Today is
Sunday November 24, 2024
FORT WORTH (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won reelection Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and Democrats’ latest try at ending decades of GOP dominance in the booming state that was thrust this election year to the center of battles over immigration and abortion.
Cruz, 53, secured a third term following another expensive reelection campaign, six years after only narrowly beating Beto O’Rourke. This time around, Cruz implored Republicans to take his race seriously. He tried recasting himself to Texas voters as a get-things-done legislator, far from his reputation as an unapologetic firebrand with national ambitions.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Moran did not draw an opponent in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat, which includes all or part of 17 counties in far east Texas. An attorney, Moran previously served as county judge in Smith County and was first elected to the U.S. House in 2022. The seat was previously held by Republican Louie Gohmert, who launched an unsuccessful bid for Texas attorney general in 2022.
TYLER – Ted Cruz wins third senate term and Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran has won re-election to the U.S. House. Full election results from our news partner KETK can be found here here.
LONGVIEW – A 30-year-old man was arrested after a Tuesday morning shooting that hospitalized one person, according to our news partner KETK. Longview PD had officers responding to a shooting around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, at the intersection of Christie Road and Ruthlyn Drive. When police arrived, they found an unidentified male had been shot. EMS took the victim to a local hospital.
Investigators found out the shooting occurred because of an argument between two people and the shooting suspect. He is identified as Grant Shore of Longview. Shore was quickly found, taken to the Gregg County Jail and is facing an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge with a $50,000 bond.
TATUM – Our news partners at KETK report that after an unsigned check was taken from a local pastor’s desk, an employee that was working on the church is behind bars with a felony forgery charge, the Tatum Police Department said. According to the police department, a Tatum church pastor, who has not been named, stopped by the station and filed a report on Nov. 1.The police department said the church was having carpentry work done when an employee “began prowling†through the pastors office when he was alone. The man accused, identified as Oliver Martinez-Cruz, reportedly discovered an unsigned check in an unlocked desk drawer. Tatum PD said Martinez-Cruz would go on to take the check, make it out to himself, sign and endorse it. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Commissioners Court voted to rescind the Smith County Burn Ban Tuesday, November 5, after receiving much-needed rain the past few days. Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue gave the court an update on fire conditions and recommended that the burn ban be lifted.
“We’ve gotten quite a bit of rain.†Hogue said, adding that the rain that was received countywide puts us in much safer fire conditions.
During the burn ban, which was issued October 8, Smith County responded to 285 outdoor fire incidents. The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office issued 35 citations and 10 warnings for illegal burning. Hogue said the Sheriff’s Office and Constables’ Offices also issued citations.
WINNSBORO — According to our news partner KETK, a traffic stop led to the arrest of a Winnsboro woman after officers found and seized methamphetamine, mushrooms and cannabis concentrate. The Winnsboro Police Department said officers conducted a traffic stop for speeding in the 900 block of Gilmer Road. The officer reportedly smelled marijuana coming from the car and the driver, Jamie Abbott, allegedly admitted to having narcotics inside the vehicle.
“Officer Hanner was able to recover over 20 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle as well as psilocybin mushrooms, multiple controlled substance medications, THC wax and drug paraphernalia,†the police department said. Abbott was then arrested for possession of a controlled substance and taken to the Wood County Jail where she’s being held on a $25,000 bond.
TYLER – It’s just hours before voting locations open on election day and work doesn’t stop for poll workers. According to our news partner KETK, they spent the day loading up equipment and moving it out to voting locations. “We are also, we’re finishing counting absentee ballots, our mail ballots,†Smith County election administrator Michelle Allcon said.
Before walking in and casting your ballot, there are a few things you need to remember.
“You can’t wear any paraphernalia campaigning, electioneering t-shirts, hats, buttons, things like that,†Allcon said. Firearms are not allowed and absolutely no electronic devices are allowed in when you come to vote.
“If you have your notes on which candidates you want to vote for or against write it on a sheet of paper, bring that sheet of paper in because you won’t be able to use your cell phone with your notes on it,†Allcon said.
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SMITH COUNTY – Smith County party chairs said they hope Tuesday’s early morning showers don’t deter anyone from making their voice heard. Just hours away from Election Day, our news partner KETK reports that both the Smith County Democratic and Republican parties believe local, state and national races are going in a positive direction.
A new problem that’s risen up and could affect voting in East Texas is the weather. Even though rain is expected to linger into the first hours of Election Day, Democratic Party chair, Hector Garza said its still important to get in line.
“It’s important enough to weather the storm. It’s important enough to take an umbrella if it’s raining. This is this is your right, this is something that you do,†said Hector Garza, the Smith County Democratic Party Chair. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – While Kilgore was known to have the “World’s Richest Acre” because of the discovery of oil in the 1930s and the large number of oil wells in the area. Saturday, it was the home of radio broadcasting legends. The Texas Radio Hall Of Fame held its induction ceremony at the Texas Broadcast Museum, in downtown Kilgore.
Locally, KTBB Owner and General Manager added Hall Of Fame recipient to his over four decade career as an on-air talent and station manager and owner. In an interview after his induction, Gleiser said, “You know, I’ve loved the radio since I was a kid. That fact that my name is in the hall of fame in Texas radio, I just don’t know what to say, I am so profoundly greatful.â€
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GREGG COUNTY – 
Our news partners at KETK report that nearly a decade after the shooting that led to John Allen Franco’s death, a Kilgore man has been sentenced. According to arrest documents, the shooting stemmed from a threat to show nude photos. In 2017, a person allegedly told Gregg County investigator that Jessie Brown hunted down Franco because of a threat Franco made to show nude photos of Brown’s relative. That interview gave police enough information to charge Brown with the 2015 murder. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County saw 50 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots early in the 2024 Presidential Election. During the past two weeks of early voting, 84,436 ballots were cast in Smith County. That includes 81,554 in-person votes and 2,882 mail-in ballots. Although the numbers of voters in the current election were more than those who early voted in the 2020 Presidential Election, the percentage of voters was lower.
Smith County saw 79,787 ballots cast during three weeks of early voting in the 2020 Presidential Election. That’s 60 percent of the 146,700 registered voters at that time. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, early voting was extended to three weeks instead of the normal two. There are 162,000 registered voters in Smith County for the current election. Read the rest of this entry »
SULPHUR SPRINGS – Sulphur Springs ISD is in mourning after the district said that two first graders and their father died in a crash on Saturday. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the crash happened at around 7 p.m. on Saturday when a GMC Yukon heading east on State Highway 49 in Morris County failed to stay in one lane and hit two oncoming vehicles.
The first vehicle hit had three people in it who DPS said were taken to a local hospital to be treated. The second vehicle hit also had three people in it, two who were pronounced dead at the scene and another victim who died later that night at a local hospital, according to DPS. DPS added that the driver of the GMC was taken to a local hospital where they are in critical condition. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 474, between U.S. Highway 69 North and CR 431 (Jim Hogg Road) will be closed to through traffic today, November 4, through Friday, November 8. The closure is for the construction of a sanitary sewer line.
LUFKIN – Lufkin ISD said the Lufkin High School cheerleading squad was heading to a competition in Rosenberg on Sunday morning when their bus crashed. According to our news partner KETK, three students were taken to receive medical attention at a local hospital after the bus was involved in a crash in Houston. 36 students and several adults were reportedly on the bus when it crashed. Two of the three students taken for medical attention have been released while one is still being held for observation, the district said. The rest of the team is being transported back to Lufkin.
“Lufkin ISD appreciates the support and assistance of first responders, staff and parents who arrived on the scene,†said Lufkin ISD.