Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
HENDERSON COUNTY — The Hendeson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of an 8-year-old. Deputies were called around 6:20 Saturday night regarding a child shot in the head on CR 2911. According to Sheriff Botie Hilhouse, the child was on the back porch when a stray bullet from a wooded area struck the child. Investigators immediately began searching the area and speaking with neighbors. There were three juveniles at the residence alone when the shooting happened. The child passed away at Children’s Hospital in Dallas. An autopsy will be conducted by Southwestern Institute on Forensic Science in Dallas. A search warrant for the property was issued. Investigators are continuing to work the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Marshall Police Department arrested three suspects and seized multiple narcotics and firearms while executing a search warrant Friday night. According to our news partner KETK, the Joint Harrison County Violent Crimes & Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant in the 1000 block of Yaney Street in Marshall Friday evening following an ongoing investigation from the force. At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Friday, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team (HCSO ERT) and the Marshall Police Department Special Response Team (MPD SRT), along with members of the Task Force, arrived at the scene and detained multiple people from two different buildings on the property. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man pleaded guilty to an election fraud charge in Gregg County on Thursday. In Gregg County’s 124th District Court, Charlie Burns, Jr. pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of engaging in election fraud, which ultimately granted him probation. According to our news partner KETK, Burns was granted one year of probation as part of a plea bargain agreement and if he breaks this probation, he will have to go to jail. Burns is one of the four people in Gregg County that were charged with election fraud during the 2018 Democratic primary election. Last week, Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown and his wife Marlena Jackson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor election fraud charges. They have been granted one year of probation as well.
TYLER — The intersection of Broadway and Grande in Tyler is now clear following a traffic accident that reduced Broadway traffic to one lane. Police directed traffic in the roadway while the issue was resolved.
WHITEHOUSE — The Whitehouse Police Department has made a “safe exchange†spot for purchases made on online platforms and to conduct child custody exchanges. According to our news partner KETK, the Whitehouse Police Department said that with the growth of items being sold on online platforms, criminals have begun to take advantage of this. The safe spot is a location that has 24-hour recorded video surveillance from several angles. It allows people from anywhere, not just Whitehouse, to have a safe spot to meet and exchange purchases of items online and child custody exchanges. Read the rest of this entry »
MONROE COUNTY, Florida — An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on Jan. 20, for the murder of a Gilmer woman in Florida. According to our news partner KETK, Billy Baker, 52, was charged and found guilty for the second-degree murder of his girlfriend. On Aug. 2, 2017, Baker pulled Candice Cooper’s body from the water on Smather’s Beach in Florida. He told police that he was swimming at a distance from Cooper when he noticed she was floating and unresponsive. The pair was in Florida on a vacation. An arrest warrant was served for Baker on Feb. 18, 2018. Baker pleaded not guilty on March 27, 2018 according to court documents.
TYLER — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is increasing the long-term parking rate and lost ticket fee. The Tyler City Council approved the increases during the Wednesday, Jan. 26 meeting. The long-term parking rate will go from $0.75 to $1 per hour with the maximum of $7 a day rate remaining unchanged. This slight increase in the long-term hourly rate is to help prolong the life of the equipment by removing coins from the operation and reducing the potential for equipment malfunction. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A trial date was set for a former Smith County elections administrator that is accused of tricking two employees into drinking colon cleanser in April of 2021. According to our news partner KETK, the trial date for Denise Hernandez is set for March 9, 2022. Hernandez was charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury for allegedly giving the employees colon cleanser and claiming it was a “Spark†energy drink, said the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Hernandez was the supervisor of two female victims that she allegedly gave colon cleanser to in a cup. The women said they were given a cup with a pink liquid by Hernandez, and the two women consumed the drink. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County agreed to pay a $500,000 settlement to the family of a man who died while in custody at the Smith County Jail. According to our news partner KETK, 32-year-old Teddy Parker was booked on a public intoxication charge on May 14, 2017. About half an hour after he was booked, he was carried out unconscious on a stretcher. He died two days later. The city of Tyler has since paid $300,000 to settle its portion of the lawsuit. Now, Smith County will pay $500,000 “for the purpose of terminating and preventing involvement in litigation based on the incident of May 14, 2017.†The settlements are not an admission of guilt. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — A man was arrested on Friday after the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant and reportedly found various illegal substances, as well as an illegally owned alligator. According to our news partner KETK, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, along with Texas Game Wardens, obtained the warrant for a home on Leach St. A follow-up investigation had been conducted based on a Crime Stoppers Tip alleging controlled substance distribution and the illegal possession of an alligator. 44-year-old Jason Best of Kilgore was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with four controlled substance felony offenses, landing him with a bond that totaled $118,500. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — Congressman Louie Gohmert has responded after it was learned he didn’t raise anywhere near the million bucks he said he would before entering the race for Attorney General. The Tyler Republican said in November he would challenge Ken Paxton for Attorney General if he raised a million dollars in 10 days. He even put out a video saying he reached that goal, but he didn’t. According to his campaign finance report, he raised just $27,000 by the deadline. This week, state candidates were required to file their campaign finance reports covering the last six months of 2021. Gohmert barely raised $1 million in total from July through December. In fact, it was a $100,000 donation on New Year’s Eve that put him over the million dollar mark. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A federal grand jury has returned a 33-count indictment charging a Tyler man for fraud schemes. Derek Robert Hamm, 38, was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, violations of the Stolen Valor Act, using a fraudulent military discharge certificate and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to our news partner KETK, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it illegal to fraudulently wear medals, embellish rank, or make false claims of military service to obtain money, employment, property, or some other tangible benefit. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A man was found dead in a car in the parking lot of a Walmart in Tyler Thursday morning, according to local police. According to our news partner KETK, just before 8:30, Tyler police responded to a welfare concern at the gas station in the parking lot of the Walmart at the intersection of Highway 31 and Loop 323. Investigators say the man appeared to be homeless. They are working to identify him. A cause of death was not immediately known, but police do not suspect foul play.
