Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TYLER — A big celebration is held at UT Health Tyler to honor volunteer Vennie Jackson as she celebrates her 100th birthday. Mayor Martin Heines has proclaimed September 11 Vennie Lee Jackson Day in Tyler. She also gets a certificate from Governor Greg Abbott and a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol provided by Congressman Louie Gohmert. “Miss Vennie” continues to work the front desk after more than 30 years of helping out at the hospital. So what keeps her going? Ms. Jackson credits her belief in the Lord and her enjoyment of being involved with people. “Miss Vennie” says she doesn’t have the words to express how excited she is about all the attention — and she adds that she has no plans to quit. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN — A suspect wanted on felony warrants is in stable condition following an officer involved shooting in Lufkin. It happened around 10:30 Monday night following an anonymous tip. Lufkin police responded to an apartment complex where the suspect, Todd Sturgis, 26, was said to be hiding in a bedroom. He refused to show his hands and continually reached under a mattress. Sturgis was tased but it was ineffective. He then attempted to take an officer’s gun when the officer fired a single shot striking Sturgis in the torso. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — The Henderson County Sheriff’s Department has added a high-tech drone with the latest law enforcement tools and a trained, licensed pilot to their operation. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the drone will be deployed during manhunts, cases of kidnapped or missing children, missing elderly, active shooter sites and post-crime scene analysis. The Inspire 1 drone is equipped with a complete camera system for both video and still photography and it has zoom and thermal capabilities so the pilot can see up close and at night. It also has GPS tracking and can reach speeds of 49 miles per hour. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — The body of a woman reported missing last month has been found in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, on August 8, Diana Lynn Musella, 75, of Athens, called her sister and said that she had become lost while driving. Musella stated that her car had somehow become disabled and that she was disoriented and unable to provide her location. After several attempts to locate Musella herself, her sister contacted law enforcement. Police initially attempted to locate Musella through cell phone data but received unreliable and inconsistent information from the cellular provider. A state-wide Silver Alert was issued but failed to produce viable leads. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — A six-month-old baby has died after she was left in a vehicle all day Thursday. The Henderson County Sheriff said the baby’s father, Jackson Tetrick, 24, of Brownsboro, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide. Tetrick was arrested in the parking lot of the Brownsboro Elementary School around at 6:40 Thursday night. Investigators said he took his wife to work, dropped off another child at school before he returned home. Tetrick went to work in Athens a short time later. When he picked up the older child from school at 3:30, he realized he didn’t drop off the infant at the sitter’s house that morning. Emergency CPR was administered by school staff. The child was pronounced dead at 4:40. The baby’s body was sent to Dallas for autopsy.
MCALLEN (AP) – A South Texas man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after being convicted on charges related to ramming a Border Patrol vehicle during a human smuggling attempt. Victor Eduardo Acevedo-Ventura was sentenced on Tuesday during a federal court hearing in McAllen. He had pleaded guilty last year to charges of smuggling and assaulting a federal agent. Prosecutors say Acevedo-Ventura, from the South Texas city of Edinburg, had been caught in October 2017 trying to smuggle six immigrants who had illegally entered the U.S. The 24-year-old Acevedo-Ventura fled the scene near the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint but later twice slammed his car into a Border Patrol vehicle that pursued him. No Border Patrol agents were severely injured.
TYLER COUNTY – Four people have been killed in a traffic accident in Tyler County, including one man from Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the crash happened around 1:45 Monday afternoon between Ivanhoe and Woodville. DPS Troopers said a Ford F250 pickup driven by Travis Layne Jordan, 18, of Devers, was traveling south when it crossed over into the north lanes and hit a Dodge pickup towing an RV driven by Robert Alan Beard, 48, of Tyler. Beard (pictured), Jordan, and his grandparents, Harvey Lamar DuBose and Ann Jones DuBose, both of Hull, died at the scene. A passenger in Beard’s truck, Leslie McCaa, 41, of Tyler, was transported to a Beaumont hospital with serious injuries. Troopers continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
TYLER — A crash has closed a Tyler street for repairs to a utility pole. Tyler police said the accident happened at the intersection of Front and Palace early Monday morning. Starting at Front and Borden Street, crews closed all westbound lanes of traffic. East Front Street was closed at the Palace intersection. Oncor crews have been on the scene working to repair the damaged pole and lines. Drivers have been instructed to use alternate routes until further notice. Keep checking this web page for updates.
TYLER — The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees approved the budget for the 2018/2019 school year during Monday night’s regularly scheduled meeting. Even though state funding decreased this year, Tyler teachers are getting raises. Each teacher will be making $1,500 more a year. Administrative staff members are getting 3% raises. The property tax rate for Tyler ISD will not be going up. That’s because of higher property tax valuations. Home values have gone up across the city, which means the average homeowner will see just a $51 increase on their property tax bill. The school district will also hire four more police officers for their schools.
UPSHUR COUNTY — A Longview man has been sentenced to the maximum 10 years in prison in an April 2017 driving while intoxicated crash in Upshur County. According to the Longview News Journal and our news partner KETK, Gene Arthur Smith, 57, was driving on a farm-to-market road April 1, 2017, when his vehicle hit a tree. Smith was not seriously injured. His blood alcohol level was tested at 2.5 times the legal limit. At the time of the crash, Smith was on probation out of Van Zandt County on a charge of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. He has five previous arrests for felony offenses.
