Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
PALESTINE — 
A 32-year-old Palestine man was killed after being struck by a pickup truck in a pedestrian-vehicle crash on Thursday morning. Palestine Police Department officers responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle in the 4400 block of West Oak at approximately 6:32 a.m. on Thursday. According to the police department and our news partners at KETK, the pedestrian entered the roadway on foot and was struck by a 2022 Ram truck driven by a 24-year-old man from Chandler. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene by Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace James Westley and an autopsy has been ordered. The crash remains under investigation, and no names have been released yet.
TYLER – 
A woman who went missing in December was found dead in a vacant Tyler residence on Jan. 31. According to Smith County Public Information Officer Larry Christian and our news partners at KETK, 21-year-old Aumarie Gasel Deleon was found dead and in a severe state of decomposition in the kitchen area of a vacant residence in northeast Tyler. Deleon was reported missing on Dec. 12, 2025. Smith County Investigators and the Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene along with Smith County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Curtis Wulf, who ordered an autopsy. The Southwest Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas identified Deleon. The case is an ongoing death investigation and further details will be released as they become available, Christian said.
Do you want to have all your financial transactions in one place? Get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Monarch. You can find Monarch in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
How would you like to use the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals? Go get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Seek by iNaturalist. You can downloadSeek by iNaturalist in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
(SMITH COUNTY) – A house fire on Hill N Dale Road west of Tyler Tuesday night started in an outdoor kitchen area and spread to the home. Our news partner KETK and Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue reported that the residents had just cooked in the covered outdoor kitchen area. Soon after, it caught fire and spread to the home. Both the residence and the outdoor kitchen area were a total loss. Four adults and six children lived at the home and were assisted by Red Cross. No injuries were reported.
Tyler — 
As millions of Americans prepare for Super Bowl LX, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) Texas calls all football fans to make a winning move before kickoff by planning a safe ride home. With celebrations planned nationwide, Super Bowl Sunday remains one of the most dangerous days of the year for impaired driving crashes. According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 48% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday in 2023 involved drivers with some level of alcohol in their system, and 42% involved drivers who were legally impaired (BAC .08 or higher). Alcohol consumption increases during major sporting events, particularly around pre-game, halftime, and post-game gatherings, contributing to elevated roadway risk during and immediately following the Super Bowl. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed two people with roots in our region to the Early Childhood Education and Care Task Force. The task force was launched Jan. 20 to improve the quality, access and affordability of child care for families. According to our news partner KETK, Jeff Austin III of Whitehouse and Nancy Windham of Nacogdoches, were among 11 others named to the task force.
Austin received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Business as well as a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Tyler. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, SMU’s Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, Banking Leadership Texas and Leadership Tyler. Austin is currently the chairman of the Board of Austin Bank Texas N.A. and Austin Bancorp.
Windham attended Stephen F. Austin State University and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, and also studied basic industrial development at Texas A&M University. Currently, she is the Regional Economic Development Advisor of the Texas Forest Country Partnership.
Abbott also said, “The real reason why we passed this bill, the real reason why we’re having this announcement today, is because of the importance of helping parents across the entire state be able to access quality and affordable early child care and child education for their children,” .
LUFKIN – 
More information has been released following the arrest of a Lufkin pediatrician, George Fidone, who killed one person in a car crash while driving intoxicated in January. According to his arrest affidavit and our news partner KETK, the crash occurred Jan. 17 on a two-lane road between the 3900 block and 4000 block of College Drive and FM 819. The crash involved a white Mercedes-Benz driven by Fidone and a black Kia Forte.
Lufkin police officers were dispatched after receiving a call stating there was a car crash and a potential fatality. Once on the scene, officers found Fidone’s car on the shoulder of the southbound lane facing northbound. His car sustained extensive damage to the front left side and multiple airbags were deployed, according to the affidavit.
