Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
HENDERSON — The Henderson Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a man who has been missing for almost two weeks. Joseph Shelton, a 23-year-old man, was last seen on Feb. 14 in the area of Van Buren Street in Henderson. He is described by the police department as being approximately 5 foot, 8 inches tall and weighing 157 pounds.
Though there is no clothes description at this time, Shelton is believed to have a gaming system and a laptop, the police department said.
Anyone with information regarding Shelton’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Henderson Police Department by calling 903-657-3512.
LONGVIEW – Two former Longview ISD administrators were sentenced to 10 years of probation on Friday in connection to the abuse of Longview ISD special education students in the 2021-2022 school year. Cassandra Renee James and Linda Kaye Brown Lister were both found guilty of injury to a child by a Gregg County jury on Friday. James and Lister were two of six women arrested in 2022 after video of special education students being mistreated at J.L. Everhart Elementary School was shown to Longview ISD officials.
According to our news partner KETK, their indictments show that James and Lister were charged for “swinging a paddle toward and near the head” of a child and not voluntarily delivering them to an emergency infant care provider.
Longview ISD said James and Lister both resigned from their roles instead of being terminated after the video came to the district’s attention. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler Police Department is currently searching for the driver of a truck that allegedly crashed into an apartment building off of South Broadway Avenue. According to our news partner KETK and the Tyler PD, the crash happened at around 5 p.m. on Friday after a black truck crossed over a concrete barrier and hit the side of the Broadway Reserve apartment building. The crash did minimal damage to the building but according to officials, the driver fled the scene of the crash. Tyler Police are currently investigating the crash and searching for the suspected driver.
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Center for Opinion Research recently surveyed 1,117 Texas voters about their views ahead of the March 2026 primary election, with topics covering hypothetical political matchups and important state issues. In the survey conducted Feb. 13 – 22, 959 of those voters reached indicated they were “likely” or “certain” to vote in this primary election.
In the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, Jasmine Crockett led James Talarico 58% to 37% among likely voters. “Despite the national attention this race has received, 43% of voters say they have only heard a little about what makes each candidate different from the other,” said Dr. Ken Wink, UT Tyler professor and interim center director. “The Democratic primary voters in this survey also indicated they believed Crockett would be as electable in the November general election as Talarico.”
Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The UT Tyler Police Department is currently investigating a sexual assault case that was reportedly committed in student housing by a person pretending to be a student. The case was reported to UT Tyler police on Wednesday but occurred in student housing between 9 p.m. and midnight on Tuesday. A UT Tyler notification said the suspect in the sexual assault is known to them. The suspect reportedly pretended to be a student associated with UT Tyler in an online chat group before meeting up with a female student at their dorm room, where they were sexually assaulted, according to UT Tyler PD.
UT Tyler PD detectives are actively investigating this case and temporary measures to improve campus safety have been put in place. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Chief is currently recovering from injury after he was involved in a confrontation following Tuesday’s city council meeting. According to Chief Todd Hunter, who posted about the incident on Wednesday evening, several firefighters and himself were recognized during the council meeting for their years of service to the Kilgore community. Our news partner KETK reports, Hunter said that during the meeting, a person who had been confronting officers for more than a year for his social media content was in attendance and mockingly booed Hunter as he was being recognized for his 15 years of service to the community.
After the recognition portion of the meeting was complete, Hunter went into the lobby, where he began visiting with residents and colleagues. This is where he was reportedly approached by the individual who had been heckling him during the meeting. Hunter said the individual sought him out in a room full of people and proceeded to aggressively bump the chief in the chest. Hunter quickly brought the person to the ground and placed him under arrest with the help of officers in the area.
Following the incident, Hunter said he did sustain a shoulder injury. The alleged agitator, Eric Brian Trotter, 39, of Kilgore, is facing two felony charges. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Pennsylvania middle school employee was arrested Thursday in Philadelphia on a Smith County warrant accusing him of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 15, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. According to our news partner KETK, U.S. Marshals said that 43-year-old Michael Robinson, traveled to Tyler in Aug. 2024 to meet a child under 15 who he had previously met online. Authorities allege the child was sexually assaulted over the course of the weekend when he visited Tyler that August.
In Dec. 2025, the Smith County District Attorney’s Office indicted Robinson on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. A warrant was issued and assigned to the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force for execution. Investigators later determined Robinson was employed as a paraprofessional at Radnor Township Middle School in Pennsylvania. Members of the task force located Robinson at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday in Philadelphia and arrested him without incident.
TYLER — A 33-year-old man was arrested Monday following a DNA swab that came back as a positive match led to the discovery that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in 2020. According to our news partner KETK, Martin Roman Torres was booked into the Smith County Jail Monday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in June 2020, according to an arrest affidavit.
