Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TYLER — Just after 12:30 this morning, officers said they received a report of two people standing in the roadway at Front and Beckham. A short time later, it was reported that the two pedestrians had been struck by a vehicle. The victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle was not injured and not found at fault for the wreck.
SMITH COUNTY — Municipal elections took place around the area on Saturday. Tyler will soon have a new city council member — and will keep its mayor for another three years. Saturday’s election results show Mayor Martin Heines defeating challenger Joel Rando by winning about 89 per cent of the vote. In City Council District 2, Broderick McGee defeated Beverly Beavers-Brooks with some 54 per cent of the ballots cast. The current District 2 council member, Darryl Bowdre, will be stepping down due to term limits. Council Districts 4 and 6 were also up for election, but the races were uncontested. Here are the unofficial results: Registered Voters: 66602. Ballots Cast: 3547. Voter Turnout: 5.33%. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — An undercover police operation has led to the arrest of two women for prostitution in Longview. According to our news partner KETK, undercover officers coordinated a prostitution sting along East Marshall Avenue. During the Wednesday sting, officers came in contact with two females who agreed to perform sexual favors in return for money. Sandra Lee Berg, 49, of Oakdale, Louisiana, and Heather Christine McWilliams (pictured) 31, of Longview, have been charged with prostitution and were booked into the Gregg County Jail.
HENDERSON COUNTY — A raid at a Henderson County game room lands seven people in jail on various charges. According to the Henderson County Sheriff, the Double Down Game Room on County Road 2803, near Eustace, was raided around 7:00 Tuesday night. The Sheriff said 44 gambling machines and more than $9,000 in cash were seized. A total of 11 patrons were also cited for gambling. Two stolen vehicles were also found on the property. Read the rest of this entry »
FORT WORTH — Testimony is underway in the trial of one of two men accused of capital murder. Fort Worth police say the two men behind the January 2017 murder of a teenager were both students at Tyler Junior College. In fact, the man standing trial, Keoddrick Polk, 21, was literally on his way to class when he was arrested. Police say Polk was looking for the right room on the Tyler campus a week after the shooting when he asked two college officers for directions. They had been alerted and busted Polk on a capital murder charge. Breon Robinson, 17, and another man were shot on the southeast side of Fort Worth by two men who jumped in their car. The capital murder charge carries a prison term of life without parole.
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County and the City of Tyler are being sued in a dispute about ambulance service. Smith County Commissioners have hired an outside attorney to handle the case filed by Champion EMS, which is affiliated with the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System in Tyler. Champion brought the suit as a counterclaim after ETMC EMS, part of UT Health East Texas, sued Champion. That lawsuit claims Champion was infringing on a contract ETMC has with the City of Tyler, Smith County and the Smith County Emergency Management Service. ETMC has asked the court to order Champion to stop performing ambulance services in the region, while Champion contends ETMC conspired to form an illegal monopoly.
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man was jailed Monday after police said he admitted to choking a 5-year-old boy “by picking him up by his throat and placing him up against the wall.†According to KTBB’s news partner and the Longview News Journal, Colbe Jace Bisetti, 40, remained in jail Monday on $5,000 bond, charged with injury to a child with intent of serious bodily injury. He will not be able to post bond until he appears in the 124th District Court. Gladewater police arrested Bisetti on Monday morning after the children of an ex-girlfriend told a school counselor about incidents involving Bisetti from 2012. Bisetti admitted to choking the boy in another incident because “he was tired from working 30 hours and was frustrated.â€
HENDERSON COUNTY — A Henderson County Grand Jury has indicted a Larue man for capital murder in the death of an 11-month-old infant. According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, Mark Carson, 26, of Larue, is charged with causing the death of a person under 10 years old. He is being held in the Henderson County Jail on a bond of $2 million. Carson was arrested in January after an investigation into the death of the child. Henderson County deputies responded in October to a medical emergency call from a home in Larue. Law enforcement and medical personnel found the child unresponsive. The child was taken to a hospital in Athens, then to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, where he was pronounced dead. After an autopsy, the child’s death was ruled a homicide.
KILGORE – The train that had been blocking a Kilgore crossing has finally moved. The railroad crossing at Lantrip Street and Commerce Street had been blocked since Monday. Trains in the area ground to a halt because of a Union Pacific train derailment in Texarkana. That had to be cleaned up before other trains could start moving. The train in Kilgore started moving early Tuesday evening.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Officials are investigating a Sunday night residential fire in Henderson County. According to our news partner KETK, just after 9:00, Payne Springs Fire Rescue responded to a mobile home fire on Hickory Street. While en route, first responders were informed the mobile home was fully engulfed and an occupant was possibly still inside. A body was eventually located. The victim’s identity and the cause of the fire have not been released. The investigation is on going and is being led by the Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office.
