Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that a man was arrested early Friday morning after driving his pickup truck through the entrance of a vape shop in Smith County.
According to the Community Outreach Coordinator for Smith County Emergency Services District 2, Nikki Simmons, Battalion 1, Engine 156, and Engine 161 arrived at Just Smoke in Gresham after hearing reports of a vehicle driving through the front of the shop.
Once on the scene, officials observed a Ford pickup inside the building and found the driver outside of the store with no apparent injuries. The driver refused to be transported to the hospital and was arrested by members of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Oncor crews were also on the scene to assess for any substantial electrical damage.
At this time, officials have not released the identity of the driver.
TYLER – 
The Tyler Police Department has confirmed that a man died on Saturday after a vehicle fell on him according to our news partners at KETK. The Tyler Patrolman’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police lodge for Tyler officers, said that officers responded to assist EMS at a property on South Palace Avenue on Saturday. According to Tyler PD, the man was under his car when a jack failed, causing the car to fall onto him. The man was freed by officers and EMS took him to a local hospital where Tyler PD confirmed that he died. The Tyler Patrolman’s Association said the Tyler PD Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the man’s death.
ANDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, an arrest affidavit revealed the two East Texas parents that were arrested for child neglect claimed their infant wasn’t getting the proper care because the father is a “naturalist,” meanwhile, detectives discovered bottles filled with mold, maggots covering the trash can and traces of methamphetamine.
On Tuesday, a child abuse and neglect investigation was opened for a six-month-old infant. The report first came from Child Protective Services (CPS) after the infant was taken to an emergency room in Athens on July 3 for a rash by her parents, Devon Langley and Cheyanne McGinty.
“After further inspection by medical staff, they recommended the baby needed to get further medical advice from Children’s Medical Center located in Dallas due to the apparent signs of malnutrition, [the baby] was born at seven pounds, eight ounces on Dec. 24, 2024 and weighed eight pounds as of July 4,” the document said. “Both parents denied transporting the baby to Dallas via ambulance due to the cost of bills and gas.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tyler – 
Discovery Science Place welcomes East Texas educators to its annual Educator Open House on Friday, July 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. This free event is designed exclusively for teachers and school staff, offering a preview of educational programming for the upcoming school year, along with hands-on STEM fun and networking.
The Open House, held inside the Discovery Science Place Museum at 308 N. Broadway Ave. in downtown Tyler, is for adults only and open to anyone working in education. Attendees will enjoy museum access, classroom activity ideas, free food from Jucy’s Tacos, and the chance to win door prizes. The evening is also an opportunity to learn about field trip offerings and in-school programs designed to bring science to life for students of all ages.
“This event is our way of saying thank you to educators and equipping them with tools to make science education even more engaging,” said Bradley Lindsey, Director of Education at Discovery Science Place. “We want teachers to leave inspired, connected, and excited about the resources we can offer them throughout the school year.”
Peltier Chevrolet serves as the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Educator Open House. Additional support is provided by East Lake Medical, Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers, Cooperative Teachers Credit Union, VeraBank, Sinclair Law Office, and Cavender’s Boot City.
Admission to the event is free. Learn more at http://www.discoveryscienceplace.org/educator.
TYLER — 
Bishop of Tyler Gregory Kelly has announced a special collection at Masses this weekend to raise aid for those affected by the Central Texas flooding, according to our news partners at KETK. According to Kelly, the special collection will occur on July 12 through July13 and support efforts will be coordinated through the Catholic Charities of East Texas. Those who attend are encouraged to consider donating financial aid by participating in the special collection. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — 
Our news partner KETK reports that after the Texas House and Senate approved House Bill 1481, which bans students from using cell phones during school hours, school districts across East Texas are now working to update their policies to comply with the new law. H.B. 1481 now requires public schools to develop a plan to implement these new regulations. The bill passed the House on April 24 with 128 votes in favor, and the Senate approved it a month later with a unanimous 31 votes. Electronics now banned include telephones, cell phones (such as smartphones or flip phones), tablets, smartwatches, radio devices, paging devices, and any other device capable of telecommunication and digital communication. Read the rest of this entry »
CANTON– After serving for the past 15 years as the chief of the City of Canton Fire Rescue, Bud Sandford announced his retirement on Friday according to our news partner KETK.
Through his 15 years as chief, Sandford has been instrumental in growing the fire department from mostly a team of volunteers to a team of mostly career firefighters. “He will be greatly missed by all the men and women who’ve had the honor to serve alongside him,” City of Canton Fire Rescue said. “Thanks to the solid foundation he’s laid, we’re ready to keep growing and advancing into the future!”
WINONA – Smith County Emergency Services District 2 has confirmed that at least one person has been injured after 2 SUVs crashed into each other on Highway 271.
According to our news partner KETK, the Winona Volunteer Fire Department and Gladewater Fire Department were called out to a crash in the 23,000 block of Highway 271 at around 12:43 p.m. on Friday. At least one person was injured in the crash and had to be transported away by a UT Health EMS helicopter.
