Today is
Thursday November 28, 2024
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 188, east of the Emerald Bay Lake subdivision, will be closed to through traffic for a bridge replacement starting Monday, February 27, 2023. A narrow bridge is being replaced with a concrete box culvert as a part of the roadway improvements to CR 188. The portion of the road that will be closed is located between FM 344 and FM 346. The road closure is expected to be for two weeks for the placement of the box culvert.
CADDO PARISH — An East Texas teenager has surrendered to Louisiana authorities in the shooting death of another teen at a Mardi Gras parade in Shreveport. The unidentified 16-year-old boy gave himself up at the Caddo Parish Juvenile Justice Complex, accompanied by his attorney. He is charged with negligent homicide in the death last Saturday of Kip Lewis, 17, of Elysian Fields. investigators say a group of teens were engaging in horseplay, chasing each other around with plastic swords, when for some reason one teen pulled out a gun and fired a shot, striking Lewis in the upper body. The teen charged in the killing will make a court appearance today in Shreveport.
WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse ISD added extra security to the high school campus Thursday morning after a student was charged with ‘false alarm’ and placed in custody. According to the district and our news partner KETK, around 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the school received an anonymous tip through the “Say Something†reporting system and the district coordinated with the Whitehouse Police Department to investigate. “At no time were students or staff in immediate danger,†officials said. The district said the report was made within six minutes of the alleged threat, and Superintendent Dr. Chris Moran said they will not tolerate threatening comments. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — A man was charged with abuse of a corpse on Monday after he allegedly kept his mother’s body in his house for several days after her death in Van Zandt County, the sheriff’s office said. According to our news partner KETK, Douglas Dean Kilburn, 49, was arrested in the Rolling Oaks Community near County Road 3828. Authorities said they received a call from a person who was worried about Kilburn’s mother, who was their friend. Deputies conducted a welfare check on Feb. 14. Law enforcement said Kilburn told them his mother was visiting family in Oklahoma. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Cherokee County courthouse square had to be cleared by law enforcement Thursday during a capital murder trial after a person with a gun was reported near the premises. According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, they were notified of an individual on the north side of the courthouse carrying a handgun. Sheriff’s office personnel responded and cleared the courthouse square, officials said. “While securing the area, an individual was arrested after he fled from law enforcement,†according to a release from Sheriff Brent Dickson. The person has been charged with evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon. There is no threat to the area at this time, Dickson said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle in Tyler Wednesday night. It happened around 9:15 at the intersection of Loop 323 and Erwin Street. Investigators said a pickup was traveling north on Loop 323 approaching the intersection with E. Erwin St in the inside lane. The female pedestrian, identified as Denise Kay Brown, 60, from Tyler, reportedly walked in front of the truck and the driver was unable to avoid her. There was no indication of impairment on the driver. The case remains under investigation awaiting autopsy results.
SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man is wanted for criminal mischief by the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office after he allegedly set a woman’s property on fire. According to the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office and  our news partner KETK, officials have been searching for Christopher Feemster, 35, for several months. He’s described as 5’6″ and about 160 pounds with green eyes and brown hair. Feemster lives at 9881 County Road 274 and is possibly living in the woods behind his home. Feemster is currently out on bond for an evading charge and is known to flee from police. He  has previous arrests for assault. According to his warrant, on Aug. 13, fire officials were called to a home where a woman, who identified Feemster as her “ex-loverâ€, reported he had set her personal items on fire. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Police have released the identity of a woman whose body was found over the weekend. Officers responded to a report of a deceased female in her vehicle around 12:30 Saturday morning in the parking lot of Clear Springs on Broadway. She’s now been identified as Samantha Atkinson, 34, of Tyler. Her body was sent for autopsy. Police said foul play was not suspected.
EAST TEXAS – The Feeding Texas network, made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state lawmakers to increase funding for the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant today in a virtual day of advocacy. With the cost of groceries rising, many Texans are turning to food banks for support. The loss of the increased pandemic SNAP benefits (known as “emergency allotments”) in March will lead to even greater need, with all SNAP households experiencing a minimum reduction of $95 a month in SNAP benefits. “Texans everywhere are struggling with the rising cost of food, and as a result, more Texans are seeking emergency food from food banks,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A jail reform advocate demands improved care for inmates at an East Texas jail. At their meeting Tuesday in Tyler, the Smith County Commissioners Court heard from a member of the Texas Jail Project, Dalila Reynoso, who called for greater mental-health resources at the Smith County Jail. She was responding to the recent hanging death of an inmate, Nathan Lee Johns. A sheriff’s office statement said that Johns hanged himself with an electrical cord he concealed from guards after he took it from an inmate phone box. Â Reynoso says the death should have been prevented. The Texas Rangers are investigating the hanging.
TYLER — Frustrated and upset Smith County voters gathered Monday night, and Grassroots America We the People explained in detail the 2020 election audit irregularities that led to the discovery of 584 absentee ballots that they say were not counted. According to our news partner KETK, analysts emphasized that a straightforward and trustworthy voting process is a cornerstone of democracy in our country. “That is precious to people and we need to make sure that we don’t take a casual approach to that. Even if one vote isn’t counted, that means an American citizen was disenfranchised and we want to do everything we can to make sure that in Smith County we get election results we can count on to be accurate a verifiable,†said JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director of Grassroots. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — In a Tyler Federal Court last week, Dusty Caudill and David Bartlett pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to transport wildlife in Interstate Commerce and to violating the Endangered Species Act. In February of 2021, Caudill and Barlett attempted to negotiate the sale of two African elephant ivory tusks with an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent. The tusks were transported from Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Tyler. A third man, Darryl Garcia, still awaits his day in court.
LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is looking for any information on the whereabouts of Cannon Tuck, 29. Tuck weighs 145 lbs. and is about 5’9″ tall. He was last seen in the area of Fourth St and East Loop 281 wearing a black hoodie, jeans and a black backpack. Tuck was reported missing on Tuesday, February 7, by a family member. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact Longview Police Department at (903) 237-1170.
SMITH COUNTY — Grassroots America said 584 absentee voter ballots from the 2020 general election were not counted in Smith County, according to an audit done by the organization, Executive Director JoAnn Fleming said Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, Grassroots America requested that the item be put on Tuesday’s agenda for the Smith County Commissioners Court meeting. “We do think that every vote matters,†said Smith County Judge Neal Franklin. Fleming said that Grassroots America provided a dozen volunteers to survey 634 voters and record 385 interviews. “Those interviews documented unusual anomalies between voter memories and Smith County voting records,†Fleming said. Fleming said the audit was a fact-finding mission to help the county. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES — Faculty and staff of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches have received a six percent, across the board, cost of living raise. The Board of Regents approved the pay raise last week and it went into effect February 1st. Â SFA President Dr. Steve Westbrook said the board wanted a pay increase to be implemented as soon as possible after the university joined the University of Texas system on November 29th. It will be paid from SFA reserve funds this year and by UT system funds in the future.