ANGELINA COUNTY – A suspect wanted in a shooting at a night club near Lufkin has been arrested. It happened last Sunday at Annie Mae’s Night Club and left two people injured. According to the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Kevin Edward Jefferson, 45, of Corrigan, was arrested Thursday on three felony warrants. He was booked into jail on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in the investigation.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Six East Texans have been arrested following a drug sweep in Henderson County. According to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, several probable cause narcotics search warrants were issued Wednesday. Arrested on various charges were Jacoby Juarez (pictured), 27, Chandler, Rachel Hurst, 36, Tool, Ashley Kohlenberg, 38, Seven Points, Niki Allumbaugh, 32, Seven Points, Alexandria Hammack, 18, Seven Points, and Jason Byrne, 36, Kaufman. Juarez was arrested and booked into the Henderson County Jail for manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. Kohlenberg and Byrne were arrested on scene for charges of manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — Two women have been arrested in connection with an arson investigation. According to the Henderson County Fire Marshal, around 11:15 a.m on March 30, two structure fires were reported on County Road 2502, in the Payne Springs area. Six fire departments responded to find both structures up in flames. According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, the Fire Marshal was called to the scene due to the suspicious nature of the fires. The fires at two separate mobile homes were determined to be arson. On April 11, one of the suspects believed to be responsible for the fire was identified as Brenda Sue Ivey, 50 (pictured). Read the rest of this entry »
ANDERSON COUNTY — A 17-year-old Elkhart girl has been killed in a crash early Wednesday morning. According to the DPS report, Anastasia Doka Giron was headed south on County Road 130 around 12:30 when she missed a curve in the roadway. Her vehicle left the road and went airborne across Manson Creek. The vehicle then struck a dirt embankment. Giron was pronounced dead at the scene. The report stated that she was traveling at an unsafe speed when the wreck occurred.
WILLS POINT — An East Texas man is behind bars after leading police on a high-speed chase. According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, around 5:20 Tuesday evening, the Wills Point Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck believed to be stolen. The driver, Robert Bryan Quire, 39, initially pulled over, then drove off leading police on a miles long high speed chase. He eventually turned into the parking lot of Diamond L Vet Clinic, where he jumped out of the truck and began running. He was arrested a short time later. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A suspended Smith County constable has been released from prison and has entered a halfway house. According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, Henry Phillip Jackson, 66, was placed in a halfway house, which is overseen by the Houston Residential Reentry Management field office. On May 16, 2017, Jackson pleaded guilty to four counts of willful failure to file federal income tax returns and was sentenced to six months in federal prison in September. Jackson was also ordered to pay $157,489 in restitution. Jackson has served as an elected constable since 1999. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A wreck on Highway 271 in Smith County has been cleared after stalling traffic for a time. DPS troopers say an 18-wheeler and SUV collided at the Brookshire’s warehouse entrance around 7:30 this morning. One driver was seriously injured.
GREGG COUNTY — No criminal charges will be filed in a March standoff between a Kilgore man and SWAT agents, according to Gregg County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cpl. Joshua Tubb. The Longview News-Journal reports, Tubb said the investigation into the four-hour standoff at a Kilgore residence on March 26 is inactive and concluded that criminal charges would not be applicable. Officials said at the time the man was apprehended on a mental health warrant and was taken to a hospital for evaluation after firing multiple shots inside of his home. No one was injured in the incident.
EAST TEXAS — The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes touched down in Harrison County, Caddo Parish and Caddo and Bossier Parishes Friday evening. According to our news partner KETK, the first was an EF-0 tornado reported in Waskom at around 11:50 p.m. It touched down along FM 9 near FM 451 where it broke several large branches. It continued east-northeast just north of CR 1220. The tornado blew the roof off a small barn before it crossed into Caddo Parish. It was on the ground for a total of 14 minutes and traveled more than 10 miles. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — The Dallas Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Tania Robinson, 52, listed as a “critical missing person.” According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, on Friday around 4:00, Ms. Robinson left the hospital on Gaston Avenue possibly heading to Van. She’s said to be driving a white 2008 Ford Escape with Texas plate number: FLC-9643. Robinson is described as 4’11â€, 300 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. If you see Robinson or know of her whereabouts, please call 911 or contact the Dallas Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at (214) 671-4268.
