Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
TYLER — A twice-deported Mexican national has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations, according to acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Jose Mercedes Saucedo-Guerrero, 34, a Mexican national illegally living in Longview, was stopped for a traffic violation in Kilgore.
During the stop, officers deployed a K9 to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle, resulting in a positive alert for the presence of a controlled substance. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 2,972 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed Saucedo-Guerrero was unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously prosecuted and deported on two separate occasions for immigration crimes.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Beginning Monday, June 23, the eastbound right lane of I-20, at Grand Saline Creek (east of mile marker 531), will be closed for repairs to a sinkhole near the bridge slab. Work is expected to occur primarily during daylight hours; however, a nighttime closure may be necessary early in the week.
The lane closure is anticipated to remain in place through Friday, June 27. Motorists should expect delays and are advised to use caution in the work zone.
TYLER — CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler held a memorial service on Thursday to honor four medics that lost their lives in the line of duty in 1988 and 1989. According to our news partner KETK, the National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) travels across the U.S. every year to honor emergency medical services personnel that died while in the line of duty. This year, NEMSMS planned to make a total of 29 stops in 19 states and one of those stops was at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.
A ‘Tree of Life’ memorial was held to honor three CHRSITUS ‘Flight for Life’ crew members who died in an air medical accident on Feb. 13, 1989 and another medic who died in 1988. The ‘Tree of Life’ is a memorial board that displays an image of an oak tree with the names, agencies and dates of loss of every honoree engraved on the leaves. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center announced the 2025-26 “Big Names, Big Entertainment” season. Featuring Broadway hits, family-friendly programming and soaring artists, the season is packed with entertainment legends and legendary performances.
“I’m so excited by all that this season has to offer,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD. “We are honored to present such world class talent for East Texas audiences to enjoy. We want the Cowan Center to be widely utilized, so we’ve designed a season that has broad appeal.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A custodial death report from the Texas Attorney General’s office has released more information about a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in the Cascades earlier this month. According to our news partner KETK, on June 5, members of the Tyler Police Department were dispatched to a home in the 3100 block of Cascades Court after receiving reports of a suspicious person on a property.
According to the report, a homeowner stated that she was currently getting divorced from a man identified as John O’Kelly, and that he was given a court order restricting him from returning to the home.
The homeowner was out of the house at the time but told officers that O’Kelly had returned to the home and was seen on home security cameras assaulting her father. The report stated that one officer arrived on the scene, observed damage to the backdoor and began attempting to negotiate with O’Kelly to go outside the home. Read the rest of this entry »
HAWKINS — The Hawkins City Council voted to remove their last city police officer on Monday night but residents said they don’t agree with the council’s decision and are nervous to be left without coverage. According to our news partner KETK, many people have openly opposed the decision, including resident and former Hawkins city councilwoman Eleta Taylor.
“I am extremely disappointed in this council,” Taylor said. “That decision just opened us up so vulnerably because we’re not going to have no protection.”
She said several people have expressed their concern to her. After the council meeting ended Monday night, several people told KETK News that they are both scared and disappointed.
“Gut-wrenching fear for what is going to happen,” community member Amy Pack said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Habitat for Humanity of Smith County has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation to support its Critical Repairs Program. This funding will help provide essential home repairs for qualifying low-income homeowners in Smith and Cherokee Counties—enhancing safety, restoring livability, and extending the life of aging homes.
“At Habitat for Humanity of Smith County, we believe everyone deserves a decent place to live,” said Noemy Rivera, Director of Critical Repair. “This grant is vital to our mission and will directly improve the quality of life for families in need by making their homes safer and more livable.”
June Deadrick, Vice President of Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy, added, “The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is proud to support Habitat for Humanity of Smith County in its efforts to preserve affordable housing. By investing in critical home repairs, we’re helping to improve living conditions for vulnerable families in Smith and Cherokee Counties.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Tyler City Council approved a resolution supporting the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA) grant application for the Midtown to Downtown Shared Use Path. According to a news release, the project aims to create a 2.5-mile, 10-foot-wide shared-use path connecting some of Tyler’s most visited destinations, including Tyler Junior College, the future UT Tyler School of Medicine, UT Health East Texas, Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital, Downtown Tyler and the new Smith County Courthouse.
The route would stretch from East Fifth Street to South Broadway Avenue, creating a safe, accessible trail for community members, students and employees traveling on foot, by bike or by mobility device.
