SMITH COUNTY – There will be gantry maintenance on Toll 49 Thursday night starting at 8 p.m. According to Daisy Nunez from NET RMA, the short one lane closure is between FM 2493, Old Jacksonville and SH 155.
TYLER – A Cherokee County man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court for counterfeit pill manufacturing and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine-laced pills. According to our news partner KETK, 45-year-old Robert Martin of Alto, conspired with others to possess with the intention to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Officials say that Martin set up pill press on his property in order to press out hundreds of thousand of counterfeit pills with the intention a nationwide distribution. Martin also recruited mid-level distributors and wholesalers for his drug operation.
Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said that Martin’s arrest in July of 2023, was after a two-month-long investigation. Dickson added, “This action was the result of an ongoing investigation into an illicit pill manufacturing operation near Alto. This was a huge win for our community by removing these items and this individual from the streets of Cherokee County.â€
Martin faces anywhere from 10 years in federal prison to life, but a sentencing date has not been set at this time.
TYLER – The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved a $112,000 engineering contract on for the retiming of 15 intersection’s traffic signals as a part of their Intelligent Transportation System Master Plan. According to our news partner KETK, the contract with Kimely-Horn and Associates Inc. includes project management, data collection, development of timing plans, implementation and a final report on the retimed traffic signals.
City officials say this is an extension of projects from the past four years of upgrades to city traffic signals. Since 2019, 71 of Tyler’s 149 signalized intersections have been retimed as apart of the Intelligent Transportation System Master Plan.
Read the rest of this entry »
Â
SMITH COUNTY – Because of heavy rain, the City of Tyler Water Utilities is temporarily closing all public boat ramps on Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. The ramps are being closed due to boating hazards resulting from debris washed into the lakes by the recent rains and to reduce damage from shoreline erosion caused by boat wakes. In addition, the lakes are closed to boat traffic from lake residents The ramps are closed until further notice. TWU anticipates reopening the ramps once the lake levels recede.
SMITH COUNTY – Authorities across East Texas are urging drivers to use caution before getting on the roads. Storms began appearing Monday night and will continue into late Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, these are the counties and roads affected.
Smith County: Officials with Smith County said that CR 463, also known as Wood Springs Road under I-20, and 370 have water over the roadways. Reports have that SH-31 to Longview has several spots where the road is covered with water. Tyler Water Utilities had temporarily closed all public boat ramps on Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East.
Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – With severe weather and storms continuing to move through East Texas, about 23,700 customers are without power as of 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Our news partner KETK had a list of counties with power outages noted from ONCOR, SWEPCO and other electric co-ops. You can find that list here.
SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a female inmate died Sunday morning. In a release from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, the inmate, Tanya Williams experienced a medical emergency that morning around 6 a.m. Williams was taken to a local hospital where she later died. The sheriff’s office said Texas Rangers were notified, and will conduct an investigation, which is standard procedure. An autopsy was also ordered. The release also stated Williams was arrested Thursday on drug charges.
TYLER – Smith County Jury Duty has been cancelled for Monday. According to Smith County public information officer Casey Murphy, if you received a jury summons for April 8, 2024, you do not have to report to the Courthouse. This is due to total solar eclipse occurring Monday April 8.
LINDALE – The city of Lindale is giving you a chance to be part of history after the solar eclipse Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the city is creating a time capsule for future generations. Officials say the capsule will be buried in Darden Harvest Park and anyone can leave one object. That object can be no larger that four by six inches and not liquid.
The capsule will be opened for anyone who wants their item to be stored inside after a ceremony on Saturday at Picker’s Pavilion at Blackberry Square. After Monday’s eclipse, the capsule will be sealed and buried for future Lindale residents to find.
TYLER – The City of Tyler held the grand reopening of the historic Mayfair Building Thursday. The renovation is part of the city’s Master Plan to restore the Rose Complex. Mayor Don Warren, who hosted the event, announced that the Mayfair Building has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places alongside the Tyler Rose Garden. The City of Tyler renovation plan was to update the building physically, while staying true to its almost century old roots.
Mayor Warren said about the look of the Mayfair Building before renovations, “I wish you could have seen this building a year ago. The floor was sunk in, there were termites everywhere. You could see daylight from inside. You can see the sun with the holes in the roof, so we have brought this back to life.â€
Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Monday April 8 is the eagerly anticipated total solar eclipse. Our news partner KETK shared some tips from state officials to keep you safe this weekend and Monday.
TxDOT issued a statement warning residents of some East Texas areas that they anticipate will see heavy traffic on Monday. TxDOT listed the following roads for potential heavy traffic: I-20, State Highway 64, State Highway 31, US 175, State Highway 198, US 69, State Highway 19, State Highway 155, Loop 323, US 79, US 271, US 80 and State Highway 243
Read the rest of this entry »