Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
LONGVIEW — A Gladewater man pleaded guilty to murder on Monday after being accused of killing Victor Hugo Herrera in 2022 with a claw hammer. According to our news partner KETK, Preston Wade Graham pleaded guilty on Monday in the 188th District Court in Gregg County and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
According to an arrest warrant, on Oct. 10, 2022 Longview officials received an emergency call from the roommate of Herrera. Officials said when police responded to the residence in the 1000 block of Baxley Lane in Longview, the roommate said Herrera was injured and appeared to be struck in the head sometime between Oct. 9 and Oct. 10. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County officials and others involved in the construction project held a Topping Out Ceremony for the County’s Parking Garage on Monday, May 20, 2024. The ceremony signifies the last of the 504 precast pieces being placed on top of the garage. Smith County Officials, representatives from Hoar Construction, SCI Construction and Fitzpatrick Architects, as well as employees, signed the 44,000-pound piece of concrete before it was hoisted by a 212-foot crane and secured on the top of the garage. The project is about halfway completed and is expected to open in October.
WHITE OAK — Brandon Gilliam, 42, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to the 2021 murder of Steve McDowell. According to our news partner KETK, Gilliam’s sentence comes only weeks after Regina Massie, 40, also pleaded guilty in connection to McDowell’s murder. Case records revealed that Gilliam and Massie were hired by McDowell to fix his truck but then he discovered money was missing from the truck. Massie reportedly told investigators that Gilliam hit McDowell in the head with a foot-long pipe after he was confronted about the money missing from McDowell’s truck. Gilliam then reportedly tried to suffocate McDowell by covering his mouth and nose. Massie also quoted Gilliam as saying “McDowell should not have died over $35.†Gilliam’s sentence started on Monday.
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County residents living in the Commissioner Precinct 3 area began casting their ballots Monday during early voting for the Republican Primary Runoff Election. The only race on the ballot will be for the Smith County Precinct 3 Commissioner Runoff. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, May 20-24, Smith County Commissioner Precinct 3 residents can cast their ballots at The Hub, located at 304 E. Ferguson Street, in Tyler; or Lindale’s Kinzie Community Center, at 912 Mt. Sylvan St., in Lindale.
Because of the construction of Smith County’s parking garage next door to the The Hub, Ferguson Street is closed to drivers. The parking lot across from The Hub is still open for parking, but drivers will have to enter and exit at the intersection of Ferguson Street and Center Avenue. There will be voter parking-marked spaces, with the closest one to The Hub being used for curbside voting.
Smith County has launched a new, easy-to-use interactive map on its website. If you need to make sure you live in the area covered by Commissioner Precinct 3, and when and where you can vote for this runoff, click here and click on the “Interactive Map of Smith County†link. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine received a $900,000 gift from Texas Mutual Insurance Company to support the occupational and environmental medicine residency. According to a university news release, the six-year gift will expand the residency by 50%. After medical school, physicians complete a three-to-seven-year residency to receive specialized training and obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine.
According to the Texas Physician Pipeline Mode, 58.9% of physicians who completed their graduate medical education in Texas stayed in the state to practice.
“With the generous support from Texas Mutual, our occupational and environmental medicine residency program will be able to expand, allowing us to train more physicians who will remain committed to serving East Texas,†said Dr. Brigham C. Willis, UT Tyler School of Medicine founding dean. “Having physicians who are deeply rooted in the community is vital for understanding and addressing local health care needs.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) is seeking applicants for GoBus operator positions in East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, ETCOG previously said they were accepting applications for positions in Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood counties. They held a job fair on Tuesday in hopes of filling the positions.
ETCOG said they are seeking applicants with a high school diploma or equivalent, at least two years of professional driving and customer service experience.
“GoBus is integral to the region and its communities, providing connectivity, fostering economic activity, and ensuring safe, reliable, and friendly transportation services. GoBus staff are dedicated and caring individuals representing the core of East Texans, and in seeking new team members, we hope to present a culture that prioritizes the community and those that work to aid its citizens,†Vince Huerta, ETCOG’s Director of Transportation, said.
Click here for an application.
TYLER — Several Red Lobster seafood restaurants have reportedly closed across East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the endless Cheddar Bay Biscuits will no longer grace the following cities in East Texas: Tyler, Longview and Lufkin. All three restaurants have their hours listed as “closed†all week and they could not be contacted over the phone. Many Red Lobster locations have reportedly closed across the country, according to various local outlets. On May 3, CNN reported that the restaurant chain was considering filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES — The Nacogdoches Police Department served search warrants on two massage parlors on Thursday, resulting in three arrests. According to Nacogdoches PD and our news partner KETK, at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nacogdoches PD officers and the Texas Department of Public Safety served search warrants on two massage parlors located in the 1300 and 3200 blocks of North University Drive.
