Today is
Friday July 24, 2026
AUSTIN — On Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Senate committee assignments for the 88th Legislature. Sen. Bryan Hughes was appointed chairman of the Committee on Jurisprudence and reappointed chairman for the Committee on State Affairs, our news partner KETK reports. Hughes is serving his second term in the Texas Senate, representing 16 counties in East Texas. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Emergency Services District 2 announced on Monday a new fire chief was hired “after an extensive search.†According to our news partner KETK, Fire Chief Eric Greaser assumed the role on Jan. 9. “I am honored to be of service to the citizens of Smith County and the members of Smith County ESD 2,†Greaser said. According to the department, Greaser comes to Smith County with over 30 years of fire service and most recently served as the fire chief for the town of Flower Mound. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — Local counties are seeing a big problem with animal dumping in rural areas. People who live in remote areas frequently see unwanted pets abandoned on county roads, which often turn to dirt or gravel, providing an easy spot to dump a dog or a cat without being seen. Upshur County Chief Deputy David Hazel says, “It would be a misconception to believe that most of these animals are taken in and given a good home.” Hazel  added that Upshur County handled 1,900 animal-related calls last year, many for stray or abandoned animals. He says dumping animals is a crime and the sheriff’s office will follow-up leads on anyone who dumps a dog or a cat. He says many deputies have adopted animals because the shelters are overwhelmed.
TYLER — UT Tyler has announced that Gov. Abbott will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for their new $308 million Medical Education Building on Monday, Jan. 23. According to our news partner KETK, the ceremony, which starts at 2 p.m., will be held at 1100 South Beckham Avenue. The ceremony will start with opening remarks and then they’ll break ground and take photos. The event concludes with a reception. UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife, UT Chancellor James Milliken and UT Tyler President Kirk Calhoun will be in attendance along with Gov. Abbott.
TYLER — No injuries reported following a fire Monday morning at the Sonic on South Broadway in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, fire crews arrived around 5:30 and said the fire is believed to have started in the grease vent. Traffic delays were reported for a time as crews worked the scene. There was no immediate word on how the fire might affect operations at the restaurant.
TYLER — Eleven Texas Republican members of Congress have written a letter to the Homeland Security Secretary demanding that he change the way he’s dealing with the border. The letter, sent Wednesday from freshman Congressman Morgan Luttrell, of Magnolia, and 10 others to Alejandro Mayorkas, reads in part, “The Department of Homeland Security states the purpose of the secretary is to secure and manage our borders; you have failed to do this job.” The letter was obtained by Fox News Digital. In addition to Luttrell, U.S. Representatives Kay Granger, Michael Burgess, Brian Babin, Dan Crenshaw, Lance Gooden, Ronny Jackson, Pete sessions, Nathaniel Moran, Keith Self and Beth Van Duyne also signed the letter.
ARP — An animal cruelty investigation that began last summer has led to the arrest of an Arp non-profit founder. Kym McRee is the founder of the organization “K-9’s & Heroes” which was established in 2020 to train support and service dogs for veterans. She has been arrested on a charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals. Bond was set at $10,000. Twenty animals – including several dogs – were taken from McKee’s home last August 15th. Officers said the dogs were emaciated and filthy, living in dirty cages and with no fresh water. McRee says she had been hospitalized for weeks and had left the animals in the care of a relative.
TYLER — $86,000 was handed out Tuesday at 17 Tyler ISD campuses. The Tyler ISD Grant Patrol delivered the news to educators that were named 2022-2023 Grants for Great Ideas recipients, our news partner KETK reports. “Grant Patrol is one of the highlights of our year. It’s a rewarding opportunity to partner on these projects with an amazing group of educators who aim to engage their students in new and creative ways,†Tyler ISD Foundation Executive Director Suzette Farr said. The 29 grants given to educators on 17 campuses will fund projects like honey bees at Tyler Legacy High School to supporting the district’s literacy bus and expand student learning in the STEAM lab at Orr Elementary School. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler blocked social media app TikTok from all campus internet networks effective Tuesday, the university announced. According to our news partner KETK, UT Tyler said this comes in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent directive that requires all state agencies to remove the app from state-issued devices and equipment to address cybersecurity risks. “UT Tyler is taking these important steps to eliminate risks to information contained in the university’s network and to our critical infrastructure,†the university said. The order does not apply to student-run accounts that are owned by student organizations, since they are not government or Texas state agency accounts. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY — Law enforcement and a SWAT team took a man into custody around 9:20 p.m. after he barricaded himself inside a home Tuesday, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said. According to our news partner KETK, the man was identified as 34-year-old Lionel Charles. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to execute a search warrant at a residence on CR 4126 around 5:30 Tuesday evening. The sheriff’s office and Jacksonville Police Department were investigating the residence due to reported stolen property when Charles barricaded himself in a rear bedroom with firearms. Charles was arrested without further incident.
