Today is
Friday March 28, 2025
HOUSTON â An impressive feat happened at this years Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. 12-year-old Dallas Martinez sold his championship market barrow pig for $501,000. That broke the old record by over $100,000. According to our news partner KETK, Martinez, who is currently in sixth grade at Center ISD, was named Junior Market Barrow Grand Champion. Dallas is also the first Hispanic student to win the Championship title.
Martinez has been competing in major stock shows since he was 9-years-old and showing pigs since he was 3-years-old . He will take home $50,000 and the rest of the money will go directly to charities supported by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
TYLER – Alexander Scott has been named the new director of bands and an
assistant professor of music at The University of Texas at Tyler. As director of bands, Scott will
oversee UT Tylerâs bands including the Wind Ensemble and the newly formed Concert Band.
He comes to UT Tyler from the University of Michigan, where he served as a graduate student
instructor. Read the rest of this entry »
HOUSTON – Our news partner, KETK, reports that two East Texas men have placed in the top 3 in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) for their final performances at RODEOHOUSTON.
According to PRORODEO, Kincade Henry, 23 of Mount Pleasant, placed second in tie-down roping during the sixth round with a 8.1s performance earning $30,000 and qualifying him for finals. Henry placed fourth in finals with a 9.1s performance, ranking him number 3 in the world for tie roping.
Holden Myers, 25 of Van, placed second in steer wrestling during the sixth round with a 5.2s performance earning $30,000 and qualifying him for finals. Myers placed third in finals with a 4.5s performance, ranking him number 2 in the world for steer wrestling. Three other East Texas men earned world rankings for their performances in team roping (headers), saddle bronc riding and bareback riding during the Houston Rodeo. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Making his mark one mile at a time, our news partner, KETK reports that Kyndal Ray Edwards is taking a journey across America and shining a light on a topic people have a hard time talking about.
A walking testimony, Edwards started his journey in prison, knowing that he wanted to change his life and walk for a cause bigger than himself.
âI want to shed some light on it and let people know that there is hope,â Edwards said.
In order to raise awareness for mental health Edwards will be walking across all four corners of the lower 48 states of America. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK – Rusk Rural Water Supply issued a boil water notice for customers on 25 roads in Cherokee County on Tuesday.
This boil water notice was issued after a main line leak. Our news partner, KETK, has a complete list of all of the roads affected. Any customers on the roads affected should bring any water to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes. To view the compiled list, click here.
If customers have any questions, contact Rusk Rural Water Supply at 903-683-6178 or visit 1055 N Dickinson Dr. in Rusk.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY â Officials have located the body of a man they believe has been missing since January. This is the second body found as part of the missing persons investigation. According to our news partner KETK, the Lufkin Police Department discovered a body they believe to be Michael Allen in the 5900 block of Old Tyler Road in Nacogdoches County. Allenâs family has been notified, however, officials said the body has been sent for an autopsy to confirm the identity.
In February, officials said they found the body of another man, which they believe to be 79-year-old Robert Saxon, who was reported missing at the same time Allen was. The body was found in Sabine Parish, La. Despite it being more than a month since the first body was discovered, the Lufkin Police Department said they are still pending autopsy results to officially identify the body.
At this time, the Lufkin Police Department said John Wayne McCroskey is a suspect and is being questioned. He is being held in the Angelina County Jail on unrelated charges.
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Tyler Police Department is warning residents of scammers pretending to be local or federal law enforcement in order to ask victims for money. A victim of a scammer recently reported the incident to the Tyler PD stating that she received a call from somebody claiming to be a U.S. Marshal. The victim was instructed to pay money and received an additional call from someone claiming to be a member of the Tyler PD and told her she would be arrested if she did not pay the money.
The Tyler PD released a statement claiming that they would never ask anyone to pay them money over the phone. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that an elderly man has died after falling from a ladder while trimming trees Monday afternoon. According to the Smith County Sheriffâs Office, around 4:30 p.m., deputies responded to a home in the Chapel Hill area off of Highway 64, where they found 76-year-old Bobby Finley dead in his yard.