The affidavit claims the girl and her sister ran away from a group home on June 22, 2020, around 7 p.m. The girls were at the park when Torres approached them and began talking to them. He invited the girls to stay with him that night and as they were walking to his home, he wanted to stop for marijuana, the affidavit reported. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches man has been indicted for sexual exploitation of a child and super aggravated sexual assault of a child after he was arrested last November in Baytown for creating explicit photos of minors he knew using artificial intelligence.
According to the Baytown Police Department and our news partner KETK, 34-year-old Kane Kellum was arrested on Nov. 28 after investigators learned that Kellum’s cellphone contained AI-generated explicit photos of known minors. After Kellum’s arrest, the FBI was notified of the case to permit further investigation and potential federal prosecution.
During a federal investigation, investigators stated Kellum had utilized artificial intelligence applications to create explicit images using photographs of a child he personally knew.
Following the federal investigation, Kellum was indicted on Wednesday for four counts related to child sexual abuse material and he was also charged with super aggravated sexual assault of a child based on information discovered during the investigation. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — James Dale Turner, a former Tyler Regions Bank employee, was arrested Monday for the second time after authorities discovered he stole more than $17,000 from the account of a woman who died in February 2025.
According to our news partner KETK, Turner was previously arrested Aug. 15, 2025, for exploiting a different elderly woman with dementia, allegedly stealing $3,812 from her account through cashier’s checks in May and June 2025. At the time, he was employed as a banker at the Tyler branch of Regions Bank and was terminated on July 25, 2025.
An affidavit shows Turner withdrew funds from the deceased woman’s account between October 2024 and May 2025, using cashier’s checks ranging from $500 to $2,000 per transaction, totaling $17,013. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON– A wildfire in the Davy Crockett National Forest is reportedly 80 percent contained after it reached 500 acres on Tuesday. According to the National Forest and Grasslands in Texas, fire crews successfully used aircraft drones to bring the fire under control. Crews will continue to monitor the area to ensure the fire remains within established boundaries.
“We appreciate the continued support of our firefighters and partners working to keep the surrounding communities and public lands safe,” the National Forest and Grasslands in Texas said.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A 20-year-old Van Zandt County man was arrested Feb. 19 after authorities say he fired a gun at a home following a dispute over a 12-pack of soda allegedly thrown at a baby. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded about 6:05 p.m. to a report of a man shooting at a home and driving around while waving a gun.
Deputies located the suspect on Highway 19 near Edgewood and conducted a traffic stop as he drove south toward Canton. Officers identified the suspect as 20-year-old Lucas Charles Lewellyn. He was taken into custody without incident. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – On Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Tyler City Council adopted the updated Lake Tyler Master Plan, a forward-looking guide that balances water protection, recreation, infrastructure and long-term stewardship of both Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. The Master Plan prioritizes expanded water quality monitoring, stronger stormwater practices and targeted erosion control in areas where shoreline stabilization is needed.
The Plan also outlines measured recreation improvements, including completing the Lake Tyler Loop trail and enhancing access to nature-based recreation on City-owned property. In addition, it addresses operations and safety by recommending modernized maintenance systems and strengthened coordination with law enforcement partners during peak seasons.
Read the rest of this entry »
Bullard – 
The Bullard ISD Board of Trustees has named Dr. Micah Dyer as its Lone Finalist for Superintendent. Trustees approved the action at the conclusion of the special meeting on February 24, 2026. “We are blessed and excited to have this opportunity to become part of the Bullard Panther family,” Dr. Dyer said. “Moving back to East Texas has always been our plan. This is a homecoming, and we look forward to working with Bullard ISD to provide amazing opportunities for the children.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — An East Texas woman arrested for a December hit-and-run that killed a 19-year-old cyclist initially claimed she thought she had a tire blowout when the collision occurred. However, after driving past the scene and spotting police vehicles, she reportedly reflected, “I should have went back.”
According to our news partner KETK, footage obtained showed the truck Andrea Tanner was driving allegedly struck Lofton Williams, 19, of Argyle on Dec. 7 near the intersection of Wayside Drive and E. Fifth Street. At around 6:45 p.m., a loud crash can be heard off-screen after Tanner’s black truck was seen traveling the same lane as Williams. After hitting the cyclist, Tanner is seen on footage turning into a Brookshires less than a mile from the crime scene before exiting and driving to the Taco Bell next to it. There, video captures her going in and out of her truck several times and manipulating the grill area and the driver’s side light.
Tanner was taken into the Smith County Jail on Monday and charged with collision involving personal injury or death and is being held on a $250,000 bond. The Tyler Police Department said the case will now be forwarded to the Smith County District Attorney’s Office. Read the rest of this entry »