our news partner KETK, after receiving reports of a structure fire inside a unit in the Lake Lamond Apartments on July 3, firefighters arrived on the scene and reported smoke coming from the apartment, identifying it as a working fire.
The fire was quickly brought under control, and the damage was limited to one apartment unit. It was later determined that the fire had been intentionally set, and damage was assessed at $50,000. No injuries were reported at the time of the fire.
Following an investigation, Dominique Terry was identified as a suspect. On Tuesday, Terry was arrested and transported to the Gregg County Jail, with his bond set at $ 100,000.
LINDALE — A Lindale veterinarian is asking East Texans to donate supplies that will help comfort animals that were affected by the recent floods in Kerrville and Central Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the Lindale Veterinary Clinic is asking East Texans to donate various supplies to the Kerrville and Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Donation Center in Lindale. One of the clinic’s veterinarians has ties to the area and wants to make sure that animals in need are not forgotten during rescue efforts.
The center is asking for the following supplies which will go toward assisting many animals caught in the recent flood: Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE: Dyke’s memorial service will be held at the Green Acres Baptist Church on July 9 starting at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers Dykes family requests that donations are made to the Green Acres Foundation.
TYLER — Former Green Acres Baptist Church Pastor David Dykes has died, sources close to the family confirmed on Thursday morning. The church said it will release additional information regarding arrangements later Thursday afternoon. Details into Dykes’ death are unknown. His family requests privacy during this time.
According to our news partner KETK, Dykes began preaching in 1970, and went on to serve as the senior pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church from 1991 to 2021. He then served as Pastor Emeritus of Green Acres.
He was also the author of several books, including Handling Life’s Disappointments, Ten Requirements for America’s Survival, and Angels Really DO exist. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — During this year’s legislative session, Texas lawmakers created several new laws to amplify the fight against financial crimes, including the expansion of the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. According to our news partner KETK, the expansion is developing more opportunities for the center to combat financial crimes related to card skimmers, fuel theft and payment fraud.
“The more we delve into this, it’s kind of like a Pandora’s Box,” Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center Director Adam Colby said. “The more energy we put into the fight, the more we uncover, and it just seems to be nonstop.”
In Senate Bill One, Texas lawmakers quadrupled the center’s funding, allowing for major expansion across the state and taking their team from 15 people to 41. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — There will be a 4th of July celebration and fireworks show at Lindsey Park this Friday. The gates will open at 3pm. The fireworks show will start around 9:15pm. Tyler Police advise drivers that at 9pm, Spur 364 will be closed to all traffic between Loop 323 and Greenbriar Road. After the fireworks show all eastbound traffic on Spur 364 will have to turn right onto Loop 323. Traffic on Loop 323 will not be allowed to turn west onto Spur 364 while the show is exiting which could take up to 1 hour. Officers will be stationed at Spur 364/Loop 323, Greenbriar/Hwy 64 W and DPS Troopers will be at Spur 364/Hwy 31 W.
UPDATE: A sixth person has died from Saturday’s multi-vehicle crash on I-20 near Kaufman County that occurred when an 18-wheeler driver fell asleep at the wheel, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas DPS said all passengers of a Ford F-150 and the driver of a Jeep Compass were pronounced dead following the incident. Officials are still investigating and no additional information is available at this time.
KAUFMAN COUNTY – At least five people are dead and others are hurt after a crash on I-20 near Terrell on Saturday afternoon after the driver of an 18-wheeler fell asleep behind the wheel, according to Texas DPS. KDFW reports, the crash happened around 2:40 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-20, just east of Hiram Road.
A total of three 18-wheelers and four passenger cars were involved in the crash. Texas DPS says the driver of one of the 18-wheelers fell asleep behind the wheel and slammed into multiple other vehicles. The 18-wheeler first hit an F-150 carrying five people, before crashing into two other 18-wheelers. One of the semis jack-knifed and struck a Jeep Compass, Ford Mustang and a Honda passenger vehicle.
Six people were killed in the crash and several others were injured. At least one is said to be in critical condition. Four of the people killed in the crash were in the F-150. The other was in the Jeep Compass. I-20 was closed for several hours on Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said they’ve been made aware of a new civil probate scam. The scam involves an email sent to an individual who had actually hired a local law firm to assist in probating an estate. This individual called their law firm, who in turn contacted the Smith County Clerk’s Office. The law firm was able to determine, through the County Clerk’s Office, that this was actually a fraudulent email.
The sender fraudulently used the name of our County Clerk and used a similar email through a Gmail account. The information was most likely obtained through public records by utilizing the internet. This could have easily been mistaken as a legitimate email and the recipient could have been victimized. Fortunately, the recipient felt unsure about the email and her attorney’s office took a pro-active approach. Read the rest of this entry »
JACKSONVILLE — A care unit team at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Jacksonville recently received a prestigious nursing award after their care for a traumatic brain injury patient. According to our news partner KETK, in February of 2024, 24-year-old Kaitlyn Dunn was the passenger in a motorcycle crash where the bike flipped and skidded more than 150 feet and crashed into an end-of-road barrier.
After being flower to a Houston-area hospital for care, she experienced several seizures. Her case was accepted by the Jacksonville team, but it would be a long and uncertain road to recovery ahead. In total, she spent about two months in the unit.
Her CHRISTUS team included nurses, nursing assistants, therapists, physicians, housekeepers, dietary staff and others. They all celebrated her small milestones – from first steps to sharing meals and creating art together. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Center for Opinion Research recently surveyed 1,154 Texas voters about their views on current state and national issues as well as hypothetical political primary match-ups in 2026. According to the poll conducted May 28 – June 7, respondents said the most important policy facing Texas today was the economy (inflation) at 21%, with securing the border being the second most cited policy at 19%. K-12 education was the distant third of the policy alternatives (10%) chosen by respondents.
“Although securing the border was a big issue that had an electoral impact in Texas in 2024, it appears that many voters are more worried about the economy now that the election is over, and the process of governing has started,” said Dr. Ken Wink, UT Tyler professor and interim center director.
Democrats, Independents and Republicans cited inflation as the first or second most important policy facing the state. Securing the border was the top choice of Republicans and the second most cited choice of Independents, but it was not in the top three choices of Democratic respondents, Wink noted. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — A three-year-old and five-year-old girl both died when the boat the were in lost power and capsized on Cedar Creek Lake in Henderson County on Sunday night. According to our news partner KETK, the 21-foot-long boat capsized at around 10 p.m. on Sunday when they were heading back into shore. 10 adults were on board and made it to shore but the two children got stuck under the hull.
The boat reportedly began to take on water because it was over loaded and was then turned over by choppy water on the lake. First responders attempted to search for the girls but the tide was against them and they were pinned under the dock. The boat was eventually overturned a few hours later and the girls were found
SMITH COUNTY — A man has pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in connection to a 2024 fatal crash that left two people dead on FM 2767. According to our news partner KETK, Jose Bravo Jr., was arrested for intoxication manslaughter after a red 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-350 was driving southwest on FM 2767 on May 27, 2024 and took “faulty evasive action to avoid striking a dog” causing the vehicle to leave the road, ejecting three people.
Jose Bravo Delgado and Santa Lucia Bravo both died after they were ejected from the vehicle. Bravo Jr. submitted his blood for a voluntary test and officials said he told them he had been drinking before the crash. According to Smith County judicial records, Bravo Jr. entered a guilty plea on Monday in front of Kerry L. Russel of the 7th Judicial District Court.
His sentencing hearing is set for July 24.