It didn’t take long into the new year for winter’s fury to arrive as East Texans shivered through some serious, bone-chilling temperatures beginning early Monday (Jan. 15). Winter storm watches and warnings accompanied the icy weather with accumulations ranging to just under an inch in most places. Temperatures dropped into the lower teens late Monday

Officials with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office are issuing another warning concerning scams involving phone callers identifying themselves as members of the sheriff’s department demanding money. Spokesman Sgt. Larry Christian said in the most recent scam, callers are identifying themselves as Smith County Sheriff’s employees, specifically “Lt. Robert Strickland’’ and “Sgt. Larry Christian.’’ The callers

Due to the possibility of inclement weather forecasted for earlier this week, the Smith County Commissioners Court changed its regularly scheduled meeting date to Friday, Jan, 19, said County Public Information Officer Casey Murphy. Commissioners usually meet on Tuesday. Friday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the commissioner’s courtroom on the first

Lance Phillips, 40, the son of Smith County Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips and County Clerk Karen Phillips, was arrested again following an outburst during the commissioner’s court meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 2. He was arrested for disrupting a public meeting, which marked the third time he was arrested for the same thing. Lance Phillips

Smith County Commissioners approved overtime pay for some employees in the district attorney’s office and also awarded contracts for improvements to the data center during their first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman addressed the court concerning payment of accrued compensatory time and overtime from Dec.

Steven Alexander Smith, 41, who stands accused of the shooting deaths of two Tyler dentists in March, 2022, is competent to stand trial according to recent testimony by a court-appointed expert. Smith, of Tyler, faces capital murder charges in connection with the fatal shootings of Dr. Jack Burroughs Jr. and Dr. Blake Sinclar on March

Widening and realignment of FM 16 west of downtown Lindale will continue this week with lane closures and traffic shift detours in place, said Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Jeff Williford. The project is four miles west of FM 849 and will continue to U.S. 69 in downtown Lindale, Williford said. Highway 19 Construction, LLC

Officials with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office reported that jail inmate Susan Taylor, 58, had died after being taken to a UT Health emergency room after being found unconscious in the day room of the jail just after 12 noon on Wednesday, Dec. 27. Emergency personnel began implementing life-saving measures but Taylor remained unresponsive. She

In a few years, an East Texan will be able to hop on passenger rail here and go West to DFW and beyond to the coast, East to Meridian, Mississippi, and beyond to Atlanta, Georgia. It’s been a long time coming – almost 20 years of negotiations, advocacy and some arm twisting – but a

Smith County Commissioners handled several agenda items on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, including an update on current American Rescue Plan Act water and wastewater projects for the county. The projects were at the top of the list of ARPA-funded items on the county’s to-do list and County Judge Neal Franklin said the court was interested