Today is
Sunday July 19, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – A man who was arrested in 2025 was recently indicted by a grand jury after being charged with financial abuse of the elderly. According to an arrest affidavit and our news partner KETK, 36-year-old Robert Lee, who worked as a contractor, convinced a person over the age of 65 to pay $64,000 to have their roof repaired after he and his partner convinced the homeowner that their roof was in danger of collapsing. After Lee and his partner had finished their alleged roof repairs, the homeowner had a new contractor come to the home to reevaluate the roof. The contractor informed the victim that Lee had lied to her and that the roof was in no danger of collapsing, according to authorities.
A detective from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office later arrived at the victim’s house and observed that Lee and his partner’s work appeared to have been damaged and covered with roofing tiles.
East Texas breeder who sold sick, aggressive dogs pleads guilty, faces up to 20 years
The detective later went into the victim’s attic to better observe the work Lee had done to the roof and allegedly discovered only one new piece of plywood placed over the hole that Lee had created in the roof. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — A Dallas-area company, attempting to install dozens of high capacity water wells, is suing a groundwater conservation district to stop the company from drilling, according to our news partner, KETK. The lawsuit was filed against the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District, alleging a ‘deliberate scheme’ to stop Ranch Holding, LLC, and Pine Bliss from drilling.
It was filed in federal court on Tuesday. This stems from a longtime dispute, as they attempt to obtain permits to drill 43 water wells on their properties in Anderson and Henderson counties. Since then, the plaintiffs have faced several obstacles after the district suspended their permits and allegedly blocked them from filing new applications under a new moratorium that was adopted in May. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Brownsboro man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in east Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
36-year-old Bradley Korral Gould, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison on July 6.
According to information presented in court, on October 4, 2024, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a shooting in Brownsboro, where they found Gould inside his vehicle with a gunshot wound to his upper thigh. While investigating the shooting, deputies located an abandoned backpack on the roadside between Gould’s vehicle and the location of the reported shooting. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – The maintenance director at Martin’s Mill ISD was taken into custody on Tuesday for an outstanding warrant from Dallas County charging him with indecency with a child.
According to our news partner KETK and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, Larry Plant was taken and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail on Tuesday. The arrest was made after he was found by members of the Texas Attorney General’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit and deputies from the sheriff’s office.
The department said Martin’s Mill ISD was made aware of Plant’s arrest and fully cooperated throughout the process.
“This arrest is another example of the working relationships between law enforcement agencies and our local institutions,” Sheriff Kevin Bridger said. “By working together, we remain committed to protecting our community and ensuring those accused of serious crimes are taken into custody safely and professionally.”
SMITH COUNTY – Law enforcement agencies across East Texas are mourning the loss of a Smith County Sheriff’s Office Deputy after he unexpectedly died on duty during a medical emergency on Tuesday.
According to our news partner KETK, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, 53-year old Gerald Rhey Atchison Jr. was working on duty as a property and evidence technician when he collapsed due to a medical event.
Other law enforcement personnel immediately begin life saving measures, including CPR. Paramedics arrived to assist and continue life saving measures as Atchison was unresponsive. He was then transported to the emergency room, where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel, the sheriff’s office said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) continues to rebuild and improve the wastewater infrastructure Tyler depends on every day. Upcoming projects will repair aging lines and add capacity, continuing the City’s efforts to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and improve the sewer system.
On Wednesday, July 8, the City Council approved four wastewater projects under the City’s federal Consent Decree with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Together, these projects represent more than $18.5 million in investments to Tyler’s wastewater collection system. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — UT Health East Texas patients who rely on UnitedHealthcare (UHC) could soon face higher health care costs if both parties don’t reach a new agreement before their contract expires in less than two months. UT Health East Texas released a letter to patients stating that an agreement must be met by Sept. 1 for their services to remain in-network with UHC, which would force those insured by UHC to pay out of pocket.
“We recognize the disruption this would create for patients and families across East Texas, and we do not take this situation lightly,” UT Health East Texas said. “If needed, we will work with patients to ensure a smooth transition of care.”
As both parties look to reach an agreement, UT Health stated that over 50,000 East Texans currently insured by UHC, including 25,000 seniors, rely on UT Health facilities for medical care and treatment. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Michigan man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after admitting he conspired to illegally purchase firearms from a Tyler gun shop and planned to transport them to Mexico for sale, according to federal prosecutors and our news partner KETK.
Caleb Timothy Fox, 34, was sentenced Monday to 41 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted firearms trafficking conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas announced. According to court records, on March 10, 2025, Fox recruited another person to act as a “straw purchaser” to buy six firearms on his behalf from a federally licensed gun dealer in Tyler.
