Water line break fixed on SW Loop 323

UPDATE: Tyler Water Utilities crews and the contractor have completed repairs to the 12″ water line at SW Loop 323 in front of the KETK News building. The water supply has been restored and affected businesses and residents have been notified.

TYLER — Contractors and City crews are currently on-site making repairs to the water line break. Affected businesses and residents have been notified. The water supply in the area will be turned off by 10 a.m. to allow crews to complete the repairs. We anticipate water to be restored around 5 p.m. Areas impacted include KETK News, Jalapeno Tree, Towne Oaks Plaza shopping mall and some residences in the Richmond Road neighborhood.

Background: On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) identified a break in a 12″ water line at SW Loop 323 in front of the KETK News building.

Man arrested following standoff

MINEOLA — A stolen vehicle pursuit in Mineola ended in a tense standoff Sunday when the armed driver refused to exit the vehicle. According to our news partner KETK, officers with the Mineola Police Department pursued a stolen vehicle from the city and into Van Zandt County before the suspect stopped on U.S. Highway 80 and FM 1255. The driver, identified as Jacob Swanson, of Gilmer, allegedly refused to exit the vehicle, was armed and threatened to commit suicide by cop.

Mineola PD then requested back up from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team due to the unavailability of closer resources. A SWAT operator, negotiators and two additional deputies responded to the scene.

“Upon their arrival, the hostage negotiator spoke with Swanson for about forty minutes with no desired results,” Smith County officials said. “Finally, CS and OC projectiles were deployed into the vehicle.” (more…)

Drone helps deputies capture fleeing suspects after stolen vehicle pursuit

SMITH COUNTY — A stolen vehicle pursuit on Interstate 20 Sunday evening ended in Smith County with the help of drones, which guided deputies to two suspects who fled after the vehicle was stopped with spike strips. According to our news partner KETK, the Canton Police Department pursued a stolen vehicle into Smith County eastbound on I-20 at around 5:30 p.m. DPS Troopers were able to deploy spikes at MM562 and stopped the vehicle at FM 14.

“The driver and front seat passenger immediately bailed out the vehicle on foot and fled the area. A backseat passenger surrendered at the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said.

Smith County deputies were then dispatched to the location including a drone pilot. When they arrived, they were informed that the suspects hit a wooded area adjacent to I-20. When the drone was deployed, a suspect exited the wooded area and was taken into custody. (more…)

Court lets Tennessee porn law take effect as Texas law goes to Supreme Court

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A panel of appeals judges has ruled that Tennessee can begin enforcing a law that requires pornographic websites to verify their visitors’ age as the First Amendment debate rises to the U.S. Supreme Court this week for oral arguments over a similar Texas law.

On Monday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 3-0 that Tennessee’s law can take effect while a legal challenge continues. A district court judge had largely temporarily blocked the law from kicking in on Jan. 1, citing free speech protections for adults and saying the law would be ineffective at shielding minors from harmful content.

The Free Speech Coalition, an adult entertainment trade group, sued over Tennessee’s law and those in a half-dozen other states, including Texas. Some 19 states have passed similar laws, the coalition says.

The 6th Circuit panel wrote that the district judge didn’t show that any potentially unconstitutional aspects of Tennessee’s law would outweigh its constitutional uses. It described the law’s goals as “to protect children from the devastating effects of easy access to on-demand pornography.”

Other appeals courts have reversed lower court decisions that had blocked similar laws in Texas and Indiana, the panel wrote. The Supreme Court declined to halt Texas’ law in April while a legal challenge by the Free Speech Coalition continues, with oral arguments Wednesday.

“We see no reason to keep Tennessee’s law on ice while Texas and Indiana may enforce theirs (against at least one of the same Plaintiffs), especially when the Supreme Court will soon offer guidance on the standard of review we should apply,” the 6th Circuit ruling says.

After the decision, the website Pornhub began blocking access in Tennessee. The website had already halted access in 16 other states with verification requirements it has called “ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous” and not properly enforced, according to its parent company, Aylo. The company advocates for age verification on individual devices.

