local news

If you have been receiving unemployment benefits, you could be in for a big surprise when you start filing your taxes. Bob Meighan, vice president at Turbo Tax, says unless filers asked that federal taxes be withheld from their jobless benefits, they will owe taxes on the income. On the upside, Meighan reminds the unemployed they might be eligible for tax breaks they didn’t get before, such as the

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Just two days before the South Carolina primary, Rick Perry is dropping out of the race and endorsing Newt Gingrich. He says Gingrich "is not perfect," but adds, "who among us is?" He says Gingrich is a "conservative visionary" who is best suited to replace Barack Obama. Gingrich has been trying to unite conservatives around his candi

TYLER -- A Flint man suspected of attempting to rob and kidnap a woman from a Tyler grocery store is in jail.

ROME (AP) — Get back on the boat. That was the order from the Italian coast guard to the captain of a cruise ship that turned on its side after hitting rocks along the Italian coast on Friday. On an audio tape that was made public today, an angry coast guard officer is heard demanding that the captain -- who was on a lifeboat at the time -- return to the ship to oversee the rescue and evacuation.

  Tyler,Tx - Parades, music and other events were held across Texas today to mark the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. In Tyler, the 26th annual MLK Rally was held at the Downtown Square followed by a march down Broadway and concluded with a service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Church. Texas joined the rest of the country in honoring King's memory 44 years after his death. Read Mor

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators say low levels of fungicide in orange juice aren't enough to cause safety concerns. The Environmental Protection Agency says it won't order that juice be taken off store shelves. Coca-Cola says it informed the EPA about levels of car-bend-azim in its juice and that of its competitors.

Bullard -- A fire in the Bullard area this morning caused heavy damage to a home on Summerset Court. Smith County authorities say the blaze broke out around 4 a.m. Bullard, Flint, and Noonday firefighters responded to the blaze. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

TYLER -- The cause of a house fire in Tyler on Tuesday afternoon remains under investigation. Firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze at 606 North Northwest Loop 323. The fire originated in the living room area, near a sofa. The structure suffered heavy fire damage in the room of origin, as well as heavy smoke damage throughout. No injuries were reported.

Tyler, TX - A shooting over a text message has left one person hospitalized and another person jailed.

Wills Point -- The driver of a fatal hit-and-run accident last week in Van Zandt County has come forward.

Tyler,TX - Construction of the first phase of the Smith County jail expansion is now underway. A groundbreaking ceremony Thursday signaled the first leg of the 35 million dollar project approved by voters last year. The expansion includes re-location of the kitchen and laundry facilities and will include a video visitation station that will improve security and safety at the low risk facility.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The parents of a 15-year-old who was fatally shot by police inside his Brownsville middle school say they want to know why officers took lethal action, shooting the eighth grader at least two times. Jamie Gonzalez's parents say authorities used unnecessary force. But police say the teenager refused to drop the weapon, which turned out to be a pellet gun.