HALLSVILLE — No serious injuries were reported when a truck stalled on the tracks near Hallsville was struck Saturday by Amtrak’s westbound Texas Eagle. According to the Longview News-Journal and our news partner KETK, a truck being towed stopped on the tracks at Stephens Road east of Hallsville when a towing strap broke, said Lt. Jay Webb of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. The Amtrak crew saw the vehicle but was unable to stop the train, which was traveling about 60 mph, in time to avoid collision. No one was in the truck and no injuries were reported on the train as a result of the incident, though three passengers were treated for heat exhaustion in the aftermath. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A woman accused of trying to sell her daughter for sex after a Longview police sting has been indicted on charges of sexual performance on a child, promotion/possession of child pornography and attempted trafficking of a person under age 18. According to the Longview News-Journal and our news partner KETK, the indictment of Carrie Songer Kelly, 44, of Lone Oak stems from an investigation that led to her arrest June 12. She remains in custody in the Gregg County Jail on a $200,000 bond. Kelly, formerly of White Oak, is accused of engaging in sex acts with her 8-year-old daughter and trying to sell the girl for sex after the Longview police sting led to the discovery of graphic videos on her phone. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview woman has been indicted for arson causing death in connection with a fatal fire. According to our news partner KETK, Kimberly Nicole Bruton, 32, of Longview, was originally arrested on March 10, 2018, but released the following day on lack of evidence. On March 9, officials responded to a fire on 103 Cherie Lane in Longview. Lisa Tesmer and Randall Russell, a father and daughter, were identified as the victims and the residents of the duplex. The search warrant says Deputy Fire Marshal Clint Steelman arrived on the scene to find Bruton, “Standing outside the residence holding a 32-ounce bottle of charcoal lighter fluid.” Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — Three East Texans have been arrested on drug charges in Henderson County. Arbra Leon Peavy, 53, and Miranda Arnold, 37, were arrested at a residence in Payne Springs after a search warrant was served Monday. Peavy was charged with manufacturing and delivering. Arnold was wanted on several outstanding warrants out of Seven Points. Read the rest of this entry »
FLINT — Texas Rangers are investigating a fatal standoff in Smith County. According to our news partner KETK, on Sunday afternoon, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a welfare concern call on Neely Drive in Flint. When authorities arrived, a woman on scene appeared erratic. Officers made their way inside the house and found the woman had a pistol. After the woman refused to put the gun down, she was shot once in the arm by a deputy. After hours of negotiating with deputies, the woman shot and killed herself. Her name has not been released.
LAKE PALESTINE — The man rescued from Lake Palestine Tuesday has been charged with possession of a controlled substance. DPS Troopers said Joseph Van, 41, of Flint, lost control of his SUV while texting and driving and crashed into the lake. He was pulled to safety by two nearby boaters. Van was booked into the Cherokee County Jail with bond set at $25,000.
HARRISON COUNTY — A Hallsville ISD parent is arrested Tuesday after she allegedly carried a gun on campus.According to our news partner KETK, 43-year-old Lorraine Haas, of Longview, has been charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place. She was at the junior high school campus when she apparently showed the gun to another person. Haas was disarmed and arrested by Hallsville ISD police. She was booked into the Harrison County Jail and later released on $10,000 bond. Haas is licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Texas. Citizens, including handgun license holders, are prohibited from carrying firearms on the physical premises of a school building.
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County officials said a skull found near Interstate 20 will need more testing. According to our news partner KETK and the sheriff’s office, DNA test results show the person was a black man, believed to be about 40 or 50 years of age. Officials will enter their information on a government database for missing persons, which may help their search efforts. Currently, there are no open missing person cases in Smith County. On November 11, 2017, authorities received a 911 call reporting the discovery of a human skull near the 600 block of Interstate 20. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — According to TXDOT, FM 2087 in Kilgore has been closed due to an accident. Traffic is being rerouted to FM 2276 for what officials expect to be most of the day. Drivers are urged to use an alternate route. Details of the accident were not released.
KILGORE — Two East Texans will be back in court Monday in connection to the disappearance of a Kilgore woman. Allen Lamont Sutton, 28, and Laneshia Lashae Young, 22, both of Overton, were named in sealed indictments returned by the Rusk County Grand Jury. The two count indictments are for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (human corpse), felony 2, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence Felony 3. Sheryia Grant was 8 months pregnant when she disappeared August 20th, 2016. Grant’s body has not been found. However, evidence uncovered during the investigation indicates she was murdered shortly after she was reported missing. Investigators say additional forensic evidence is still being evaluated and processed as the investigation is continuing.
GREGG COUNTY — A burn ban has been issued for residents in Gregg County. The ban will be in effect until August 13, when the Commissioners Court meets, or if it’s rescinded. The ban prohibits outdoor burning of any kind (including trash in burn barrels) or the use of aerial fireworks. Officials enacted the burn ban because of extreme wildfire danger due to hot, dry conditions. In Texas, local governments are empowered to take action on the behalf of those they serve. When drought conditions exist, a burn ban can be put in place by a county judge or county commissioners court prohibiting or restricting outdoor burning for public safety.
