Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
HENDERSON — Tyler Pipe had a grand opening Monday for its new transload facility at the Henderson Industrial Park. According to our news partner KETK, the purpose of the center is to transfer goods from one mode of transportation to another until they reach their destination. With Henderson’s location to railways, officials feel the transload facility is a good fit for Tyler Pipe.
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SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Jury Duty has been cancelled for Election Day Tuesday November 7. If you have received a jury summons to appear on Tuesday, you do not have to report to the Smith County Courthouse and there is no action required from you. For more information click here.
PANOLA COUNTY – A man was arrested on Tuesday in Panola County after officials said he had barricaded himself inside his grandmother’s home with a gun, according to our news partners at KETK. According to Sheriff Cutter Clinton, a caller reported around 3:45 p.m. that a man, identified as Bradley Clakley, “had assaulted his grandmother and chased her to the neighbor’s house with a gun.†The caller reportedly told authorities Clakley went back to his grandmother’s house and was inside with a gun. Clinton said the sheriff’s office responded to the scene on CR 407 in the Antioch community, blocked off the area and began to negotiate with him. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety said that one person is dead after an ATV and vehicle crashed on State Highway 21 on Saturday night. Our news colleagues at KETK report that around 9 p.m. on Saturday, a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe was travelling southwest on State Highway 21 when a 2007 Honda ATV turned State Highway 21 west. According to Texas DPS, the driver of the Tahoe had limited visibility and could not see the ATV clearly. The Tahoe and the ATV collided and the driver of the ATV, Ronterreal Mumphrey, 36 of Alto, was ejected from the ATV. Mumphrey was pronounced dead at UT Health in Tyler. The driver of the Tahoe was taken to a hospital in Jacksonville. DPS is continuing to investigate the crash.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office has reported the arrest of an East Texas man in connection with a Canton shooting incident on Sunday according to our news partners at KETK. On Sunday, Canton police and Van Zandt County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of shots fired at an address on State Highway 64 near Canton. Officials reportedly found a male standing outside shooting a firearm and at one point he allegedly shot in the direction of officers. No one was injured. Richard Homer, 64, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault against a public servant and disorderly conduct discharging firearm and has since bonded out on a $100,000 combined bond, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.
TYLER – A former Tyler ISD teacher was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty on Monday to sexual assault of a child and having an improper relationship with a student. According to our news partner KETK, authorities arrested 29-year-old Andre Jefferson of Tyler in February when the grandparent of a middle school student’s friend saw messaging between about her relationship with Jefferson.
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TYLER – The Tyler Police Department have identified a suspect for putting graffiti on the New Jerusalem Baptist Church. According to our news partner KETK, the suspect is identified as 49-year-old Ronald Cunningham of Tyler. Cunningham was contacted by law enforcement and issued a citation for criminal mischief.
NACOGDOCHES – From his desk, Steve Bartlett can see Nacogdoches’ historic downtown, beautiful if worn down by centuries of residents who have called this place home. Uneven sidewalks are difficult for residents with mobility issues to navigate. And tightly-crowded roads present unsafe conditions for drivers. Underground, water flows through 100-year-old lines repaired in bits and pieces with PVC pipe. The infrastructure is beyond its useful life and has reached a point where patchwork repairs no longer suffice. “We’re the ‘oldest town’ in Texas and have the oldest infrastructure in Texas,†Bartlett, the city’s director of public works, said, referring to the town’s motto. City leaders in this East Texas town of 32,137 people — which traces its first settlement to 1716 and its first government to 1779 — are asking residents to approve a series of propositions this election that would allow them to borrow $44 million for capital improvements according to reporting in the Texas Tribune. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – FBI Dallas officials visited Tyler to discuss increasing reports of hate crimes in East Texas according to our news partners at KETK. On Wednesday, the FBI Dallas division officials and local authorities were at T.R Griffith Park in Tyler to discuss the impact hate crimes have on East Texas. According to the FBI, law enforcement agencies reported more than 11,000 incidents involving over 13,000 victims of hate crimes in 2022. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick in hate crime reporting,†said Chad Yarbrough, Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field. Anti-African American, anti-Jewish and anti-gay are the top three and with the tension in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, there’s been a rise in threats. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Law enforcement is asking for the public’s help in locating a man who vandalized a church last Friday night. According to our news partner KETK, authorities say the man rode a bicycle to the New Jerusalem Baptist Church on N. Border Ave. and put graffiti on the church. Police say the suspect is described as a white male, possibly with facial hair, wore a raincoat and had a traffic cone on his head. Tyler PD asks if you can identify the person to please call them.