Federal prosecutors said the purchase was delayed, and Fox later admitted to investigators that he knew he could not legally buy the firearms in Texas because he was not a Texas resident. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Tyler residents packed City Hall Tuesday as the city’s planning and zoning commission considered a proposed Bitcoin mining data center near downtown — and by the end of the meeting, neighbors got the decision they were hoping for. According to our news partner KETK, the commission voted 5-2 to deny a special use permit for the project proposed by Vulcan Core, which would have been built near West Erwin Street and North Ross Avenue.
For many residents who spoke against the project, the debate was less about new technology and more about protecting the character and quality of life of their neighborhood. During the meeting, opponents questioned how the facility could affect local resources and nearby residents.
Tyler homeowner Hannah Morris said she had concerns about the project’s water usage and the source of that water. “We were told that it’s a close-knit system, but water doesn’t magically appear. My question is, where is it coming from?” Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE: Fugitive Scotty Bradberry was arrested in Panola County on Tuesday, Kilgore Police Department said. Bradberry was arrested on the additional charge of running from the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, leading to four arrest warrants from last week’s incident of fleeing from authorities and allegedly violating a protection order.
KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department is searching for a man who fled from deputies on Thursday afternoon, according to our news partner KETK.
As reported by the department, Scotty Bradberry had been processed last week on a warrant for assault family violence, along with previous convictions but had since returned to Kilgore earlier this week. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler drug dealer has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Charles Ray Griffith, Jr., 36, also known as Root, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on July 6, 2026. According to information presented in court, Griffith was detained while driving vehicles on two separate occasions in July and September 2024, resulting in the discovery of a total of 140.30 grams of methamphetamine. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A man was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly shot another man during a “domestic issue,” according to the Longview Police Department and our news partner KETK.
Longview PD officers responded to a shooting that was reported on Hudson Avenue at around 8:56 a.m. on Sunday. When officers arrived at the scene, they found an adult man who was shot.
The victim was taken to a hospital by the Longview Fire Department in order to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Investigating officers learned that the shooting was part of a “domestic issue” involving the victim and 39-year-old Kaylon Thomas.
Thomas was arrested in connection with the shooting and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing bodily injury. He’s currently being held in the Gregg County Jail on a total bond of $4,000
WOOD COUNTY — A Grand Saline man was sentenced to 30 years in prison earlier this month after being found guilty on two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant. According to our news partner KETK, 20-year-old Connor Lane Scott was arrested in May 2025 after he and three other people led Wood County deputies on a high-speed chase, according to the Wood County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
The pursuit began after deputies arrived at Lake Holbrook recreational area after receiving reports of underage drinking, a firearm being brandished at a teenage girl, and a threat to shoot at law enforcement. Scott, along with the three others, got into an SUV and left the scene after officials arrived, prompting a chase that reached speeds of up to 112 mph. The district attorney’s office said that Scott shot at a patrol vehicle seven times during the pursuit.
The chase continued through Grand Saline, where the suspects fled from the vehicle and entered a home. Once inside the house, three suspects were taken into custody while Scott was unable to be located. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – UPS announced on Monday that they’re investigating allegations that Tyler workers were told not to call 911 for heat-related incidents, after a local driver collapsed from heat recently, according to our news partner, KETK.
In a video shared to the Teamsters Local 767‘s social media pages, local president and principal officer Dave Reeves stopped by the UPS warehouse in Tyler last week to remind workers to call 911 immediately if they experience the symptoms of heat illness.
Reeves said that on June 26, a UPS driver collapsed from heat and another driver had to call 911 to get them help. Reeves claimed that management had previously informed workers not to contact 911 immediately in the case of a heat-related incident.
“If we eat lunch together and y’all walk in and y’all see this guy’s lying on the ground and he’s puking on himself in a convenience store, get your phone out and dial 911,” Reeves said in the video. “No more bulls**ting around with these guys, we have it in a message where they’re saying don’t call 911.” Read the rest of this entry »
ARP – The son of a former Arp ISD assistant principal was sentenced to 10 years probation on Monday, after pleading guilty to injury of a child related to impregnating and having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl in 2023.
According to our news partner KETK, in August 2025, then 21-year-old Blake Emmanuel Florence was arrested in connection to his improper relationship with a minor, alongside his mother, Karla Florence, who allegedly failed to report that she knew of the relationship.
Following a report filed by the victim’s mother, investigators found that Blake was involved in a sexual relationship with the victim, resulting in a child being born in 2024. Blake was charged with sexual assault of a child and tampering with physical evidence. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – Two people were flown to a Dallas hospital after sustaining serious injuries in a jet ski crash on Friday afternoon.
