Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
MARSHALL – One person is in jail after Marshall Police Department responded to a street racing incident Friday evening. Officers answered a call at Pinecrest Drive across from D&D automotive, in Marshall at around 10 p.m. Once there, the officers saw two vehicles racing on the street. One of the vehicles attempted to flee the area but was stopped by officers a short time later.
The driver, identified as 30-year-old Timothy Dawon Perry was taken into custody. Perry was charged with racing on the street and driving with a suspended license from a previous convictions. He was also found to have two outstanding warrants. Perry’s vehicle was impounded following his arrest.
TYLER – After years of planning, the future Blackstone Hotel took another visible step forward as Valencia Hotel Group and the City of Tyler gathered on Friday, for the Blackstone Hotel Site Celebration in Downtown Tyler.
Held in the Plaza Tower Atrium, the event brought together guests to mark the progress of the project . During the event, Valencia Hotel Group President and CEO Doyle Graham presented Mayor Don Warren with a plaque in appreciation of his support for the hotel project and his commitment to Downtown Tyler’s continued growth.
The future Blackstone Hotel will bring a full-service hotel experience to Downtown Tyler, with plans for 140 guest rooms, 5,700 square feet of meeting space, and conveniences designed to serve both visitors and the local community. In addition to welcoming overnight guests, the hotel is expected to create new opportunities for conferences, weddings, celebrations, and other gatherings in the city’s core.
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SMITH COUNTY – Smith County will have 18 voting centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Saturday, May 2. There are several city and school elections, including Tyler mayor and a special-called bond election for Tyler Junior College.
There were 8,653 ballots cast (7,754 in-person and 899 mail-in ballots during early voting. That is 6.4 percent of the 135,424 registered voters eligible for this election.
The cities of Tyler, Hideaway, Lindale and Winona; and the independent school districts of Lindale and Tyler District 4 are having elections. The City of Lindale is also holding a special election for a charter amendment.
There are some Van Zandt County residents who are eligible to vote in the TJC Bond Election. Smith County Elections Administrator Michelle Allcon said about 50 have voted so far. The voting center in Garden Valley is most convenient for these voters, as it is near the Van Zandt County line.
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HUNTSVILLE (AP) — A North Texas man who claimed he wasn’t the shooter in a fatal robbery that killed two people nearly 18 years ago and who said prosecutors misused rap lyrics he wrote to secure his death sentence was executed Thursday evening.
James Broadnax was pronounced dead after receiving a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Houston.
Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Broadnax’s attorneys to stop his execution.
He was condemned for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. Prosecutors say Broadnax and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, fatally shot and robbed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in the parking lot of Butler’s recording studio in Garland. Cummings was sentenced to life without parole.
Broadnax was defiant in a final statement in which he also sought forgiveness from the victims’ relatives. Seven relatives, including parents of each of the victims, were present.
“I prayed to God for your forgiveness,” he said, when asked by the warden if he had a final statement. “Despite what you think about me, I hope to God that prayer was answered. But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I’m innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself. Period,” he said.
The execution also was punctuated by screams of “I love you” from his wife, who also was among witnesses to the punishment. She was emotional at times during the procedure, leaning up to the death chamber window with arms spread, and had to be helped out of the prison.
As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began, Broadnax urged his supporters to keep fighting. “Don’t give up,” he said, and was stopped in another mid-sentence by a gasp. He shook his head briefly and all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead 21 minutes later, at 6:47 p.m. CDT.
Prosecutors said Broadnax, 37, confessed to the shooting, telling reporters during jailhouse interviews that “I pulled the trigger” and that he had no remorse.
His lawyers had focused his final appeals on two issues: Cummings had recently confessed to being the shooter; and Broadnax’s constitutional rights were violated because prosecutors eliminated potential jurors during his trial on the basis of race.
“I’m really gonna tell it like it’s supposed to be told, that it was me, that I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swan,” Cummings said recently from prison in a video created as part of the efforts to stop Broadnax’s execution.
His attorneys also alleged prosecutors dismissed all seven potential Black jurors on the basis of their race, “utilizing a spreadsheet during jury selection that bolded only the names of every Black juror,” according to court documents. One Black juror was later reinstated to the jury. Broadnax was Black.
In a 1986 ruling known as Batson v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that excluding jurors because of their race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Broadnax’s attorneys had argued in an earlier appeal that prosecutors had violated his constitutional rights by using some of the rap lyrics he wrote to portray him as a violent and dangerous person in order to secure a death sentence. A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott,T.I. and Killer Mike, had filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax’s appeal.
Theresa Butler, Matthew Butler’s mother, had asked that the execution proceed.