Tennessee’s law would require porn websites to verify visitors are at least 18 years old, threatening felony penalties and possible civil liability for violators running the sites. They could match a photo to someone’s ID, or use certain “public or private transactional data” to prove someone’s age. Website leaders could not retain personally identifying information and would have to keep anonymized data.

Age verification would be required if one-third of a website’s content is considered harmful to minors under state standards.

The Free Speech Coalition has argued the law would be ineffective, unconstitutional and force people to transfer sensitive information.

Meanwhile on Monday, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued Seattle-based SARJ LLC, alleging the company is violating Kansas’ law by operating 13 pornographic websites without “age-gating technology” ensuring visitors are 18 or older.

The consumer protection lawsuit requests potentially millions of dollars in damages — up to $10,000 for each time someone in Kansas accessed one of the websites, and up to $10,000 for each day the company was not in compliance with the law.

In blocking Tennessee’s law, U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman in Memphis wrote that Tennessee’s requirement would not prevent minors from accessing adult sites using VPNs, or virtual private networks, that mask a user’s location. The law would also not stop them from viewing pornographic material on dark corners of the internet — or via social media sites, which would likely be shielded by the one-third content threshold, Lipman said.

The judge said the law’s impact could be overly broad, potentially affecting other plaintiffs such as an online educational platform focused on sexual wellness. She also noted that Tennessee’s definition of “content harmful to minors” extends to include text.

Lipman is an appointee of former President Barack Obama. Former President George W. Bush appointed two of the 6th Circuit judges. President-elect Donald Trump appointed the third.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who applauded the ruling, noted that the age verification requirement passed unanimously in the Republican-supermajority Legislature.

“As the Court of Appeals noted, this law seeks to stem the flow of toxic content to kids and keep adult websites adults-only,” Skrmetti said in an emailed statement.

Similar Florida and South Carolina laws kicked in Jan. 1. Another age verification law takes effect in July in Georgia.

Border crossings in December trend low as Biden administration wraps up

Biden’s education chief says he avoided ‘culture wars’

WASHINGTON (AP) — While Republican states were working to limit school history lessons and ban transgender athletes, President Joe Biden’s education chief says he was focused on what matters: putting more social workers in schools, expanding summer school and building a pipeline of new teachers.

In an interview during his last days in office, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he sought distance from the battles waged by Republican governors who he says were out to make a name for themselves.

“I’m not going to get distracted by culture wars,” Cardona said. “It’s nonsense, and I think the people that spew it, they make a fool of themselves. I don’t need to help them.”

Cardona said he wants to be remembered for “substance, not sensationalism.” He helped schools reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. He oversaw a historic infusion of federal aid to America’s schools. Under his watch, more than 5 million Americans got student loan cancellation.

Yet his time in office will also be remembered for the politics swirling around him. Conservatives and some experts now say COVID school reopenings were too slow, pointing to ongoing academic shortfalls and concerning trends in youth mental health. Even after the pandemic, education became a battleground, as conservatives rallied to rid what some see as “wokeness” being promoted by educators in the classroom. Republican states passed laws limiting what schools can teach about race and sexuality, and many adopted laws and rules banning transgender athletes in school sports.

Cardona said he did what he could to push back. The Education Department investigated civil rights complaints in cases of alleged discrimination. He issued what was seen as a landmark rule expanding Title IX, a sex-discrimination statute, to protect LGBTQ+ students.

But he ran up against the limits of his authority. A federal judge scrapped the Title IX rule, and Republican states ignored his pleas to promote diversity in education.

“We saw in this country what I think is a step backwards in terms of student rights,” he said. “The reality is, the federal government has a limited role in state policy.”

Cardona, 49, came into office after a rapid rise in the world of education. The son of Puerto Ricans, he spent years as a fourth-grade teacher, a principal and a district administrator before becoming Connecticut’s education chief. Biden had promised to appoint a secretary with teaching experience as a foil to Trump’s first education secretary, pro-school-choice philanthropist Betsy DeVos.