CHAPEL Hill — The omicron variant of COVID has been causing some East Texas school districts to make difficult decisions on whether or not to shut their doors. According to our news partner KETK, Chapel Hill ISD was the first East Texas school in 2022 to bring back mask mandates which violate Greg Abbott’s executive order. At the start of the 2021/22 school year, several schools were sued for requiring masks. Now, districts are trying to find a way to continue classes without turning to virtual learning. “We are basing all of our decisions on data and our local health experts,†said Belen Casillas, the Chapel Hill ISD communication director. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A man has been charged with intoxicated assault for a crash in Tyler that left a Tyler Legacy High School student brain dead. According to our news partner KETK, Jason Charles, 24, was booked on Saturday for the Friday night crash. The crash critically injured Lilly Thornburgh, who was a member of the school band. Her family confirmed that they planned to take her off life support Monday night. She would have turned 18 on Wednesday. Very limited information has been released on the details of the wreck. Charles was officially charged with “Intoxication Assault causing brain injury/vegetative state.†He is being held in the Smith County Jail on a $200,000 bond. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — A man was arrested on a murder charge on Sunday after officers discovered a dead 23-year-old woman. According to our news partner KETK, Longview police say they were called to The Gilmer Apartments on Gilmer Road around 2:54 p.m. on Sunday. When they arrived, they found Cyan Winn dead from an apparent gunshot wound. 30-year-old Adrian Grissom, Winn’s boyfriend, was booked into the Gregg County Jail at 7:20 p.m. after a warrant was issued for his arrest earlier that day. Investigators believe the incident began as a domestic dispute between Winn and Grissom. Grissom has no prior criminal record in Texas, according to a search of public records.
GREGG COUNTY — A two-year-old boy was killed and one adult and two other children were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving an intoxicated man. According to our news partner KETK, on Thursday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., DPS Troopers responded to the crash on State Highway 149, about three miles southeast of Lakeport. A preliminary investigation report indicates that Mercedes D. Cole, 24, of Longview was driving south in the inside lane in a 2015 Nissan Versa with her turn signal activated and was preparing to turn left into the Dollar General. Hayden M. Malone, 21, of Tyler, was driving south, and reportedly hit Cole’s car. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The latest surge in COVID-19 is hitting East Texas school districts hard and many teachers and staff are absent because of the virus causing districts to have to use office staff to fill in. According to our news partner KETK, Longview ISD and Arp ISD are just two of the many school districts actively recruiting, hiring, and training substitute teachers. Two dozen substitutes were registered and trained at Longview ISD’s Education Support Center Thursday. The instructor put an emphasis on safety protocols for fire and weather emergency procedures – and Covid -19. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A Kilgore man has been charged with intoxication manslaughter following a wreck Wednesday night. According to the DPS report, Gary L. Nichols, 40, of Kilgore, was headed east on Hwy 31, approximately 13 miles east of Tyler, when he struck a disabled vehicle. Two male occupants were attempting to push/pull the vehicle while the driver and female passenger remained inside. Jace D. Taylor, 22, of Overton, was pronounced dead at the scene. Devin C. Hardee, 24, of Overton, was transported to UT-Health East Texas Tyler in stable condition. Ashley L. Wilson, 22, of Overton, was also transported to UT-Health East Texas Tyler in critical condition. Hayley Wilson, 23, of Overton, was taken to Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in critical condition.
