Today is
Friday July 24, 2026
TYLER — The City of Tyler said they are working to fully open a busy intersection after a sinkhole opened up nearly two weeks ago. According to our news partner KETK, the sinkhole that appeared on Rice Road has been patched, but it’s a temporary fix to allow for the heavy holiday shopping traffic. The city is also working on a short-term solution to open up Old Bullard Road, which remains closed. The initial sinkhole was caused by a hole in the storm drain and revealed several problems with old pipes, sewers and manholes in the area. “That pipe all along Old Bullard is very old clay sewer pipe….and connect with our pvc pipe has been difficult,†said Kate Dietz, the Director of Utilities for the city of Tyler. Read the rest of this entry »
HARRISON COUNTY — The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office is reporting storm damage in the southeastern portion of the county after a tornado touched down in the area late Tuesday afternoon, according to our news partner KETK. “It sounded like a freight train, you know, like a convoy, a bunch of trucks,†Nickie Fitzgerald said of the tornado that damaged her home. “I was warning my other family and I got in the house and it came through the woods, it was snapping trees, and then I got in the house and it all hit.†No one was injured, but Fitzgerald said it “looks like a war zone out here.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A one-car crash has shut down traffic Tuesday morning on South Donnybrook Avenue in Tyler after a car hit a power pole. According to Tyler police and our news partner KETK, all south and northbound lanes of Donnybrook Avenue are closed from East Hudson Street to Troup Highway. Oncor is onsite to repair the pole on Donnybrook Avenue and East Seagle Street. Officials said the car was occupied by two teenagers who were both transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
LONGVIEW — Longview Mayor Andy Mack is in the hospital after a health event, according to Longview Public Information Officer Richard Yeakley. Our news partner KETK reports, Mayor Mack is in stable condition at this time. Officer Yeakley added that the Mack family would appreciate people’s thoughts and prayers. Additional information was not immediately available. Mack became mayor in 2015 and he was previously a city councilman representing District 4 from 1997 to 2005. District 4 Councilwoman Kristen Ishihara, who is mayor pro tem, will fill in for Mack’s responsibilities until he is able to return.
GILMER — A Gilmer woman is “lucky to be alive†after her car was hit by a train Thursday evening around 6 p.m. The crash happened on Aspen Trail near SH 155, south of Gilmer. According to our news partner KETK, the woman’s husband, David Shaver, said the train was being worked on and moving at a slow speed going north. Shaver said his wife, Charon, saw a woman on the opposite side of the tracks, but it is undetermined if she was waving for her to drive cross. According to David Shaver, when she crossed, both the car and train were moving slowly and collided. The car’s airbags deployed and it is now totaled. She is expected to make a full recovery. Mr. Shaver said he’s grateful that locals responded quickly to make sure his wife was okay.
UPSHUR COUNTY – A man charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, while on parole, was sentenced to life in prison after 13 minutes of jury deliberation, our news partner KETK reports. The jury first began hearing evidence on Wednesday about not only this case but the defendant, Robert Buchanan’s prior convictions as well. According to a press release, Buchanan had been convicted of attempted murder in 1993 for shooting two people with a gun. Later that same year, officials said he threatened to kill three other people.. Other offenses involving violence against women were also proven to have been committed by Buchanan, according to the DA’s office. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Whitehouse man was sentenced for a federal income tax violation in the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston announced Dec. 6. On Mar. 30, Anthony D. Klein, 48, pleaded guilty to attempting to evade or defeat taxes and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. Klein was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $404,292 to the IRS. In 2016, Klein filed an IRS Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, with the Internal Revenue Service. On that form, he claimed that he had no taxable income and that he was entitled to credits in the amount of $5,836.00, according to a release. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — What are the top 10 Christmas towns in Texas? The list has been compiled by tripstodiscover.com. The travel website says, “The top Christmas towns go all out for the holiday season. The top 10 are Grand Prairie, Marshall, Galveston, College Station, Jefferson, Richmond, San Antonio, Wimberly, Fredericksburg and No. 1 … the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine.
TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office warns of a missed jury duty scam. According to a news release, the sheriff’s office has received several calls from concerned citizens. They have each advised that an unknown individual has called and identified himself as Sheriff’s Captain Craig Halbrooks. The caller then tells the victim that he needs to discuss a criminal matter with them and states that they owe money because they missed jury duty. If you receive a call like this, you’re asked not give them any information and simply hang up the phone. The news release says the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, as well as any law enforcement agency, will never call anyone and ask for money. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Deputies are investigating an aggravated assault Sunday. Officials responded to a mobile home park off of Hwy 271 and found that the victim had been taken to the hospital. According to authorities, the victim, a 17-year-old male, had been shot in the face and arm. He is expected to survive. Investigators have determined that the incident may be gang related and said it appears as though the suspect(s) entered the area on foot just prior to the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600. The investigation is ongoing.
