Today is
Monday November 25, 2024
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a Sunday night fire that resulted in the deaths of a mother and daughter in Lindale. Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said the call came in at 10:18 p.m. Sunday, March 17, 2024, that a brick home on north College Street was on fire. The Lindale Fire Department responded and requested that the Smith County Fire Marshal assist in the investigation. Hogue identified the women who died as Ruby Martinez, who would have turned 84 on March 20, and her daughter, Gloria Clark, 67. Autopsies have been ordered on both women.
Two engines and a battalion chief from Emergency Services District 2 also responded to help put out the fire, which resulted in a total loss of the home. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office.
TYLER — Tyler Police are working an auto/pedestrian crash in the 1800 blk of W. Front Street. All eastbound traffic is closed from Lyons Ave to Peach Ave. Police and emergency personnel are in the roadway and ask that drivers avoid this area if possible. The pedestrian was transported to UT Main with life threatening injuries. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian remained on scene. The accident did not occur at a crosswalk or intersection. This case remains under investigation.
TYLER — Beginning March 18, Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) crews will be checking customers’ water meter boxes to determine the water service line material. TWU staff will be out from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on the weekends. Crews will be wearing TWU uniforms and driving TWU trucks. They will NOT need to enter homes or businesses. Signs will be posted in the neighborhoods where crews are working, and customers will receive a door hanger notice before fieldwork begins in their area. The notice will inform customers that TWU will be checking their water meter box and asks that the area around the box be clear and accessible. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler will have a busy schedule for the three weeks as they prepare for the total solar eclipse that is expected to boost the local economy. According to our news partner KETK, The Azalea and Spring Flower Trail is expected to open on March 22. The city will open the Azalea and Spring Flower trail with more than ten miles of residential gardens with azaleas, tulips, wisteria and dogwood.
“There’s many, many beautiful historic homes to see, there’s so, so many beautiful flowers and not just azaleas, but a lot of other spring flowers,†Susan Travis, Visit Tyler vice president of sales, said. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office conducted a series of compliance checks on 152 registered sex offenders. Sheriff Joe Carter says they were assisted by Homeland Security, Texas Highway Patrol and others. Numerous arrests were made, including 3 for alleged possession of child sex-abuse material, 6 on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, 2 on charges of continuous sexual assault of a child and 3 on charges of indecency with a child. Three sex offenders were arrested for being non-compliant with registration and identification regulations.
TYLER — Investigators say a decomposed body discovered in rural part of the Rio Grande Valley this past weekend appears to be that of a missing Tyler woman. The woman has been tentatively identified as Laura McKeown, 52. Investigators are still waiting for a fingerprint match before making a positive identification. The body was found Sunday in a rural neighborhood north of Alamo. McKeown was reported missing by family members February 15th. She was known to be a carnival worker. Her death has been ruled a homicide. Authorities have not said how she died nor if there are any suspects in her death.
GLADEWATER — Robyn Bernard, famous for her work on “General Hospital”, is dead, according to TMZ. Riverside County Coroner tells TMZ they identified the actress’ body using her fingerprints after deputies responded to a death investigation call yesterday in the town of San Jacinto, CA. Robyn’s body was found in the early morning hours of March 12. The Riverside County Coroner says no cause of death has been determined yet. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Wednesday, but toxicology will take several weeks.
Robyn was born in Gladewater, Texas, and eventually carved out an acting career for herself with small parts in ’80s TV shows like “Diva,” “The Facts Of Life,” “Simon & Simon,” and “Tour of Duty.” Her big break came in 1984 on the soap opera “General Hospital” … playing the role of Terry Brock for 145 episodes until 1990. Her final credited acting role came in 2002, when she played a psychologist in the movie, “Voices From the High School.”
Since exiting the acting scene, Robyn kept a relatively private life, out of the spotlight. She was 64.
TYLER — USA TODAY has named Tyler as the best city to move to in Texas for its low unemployment rate, healthcare accessibility and low risk of damage from severe weather, our news partner KETK reports. According to the article, a research team ranked 52 Texas cities and Tyler rose above the rest.
“The top five cities may be a little unexpected, but low unemployment rates (3.5% or less), great medical care and safety are just some of the reasons they rise to the top,†Rachel Newcomb, contributor for USA TODAY, said. “Tyler is number one, followed by Laredo, New Braunfels, Cedar Park and Temple.†Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK COUNTY — The Rusk County Rescue Unit said they pulled a vehicle from the Angelina River on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the rescue unit said that Squad 1 responded to the river at FM 1798 between FM 225 and FM 839 and used a boat to assist in recovering the vehicle. The vehicle, which was found empty, was towed out of the water and has been turned over to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.
LONGVIEW — An arrest has been made in Gregg County after a death from a dog attack. Longview police have arrested 56-year-old Martin Rodriguez after an autopsy showed an unidentified 46-year-old man was killed by a dog. The man was found lying dead in a street beside a bicycle on February 1st with wounds that seemed to be from a dog attack. According to our news partner KETK, Rodriguez was being held without bond in the Gregg County Jail on multiple animal at large charges.
TYLER — Beginning Monday, March 11, crews will be repairing curb inlets along the outside northbound lane of South Broadway Avenue from 1st Street to Shaw Street. Portions of the northbound lane will be closed throughout the week. Drivers can expect delays. Motorists are asked to use caution while traveling on this road, as workers will be present.
MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department said that a card skimming device was recently found at a QuikTrip gas station off of Interstate 20 near Marshall. According to our news partner KETK, Marshall Police released the following statement:
“Attention, Marshall residents! A skimming device was recently discovered at a local gas station near I20 (QT), thanks to the vigilance of a community member. Skimmers can steal your card information when you pay at the pump, leading to unauthorized transactions and financial headaches.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Police have arrested three suspects wanted in a reported carjacking Friday afternoon. According to officials, just before 12:30, officers were dispatched to the intersection of W. Queen St. and N. Ross Ave. in reference to an aggravated robbery that had just occurred. The victim told officers he was approached by a black male while sitting in his vehicle. The male pointed a handgun at him and demanded his vehicle. The victim complied and exited the vehicle, at which time the suspect got into the victims Chevy Tahoe and drove away. Additional officers flooded the area and began searching for the stolen vehicle. A short time later, an officer spotted the vehicle at a business located on Hwy. 31 W, near Patton Lane. When the driver of the vehicle saw the approaching officers, he fled the scene at which time officers pursued the vehicle. The pursuit was short lived, as the driver pulled over and stopped a short distance away. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — In 2023, factors such as “unsafe speed”, “failure to drive in a single lane” and “alcohol-related DUI” contributed to 184 fatal crashes and 209 total deaths in the Tyler District. The TxDOT Tyler District, which includes Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, and Wood Counties, released preliminary numbers revealing the top-five contributing factors of fatal crashes in 2023: Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department is doing away with the two free bulky item collection weeks each year. Starting March 4, residential customers who receive curbside collection services (excluding multi-family home communities and businesses) can request two bulky waste pick-ups each calendar year at no charge by using the online form found here. Customers will need to place their items on the curb before completing the online form.
Residents may request more than two bulky item collections within a calendar year, but the additional collections will be handled as a special collection request where a fee is charged based on the size and quantity of the items. Read the rest of this entry »