Early in his tenure, Cardona tried to use the bully pulpit to bring Republican governors in line. In letters to the governors of Florida and Texas, Cardona sparred over mask mandates and COVID testing. He says he changed course after finding that’s what they wanted — a national platform to win attention before the 2024 presidential election.

He said it wasn’t a good use of his time “going tit-for-tat with a governor who’s hell-bent on being the most anti-Biden so that he could make it on the presidential ballot.”

Messages left with the offices of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott were not immediately answered.

The political fights extended to the courts, where Republican states successfully killed some of Biden’s signature education plans, including widespread student loan cancellation, a more generous student loan repayment plan, and his Title IX expansion.

Other plans withered after failing to gain support in Congress, including a push for free community college.

Yet Cardona says there were more victories than losses. Under Biden, the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students saw its biggest increase in a decade. More than 1 million public workers got student loans canceled after the Education Department retooled a troubled program. New legislation allowed schools to hire 16,000 mental health professionals.

“What we did is going to have a tremendous impact in our schools,” he said. “When you have more school social workers, psychologists, more reading teachers, more after-school programs, more summer programs than in the history of our country, there’s 50 million kids out there that are going to benefit from that.”

Cardona sought to play down what critics say was one of the lowest points of his tenure — a bungled overhaul of the federal financial aid form known as FAFSA. Congress ordered the Education Department to simplify the notoriously complex form, but a series of glitches led to delays in college financial aid decisions for months.

Critics called it a crisis and predicted that the frustration would deter some students from going to college at all. Cardona disputed the idea, citing new data from the National Student Clearinghouse finding that enrollment of college freshmen increased this fall.

Cardona called the FAFSA update a trying time that “really tested us.”

“And in my opinion,” he said, “we passed the test.”

In a farewell speech earlier Tuesday, Cardona urged his departing colleagues not to despair, even as they wonder if the next administration will undo policies and slash budgets. Cardona said he’s leaving with hope “because I never, ever bet against our nation’s teachers and students.”

They are the ones “who will write the next chapter, who will decide the fate of public education,” he said. “There’s no one education secretary or president that does that, and no one leader can break our resolve.”

UPDATE: Houston County officials capture wanted man

UPDATE: The Houston County Sheriff’s Office said Joe Cryer was arrested on Tuesday and has been booked in the county jail.

HOUSTON COUNTY — The Houston County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man wanted for violating his parole and evading arrest near the Anderson County line on US Highway 287 North. According to our news partner KETK, Houston County deputies, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Crockett Police Department are reportedly searching the area for Joe Cryer, 44.

Cryer was reportedly last seen wearing a camo jacket and could possibly be armed, the sheriff’s office warned. Anyone who sees Cryer is asked to not approach him and to call 911.

Officials asked the residents on US Highway 287 near the Anderson county line to make sure their cars are locked and to report any suspicious people to to the sheriff’s office at 936-544-2862.

Bullard raising water bill rates starting in March

BULLARD — Bullard residents will soon see an increase in their water bill. According to our news partner KETK, the City of Bullard has increased expenses for residents and businesses “due to increasing expenses and high demand in providing quality water and treated water.” The rates will take effect beginning February and be reflected in the March billing cycle.

The city said the topic has been in discussion over the last few years as residential water and sewer rates have not been adjusted since 2018 and the new rate will be similar or some cases lower than other cities their size.

A technical assistant consultant was contracted by the city to study the billing rates of their water systems. The city said this study showed them the revenue they’d need per customer to maintain their water system and how much they’ll need for a future water reserve. (more…)

Tyler traffic advisory

TYLER — The Tyler Water Department is working on a main water break Sunday morning. According to Tyler Police, as crews work on this issue, both north and southbound lanes of traffic Broadway between 7th and 8th Street will be shut down. Motorists are encouraged to avoid this area and seek alternate routes. Officials said an update should be released once the area is back open for normal traffic.

City renames road for judge after community petition

LONGVIEW — Thanks to a recent community petition, a portion of George Richey Road in Longview has been renamed in honor of Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt. According to our news partner KETK, the part of George Richey Road between Gilmer Road and Judson Road will now officially be known as Bill Stoudt Parkway. The change comes after the Longview City Council approved a resolution to rename the road in their meeting on Thursday.

