Today is
Friday November 22, 2024
HEARTLAND – An AMBER Alert has been issued Saturday night, for a missing 12-year-old named Connor Young of Heartland, Texas. According to the AMBER Alert, Connor Young is a 12-year-old Black boy with brown hair, weighing 100 pounds and is 5’4″. He was last reported seen in the 2800 block of Lolita Way in Heartland at 12p.m. on July 4 of 2024. The suspect listed in the Amber Alert is Dorcas Young, a 42-year-old Black woman with brown hair, weighing 230 pounds and is 5’4″. DPS released the license plate associated with the suspect vehicle, black 2023 GMC Yukon, as SNH9831. Read the rest of this entry »
HOUSTON (AP) — A helicopter pilot was speaking with an air traffic controller in Houston when the aircraft crashed into a radio tower, killing all four people on board, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Pilot Samantha Grandbouche had contacted the controller after taking off on Oct. 20 for a sightseeing tour of the area and was told minutes later to maintain visual separation from another helicopter in the area, according to the report.
“The pilot was reading the instructions when the radio transmission abruptly ended,†the report said. “No further communications from the accident helicopter were received.â€
The helicopter crashed into a 1,003-foot-tall (306-meter-tall) radio tower about 100 feet (30 meters) from its top and exploded as both the helicopter and tower fell to the ground with portions of the helicopter, including the fuselage, embedded in the tower, the report said.
Grandbouche died in the crash along with passengers Marie Alonso, her former husband Julio “Cesar†Lerma and their elementary-school-aged son Dylon Lerma.
Two of the tower’s three light beacons could be seen flashing on surveillance video, while the third beacon was not visible, according to the report.
The owner of the tower, SBA Communications, told investigators there were no outages to the tower.
The company did not immediately return a message for comment Friday to The Associated Press.
SBA Communications previously said it is cooperating with investigators and a Notice to Air Missions, which informs pilots of potential flight hazards, had been filed, but declined further comment citing the ongoing investigation.
The NTSB report said the notice was filed Oct. 16 after the company acquired the tower in September.
The preliminary report does not provide a probable cause of the crash, which would come in the final report that is expected in 18 to 24 months.
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SMITH COUNTY — Smith County remains under a burn ban after receiving much-needed rainfall on Thursday, October 31. Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue plans on giving an update to the Smith County Commissioners Court at its weekly meeting Tuesday morning. The Commissioners Court would have to vote to approve lifting the 90-day burn ban early if fire conditions improved. The burn ban was enacted on October 8, 2024. “There are chances for rain in the next few days, which could eliminate the need for the burn ban, but we must wait and see.†Hogue said. For more information on the burn ban from Smith County, click here. Our news partner KETK has running list of burn bans in East Texas. You can find it here.
UPDATE: According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, Peace has been located and is in good health. Officials thanked the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, Nacogdoches PD, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Panola County Sheriff’s Office and Marshall PD for their assistance.
RUSK COUNTY – The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in finding a 51-year-old man who is considered missing. According to our news partner KETK, Jason Peace is described as a white man, 5-feet-10-inches tall with a medium build. He was last seen on Oct. 29 a few miles south of Mount Enterprise.
According to the sheriff’s office, Peace is believed to have left his last known location in a white 2013 Dodge Ram 3500. The truck is described as having an auxiliary fuel tank near the front of the flatbed and brackets on the rear for a hay attachment.
The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office asks if anyone has information on the location of Jason Peace, to please call them at (903) 657-3581.
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TYLER – The Tyler Police Department was notified early Wednesday evening of a broken gas line in the 800 block of South Broadway Ave, near the Children’s Park and West Rust St. The northbound lanes of South Broadway will be blocked for an unknown amount of time while Centerpointe Energy works on the issue. Northbound traffic is currently being diverted down East Dobbs St. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes and drive with care in that area.Â
LINDALE — Drivers in Lindale can expect traffic delays following a temporary closure on CR 474 beginning on Monday Nov. 4. According to our news partner KETK, officials from Smith County notified Lindale Police that CR 474, which is also know as Brick Yard Road will be closed for several days because of construction.
