Today is
Sunday July 19, 2026
TYLER – The Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler hosted the kick-off event for the Texas Rose Festival on Friday.
The Texas Rose Festival is three months away. The association held an event to thank out-of-town guests, volunteers, and sponsors after a long week of rehearsals.
“The volunteers really push it and run it and without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, same with the choreographers. They do a lot, but it’s the smallest house to the biggest things,” Texas Rose Festival Princess, Brynn Ballard said.
All week, members of the court have been practicing their bows and walks for the long-awaited coronation. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – An investigation into cockfighting taking place in Van Zandt County led to over 180 roosters being seized and one man being placed into custody.
According to our news partner KETK and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was launched on June 26 after receiving a report of suspected cockfighting activity at the property.
Following an investigation, members of the sheriff’s office, the Wills Point Police Department, and the SPCA of Texas obtained a search warrant at a home on Van Zandt County Road 1118 near Grand Saline.
During the search, officials allegedly seized 181 roosters, U.S. currency, and cockfighting paraphernalia, along with a trailer that was believed to be used to transport the roosters. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – CHRISTUS Health Mount Pleasant celebrated the opening of its new Birthing Suite, a thoughtfully designed space created to enhance the childbirth experience for growing families across the region.
The new suite offers a welcoming, personalized and family-centered environment while maintaining the highest standards of obstetrical care.
“This new birthing suite reflects our commitment to providing exceptional patient-centered care in an environment designed to make families feel comfortable, supportive and at home,” said Nichole Quezada, labor and delivery director. “Welcoming a new child into the world is one of life’s most meaningful moments, and we are proud to offer families in our community an enhanced experience that combines compassionate care, privacy and peace of mind.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – A man accused of capital murder in relation to the shooting of a Tyler man in 2017 has been transferred to the Smith County Jail. Quadaverine Allison, a Longview resident, is presently serving a 25-year prison term at the Allred Unit for aggravated robbery.
Allison and Jakysia Rodgers were indicted in April of this year for capital murder in the Tyler shooting that killed Joshua Alon McGee, 22, on August 11, 2017. According to police, a detective received fresh information that advanced the cold case and resulted in grand jury indictments.
Rodgers and Allison were both incarcerated at the time for unrelated offenses. According to jail records, Allison was transferred to the Smith County Jail on Tuesday in connection with the capital murder charge.
According to court records, Allison’s capital murder case has no scheduled hearings. Rodgers was given a 20-year prison sentence after entering a guilty plea to the lesser charge of murder in June. Prior to the capital murder indictment, he was already serving a 20-year sentence for an unrelated aggravated assault charge in 2024.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Starting Friday, Van Zandt County’s County Road 4414 (Tank Farm Road) bridge over Interstate 20 is closed. The Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation announced the closure, citing the need for workers to examine and fix the bridge’s damage. Until further notice, the closure is in place. Traffic heading north is being diverted to the FM 16 underpass via the frontage roads. The frontage roads leading to the Oakland/Colfax overpass are being used by southbound traffic. It is advised that drivers prepare ahead of time and, if necessary, take a different route.
SMITH COUNTY — The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles online system is down statewide, so the Smith County Tax Office cannot process auto registration renewals or title work at this time, according to the county’s Facebook page.
Smith County Tax-Assessor Collector Gary Barber said the system went down Thursday afternoon and it was still down when they came to work Friday morning. He is not sure when it will be back up but we will alert the public when that happens.
TYLER — Two men pleaded not guilty on Thursday after an ICE and FBI operation in June, after being accused of transporting illegal immigrants. Arturo Alcantar-Perez and Guillermo Limon-Sanchez pleaded not guilty today in federal court in Tyler to charges including conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, trafficking in false identification documents and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to our news partner KETK, the two men were arrested on June 2 during an FBI and ICE operation at Ximena’s Furniture Store in North Tyler.
The charges stem from an alleged conspiracy to harbor and transport undocumented immigrants that began in May 2023. Alcantar-Perez and Limon-Sanchez remain in the custody of U.S. Marshals following their court appearance.
Two women, Virginia Valdivia and Keyla Valdivia, were also charged in connection with the case, facing the same three charges as Alcantar-Perez and Limon-Sanchez. Read the rest of this entry »
TRINIDAD – Trinidad City Administrator Cynthia Dosier resigned from her position on Wednesday as the city continues to deal with their ongoing water system issues. Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws announced both Dossier’s resignation and the resignation of city employee Sandra Rojas on Wednesday. In a social media post, Haws said that he’s contacted the Texas Municipal League (TML) for advice on how to work through these resignations.
