Today is
Wednesday November 27, 2024
TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) is encouraging customers to water or irrigate their landscaped areas at certain times to help with the city’s low water pressure issues. According to our news partner KETK, TWU said their water treatment plants see the highest demand for water between 3 p.m. and 9 a.m. so they are asking customers to voluntarily water their lawns and green spaces at night between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. to “help reduce the demand and stress on the water system.†Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — One person was arrested for arson after a Tuesday house fire in Longview. According to our news partner KETK, crews responded to the scene on Alpine Road and reported when they arrived to have found heavy smoke and fire conditions with the possibility of someone still inside. “Once the person who was thought to be in the structure was located in a detached garage a defensive attack was initiated due to the instability of the structure, which later suffered a partial roof collapse,†officials said. One firefighter was treated on scene for a burn injury. Robert Haats, 32, was later arrested for arson and taken to the Gregg County Jail. Bond was set at $20,000.
LONGVIEW — A former Longview police officer pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice a child for sexual activity. According to our news partner KETK, Seth Estes Vanover, 51, of Diana, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. Vanover was arrested at the Longview Police Department in October 2022 where he was employed as a law enforcement officer at the time. He was caught through an undercover operation by an FBI agent who was working to “identify adults seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children.†The agent posed as the parent of an 11-year-old child and posted a notice in a public chat room, which Vanover reportedly answered with a private message. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Former Smith County deputy constable Derrick Pernell Holman of Jacksonville has been found not guilty of theft by a Smith County jury. In 2021, Holman was originally charged with theft, abuse of official capacity and official oppression along with Constable Curtis Traylor-Harris and Chief Deputy LaQuenda Banks who were all accused of stealing cash, electronics, jewelry and more from a property while at work. Another charge of official oppression is considered to be an unadjudicated pending trial, according to the 241st District Court. According to judicial records, Holman was also arrested on Friday, June 3, 2022 for a bond violation and released the same day after posting a $60,000 combined bond.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — Cherokee County Precinct 2 Commissioner Steven Norton pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, following his arrest in August 2022. According to our news partner KETK, Norton was sentenced to 365 days in jail probated for 12 months, a $2,500 fine which includes reimbursement for DPS and ambulance fees, 20 hours of community service, a DWI class and a breathalyzer ignition lock, Cherokee County Attorney Dana Young said. He was arrested on Aug. 12, 2022, and charged with driving while intoxicated and evading arrest after allegedly becoming aggressive with a DPS state trooper and refusing a blood alcohol test, documents said. The arrest happened after a Chick-Fil-A employee reported that they were concerned for a customer in the drive-thru and said they could smell alcohol on him. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY — A Troup man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a shooting Tuesday. According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a shooting on CR 4625, where they located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The suspected shooter, Dylan Bright, 26, was still at the scene and was detained. The victim was flown to a Tyler hospital and is said to be stable. Deputies determined that Bright shot the victim twice. He was booked into the Cherokee County Jail. Additional details were not available.
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Animal Control and Shelter will host a Clear the Shelters event on Saturday, August 26. Clear the Shelters is an annual nationwide pet adoption campaign. To celebrate, Smith County Animal Control is offering free dog adoptions for the entire month of August, in exchange for a donation of white washcloths, white towels or blankets. Adoptions will also come with a voucher for a rabies vaccination and spay/neuter. Smith County Animal Control and Shelter Coordinator Amber Greene said they are planning a family fun day at the shelter from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on August 26, which will include food trucks, Kona Ice and dozens of vendors. The shelter is located at 322 E. Ferguson Street in downtown Tyler. For more information, call 903-266-4303 or click here. To view the dogs currently available at the shelter, click here.
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler is among the fastest-growing public doctoral universities in the nation, according to the latest Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac. UT Tyler is ranked No. 7 in the 2023 publication and one of only five Texas universities to make this year’s top 15. This is the third consecutive year UT Tyler has made the list. “UT Tyler is excited to continue growing to meet the educational needs of our community, and we thank the UT System Board of Regents and our supporters for their support in helping us grow,†said UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A man accused of kidnapping a woman has been arrested in Tyler. Ngosi Williams, 40, was found inside a residence on Fannin Ave. Tuesday afternoon. The victim, Amy Teutsh, 24, was found inside the residence and was taken to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Around 3:00 Tuesday morning, Smith County deputies responded to a report of a kidnapping on County Road 1185. Teutsh was reportedly abducted from the residence by her boyfriend, Williams, who allegedly put her in the trunk of a dark colored sedan. Witnesses said Williams got into the car with three other men and headed towards Tyler. A kidnapping warrant was issued for Williams by Judge Austin Reeve Jackson. Williams was booked into the Smith County Jail. He’s been charged with aggravated kidnapping and theft of property with bonds totaling $800,000.
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to approve the sale of the voter-approved general obligation courthouse bonds after receiving five competitive bids. Specialized Public Finance Inc. competitively bid the Limited Tax Courthouse Bonds, which will net the county $160 million to pay for construction of the new courthouse. Closing on the sale is set for September 21, 2023. Steven Adams, managing director of Specialized Public Finance Inc., gave a brief presentation to the Commissioners Court, and reaffirmed that Smith County’s high rating of AA+ helped the County attract competitive bidders. “Five bids are really good for a bond issuance of this size,†Adams said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The U.S. Labor Department files suit against a Tyler manufacturing company. The suit against Tyler Pipe alleges violations of federal whistleblower protections. The unidentified complainant said he was having respiratory problems and asked to wear a respirator while operating a five-story furnace. The suit alleges the company did not respond. The complainant obtained a respirator belonging to the company and started wearing it. When the company safety supervisor saw him, he reprimanded him, reassigned him to shoveling gravel and then fired him. OSHA found that Tyler pipe was guilty of federal whistleblower protection violations.
WOOD COUNTY — One suspect remains at large following an hours-long manhunt in Wood County Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the search was called off as of 11 p.m. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office said the unknown suspect had set a wooded area on fire before feeling from law enforcement. The suspect is believed to have been picked up by a vehicle and no longer in the area. The fire was quickly put out by Hawkins Fire. Heightened law enforcement had been in the area of County Road 3600 searching for two wanted men. One of the men, wanted on a parole violation and listed as a violent subject, was arrested around 7:30 Monday night.
MINEOLA — The Mineola Country Club is “a total loss,†according to the Fire Marshal, after a fire broke out early Monday morning, our news partner KETK reports. “When the first crews first got here, most of the structure was involved in the fire at that time,†said Mineola Fire Marshal David Madsen. Officials said the call came in around 12:30 a.m., and crews arrived at the scene on State Loop 564 just before 1 a.m. and it took about three to four hours to put out. The golf course and swimming pool weren’t touched by the flames, but officials said everything else was affected by the fire. Read the rest of this entry »
LAKE PALESTINE — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said that a man died on Sunday after being ejected from a boat which hit a pillar under the State Highway 155 bridge on Lake Palestine. According to our news partner KETK, the man crashed just north of the Henderson County line, officials said. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens arrived at the scene and later found the man’s body underwater. The Parks and Wildlife Department is handling the investigation.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — On Tuesday Aug. 15, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office was asked to locate Ray Lewis Stafford, an alleged suspect in a murder case in Modesto, California. The cold case revolves around the vanishing of Susan Robin Bender, a 15-year-old who disappeared on April 25, 1986. According to Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, deputies found Stafford at his home close to Wills Point. Stafford was taken into custody and is being held at the Van Zandt County Justice Center on charges of murder with special circumstances until officials in California take him into custody. The case remains under investigation by the Modesto Police Department in California.