Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
RUSK — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has confirmed that the bear spotted last week in the Salem Community near Rusk is the same wandering male seen in 2025. According to wildlife biologist Reuben Gay, the bear is now approaching full maturity and could be on the move again soon. Gay says the young male may roam toward established breeding populations in Louisiana or follow natural corridors along the Neches or Angelina rivers. Either way, residents of Cherokee County are being asked to stay alert and report sightings.
According to our news partner KETK, he’s still in Cherokee County and locals are encouraged to keep watch. Sightings can be reported to the TPWD East Texas Regional Office at 903?566?1626 ext. 209.
What to do if you encounter a bear: Never approach a bear: If a bear regularly visits your deer stand, scare it with rocks, a slingshot or an air horn, if you encounter a bear at close range, talk calmly while backing away slowly. Do not make eye contact, if a bear approaches you, stand your ground, raise your arms to appear larger, yell at the bear and make eye contact to scare it off, do not run: this can trigger a bear’s chase instinct, if the bear continues to approach, use bear spray according to the manufacturer’s directions to deter it, and do not play dead.
EAST TEXAS – During the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) commission meeting on Thursday, two DPS troopers from East Texas were honored with “Lifesaving Awards” for their heroic actions in 2025. According to our news partner KETK, Trooper James Whitten of Tyler received the Lifesaving Award for taking action while responding to a shooting incident in Smith County on Aug. 6, 2025. Per the DPS, Whitten immediately proceeded to the scene upon hearing about the emergency, recognizing that he was the closest unit. Upon arriving, he noticed the victim’s gunshot wound was actively hemorrhaging with arterial bleeding and applied lifesaving medical aid.
“His prompt intervention effectively controlled the bleeding and preserved the victim’s chance of survival until emergency medical personnel arrived to provide advanced care,” DPS said. “Following the transfer of medical responsibility, Trooper Whitten continued to support Smith Co. Sheriff’s Office deputies by securing the scene and assisting in the collection of evidence vital to the investigation.”
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MALAKOFF – A months-long investigation came to a close following the seizure of suspected narcotics and the arrest of an illegal drug dealer in Malakoff. According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office investigators executed a search warrant at approximately 3 a.m. on Thursday at a residence at North Smith Street and East Clay Avenue, believed to be where a narcotics trafficker was operating.
There, investigators located digital scales and packaging materials commonly used for distributing illegal narcotics. Large amounts of suspected methamphetamine and crack cocaine were also found in the residence, the sheriff’s office said. Alleged narcotics trafficker Victor Hadnot was arrested on the scene on two counts of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail and awaits arraignment.
PALESTINE – Former Gettysburg, Pa., Mayor Chad-Alan Carr was arrested on Wednesday in Anderson County on two counts of sexual assault and one count of photography/film on a computer depicting sexual acts involving a child. Carr, who is facing multiple felonies connected to alleged child sex crimes, had posted bail after his initial arrest last month, after a man claimed Carr engaged in inappropriate behavior with him online when the victim was a minor.
Pennsylvania State Police filed new charges Wednesday against Carr after three men came forward with new allegations of physical sexual abuse and inappropriate comments, some of which came when the victims were underage.
According to Adams County Sheriff Josh Fitting, on Wednesday afternoon, a warrant was issued for Carr, and it was determined he was in Anderson County, Texas.
The sheriff’s office coordinated with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, which took Carr into custody. Authorities have confirmed they will extradite Carr from Texas. Carr is scheduled to be arraigned on April 16 at the Adams County courthouse. The former mayor resigned just weeks into his first term after learning of the initial investigation.
TYLER – A former Smith County detention officer was arrested on Wednesday night after he was caught in uniform attempting to solicit sex from what he believed to be a prostitute, according to our news partner KETK. The jailer, David Lofton, was the subject of a prostitute sting operation coordinated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the East Texas Anti-Gang Center.
Officials say, Lofton was communicating with a person he believed to be a prostitute on Thursday. He allegedly told the person that he had cash and they would meet at the Hollywood Theatre after he got off his shift at the Smith County Jail. Lofton, still in uniform, notified the person he believed to be a prostitute of his arrival at the theater. Law enforcement was able to identify Lofton, found he had $1,000 in his possession, and arrested him for solicitation of prostitution.
For the safety and security of Smith County jail inmates, Lofton was transferred to the Gregg County Jail and is being held on a $150,000 bond, Sheriff Larry Smith said.
WASKOM — The Waskom ISD Board of Trustees named Ross Boyett as the interim superintendent on Monday, bringing years of experience in education as they begin the search for a superintendent. According to the school board, Boyett is a proven leader with a strong track record of supporting students and staff.
Boyett’s appointment comes after the death of beloved former superintendent Christopher Guastella, who died in a single-vehicle accident in Shreveport on March 21.
According to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, Guastella was traveling westbound near Exit 8 of Bert Kouns when his vehicle left the road after possibly experiencing a medical emergency. Guastella was taken to Ochsner LSU Health, where he was later pronounced dead. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – An individual from Smith County was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of aggravated assault of a public servant. According to our news partner KETK, a Tyler Police Department officer received a call on Oct. 29, 2025, regarding a disturbance at a Holiday Inn. Once on the scene, a woman told the officer that she had been assaulted by her former partner, Shyane Allen, inside a hotel room.
The victim stated that Allen had arrived at her hotel room uninvited and proceeded to punch her in the face before grabbing her by the hair and pulling her across the room. Following the incident, Allen left the room and the victim later received a phone call from the hotel front desk claiming that someone was attempting to obtain a key to their room and that the person matched Allen’s description.
