Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
LONGVIEW — The Longview Public Library will be changing it’s hours of operation starting on Monday, July 31, according to the City of Longview. According to our news partner KETK, the library is making these changes in order to better accommodate rising daily patron attendance. The press release added that some minor adjustments might be made to weekly youth and adult programs. In total, the library won’t be losing any hours, officials said. The library’s curbside pickup will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week from Monday through Friday, according to a City of Longview press release. The library’s new hours of operation will be: Monday – Wednesday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Thursday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. Computers will shut down 30 minutes before the end of each day.
TYLER — A Tyler man was charged with murder, a first-degree felony, after allegedly shooting his brother. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting happened on McKenzie Drive in Tyler on July 15. Investigators were informed that the person found at the scene, who was later identified as Jaraine Johnson, had been shot in the backyard of the residence. The suspect, later identified as Lee Autrey Jodeci Morgan, who is known by his family as “Jody,†was not located at the scene when officers arrived on the scene. According to the affidavit, Johnson’s fiancé, who lived with Johnson, said Morgan came to the couple’s residence at 7 a.m. Morgan knocked on the door and she told Johnson that his bother was at their residence. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Two individuals have been arrested after a search warrant led to the seizure of large quantities of illegal narcotics and cash. On Tuesday, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office along with members of the East Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG) and Smith County SWAT Team conducted a search warrant at 509 East Cedar Street. During the search, Smith County Public Information Officer Larry Christian said they seized the following illegal contraband, including approximately two pounds of cocaine, 13 grams of crack cocaine, one pound of marijuana, a handgun and over $10,000 in U.S. currency. Christian said that two traffic stops related to the residence were made during the operation on Interstate 20, in Canton, by Tyler and Canton Police Departments. The raid also resulted in two individuals being arrested on felony charges. No other information is available at this time as this is an ongoing investigation but Christian said other charges are expected. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A teacher at Chapel Hill ISD was charged with five counts of promotion of child pornography by the Houston Metro ICAC Task Force in Montgomery County, the district announced. According to our news partner KETK, the teacher was placed on administrative leave and the district said it is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of students and is fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. “Our highest priority is the safety and welfare of our students,†said Martin Ibarra, CHISD’s Board of Trustees president. “We take these allegations very seriously, and we’re fully cooperating with authorities.†The district said they have no reason to believe the accusations occurred while on school property.
TYLER — An emergency sideline training course was held at UT Health East Texas Saturday to help prepare EMS, doctors and nurses for middle and high school sports events, according to our news partner KETK. “To reach out to a number of different health care professionals and make this a multi-disciplinary conference because we recognize we’re on the sidelines dealing with emergencies,†said Michael Galbraith, associate program director of sports medicine for UT Health Science Center. The conference is a way to bridge the gap between all the first responders involved during a game emergency, especially when it comes to communication. With football season less than a month away knowing how to care for a patient covered in safety equipment is key to a quick response. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler is looking for school crossing guards for the upcoming academic year. With 17 schools and 28 school crossings, the City needs 35 guards to ensure the safety of students during their daily commute, according to a news release from the city. Currently, there are nine crossing guard positions available, offering an hourly wage of $11.55. Those hired for this role will have the opportunity to return for the following school year, earning a stable and reliable source of income. The crossing guard position follows the Tyler Independent School District (TISD) schedule, making it a seasonal opportunity. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A new Texas law will give church security teams more protections. Senate Bill 694 is authored by Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola. According to our news partner KETK, the bill aims at protecting safety teams at houses of worship who remove or use force on anyone who is disrupting service. The bill will grant civil immunity to church security and safety teams. In order to be protected under the new law, the team must be hired employees or volunteer with paperwork to prove it. Senate Bill 694 covers the possession or use of a firearm leading to death, damage or injury. The Texas Security Coalition promotes every church to have adequate training, so no one is wrongly accused. The bill and training will benefit any church no matter how big the congregation is. This new law will become effective on September 1.