KILGORE — Kilgore police said they apprehended a “reckless driver†after it hit two vehicles in the Walmart parking lot, but the “driver†was actually a dog. According to our news partner KETK, an owner of one of the cars that was hit said he saw a suspect barreling down on him but he couldn’t get out of the way. The person was shocked to see that the driver was a dog. KPD said the dog was behind the wheel when the crash happened. Their investigation revealed that the dog was sitting in the unoccupied car waiting for its owners while they shopped, but apparently got a little antsy and “bounced around†in the cab, setting the truck into motion. Read the rest of this entry »
WOOD COUNTY — A man was no-billed by a grand jury this week after being arrested earlier this year for the capital murder of Brittany McGlone. According to our news partner KETK, Hope McGlone, Brittany’s half-sister, said the family is disappointed in the decision. “Everything points to this person, so my biggest question to them is why,†Hope said. “I don’t understand when the sheriff felt like there was an overwhelming amount of evidence, that we should have received an indictment.†McGlone was tragically beaten, sexually assaulted and murdered in 2007. 15 years later, the family thought they had found justice when Chad Carr was arrested. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A 19-year-old Houston man was sentenced to eight years deferred adjudication, or probation, after pleading guilty to engaging in organized criminal activity. According to our news partner KETK, Kennedy Watkins was arrested with two other Houston men in Tyler in connection to several catalytic converter thefts. The three were all 18-years-old at the time of their July arrests, and Watkins has remained in jail since. In addition to his eight year sentence, Watkins was given 137 days credit for the time he spent in jail. According to deferred adjudication guidelines, if Watkins adheres to the condition of his release the conviction will be removed from his record.
TYLER — CHRISTUS Health and Texas-Oncology collaborated to build the Northeast Texas Cancer and Research Institute, which had its grand opening in Tyler on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the new clinic is an 85,000-foot facility with about 3,000 feet designated for research space. The facility has specialized areas for radiation oncology, gynecologic oncology, hematology, and medical oncology. Jason Proctor with CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospital said patients enjoy the new facility. “A lot of it is speechless, beautiful. It is such a healing presence, again it makes it easy for them to see their doctors,†he said. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department arrested a murder suspect who was wanted out of Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Longview police said they received a tip from Gregg County Crime Stoppers Network on the location of the suspect, 36-year-old Erica Shameka Roberts, who was wanted for second degree murder. Roberts was arrested and taken to the Gregg County Jail without incident by LPD Detectives with the Special Investigations Apprehension Unit. Back in October, the Minneapolis Police Department took to Facebook to ask for the public’s help in finding Roberts. They said she was charged with murder for fatally shooting Tanasha Austin back in March after a verbal argument.
TYLER — Chapel Hill ISD announced on Tuesday they are mourning the death of a Wise Elementary student who died in a wreck over Thanksgiving break. According to our news partner KETK, in a message to the district, Superintendent Lamond Dean said Daniela Nevaeh Ramirez was involved in a crash and “with tremendous sadness†informed the district of her death. “Thank you for your concern and your continued support for Wise Elementary,†Dean said. “Please keep the Ramirez family and their close friends in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve this tragic loss.†Dean said the school trauma team of counselors is meeting with Ramirez’s friends and teachers, and that counselors “are well prepared to assist both students and staff following such tragic incidents.â€
LONGVIEW — A man was killed Sunday night after he allegedly pulled a pistol on an off-duty Kilgore police officer and threatened him with it. According to Kilgore Police and our news partner KETK, the officer who was working an off-duty security job for Hospitality ER in Longview, was checking the parking lot around 9 p.m. when the man confronted him. Officials said that during the encounter “for unknown reasons†he pulled a pistol and began making threats with it. The two then began to struggle for control of the weapon. “As the struggle intensified the officer pulled his weapon and fired in an attempt to stop the aggression, striking the suspect,†officials said. “Immediately following the shooting the officer summoned ER staff who attempted life-saving measures.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Eight-year-old Romio Hernandez and 11-spentyear-old Aiden Moreno spent their Thanksgiving giving back, according to our news partner KETK. “To help the homeless people, maybe they don’t have a house, so we are giving them food to help out, and invite them here, and give them food, serve them, give them drinks so they can feel welcomed,†said Aiden. They volunteered at the Tyler Salvation Army serving hot meals to those in need, putting a smile on everyone’s face. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — A man who was accused of using a stolen check at an East Texas Lowe’s was arrested with the help of social media.According to our news partner KETK, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said a generator was bought with the check in Longview on Oct. 31. Then, 30 minutes after officials shared photos on social media of the man involved in the incident several people started sending tips. Jason Walker was arrested on Monday in Grayson County and released after he paid his bond. Deputies said the other man in the photo was not connected to the case. “Great job, Facebook you never disappoint,†said the sheriff’s office.
