Today is
Monday June 08, 2026
OVERTON — Overton police responded to the site of an early Tuesday morning crash involving a train and a pedestrian. According to our news partner KETK, Chief Bryan Pool released a brief statement on the department’s Facebook page saying the crash was north of town and happened sometime before 5 a.m. They are being assisted by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. Pool said in an update at 1:15 p.m. that the victim was a 17-year-old boy. He did not release a name but said the teen was a local. All crossings have remained blocked with the exception of Front Street at Highway 135 on the south side of town. There was no official word on how long the crossings would be blocked, and police have asked drivers to use caution.
PALESTINE — Robert Roberson has been on death row for almost 20 years since he was convicted of murdering his daughter in 2003. According to our news partner KETK, he was set to be put to death in 2016 but was saved a few days before by a stay of execution. During his time on death row Roberson has maintained his innocence. Nikki Curtis was 2-years-old when she died after being taken to a hospital. Doctors had suspicions of child abuse saying she passed away from “shaken baby syndrome.” Roberson has presented new evidence showing his daughter was sickly, and saying at the time of her death she had undiagnosed pneumonia. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s office is investigating a fatal shooting that left two men dead near Highway 79. According to our news partner KETK, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office received a call just before 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning from the Rusk County Sheriff’s office saying that two injured men had been found on the side of Highway 79 at the Cherokee-Rusk County line. Deputies found two African-American males dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Cherokee County Criminal Investigation Division, Special Investigations Unit and the Texas Rangers were called in to investigate. Identities have not been released pending family notification. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — The Hendeson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of an 8-year-old. Deputies were called around 6:20 Saturday night regarding a child shot in the head on CR 2911. According to Sheriff Botie Hilhouse, the child was on the back porch when a stray bullet from a wooded area struck the child. Investigators immediately began searching the area and speaking with neighbors. There were three juveniles at the residence alone when the shooting happened. The child passed away at Children’s Hospital in Dallas. An autopsy will be conducted by Southwestern Institute on Forensic Science in Dallas. A search warrant for the property was issued. Investigators are continuing to work the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Marshall Police Department arrested three suspects and seized multiple narcotics and firearms while executing a search warrant Friday night. According to our news partner KETK, the Joint Harrison County Violent Crimes & Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant in the 1000 block of Yaney Street in Marshall Friday evening following an ongoing investigation from the force. At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Friday, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team (HCSO ERT) and the Marshall Police Department Special Response Team (MPD SRT), along with members of the Task Force, arrived at the scene and detained multiple people from two different buildings on the property. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man pleaded guilty to an election fraud charge in Gregg County on Thursday. In Gregg County’s 124th District Court, Charlie Burns, Jr. pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of engaging in election fraud, which ultimately granted him probation. According to our news partner KETK, Burns was granted one year of probation as part of a plea bargain agreement and if he breaks this probation, he will have to go to jail. Burns is one of the four people in Gregg County that were charged with election fraud during the 2018 Democratic primary election. Last week, Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown and his wife Marlena Jackson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor election fraud charges. They have been granted one year of probation as well.
TYLER — The intersection of Broadway and Grande in Tyler is now clear following a traffic accident that reduced Broadway traffic to one lane. Police directed traffic in the roadway while the issue was resolved.
WHITEHOUSE — The Whitehouse Police Department has made a “safe exchange†spot for purchases made on online platforms and to conduct child custody exchanges. According to our news partner KETK, the Whitehouse Police Department said that with the growth of items being sold on online platforms, criminals have begun to take advantage of this. The safe spot is a location that has 24-hour recorded video surveillance from several angles. It allows people from anywhere, not just Whitehouse, to have a safe spot to meet and exchange purchases of items online and child custody exchanges. Read the rest of this entry »
MONROE COUNTY, Florida — An East Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on Jan. 20, for the murder of a Gilmer woman in Florida. According to our news partner KETK, Billy Baker, 52, was charged and found guilty for the second-degree murder of his girlfriend. On Aug. 2, 2017, Baker pulled Candice Cooper’s body from the water on Smather’s Beach in Florida. He told police that he was swimming at a distance from Cooper when he noticed she was floating and unresponsive. The pair was in Florida on a vacation. An arrest warrant was served for Baker on Feb. 18, 2018. Baker pleaded not guilty on March 27, 2018 according to court documents.
TYLER — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is increasing the long-term parking rate and lost ticket fee. The Tyler City Council approved the increases during the Wednesday, Jan. 26 meeting. The long-term parking rate will go from $0.75 to $1 per hour with the maximum of $7 a day rate remaining unchanged. This slight increase in the long-term hourly rate is to help prolong the life of the equipment by removing coins from the operation and reducing the potential for equipment malfunction. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A trial date was set for a former Smith County elections administrator that is accused of tricking two employees into drinking colon cleanser in April of 2021. According to our news partner KETK, the trial date for Denise Hernandez is set for March 9, 2022. Hernandez was charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury for allegedly giving the employees colon cleanser and claiming it was a “Spark†energy drink, said the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Hernandez was the supervisor of two female victims that she allegedly gave colon cleanser to in a cup. The women said they were given a cup with a pink liquid by Hernandez, and the two women consumed the drink. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County agreed to pay a $500,000 settlement to the family of a man who died while in custody at the Smith County Jail. According to our news partner KETK, 32-year-old Teddy Parker was booked on a public intoxication charge on May 14, 2017. About half an hour after he was booked, he was carried out unconscious on a stretcher. He died two days later. The city of Tyler has since paid $300,000 to settle its portion of the lawsuit. Now, Smith County will pay $500,000 “for the purpose of terminating and preventing involvement in litigation based on the incident of May 14, 2017.†The settlements are not an admission of guilt. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — A man was arrested on Friday after the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant and reportedly found various illegal substances, as well as an illegally owned alligator. According to our news partner KETK, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, along with Texas Game Wardens, obtained the warrant for a home on Leach St. A follow-up investigation had been conducted based on a Crime Stoppers Tip alleging controlled substance distribution and the illegal possession of an alligator. 44-year-old Jason Best of Kilgore was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with four controlled substance felony offenses, landing him with a bond that totaled $118,500. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — Congressman Louie Gohmert has responded after it was learned he didn’t raise anywhere near the million bucks he said he would before entering the race for Attorney General. The Tyler Republican said in November he would challenge Ken Paxton for Attorney General if he raised a million dollars in 10 days. He even put out a video saying he reached that goal, but he didn’t. According to his campaign finance report, he raised just $27,000 by the deadline. This week, state candidates were required to file their campaign finance reports covering the last six months of 2021. Gohmert barely raised $1 million in total from July through December. In fact, it was a $100,000 donation on New Year’s Eve that put him over the million dollar mark. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A federal grand jury has returned a 33-count indictment charging a Tyler man for fraud schemes. Derek Robert Hamm, 38, was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, violations of the Stolen Valor Act, using a fraudulent military discharge certificate and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to our news partner KETK, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it illegal to fraudulently wear medals, embellish rank, or make false claims of military service to obtain money, employment, property, or some other tangible benefit. Read the rest of this entry »