Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of mobile home fire that killed one person. The Smith County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from a person in a mobile home on FM14, in rural Smith County, near Briar Rose Venue. The caller reported a fire at her residence. Fire crews were sent at once to the scene. They discovered heavy fire in front of the mobile home. However, they could not engage in a rescue. After the fire was extinguished, 67-year-old Sherry Denise Jones found inside her home, deceased. The fire remains under investigation by the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Want a handy tool in converting text to audio? Go get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called ElevenReader. You can find ElevenReader in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Road 177 will be closed starting Thursday September 4, as part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s Old Jacksonville Highway widening project. TxDOT has informed Smith County that the road will be closed where it intersects with Farm-to-Market Road 2493, for three to four weeks. Drivers can look for message boards with detour information in the area.
How would you like to find the best price on whatever you want? Then get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Reprice. You can download Reprice in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
TYLER – A lockdown at UT Health East Texas in Tyler was lifted at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday after reports of a person carrying a gun at the Olympic Plaza. At a press conference that afternoon, Tyler Police Department public information officer Andy Erbaugh, said witnesses saw an argument between two people, when one of them flashed a gun. That’s when the active shooter alarm was activated.
Erbaugh said law enforcement responded to the alert within seconds. While the original call came from the Olympic Plaza, there were reports of a person going to the main hospital using the skyview over the chapel area on the second floor. But, officials didn’t not locate that person. Erbaugh stated the person wanted is a black man wearing green hospital scrubs. He noted, no shots were fired and no injuries have been reported. The hospital is functioning back to normal. Tyler Police asks residents if you see or know something about Tuesdays events, to call law enforcement.
RAINS COUNTY – 
NET Health received confirmation of a travel-related positive case of measles in an adult resident of Rains County, Texas. The individual has voluntarily remained isolated at their residence throughout their contagious period and has recovered from their case of measles. Persons who have been fully vaccinated against measles with two doses of the MMR vaccine have a very low risk of contracting the disease. However, unvaccinated individuals remain at higher risk, as do those in some other groups, including:
Children too young to have received both doses of the MMR vaccine yet
Anyone who have received only one dose of MMR
Those with compromised immune systems Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report that the lockdown has since been lifted, the Tyler Police Department confirmed. During a press conference at around noon on Tuesday, Tyler Police Department PIO Andy Erbaugh said witnesses saw an argument between two people and one of them displayed a gun. At that point, the active shooter alarm was activated. Erbaugh said law enforcement responded within seconds. The original call came from the Olympic Plaza on Beckham Avenue. Other reports stated the person was heading to the main hospital using the skyview over the chapel area on the second floor; however, officials did not locate the person. Other law enforcement then arrived at the scene to help clear the hospital floor by floor. Authorities are currently reviewing footage. Read the rest of this entry »
Is keeping track of your television remotes as real chore? Get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Roomi. You can download Roomi in the Apple Store.
LIBERTY CITY – A shooting Monday afternoon at Hugh Camp Memorial Park in Liberty City has claimed two lives. According to our news partner KETK, killed were 49-year-old Shawn Blake and his 16-year old daughter, Hailey. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday morning the suspect in the shooting is Christopher Hicks Jr. Hicks was taken to a hospital after suffering self-inflicted life-threatening injuries.
Because Hicks was Hailey Blake’s boyfriend, Deputy Chief Craig Harrington said, “This incident was believed to be a targeted attack and not a random act of violence.”
The sheriff’s office asks if anybody witnessed the shooting, to please contact them.
LINDALE – City officials are closing Commerce Street in downtown Lindale starting on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the street will be closed for around five to six weeks while crews work on the Highway 16 drainage improvement project. While work is being done, drivers will be able to turn left off of Highway 16 onto Waters Street. The city asks drivers to plan ahead, especially when there is movement with school traffic.
LINDALE – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office confirms 17 people have reportedly been injured after six vehicles and two 18-wheelers were involved in a crash on Interstate 20 near Lindale Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, the crash occurred on Interstate 20, westbound near mile marker 558. Those injured were take to local hospitals for treatment. No fatalities have been reported.
LINDALE – Multiple people have reportedly been injured after several vehicles were involved in an 18-wheeler crash on Interstate 20 near Lindale on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office confirms multiple vehicles and possibly two 18-wheelers in the crash. The crash site is on Interstate 20, westbound near mile marker 558, east of Highway 69. I-20 is closed heading west from Jim Hogg Road.
TYLER – According to a press release from the Tyler Police Department, on Wednesday, August 27th Tyler Police Officers responded to the Wal-Mart located on Hwy 64 W in response to a man picking up a large beverage order that was purchased with stolen credit cards.
An investigation showed that a subject, identified as Israel Arroyo, 43, from Tyler, had made multiple pick-ups from online orders at multiple different Wal-Marts in Tyler with stolen credit cards. On August 28th, Investigators recovered over $5,100 in stolen beverages from Arroyo’s residence. The total amount of theft was over $21,000.
Israel Arroyo was arrested for state felony Debit/Credit Card Abuse. He was booked into the Smith County Jail. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges could be filed.
Do you need new ideas on building with Legos? Go download David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Brickit. You can get Brickit in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
TYLER — A new hotel is coming to downtown Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the Blackstone Hotel is being developed by Houston-based company, Valencia Hotel Group. The hotel is expected to have 144 rooms, a 5,700 square-foot meeting space and a ballroom terrace overlooking downtown Tyler.
The Blackstone Hotel is expected to bring in new jobs, create business opportunities and improve city services funded by tourism-driven tax revenue. Incentives for Tyler for the project will be capped at $12 million and will be entirely funded from dollars generated by the hotel. Doyle Graham, the CEO of Valencia, says construction will start immediately, and take about 42 months to complete construction.