Today is
Monday June 08, 2026
EMORY – 
The Rains County Sheriff’s Office said a sergeant has been placed on administrative leave after a “use of force incident†happened at the Rains County Jail on Sept. 4 according to our news partners at KETK. The “incident†reportedly involved a Rains County Jail inmate and is currently under investigation by the Texas Rangers. Rains County Sheriff Michael Hopkins said the sheriff’s office will do an internal compliance investigation of the case after the Texas Rangers complete their investigation. The sergeant involved has been put on administrative leave while the investigations are underway as per policy. The sheriff’s office said that no other information will be released until the investigations are complete.
TITUS COUNTY – 
Our news partners at KETK report that a 62-year-old man accused of intentionally starting a fire that completely destroyed a mobile home Wednesday evening is now behind bars, the Titus County Sheriff’s Office said. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies and investigators responded to a “suspicious†mobile home fire on the 100 block of County Road 1363. The single-wide mobile home was destroyed from the flames, authorities said. Officials said they had “good reason to believe†Landel Cathcart, 62 of Titus County, intentionally started the fire that engulfed another person’s home. Cathcart was arrested at the scene and taken to the Titus County Jail, the sheriff’s office said. As of Thursday morning he awaits arraignment for the arson with intent to destroy a habitation charge.
Update: The gas leak near Ricks Circle area and surrounding neighborhood, has been cleared Thursday evening and the area is now safe to return to normal activities. This is according to the City of Gladewater Facebook page.
GLADEWATER – Officials in Gladewater are advising residents to use caution in a part of town due to a gas leak. According to our news partner KETK, Gladewater Police said the leak is near Ricks Circle off Highway 271 in north Gladewater. People in the area are asked residents in the area to immediately extinguish burners and other flames. Anyone not in the area is asked to stay away, as roads may be blocked, barricaded or closed.
The Gladewater Police Department will furnish updates here.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department reports one man is dead following a fight between family members . According to our news partner KETK, LPD was called Wednesday afternoon to 700 Ethel Street, near La Quinta Inn. Officers found a man at the scene had been shot. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died. An investigation revealed the shooting happened when an argument with family members rapidly increased to the shooting incident. The other family member allegedly involved in the shooting, remained on the on scene and is cooperating with law enforcement.
BROWNSBORO – 
An elementary school teacher was arrested for injuring a child on a Brownsboro ISD campus earlier this month. According to our news partner KETK, 39-year-old Kyle Lee Rocha was arrested for injury to a child and booked into the Henderson County Jail on a $25,000 bond on Sept. 20, which he posted the same day. According to his probable cause affidavit, Rocha was in the Chandler Elementary School Behavioral Classroom on Sept. 13. The document describes footage from the classroom that showed Rocha picking up paperwork from the floor and placing the papers on the student’s desk, instructing the student to keep the pages on his desk. The student was reportedly seen throwing the paperwork into a clothes basket on his desk and tilting his desk several times as Rocha stands in front of him. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – 
Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) and HDR Engineering, Inc. have completed phase one of the study on Lake Palestine water’s taste and odor quality and are starting phase two. The City Council approved the $1.75 million contract for the final phase on Wednesday, Sept. 25. TWU provides water to the City of Tyler through two water treatment plants, the Golden Road Water Treatment Plant and the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant. The Lake Palestine plant sources its water from Lake Palestine, which has inherently high levels of geosmin due to the age of the lake and the amount of natural organic matter, which contributes to the production of geosmin. The water is safe to drink and continues to meet or exceed all Federal and State water quality standards. Read the rest of this entry »
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GILMER – 
Our news partners at KETK report a 13-year-old is facing a terroristic threat charge in connection to a social media threat targeting Gilmer ISD, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said. According to the department, on Tuesday night deputies and Gilmer police officers responded to a threat made to Gilmer ISD on social media. Shortly after letting the community know about the investigation, Gilmer ISD Superintendent Rickey Albritton said the author of the post had been identified and detained. The sheriff’s office said the teenager admitted to authoring the threat and was taken to a Harrison County juvenile facility where he faces a terroristic threat charge. Albritton said the district will continue with a strong security presence as a precautionary measure. “Thank you for your continued trust and partnership in maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students,†Albritton said.
TYLER – Hiland Dairy Foods Co. announced the 90,000 square-foot expansion of their facility in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the company said, the expansion of Hiland’s Tyler location will include “state-of-the-art processing, filling casing, palletizing, load-out, storage areas and a new laboratory.â€
Hiland Dairy President Rick Beaman said, “This expansion is more than just growth in our physical footprint; it’s a commitment to the future of Tyler, We deeply appreciate the support we’ve received from the city, and we’re excited to continue providing good-paying, stable jobs for this community for years to come.â€
Hiland said that the expansion is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.
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TYLER – 
The Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, September 24, voted to approve allocating $4 million in ARPA funding to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler to help pay for a behavioral health hospital. The court approved a beneficiary agreement, which will allow the UT Health Science Center to renovate the former behavioral health center, located at 4101 University Blvd., and reopen it as a licensed behavioral health hospital with new impatient beds. The facility will expand the opportunities for inpatient and outpatient programs for mental health crisis care for Smith County patients. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – On Monday, the United States Department of Education announced 356 schools nationwide as Blue Ribbon Schools. According to our news partner KETK, four of these schools were from East Texas. In a release from the department, National Blue Ribbon Schools are schools that “excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups.â€
Of the 356 nationally recognized schools, the following East Texas schools were awarded:
Caldwell Arts Academy in Tyler for exemplary achievement gap closing
Gus Winston Cain Elementary School in Whitehouse for exemplary high performance
Hudson Elementary School in Longview for exemplary high performance
Neches High School in Palestine for exemplary achievement gap closing
All of the schools were awarded a National Blue Ribbon School flag as a “recognized emblem of exceptional teaching and learning.â€
SULPHUR SPRINGS – The Sulphur Springs ISD is asking the community to help them with efforts end social media threats. According to our news partner KETK, another student in Sulphur Springs was arrested Saturday night for making an online threat to the school.
In a release from the superintendents office, federal law enforcement contacted the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday in regards to a social media threat. Sulpur Springs ISD said a 14-year-old middle school girl was taken to a juvenile facility. The student is now facing felony charges for making a terroristic threat.
The district went on to say that type of behavior will not be tolerated as it drains county and city resources.
“We will continue to advocate for those caught participating in this type of behavior to be prosecuted to the maximum extent allowed by law. If you do not monitor you child’s social media, law enforcement will. We will take no chances with the safety of our students and staff. We would ask you again that you partner with us in making this behavior stop,†the district said.
TYLER – 
A Tyler man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly pointing a rifle at his family and opening fire at officers according to our news partners at KETK. According to Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh, on Saturday at approximately 10:15 p.m. police responded to the 3000 block of Outwood Drive to reports of an aggravated assault. According to police, it was reported that a man identified as Richard Doorman, 48 of Tyler, had pointed a rifle at his wife and child. Officials said that when police arrived Doorman opened fire at the police, but none were hit. Erbaugh said that afterwards the SWAT team and negotiators arrived on the scene and Doorman came peacefully into custody. Doorman has been booked into the Smith County Jail and was charged with two counts of aggravated family violence and 2 counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer.
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