According to our news partner KETK and the Payne Springs Fire Rescue, the crash occurred at Hidden Hills Harbor after the jet ski driver struck a boat dock with another person on board.
An update has not been released about the condition of those involved in the incident; however, authorities said they were both wearing life jackets at the time of the crash.
ARP – Renowned East Texas boys basketball coach Charles Joseph “Joe” Crawford died at 69-years-old last week, after a lengthy career as a leading coach all across northeast Texas.
According to our news partner KETK, Crawford was born in Carthage in 1957 and he graduated from Henderson High School in 1975, after setting a scoring record while playing basketball for the Lions.
He then attended Kilgore College and went on to get his bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1979. Crawford then spent the next 43 years coaching boys’ basketball at the following schools at Buffalo, Arp, Gilmer, Henderson, Dallas Christian, Grace Community and Tyler Legacy.
After his last head coaching job at Arp, Crawford retired in 2023 after accumulating a total of 401 career coaching wins. As a teacher, Crawford educated students in world history, United States history, Texas history and health.
SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man has been sentenced in connection to a fatal 2024 crash that killed two people. Ethan Luna, 20, pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter in Judge Austin Jackson’s courtroom Monday morning. Luna was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
According to our news partner KETK, a Smith County arrest affidavit says, deputies arrived to the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Sept. 14, 2024, at the intersection of Highway 271 and FM 2015. In a ditch on the south side of Highway 271, deputies found a Ram truck and a Dodge Grand Caravan both with extensive damage.
“The truck was resting in the ditch facing southbound,” the affidavit read. “Directly in front of the truck was the van laying on its driver’s side. It appeared the van had rolled onto its side and slide into an electric pole where it was currently resting on the guide wires.”
Inside the truck was lone occupant and driver, Ethan Luna. The van’s occupants included driver Chelsea Askew and passengers Tammy Gibney and an unnamed minor. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Timothy Hollis was appointed as the new Smith County auditor after serving five months as budget officer. The Smith County District Judges appoint the auditor. He was sworn in by 241st District Judge Debby Gunter on Wednesday, July 1.
Hollis will serve as auditor and budget officer until another budget officer can be appointed by Commissioners Court.
He came to Smith County in January from Huntington and earned a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
From 2018 to October 2025, he worked for the Angelina Junior College District. He also worked for a short time as a senior financial analyst for Brookshire Brothers, Inc. in Lufkin. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – To help restock the Pet Food Bank, for the month of July, Tyler Animal Services is waiving adoption fees for dogs and cats with the donation of a case of canned dog or cat food.
The Pet Food Bank was established in 2015 so that families in need or those who could not afford to feed their pets would have a safety net to keep pets in their homes. Many times, people who want to surrender a pet only need time to get over a short-term financial hurdle.
Over the years, more than 36,000 pounds of food and litter from the Pet Food Bank has been distributed. All donated items go back into the community and are not used by the animals kept at the shelter. Read the rest of this entry »
CARTHAGE – Former Panola County District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson died at 79-years-old on Sunday morning in Carthage, after serving in public office for decades. According to our new partner KETK, Davidson was born in Henderson on May 10, 1947. He attended Beckville High School and later got his bachelors of business administration degree from UT Arlington before getting his law degree from Baylor Law School in 1974.
According to his obituary, Davidson was first elected as Panola County Judge in that same year and was re-elected in 1978. Davidson then practiced private law for a number of years before he was elected as the Panola County District Attorney in 1995. He held that position for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 2024.
During his tenure as DA, Davidson served as prosecutor in the Marjorie Nugent murder case. The case was depicted in the 2011 film “Bernie”, where actor Matthew McConaughey played Davidson across from actor Jack Black, who played the film’s titular main character Bernie Tiede. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – A Henderson County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot a man at Malakoff Cemetery on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, a deputy responded to the Malakoff Cemetery on County Road 1400 at around 12:18 p.m. on Sunday because of a reported suicidal man. The deputy responding to the scene saw the man and he was reportedly armed with a pistol.
According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy had asked him to drop the pistol several times but the man raised the gun in the deputy’s direction, which prompted the deputy to shoot the man in the abdomen. The deputy then notified dispatchers that he had shot the man. The deputy started to tend to the man’s injuries until EMS arrived to transport him to a local hospital, where he’s currently in stable condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Texas Rangers and the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office have been contacted in order to investigate this shooting, which is the standard protocol for all shootings involving law enforcement officers.
