Authorities arrest 3 with large amount of suspected meth near Chandler

HENDERSON COUNTY – Law enforcement Monday arrested persons with what they say was a large quantity of suspected meth found during a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK, arrested was 54-year-old Timothy Haley and Lauren Carpenter, 34 both of Chandler. Also arrested was 27-year-old Alec Graham of North Richland. The trio were stopped near Chandler on FM 315 by Henderson County Sheriff’s. The suspected meth was discovered during the search of their vehicle. All three were arrested and booked into Henderson County jail on first-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Husband arrested in White Oak murder case

WHITE OAK – Police in White Oak are investigating a homicide after officials said Kimberly Jayne Alexander, 61, of White Oak, was found inside a home with a gunshot wound, according to our news partner KETK. Officials said they were notified on Monday of a deceased person inside a home in the 100 block of Larkspur where Alexander was found. The case is being investigated as a homicide. In a statement posted on the White Oak Police Department Facebook page, the investigation led to a warrant for murder on the suspect, James Michael Alexander, 63 of White Oak, who was Mrs. Alexander’s husband. Information had been gained that he recently leased a room at a Longview hotel. White Oak officers located him there and took him into custody without further incident. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department lent their assistance with the arrest.

Brookshire’s to sell pharmacy business to Walgreens

TYLER — Brookshire Grocery Co. announced on Tuesday they have reached an agreement with Walgreens where they will acquire the company’s 120 pharmacies in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. According to our news partner KETK, Brookshire Grocery said the vast majority of these locations are being converted to Walgreens pharmacies that will operate inside of their stores. “The pharmacy industry has become increasingly complex over the past few years, and it was important to us to find a business leader that has the capabilities to focus on providing exceptional pharmacy services and value to our customers,” Chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co. Brad Brookshire said. (more…)

East Texas prison officer facing drug charges following search

ANDERSON COUNTY — An officer at an East Texas prison was arrested after a random vehicle search produced a suspicious substance. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, staff at the H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, found three vacuum-sealed bags of a “green leafy substance” in the car of officer Diana Ngyangau June 30. Officer Ngyangau was arrested by investigators from the Office of the Inspector General for introduction of K2 and was drug tested. TDCJ officials said she worked at that unit for 29 months prior to the incident. The arrest was part of a series of random searches of employee vehicles entering the prison. The Coffield Unit houses up to 4,000 prisoners and has more than 500 employees.

Lufkin homicide suspect arrested, another remains at large

LUFKIN — A Crockett man was arrested on Monday night and another man remains at large after a multi-agency task force in relation to the April shooting death of a man from Lufkin. According to our news partner KETK, just before 9:00 Monday night, Trederrick Dewayne Sherman, 17, was arrested on a murder warrant at a house on Briar Lane in Crockett. Jardon Lamontre Castle, 18, of Jasper, remains at large. Lufkin police said Richard Coutee was shot to death on his front doorstep April 3. (more…)

Longview ISD announces death of beloved high school principal

LONGVIEW — Longview ISD announced that Longview High School Principal James Brewer died on Monday evening following a “sudden cardiac event.” According to our news partner KETK, Brewer was preparing to start his 17th year at Longview High School and the district said he dedicated his life to education. LISD called Brewer an “exceptional leader, mentor, and friend to all who knew him.” The high school will provide counseling services and support to students and staff to help them cope with the tragic event. “The legacy of Mr. James Brewer will forever remain a guiding light at Longview Independent School District,” said Dr. James WIlcox, LISD Superintendent. (more…)

Patrick Mahomes to star in Netflix series

TYLER — Whitehouse native, Super Bowl Champ and MVP Patrick Mahomes will be one of three NFL quarterbacks featured in the Netflix series “Quarterback”. According to our news partner KETK, the eight part series will follow Mahomes, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons during the 2022 NFL season. The series will look at the season from each quarterbacks point-of-view. Covering before, during and after the games and even following the players on their off days. And, each players will be “mic’d up” during the games. It’s an NFL first. To see the first minutes of the Netflix series “Quarterback”, click here. “Quarterback” has a July 12 release date.