According to the agenda for Thursday’s City Council meeting, more than 51% of the property owners along the road agreed to have the name changed in a petition that was submitted to the council.

Stoudt was chosen because of his past efforts to help expand the road and his many years of service in Longview and Gregg County. Thank you so much Judge Stoudt for your years of dedication, spearheading not only this effort but many others in our community,” Longview city councilwoman for District 5, Michelle Gamboa said in a recap of Thursday’s meeting.

Abuse allegations land dad, grandma behind bars

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County father and grandmother are behind bars after the alleged abuse of a three-month old baby. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said that at around 6 p.m. Wednesday night, a deputy responded to a hospital in Tyler regarding a possible child abuse. Once the deputy was on scene, he was informed by hospital personnel that a three-month old baby had received significant injuries that looked like child abuse.

According to our news partner KETK, at the time, the infant was undergoing CT scans and X-rays. The attending nurse informed the deputy that the baby was lethargic, weak and had bruises on their face and neck. An investigator then spoke with the baby’s mother, who reportedly told officials that her baby had just returned home after spending several days with his father, Zachray McGinn, at a home on County Road 2192 near Whitehouse. (more…)

Troup man arrested following shooting

SMITH COUNTY — A Troup man is in custody after running from the scene of a shooting that left one wounded. According to our news partner KETK, Troup Police said that they responded to a call about a victim suffering from a gunshot wound Tuesday. While EMS personnel were treating the victim, officers proceeded to the scene of the shooting, where they were informed that the suspect might still be inside the home.

With assistance from the Arp Police Department, White House Police Department and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, officers quickly set up a perimeter around the home. After multiple attempts to contact the suspect by phone and using loud speakers were unsuccessful, officers decided to enter the home, but they discovered that the suspect had fled. (more…)

City donates properties to nonprofit to address homelessness

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved the transfer of properties from the City of Tyler to the East Texas Cares Resources Center, which will carry out the day-to-day operations of the houses as a temporary shelter for families or individuals to help address the increasing homeless population.

The houses located at 512 W. 32nd St. and 516 W. 32nd St. will be used by East Texas Cares Resources Center as non-congregate shelters (NCS), which provide units and/or rooms as temporary shelter to families or individuals.

Those eligible to use the shelter must meet the “qualifying population” criteria as set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the American Rescue Plan, known as the HOME-ARP program. (more…)

Winter Storm Watch issued for portion of East Texas

EAST TEXAS — According to our news partner KETK’s Chief Meteorologist Carson Vickroy, “We’ve got one more day before our first, and hopefully only wintry event of the year. We’ll observe our third consecutive hard freeze tomorrow morning followed by temperatures being well below average tomorrow afternoon. (Highs in the low to middle 40s). The storm system is over the Rockies right now and will be making it in to Texas tomorrow night with the first bouts of precipitation arriving Thursday morning.

Precipitation will gradually increase throughout the day Thursday. I expect we’ll mostly snow/sleet north of highway 80 (1?-2?), with the highest amounts along and north of Interstate 30 (2?-4?+). Further south it gets more interesting. I’ve said over the last couple of days that places like Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville, & Henderson are in the wintry “Battlezone.” This means that precipitation type is unclear and could change several times during this event. (more…)

Medical board suspends Tyler professional following murder charge

TYLER — The Texas Medical Board has suspended a Tyler medical professional after determining he poses “a continuing threat to public welfare” following his arrest for murder. According to our news partner KETK, the board announced Monday that Scott Lee Goble’s respiratory care practitioner certificate was temporarily suspended following his arrest. A temporary suspension hearing will be held soon, however his suspension remains in place until the Board takes further action.

According to an arrest affidavit, the Tyler Police Department was dispatched to Junior’s Taco on 3815 South Southwest Loop 323 at around 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, after receiving calls from someone claiming their father had just shot someone at the restaurant. When officers arrived, they located a gunshot victim, later identified as Heriberto Ramirez, who had sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Records show Ramirez was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. (more…)

Go Back