Today is
Saturday June 20, 2026
TYLER – One person is held after a traffic stop led to a chase in Tyler Friday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler police say an officer was doing a routine traffic stop on a truck at 11:20 a.m. Dispatch ran the plates as usual when the vehicle came up as stolen, and a chase ensued. The chase went from Highway 31 West onto Patton Lane, then west onto Highway 64. DPS, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and constables came out to assist. The occupant pulled over at the airport and was arrested, police said. He was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.
LONGVIEW — Longview police are seeking leads following a fatal crash involving a Longview Fire Department fire engine. Police say around 6:35 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to Alpine Rd. near E. Ann Drive. The initial investigation revealed that the fire engine was traveling west on Alpine and failed to yield right of way turning onto E. Ann in front of a motorcycle which was traveling east on Alpine. Officials say the motorcyclist unsuccessfully laid his motorcycle on the ground to avoid collision with the fire engine. They say fire personnel on scene immediately began providing first aid to the motorcyclist, who was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The motorcyclist has been identified as James Ray Neuville, 60, of Hallsville. Read the rest of this entry »
SAN ANTONIO – A federal judge denied a motion Wednesday that asked the court to reconsider bond for a Palestine man indicted in the San Antonio smuggling incident that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants. Christian Martinez, 28, was indicted in July on four counts relating to the incident — and after a detention hearing it was ordered that Martinez would be detained pending trial. According to our news partner KETK, the court ruled that “no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the the community.†That decision was upheld Wednesday after Martinez’s attorney asked the court to reconsider. But the judge says the decision is “subject to reconsideration†should additional information be presented on the issue that would reasonably assure his appearance in court and the safety of the community.
GILMER – A temporary order signed by a judge suspended Upshur County District Clerk Karen Bunn on Thursday, effectively removing her from office. According to our news partner KETK, Nicole Hernandez, who won a March primary election for the position, is now acting as district clerk. Bunn has been placed on suspension pending litigation, according to officials. The decision comes after a petition was submitted by a group of attorneys to remove Bunn from office claiming she had “neglected her duties as district clerk.†After taking office on Jan. 1, 2019, Bunn tripped in the office two months later after she said her heel got caught on the carpet. Bunn said her doctors had not released her to go back to work. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful are sponsoring a free bulky item collection for City of Tyler residential customers (excluding multi-family home communities and businesses) from Monday, Oct. 17, through Friday, Oct. 21. Those participating in the campaign should place bulky items on the curb by 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, and no sooner than 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14. After crews have collected on your street, officials ask that you not place more bulky items on the curb. These items will be charged a special pickup fee. Click this link and scroll the budget and tax rate items for more information.
ATHENS – A Henderson County grand jury has indicted three men charged with the murder of Jimmy Dean Oldfield in May. According to our news partner KETK, officials say Oldfield was reported missing to the sheriff’s office on May 15. Authorities said they received information, including a location of the missing person’s truck and body, on May 26. Investigators were able to corroborate the information they received by finding the missing person’s truck at a residence off Highway 85, just outside Seven Points. According to a May press release, the missing person’s truck was “cut into several pieces.†Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – East Texas congressional candidate Jrmar Jefferson said he was threatened while he was pumping gas at Sam’s Club in Longview on Wednesday. Jefferson is a Democratic candidate in the race for U.S. House Texas District 1 against Republican Nathaniel Moran. According to our news partner KETK, Jefferson said a white man around 70 years old threatened him. “He says he ought to hose me down with the gas pump making (a) gesture and set me on fire,†said Jefferson. He said he froze for a second and didn’t want to reach inside his car in case the man had a gun. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY – A lane closure is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 7, on I-20 westbound in Gregg County, as crews begin sweeping operations, weather permitting. It’s due to start near mile marker 595 (near Estes Parkway), and it’s planned for one lane only from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. Traffic will still be able to pass, but delays should be expected. Motorists are reminded to slow down and follow the posted work zone speed limit and adjust your driving to match conditions. Also, pay attention and watch out for road crews. Another lane closure for I-20 in Gregg County had been scheduled this Thursday but has now been canceled due to inclement weather in the forecast. It was to have started near mile marker 593 (southwest of Longview). Officials say they’ll keep us posted on re-scheduling.