EAST TEXAS — Severe storms with high wind and hail moved through the area Friday night and early Saturday morning leaving many residents and businesses in East Texas without power. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said there were 13 reports of trees and or power lines blocking roadways. The Gregg County Emergency Management Coordinator has been assessing the damaged areas Saturday. No injuries have been reported. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN — The father of an East Texas toddler who drowned in a motel pool has filed a lawsuit against the motel and its parent company. According to KTBB’s news partner, KETK and the Lufkin Daily News, Rondarius Smith, the father of 3-year-old Arianna Smith, is seeking $1,000,000 from Motel 6 Inc. and G6 Hospitality LLC after the child was found at the bottom of the motel pool on South Timberland Drive, Tuesday, March 20. Authorities say Rondarius had fallen asleep while watching television in a room with his daughter. Arianna wandered away from the room and was able to access the pool area due to a faulty lock on the gate. She was pronounced dead the next day at a Houston hospital. Rondarius’ lawsuit claims “the incident occurred because of a lack of security on the motel’s part.
EAST TEXAS — A former nurse charged with murder in a patient’s death at a Tyler hospital this past year also is a former nurse at Good Shepherd Medical Center, according to the Longview News-journal. William George Davis, 34, remained jailed Thursday in Smith County on $2 million bond, charged in the death of Christopher Greenaway, 47, and with causing at least two other patients to enter vegetative states at a Tyler hospital. Seven patients were reported as experiencing “profound and unexplainable incidents resembling stroke-like symptoms†after being visited by Davis, according to a warrant for his arrest issued this week. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER (AP) – The man police say was killed by a former nurse at a Tyler hospital was a pilot and a decorated veteran. Police have identified the victim as 47-year-old Christopher Greenaway, who died Aug. 6. According to his obituary, Greenaway was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and had worked as a pilot for medical transport. He served in the U.S. Army and had received several awards. Authorities have charged 34-year-old William George Davis with murder in Greenaway’s death when he was a patient at a Tyler hospital. Davis could face assault charges for injuring other patients. Tyler police spokeswoman Jenny Wells says there are “not any indications” that this could be a case of assisted suicide.
SMITH COUNTY — William George Davis, 34, was booked into the Smith County Jail Tuesday on a murder charge. His bond was set at $2 million. Davis is also being investigated by the Texas Board of Nursing. According to KTBB’s news partner, KETK, in an order of temporary suspension, the board alleges that on August 4, 2017, while a registered nurse at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital’s Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, Davis entered a patient’s room and performed an “unskilled and/or unnecessary and/or inappropriate intervention.” The suspension order states that the patient “deteriorated from their stable condition and a stroke code was issued.” The stroke “ultimately contributed to the patient’s demise” on Aug. 6. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — A wanted man has been arrested following a high-speed chase Monday night. According to the Henderson County Sheriff, Chance Pratt, 30, of Kemp, has been charged with evading arrest with a previous conviction, unlawful possession of a weapon and felony pardon and parole violation. The pursuit began around 8:30 after a deputy spotted a vehicle the suspect was known to drive in the Seven Points area. After reaching speeds of over 100 mph, Pratt eventually left the vehicle and began running toward homes in a neighborhood. He surrendered a short time later.
EAST TEXAS — A Longview woman found dead in Upshur County apparently knew the couple charged in her murder. According to the Longview News-Journal and our news partner KETK, Lindsey Jo McFadden, 29, of Longview and Carlton Lamar Grant, 37, of the Dallas area were charged with capital murder in the death of Rachel Rhoads, 24. McFadden and Rhoads were said to be friends who attended drug rehab classes together. McFadden told investigators that the three of them had left Rhoads’ apartment March 29 in Rhoads’ car. A short time later, she was choked with a zip tie. Her official cause of death was strangulation. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — A suspected Henderson County drug dealer is arrested. 47-year-old Jarrod Barton is charged with selling meth. He was arrested after officials served a search warrant at a mechanic shop in the Lake Palestine area. Along with the meth, deputies found a Harley Davidson motorcycle reported stolen in 2015 from the Texas Panhandle. Charges for possession of the stolen motorcycle are pending. Miranda Roberts, 35, was also arrested for an outstanding warrant out of Nueces County for possession of a dangerous drug.
OVERTON – Two persons have been injured fighting a fire at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in Overton. The fire, which was reported before 7:00 Friday morning, was in a maintenance building at the research center on Farm Road 3053. Overton, Arp, New London, Sabine and Jackson Heights departments all responded to the fire. Our news partner, KETK, reports a firefighter suffered a medical emergency while fighting the fire and another was injured when he fell. The Overton Fire Department says both should make a full recovery. No word on how the fire started.
KILGORE — In a followup to a story we brought you earlier this week, four young women at Kilgore College are getting a series of rabies shots after they picked up what they thought was a sick, baby bat crawling on the ground. It turned out to be a rabid, full grown brown bat. BJ Owen, Director of Special Services for the City of Kilgore said the teeth are so sharp and tiny that’s it’s possible to be bitten and not know. The women were told it would be in their best interest to get a series of rabies shots. Owen says there are estimates that indicate about half of the bat population is infected with rabies but don’t show symptoms and don’t get sick.