TYLER — On Tuesday, the Smith County Commissioners Court voted to approve the eminent domain proceedings for two businesses on the east side of the square. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County hopes to acquire MJL Holdings at 206 and 214 East Erwin and Rodney Kamel’s at 211 East Ferguson. Smith County Judge Neal Franklin explained this has been a work in progress for years. “We’ve been working for quite some time now, even multiple years for purchasing property on the east side of the square to build our new courthouse,†he said. Franklin is hopeful the two business will accept the final offer letter they sent out recently, so they don’t have to move forward with the eminent domain. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that a Saturday evening fire of a school bus converted into a home was accidental. Around 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, Smith County Emergency Communications received calls reporting an explosion on Canyon Circle, in northern Smith County. After a preliminary investigation, the cause of the fire was an accidental fuel-air explosion most likely caused by a propane leak inside the school bus, which had been converted into a tiny home and was occupied by the resident at the time of the explosion, Smith County Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said. The bus was outfitted with gas and electric utilities. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Roadwork continues this week on the Rice Road sink hole in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the work started Sunday night, and closed a portion of Rice Road from S. Broadway Avenue to Old Bullard Road will be closed. Old Bullard Road will be closed to northbound traffic as well. “Once we found the sinkhole and we started excavating and digging down there it was almost like a pandora’s box of things that we kind of found,†said Kate Dietz, PE, City of Tyler Director of Utilities. “Traffic will still be able to go North and South on Old Bullard, similar to when we did the temporary pavement repair,†said Dietz. They hope to have the sinkhole repaired, the road repaved and be ready to open again by the end of the week. Problems began on Dec. 1 when Rice Road closed due to the discovery of the sinkhole. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center says it prevented tens of millions of dollars in losses last year connected to organized fraud. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the center’s first year in operation prevented loses of nearly $48.5-million. It also helped root out 396 credit card skimmers. The center opened last year in Tyler as the first-of-its-kind in the nation, putting various law enforcement agencies in coordination to the fraud. Beyond just gas pumps, the center has recorded what the state calls “an astronomical amount” of fraud from other types of credit card skimming committed by foreign nationals, including ATM and point-of-sale skimming that specifically targets state benefit cards.
HOUSTON (AP/Staff) — Lovie Smith of Big Sandy has been fired as coach of the Houston Texans on Sunday night after just one season where the team went 3-13-1. It’s the second straight season in which the Texans have fired a coach after just one year. They parted ways with David Culley last January after he went 4-13 in his only season.
TYLER — The queen of the 90th Texas Rose Festival is Laura Elaine Bryan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Arnold Bryan. The All Saints Episcopal School graduate and SMU sophomore was introduced Thursday evening along with her court and the festival theme, “The Story of Film.†Laura’s family has been involved with the festival since 1973 — she herself was an attendant to the queen in 2010. Laura says she’s honored to be chosen — and really looking forward to the big event. She tells KTBB, “I think the festival really just brings everyone together…It’s such a staple of Tyler, and it’s one of the first things people ask me about when I say I’m from here.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Smith County deputies are searching for two men who led law enforcement on a chase in Smith County on Wednesday. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said the suspects were driving a stolen truck with a flat bed trailer that were both taken from the Dallas area. According to our news partner KETK, the chase happened around 3:40 p.m. During the incident, the truck crossed a median on Interstate 20 near Santa Land. Santa Land closed on Wednesday, their last day of the season, while law enforcement looked for the two men. The suspects are still at large.
TYLER — A 19-year-old man has been arrested after a shooting on Rhones Quarter Road just after 3:00 Tuesday afternoon. Responding officers found a 41-year-old man in an ambulance receiving treatment for a single gunshot wound to the back. Officers were told that the shooter had left the scene in a vehicle… that vehicle, occupied by the suspect and a family member, was located in the Texas Bank parking lot. The suspect was arrested without incident. He has been named as Jacob Wayne Gore of Tyler. Police say he is in the Smith County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with a $250,000 bond. The victim was taken to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition. He has been identified as Dalton Morgan of Henderson.