TYLER — Brookshire Grocery Co. announced on Tuesday they have reached an agreement with Walgreens where they will acquire the company’s 120 pharmacies in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. According to our news partner KETK, Brookshire Grocery said the vast majority of these locations are being converted to Walgreens pharmacies that will operate inside of their stores. “The pharmacy industry has become increasingly complex over the past few years, and it was important to us to find a business leader that has the capabilities to focus on providing exceptional pharmacy services and value to our customers,†Chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co. Brad Brookshire said. Read the rest of this entry »
ANDERSON COUNTY — An officer at an East Texas prison was arrested after a random vehicle search produced a suspicious substance. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, staff at the H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, found three vacuum-sealed bags of a “green leafy substance†in the car of officer Diana Ngyangau June 30. Officer Ngyangau was arrested by investigators from the Office of the Inspector General for introduction of K2 and was drug tested. TDCJ officials said she worked at that unit for 29 months prior to the incident. The arrest was part of a series of random searches of employee vehicles entering the prison. The Coffield Unit houses up to 4,000 prisoners and has more than 500 employees.
LUFKIN — A Crockett man was arrested on Monday night and another man remains at large after a multi-agency task force in relation to the April shooting death of a man from Lufkin. According to our news partner KETK, just before 9:00 Monday night, Trederrick Dewayne Sherman, 17, was arrested on a murder warrant at a house on Briar Lane in Crockett. Jardon Lamontre Castle, 18, of Jasper, remains at large. Lufkin police said Richard Coutee was shot to death on his front doorstep April 3. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A portion of County Road 370, also known as Howell Lake Road in Precinct 3, was closed beginning Monday, July 10, so a bridge can be replaced. The concrete bridge with wooden piers, which runs over the private Howell Lake, will be replaced with a wider concrete bridge with concrete piles, Smith County Engineer Frank Davis said. Signs are up alerting drivers of the closure and drivers will need to take an alternate route. Work is being done by True Roads Construction and is expected to take about three months. For current Smith County road projects, click here.
SMITH COUNTY — Unfilled positions continue to make life hard on local law enforcement. “Law enforcement across the country is shorthanded,†said Sgt. Larry Christian, Public Information Officer with Smith County Sheriff’s Office. The problem seemed to get even worse in 2020, according to our news partner KETK. “COVID hit county jails really hard in the state of Texas,†said Craig Harrington, Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy. The year 2024 is shaping up to be a critical one for Smith County. The county recently released a draft budget for fiscal year 2024 that includes an emphasis on trying to hire more people to fill detention center vacancies. Christian said getting the right budget passed could shape the county’s future. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — For the month of July, Tyler Animal Services and CASA for Kids of East Texas are partnering to donate school supplies to foster children. All dog and cat adoption fees will be waived with the donation of a backpack with at least 10 school supplies, according to the City of Tyler. Animals adopted from Tyler Animal Services are spayed/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. The standard adoption fee for dogs is $120 and $80 for cats. To adopt, view available animals or submit an application, click here. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY — The Gilmer community is coping with the loss of Jared Maddox. According to our news partner KETK, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that 58-year-old Jared Maddox died on July 4 due to a fireworks explosion. Residents who knew him well, are now talking about his impact in the Gilmer community. “Jared was a fantastic guy,†Joe Tillery said. “I mean he would help anybody anytime that anybody needed help. He was truly a man’s man. I guess you can say.†Maddox spent almost 30 years at the Longview Fire Department serving his community. Tillery said Maddox’s dedication to the department was second to none. “He would come up and spend the night with us before he ever became a paid firefighter, and he would stay all night and he would just stay at the fire station just waiting on the call to go try and help people,†added Tillery. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY — A wanted man out of Upshur County was arrested on Monday in Longview for his alleged involvement in a game room robbery. According to our news partner KETK, Dewayne Stevenson had an outstanding felony warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and was wanted by Upshur County authorities who said he is a suspect in a game room robbery that took place back in May. According to the release, Upshur County Crime Stoppers received a tip about the possible whereabouts of Stevenson. The tip said Stevenson was seen in Longview, so officials said the Longview Police Department went to the reported location and arrested him on the Upshur County warrant. Stevenson was booked into the Gregg County Jail and officials said they will be moving him to the Upshur County Jail later this week.