A spokesperson for the Lindale Police said “You will be able to drive up to that point from either direction, but you will not be able to drive through 474 until completion of the project.â€
GLADEWATER – Police in Gladewater are asking for help finding a 22-year-old that has been reported missing. According to our news partner KETK, missing is Wesley Don Heist. Wesley is described as 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighs 130 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes and several tattoos.
He was last heard from on Oct. 18 and is known to frequent Longview, Pine Tree and the Ore City areas. GPD asks that anyone with information on Wesley is asked to contact local law enforcement or Gladewater Police Department at 903-845-2166.
TYLER – The Junior League of Tyler, Inc. is holding the 46th annual Mistletoe & Magic November 6-9 at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center. Mistletoe & Magic is a community holiday celebration designed to raises funds and awareness for agencies supports by the Junior League.
The holiday shopping event will feature more than 75 specialty boutiques and merchants from around the nation as well as special events and other exciting entertainment. The Mistletoe & Magic online auction is running through November 10. You will have the opportunity to bid on the best jewelry, gifts, and experiences from the comfort of your home.
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For more information and to purchase tickets for Mistletoe & Magic, click here.
AUSTIN (AP) — A group of news organizations asked a Texas appeals court on Wednesday to order the release of state Department of Public Safety records of the law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, the latest dispute over what should be made public from one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
A judge in Travis County had previously ordered the state police agency to release its records after the news organizations sued for access. The state and the Uvalde district attorney have objected, arguing that their release could jeopardize law enforcement investigations, and the state appealed to keep them out of the public view.
In a hearing before the 15th Court of Appeals, Laura Prather, an attorney for the media organizations, called the attempt to block the records “an attempt to cloak the entire file in secrecy forever. We’re talking about the most significant law enforcement failure in Texas history … The public interest could not be higher.â€
One judge on the panel noted that the DPS records include more than 6 million pages of documents and hundreds of hours of video.
The district attorney’s objection was enough to block the release under Texas law, said Texas Assistant Solicitor General Sara Baumgardner.
“(The media) can make whatever inflammatory allegations about DPS they’d like to make,†Baumgardner said. “Texas courts have recognized that the entity in best position to know what would interfere with a prosecution is the actual prosecutor, not a bunch of news outlets.â€
The appeals court did not indicate when it might rule on the case. Any decision can be appealed to the state Supreme Court.
The Associated Press was not among the news organizations that sued.
A gunman stormed the school on May 24, 2022, killing 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers. More than 370 responding officers from multiple local, state and federal agencies waited more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman.
Other records from the Uvalde shooting have been released. DPS has selectively released some of those findings at news conferences and public hearings at the Legislature.
In August, Uvalde officials released a massive collection of audio and video recordings from body cameras and surveillance videos after a protracted legal fight.
Multiple reports from state federal officials have laid bare cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers.
Two former Uvalde schools police officers face criminal charges over their actions that day, and several victims or their families have filed multiple state and federal lawsuits.
KILGORE– Post Oak Road in Kilgore is closed after a large sinkhole was discovered, that according to our news partner KETK. The sinkhole was found at a creek crossing near Highway 42 and it was revealed that a storm sewer pipe under the road has collapsed. City officials ask that drivers use caution in the area. The road will be closed until next April while repairs are made.
GREGG COUNTY – Traffic on I-20 was backing up as officials deal with a stalled cattle hauler on the interstate. According to our news partner KETK, the 18-wheeler hauling cattle has reportedly stalled out on I-20 westbound late Wednesday morning, near Highways 31 and 42. DPS Sgt. Adam Albritton asks the drivers use caution in that area, as traffic is being impacted as they offload cattle from the vehicle. Officials said this could take several hours.
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AUSTIN – The Texas District and County Attorney Association recently named Smith County Assistant District Attorneys Chris Gatewood and Richard Vance as the Lone Star Prosecutor Of The Year. According to a release from the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, Gatewood and Vance, successfully prosecuted an intoxicated defendant who struck and killed Smith County Sheriff’s Deputy Lorenzo Bustos while he was conducting a traffic stop.
The TDCAA is the statewide organization that provides training, collaboration, and support to all of the County and District Attorney offices across the state. The Lone Star Prosecutor of the Year award is given by the TDCAA annually to a prosecutor or prosecutors who have demonstrated outstanding legal knowledge, dedication to justice, and a profound impact on their community.
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