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TYLER — The U.S. Congress began its new term Tuesday, but Nathaniel Moran will have to wait to become Texas District 1’s first new congressman in 18 years. Such action cannot be taken until a new speaker of the House is chosen, and that didn’t happen Tuesday. Moran, a former Smith County judge, won the seat in November by a wide margin. Once he takes office, what will be his top priorities? “The recession of the economy and border security by far are the top two issues people want us to address in Congress,†said Moran, on election night of 2022. Local party leaders said the Republican congressman has to be ready to hit the ground running. “It has to be determined which committee he gets on and that’s really gonna dictate a lot of what he’s going to be able to push forward as a freshman legislature,†said Smith County Republican Party Chair David Stein. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The National Weather Service Office in Shreveport has predicted severe thunderstorms for Tyler and the surrounding area beginning Monday, Jan. 2. Damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail, and locally heavy rainfall were deemed possible. The City of Tyler streets and stormwater crews will respond and intervene during a severe weather event where roads have washed out and other public facilities may be compromised. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1, stay on the line and DO NOT HANG UP until your call is answered. Answer all questions and follow instructions. The Tyler Police Department’s non-emergency line (903) 531-1000 should be used for all other calls and notifications, including traffic signal issues. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler announced that there would be no trash collection on Monday, Jan. 2. According to officials and our news partner KETK, trash collection will start up again on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The routes that are normally collected on Mondays will be collected on Tuesday and the routes that are collected on Tuesday will be collected on Wednesday. Thursday’s routes will be collected on Thursday, Jan. 5 as usual as well as Friday’s on Jan. 6. The Downtown Recycle Center, closed on Monday, Jan. 2, reopens on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
TYLER — UT Health Tyler celebrated a very special birthday on New Years Day. Edgar Espinoza Jr. was born at 5:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, making him the hospital’s first baby of the year. According to our news partner KETK, after ringing in the New Year with their family, the Espinoza’s did not know the hospital was going to be the first stop. “When we got home it was just instant back to back, just non-stop, pretty consistent contractions,†said the father, Edgar Espinoza Sr. When they arrived at the emergency room, the UT Health staff cheered mom on. “It actually did help and I remember as soon as he was born, I was like, so is he the first baby? And she said for sure here,†said the mother, Jessenia Espinoza. Junior came three weeks early and there were no complications during the birth. Read the rest of this entry »
WOOD COUNTY — 30-year-old Justin K. Fitzgerald of Mineola is dead after being hit and killed by a vehicle while fleeing from Wood County deputies on Wednesday around 6:30 p.m. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded to a call about shots fired east of Mineola off Highway 80. As deputies arrived, Fitzgerald ran into the woods. A perimeter was established and a short time later, the sheriff’s office said they were notified of several houses that were broken into near the area of FM 1801. Additional units arrived and began “pushing into the tree line” in an attempt to locate Fitzgerald. He then ran out of the tree line near Highway 80 and ran into the highway, where he was struck by a vehicle. He was flown to a Tyler hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Texas DPS is investigating the crash.
GREGG COUNTY –The Longview Municipal Court’s Warrant Amnesty Program will be available from Jan. 1 through April 30, 2023, offering those with outstanding warrants an opportunity to resolve cases and save on their court fines. During the amnesty program, all warrant fees will be removed when someone voluntarily contacts the court to pay at least half the total amount due and start a payment plan for the remaining balance. An additional 20% will be removed from the fine amount for those who pay their balance in full. The discount only applies to the fine amount and does not include court costs. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – The City of Marshall has opened a warming center for those unable to escape the extreme cold affecting the area in the coming days. The warming center is located at the Marshall Fire Department Central Station on South Grove St. The center will be available through Saturday, Dec. 24, at 4:00 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE — Police say a suspect turned himself in Wednesday night in a Jacksonville homicide and was jailed without incident. An arrest warrant had been issued for Tarasian S. Baker (pictured), 26, for capital murder after police received multiple calls in reference to a shooting in the area of Wilkens and Border Streets in Jacksonville on Dec. 20. The bond has been set at one million dollars. The victim has been identified as Anthony L. Miner, 22, of Tyler. According to JPD and our news partner KETK, several calls about gunshots fired came in around 5:00 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival, officers found Miner deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. The Texas Rangers and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Special Investigative Unit are assisting with the investigation.
TYLER — A man is in critical condition after a shooting at the Finley apartments on Old Bullard Road in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, police received a call about an aggravated assault in progress around 1:20 Tuesday afternoon. Arriving officers found a man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital and is listed in critical but stable condition. Police are searching for a female suspect. Additional information was not available.
TYLER — Tyler police say a suspect has turned himself in following an early Monday morning shooting as they continue to investigate the incident. Officers were called to Sherwood Street around 12:45 following a report of gunshots. Upon arrival, authorities say they found a juvenile male who had been shot multiple times. He was transported to a local hospital where he is stable but in critical condition. An arrest warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was issued for 18-year-old Jakobe Deandre Lacy of Tyler, with a bond of $500,000. Police say Lacy has been jailed after surrendering without incident.
TYLER — After more than four decades of service to the people of Smith County, Judge Jack Skeen Jr. is retiring. According to our news partner KETK, for his retirement party on Thursday, Skeen was surrounded by the people he’s been around since 1971. That’s when he first started to work for the county as an assistant district attorney. In 1982, Skeen was elected to be the Smith County District Attorney. During his time on the bench the judge became an ally to local law enforcement, who he worked with side by side for many years, including his friend Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith. Skeen also served as Tyler’s first full-time city attorney and as a judge for municipal court. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — One man was shot and injured in Smith County on Thursday, said the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting happened on CR 1145. The victim was taken in a private vehicle to a Dairy Queen on Highway 31 West and FM 2661 and then transported in an ambulance to a local hospital. Officials said the man’s injuries were non-life threatening. Deputies were on their way to the hospital around 6 p.m. to investigate the incident. The sheriff’s office said they are trying to identify who shot the man.