Today is
Sunday November 24, 2024
TYLER – All non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed for business on Monday, September 2, for Labor Day. Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, September 3. Smith County Commissioners Court will be held at its normal time, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Smith County hopes you all have a relaxing and safe Labor Day!
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TYLER – United States senator Ted Cruz was in Tyler on Tuesday as the featured speaker at a luncheon for the Tyler Area Builders Association. According to our news partner KETK, Cruz spoke to about 200 members for the TABA and their guests at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler.Â
“We are very pleased and honored today to have senator Ted Cruz come and speak today.†Sam Mezayek, former president of the Tyler Building Association, said
This is the third time in as many weeks that Senator Cruz has been in East Texas speaking about his race for the United States Senate. He said that without East Texans’ support in the 2018 election, he likely wouldn’t be in office today. He continued to thank Texas republicans for the majority support throughout the years.
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UPDATE: Athens Public Safety said that as of 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, the gas leak has been contained and access to the previously evacuated businesses has been restored.
ATHENS – Multiple buildings and businesses have been evacuated due to a natural gas leak in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, Athens PD said, the natural gas leak is from a four-inch natural gas main on Ben Belt Drive. This has led to the evacuation of Gibson Pharmacy, a CEFCO convenience store and gas station and the Trinity Valley Community College administration building.
City officials say that Athens police and fire are on scene and are working with Atmos Energy to stop the leak. Drivers are urged to avoid the area until the leak has been fixed.
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AUSTIN (AP) — A Latino voting rights group called Monday for a federal investigation after its volunteers said Texas authorities raided their homes and seized phones and computers as part of an investigation by the state’s Republican attorney general into allegations of voter fraud.
No charges have been filed against any targets of the searches that took place last week in the San Antonio area. Attorney General Ken Paxton previously confirmed his office had conducted searches after a local prosecutor referred to his office “allegations of election fraud and vote harvesting†during the 2022 election.
Some volunteers whose homes were searched, including an 80-year-old woman who told her associates that agents were at her house for two hours and took medicine, along with her smartphone and watch, railed outside an attorney general’s office in San Antonio against the searches.
“We feel like our votes are being suppressed,†Roman Palomares, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said Monday. “We’re going to get to the bottom of it.â€
The investigation is part of an Election Integrity Unit that Paxton formed in his office. Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The federal Justice Department declined to comment.
At least six members had their homes searched, Palomares said. They included Manuel Medina, a San Antonio political consultant, who claimed his home was searched for several hours while agents seized documents, computers and cellphones. Medina is the former head of the Bexar County Democratic Party and is working on the campaign of Democratic state House candidate Cecilia Castellano, whose home was also searched.
Nine officers also entered the home of volunteer Lidia Martinez, 80, who said she expressed confusion about why they were there.
“They sat me down and they started searching all my house, my store room, my garage, kitchen, everything,†Martinez said, and interrogated her about other members, including Medina.
The search warrant ordered officials to search any documents related to the election and to confiscate Martinez’s devices.
“I’m not doing anything illegal,†Martinez said she told agents. “All I do is help the seniors.”
Voter fraud is rare, typically occurs in isolated instances and is generally detected. An Associated Press investigation of the 2020 presidential election found fewer than 475 potential cases of voter fraud out of 25.5 million ballots cast in the six states where Trump and his allies disputed his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.
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UPDATE: The Winnsboro Police Department said Caviness was found safe at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
WINNSBORO — East Texas officials are asking for help in locating a missing Winnsboro man. According to our news partner KETK, missing is 75-years-old Larry Caviness. He was last seen Sunday morning. Officials said he left his home on Ebenezer Street in his blue 1996 GMC 1500 with Texas license plate AG41525.
Larry Caviness is described as being 6’1 and 180 pounds. Winnsboro Police ask if anyone has information on the whereabouts of Larry Caviness, to call them at 903-342-3620.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Economic Development Corporation voted to approve a performance contract for a Mint Innovation biomining facility on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, the proposed facility, would be a $15 million capital investment that would create 28 jobs within three years, according to LEDCO.
“Since our founding in 2016, we’ve been looking at opportunities abroad and are excited to be looking at bringing our technology to Longview, Texas. We’re proud to have the support of LEDCO to help create a more sustainable future for the Longview community by reducing e-waste and reintroducing critical metals into the local economy,†Will Barker, CEO and co-founder of Mint Innovation.
Mint Innovation “mines†for metals like gold and copper by using chemicals to extract the precious metals from natural biomass and e-waste. The New Zealand-based company is currently trying to confirm the plant’s site at 2120 East Loop 281 in Longview. In June, several residents appeared at the proposed location to protest the plant’s opening
Gladewater – The City of Gladewater has rescinded a boil water notice issued on Tuesday evening after a water main break affected a large area of the city. Gladewater officials pulled the boil water notice early Friday afternoon.
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Jon Johnson has announced his retirement after a 35-year criminal justice career. He was first elected as justice of the peace in November 2018, and was sworn in to office on January 1, 2019. Before becoming a justice of the peace, Johnson worked for 25 years for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. District Court in Tyler until his federal retirement in 2014. During those years he served as a federal prison case manager, federal probation officer and chief federal probation officer.
Johnson has taught criminal justice courses for Tyler Junior College and Lindale Independent School District.
“Although I have held different job titles and responsibilities over the years, I have enjoyed nothing more than serving the community as justice of the peace,†Judge Johnson said in his retirement letter submitted Friday, August 23.
Johnson said he plans to retire September 30, 2024, and intends to spend more time with his wife and family.
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TYLER – Senator Ted Cruz is bringing his ‘Keep Texas, Texas’ tour to Tyler on Saturday August 24 from 9:00 a.m to 10:15 a.m. He will be appearing at the Republic Icehouse, 3807 University Blvd in Tyler. Senator Cruz will speak to voters about his record in the Senate of jobs, freedom, and security. Senator Cruz will discuss his vision for the future of our state and what needs to be done to Keep Texas, Texas.
You can find free tickets for this event by clicking here.
UPDATE: A second juvenile was arrested on late Thursday evening in connection to the murder of 29-year-old Clara Deane Wilson, the Jacksonville Police Department said.
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville PD Thursday said that a juvenile was arrested in connection to the murder of Clara Deane Wilson. According to our news partner KETK, the person was arrested after an operation involving the Jacksonville Police, the Texas Rangers, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshalls office.
Officials said that the 29-year-old Wilson of Jacksonville, was found shot to death early Saturday morning near Gillespie and Georgia Avenues. The juvenile arrested was left unnamed and law enforcement said more arrests are expected in this case.
UPDATE: The Nacogdoches Police Department said that Roselyn Navaeh Smith has been found safe after she was reported missing on Thursday. Officials said they are currently in the process of bringing her back together with her family.
NACOGDOCHES – The Nacogdoches Police Department said they’re currently searching for a 12-year-old girl named Roselyn Navaeh Smith. According to our news partner KETK, Roselyn is described as a black girl wearing a black shirt with gold letters spelling “QUEENâ€, blue jean shorts, black shoes, diamond stud earrings, a backpack, crossbody bag and a clarinet.
Officials said they were searching in the area of Tangleberry and Tanglewood Streets.
They ask anyone who has seen Roselyn Smith to call 911 immediately.
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