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy ranked within the top 100 pharmacy schools in the nation to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2022. In 2022, the NIH awarded only 21% of the applications with funding. Established in 2015, the Fisch College of Pharmacy ranked among many more established pharmacy colleges with greater numbers of faculty members.“In the short time that FCOP has been in existence, these efforts demonstrate the passion and commitment of our faculty, supported by many talented post docs and students,†said Dr. Amy
Schwartz, Fisch College of Pharmacy dean. “We look forward to the future.†Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – Our colleagues at KETK report the Palestine Police Department says a traffic stop led to the arrest of two people charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. On Oct. 11 at around 8:50 a.m., a Palestine officer conducted a traffic stop in the 700 block of West Palestine Avenue. The driver was identified as William Charles Waller, 35, and the passenger as Debra Leann Alton, 33. During a search of the vehicle, the officer allegedly found: Read the rest of this entry »
TITUS COUNTY – According to our news partners at KETK, two people were arrested in Titus County on Tuesday after officials said they attempted to sell stolen materials. According to the sheriff’s office, investigators received information that Troy Blackwell, 50, and Krista Blackwell, 39, were selling suspicious material “that is unique to the oil and gas field production industry and confirmed that this latest and previous sale involved property stolen from XTO.†XTO is a subsidiary of ExxonMobil and is an oil and natural gas producer. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Smith County Commissioners Court and former Commissioners officially broke ground Wednesday October 25 on construction of a five-story parking garage that will serve the parking needs of downtown Tyler. Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said, “Although years of work have already taken place regarding the new parking facility and courthouse, our celebration today represents the transition from envisioning and planning to the actual, tangible breaking of ground. I could not be more excited to see the dreams of many become reality.â€
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Longview man federally charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is set to plead guilty as part of a plea agreement in November. Ryan Nichols, 32, has rejected previous plea deal offers from government prosecutors, and is accused of several crimes stemming from the riot ranging from civil disorder to assaulting federal officers. In a motion filed by the defense, it said “Mr. Nichols is set to plead guilty in this Court sometime around the trial date.†A plea agreement hearing has been set for Nov. 7. The government said in a previous court filing they had planned to present evidence in a trial focusing on “the defendant’s own words.†Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. There are 14 Constitutional Amendments on the ballot for everyone in Smith County. The Cities of Whitehouse and Overton, and the Whitehouse and Lindale Independent School Districts are each holding special elections. Click here for a list of voting locations in Smith County. Click here to view a sample ballot.
TYLER – Joseph Brewer of Tyler, is a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at The University of Texas at Tyler. Brewer has also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is now receiving $5,000 as a 2023 “Help A Hero†Scholar. The scholarship comes from VFW Carl Webb Post 1799 in Tyler and Sports Clips. Brewer is a research assistant in the Enhancing Lives and Experiences of Veterans Affected by Traumatic Events or ELEVATE Research Lab at UT Tyler said, “I appreciate Sport Clips and the VFW for selecting me for the Help A Hero scholarship. It made a huge difference in my life. Everyone who donated money has helped keep my educational goals alive, and for that I am deeply appreciative of all who played a part in it.â€
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TYLER, Texas – The Kings Academy Christian School girls volleyball team won the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organizations state volleyball championship on Saturday in San Antonio. According to our news partner KETK, besides winning the Texas title, Ainslee, Ella, Reagan and Symie also made the Division 2 All Stars team.
TYLER – As the search for a Speaker of The House is ongoing, Congressman Nathaniel Moran says that Republicans need to find a leader to advance their priorities in their conference. Those being border security and support for Israel. With the events in the Mideast and budget crisis Moran said, “There’s a lot of bi-partisan issues that we could get to, especially as it relates to Israel right now, that we absolutely can’t take action on until we get a speaker. As I’ve said from the beginning, it doesn’t matter if you like Speaker McCarthy or not, three weeks ago was the absolute worst time to vacate and we’ve seen exactly why,†Moran said. “We knew appropriations was time sensitive at the time, we couldn’t have predicted Israel but now that we’ve had that it’s even more so that we need leadership here that can actually help the House function. We have a job to do.â€
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LONGVIEW — A former Longview ISD employee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday for multiple counts of injury to a child. According to our news partner KETK, Paula Dixon, 60 of Longview, was arrested in July 2022 along with five other women that year in connection to abuse allegations against special education students at J.L. Everhart Elementary. In her indictment, it said Dixon forced children against a wall, struck them with a stick and pushed a child “with the knee of Defendant and by sitting on [the child.]†Former Longview ISD employees Cecelia Gregg, Cynthia Talley and Dixon were “released from employment,†according to the district, in October 2021 after their discovery of the abuse allegations. Gregg has a trial date set for Dec. 11, and Talley has a hearing set for Dec. 6. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON — Our news partners at KETK report that the City Council of Henderson appointed David Hill as an interim City Attorney on Tuesday by unanimous vote at its monthly meeting.Hill is slated to take over the position after Joe Edward Shumate officially resigned before his arrest on Oct. 5 and was charged with two felony counts regarding a client’s finances and property. Hill is a former Henderson City Attorney and is currently running for 4th District Judge in Rusk County. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue was called out around 3 p.m. Tuesday due to an gas leak on CR 2162, near Troup. Hogue said the portion of CR 2162 closed is about one-half mile east of CR 135 between Arp and Troup. Smith County Road and Bridge crews put traffic barricades in place to divert traffic.