“I want to make you aware that this will undoubtedly create some issues at City Hall as we transition through this and I apologize for any inconveniences,” Haws said on Thursday. “I have contacted TML this morning to get their guidance on working through this, we will seek interim staffing through organizations they are associated with so that we can have qualified individuals that can start working through issues immediately.”
Dosier’s and Rojas’s resignations came after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently found that Trinidad’s public water system has three alleged violations, which were only found after multiple residents submitted complaints to the state because of unclean drinking water. Read the rest of this entry »
ANDERSON COUNTY – The Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District took no action during a public hearing today on proposed rule changes to drilling permits. The proposed changes are being considered as Dallas investor Kyle Bass is suing the District for access to drill in Anderson County.
According to our news partner KETK, the District is considering six proposed rule changes, including potential updates to water permitting, emergency planning and overall groundwater use. The hearing also provided an opportunity for District board members to hear additional public comment.
State Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville attended the hearing as she looks to clarify the current permitting rules. Bass applied last year to drill 21 high-capacity wells in Anderson County. These proposed wells could potentially extract 10 billion gallons of water per year from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.
UPSHUR COUNTY – The County Commissioners’ Court unanimously voted to join the future Northeast Texas Groundwater Conservation District on Wednesday, according to our news partner KETK. Upshur County Precinct 1 Commissioner Gene Dolle said they voted to join the planned district as part of a growing effort to conserve the area’s underground water resources.
Smith and Gregg County Commissioners have also voted to join the district recently. According to Dolle, the effort to create the district has been spearheaded in Upshur County by their recently elected County Judge L. Brandon Dodd. Dodd is working closely with State Rep. Jay Dean, a longtime champion of local water conservation.
The district will be comprised of anywhere between a dozen and 16 East Texas counties that sit over the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and aren’t yet a part of a groundwater conservation district. It would be led by its own board and the East Texas Council of Governments, and work with state lawmakers, and individual counties to help safeguard local water resources.
GREGG COUNTY – A man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of his seventh DWI conviction on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, Jeffry Scott Web was found guilty of driving while intoxicated three or more times. The jury deliberated only 45 minutes on the sentence, according to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office.
Officials said Wednesday’s conviction stems from a report to the Longview Police Department of a drunk driver at the Majestic Inn motel. Upon arriving to the scene, responding officers spoke to a witness that claimed a man drove around the parking lot, parked and stumbled out of his vehicle into a motel room.
Motel security footage was later shown to the officers, which confirmed what the witness had said. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Beginning Saturday, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office will increase traffic enforcement along I-20 and Toll 49 in partnership with TxDOT for Operation Slow Down, which looks to keep roads safer. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office said increased stops will take place around portions of I-20 and Toll 49, to curb speeding, deter aggressive driving and to protect everyone on the road.
The initiative is focusing on decreasing the amount of speeding-related crashes and fatalities across the state. Last year, TxDOT reported that 1,247 people were killed in speed-related crashes.
“Excessive speed makes any crash more dangerous. Higher speeds mean less time to react and a much greater risk of serious injury or death. We’re asking Texans to slow down and drive with care,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. Read the rest of this entry »
ATHENS — A man could be facing up to 50 years in prison after entering an open plea on Wednesday to the murder of his roommate at a sober living home in February. According to an arrest affidavit, the family members of Derris Reynolds reported him missing in February after last being seen at a sober living residence and asked the property owners to review security footage.
The security footage found that 38-year-old Nicki Lee Gibby, who was also a resident of the home, had entered Reynolds’ bedroom and had a verbal altercation. Later on, the affidavit details that Gibby walked in and out of the bedroom with a mop, bucket and folded towels. Investigators said the video captured Gibby dragging a long, heavy object that appeared to be a human body wrapped in what appeared to be a tarp. The object was dragged down a hallway and out a side door of the home, according to our news partner KETK.
After obtaining a warrant, the Athens Police Department arrested Gibby for murder on March 4. On Wednesday, Henderson County court records say Gibby entered an open plea agreement, with his sentencing hearing set for Oct. 8. He could face up to 50 years in prison if found guilty.
CANTON – Water has been shut off to The Old Mill Marketplace and business owners have 30 days to leave. The land where the businesses operate has new ownership and on July 8th, their water was shut off by the city as the land transferred hands. Business owners said the new owner tried to reconnect the service, but told our news partner KETK there were several violations that had to be fixed before water could be restored.
“He said it’s too expensive. They want him to redo the entire infrastructure,” Buffalo Girls Hotel, Susan Matasse said.
For thirty years, Matasse has run the Buffalo Girls hotel. She now has to tell her loyal customers that they will no longer have a place to stay.
KETK spoke with the new owner on the phone. He did not confirm whether he tried to reconnect the water but said he bought the land as an investment and plans to sell. Read the rest of this entry »