Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — A Van Zandt County man was sentenced to prison for kidnapping. According to our news partner KETK, Austen Lyn Walker, 23, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and accepted a four year sentence. In May of 2020, Walker and Courtney Odum, 22, were arrested for the kidnapping of Willow Sirmans, who was 14 at the time. Sirmans was found safely in Louisville, Kentucky, according to a Special Agent with the FBI Dallas field office. Walker and Odum were arrested on felony kidnapping charges in May 2020, before being extradited to Texas. Odum also pleaded guilty in December of 2021 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Judge Robert Wilson has issued a notice: MASKS REQUIRED! In a Facebook post, Judge Wilson writes, “Due to substantial transmission of the Omnicron variant, face coverings/masks are now required to enter the courtroom of the 321st district court regardless of vaccination status.If you do not have a mask, one can be provided to you. If you have ANY symptoms of COVID or you know you were exposed to someone who is positive/symptomatic, please do NOT come to court and email my coordinator about your situation at rrogers2@smith-county.com and we will reset your hearing. Thank you for your cooperation as we continue efforts to protect public health.”
RUSK COUNTY — A Longview man reported missing October 26, 2021, has been found in his wrecked vehicle. According to the DPS report, Clay W. Kirk, 65, along with his Nissan truck, were discovered by a property owner on Sunday. The report said Kirk was traveling east on State Loop 571 and disregarded the stop sign at the US 259 intersection. Kirk’s truck struck a dirt embankment, causing the vehicle to flip. The vehicle came to rest in a wooded area, not visible from the roadway. Further details were not available.
HAWKINS — Jarvis Christian College has delayed the return of students to campus for the Spring 2022 semester due to the rapid surge of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. According to our news partner KETK, students will return on campus Wednesday, Jan. 19, but classes will start virtually online on Monday, Jan. 10. Face-to-face classes will resume on Monday, Jan. 24. For faculty and staff who normally meet in person for the Faculty and Staff Institute on Monday, Jan. 3 will login virtually instead, and will not return to in-office hours until normal business hours resume at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5. “Safety of our students, faculty and staff is our priority,†said Jarvis Christian College President Dr. Lester C. Newman. “With the projections and growth of the Omicron variant, we choose to proceed with an abundance of caution for this new year.â€
NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches police were on the scene of a fatal auto-pedestrian accident in the 2100 block of E. Main Street. According to our news partner KETK, just after 8:00 p.m. Friday, officials responded to a report of a vehicle hitting a pedestrian near the intersection of E. Main Street and Lamar Street. The pedestrian was pronounced dead by the Justice of the Peace. Additional details were not available.
PALESTINE — A 73-year-old woman was killed late Wednesday night after her car crashed outside of Palestine. According to our news partner KETK, a preliminary DPS report states that Marcella McDonald, of Palestine, was driving her 1995 Dodge Ram pickup on HWY 155 less than a mile south of the city. Her car reportedly went off the right side of the roadway for an “undetermined reason,†struck a culvert and hit several trees before coming to a stop. McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is still ongoing.