The proposed path includes wide concrete trails designed to meet ADA standards, pedestrian lighting, access ramps, crosswalks, pedestrian hybrid beacons at signalized intersections, signage, and enhancements to drainage and grading for improved accessibility and safety in these high-traffic areas. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Continuous days of rain have pummeled East Texas this week and the roads are paying the price, according to our news partner KETK. “We’ve seen a lot of damage to the roads, the rain, just the sheer amount of rain we’ve had,” Smith County Commissioner Precinct 2, John Moore said. The rain left its mark by closing at least five roads in Smith County on Wednesday. The rain is also affecting already damaged roadways, according to Moore.
“You had roads that were compromised because of gophers, leafcutter ants, and other things that nature puts on our roadways, that’s bad enough, but some of this flooding has been bad enough that it really wouldn’t have mattered what was going on,” Moore said.
He explains that the amount of rain is too much for the already saturated areas, leading to compounding road damage. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler approved the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) safety improvement project and new upgrades to a state highway on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, more than 700 crashes have occurred between 2015 to 2024 on State Highway 110, according to TxDOT, and 16 percent resulted in severe injuries or fatalities. TxDOT is designing methods to improve safety.
“It is requested that the City Council adopt a resolution of support that authorizes and directs the City Manager or the City Manager’s designees to participate with TxDot in the design of a safety project on State Highway 110 from north of Aberdeen Drive to County Road 2123,” Traffic Engineer Cameron Williams said. “The funding is coming from TxDOT but they don’t want to do something without the city’s involvement and support.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A portion of County Road 2173 that suffered a culvert washout due to heavy rains has been closed until the pipe can be replaced. Also known as Carl Dowdy Road, the closed portion of the road is near Paluxy and southwest of Whitehouse. The road will be closed until the pipe comes in and can be repaired. Please use an alternate route.
Smith County has a road closure map on their website. Click here to see what roads or county buildings are closed.
TYLER — Beginning Tuesday, June 24, at 7 a.m., Neighborhood Services will reopen its Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List for the first time since the pandemic. Applications will be accepted online only through 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, allowing eligible applicants to access housing assistance.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is the federal government’s primary tool for helping low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities afford safe, decent homes in the private rental market. Accepted applicants may use the assistance to lease single-family homes, apartments, or townhomes, not limited to public housing units.
“Access to housing is foundational. It is what helps families build stability and move forward,” said Prentice Butler, Housing Manager for the City of Tyler. “Reopening this list gives our residents a fair shot at finding a safe place to live and thrive.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Texas Rangers are investigating a fatal shooting involving Tyler Police. According to a news release from the Tyler Police Department, at approximately 7:00 p.m. on June 5, officers were originally dispatched to a residence on Cascades Court regarding a suspicious person, but was changed to a disturbance with a subject inside of the home. Details are limited but officials said officers entered the residence and a shooting involving an officer occurred. The subject was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as John Augustine Tangney O’Kelly, 38, from Tyler.
In accordance with departmental policy, the investigation has been turned over to the Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers. The investigation is ongoing. The Tyler Police Department said additional information will be released once available.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 22-year-old Alto woman for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and endangering a child after an altercation on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, deputies were sent to the 5400 block of FM 1638 just north west of Nacogdoches at around 12:40 p.m. on Sunday following a reported altercation.
Rayla Eleigha Upshaw, of Alto, allegedly crashed the back of her vehicle into the front of another vehicle. Upshaw reportedly had a one-year-old child in her vehicle at the time of the crash.
Upshaw was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and endangering a child. She’s currently being held at the Nacogdoches County Jail on a total bond of $60,000.
TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court received a progress report on the courthouse construction project on Tuesday, June 3. According to a news release from Smith County, Brandy Ziegler, partner with Fitzpatrick Architects, has been working on the project for more than two years and said, “it’s wonderful to watch this plan come to life,” as the 100-plus-year building is constructed. She noted that the Hoar Construction team moved with their families to Tyler for the project.
“We want you to understand the hard work and dedication that goes into this project every day,” Stephen Flournoy, project executive for Hoar Construction, said, adding that the project is 35 percent complete.
“We are one-third of the way there,” he said, adding that the cost and timing of where the project is right now is where they want to be.
Bradley Barr, Senior Superintendent for Hoar Construction, gave some “high-level statistics” about the construction project. They include: Read the rest of this entry »