“This so called confession from cummings is just a stall tactic by Broadnax’s desperate defense team. Its all a lie,” Butler wrote in a post on social media.
Broadnax was the third person put to death this year in Texas and the 10th in the country. Texas has historically held more executions than any other state.
About an hour before Broadnax’s execution on Thursday, Florida put to death James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, for beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death.
TEXARKANA (KETK) — The Texarkana Police Department needs the public’s help in finding a man wanted for multiple offenses related to the sexual assault of a child after he posted bond and faked his death.
According to the police, 46-year-old Gordon Lemons was arrested in July 2024 for aggravated sexual assault of a child, but was later released after posting a $150,000 bond.
Similar charges were to filed against Lemons in May 2025, but Lemons allegedly attempted to fake his own death and fled the area days beforehand. He traveled to South Texas and attempted to cross into Mexico, but was picked up by ex-girlfriend, Thesia Griffin, to help avoid law enforcement instead.
Griffin was arrested on Tuesday for hindering apprehension and booked into the Bowie County Jail for assisting Lemons, the police department said.
“We now have evidence that Lemons is hiding out in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with help from family and friends,” the police department announced on Thursday. “Lemons should be considered dangerous. Please do not attempt to approach him.”
The Texarkana Police Department urges anyone with information to call them at 903-798-3116 or submit a tip to Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers to be eligible for a cash reward at 903-793-STOP or at http://www.p3tips.com.
AUSTIN (AP) — The Onion’s plan to take over the Infowars platforms that Alex Jones built into a bullhorn of conspiracy theories and turn them into parody sites was in limbo again Thursday, after a court paused a proposed deal involving the satirical news outlet.
Infowars is facing liquidation because of the more than $1 billion in defamation lawsuit judgments Jones owes relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. The proposed deal would give The Onion temporary authority to use Infowars’ trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property while a state receiver in Texas works toward liquidation.
A state judge had scheduled a hearing Thursday on whether to approve The Onion deal. But the proceeding turned into a status conference because the Texas Third Court of Appeals approved an emergency motion by Jones’ lawyers that temporarily blocked the transfer of any Infowars assets. The judge set another hearing for May 28.
Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families had asked the Texas Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court ruling before Thursday’s hearing.
“This newly insane, unprecedented legal stalling does nothing but delay our deal with the receiver to take control of InfoWars,” Ben Collins, The Onion’s CEO, said in a social media post ahead of Thursday’s hearing. “We now expect new traps in Alex Jones’ amoral war to deny paying the Sandy Hook families, but we’re freshly surprised by the U.S. legal system’s appetite to put up with it.”
Jones declared victory in videos posted on his social media sites Wednesday night, calling The Onion’s plan illegal in part because he has court appeals pending in the case.
“I said days ago there’s no way the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas doesn’t overturn this — you know they’re all Democrats — because it’s so outrageous what you’ve done,” Jones wrote.
SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man is back in jail after he allegedly violated the terms of his probation, a sentence he received in 2025 after admitting to drinking alcohol before the crash that killed both of his parents, according to our news partner KETK.
In an arrest report, Jose Bravo Jr. was driving southwest on FM 2767, across from Jackson Elementary, with his parents on March 24, 2024. Bravo Jr. claimed a dog ran in front of his car, forcing him to swerve to avoid it and causing him to lose control of the vehicle and travel off the roadway.
After Bravo Jr. and his parents were ejected from the vehicle, officials arrived on the scene and transported Bravo Jr. to a hospital. His father, Jose Bravo Delgado, was pronounced dead on the scene, and his mother, Santa Lucia Bravo, was taken to a hospital in Tyler, where she died two days later after succumbing to her injuries caused during the crash.
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AUSTIN (AP) — Officials at Camp Mystic said Thursday they are withdrawing their application for a camp license to operate this summer, saying they want to give families of those who died there more time to grieve.
The decision comes after days of pointed questioning by Texas lawmakers who are investigating camp officials’ response to the devastating flood on July 4 that claimed the lives of 25 campers and two teenage counselors. The camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, also died in the flooding.
“No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed Thursday that the camp withdrew its application.
GREGG COUNTY – A former Gregg County deputy received a sentence of 180 days in jail after pleading guilty to two DWI charges last week. Joshua Tubb was arrested by the Kilgore Police Department two days in a row last December for driving while intoxicated. Following these arrests, Tubb resigned from his position with the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office.
Following his guilty plea on April 24, the court sentenced Tubb to serve 180 days in jail. He was also ordered to complete two years of probation with 80 hours of community service and must pay a $2,000 fine.
HALLSVILLE – A Hallsville man was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Tuesday after he was arrested in 2024 for possession of child pornography. According to our news partner KETK, Kevin Barnett was arrested in October 2024 following an investigation launched by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office after they received a call from the Texas Child Protection Services regarding a juvenile victim being “photographed inappropriately.”