Officials said that during the service of the warrants, three suspects who worked at the parlors were arrested. Nacogdoches PD reported that Mona Ma, 56 of Katy, and Xuefang Wu, 52 of Nacogdoches, were both arrested for indecent assault and Shuwen Xu, 54 of Nacogdoches, was arrested for indecent assault and prostitution. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — TxDOT is warning drivers of puncturing spikes found on I-20 again. According to our news partner KETK, rebar caltrops have been found on I-20 since last year, with the most recent discovery on May 6 in Van Zandt County. They are usually four-pronged, heavy gauge steel puncturing spikes that can be thrown or linked together to cause immediate and irreparable failure of tires. Twelve caltrops were found on I-20 westbound near mile marker 533 and eastbound at mile markers 518, 520, 528 and 529.
Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call Lt. Bob Keltner with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Department at 469-576-1274 or call Andrew Fagile with the Texas Department of Public Safety at 90-567-2011 ext. 10914.
CHANDLER — Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the City of Chandler has been designated by the Texas Music Office (TMO) as a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community. According to our news partner KETK, the Music Friendly Texas program was created in 2016 to foster music business-related economic development and job creation in cities and communities. The city will host a ceremony alongside TMO, Chandler Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Chandler of Commerce on Thursday during the Chandler Chamber/EDC luncheon.
“Being a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community will make Chandler an even more desirable location to be a part of. As a community that supports many local events, this partnership will help play a role in the continued growth in our musicians within our schools, community, and neighboring areas. Exciting times are here in the ‘City with a Heart,’†Chandler Chamber of Commerce President Mike Yates said. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The City of Longview held a celebration for longtime mayor, Andy Mack who’s been in leadership for nine years, on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Mack’s remaining weeks in office are wrapping up with a reflective tone as countless people in the community showed up to share their gratitude. The Longview mayor played an instrumental role in projects to promote economic growth with lasting benefits for the community. The 2018 bond included $52 million for police and fire facilities, $27 million for infrastructure projects and $24 million for park projects.
“It’s been an honor,†Mack said.
First responders and department leaders expressed their gratitude toward Mack and their ability to work together to keep citizens safe. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Independent School District celebrated the opening of the new Hubbard Middle School on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the new building is part of a nearly $90 million bond that passed in 2022. The new three-story campus sits right next to the old building that was originally built in 1964, and was funded by $63 million of the bond. The building is complete with up-to-date security, safety improvements and improved traffic flow. The community was invited to tour inside of the state of the art, science labs, theater, library, outside area and cafeteria during the celebration.
Tyler ISD said the district has been working for nearly 20 years to invest and transform facilities while keeping the tax rate as low as possible.
“We have really touched every school in Tyler, so that all of our students have equal opportunities across the district in terms of access to programming and state of the art facilities,†Jennifer Hines, Tyler ISD director of communications, said. Read the rest of this entry »
WHITE OAK — A Longview woman charged with first degree felony murder of a 66-year-old man pleaded guilty on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Regina Massie, 40, pleaded guilty to the 2021 murder of Steve McDowell, of White Oak. McDowell had reportedly hired Massie and her boyfriend Brandon Gilliam, 42 of Longview, to repair his pickup truck but then McDowell discovered money was missing.
Documents show, Massie told investigators that McDowell confronted Gilliam about the theft and she saw Gilliam hit McDowell in the head with a foot-long pipe and try to suffocate him by covering his nose and mouth.
Massie will be sentenced on June 5. Gilliam was also charged with first degree felony murder in connection to the case.
TYLER — A man accused of attempting to kidnap and rape a woman running at the Rose Rudman Park in 2019 pleaded guilty on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a woman finished running at Rose Rudman Park when she saw the suspect, James Earl Roberts Jr., and thought he looked suspicious and began to run again. She heard him running behind her when Roberts reportedly tackled her, put his hands over her face and dragged her into the woods, officials said.
Police said Roberts pulled a knife from behind the victim and cut her throat numerous times. Documents also stated Roberts punched the victim multiple times when she fought back. The victim was able to wrestle the knife away from Roberts and threw it aside. Roberts “suddenly got up and took off running.†She then reportedly crawled out of the woods and another woman came to her aid. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler is launching its first on-demand MicroTransit route for South Tyler to complement existing fixed route services. Starting Monday, May 13, riders utilizing the South Tyler route will be able to book a ride by calling Tyler Transit at (903) 533-8057 from a bus stop. The ride will take them directly to the doorstep of a destination within three-tenths of a mile of the closest bus stop on the existing South Tyler route.
“Our goal is to improve our current customers’ experience riding with us and attract new users by providing a more convenient, reliable and efficient transportation option,” said Russ Jackson, Tyler Transit manager. “By tailoring our services with the MicroTransit pilot, we hope to meet the community’s needs without imposing additional financial burdens on our riders. We’re trying to make public transportation more accessible and flexible.” Read the rest of this entry »