TYLER — The City Council approved updating and establishing new school speeding zones to help ease traffic congestion in our community while also keeping students safe, according to our news partner KETK. The number one reason for the use of school zones is for the safety of all students. “It’s been quite a while since we have made these updates. Cameron Williams, the Traffic Engineer, has really implemented this project to kind of catch up on things we have kind of let go for a number of years,†said Mayor Don Warren. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office obtained warrants Wednesday for the suspects involved in the string of auto burglaries that occurred last week. According to our news partner KETK, following the initial investigation, it was discovered that a total of 32 vehicles had been burglarized and one was stolen in the Whitehouse area. The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Smith County near Loop 49 and Highway 64 West in the late morning on Jan. 6. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — The Texas Department of Public Safety continues the search for a suspect involved in a fatal hit-and-run wreck that killed a 69-year-old woman on SH 110N. According to our news partner KETK, DPS received surveillance photos at a gas station of the red truck that was possibly involved as well as the man. The man has since been cleared in this investigation. Officials say they are exploring other leads. Patricia G. Radican, 69, of Gun Barrel City was pronounced dead by medical staff at UT Health East Texas in Tyler on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Read the rest of this entry »
LINDALE — A Lindale man was sentenced to life in prison after he shot a woman. According to our news partner KETK, 35-year-old Samuel Salas was charged for unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he shot a woman on March 12, 2021, and Smith County officials said he attempted to break into a home the next day. Smith County law enforcement was searching for Salas for four days until they captured him in Wood County on March 15, 2021. In 2016, Salas also pleaded guilty to assault of a family or a household member, a second-degree felony, and received four years.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — One person is dead after getting hit while stopping for a school bus on Highway 64, roughly eight miles east of Ben Wheeler. According to our news partner KETK, the DPS report says 42-year-old Toni Powell from Fruitvale was driving her 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage on Monday at 4:15 p.m. and was stopped for a school bus that was offloading students. 71-year-old Mary Robinson of Canton was driving a 2021 Chevrolet Trax SUV and failed to control her speed, hitting Powell’s car. Powell was pronounced dead at the scene. Robinson was taken to a Tyler hospital in stable condition. Robinson said the sun was causing her to have limited visibility, a DPS report stated.
TYLER — The City of Tyler announced on Monday all classes at the Glass Recreation Center will be canceled. According to our news partner KETK, this information comes after COVID-19 cases have risen in East Texas and across the nation. Classes will be canceled until further notice. Officials said they are taking these measures to keep people safe. If you have any questions you may call the Parks and Recreation Department at (903) 531-1370.
TYLER — TYLER — Tyler’s Texas Rose Festival has a new queen. Molly Louise Berry still remembers her first year in one of Tyler’s signature events. She told KTBB, “In 2007, I was a royal attendant to Queen Grace Ramey, and…it was absolutely amazing.” And fifteen years later, she’s amazed yet again. She told us, “I never dreamed ever in my life…I was mesmerized by the queen when I was six years old, and I can’t believe now I’m in that position.” Molly was presented Thursday night prior to the Tyler Rose Museum Winter Gala at Willow Brook Country Club, along with her full court and the 2022 festival theme, “Empires of Enchantment.†Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS — An Athens man was arrested after an affidavit showed evidence that he possibly fathered a child of an underage Athens teenager. According to our news partner KETK, Martin Brandstorm, 47, was arrested Wednesday night for felony sexual assault of a child. According to an affidavit, the arrest warrant was issued based on DNA evidence that indicated a 99.9% positive result that Brandstorm fathered a child with a 16-year-old girl. Brandstorm’s bond was set at $1 million with conditions preventing him from having contact with any child under the age of 17.
TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is investigating “several burglaries†in a south Tyler neighborhood Thursday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Deputy Larry Christian said that investigators were called out after 5 a.m. in the Vanderbilt Estates neighborhood, a gated community on Holcomb Circle. It appears a car was stolen along with “several other property items.†Christian said that they are searching for three to four suspects. He also stated that deputies were getting ready to deploy a drone as well as a K9 unit.
TYLER — Traffic is severely backed up in Tyler after a wreck at Loop 323 and Broadway. According to our news partner KETK, crews responded to the scene just before 9 a.m. It is unknown if anyone was seriously injured in the accident. The city has been enveloped in dense fog for the last couple of hours. Drivers are asked to avoid the area at this time.
SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man was sentenced to 35 years in prison after his daughter’s feet had to be amputated following the winter storm when he did not take her to receive medical care. According to our news partner KETK, Glenn Caldwell, 45, was arrested last year after he kept his mentally disabled daughter from the doctor despite the fact her feet had been bleeding and were swollen and discolored. Caldwell admitted to police that his daughter had complained about her feet hurting throughout the week and that she even woke him up several times in the middle of the night telling him she was in pain. He also admitted to being aware of his daughter leaving a trail of blood that led from her bedroom to the living room and the bathroom. Read the rest of this entry »