Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – County ESD 2 officials responded to a chicken truck rolled over near Winona Monday that reportedly occurred around 11:20 a.m. Dozens of chickens escaped, and crews are currently working to round them up. Authorities, as well as our news partner KETK, report that the driver was not injured, and no other vehicles were involved.
TYLER — Governor Greg Abbott helped dedicate a new Safe Haven Baby Box on Saturday at the CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. State Sen. Bryan Hughes and State Rep. Daniel Alders will also speak at the event as the new box becomes officially operational. According to our news partner KETK, Safe Haven Baby Boxes allow mothers in crisis to legally and anonymously drop off their baby in a safe and secure location. Thanks to Hughes’ Senate Bill 780, these boxes can now be installed at infant care hospitals like CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital.
“That is Texas, where we build an infrastructure of hope before you even know who will need it and then you pray, you pray that somebody will find it,” Abbott said.
The first Safe Haven Baby Box in East Texas was installed in 2024 at a fire station in Palestine. The dedication ceremony for the new Baby Box started at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler and UT System leadership hosted the grand opening Friday for the new School of Medicine Building, the physical home of East Texas’ first medical school. The five story facility brings education, clinical care and community services together in one place.
According to the university’s website, the five-story facility is LEED-certified, a globally recognized rating system for green buildings. The building includes 16 clinical skills rooms, a student lounge and four simulation labs. In addition to medical education, the building will provide clinical services by UT Health East Texas clinicians ranging from imaging and women’s health to pulmonary, orthopedic and sports medicine care as well as eight fully equipped surgical suites.
Construction on the $308 million nearly 250,000-square-foot building began in 2023. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – A man has been arrested after Tool Police found a woman who died at a residence on Bradley’s Bend Friday. According to Tool PD, an officer was responding to a possible burglary around 8:35 p.m. when they found a woman who had suffered fatal injuries inside her home. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity is being withheld until notifying of next of kin.
A man was also found inside the home and reportedly got into a brief physical altercation with the responding officer, according to our news partner KETK. After the altercation, the unidentified man was arrested but hasn’t been formally charged with a crime yet.
Tool PD, the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers are investigating the case as a homicide. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Tool Police Department at 903-432-2550.
EAST TEXAS – Consumers can save money on emergency supplies while preparing for expected severe weather by shopping at local hardware stores during the 2026 emergency preparation holiday. Prepare yourself during the 2026 Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday for emergencies that can cause physical damage like hurricanes, flash floods and wildfires.
You can purchase certain emergency preparation supplies tax free during the sales tax holiday. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase, and you do not need to give an exemption certificate to claim the exemption.
This year’s holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 27.
These emergency preparation supplies qualify for tax exemption if purchased for a sales price: Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – As Tyler voters head out to the polls, East Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran has weighed in on the Tyler mayoral race by throwing his support behind John Nix. In an endorsement video shared to Nix’s Facebook page on Friday, Moran stressed his support for Nix’s “Thrive Tyler” action plan for for the city’s future.
“Today, I want you to know that I am fully supporting and strongly endorsing John Nix to be your next mayor and I want you to know why I think that John is uniquely qualified to lead the city of Tyler in the next few years,” Moran said. “He’s put forward a strong study plan that addresses all the critical needs that plan, the Thrive Tyler plan, is exactly on point for what the City of Tyler needs. So this week, let’s get to the polls.”
Nix and Moran are both Republicans and have both served on the Tyler City Council. Nix is currently running against fellow candidates Shirley McKellar, James Wynne and Stuart Hene.
SMITH COUNTY – Three men have recently been indicted by a grand jury for murder following a Smith County shooting in 2017, which eventually led to the victim’s death. According to our news partner KETK, Joel Camacho, Carlos Ochoa, and Tarrance Reggie were recently charged with murder in connection with the 2017 shooting after the victim, Michael Ross II, died in February 2024.
The shooting occurred on Sept. 17, 2017, and Ross was shot in the side of his head after he was set up and robbed by the three men, according the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said.
Following an investigation in 2017, Camacho, Ochoa and Reggie were arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
All three men pleaded guilty to their aggravated assault charges in 2018 and were sentenced to 20 years in state prison. If convicted of the murder charge, they could face up to a life sentence.
GLADEWATER – A Gladewater man was arrested last month after Gladewater PD discovered he was in possession of over 300 photos depicting children engaging in sexual conduct.
According to our news partner KETK, Gladewater Police Department (GPD), officials received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in December regarding explicit material involving child sexual abuse being uploaded to Google Photos.
Authorities learned that 24 images had been stored in Google Drive and identified the account owner as David Blalock.
Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – Nacogdoches County Sheriff Jason Bridges provided an update on Thursday regarding the explosion at the Etoile natural gas well earlier this week. The explosion occurred around 11:20 p.m. on Monday evening. Our news partner KETK said Bridges confirmed that no injuries have been reported, as all workers had evacuated the scene before the blast.
Bridges expressed his gratitude to the local volunteer fire departments who arrived on the scene Monday evening and helped control the fire.
“They are exactly that, they are volunteers, and time and time again I have said what a great job they do and how much our community relies and depends on them, ” Bridges said. “They do a great job for us each and every day and we rely on them so much for what they do.”
The well is currently under what Bridges believes is a controlled burn, and a company from Houston is on the scene to monitor the burn and implement air-quality control measures, as the site is expected to continue burning over the next few days.
TYLER – In a significant milestone for the region, the University of Texas at Tyler has unveiled its cutting-edge School of Medicine Building on Friday morning.
The five?story facility brings education, clinical care and community services together in one place. The new building will not only serve as an educational hub but also as a crucial clinical resource, offering a wide range of services provided by UT Health East Texas clinicians.
From advanced imaging and women’s health services to specialized pulmonary, orthopedic and sports medicine care, the facility is poised to meet diverse healthcare needs. It also boasts eight fully equipped outpatient surgical suites, enhancing its capability to deliver comprehensive medical care.
UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley addressed the attendees, underscoring the university’s commitment to advancing healthcare education and access in East Texas.
UPSHUR COUNTY – A student at the Union Hill ISD has been arrested after officials report the student made threatening remarks on campus. The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that due to the severity of the threats made, officials arrived on campus to make the arrest without incident. Our news partners at KETK report that The student has been charged with making a terroristic threat and is currently in the Upshur County Jail awaiting arraignment. No further information on the arrest was provided.
RUSK COUNTY — Authorities are investigating after an East Texas student was hospitalized on Wednesday for consuming suspected drug?laced gummies. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred on a West Rusk CCISD school bus, where at least one student ate gummies believed to be laced with an unknown substance. The student was taken to the hospital, treated and later released.
The district says it is cooperating fully with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office as the investigation continues. “West Rusk CCISD focuses on the safety and security of our students at all times. As the investigation is conducted and completed, that information will be shared,” the district said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the gummies have not yet undergone drug testing, so their contents remain unverified. Read the rest of this entry »
BULLARD – Bullard and Winnsboro ISD were both awarded state grants this week to help support students with autism. Both districts were selected by the Texas Education Agency to receive the grant, which will provide $530,000 in the first year and $750,000 in the second year to help expand support for students with autism.
According to our news partner KETK, the grant will allow both districts to install the following initiatives that will provide support to autistic students while also providing tools to educators to create a better learning environment: Increasing opportunities for students to learn in inclusive classrooms, using proven, research-based teaching strategies, offering more resources and training opportunities for parents and providing additional training for teachers and staff.
“We are so excited about what these grant funds will allow us to do to better serve our students with autism,” Bullard ISD Director of Special Education and 504 Director Shelley Tiner said. “By working together, our districts are building a strong model that best supports our students and families.”
JEFFERSON — An East Texas judge is disputing accusations that he assaulted both a minor and an adult at a 2025 Halloween party, casting scrutiny on the timing of the adult’s complaint, which surfaced months after the incident. According to our news partner KETK, Marion County Judge Leward LeFleur, who ran uncontested in the March 3 Republican Primary, was first accused of a Class C assault misdemeanor against the minor at a fall 2025 party. After the county recused itself, the case was handed to the Morris County District Attorney’s Office.
The City of Jefferson was then handed the case for review, where acting Jefferson City Attorney George Hyde requested additional information on the allegation from the Jefferson Police Department. There, they discovered a second assault that an adult alleged happened at the same Halloween party.
“After receiving this information, it revealed additional information regarding the alleged assault and included information and a new complaint against Judge Lafleur arising from the same event and which occurred close in time to the alleged assault,” a statement from Hyde’s office said. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety has released details of a two vehicle accident that killed a Longview nurse practitioner and a Longview ISD teacher last weekend. According to the DPS, the collision occurred early Sunday morning in the Diana area involving Longview ISD teacher Kimberly Law and Hospitality Health ER nurse practitioner Joel Mack.
Law was allegedly driving south on the northbound lane of U.S. 259 when she struck Mack’s vehicle, who was driving north in the same lane an initial investigation revealed. Law was pronounced dead at the scene and Mack was transported to a local hospital for his injuries.
DPS said Mack has since died from his injuries sustained in the accident.