Today is
Saturday June 06, 2026
JACKSONVILLE – Community leaders, health care professionals and local officials gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of CHRISTUS Health’s new state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville that will significantly expand access to specialty medical services across the region, particularly for patients in surrounding rural communities. The 30,000-square-foot facility will house interventional pain management, pain management, orthopedic and vascular services under one roof. Once complete, the center will feature 24 exam rooms, six recovery suites, four procedure rooms and full-service imaging, creating a streamlined, patient-centered environment for both outpatient and procedural care.
A key feature of the new facility is a seamless integration into the hospital system’s broader network of care. The center will operate on the same electronic medical record (EMR) platform as the rest of the system, allowing physicians, specialists and care teams to access patient records in real time. This connectivity supports better care coordination, reduces duplication of services, and enhances patient safety and outcomes. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE – The Palestine ISD released a statement Thursday mourning the death of longtime teacher John Lamb, who was killed in a car crash on Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, the crash occurred on U.S. Highway 79 after a Ford pickup struck Lamb near Country Road 367. Lamb was pronounced dead on the scene, while the passenger in his car was taken to the hospital. The district described Lamb as a positive impact on several generations of students during his time in Palestine. “His classroom was a place where students learned not only academic lessons, but lessons about perseverance, perspective and the world beyond the page,” Palestine ISD said.
SMITH COUNTY — 
A Smith County road bond approved by voters nearly a decade ago now shows a $7 million discrepancy between financial reports and is projected to cost more than $135 million, prompting a local watchdog group to call for a forensic audit. Grassroots America, a Smith County-based conservative advocacy nonprofit that monitors government spending, raised the concerns Tuesday during the Smith County Commissioners Court meeting. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK —
Our news partners at KETK report that Heal Corp is assisting local authorities in the search for James David Blount, a 57-year-old man who has been missing since early December, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Blount was last seen Dec. 2 in Rusk. His vehicle was later found stopped on Highway 84 near the Neches River, close to the Cherokee and Anderson County line, Rusk police said. Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said Heal Corp is now helping investigators verify locations that have already been searched and eliminate potential areas of interest. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – 
Smith County non-emergency offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, December 24-25, so that our employees can spend Christmas with their families. There will not be a Smith County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday, December 23. Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 30, in the Commissioners Courtroom. County offices will be closed Thursday, January 1, for New Years Day.
GREGG COUNTY — A former Gregg County deputy was arrested on two consecutive days this week for charges of driving while intoxicated. According to our news partner KETK, jail records revealed that former Gregg County Deputy Joshua Isaiah Tubb, 47, was arrested by Kilgore police on Sunday and again on Monday, both times on DWI charges.
Tubb was released after posting bail following his Sunday arrest. However, jail records show he remains in custody after his Monday arrest, with a bond set at $32,500.
Gregg County Chief Deputy Craig Harrington confirmed that Tubb resigned from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office following the arrests. “We hold our deputies to the highest standards and accountability,” Harrington said.
SMITH COUNTY– One of the candidates running for County Clerk in the upcoming Smith County Republican Party Primary election has been removed from the ballot after she lacked the required signatures needed to be eligible.
According to our news partner KETK, on Dec. 8, Terry Morrow filed her application and petitions to challenge the incumbent Karen Philips for the county clerk spot. In lieu of paying the $750 filing fee, Morrow obtained 500 signatures and her application was accepted on Dec. 11. Phillips also submitted her application for re-election on Nov. 8, which was the first day of candidate filing. She also received the 500 signatures required to appear on the ballot and her application was approved on Nov. 14.
While the county chair is required to verify the total number of signatures, they are not required to confirm the validity of each signature unless challenged by an opponent. Read the rest of this entry »
BROWNSBORO — A Brownsboro elementary school teacher has pleaded guilty and received eight years of deferred adjudication probation after injuring a child in 2024. According to our news partner KETK, Kyle Lee Rocha, of Chandler, was arrested on Sept. 24, 2024, in connection with an incident that occurred earlier that month in a Chandler Elementary School behavioral classroom.
An affidavit describes the incident as captured on classroom footage, which showed Rocha picking up paperwork from the floor and placing the papers on the student’s desk, instructing the student to keep the pages on his desk. The student was reportedly seen throwing the paperwork into a clothes basket on his desk and tilting his desk several times as Rocha stood in front of him.