RUSK COUNTY — A Kilgore man is in the Rusk County Jail on charges including aggravated assault. According to our news partner KETK, Isaiah Dominique Ross, 24, was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Violent Crime Task Force and the Gregg County Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit. Ross was arrested in Kilgore at a local motel for several outstanding warrants which included aggravated assault causing bodily injury from Rusk County; evading arrest or detention from Harrison County; escape while arrested and fail to identify as a fugitive from Corrigan Police Department. Ross is currently in Rusk County jail awaiting bond.
TYLER – Tyler police have released the name of a man found dead in a wooded area July 24. He’s been identified as Gregory Jock, 50, of Tyler. A citizen found his body in the woods behind the Valero Gas Station at East Front Street and SSE Loop 323. Investigators said foul-play was not suspected.
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Ofice is investigating a reported carjacking. It happened around 1:30 last Wednesday at the intersection of Highway 155 and Tollway 49. According to our news partner KETK, an elderly woman was stopped at a red light when she was hit from behind. After the victim got out of her vehicle to inspect the damage, one of the suspects from the other vehicle stole her 2017 red Toyota Camry. The elderly woman was left stranded in the heat. She was taken to a local hospital and released July 30. Sgt. Darrel Coslin says this case will be considered a robbery and the two suspects have not been arrested. The manner of the carjacking is also considered to be a rare event, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Authorities are looking for two females suspects described as 5’5″, slender with dark hair and glasses.
GREGG COUNTY — Additional details have been released in the death of a Longview woman. Felisha Pearson was reported missing by her mother on July 20. Her body was found in the woods off West Birdsong Street July 24. That same day, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office announced they were looking for Joseph Wayne Burnette, 41, who had failed to register as a sex offender. According to our news partner KETK, Burnette had been convicted of indecent exposure. He was arrested July 25 in Upshur County, and was eventually transferred to the Gregg County Jail. His bond was set at $500,000. The warrant states Pearson was living in a local hotel with Burnette before her disappearance. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — Longview police arrested a 29-year-old man Thursday on suspicion of driving over another man following a fight. According to the Longview News=Journal and our news partner KETK, Jeremy Gardner, of Longview, was being held on a $75,000 bond Friday in the Gregg County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The arrest occurred after police responded at 4:00 p.m. to a report of a fight in the 2300 block of Gilmer Road. The victim and several witnesses told police Gardner got into his truck, turned and accelerated toward the victim and struck him, injuring the man. An off-duty officer who followed the suspect said he saw Gardner run over the victim, the report said.
LONGVIEW — DPS Troopers make two arrests after a high speed chase in Longview Sunday morning. Just after 1:15, a Trooper attempted to stop a vehicle for a speed violation on Judson Road. The vehicle began traveling at a high rate of speed before pulling into a vacant parking lot on Fredonia Street. The three occupants jumped out of the vehicle and ran. A female juvenile was apprehended, and as the trooper was placing her in his vehicle, one of the other subjects return to the abandoned vehicle and fled northbound on Fredonia Street. The vehicle eventually crashed and caught fire. The suspect, identified as Adam Paul Foster Jr., 17, of Marshall, was pulled to safety by a trooper. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A 2-year-old was killed in a wreck that left three others injured. It happened just after 1:00 Thursday morning on I-20 in Gregg County. According to the DPS report, a truck, driven by Michael Paul Templin, 28, of Longview, was headed east on I-20 when when he drifted into a car parked on the side of the interstate. The impact forced the car into the concrete barrier. The driver of the parked car, Willie Mack Cooper, 29, and a passenger Beatrice Avila, 25, both of Ft. Bliss, were treated at a local hospital and released. Two children, ages 1 and 2, were airlifted to a Shreveport medical center, where the 2-year-old later died. The 1-year-old remains in the hospital. Templin was not injured in the crash. They were all wearing seatbelts.
SMITH COUNTY — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will decide if the Texas “revenge porn” law can be enforced. The court agreed to hear the case of Jordan Bartlett Jones. He was accused of using social media to post a naked photo of an ex-girlfriend. A state appeals court in Tyler struck down the revenge porn law three months ago, saying it violated First Amendment protections. The State of Texas has appealed the 2015 statute which says photos and videos cannot be posted without permission, even if the visuals were recorded consensually.
TYLER (AP) – Police have arrested a man accused of opening fire at an East Texas house in gunfire that left his former girlfriend wounded and her new boyfriend and her teenage son dead. Gregg County jail records show Tony Waters, 55, of Kilgore was being held Wednesday on a capital murder charge, with bond set at $1 million. Tyler police say Waters was arrested Tuesday in Longview, a day after the deadly shootings. Officer Don Martin says the gunfire killed Charlie Verdell, 51, and Daquan Munson, 17. Martin says Munson’s mother remained hospitalized Wednesday. Her condition wasn’t immediately released. Martin says the mother and son recently moved into the house and that Verdell had been dating the woman.