Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
BULLARD — Changes are expected for those traveling near Bullard ISD in December and January as TxDOT looks to upgrade U.S. Highway 69 and FM 2493, which includes the construction of a new overpass and a realigned on-ramp. According to our news partner KETK, beginning the week of Dec. 19, the speed limit at the intersection of U.S. 69 and FM 2493 East, located in front of Bullard ISD’s middle school, will be reduced to 45 mph. A temporary traffic signal will also be installed at the intersection on Jan. 5 to ease congestion and improve safety. TxDOT said message boards will be placed to alert drivers ahead of the change. Drivers are urged to stay alert and use caution in the area while improvements continue.
KILGORE — The Kilgore Fire Department is currently responding to a wildland brush fire on FM 2276 in Rusk County. According to our news partner KETK, the fire, which has spread across roughly one acre, originated from a burn pile ignited on Tuesday. Kilgore FD is urging residents to use extreme caution when conducting any outdoor burning, especially on windy days or when dry grass is present.
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GILMER – A Gilmer man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of firearms violations. According to our news partner KETK, Jimmy Duffey was pulled over on May 7, 2022, for a traffic check in Cherokee County. During the stop, an officer located a firearm in Duffy’s vehicle. They discovered that Duffy is a convicted felon, which prohibits him from owning or possessing firearms by federal law. Duffey later pleaded guilty to being in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — Cherokee County has officially joined ICE’s 287(g) program under the Task Force Model. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Brent Dickson clarified that this decision is not aimed at conducting immigration sweeps. Dickson emphasized that his office did not choose to participate for “strictly immigration purposes,” saying that the agreement is intended as another tool to combat criminal enterprises operating in Cherokee County. The task force is expected to be implemented by the start of the new year, following Tuesday’s official signing
TYLER – 
A Tyler man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a human trafficking conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Michael Anthony Martinez, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on December 10, 2025. According to information presented in court, Martinez used a social media account to promise lucrative payment to people who were willing to drive illegal aliens to their destination. Bank records and text messages between Martinez and those he had recruited verified the criminal conduct.
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SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has announced the appointment of a new shelter coordinator. According to our news partner KETK, Holli Jones, who previously served as the executive director for Pets Fur People, will take on this role, which became vacant after the former supervisor was dismissed. Jones is expected to begin on Dec. 16. In a new structure, the animal control shelter will divide responsibilities between the shelter coordinator and a separate control coordinator. As of now, it has not been announced who will fill the control coordinator position.
SMITH COUNTY – Holli Jones has been named as the new Smith County Animal Shelter Coordinator and is excited for this new chapter in her life. Jones said she is looking forward to being a part of rebranding and rebuilding the department and she will work hard to push people to adopt dogs from the shelter.
Before becoming executive director for Pets Fur People, Ms. Jones was co-owner of the Green Acres Animal Clinic, where she also served as vice president, manager and veterinary assistant. She worked at the clinic from 2015 to 2023. From 2006 to 2016, she was the assistant to the athletic director at Grace Community School, primarily working in marketing, fundraising and coordinating volunteers. From 1992 to 2015, she was the cheerleading coach for Grace Community School. Smith County has not yet hired a Smith County Animal Control Supervisor.
GREGG COUNTY — After an overnight search for a man who fled during a chase with a Gregg County deputy, law enforcement apprehended him on Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, 23-year-old Austin Richert, who had multiple felony warrants, fled from deputies on Monday evening. At around 6 p.m., law enforcement tracked Richert in a wooded area near Old Highway 135.
A struggle allegedly occurred between the suspect and a deputy, causing the deputy to sustain minor injuries. Richert managed to escape, and the sheriff’s office, with the assistance of the Kilgore Police Department and Gregg County ESD 2, could not locate him overnight.
On Tuesday at around 9:30 a.m., Richert was located in Rusk County, where law enforcement arrested him. He was later taken to the Gregg County Jail. The sheriff’s office said Richert is expected to face additional felony charges. The case remains under investigation.
HENDERSON — 
Our news partners at KETK report that a 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday after authorities say he attempted to meet what he believed was a child during an undercover sting in Henderson County. The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said Oscar Campos, of Kerens, had been communicating online and by phone with an undercover official posing as a minor. Campos allegedly traveled to an Athens Walmart expecting to meet the child, but when he tried to get into a vehicle, he was confronted by a task force investigator. Campos attempted to flee but was apprehended. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail on charges of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct and evading arrest or detention. Henderson County officials said they remain committed to identifying and arresting individuals who pose a threat to children. The case remains under investigation and additional charges are possible.
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KEMP – 
A 54-year-old Kemp man was arrested on Saturday after the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said they found suspected methamphetamines during a search of his RV according to our news partners at KETK. At around 11:39 p.m. on Saturday, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and deputies executed a search warrant on a recreational vehicle parked in the 1300 block of Pritchett Lane in Kemp. Rodney Blake Bryant, 54 of Kemp, allegedly owned the RV and was wanted for violating his parole, according to the sheriff’s office. During the search of the RV, two large bags of suspected meth were found, along with other alleged drug paraphernalia like a digital scale. Bryant was arrested during the search for his parole warrant and he’s also been charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. He’s currently being held in the Henderson County Jail on $100,000 bond.
KEMP – 
Our news partners at KETK report that two people were arrested in Kemp on Sunday morning after bags of suspected methamphetamines, a firearm and a large amount of cash were found during a traffic stop. According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, two of their office’s narcotics investigators were in the 1300 block of Pritchett Lane in Kemp at around 1:19 a.m. when they conducted a traffic stop on a silver Kia sedan. During the stop, investigators spoke with the driver of the Kia, who was identified by the sheriff’s office as Krayton Lavelle Williams, 26 of Athens. The investigators then contacted a K9 unit to come sniff the vehicle and when the unit arrived the K9 alerted near the Kia. The sheriff’s office said investigators then searched the Kia and found a loaded firearm, a large amount of cash and prepackaged bags of suspected meth that were allegedly found in a concealed compartment of the Kia’s dashboard. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — David Stein announced his intention to run for re-election as Smith County Republican Party Chairman, seeking a fourth term. According to our news partner KETK, Since 2020, Stein and Smith County Republicans have worked diligently to keep the Party strong and relevant. During that time, Smith County has remained heavily Republican and a model for counties across the state. The Party has recruited more Precinct Chairs, kept finances in great shape, elevated its presence in the community by being visible at events in all areas of the county, and continued to elect strong conservative Republicans to local, state, and federal offices. Read the rest of this entry »