NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches ISD cheerleaders, drumline and administrators marched the hallways to surprise teachers with grants on Wednesday. Our news partner KETK reports, the grants were awarded by the Nacogdoches Education Foundation. Teachers from around the district applied for the grants. Eight grants this spring totaled $14,000. On Wednesday, select teachers were surprised with the good news. “I tried to be positive about getting the grant,†said Justin Guillory, Environmental Science Teacher at Nacogdoches High School. Guillory was one of the educators awarded a $1,500 grant, and he was brought to tears. “I’m so happy, I’m so glad, I’m going to be able to use it in my classroom, it’s awesome,†Guillory said. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — A Harrison County man was arrested Tuesday after another man was injured in a shooting on North Franklin Street, according to our news partner KETK and Marshall Police. Officials said police found Bobby Williams, 28 with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and leg, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Keith Hall, 35 of Marshall, was arrested after an investigation by Marshall Police detectives and members of the Joint Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force. Hall was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and his bond has been set at $50,000. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
HENDERSON COUNTY — An Athens man was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly impersonated a Winnsboro police officer and was reported to have been following female high school students for a few days. According to our news partner KETK, an arrest affidavit reports Dallas Browning, 26 of Athens, approached Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse at the Henderson County Livestock Show on March 22, identified himself as a police officer and told Hillhouse he had seen a jail trustee “place some tobacco in his pants.†The affidavit said Hillhouse also saw Browning tell a detention officer that he was a police officer and worked the nightshift for the Winnsboro Police Department. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A woman was indicted by a Van Zandt County grand jury earlier this month, and is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a local church. According to our news partner KETK, Donna Cory Drake was indicted on a second-degree felony charge of theft from a non-profit. The non-profit is named in the indictment as Lakeside Baptist Church where she is accused of taking between $30,000 to $150,000 between October 2018 and September 2022. Drake was arrested for the charge from her indictment on Friday, and was released the same day after posting a $10,000 bond. Second-degree felonies carry a penalty range of two to 20 years.
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler will be helping to develop space farming. UT Tyler has received a $100,000 grant from NASA to study how plants react to different types of stress in space. The technology used by Dr. Shawana Tabassum, electrical engineering assistant professor and chief investigator, is similar to a fitness watch, but for plants. The goal is to help astronauts grow fresh produce on deep-space missions and eventually to grow produce on the Moon or on Mars. UT Tyler will collaborate on the project with Texas A&M. Project activities will be conducted at the A&M Agrilife Research facility in College Station.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Texas Attorney General’s office has released the custodial death reports for two women who died at the Cherokee County Jail. According to our news partner KETK, Aiydasani Mahogany Bryant, 21, was being held on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge when she collapsed in a medical cell at 8:41 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2023, according to a report. The report said correctional officers entered her cell two minutes later at 8:43 p.m. to try and get her off of the ground. Bryant was helped to her feet before reportedly falling to the ground again. At that point, correctional officers reportedly sat her up and called for EMS, who arrived and spoke with her. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY — A body was found Monday morning by a roofing crew at a residence in Upshur County. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded to a dead body call at a residence on Airstrip Road in the southwest portion of the county. Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said roofing crew members arrived at the scene to do a job at the location and found the body, later identified as Timothy Allen Caffey, 66, of Gilmer. Officials said the house where he was found was his own residence. “Evidence at the scene clearly indicated that Mr. Timothy Caffey was the victim of a homicide,†the sheriff’s office said. Caffey shared his residence with his son, Michael Timothy Caffey, 45, of Gilmer. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — Marshall Police Department announced that officers shot a man in downtown Marshall on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, officials said they received reports about a man who was dressed in a trench coat and walking in the middle of the road carrying a rifle, around 11:23 p.m. on Saturday. According to Marshall PD, the responding officers found the man, Shimon Faggett, 43, and repeatedly asked him to drop what they thought was a rifle. The officers then shot Faggett after he allegedly pointed what turned out to be a replica weapon at them, officials said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Two people are arrested and jailed in a double homicide in Tyler. Police say Aaron Johnson, 20, is charged with capital murder with a $2,000,000 bond. Nicholas Hudson, 18, faces two counts of murder, each with a $1,000,000 bond. Authorities say police responded to the Royal Crest Apartments on Sybil Lane Thursday night and found a vehicle in the parking lot with two people dead of multiple gunshot wounds. They were later identified as Donovan Dodd, 19, and Ladarius Jackson, 17, both from Athens. A short time later, police got a call from another victim on Park Place who had been shot at the apartment complex. Police now say that person was Aaron Johnson, who was taken to the hospital and released before police announced his capital murder charge. We’ll provide further details as they come in.
