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

New Year’s Day arrived last week and with it came the kickoff of the 38th Toyota ShareLunker season. Anglers from across Texas and the nation will cast their lines in anticipation of landing a Legacy Lunker largemouth bass (13-plus pounds) in Texas’ world-class fisheries. The Toyota ShareLunker program has played an integral part in making

Spate of new laws effective Jan. 1 After the Texas Legislature spent much of 2023 in session, a bevy of new laws go into effect on New Year’s Day, though some have been delayed by lawsuits challenging their constitutionality. The Austin American-Statesman reported on SB 17, a new law that institutes a ban on programs

East Texas’ unemployment rate improved from October, 2023 to November 2023, which mirrored the rest of the state, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission this past week. Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and according to the TWC, East

The holidays have come and gone for another year but the staff at Lillie Russell Memorial Library is anxious for the new year with some familiar activities. Regular activities include Adult Game Day each Tuesday when patrons 18 and older can enjoy board games, card games, dominoes and other entertaining ways to spend a morning.

Lindale High School volleyball standout Kayli Vickery, who helped lead the Lady Eagles to the Regional Semifinals of the 2023 playoffs, was recently selected to the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers’ All State Volleyball team, officials announced. Vickery, a middle blocker, was selected to the Class 4A third team. She also earned Blocker of the Year

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