The victim went on to tell authorities that Allen began contacting her by phone to get back into the room, and that she could see Allen outside her hotel room. Allen then began to kick the front door of the room, prompting the victim to call the police. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — New details have emerged in the workplace incident where a City of Longview’s Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection employee died from blunt force trauma caused by a water hose.
According to documents obtained from the Longview Police Department and our news partner KETK, emergency crews were dispatched to the 100 block of Gilmer Road on March 16 at around 1:34 p.m. after receiving a call regarding a city worker getting hit by a high-pressure water hose.
Upon arrival, 23-year-old Buddy Powell was observed to be lying on the ground with “blood coming out of his mouth with a puddle around his head,” a police officer reported. According to crew members, they were working to flush dirt and mud out of a water valve in the street to be able to repair a water leak. The crew chief was operating the controls to the water pressure while Powell was standing over the hole with his foot on a high-pressure hose that was flushing it out. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – On Tuesday, Anderson County residents heard from Next Era Energy Resources for the first time, the company in charge of building the 1,700-acre natural gas-fired power plant project, which came out of a U.S.-Japan trade deal to help support rising electricity demand. According to our news partner KETK, the company plans to provide 5.2 gigawatts to ERCOT’s statewide power grid and would be NextEra’s largest gas plant in the country if completed.
“It’s three miles away from me, I can see it from my front yard, drinking coffee on my porch where they’re going to build this place, so I’m not happy,” Tennesse Colony Volunteer Fire Chief Eddie Crockett said. “We’ve been a quiet county for a long time and this will ruin it.”
During Tuesday’s presentation, several residents expressed concern about preserving Anderson County’s water supply. Next Era Energy says the plant will operate on an air-cooling system and they are in contact with Trinity River Water Authority.
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GREGG COUNTY — A White Oak man accused of killing his mother is expected to begin trial next month. According to our news partner KETK, Zachary Keys was initially named a suspect in the death of his mother, Penny Renee Keys, after she was found outside her residence with multiple stab wounds on Dec. 31, 2026. Penny was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Keys was later accused of murder following further investigation and was located in Panola County. He was taken into custody and booked into the Gregg County Jail for murder after a warrant was issued for his arrest. In March, Keys was indicted for murder and is expected to begin trial on May 1 in the 124th District Court in Gregg County.
PITTSBURG – A Pittsburg man was arrested on Tuesday after police received tips from parents about their children being depicted in sexually explicit edited images shared on social media.
According to our news partner KETK, 61-year-old Gregory Bunt, was taken into custody by the Pittsburg Police Department following a search warrant at his residence at Broach and Quitman Streets on Tuesday for unlawful disclosure of intimate visual material and unlawful production or distribution of certain sexually explicit media.
Pittsburg Police Chief Matthew Lemarr said, the police department began receiving several complaints from parents and teachers on Sunday about a Facebook account posting images of children from the community in a sexually explicit manner. After talking to several parents on Monday morning, Lemarr said the police department was able to obtain a search warrant and sent anything that could store images to forensic examination.
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OVERTON – The discovery of a main water line leak in Overton on Wednesday morning will leave some residents without water throughout the day, the city said. According to our news partner KETK, residents who live east of Linda Lane on FM 850 East will experience water outages today, including the Willow Creek Apartments, Joe Lee Road and Jesse Thompson Road. The city hopes to have water restored sometime today.
City officials attributed the prevention of a citywide outage to the newly installed valves. For the past week, the city has been replacing and installing the valves to improve and repair the water system. A boil-water notice was issued due to the repairs and remains in effect while water samples are tested
TYLER — East Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran is backing U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the upcoming Republican primary runoff, calling the race a defining moment for conservatives. Moran said the contest between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton comes down to what values Republican voters want to uphold. “It’s really a race between character and corruption,” Moran said.
The congressman pointed to past criticism of Paxton, including remarks from former East Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, who has accused Paxton of misconduct. Moran said he agrees with those concerns, arguing that Paxton’s record should disqualify him from serving in the U.S. Senate. In the March 2022 Texas Republican primary for Attorney General, incumbent Paxton defeated Gohment, who finished last with 17% of the vote.
“Ken Paxton really has a consistent activity of corruption, both breaching the trust of the public and breaching the trust of his personal relationships,” Moran said. “That should disqualify him.” Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Judge Neal Franklin gave the State of the County address to more than 540 people at its annual Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The annual luncheon is held in April during National County Government Month. The theme was “Pressing Forward.”
Judge Franklin talked about important projects going on in Smith County, including the new courthouse construction project, continuing road projects, the completion of the new Facility Services Department property and plans for the renovation of the Smith County Animal Shelter, adjoining green space and Animal Control Offices.
The judge also talked about plans to bring more county departments from the Cotton Belt to relocate to the east side of downtown Tyler.
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TYLER – East Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran is backing U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the upcoming Republican primary runoff, calling the race a defining moment for conservatives. According to our news partner KETK, Moran said the contest between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton comes down to what values Republican voters want to uphold. “It’s really a race between character and corruption,” Moran said.
The congressman pointed to past criticism of Paxton, including remarks from former East Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, who has accused Paxton of misconduct. Moran said he agrees with those concerns, arguing that Paxton’s record should disqualify him from serving in the U.S. Senate.
In the March 2022 Texas Republican primary for Attorney General, incumbent Paxton defeated Gohment, who finished last with 17% of the vote. “Ken Paxton really has a consistent activity of corruption, both breaching the trust of the public and breaching the trust of his personal relationships,” Moran said. “That should disqualify him.” Read the rest of this entry »