UPSHUR COUNTY — On Wednesday around 3 p.m., a 30-year-old man died in a wreck on U.S. Highway 271, north of Gilmer. According to our news partner KETK, Raymond C. Haley II, 30, of Mount Pleasant, was pronounced dead at the scene. The initial DPS report indicates that a 2001 grey Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling north on U.S. 271 behind a brown vehicle described as a Kia Sportage, possibly a 2012 model. Information received from witnesses at the scene reported that the Kia slammed on its brakes in a possible road rage situation causing the driver of the Tahoe to steer right. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK COUNTY — A man was fatally shot after an alleged burglary in Rusk County on Christmas Day. According to our news partner KETK, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office got a call in around 12:40 a.m. to respond to CR 4174 for a burglary. According to Rusk County Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez, the owner of the home’s future son-in-law came to the house and noticed that one of the homes on the property had a flashlight shining through the windows, so he went to investigate. “He went over there and noticed that the door was open and he walked into the house, and there stands Jason Holland. He had no permission to be on that property,†Valdez said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies found four children inside a residence that was “extremely dirty.†According to our news partner KETK, Katelynn Schengeli, 26, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of child endangerment. Cory Evans, 27, the father of twin girls and an 11-month-old infant involved in this incident was charged with four counts of child endangerment. On Wednesday, around 10:10 p.m. deputies were called to a home on Rhones Quarter Road to help with an EMS call. An 8-year-old child had called because his mother was unresponsive. Schengeli appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, said law enforcement. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — East Texas health experts say omicron is twice as contagious as the delta variant and encourage people to keep their guard up against COVID-19, according to our news partner KETK. Omicron is possibly already in East Texas. “Given the spread across the country, given that over 70% of the cases are linked to it, I think it’s safe to say it has arrived,†said Dr. Thomas Cummins, Division Chief Medical Officer at UT Health East Texas. He added that COVID-19 cases have slightly risen in the area. “This one is probably twice as infectious, so it moves really rapidly through people and from host to host,†said Cummins. Early evidence shows that the vaccines are offering protection against the new variant. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS — The Texas Game Warden memorial will be moved from Athens to the grounds of the Texas Capitol. According to our news partner KETK, the Game Warden Peace Officer’s Association has made efforts since 2012 to move the statue from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. The memorial shows a life-size game warden made of bronze. It honors the officials that lost their lives in the line of duty. The Game Warden Peace Officer’s Association provided some of the funding and assisted with legislative efforts to relocate the statue. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A 22-year-old woman pleaded guilty to kidnapping a 14-year-old Van Zandt County girl. She was sentenced to 6 years, according to our news partner KETK. Courtney Odum, was sentenced to 6 years in TDCJ. She already has 581 days of credit from the Van Zandt County Jail. In May, Odum and Austen Walker, 21, were arrested in May for the kidnapping of Willow Sirmans which resulted in an Amber Alert. Sirmans was located in Louisville, Kentucky, according to a Special Agent with the FBI Dallas field office. Walker and Odom were arrested on felony kidnapping charges in Kentucky before being extradited to Texas.
LONGVIEW — The Longview Municipal Court is once again offering its warrant amnesty program from Jan. 1 through April 30. Anyone that goes to the clerk’s office to take care of their outstanding warrants will be given safe harbor. The warrant amnesty program began in January 2017 and has grown from a one-month to a four-month program. In 2021, 555 warrants were cleared during the program. From January to April, the Municipal Court will remove all warrant fees when a citizen voluntarily contacts the court to pay a minimum of one half the total amount due and start a payment plan for the balance owed. As an added incentive, anyone that pays in full will also save an additional 20% off the fine amount. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – A pharmacist from Kilgore was recently appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. According to our news partner KETK, Jennifer “Jenny†Downing Yoakum is the co-owner and pharmacist-in-charge at Med Shop Total Care, Inc. in Longview. She specializes in the art of compounding pharmacy with an emphasis in veterinary medicine. She is a member of Texas Pharmacy Association, National Community Pharmacist Association, Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. She got her Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy.
TYLER – Three people are arrested following a report of an endangered infant. According to authorities, around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, DPS CID Special Agents alongside investigators with the East Texas Anti-Gang Center, Tyler Police Department and Smith County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in reference to locating Garrett Rey Garcia, 28, and Brittany Ann Clegg, 28, along with a 4 month old infant, believed to be in danger. Garcia and Clegg (pictured) both had outstanding warrants. Officials responded to their last known address on Pebblecreek Drive and were given access to the residence by the homeowner. Garcia barricaded himself and the infant in a bedroom. Officers negotiated with Garcia to release the child. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler police are investigating a shooting Thursday night that sent a teenager to the hospital. It happened around 8:45 on Sutherland Drive. Officers were responding to numerous 911 calls reporting shots fired when they found the victim. Authorities said the 18 year-old male was alert and awake. He was transported by EMS to UT Health on Beckham. Witnesses saw what they described as a white Mercedes that is a possible suspect in the case. It was seen leaving the area after the shooting. No other people were injured in the shooting. The case is still under investigation. If anybody has any information on this case, please call Tyler PD Dispatch at 903-531-1000.