SMITH COUNTY — Authorities report five-year-old Zechariah Sutton of Overton has been found safe and appears to be unharmed after an Amber Alert was issued for him early Monday. Officials say Zechariah and Pamela Medlock, 59, were both found in Mitchell County by the sheriff’s office there. They were headed west on I-20 near Colorado City, Texas. Smith County investigators have headed to Mitchell County to follow up on the case. Zechariah had last been seen around 3 a.m. Monday. Authorities say he was abducted by Medlock, described as a “family friend” who does not have a permanent address but frequents the Overton and Kilgore areas. We’ll update this story as new information comes in.
SMITH COUNTY — Tyler police are searching for Edward Forrest Roddy, 51, from Tyler. He was reported missing by his mother who has not heard from him since the end of September. He is a black male approximately 5’11 and 150 lbs, bald, greying goatee and a tattoo on his neck that says “Shaneka”. He goes by the nickname “Punkin”. If you know his location or see him please contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.
EAST TEXAS — Governor Abbott is requesting a disaster declaration for parts of Northeast Texas. Storms that moved through the Dallas-Fort Worth area the afternoon of November 4th intensified when they got to Northeast Texas that evening, and several tornadoes developed. Abbott’s office says crews have been assessing damage, and they believe it meets the threshold set for a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration, which would make people in that region eligible for low-interest disaster recovery loans. The request is for a disaster declaration covering Lamar and Morris Counties, plus Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Marion, Red River, Titus, and Upshur Counties.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — Game Wardens want to know who shot and killed two bald eagles in East Texas. the eagles were shot on a County Road in Nacogdoches County on or around October 28th. A violation of the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act can result in a fine of $100,000 for an individual or $200,000 for an organization and/or one year imprisonment on a first offense. Nacogdoches Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward of up to one-thousand dollars for the first and most accurate tip in the case, all information is confidential.
WOOD COUNTY — The Executive Director of the Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC), Christophe Trahan, has resigned. According to our news partner KETK, Wood County Judge Lucy Hebron said in a press release on Monday that her office received notice of the resignation after Trahan’s “21-month stint as the head of the WCEDC.†Hebron thanked him for his work and the County Judge-Elect Kevin White said he will work with the WCEDC in selecting a candidate to fill the position.
TROUP — Troup residents held a fish fry and auction in order to take some financial burden off of Cooper Reid and his family. Reid was severely injured during a Troup football game in September. At last count, Saturday’s benefit raised $72,000 for Reid and his family. According to our news partner KETK, after more than a month of being hospitalized in Tyler, Reid was transferred to TIRR Memorial Herman in Houston for the next phase of treatment. His family members are taking time off from work to stay by his side. “His medical bills are gonna be, we have no idea what they’re going to be and so we just want to do whatever we can to take some of the burden off of them so they can focus on Cooper and help Cooper get better and what he needs,†said Mandi Braswell, Troup resident. Read the rest of this entry »
BULLARD — The City of Bullard announced that Main Street will be closed starting on Monday Nov. 14 until the end of the week. According to our news partner KETK, Main Street will be closed so that contractors can begin road work that they should be able to finish by the end of the week if the weather is good enough, according to the City of Bullard. The city said that drivers should pay attention to detour signs and lane closure signs. They also asked drivers to watch out for construction workers while driving through the area.
TYLER — The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is pursuing charges against a Tyler bar in connection to a fatal crash on Jan. 14 that claimed the life of a Tyler Legacy High School senior. According to our news partner KETK, the TABC said the commission is pursuing administrative charges against Rose City Draft House for the “sale of alcoholic beverage to an intoxicated person,†as well as violations of the alcoholic beverage code’s requirement that the business not operate in a place or manner which endangers public safety. 24-year-old Jason Charles is accused of driving drunk and charged with intoxicated manslaughter in the crash that killed Lilly Thornburgh, who was senior at Tyler Legacy High School. Read the rest of this entry »
WOOD COUNTY — A Wood County Precinct 2 Constable was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday for “use of excessive force,†according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas. According to our news partner KETK, Kelly Jason Smith, 46, was indicted in Sherman, Texas for the deprivation of rights under color of law. The indictment stated that on July 25, Smith told his police dog to bite a suspect “who did not pose a threat that warranted use of the police dog.†The suspect suffered unnecessary bodily injury, said the U.S. Attorney’s office. Smith could be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison if convicted of this offense. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A construction worker has been hospitalized in Tyler after being struck by an alleged drunk driver on Highway 155, according to DPS and our news partner KETK. The construction worker was struck by a pickup truck Thursday morning, and is reported to have sustained serious injuries. Officials with DPS said the driver of the truck was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Additional details were not available.
LONGVIEW — Longview police say they have found a woman who had gone missing. According to our news partner KETK, Nhan Le-Do, 57, had last been seen on Wednesday. Her car was found near Bill Owens Parkway. Officials say she was found on Clendenen Lane and taken to the hospital.