TYLER — Tyler Police are working an auto/pedestrian crash in the 1800 blk of W. Front Street. All eastbound traffic is closed from Lyons Ave to Peach Ave. Police and emergency personnel are in the roadway and ask that drivers avoid this area if possible. The pedestrian was transported to UT Main with life threatening injuries. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian remained on scene. The accident did not occur at a crosswalk or intersection. This case remains under investigation.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office conducted a series of compliance checks on 152 registered sex offenders. Sheriff Joe Carter says they were assisted by Homeland Security, Texas Highway Patrol and others. Numerous arrests were made, including 3 for alleged possession of child sex-abuse material, 6 on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, 2 on charges of continuous sexual assault of a child and 3 on charges of indecency with a child. Three sex offenders were arrested for being non-compliant with registration and identification regulations.
SMITH COUNTY â The Smith County District Attorneyâs Office said a Tyler man was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday for abusing a minor, according to our news partners at KETK. According to a release, Camron Bowens, 38 of Tyler, was found guilty of abusing a nine-year-old girl for six years. âThe victim testified and was able to confront the defendant with the abuse she endured,â the district attorneyâs office said. A detective also testified about his investigation into the abuse and arrest of Bowens. Bowens was sentenced by the 241st District Court to serve his sentence without the possibility of parole.
TYLER â Aaron D. Williams was sworn into office as the 45th Postmaster of Tyler on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, Williams will supervise delivery and retail operations for three stations and one financial unit. A release from the postal service said The Tyler Post Office has 240 employees, serving 52 city routes and 66 rural routes. Williams has also served for the postal service in Waco, DeSoto, Waxahachie, Lancaster and Rockwall.
TYLER — Investigators say a decomposed body discovered in rural part of the Rio Grande Valley this past weekend appears to be that of a missing Tyler woman. The woman has been tentatively identified as Laura McKeown, 52. Investigators are still waiting for a fingerprint match before making a positive identification. The body was found Sunday in a rural neighborhood north of Alamo. McKeown was reported missing by family members February 15th. She was known to be a carnival worker. Her death has been ruled a homicide. Authorities have not said how she died nor if there are any suspects in her death.
GLADEWATER — Robyn Bernard, famous for her work on “General Hospital”, is dead, according to TMZ. Riverside County Coroner tells TMZ they identified the actress’ body using her fingerprints after deputies responded to a death investigation call yesterday in the town of San Jacinto, CA. Robyn’s body was found in the early morning hours of March 12. The Riverside County Coroner says no cause of death has been determined yet. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Wednesday, but toxicology will take several weeks.
Robyn was born in Gladewater, Texas, and eventually carved out an acting career for herself with small parts in ’80s TV shows like “Diva,” “The Facts Of Life,” “Simon & Simon,” and “Tour of Duty.” Her big break came in 1984 on the soap opera “General Hospital” … playing the role of Terry Brock for 145 episodes until 1990. Her final credited acting role came in 2002, when she played a psychologist in the movie, “Voices From the High School.”
Since exiting the acting scene, Robyn kept a relatively private life, out of the spotlight. She was 64.
GROVETON â According to our news partner KETK, a Groveton ISD employee has been arrested after allegedly altering education records without authorization, affecting the top 10% class ranking. According to an affidavit, Breanna Faye Abshier, 35, was arrested and charged with tampering with a government record. Abshier reportedly changed student grade point averages and class rankings. Authorities said though her job duties as a registrar did authorize her to make grade changes within the system she reportedly made over 145 changes without the teacherâs authorization beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. By doing so, Abshier tampered with student class averages, affecting their semester average bumping down students from the top 10% ranking.