The crash reportedly happened when a black SUV and a white SUV collided head-on, injuring at least one person. Firefighters at the scene had to tie off the black SUV to keep it from falling into a ditch. The crash blocked Highway 271 on Friday but first responders are working to clear the roadway.
TYLER – In addition to more than a dozen legislative items set to be discussed in an upcoming special session, select committees will be formed by the state legislature to look into flood issues according to our news partner KETK.
“We are not going to be able to protect Texans from the weather, but we can do our best to communicate, when danger is approaching, and I think that’s going to be the challenge for the legislature coming up,” State Rep. Daniel Alders said. Lt. Dan Patrick and Speaker of the Texas State House, Dustin Burrows will each call nine members to a joint committee to examine flooding warning systems, flood emergency communications, relief funding and recovery.
“The issue is this, we need emergency communication systems in place to be able to let folks know when there’s a natural disaster,” Alders said.
Alders said he believes there are some guidelines that can be put in place for campgrounds to have a way to handle an emergency like a flash flood. Read the rest of this entry »
News Alert: Trump surveys flood damage in Texas — President Donald Trump is in Texas for a firsthand look at the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding that has killed at least 120 people, and another 170 missing. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Thursday after a 17-year-old died from a fentanyl overdose in 2022, according to a report from our news partner KETK.
On Thursday, Billy Bernard Maddox, Jr. pleaded guilty to bail jumping, failure to appear and tampering/fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair. He was then sentenced to 35 years in prison for the overdose death of the Tyler Teen. He was previously charged with manslaughter in 2023, but the charge was dismissed.
On the afternoon of April 23, 2022, Tyler police detectives were called to a local hospital where a patient had died of an apparent overdose, identified as 17-year-old Preston Hawley. He was brought to the hospital wearing pants, a belt, socks, but no shirt, shoes or cell phone, according to court documents. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A woman who was accused of tampering with evidence following the murder of a 19-year-old in 2024 was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty on Thursday, according to our news partner KETK.
On July 4, 2024, Rawly Sanchez was murdered while driving with his friends in Tyler. In an affidavit, Sanchez and his friends had to do a U-turn. When they turned behind Bautista Auto, the driver reported seeing a person in a building with an AK-47-style rifle who started shooting at them.
Rawly was shot and his friends took him to a local hospital, where he died. Around the same time, a Tyler Police Department officer was driving by Bautista Auto when he saw a white Ford Explorer with bullet holes on the side. When the officer came back later, the Ford was gone, and then Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, East Texas lawmakers held a town hall meeting on Thursday to answer voters’ questions about the latest legislative session.
State Senator Bryan Hughes and State Representative Daniel Alders gave a recap of the progress they made down in Austin. They covered hot topics like the addition of the 10 commandments in the classroom, protection against election fraud, and the tragic Hill County flooding. Attendees also heard from the other side of the aisle when members of the political group, Smith County Young Democrats, questioned both lawmakers about Senate Bill 31 and infant and maternal mortality rates in Texas.
“There’s no doubt that the responsibility of the state government is to primarily ensure that Texans are safe, and so we need to make sure that our communities have the communication systems in place,” Alders said.
“We want answers as to why we are continuing to legislate health care instead of letting doctors do their jobs, that conversation should be between a family and a doctor, not our legislators, not our governor, not the us government,” Smith County Young Democrats member, Kristen Hardin-Zigler said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler received more than $2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) to rebuild an old passenger boarding bridge at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.
According to a report from our news partner KETK, the project will provide a new jet bridge that can better serve larger aircraft, which could allow the airport to grow in the future. This new bridge will also help expand the airport’s capacity and improve its positioning.
Replacing this part of the airport first came to mind back in December 2023 after the Tyler City Council approved a study from engineers that evaluated the airport’s need for new boarding infrastructure. Some of the equipment was expensive to maintain and replacement parts were becoming harder to find.
The total cost of the project amounts to $2,163,253, with the FAA granting about 95 percent of the funds and the City of Tyler covering the other $108,163, which is funded through the Half Cent Sales Tax.
The Tyler City Council has chosen GEMS Technical Services Incorporated to take care of the bridge’s construction.
TYLER – A Mexican national has been sentenced for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
According to information presented in court, on August 5, 2024, Tomas Ocamp-Mondragon, 37, a Mexican national illegally living in Tyler, was stopped for a traffic violation in Smith County. It was determined that he was intoxicated, and he was arrested. During the arrest, a loaded firearm was discovered in his pocket.
Further investigation revealed Ocampo-Mondragon was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been found unlawfully present in the United States on September 14, 2019, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was also found to be in possession of a firearm during that encounter. He voluntarily returned to Mexico on January 3, 2020, and did not have permission to return to the United States.
Ocamp-Mondragon, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025. The case was a joint investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Department of Homeland Security, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.