Officials said Finley was standing on a ladder while trimming a tree in his yard with a chainsaw when a limb he cut fell into the ladder, knocking him to the ground. The sheriffâs office believes Finley hit his head and back area when he fell to the ground, ultimately causing his death.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – An Edgewood man was arrested after deputies reportedly found illegal narcotics inside his vehicle. According to the Van Zandt County Sheriffâs Office and our news partner KETK, on March 17, a Van Zandt County criminal interdiction deputy saw a vehicle committing multiple moving violations and initiated a traffic stop.
The deputy saw multiple indicators that the people in the vehicle were possibly concealing something illegal. A Wills Point PD K9 unit performed a search around the vehicle, and officers were alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics. During the search, officials said suspected meth was located on Timothy Dwayne Henson of Edgewood. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the fourth annual “Sources of Strength” Retreat is expected to host over 200 students from 11 different high schools from all over East Texas this week.
Next Step Community Solutions, a Texas-based nonprofit, will host this retreat on Wednesday at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler. Sources of Strength is a peer-led suicide prevention program. The evidence-based conference-style retreat will feature different groups and adult leaders that will rotate through sessions.
âEach year we are able to bring more students together and celebrate all that theyâve accomplished over the past school year while also teaching them new ways to grow,â Sources of Strength program manager Adriana Gonzalez said. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK – The Good Samaritan Food Pantry and Thrift Store is used to giving to people but over the past few weeks the nonprofit said theyâve had several thefts from the donation center in Rusk. Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Rusk Police Department has posted several photos of nine different thieves, and seven of them have been identified with assistance from the public.
âThe donations are sold here in the thrift store, and then the proceeds are used to buy food for our food pantry and that feeds the community,â Good Samaritan Public Relations, Lana Z said. âSo, when those donations are being stolen, itâs taking the funds that we are able to buy food for.â Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY â A $2 million bond has been set for an East Texas man arrested for allegedly killing his sister Monday in Henderson County. According to the Henderson County Sheriffâs Office, deputies responded to the shooting of 30-year-old Samantha Moore in the Bonita Point subdivision just outside of Gun Barrel City. Moore was transported to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries.
According to our news partner KETK, deputies learned Mooreâs brother, John Tyler Clague, 37 of Mabank, had shot her and fled the home. Investigators learned that Clague had been taken to a home in the Harbor Point subdivision. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — The Greater Longview United Way, LANFest and CableLynx Broadband are teaming up to host the inaugural East Texas Gamer Con this Friday and Saturday, according to our news partner KETK.
âGaming has the power to bring people together, and through ETX Gamer Con, weâre channeling that connection into meaningful community support,â said Dr. Evan Dolive, the executive director of the Greater Longview United Way. âWhen you participate in this event, youâre not just playing games â youâre helping provide meals to families in need, supporting after-school programs for our youth, and ensuring our neighbors have access to vital health services.â
The conventionâs lineup consists of the following exciting activities: Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY â A Smith County couple has been arrested after a 9-year-old girl accused her stepfather of sexually assaulting her, according to our news partner KETK. The Smith County Sheriffâs Office became aware of the case on March 12 after a CPS worker reported a 9-year-old girl was reportedly being touched inappropriately by her stepfather, Damian Francisco.
The incidents were reported to have occurred in the familyâs home in Tyler. The CPS worker was alerted to the case after the victim, records indicate, told teachers at her school that her stepfather had touched her inappropriately.
Following the report, the victim was taken to the Childrenâs Advocacy Center (CAC) where a forensic interview was conducted. The affidavit stated that the victim cried for the first portion of the interview and claimed that her mother told her that it was her fault they had to do the interview. The victim said the mother threatened she and her siblings may not see her again. Read the rest of this entry »
GUN BARREL CITY â According to our news partner KETK, the Henderson County Sheriffâs Office arrested a man wanted in connection to a fatal shooting that happened near Gun Barrel City on Monday. The shooting happened near Bonita Point which is just outside of Gun Barrel City in Henderson County. Officials identified the man they were searching for as John Clague. The sheriffâs office reported that the body of Clagueâs sister was found dead on Monday.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said Clague was in a travel trailer on a property in the Harbor Point subdivision. The tactical team responded to the property to try and contact Clague. He then allegedly tried to run from the trailer but was apprehended by a K9 unit. Hillhouse said that EMS was checking out Clague for injuries before he gets transported to the Henderson County Jail.