Groveton ISD said Abshierâs employment was terminated and the school has cooperated with law enforcement. The district said they have started an investigation of potentially affected records for all students grades 6-12. Read the rest of this entry »
WILLS POINT â The Wills Point Police Department said a criminal investigation led to the arrest of one of their officers on Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, Wills Point PD received a complaint of a physical disturbance in Wills Point. The police department said an investigation uncovered that an off-duty Wills Point PD officer, identified as Christopher Tomlin, was involved in a physical disturbance with a direct family member. As a result, the Van Zandt County Criminal Investigation Unit was asked to conduct an outside criminal investigation into Tomlin. Wills Point PD also conducted an internal affairs investigation. The Police department said that Tomlin was terminated effective immediately on Wednesday. âUpon conducting [and] completing the internal affairs investigation, it was found that Officer Christopher Tomlin had violated multiple department policies,â Wills Point PD said.
The Van Zandt County Sheriffâs Office reportedly completed their criminal investigation into Tomlin and has charged him with continuous violence against the family. Tomlin is booked into the Van Zandt County Jail.
VAN â The Van Police Department arrested a man suspected of running into a gas station fuel pump, causing a fire and leaving the scene. According to our news partner KETK, officers booked Trevion Bowie late Tuesday afternoon in Northeastern Smith County. Investigators found a vehicle matching the one involved in the crash that happened last Friday. Bowie confessed to the incident at the time of his arrest. He was taken to the Van Zandt County Jail and charged with criminal mischief.
TYLER â A man was arrested following a shooting at an apartment complex in Tyler on Wednesday morning that has put a 3-year-old in the hospital. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler Police Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said officers responded to a shooting at the Liberty Arms apartments on North Broadway, EMS also arrived on the scene. Officials said a toddler had been shot in the buttocks and was transferred to a local hospital, and their current condition is unknown. Tyler PD said that they located the suspect, identified as Darius Davis, 30, across the street and arrested him. Davis was reportedly booked into Smith County Jail and was charged with aggravated assault and is facing other charges.
TEXARKANA â The Texarkana Police Department said a man has been arrested for child grooming after reportedly sending sexually suggestive messages and videos to several underage girls according to our news partners at KETK. According to a release, Matthew Riddle, 35 of Texarkana, had access to the underage girls âthrough their involvement in youth sports activities in the community.â Texarkana PD said while they cannot provide details of the case due to the age of the victims. The police department said this type of behavior is used by pedophiles to manipulate and gain the trust of minors in small steps towards sexual contact. Read the rest of this entry »
PANOLA COUNTY â The Panola County Sheriffâs Office said three people were arrested on Monday after a search warrant revealed 29 firearms and suspected methamphetamine. According to our news partner KETK, a special response team alongside two constables conducted a search warrant on Jasmine and Smith streets in the city of Beckville. During the search, authorities reportedly recovered 29 firearms and âsuspected methamphetamine related paraphernalia, including measurement and packaging implement.â Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER â The Humane Society of the United States partnered with an Oklahoma sheriffâs office as part of a large scale alleged cruelty case involving two puppy breeding operations that advertised selling at âDog Alleyâ in Canton according to our colleagues at KETK. According to a release, the Humane Society assisted in the rescue of over 150 dogs and puppies from two puppy breeding operations in Milburn, Oklahoma. âItâs a bleak existence for these dogs, no one would want to live like this,â said Cynthia Armstrong, Oklahoma state director for the Humane Society of the United States. âWe are grateful to the Johnston County Sheriffâs Office for intervening on behalf of these animals and getting them the care they need.â Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER â Our news partners at KETK report that a man was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month after pleading guilty to two charges of aggravated robbery in connection to a fatal shooting at a Tyler apartment complex in March 2023. Nicholas Hudson, 19 of Malakoff, was arrested after, according to his arrest warrant, he met with another man at the Royal Crest Apartments where a gun trade had been planned. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — USA TODAY has named Tyler as the best city to move to in Texas for its low unemployment rate, healthcare accessibility and low risk of damage from severe weather, our news partner KETK reports. According to the article, a research team ranked 52 Texas cities and Tyler rose above the rest.
âThe top five cities may be a little unexpected, but low unemployment rates (3.5% or less), great medical care and safety are just some of the reasons they rise to the top,â Rachel Newcomb, contributor for USA TODAY, said. âTyler is number one, followed by Laredo, New Braunfels, Cedar Park and Temple.â Read the rest of this entry »