Footage reportedly showed the student rocking his desk backwards, tilting the front of the desk up. Rocha then allegedly “placed both of his hands onto the front of the desk and pushed the desk backwards, purposefully causing the desk to fall over” and the student to fall, hitting the back of his head and elbows against the desk behind him. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Two East Texas politicians were given recognition this week for their continued dedication to the counties they represent. According to our news partner KETK, State Representative Cole Hefner of Mount Pleasant, was presented with the Courage Award, which is annually given to a public official who demonstrates courageous leadership. The award was created in 1989 by members of President John F. Kennedy’s family to recognize and celebrate the political courage he admired most.
Also, East Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola was named Lawmaker of the Year from State Armor. The title was given to Hughes in recognition of the significant legislative work he has accomplished this year. Congressman Nathaniel Moran praised both politicians for what they have accomplished this year, including preventing the Chinese Communist Party from infiltrating school districts, agriculture and local government.
UPDATE: Nearly two hours after the crash occurred, firefighters were able to remove the driver of the 18-wheeler, who had been pinned in. The driver was transported to a hospital, Smith County ESD2 Assistant Chief JD Smith said. KTBB talked to ESD2 around 2 p.m. and they said the area had been cleared.
SMITH COUNTY — A collision between a Camaro and an 18-wheeler has been reported near Lindale on Wednesday morning. According to Smith County ESD2, the incident occurred on Interstate 20 at mile marker 560, just outside Lindale, around 10 a.m. At least one individual is believed to be trapped inside one of the vehicles, and the 18-wheeler, which was transporting wood, ended up in a ditch. Drivers are advised to avoid the area for the time being. We will update when more information is available.
TYLER — The Blackstone Hotel, with Valencia Hotel Group, is coming back to Tyler and bringing 60 full-time jobs with it. According to our news partner KETK, the new full-service, luxury hotel is being built under a 3-year plan, on the corner of Broadway and Fergueson, promising at least 60 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of $2 million.
This economic boosting promise is why Smith County Commissioners took up a vote for a 10-year tax abatement of 50% for Blackstone Hotel, as long as Valencia Hotel Group upkeeps their promise of 60 full-time employees.
Scott Martinez, President of Tyler Economic Development Council, says his organization will be the monitor of this agreement. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Blackstone Hotel, with Valencia Hotel Group, is coming back to Tyler and bringing 60 full-time jobs with it. According to our news partner KETK, the new full-service, luxury hotel is being built under a 3-year plan, on the corner of Broadway and Fergueson, promising at least 60 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of $2 million.
This economic boosting promise is why Smith County Commissioners took up a vote for a 10-year tax abatement of 50% for Blackstone Hotel, as long as Valencia Hotel Group upkeeps their promise of 60 full-time employees.
Scott Martinez, President of Tyler Economic Development Council, says his organization will be the monitor of this agreement. “So the hotel will give a quarterly and annual report on their employment numbers and their investment, as well as their sale sets to the city,” Martinez said. “So we can track to make sure they’re following through with what they committed to do.” Read the rest of this entry »
BULLARD — According to our news partner KETK, a state death report reveals neighbors believed a Bullard man was attempting suicide by cop, which led to a deadly Bullard SWAT standoff on Dec. 8.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 53-year-old Shawn Turner Sr. of Bullard, who was firing a gun from the front porch of his home. Neighbors told law enforcement they were in fear and believed he was attempting suicide by cop. The state report revealed that Turner “retrieved an AR-style rifle and began firing at officers, at which point officers returned fire.”
Turner then allegedly went back into the house, where he continued firing at officers until he changed weapons and killed himself. Turner would have been charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon. The Texas Rangers are currently investigating the case.
CASS COUNTY — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended one of its troopers following a Sunday arrest for driving while intoxicated. According to our news partner KETK, 43-year-old Trooper Decori Charles Birmingham was suspended from his duties after being arrested by a fellow DPS trooper and charged with DWI. He was booked into the Cass County Jail without incident.
This comes after Birmingham was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Cass County at the intersection of State Highway 8 and State Highway 77 on Saturday. Birmingham was off duty at the time of the crash and was driving his personal vehicle. Birmingham has been with the Texas Department of Public Safety since 2014 and is stationed in Linden.
“DPS takes these allegations very seriously and the department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has also launched a separate administrative investigation,” a DPS spokesperson said.
TYLER — An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges after being involved in transporting three minors across state borders into Texas, where they were forced into prostitution. According to our news partner KETK, The United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas said that 44-year-old Rolando Alexis Bravo transported the minors from Lawton, Oklahoma to Dallas on Nov. 16, 2023, where he met with a co-conspirator. There, the co-conspirator allegedly obtained hotel rooms in Tyler where the children engaged in prostitution.
Bravo could potentially face life in federal prison and a sentencing hearing will be scheduled once the presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office is complete. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Tyler Police Department. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, launched in 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.