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Police Department chief has been placed on administrative leave, officials confirmed on Wednesday. That’s according to our news partner KETK. According to a statement from the local government, “The City of Jacksonville administration office received an anonymous allegation against the Chief of Police, Joe Williams. Upon communicating this allegation to Chief Williams, he graciously requested to be placed on paid administrative leave until the conclusion of the investigation within 2-3 weeks in order to allow all voices to be heard without reservation. The City believes that people are the priority. As such we have procured an outside party to investigate the allegation.” Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — Longview ISD trustees unanimously adopted a lower property tax rate and new district budget for the 2022-23 year during a special meeting Wednesday. That’s according to information provided by the school district. Dr. Wayne Guidry, LISD assistant superintendent of finance, said the district is projecting a balanced general operating budget of $94,214,401, a debt service of $27,210,019, and a food service budget of $5,090,196. That total brings the official budget to $126,514,616. The total tax rate is $1.3276 per $100 valuation, a marked decrease from the 2021-22 tax rate of $1.41470. This marks the fourth straight year the property tax rate has been reduced. Click here for more details.
TYLER – In a letter sent Tuesday to parents, Tyler ISD officials said a student was found to have a weapon in their backpack at Tyler High. In a prepared statement, school district spokesperson Jennifer Hines says, “An investigation is currently ongoing. The student was taken into custody and is currently at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. The student will face punishment in line with the school district’s student code of conduct, and the student could face charges brought by the Tyler ISD Police Department. As parents of our school community, we want to assure you that none of our students were put in harm’s way as the weapon was not displayed or used offensively.†Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – DPS reports one person has died and two were injured after an ambulance was involved in a two-car crash on a rainslick Toll 49 at FM 16. A preliminary investigation indicates the ambulance was northbound on Toll 49 around noon Tuesday when a southbound car lost control, crossing over into the northbound lane and striking the ambulance. The car driver, 51-year-old Laina Wanttie of Mineola, was killed. The driver and passenger in the ambulance sustained what were termed non-life-threatening injuries. According to our news partner KETK, officials with UT Health East Texas have confirmed that it was one of their ambulances involved in the crash.
LONGVIEW — A new restroom at the Fourth Street trailhead for Longview’s Cargill Long Trail will be delivered the morning of Friday, Sept. 2. The parking lot will be closed Thursday night and remain closed throughout Friday.
TYLER – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) awarded the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education (SW Ag Center) a five-year grant to conduct research and outreach to improve the safety and health of agricultural, commercial fishing, and forestry workers (AgFF). According to a news release, this will be the sixth consecutive five-year award from NIOSH for the SW Ag Center. Over the next five years, researchers will investigate the role of organic dust in lung inflammation and characterize worker health status on western U.S. dairy farms. An intervention project will address health disparities among commercial fishermen, and a surveillance project will integrate motor vehicle crash and injury data in AgFF sectors. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler is proposing $9,206,000 in drainage improvements in fiscal year 2023. Six projects are proposed to be funded through the FY 2023 budget. These projects total $926,000, according to information from the city. They include work at Indian Creek and Loop 323, Willow Creek on North Parkdale Drive and Loop 323, storm drain improvements on South Bois D’Arc Avenue and Park Heights Circle, and inlet boxes on South Glenwood Boulevard and Grove Street. Additionally, the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Half-Cent Sales Tax Program Annual Work Plan includes funding in the amount of $8,280,000 for four projects. They include repairs and improvements to the drainage system, stabilizing an area of West Mud Creek near the 1500 block of Rice Road, and work on West Mud Creek at Keaton Avenue, and from De Charles Street to Wynnwood Drive. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler police report a person has died after his leg was severed in a Monday accident involving a train. According to our news partner KETK, emergency crews responded to the intersection of Bonner Avenue and Locust Street, near the overpass, shortly after 9 a.m. Officials reported that the pedestrian was lying on the track when struck. One leg was severed but the pedestrian was still alive when emergency crews arrived. He died after being transported to a local hospital. According to Tyler police, the original call came in from railroad dispatch and a second call came from a train operator. Police say the case is still under investigation.
TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance will be clearing trees from the right-of-way on FM 1845 and FM 3053. Crews will also be cutting high edges on FM 2207, from FM 1252 to SH 135 N. Expect flaggers controlling traffic. In Smith County, Tyler Maintenance will be performing ditch maintenance in various locations throughout the county. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. A sweeper and herbicide unit will also be in various locations throughout the county. Click this link for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.
TYLER – Justin Pierce, 29 of Tyler, has been indicted for intoxication manslaughter and accident involving death for the hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of 18-year-old Marissa July-McCuin of Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, DPS reports from the April 24 incident said Pierce was driving down Highway 64 roughly two miles west of Tyler just after 1:30 a.m. McCuin was trying to cross the road in the outside lane when she was allegedly hit by Pierce’s 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. McCuin was taken to a Tyler hospital, where she died from her injuries. Pierce fled the scene but was later apprehended. Pierce had been arrested and released on April 19, 2021, charged with public intoxication and assaulting a public servant. He remains in the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 surety bond.
TYLER — Contractors will be doing seal coat work on Briarwood Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tyler, weather permitting. Work is planned on Briarwood Road from Loop 323 to Cascades Boulevard Saturday from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. Crews expect to get busy on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from North Broadway Avenue to West Gentry Parkway Monday, Aug. 29, through Friday, Sept. 2, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists are asked to use caution in the area, follow directions of the crews, and obey all traffic signs. Drivers can expect road closures and lane closures.
TYLER – Officials have identified a pedestrian who died following a Tyler crash Friday on South Broadway Avenue and South Town Drive. According to our news partner KETK, Cristian Vavich, 35, of Tyler, was walking across Broadway from the area of Whataburger when a Toyota truck swerved in an attempt to miss him “but was unable to,†according to police. The crash was initially called in around 5:45 a.m., and officials said Vavich was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the case remains under investigation.
LONGVIEW – Pigs tore through fields at Lear Park in Longview recently, and they caused plenty of damage. “We’re pretty sure they were in hog heaven,†Longview Parks & Recreation posted to Facebook. According to our news partner KETK, Parks & Rec will have to shut down Fields 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9 for “a few weeks†until the start of Greater Longview Soccer Association games in order to get them ready for play. Meanwhile on Facebook, Longview Parks & Rec and the City of Longview are going back and forth on the post delivering pig puns. “This post will age like fine swine,†commented the City of Longview’s Facebook page. “We never sausage a good comment,†Longview Parks & Recreation page replied.
TYLER — Several Smith County road projects were recently completed using bond funding. About 2.6 miles of County Road 178 (Old Palestine Road), outside of Flint, was widened, cement treated and asphalt overlaid. Texana Land & Asphalt was the contractor. A photo of CR 178 after construction can be seen at left. Officials say several residential streets just west of the city of Tyler were also improved using bond funding. Work to County Roads 1162 (Indian Drive and Choctaw Drive), 1188, and 1241 (Larry Lane and Ronald Road) was recently completed and included about two miles of roads. The contractor was True Roads Construction, LLC. Both projects came in under budget, according to a news release.