TYLER — One man has been arrested for murder after a 63-year-old was killed in a shooting at the Relax Inn on E. Gentry Parkway in Tyler on Saturday morning. According to the Tyler Police Department and our news partner KETK, officers were dispatched to the Relax Inn at 1812 E. Gentry Parkway at around 4 a.m. on Saturday because of a reported shooting. 63-year-old Rodney Houston was found shot at the scene and transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries from the shooting.
Houston later died from his injuries at the hospital, according to Tyler PD. Detectives with Tyler PD interviewed 37-year-old Arthur McCain as a suspect in the shooting on Saturday.
Later on Saturday, McCain was booked into the Smith County Jail on a warrant for murder in connection to the shooting. He’s currently being held on a $1,500,000 bond. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – One child is dead after they were fatally injured in an ATV crash in Smith County on Saturday. According to Smith County Emergency Services District #2, a minor was killed in an ATV crash on FM 2493 at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night. FM 2493 runs from Bullard through Flint and into Tyler.
Information about the crash is limited but the Texas Department of Public Safety is responsible for investigating most fatal crashes on public roads.
In 2025, the Bullard area also lost 9th grader Madison Nelson to an ATV crash.
LONGVIEW — Newly released records have provided more details about an alleged assault outside Whisky J’s in Longview last month that left a woman seriously injured. According to arrest affidavits and our news partner KETK, officers responded to the bar on the morning of June 21 after reports of an assault in the parking lot.
The victim told officers she was walking through the parking lot after leaving the bar when she was suddenly attacked by multiple people. She said she did not know the suspects or have any prior issues with anyone inside the bar. She described one attacker as a Black woman wearing an orange wig.
Investigators interviewed several witnesses, including a security guard who told officers he heard a woman say, “The next white b***h that walks out, I’m going to hit her,” before seeing a group of women assault the victim. Two other witnesses also told officers they saw multiple women attack the victim, while another said he heard someone say, “Any white girl can get it,” and “Free Karmelo” before the assault began. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – America’s 250th anniversary is here and East Texans across the area were out celebrating on Saturday with fireworks, hotdogs, an airshow and more. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler’s annual July 4 Festival moved into its new home at The Park of East Texas on Saturday. The free event featured food trucks, local vendors, family-friendly activities and they topped it all off with a fireworks show.
Over at the Boulders at Lake Tyler, they celebrated the holiday with a Red, White & Wings airshow where East Texans could enjoy food trucks, and watch an airshow flyover. The event also served as a fundraiser for local veterans with funds being donated to CampV.
In Kilgore, residents gathered at Kilgore City Park for their July 4th celebration, which was complete with food vendors, family fun, an inflatable obstacle course and their very own fireworks show.
WOOD COUNTY – Texas Game Wardens said they found one man dead in Lake Hawkins on Saturday after he reportedly drowned. According to our news partner KETK, the 27-year-old male swimmer was swimming near a park at Lake Hawkins when he never came back from under the water. His body was recovered from the water at around 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, after officials conducted a search of the lake.
Game wardens told KETK News that a local Justice of the Peace could order an autopsy on the man’s body.
TYLER – One person has died after a shooting happened at the Relax Inn on East Gentry Parkway in Tyler on Saturday morning, according to our news partner, KETK, and Tyler Police. Officers responding to a reported shooting, arrived at the motel at around 4 a.m., and found a victim at the scene.
The person was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries from the shooting, and died at the hospital, according to police. Detectives are interviewing a suspect reportedly involved in the crime. According to a news release, the shooting was “not a random incident.” A warrant for murder is currently pending for the suspect.
GLADEWATER — For America’s 250th birthday, East Texans are coming together for Independence Day festivities like no other. With fireworks popping across the night sky and boats launched on lakes, residents are finding any way they can to enjoy the holiday weekend.
Texas Game Wardens, however, ask that you spend the Fourth of July safely, following all laws while out on the lake, according to our new partner, KETK. “I want to stress: slow down. Just slow down. We’re going to have an added crowd out here,” Texas Game Warden Todd Long said. “The fireworks show tends to bring in lots of other boats, canoers, kayakers, people of different levels of experience.” Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE: The Texas Department of Public Safety said that Robert Gomez was found on Friday after a CLEAR Alert was issued for him earlier in the day.
HENDERSON — A search is underway for a missing 55-year-old East Texas man last seen Wednesday and believed to be possibly endangered.
The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a CLEAR Alert for Robert Gomez, who was last seen around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on South Main Street, in Henderson. He was wearing an ABC Auto hat, a blue Body Armor shirt, khaki shorts and black shoes. DPS says Gomez has tattoos covering his body.
Gomez is described as white, with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call 911.