Animal cruelty gets Van Zandt County man six years in prison

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A Van Zandt County man was sentenced to six years in a state prison in September after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges to non-livestock animals. According to our news partner KETK, an SPCA reports said James Henry Eubanks was arrested on Jan. 19 after an investigation led to the removal of 10 “cruelly treated dogs” from a property near Wills Point.

The SPCA release also detailed, “At the time of this investigation, about 6 p.m., the temperature in the area was 15 degrees Fahrenheit. A total of 10 Pitbull-type dogs were confined to the property. Six of the dogs were separated out and confined to their own kennels and of those six dogs, three were deceased. The four remaining dogs were running loose on the property and were attempting to find a windbreak from the freezing wind. Investigators were not able to locate any food available to the dogs and all water sources on the property were frozen solid. Eubanks was identified as the caretaker of the dogs.”

Courtney Burns, SPCA of Texas chief investigator of the Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit concluded in the release, “Animal crimes are notoriously known to yield weak punishments, so getting a sentence of six years in prison is a tremendous win for the SPCA of Texas and Van Zandt County.”

An argument leads to fatal shooting in Tyler

TYLER – Tyler Police report that an argument early Friday afternoon quickly compounded into a shooting leaving one person dead. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to a shooting at 3800 SSW Loop 323, at Taqueria Juniors. TPD reports the shooting suspect has been a “repeat customer” at the restaurant and there have been disagreements prior to this shooting. Police said that there was an argument at the business that escalated into a physical altercation and ultimately ended in a the fatal shooting. One person has been detained and is being questioned by police.

Smith County burn ban update

SMITH COUNTY – Since issuing a burn ban on Tuesday, Smith County officials have given out four citations and several warnings for burning. As of Friday, October 11, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) for Smith County was at 719. The KBDI ranges from 0 to 800 and is used to determine forest fire potential. “The potential for fire to spread easily will remain until we receive significant rainfall,” Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said. For the next seven days, there is very little chance of rain and low humidity, increasing the fire danger even more. (more…)

Dry weather, hay out early

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that as the climate continues to dry in East Texas it is now causing some ranchers to put hay out early for their cattle. Normally, hay does not get put out until after the first frost but now that the grass is drying up, ranchers need to supplement. “I’m about two weeks away,” said Malcolm Williams, East Texas rancher. The clock is ticking for ranchers to start thinking about putting out hay for their cattle. (more…)

David Rancken’s App of the Day 10/11/24 – GrownBy!

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Smith County DA seeks death penalty in 2023 murder

TYLER – The Smith County District Attorney’s Office is reportedly seeking the death penalty in the trial of Jamaurea Britton, 20. Britton has been indicted for the 2023 murder of Dejah Hood.

18-year-old Dejah Hood was found dead in a ravine behind the Hollytree Apartments in September of 2023 after she was reported missing by her mother earlier that day. She was reportedly out with friends, including Britton, when she disappeared.

Britton was first interviewed by Tyler PD and reportedly said that Hood had been to his apartment and then left. An affidavit said an officer noticed blood near the entry of the apartment. Britton reportedly denied the blood was human.
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Bullard mother found dead with children in murder-suicide

BULLARD – The shooting death of two children and an adult woman was confirmed as a murder-suicide after a month and a week since it was reported as a triple homicide by the Bullard Police Department. According to our news partner KETK, police were dispatched on Sept. 1 to Guinn Street and found 25-year-old Tatyanna Smith and her two children Madilynn Evans, 4, and Maison Evans, 2, dead and a 10-month-old injured.

“After a comprehensive review of evidence, witness interviews, and forensic analysis, investigators have determined that no additional persons were involved, and the case is being reclassified as an isolated incident of a double murder/suicide,” the police department said.

Bullard PD said the child was released from the hospital and is with family.

“In conclusion, The Bullard Police Department is kindly asking the community to respect the privacy of the families during this difficult time,” Bullard PD said. “Your understanding and support are greatly appreciated.”

David Rancken’s App of the Day 10/10/24 – The NHL!

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Hallsville man arrested for child pornography

MARSHALL – The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Hallsville man after a search revealed that he was in possession of child pornography. According to our news partner KETK, arrested was 43-year-old Keven Barnett. HCSO detectives received information from the Terrell Police Department about a tip from the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforce that warned of juvenile exploitation in Harrison County. The ICAC and sheriff’s office reviewed the tip and identified Barnett, as being in possession of “multiple videos containing child pornography.” A warrant was issued for Barnett Monday. He was arrested and booked into the Harrison County Jail. Barnett was charged with possession of child pornography and aggravated sexual assault of a child with a bond set at $350,000.

East Texas burn ban list updated

TYLER – With hot weather and lack of rain, a fire hazard can be created easily. More counties in East Texas have issued burn bans. You can see the list provided from our news partner KETK with this link.

East Texas animal control officer shoots his own dog

WILLS POINT – A Wills Point animal control officer was arrested on Thursday after admitting to a Van Zandt County deputy of shooting his own dog. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Goggans, with Wills Point Animal Control, was taken into custody and charged with cruelty and torture to a non-livestock animal.

Van Zandt County deputies reportedly told Goggans that he needed to keep his dog confined after separate calls of his dog running loose were reported on June 12 and June 13. A deputy warned Goggans that if the dog was not properly confined, a citation would be issued.

In a release from the the SPCA, “Goggans responded to the deputy’s warning by informing him of his intent to kill the dog. He contacted the deputy again to inform him that he had killed it and that the dog was in the front yard of his residence.”
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The City of Chandler gets Purple Heart designation

CHANDLER – With Veterans Day coming in November, the City of Chandler was honored with the Purple Heart City designation. According to our news partner KETK, this is given to communities that honor and recognize sacrifices of military personnel who were wounded or killed in combat.

Mayor Cy Ditzler said there are many Chandler residents that are Purple Heart recipients. The city council will declare Nov. 11 as Purple Heart Day.

“Each city that is designated, they put a sign on either end of town that declares them as a Purple Heart City,” Ditzler said. “So that you recognize veterans that were injured or gave their lives in combat.”

The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration still in use.

Tyler Parks and Rec to host Fall Family Fun Festival 

TYLER – The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department will host it’s annual Fall Family Fun Festival on Thursday, Oct. 24. The festival will be held at the Glass Recreation Center from 4 to 7 p.m.  A release from the city explains, admission is free. Activities for the day will include face painting, games, a costume contest and food trucks will be on hand.

For more information on the Fall Family Fun Festival, visit the Tyler Parks and Recreation website, their Facebook page or call the Glass Recreation Center at (903) 595-7271. 

David Rancken’s App of the Day 10/09/24 – Arc Search!

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Longview FD members travel to help ahead of Hurricane Milton

LONGVIEW – Ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, several Longview Fire Department members are traveling to assist. According to our news partner KETK, the fire department said six of their water rescue team members were activated on Monday to travel to Alabama and assist the Texas Task Force. Officials added that two others from the LFD are on stand-by for the Emergency Medical Task Force.

According to the Associated Press, Milton, a current category four hurricane, is on the path to directly hit Tampa Bay and is expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.

“Please keep these members in your thoughts and prayers for a safe deployment as well as the citizens in the affected area,” Longview FD said.

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