ETCOG Secures $1 Million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Gran

EAST TEXAS – The East Texas Council of Governments was recently awarded a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant of $1 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This grant will allow ETCOG to lead environmental site assessments and reuse planning throughout the region. With a primary focus on Longview, Marshall, Kilgore, and Gladewater, this funding aims to revitalize and re-envision contaminated properties, fostering sustainable redevelopment across the 14-county ETCOG region. (more…)

Marshall TSTC campus receives $637,000 grant for natural gas courses

MARSHALL – The Marshall campus of the Texas State Technical College has received a $637,000 grant that will fund several new natural gas courses. The Natural Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education grant will fund around four or five new courses in the college’s Process Operations Technology program. The application process for the three year grant began in 2021 and the courses are planned to start being integrated in the Fall of 2024.
(more…)

Smith County stabbing suspect arrested

SMITH COUNTY — The suspect wanted in a Saturday night stabbing at the Flamingo Club on FM 14 in Smith County has been arrested. According to online records, Abiel Correa, 61, of Tyler, was booked into the Smith County Jail Sunday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond has been set at $300 thousand dollars. The victim of the stabbing, whose identity has not been released, is said to be in stable condition following surgery at a local hospital.

Mineola uncovers time capsule hidden since 1936

MINEOLA – According to our news partner KETK the city of Mineola has found a time capsule in the post office. A local history buff came across a newspaper that referenced pieces of history being placed in a cornerstone vault. Postal employees said there had always been rumors of a time capsule but they thought it was all a lie. So the city of Mineola hired a company to find out. Saturday morning, surrounded by community members, the container was pulled from the vault but no one was expecting to find what they did. A treasure of historical artifacts was found inside the capsule.

An expert has been called in to restore pieces that need to be humidified. “We have newspapers from Tyler, from Longview, obviously the old Mineola Monitors, things like that and documents that we can’t quite open all the way yet and read everything that they have to say,” said Tiner. Once they can read them all, the fun of learning about this hidden treasure left behind from 1936 begins.

Professor named as new Jacksonville College president

JACKSONVILLE – According to our news partner KETK the Jacksonville College board of trustees named Dr. David Erickson as the new college president during a meeting on Friday. Erickson’s family were founding members of the Baptist Missionary Association, which runs the BMA Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, according to a press release. He graduated from Central Baptist College in Conway, got his master of divinity degree from BMA Theological Seminary and a PhD in Baptist Studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Erickson has been a professor of Theological-Historical Studies at BMA Theological Seminary and was the seminary’s associate dean for eight years. He has also served as a trustee of the Texas Baptist Home for Children. Erickson’s plans as president include finding new resources for the school from the JC alumni association and the local business community. Erickson also hopes to find additional support for BMA of Texas churches.

World’s oldest giraffe dies in Lufkin

LUFKIN – The City of Lufkin has announced that Twiga, who held the record for the oldest giraffe in captivity, died at Ellen Trout Zoo on Friday night. Twiga was 31 years, nine months and 7 days old, a record for giraffes which typically only live for about 25 years, according to our news partner KETK. She was born at the Los Angeles Zoo on Oct. 1st, 1991 and came to the Ellen Trout Zoo in 2008 from the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin. “Twiga helped our other two giraffes, Kellen and Luna, feel comfortable in their new home in Lufkin,” Ellen Trout Zoo director Gordon Henley said. “She will be greatly missed.”

Rusk Police warn of Medicare card scam

RUSK – The Rusk Police Department said on Saturday that several local citizens have been targeted by Medicare card scams. According to our news partner KETK, a caller asks if you have received your new Medicare card and then asks to verify your information. Officials stressed that you should not give out any of your personal information because the caller could subject you to identity theft. Rusk PD said that government agencies never ask for money or personal information. Scam calls can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission online.

Meth seized after water meter investigation in East Texas

POINT – According to our news partner KETK two individuals were arrested after a water meter investigation led to the seizure of methamphetamines. On June 29, the Point Police Department said they were notified that a resident had removed a lock on a water meter and bypassed the city-fed water line. After speaking with city officials, authorities said it was discovered that someone had removed and replaced the city water meter with one that did not belong to the city. An investigation began and it was determined that the replaced water meter belonged to the City of East Tawakoni. After police collected witness statements, officials said they issued warrants for two individuals. Authorities then conducted field interviews with those individuals and deployed K9 Merica which officials said led to the discovery of meth in their vehicle. Both individuals were arrested and booked into the Rains County Jail.

“This is current, and still being investigated. We will continue efforts in cleaning up our city. I am proud of the teamwork between departments and thank the public for their support.”
Point Police Department

Go Back