Local Headlines

Woman gets 10 years for stashing fentanyl in baby’s diaper

TYLER – A Tyler woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday after a deputy found fentanyl inside her 6-month-old’s diaper during a traffic stop in 2024, according to our news partner, KETK.

Around 11:30 p.m. on May 5, 2024, a Smith County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over a vehicle near Van Highway and Loop 323 for a traffic violation. Officials said when the deputy pulled over the driver, Dre-Darian Taerondrick Ester, they smelled marijuana from the vehicle, resulting in a search.

The deputy then asked the child’s mother, Jada La Nae Speight, who was in the passenger seat, to change the baby’s diaper, officials said. At this moment, the deputy saw a “bottle of pressed fentanyl” inside the diaper.

Ester pleaded guilty to manufacturing/delivering of a controlled substance on Oct. 21, 2024, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On Friday, Speight pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Police investigate fatal weekend stabbing

TYLER – Tyler Police are asking for the public’s  help following the murder of a 28-year-old woman on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to Confederate Avenue after receiving calls regarding a homicide. According to officials, the victim was 28-year-old Karsen Lynn Stewart, from Mineola, was found in the roadway near her car with multiple stab wounds. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

Man breaks into Rusk County home, assaults woman with cooking pan

RUSK COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a man was arrested Monday morning after breaking into a woman’s home in Rusk County and assaulting her with a cooking pan.

According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, they received an early morning call about a home burglary in progress and when they arrived on scene they heard screaming from inside.

Officials said deputies forced their way inside and found the suspect, Christopher Lee Heard, who had broken into the home, and then assaulted a woman with a cooking pan.

Deputies arrested Heard for burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit a felony (aggravated assault), and he is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Rusk County Jail.

The victim was transported to a Tyler hospital where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Woman arrested after reportedly burning family dogs

RUSK COUNTY – According to a report from our news partner, KETK, a Henderson woman was arrested on Saturday after allegedly burning her family’s dogs in the front yard of her home.

The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to a call from an 11-year-old boy who said his mother called him the devil, and was burning the family dogs.

Shortly after the first call, officials received another call about, Veronica Loredo, who went to a different residence with blood on her hands while claiming her parents were murdered.

During an investigation, officials found dog remains in an active fire in front of her home. Loredo’s four young children, ages 1-11, were present during her arrest.

Loredo was charged with two felony counts of cruelty to nonlivestock animals and four counts of endangering a child, with a bond set at $400,000, according to officials.

Lake Tyler shooting suspect identified

UPDATE: According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, they have identified Dezavion Williams, 19 of Tyler, as the suspected shooter. Williams was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail for aggravated assault.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department has taken one person into custody after shots were fired at Lake Tyler at around on Sunday. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and our news partner KETK, Tyler PD responded to gunshots reported at a parking lot near Lake Tyler and called for assistance with crowd control. Officers near the lake were able to take a suspected shooter with a rifle into custody. Tyler PD said no one was injured in the shooting. They are currently interviewing the person in custody.

Man gets 10 years in prison for motorcycle chase

GUN BARREL CITY – According to our news partner KETK, a man was sentenced to ten years in state prison last week in connection to a motorcycle chase that started in Gun Barrel City, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office.

A deputy with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on a blue motorcycle in the 300 block of West Main Street of Gun Barrel City on Aug. 10, 2024, a press release from the district attorney’s office said. The motorcycle accelerated towards Mabank after the deputy turned on their emergency lights and siren. As the motorcycle sped towards Mabank, it went on the wrong side of the roadway at over 140 miles per hour, according to the press release. As the sheriff’s office, the Gun Barrel City Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety pursued the motorcycle, it attempted to drive on the grassy shoulder of FM 316 and crashed. The motorcycle driver then attempted to evade officers by leaving the wrecked motorcycle but was taken into custody.

Henry Lee Hyde II, who the attorney’s office identified as the driver, was then sentenced to 10 years in state prison by 3rd District Court Judge Mark Calhoon for the charge of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.

Lightning strike causes residential fire in Tyler

TYLER — Smith County Emergency Services District 2 responded to a residential garage fire on Saturday that was caused by a lightening strike.

