Today is
Sunday June 07, 2026
WOOD COUNTY — A Wood County Precinct 2 Constable was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday for “use of excessive force,†according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas. According to our news partner KETK, Kelly Jason Smith, 46, was indicted in Sherman, Texas for the deprivation of rights under color of law. The indictment stated that on July 25, Smith told his police dog to bite a suspect “who did not pose a threat that warranted use of the police dog.†The suspect suffered unnecessary bodily injury, said the U.S. Attorney’s office. Smith could be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison if convicted of this offense. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A construction worker has been hospitalized in Tyler after being struck by an alleged drunk driver on Highway 155, according to DPS and our news partner KETK. The construction worker was struck by a pickup truck Thursday morning, and is reported to have sustained serious injuries. Officials with DPS said the driver of the truck was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Additional details were not available.
LONGVIEW — Longview police say they have found a woman who had gone missing. According to our news partner KETK, Nhan Le-Do, 57, had last been seen on Wednesday. Her car was found near Bill Owens Parkway. Officials say she was found on Clendenen Lane and taken to the hospital.
TYLER — An 18-year-old was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a Smith County court on Nov. 2. According to our news partner KETK, Jaqualin Humphrey turned himself in to authorities in March after the Tyler Police Department announced the shooting and publicly named him as a suspect. The shooting took place in the area of North Ross Street and West Bow Street in Tyler on Saturday, March 12. Police responded to reports of gunshots in the area and at the same time, they also received a call about two 13-year-old girls who were each shot one time, according to authorities. Read the rest of this entry »
HUNTSVILLE (AP) – Texas has executed an inmate for killing his mother and burying her body in her backyard nearly 20 years ago. Tracy Beatty was given a lethal injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. His execution came after courts had rejected arguments from his lawyers that he had not been adequately tested for mental disabilities. Beatty was condemned for strangling his 62-year-old mother, Carolyn Click, in November 2003 after they had argued in her East Texas home. Authorities say Beatty buried his mother’s body beside her mobile home. The 61-year-old Beatty was the fourth inmate executed in Texas this year.
LONGVIEW — A fatal wreck on Wednesday morning shut down the westbound lanes in the 800 block of Loop 281 in Longview at Alpine Road, but that stretch has since reopened. According to our news partner KETK, officials at the scene said the crash was a single-vehicle accident where the car struck the Alpine bridge. Additional information was not immediately available.
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County voters voted in favor of Proposition A 53.73% to 46.27%, approving a bond that will fund a new courthouse and parking structure. According to our news partner KETK, the bond devotes $160 million for a brand new courthouse and $19 million for a parking garage. The projected tax impact is 3.67 cents, resulting in an increase on tax bills of $73.40 per year for a $200,000 home. New courthouse construction is set to start in 2024, according to information from Smith County. Standing in downtown Tyler for almost 70 years, the current Smith County Courthouse was built in 1955. It was built to have two trial courts but currently houses seven. Read the rest of this entry »
HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A Texas inmate whose lawyers say has a history of mental illness is scheduled to be executed for killing his mother and burying her body in her backyard nearly 20 years ago. Tracy Beatty of Whitehouse is set to receive a lethal injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. The 61-year-old Beatty was sentenced to death for strangling his mother, Carolyn Click, following an argument between the two in her East Texas home in November 2003. The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Wednesday morning to stop his execution. His attorneys argued he is being prevented from receiving a full examination to determine if he is intellectually disabled and possibly ineligible for execution.
WILLS POINT — A woman was killed in Wills Point after being hit by a train. According to our news partner KETK and Wills Point Police Chief Aaron Long, officials received a dispatch call on Sunday evening from the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office regarding a pedestrian/train crash near Ash Lane (Lybrand Crossing). Officers arrived to find a dead female and began conducting an investigation, speaking with multiple witnesses and train personnel. The woman was identified by witnesses and family as Emily Ross. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A new poll shows that the issues voters care most about favor Republicans. The University of Texas at Tyler poll surveyed about one-thousand registered voters. The top two issues are securing the border and the economy and inflation, which are issues Republicans are stressing. The majority of voters in the poll feel Governor Abbott will do a better job at securing the border over Democrat challenger Beto O’Rourke. Something Abbott has made a key issue of his 2022 midterm election campaign. O’Rourke has focused more on gun legislation and abortion rights. The poll shows Abbott with a six-point lead over O’Rourke. Election day is Tuesday, November 8.
LONGVIEW — An East Texas business suffered thousands of dollars in damages after an 18-wheeler hydroplaned and crashed into their food truck on Oct. 28. According to our news partner KETK, Heather Goettle, the owner of Crawfish Cove at 4934 Estes Parkway in Longview, said the crash knocked down their sign and sheared off their gas line. She believes the damages were worth more than $100,000. Goettle said she could have died if they had been working and had a fire inside the trailer because the gas line was broken off. But, no one was inside the business when the wreck happened. There is also a hole in the bottom of the trailer where it was separated. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court passed a resolution unanimously to designate the Smith County Emergency Operations Center after Judge Jack Skeen Jr. on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the building will now be known as the Jack M. Skeen Jr. Emergency Operations Center of Smith County. Smith County Judge-Elect Debbie Gunter and Judge Diane DeVasto came up with the idea to honor Skeen, who has served the county and city of Tyler for 50 years. Skeen graduated from Baylor Law School and was the Assistant District Attorney for Smith County, then he became the city attorney and a municipal court judge. In 1982, he was named as the Smith County District Attorney and served for six terms. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — On Monday, 4,028 Smith County residents early voted and 10 mail-in absentee ballots were received – for a total of 33,546 ballots. Smith County has 153,855 registered voters. Early voting continues this week. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today through Friday, November 4. Election Day is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 8. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The race to be the next governor of Texas appears to be tightening up, at least according to the latest poll out of the University of Texas at Tyler. Just a month ago, Governor Abbott held a 9-point lead, according to the UT Tyler September poll of registered voters. Now when polling likely voters, O’Rourke gains ground. Gov. Abbott now holds a 6-point lead 50-percent to 44. UT Tyler Political Science Professor Mark Owens says the top two issues for Texans are the border and the economy, which does favor Gov. Abbott. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has a 9-point lead over Democrat Mike Collier. Democrat Rochelle Garza is just 4 points back of Attorney General Ken Paxton.
TYLER — A pedestrian was killed Saturday morning after he was struck twice by two separate vehicles on State Highway 31, six miles east of Tyler, according to DPS and our news partner KETK. Officials said Haley C. O’Brien, 23, of Bullard, was driving her 2021 Toyota Prius west on State Highway 31 when she struck a pedestrian who DPS identified as James E. Young, 58, of Longview, who was walking in the westbound lane. After being hit by the Prius, the pedestrian was hit by a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze who officials said was driven by Justin M. Tracey, 28, of Flint. Young was declared dead at 7:50 a.m. by Dr. Louis Fernandez of UT Health Hospital in Tyler. The other two drivers were treated at the scene.