TYLER – The former mayor of Athens has pleaded guilty to federal child obscenity violations. James Monte Montgomery, 64, pleaded guilty Thursday in Tyler to sending obscene materials to a minor. According to public information, on June 3, 2021, Montgomery was arrested after arriving at an undisclosed location after soliciting sex online with investigators posing as minors. In June of 2020, Montgomery, then the mayor of Athens, began communicating by text messaging with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old female. Montgomery sent messages to the child describing sexually explicit acts that he wanted to perform on the child and offering to pay the child if she would meet him and have sex with him, according to authorities. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Teresa Fletcher, 22, of Tyler, was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday for her part in the kidnapping and trafficking of two girls in February. According to our news partner KETK, a February 17 warrant said a Smith County sheriff’s deputy responded to a missing person report at the home on CR 420. The mother of one of the girls reportedly told deputies she had not seen her daughter since February 13. The mother told investigators she believed her daughter had been sex trafficked, according to the affidavit. Officials stated the victim’s boyfriend said she sent him her location via Facebook messenger on February 15 and he alerted the Tyler PD. The location was the home of Teresa Fletcher, documents show. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) has completed a series of enhancements to Toll 49 with drivers likely noticing a smoother, quieter ride along with the latest in highway surface technology for skid resistance. That’s according to a Thursday news release from NET RMA. A new surface was installed between U.S Highway 69 and State Highway 155. The project is the first major resurfacing on this section of Toll 49 since it was constructed, according to the release. “NET RMA is proud of these Toll 49 enhancements,†says Glenn Green, NET RMA Executive Director, as quoted in the release. “The material we utilized is the most advanced, performance graded asphalt that will not only add strength, but it also provides a smooth, quiet roadway for our customers. This is a new, highly skid resistant surface that will last for years.†Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – The University of Texas Board of Regents Thursday approved an allocation of $100 million in Permanent University Fund bond proceeds over the next 10 years that will help fund capital expenses associated with the start-up of the Tyler School of Medicine at the University of Texas at Tyler. Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife told KTBB, “It’s an ongoing commitment made by the Board of Regents to this community and to our new medical school, and I really appreciate my fellow regents joining me in supporting this.” Eltife added that he’s really looking forward to welcoming the school’s first class next year — and to a full-fledged medical school building, which he hopes to see completed by 2025. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — 51-year-old Buford Dixon has been sentenced in Tyler to life without parole for continuous sexual abuse of a child. According to a news release from the Smith County District Attorney’s office, a jury convicted Dixon in July after prosecutors proved that he sexually assaulted his own biological daughter over the course of two years and another child who had resided with Dixon. At sentencing, the court heard testimony from the lead detective on the case, testimony about Dixon’s prior criminal history, and an additional abuse victim who had not previously testified, according to officials.
TYLER — The City of Tyler is presenting the extension of the Legacy Trail Project to be paid for by the proposed Half-Cent Sales Tax Fund for fiscal year 2023. Phase II of the project will add a total of 2.2 miles of trail, which includes 1.7 miles of shared-use path and half a mile of sidewalks from Peete Elementary connecting with Stewart Park along the roadway rights-of-way and through W.E. Winters Park. Currently, the city is working with a consultant to survey the area and create design plans. This part of the project is estimated to cost $354,000 and be completed by February 2023. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2023. Read the rest of this entry »
JACKSONVILLE – A Jacksonville woman was arrested on Monday for failing to register as a sex offender for the second time. According to our news partner KETK, officials said Jennifer Gail Stevens, 38, was arrested at a residence on Jacksonville Square Drive. Failure to comply with sex offender duty to register is a third degree felony. Stevens was previously arrested in February for non-compliance with The Texas Sex Offender Registry Duty to Register.
TYLER – A Tyler man pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution after being accused of kidnapping two girls to sex-traffic them in Louisiana, according to Smith County judicial records. According to our news partner KETK, Aaron Devonte Wallace, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Teresa Swan Fletcher, 23, was also indicted for aggravated promotion of prostitution in connection to the case. Her plea docket agreement is scheduled for Sept. 20.