Today is
Monday June 08, 2026
MORRIS COUNTY — Omaha police are searching for a man who has not been seen since mid-August and are asking the public for assistance in locating him. According to our news partner KETK, Dustin Perkins was last seen Aug. 15 in Naples, Texas. Perkins is approximately 6 feet tall and about 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans. Officials in Omaha said that with information on Perkins, to call the Omaha Police 903-844-2305 or the Morris County Sheriff’s Office at 903-645-2232.
JACKSONVILLE – 
The Jacksonville Police Department said that a pedestrian is dead after being hit by a train at the crossing on North Gillespie Avenue on Friday according to our news partners at KETK. According to Jacksonville PD, the crash happened in 100 block of North Gillespie Avenue near Highway 79 at around 11:01 a.m. when the pedestrian was walking in front of the train. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and officials are notifying his family members. The railroad crossing has reopened to traffic, Jacksonville PD said.
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VAN ZANDT COUNTY –
A bridge demolition will cause all I-20 lanes at FM 859 near Canton to close over the weekend, TxDOT said. According to TxDOT, the demolition is expected to begin on Saturday night and end Sunday morning. “Traffic will be diverted to the frontage roads using the FM 859 exit ramps, which will travel past FM 859 and re-enter I-20 using the FM 859 entrance ramps. Motorists should use caution when traveling through the work zone and expect delays,†TxDOT said in a statement. In place of the existing bridge that is set to be demolished, TxDOT said a new bridge is expected to be completed by March 2025.
TYLER – 
The University of Texas at Tyler is ranked in the top 500 nationwide by the Wall Street Journal as noted on the publication’s America’s Best Colleges for 2025 list. The ranking aims to guide prospective students across the nation while recognizing the colleges doing an outstanding job in higher education. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The East Texas community is mourning fallen Dallas Police officer Darron Burks, who was a Tyler Junior College alum and was killed Thursday while on duty. According to NBCDFW, the 46-year-old Burks was sitting in his car when he was shot by a 30-year-old man who also shot two other officers.
Before becoming a police officer, Burks was a teacher. Prior to becoming a teacher, the TJC Alumni Association said Burks was an alum and member of the Minority Student Association. Burk also attended Dallas College. And was a graduate of Paul Quinn College.
The Dallas Police Department said in a statement, “Officer Burks served with unwavering pride and commitment on the Dallas Police Department until his untimely passing. His bravery, dedication, and selflessness were evident in every aspect of his work, and he was a beacon of hope and security for those he served.â€
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Road 3203 reopened Wednesday, after road and bridge crews repaired the washed-out road and replaced the culvert damaged from severe weather in May and June of this year. Smith County has an interactive map that lists all county road closures. You can find that map by clicking here.
UPSHUR COUNTY – 
After being sentenced to life in prison in 2023, an appeals court upheld the conviction on Friday of a man who murdered and burned the body of a Longview woman according to our news partners at KETK. According to the Upshur County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, 43-year-old Carlton Grant will spend life in prison without parole after a Texarkana appeals court upheld his sentence for the murder of Rachel Rhoads.
The release said Rhoads’ roommate was mutual friends with Grant and his girlfriend. In March 2018, Grant strangled Rhoads with a homemade garrote and a zip tie in her vehicle after she agreed to drive him and his girlfriend home. Afterwards, he and his girlfriend would dispose of Rhoads’ body by dumping it in a utility right-of-way and burning it. Read the rest of this entry »
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TYLER – 
The annual Tyler Rose Festival Arts and Crafts Fair is returning to Tyler’s Bergfeld Park, 1510 S. College Ave., on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Parks Department is now seeking vendors who hand-make and create the items they sell, author books, and sell plants and food items to participate in this annual event. Vendors must apply online through http://www.TylerParksandRec.com. The Fair will feature more than 90 booths offering handcrafted items for sale, including photography, fine and unique jewelry, hand-poured candles, furniture, bath and body products, clothing, pottery, sewing, wreaths and florals, art-mix-media paintings, and more. This will be an excellent event to get a jump-start on holiday shopping, especially for unique, one-of-a-kind gift ideas. Food trucks and live entertainment, including The Johnnie Helm Band and the Tuxedo Catz, will be available on both days. Admission is free. For more information about this event or about becoming a vendor, please contact Debbie Isham at (903) 531-1214.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department said they are looking for 36-yearold Rachel Leigh Potter. According to our news partner KETK, Potter is described as being 5 feet and 9 inches tall, weighing approximately 145 pounds, having brown hair and hazel eyes. Authorities said she was was last seen near the Hiway 80 Rescue Mission in Longview at approximately 9 p.m. on Monday. LPD asks if you have information on Rachel Potter’s location, to call the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.
AUSTIN – The University of Texas at Tyler’s softball team and their NCAA trophy made a stop Friday at the state’s capitol where they met Gov. Greg Abbott. According to our news partner KETK, Abbott shared to his more than 1.6 million Facebook followers on Monday that the Tyler softball champions visited the capitol and the pleasure it was to meet them. During their visit Friday Gov. Abbott told the team, “Way to make Texas proud.â€
This was the second national softball title for UT Tyler. The other was in 2016, with head coach Mike Reed at the helm for both.
NEW SUMMERFIELD – 
One person was taken into custody at around noon on Tuesday after New Summerfield ISD received threats, the district shared. According to the district, campuses were under lockdown and law enforcement was present after they received an “unverified threat.†“Law enforcement has the caller of the threat in custody in another town,†New Summerfield said. After the person was taken into custody, law enforcement gave the district the all clear to return to their regular schedule.
SMITH COUNTY – 
On Tuesday, September 3, the Smith County Commissioners Court held another public hearing before adopting the Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Tax Rate. The budget increases the actual tax rate by 1.6967 cents, to a total of 36.4231 cents per $100 valuation. The tax increase is caused by the Courthouse and Parking Garage Bond approved by voters in November 2022, Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said. The balanced proposed budget, which will go into effect on October 1, can be found here: http://www.smith-county.com/government/departments/auditor/financials/adopted-budgets. Read the rest of this entry »
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