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NEW SUMMERFIELD – A 71-year-old woman is dead after a house fire in New Summerfield on Monday, according to our news partner KETK. Officials with the New Summerfield Police Department said the call came in around 5:30 p.m. and fire units responded to the scene at 311 Limbaugh Road where the woman was found. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called and officials said they are at the scene, as of Tuesday, to investigate the fire.
WHITEHOUSE – Residents of the City of Whitehouse will have an extra choice to make on their ballot this November. In addition to the statewide Constitutional Amendment propositions, Whitehouse citizens will also be able to vote in a Special Election called by the City Council. The purpose of this measure, which will be listed as Proposition A on the ballot, is to change how the City’s taxes are reported to the State and how existing tax dollars are spent in the City of Whitehouse. If it passes, Whitehouse will offer greater transparency on the amount of property taxes collected, direct more existing funds to economic development, and reduce the impact of government regulations coming out of Austin. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – A wreck involving an 18-wheeler and a motorcycle in Henderson County left a Mabank man dead on Friday according to our colleagues at KETK. According to a preliminary report from DPS, a 2008 Kenworth Truck Tractor towing a trailer was going east on FM 85 at 2:53 p.m., roughly three miles west of Seven Points. A 2004 Harley Davidson was going west on FM 85 when the truck tractor reportedly failed to yield the right of way and turned left on FM 2613 in front of the semi. Trapped driver freed after crashing into tree in Gun Barrel City. 50-year-old Ray Robert Stickinger from Mabank died at the scene. The driver of the truck tractor was not injured.
ANGELINA COUNTY – Two people were hospitalized in critical condition after a shooting at an Angelina County nightclub according to our news colleagues at KETK. According to Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman, deputies responded to the Cabbage Patch club at 482 Charlton Road in the early morning hours Sunday. Deputies found 20-year-old Destini Dodd and 30-year-old Trevor Devon Parks at the scene with gunshot wounds. A Lufkin Fire Department ambulance took both victims to a Lufkin hospital before moving them to Houston area hospitals due to their life-threatening wounds. Read the rest of this entry »
MOUNT PLEASANT – Our news partners at KETK report that two people have been charged with capital murder in connection to the death of a 23-month-old child. According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department, 25-year-old Jermaine Tyrelle Hooks and 25-year-old Chelsea Lashaun Davis were arrested and later indicted for capital murder, and a warrant was issued for Davis for interference with public duties. Police said they received information on July 2 regarding the death of Davis’ 23-month-old daughter. The child had been taken to Children’s Medical Center where she died from her injuries. “After receiving the information and based on the child’s injuries, an investigation into the death was started,†MPPD said in a statement. “The investigation ultimately led to probable cause for the arrest of Davis and Hooks.†Davis and Hooks were arrested on Oct. 12 and booked into the Titus County Jail.
TYLER – Our news colleagues at KETK report that three East Texas men were arrested Thursday and Friday by the Department of Public Safety after an undercover sting. According to officials with DPS, the investigation was led by their criminal investigations division and coordinated stings led to the arrests. Ian Bell, 20 of Tyler, was arrested on Thursday for online solicitation of a minor. Sergio Rubalcava, 28 of Kilgore, was arrested on Friday for soliciting someone under 18 and Tyler Sieber, 28 of Whitehouse, was arrested on Friday for online solicitation of a minor. They are each being held on a $100,000 bond.
HENDERSON – According to a Rusk County Sheriff’s Office release and our news partners at KETK, a Henderson man was charged with felony of possession of a controlled substance. Joel Gibbs Jr., 47, of Henderson, was arrested at the scene where a search warrant was being executed after deputies allegedly found meth, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a prohibited weapon. His bond was set at $80,000.
GILMER – A Gilmer ISD teacher was placed on administrative leave after allegations of inappropriate communication with a student according to our colleagues at KETK. In a letter sent to Gilmer ISD parents Wednesday night, Superintendent Rick Albritton assured parents that the district “is taking all responsive action necessary and appropriate, including removal of the educator pending investigation and reporting to the appropriate authorities.†Albritton told KETK News that police have been notified and an internal investigation is underway. Parents or students with information relevant to the investigation are asked to contact Albritton at 903-841-7400.