After officers observed Fidone walking near his vehicle, they checked the Kia’s occupants and found the passenger slumped over and the driver, D. Marcus Hadnot, slumped over the steering wheel, motionless. A dog was also found inside the Kia, deceased, and was later picked up by animal control. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – At approximately 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, Smith County dispatchers received a call reporting a residence on fire Valleyview Ridge near Dean Road in rural Smith County.
Fire crews responded to the location to extinguish the fire and the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to investigate the origin and cause of the fire.
The home was occupied by four residents and the fire started in the attic space near the chimney, Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue reported. The fire was contained to the immediate area around the chimney, but significant damage was done to the home. The cause of the fire was accidental due to fire escaping from the chimney into the attic of the residence while the fireplace was being used, Hogue said.
At about 6 a.m. another emergency call was received, reporting the same residence fully engulfed with fire. The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated and determined this fire was a rekindle of the previous fire. The structure was a total loss and no injuries were reported, Hogue said.
The Red Cross was contacted and is assisting the displaced residents.
TYLER – Tyler Animal Control and Shelter is offering no-cost adoptions for dogs and cats throughout February with a donation of 12 new white towels. The standard adoption fee is $120 for dogs and $80 for cats. All animals adopted from Tyler Animal Services are spayed/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. If you would like to adopt, see all available pets for adoption, or submit an application, visit the Tyler Animal Services webpage.
MOUNT PLEASANT – CHRISTUS Health held the grand opening of their new Mount Pleasant facility Monday, February 2. The 33,500-square-foot facility will feature a 15-bed emergency department with state-of-the-art imaging and onsite laboratory, along with full-service imaging and lab. It will also have a dedicated dedicated clinic space that will house providers in primary care, outpatient physical therapy, and cardiology with space designated for visiting specialists
Do you break out into a cold sweat when you think about parking? Get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called SpotHero. You can find SpotHero in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – It’s already been a big week. Congress has ended the partial government shutdown and approved 1.2 trillion dollars in spending.
But, with Minneapolis still engaged in demonstrations daily, the one thing some want is the identifies of ICE agent. Meaning, they want them maskless and with badges displayed. KTBB spoke with District 1 Representative Nathaniel Moran and asked him about ICE agents going mask less. He replied, “I fully support ICE agents wearing masks because we’ve seen ICE agents and other law enforcement agencies be targeted for doing their duty, and that is to arrest folks for breaking the law. And, in this case arrest and deport folks that are breaking the law. And, we do not want to see law enforcement men and women targeted. We don’t want to see them come under fire by anybody else, that would seek to do them harm. We know there are paid and organized agitators that are intending to interfere with the lawful performance of those duties. And so, I fully support continue to support them to hide their faces, so there is not an additional security measure that comes into play.”
Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — 
UPDATE: All lanes are now open after authorities cleared the scene
Westbound I-20 near mile marker 587, just east of State Highway 42, is completely closed until further notice due to an 18-wheeler that caught fire monday. According to our news partner KETK and the Kilgore Fire Department, significant delays on Interstate 20 westbound are expected while the department responds. Texas Department of Transportation cameras show that traffic on the westbound lane is backed up past State Highway 31.
TYLER — On February 1, 2003, 23 years ago, a doctor from East Texas and his wife stood outside, eagerly anticipating the return of the Columbia Space Shuttle to Earth following its 17-day mission focused on microgravity experiments. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Scott Lieberman was photographing the shuttle. As they captured pictures and videos, Dr. Scott Lieberman’s wife inquired whether it was normal for the shuttle to break apart.
He described the ensuing moments as “a very loud envelope of noise,” an experience unlike any he had encountered before. At that moment, he scrutinized the photographs he had taken and realized the shuttle had disintegrated. The couple became witnesses to history, as seven astronauts tragically lost their lives just 15 minutes before their scheduled landing.
“It was a devastating moment,” Lieberman reflected. “These were my heroes growing up—astronauts in general. Their dedication and work ethic ended up being something useful to everybody.”
Read the rest of this entry »