TYLER — Seven people were rescued from a building that caught on fire in downtown Tyler on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, crews were called to the incident shortly after 10 a.m. An abandoned hotel building was on fire on the corner of East Erwin Street and Thompson Avenue, said Tyler Fire Marshal Paul Findley. The fire was not very active, and it was contained quickly. The building had multiple floors and the fire started in the second floor. People were taken out of the building using ladders. One person was taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. The building was supposed to be unoccupied but those inside were possibly homeless and living at the location. While responding to the incident, four fire fighters fell approximately 10 feet through a large opening into the basement but they were not injured.
PALESTINE — On Tuesday around 1:30 a.m. a Palestine police officer attempted to make a traffic stop but the driver did not stop which ultimately resulted in a drug bust. According to our news partner KETK, the driver of a Mazda sedan eventually stopped at a residence on Louisiana Street. Officers identified the driver as Jasmine Thompson, 33, of Palestine. While making contact with Thomson, the officer observed narcotics paraphernalia inside of the vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Tyler man pleaded guilty on Tuesday after being involved in robbing a gas station in January. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. According to our news partner KETK, Francisco Vallejo, 21, was sentenced by Judge Jack Skeen Jr. for robbing a Valero gas station in Tyler on Jan. 26. Samuel Garcia, 42, and Gilbert Garcia, 53 of Smith County were both also charged in the incident. According to police, three men went inside the store. Later, one suspect pointed a gun at the store clerk who then gave him cash. All three left the scene in a Nissan Armada. On Tuesday, Vallejo pleaded guilty to other charges such as a revocation of probation for the offense of burglary of habitation. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Smith County’s Precinct 1 Chief Deputy has been fired following her Nov. arrest for theft while on duty. According to our news partner KETK, LaQuenda Banks, 42, of Tyler was terminated from her position as chief deputy on Dec. 3, according to Smith County Human Resources. Banks, Constable Curtis Harris and Sergeant Derrick Holman were arrested by the Texas Rangers in Nov. for allegedly stealing while executing a writ of possession on a rental property at Cascades Court in Tyler on Oct. 18. The three were arrested on charges of abuse of official capacity, official oppression and theft of property over $750 but no more than $2,500. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY — Three men accused of the quadruple murder in New Summerfield pleaded not guilty to capital murder charges on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, during an arraignment hearing in Cherokee County, the attorneys for Dylan Welch, Billy Phillips and Jesse Pawlowski submitted not guilty pleas. The three were indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 6. They were detained on July 21 in connection to the deadly shooting of four people in a trailer home in New Summerfield. The three men each received a bond of $1 million. John Clinton, 18, Amanda Bain 39, Ami Hickey, 39, and Jeff Gerla, 47 were killed in the incident. Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said the shooting happened due to a robbery over clothes and guns.
SMITH COUNTY — An unresponsive inmate found by jail staff in the clinic of the Smith County Jail around 12:30 Saturday morning has died. The inmate, identified as Kevin Wayne Freeman, 52, of Tyler, died Saturday night. Detention staff noticed a shirt around the inmate’s neck, tied to a metal curtain. Detention staff immediately cut the shirt off of the inmate and began CPR. The inmate was transported to a local ER. Freeman’s family has been notified. Per Smith County Sheriff’s Office protocol, Sheriff Larry Smith contacted the Texas Rangers to conduct an investigation into this incident. The body has been transported to Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas for the autopsy.
WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD said students’ personal information may have been accessed after the district experienced a ransomware attack on June 14. According to our news partner KETK, the Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted the school district in June about how they were a potential target of a cyber attack. “Your minor child’s name, social security number, health information and date of birth may have been impacted,†wrote Whitehouse ISD Superintendent Christopher Moran in a letter to parents. Whitehouse ISD was not able to access some of their computers due to the incident, so they started an investigation with the help of third-party forensic specialists. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Smith County jury sentenced 35-year-old Christopher Earl on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, officials said that Earl’s mother testified that she heard the victim, her husband, tell Earl that he needed to “get a job.†She said she heard something that sounded like someone getting punched, followed by the victim saying “you hit me.†When she walked in, Earl’s mother testified that she saw Earl hit his stepfather in the face. She said that though she attempted to stop him, Earl punched his step father two more times in the face then pushed him and his mother to the ground. Earl then grabbed a wooden cane nearby, which his stepfather used to help him walk, and hit his stepfather over the head and began kicking him, the DA’s office said. In the process, he reportedly also broke his mother’s arm as she tried to lie across her husband to protect him. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department said on Thursday they have a person in custody after an incident regarding a “kill list†was reported at Spring Hill ISD. According to our news partner KETK, Brandon Thornton, the Public Information Officer with the Longview Police Department said that a person of interest is in custody, but no further details were provided. Spring Hill ISD shared the following statement on Facebook: “Safety is the number one priority for Spring Hill ISD. The high school encountered an incident today that required coordinated action by district administration, the school resource officer, and the Longview police department. The situation has been addressed, and students and staff are safe. SHISD will continue to follow policy and student code of conduct requirements in all situations. The administration and staff will remain proactive in matters regarding school safety. School will continue tomorrow as scheduled. Thank you for your support.â€
TYLER — A jury has sentenced Martin Reynolds to 16 years in prison for the murder of Andrew Carpenter after more than 4 hours of deliberations. The prosecution had requested 40 years while the defense asked for 10. He’ll get 4 years time served for the time he was waiting for his trial and be eligible for parole in 2025. The latest he will be out is 2033. He was charged after shooting Carpenter in November 2017. According to our news partner KETK, the jury deliberated for five hours before reaching the guilty verdict. Read the rest of this entry »
ANDERSON COUNTY — One person has been arrested following a murder and hostage situation Thursday morning in the Frankston area. According to our news partner KETK, Anderson County Sheriff Rudy Flores says a call came in to deputies around 1:30 a.m. from a neighbor on FM 309 reporting multiple gunshots. Deputies responded and found a dead male on the front porch of the residence who appeared to have died from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 38-year-old Marco Matthew Gonzales. An autopsy has been ordered. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN — A Lufkin man turned himself in on Wednesday in connection with the hit-and-run fatal crash that happened on Sunday morning. 53-year-old Gabriel Garcia, of Lufkin, was killed in the wreck. According to our news partner KETK, the driver is identified as Roberto Carlos Guerrero, 32. The Lufkin Police Department was contacted by Guerrero’s attorney earlier this week, notifying them that Guerrero would turn himself in to the Angelina County Jail once the department had a warrant for his arrest. Guerrero is charged with accident involving injury or death. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — A 13-year-old boy was injured after being shot in the face over the weekend by a 10-year-old family member. According to our news partner KETK, the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting that happened off of State Highway 21 W. Deputies said the boy was injured after the 10-year-old picked up a .380 semi-automatic handgun that had been left unattended. While playing with the gun in a back bedroom, the 10-year-old unintentionally discharged the gun, hitting the 13-year-old in the cheek, deputies said. The bullet exited the victim beneath the ear. Deputies and emergency medical personnel went to the home around 7:00 Sunday evening after 911 dispatchers received a call about a shooting. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — An off-duty Nacogdoches police officer was arrested by Texas DPS for driving while intoxicated on Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Daniel Aburto, 30, was arrested Sunday morning around 7:45 a.m. after Nacogdoches Combined Communications Center received a call of a person asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle in Douglass, blocking the road. Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Deputies were the first to arrive, followed by Texas DPS. They learned that the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was an off-duty Nacogdoches Police Officer. Aburto was booked into the Nacogdoches County Law Enforcement Center on a single charge of DWI and was placed on suspension until the completion of an internal investigation.