RUSK COUNTY — The scene of a major fatal wreck in Rusk County has finally been cleared after hours of work. One person was reported dead after the crash on U.S. Highway 259 and FM 850 between Henderson and Kilgore Thursday morning involving a tractor trailer tanker truck that officials said was “leaking large amounts of what appears to be some type of oil product.†According to our news partner KETK, officials said another car struck debris from the initial crash, and they urged drivers to avoid the area and find alternate routes. According to the Crims Chapel VFD, multiple fire and rescue agencies responded to the crash around 6:50 a.m. where it was reported that an 18-wheeler was on top of another vehicle with entrapment. DPS reported the tanker truck to be leaking an “oil product†around 6:55 a.m., according to Crims Chapel VFD, and TxDOT was requested to the area. Read the rest of this entry »
WHITEHOUSE — Three men were arrested in East Texas for allegedly forging stolen checks adding up to thousands of dollars, the Whitehouse Police Department said. According to our news partner KETK, on Tuesday, Whitehouse police said officers stopped a vehicle leaving the scene of a disturbance that had just been reported. After talking to the individuals who called in, it was confirmed that the people in the vehicle they had stopped were involved in the disturbance. During the search of the vehicle, officers said they found several forged checks from a multitude of businesses. The stolen checks totaled up to thousands of dollars and lead to the arrests of Charles Clark, Cornelius Brooks and Emanuel Akpom, officials said. All three men were booked into the Smith County Jail and charged with forgery of a financial instrument.
LINDALE — Miranda Lambert has begun selling tickets to book signings for her new cookbook “Y’all Eat Yet?†with the final stop of the book tour being held in Lindale, according to our news partner KETK. “At each event, you’ll get a chance to meet Miranda Lambert and have your copy of her new book signed,†the book’s website said. The book tour is set to begin in New York City, before heading to Los Angeles and making it’s final stop in Lindale on May 9 at The Pink Pistol. Tickets are $38.11 plus fees, and only two tickets are allowed per order. “My first book tour,†Lambert said in an announcement. “Let’s go y’all!â€
COFFEE CITY — The Coffee City Police Department is warning people about a man who is allegedly impersonating an officer. Authorities said he is a white man between 25 and 35-years-old, and he is driving a black Tahoe with red and blue lights. The man is around 5’6†and between 165-190 lbs. The man reportedly pulled people over in Tyler and Coffee City, and he was wearing a tan or brown uniform, officials said. Coffee City officers typically wear dark blue or black uniforms, and they have their badge and name tag. Police vehicles also have “police†written on the side and Texas license plates that say exempt. Law enforcement said they have also received two reports that another man in a black Charger has pulled people over. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Former Tyler Junior College Dean Dr. Aubrey Sharpe died on Monday, the United Way of Smith County announced. He was 78-years-old. According to our news partner KETK, Sharpe was a development officer with United Way. “His impact on our organization and the community as a whole is enormous,†the nonprofit said. Sharpe was the organization’s board president in 1998, and he was on several sub-committees for many years. “His presence around the office would always light up the room, and he will be deeply missed by all of us,†United Way said. Sharpe was born in Miami, according to his obituary. He was a member of the Tyler Chamber of Commerce and previously the Dean of the School of Continuing Studies and Technical Administrator of the West Campus for TJC. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — One woman was injured in a Monday night crash in the Bullard area on FM 346 at Olivia Lane after her car flipped into a nearby pond. According to Bullard Fire Chief Peter Riley, that area of FM 346 has seen several similar wrecks due to the road’s sharp turns. Our news partner KETK reports, Bullard Fire was called to the scene of a crash where a car was flipped upside down around 11:40 p.m., and Riley said before they got there, two Bullard teenagers had climbed into the pond and turned the car on its side allowing the woman to breathe while first responders were on their way. Read the rest of this entry »