After obtaining a warrant for Barnett’s arrest, they found him to have multiple videos containing child pornography and subsequently placed him under arrest. He was charged him with possession of child pornography and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
On Monday, Barnett was found guilty on five charges of possession of child pornography and one charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was sentenced to 50 years in state prison by the 71st District Court on Wednesday.
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TYLER – An investigation is underway following an alleged incident during an athletic practice that involved a Tyler ISD staff member and student, the district confirmed on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, in a statement issued by Tyler ISD, the district is aware of the allegations and have initiated a thorough investigation.
The district has not released information on the details of the incident, citing privacy laws.
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MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department is searching for a woman who they believe participated in what is being classified as a riot last month. According to our news partner KETK, the department has obtained a riot participation warrant for the arrest of Rasheen Daleese Porter, who allegedly participated in a large-scale disturbance following a block party on Sanford Street.
According to the department, the initial block party took place on March 29 and was attended by nearly 300 people. Following the arrest of four people and the discovery of firearms on the scene, police later classified the party as a riot.
Since the riot, an additional 13 people have been placed under arrest and the investigation currently remains open.
Anyone with information regarding Porter’s whereabouts is asked to contact the department at 903-935-575 or Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969 to submit an anonymous tip.
WASHINGTON (THE TEXAS TRIBUNE) – The U.S. Supreme Court weakened but did not eliminate a key provision of the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday, making it harder to bring voter discrimination claims against electoral maps while stopping short of a widely anticipated full strikedown.
The ruling will likely help Texas in its yearslong litigation over the electoral maps lawmakers drew in 2021, and opens the door to the state creating even more aggressively partisan maps going forward.
The 6-3 decision narrows how courts may interpret Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the seminal civil rights legislation signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. This provision, seen as the cornerstone of the law, outlaws practices denying or abridging the right of any citizen to vote based on their race, including political maps that dilute the electoral power of voters of color.
The upshot of Wednesday’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais is that plaintiffs will have to provide stronger proof to show that a state or county intentionally discriminated against voters of color. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said the four-prong test used to assess whether a state has diluted the vote for people of color needed to be updated for modern times.
“Vast social change has occurred throughout the country and particularly in the South, which have made great strides in ending entrenched racial discrimination,” Alito wrote. He also noted that the court’s 2019 decision to allow partisan gerrymandering “creates an incentive” for litigants to repackage partisan claims under the guise of race-based challenges.
While Wednesday’s ruling did not eliminate Section 2 entirely, Justice Elena Kagan in her dissent said it “renders Section 2 all but a dead letter” that will “eliminate the lion’s share” of claims brought under that part of the Voting Rights Act.
“The Callais requirements have thus laid the groundwork for the largest reduction in minority representation since the era following Reconstruction,” Kagan wrote. “Under cover of ‘updat[ing]’ and ‘realign[ing]’ this greatest of statutes, the majority makes a nullity of Section 2 and threatens a half-century’s worth of gains in voting equality.”
Texas has had at least one of its political maps blocked under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act every decade since it went into effect. With this limitation narrowed significantly by the court, the state could push to reconsider its current congressional, state House and Senate, and State Board of Education maps, a possibility some Republicans have already teased. The maps have been under litigation since they went into effect in 2021.
The governor of Mississippi has said he would call a special session to rapidly redraw the state’s voting maps if the court struck down Section 2. Other states are expected to follow suit, especially amid the redistricting arms race Texas kicked off last summer. But with Texas’ unusually early primaries already in the rearview mirror, Lone Star lawmakers may wait until the next regular session begins in January to embark on any redraws.
The high court’s decision set off a wave of outrage from Democrats. Texas House Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu, D-Houston, said the ruling gave state legislatures a “permission slip” to crack and pack Black and Latino voters into districts “where their voices won’t matter.”
“According to this Court, a century of voter suppression in places like Texas and Louisiana is ancient history, no longer relevant to lawmaking and redistricting today,” Wu said.
Mike Smith, the president of House Majority PAC — House Democrats’ top super PAC — said the ruling was a “green light to rig House elections.”
“With Democrats on track to retake the majority in November, Republicans and their allies on the Court are scrambling to protect the rich and powerful instead of lowering costs and making life more affordable for American families,” Smith said.
Brandon Herrera, the Republican nominee for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, echoed the sentiment that the ruling will “likely have MAJOR implications for the midterms,” as he wrote on social media.
“Democrats are going to have to scramble to protect seats they thought were safe, kneecapping the momentum they thought they had to take the House,” Herrera said.
To see this original article go to The Texas Tribune.