According to our news partner KETK, the fire occurred at a residence in Cook’s Crossing off Old Bullard Road in Tyler. Smith County ESD2 said engines 161, 151, 166, 156 and Battalion 1 along with Whitehouse Fire Department, chief 3 and other support crews worked to put out the fire. All of the home’s residents made it to safety and no injures were reported.

Tyler research firm awarded $278 million in damages

MARSHALL – An Eastern District of Texas federal jury has awarded $278.8 million in damages to a Tyler research firm suing tech-giant Samsung for patent infringement.

Headwater Research LLC, a Tyler-based research firm lead by inventor Dr. Greg Raleigh, filed a lawsuit against Samsung on March 10, 2023 which alleged that Samsung phones and tablets had infringed against two wireless communication technology patents.

U.S. patents 8,406,733 and 9,198,117 are technologies that are used to improve Wi-Fi speeds, reliability and the battery life of devices, according to a press release. (more…)

UT Tyler alum named international Fulbright research fellow

TYLER – Colm Conneen of Tyler, a May 2025 graduate of The University of Texas at Tyler, has received a one-year U.S. Fulbright fellowship to conduct post-graduate research
beginning this fall at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. While there, Conneen will study microbial microcosms in pitcher plants, which is a continuation of
his interests in community ecology and mathematical ecology.

Fulbright selection is based on academic excellence and previous research experience.

“We congratulate Colm, who is a prime example of the excellent students we have in biology who go on to do amazing things,” said Dr. Neil Gray, UT Tyler College of Arts and Sciences dean. “I also
want to thank Dr. Joshua Banta for being a tremendous mentor and supporter.” (more…)

Bill proposed to allow small egg producers to sell ungraded eggs wholesale

TYLER – A potential bill is being proposed which would expand the sale of ungraded eggs, according to our news partner, KETK.

If passed, Bill 1864, which is in the House Agriculture and Livestock committee, would expand the sale of ungraded eggs. Currently, the only way you can sell wholesale is to grade your eggs. Which are inspected by a certified grading station.

“It’s not a safety issue. It’s not that a grade B egg is not as good as a grade A egg. It just has to do with size and weight and things like that,” State Rep. Brent Money said. Representative Money serves on the committee and says this would open a lot of doors for small East Texas egg producers.

“Any time you can expand the market and make it easier for them to sell their products, it’s better for their business and it’s better for the consumer,” Money said. (more…)

East Texas gas prices down from last Memorial Day

TYLER — Our news partner KETK is reporting that gas prices are down compared to last Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA, the national average that Americans are paying is 3.192. Only a week ago, the number stood at 3.152, climbing to a .04 cent increase. Texas has a current average of $2.79, which resulted in a .03 cent difference within the week. Compared to this time last year, the average Texas gas price is down by 39 cents. Tyler is down by 38 cents from last year, Longview is down by 41 cents and Texarkana is down by 39 cents, AAA reported.

Texas is one of the least expensive states when it comes to gas in between Alabama ($2.76) and South Carolina ($2.81), according to AAA. Prices are rising slightly from last week during this late spring season as family vacations and road trips start up.
Courtesy of AAA

‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign in Tyler

TYLER – According to our news partner, KETK, The Texas Department of Transportation held an event in Tyler on Monday to launch their annual ‘Click It Or Ticket’ driver safety campaign.

The campaign means law enforcement is increasing their efforts to ensure that drivers buckle up while on the roads. From Monday until June 1, all drivers caught not wearing a seat belt in a moving vehicle will be given a ticket, not a warning or an exception like many drivers may be used to.

“We want to make sure that everyone is safe. We don’t want anyone to be in a crash and not go home to their families, friends, coworkers, what have you,” said Tyler traffic safety specialist with TxDOT Heather Singleton said. “We’ve estimated that we’ve saved almost 10,000 lives by doing this event.”

To learn more about the campaign, visit Click It Or Ticket online.

Smith County offices closed for Memorial Day

TYLER – According to a media release from Smith County, ll non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed for business on Monday, May 26, 2025, for Memorial Day.

Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, May 27, and Commissioners Court will be held at the normal time – 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.