CBS19's top 19 stories of 2022
Here's a list of the top 19 stories you clicked on this year.
Where has this year gone? It's hard to believe we'll soon be ringing in 2023.
It was a busy 12 months across the Pineywoods and the Lone Star State.
From the deadliest school shooting in Texas history to high-profile court cases and the all-hands-on-deck search for a convicted murderer, CBS19 honored our promise of putting East Texas first and keeping you informed.
Here are the 19 stories you clicked on the most in 2022:
JANUARY 6, 2022 Remains of Rosemary Rodriguez found in Gregg County
Officials say human remains found in a vehicle discovered in Gregg County have been identified as those of a local woman who's been missing since 2019.
The remains of Rosemary Rodriguez were found in her vehicle which was pulled from a wooded area on Mt. Pisgah Rd. on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021.
Rodriguez was reported missing on Oct. 8, 2019. She was last seen leaving her boyfriend's house in the Mt. Pisgah area near Kilgore on Monday, Oct. 7, around 6:45 p.m.
When the missing person’s report was filed, investigators reached out to Rodriguez's boyfriend and after brief communication, he stopped responding.
JANUARY 21, 2022 Mark Cuban launches online pharmacy to provide affordable medications
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is doing his part to help those who need life-saving drugs by creating a low-cost online pharmacy.
According to a press release, the launch of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) comes just weeks after their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) operation was established.
The pharmacy says a Sept. 2021 Gallup poll revealed 18 million Americans were unable to pay for at least one prescription medication. The survey also said one in 10 Americans skipped doses in order to save money.
FEBRUARY 8, 2022 East Texas star basketball player dies after collapsing on court
An East Texas high school basketball player died after suffering a medical emergency while on the court.
According to a statement from Alto ISD, a player, who has since been identified as sophomore Devonte Mumphrey, died during the Yellowjackets' game against Mt. Enterprise.
Mumphrey was named the Dist. 22-2A Newcomer of the Year during his freshman season, according to the Jacksonville Progress.
He had also recently been nominated for Davie Campbell's Week 12 Mr. Texas Basketball in late January after dropping 45 points against New Summerfield.
APRIL 18, 2022 Athens community shows appreciation for beloved Sonic carhop
A random act of kindness in East Texas has gone viral on social media -- it involves a hard working employee and a stranger who wanted to do something good.
John McLendon is a carhop at Sonic in Athens and he keeps customers coming back for more than those Route 44 Cherry Limeades.
McLendon's work ethic was captured and posted to social media and that's where Woods comes in.
"There were lots and lots of comments and lots of shares of everybody just talking about how he was a great person," Cassie Woods said. "I was like, oh, it'd be cool to do something big for him."
She asked commenters to help her reward McLendon's hard work with an act of kindness -- tipping him $320.
APRIL 21, 2022 Tyler man who fatally struck teen on Lake Palestine sentenced to life in prison
A Tyler man who struck and killed a 14-year-old boy with a boat on Lake Palestine nearly three years ago has been sentenced to life in prison.
Jeffrey Joe Hampton, 33, of Tyler, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for striking and killing Roberto "Carlos" Bermejo on June 2, 2019 with a bass boat on Lake Palestine.
Jurors deliberated for about four hours Thursday before reaching their verdict. The jury also determined the boat was used as a deadly weapon.
APRIL 25, 2022 Snake season is here, y'all!
Snakes are slithering out to enjoy the warmer weather.
Spring temperatures mean the awakening of the cold-blooded animals.
During this time of the year snakes are looking for food after a long hibernation.
One East Texan, Lisa Smith, took some images of a diamondback water snake while canoeing on the Neches River off of Highway 31.
MAY 3, 2022 Piggly Wiggly is coming to Athens
A beloved grocery store chain is making its way back to East Texas.
According to the City of Athens, Piggly Wiggly filed an application to open its second Texas location in Athens.
The grocery store chain applied for a certificate of occupancy to overtake the Save-A-Lot and is currently undergoing inspections.
MAY 11, 2022 Texans no longer able to use Instagram filters
Instagram users in Texas might notice they are unable to access filters on Stories or posts starting Wednesday.
Filters are used on Instagram as an overlay on images to either enhance or change the original look of an image. As of May 11, Instagram's parent company, Meta, has removed the ability to use some of these filters. Meta says this is due to Texas' facial recognition laws.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed a lawsuit against Meta citing the company's alleged misuse of their facial recognition technology. The lawsuit states companies like Meta cannot use Texans' biometric information and keep it stored within their systems without their consent or knowledge beforehand.
MAY 18, 2022 Rumors of escaped inmate in Cherokee County are false
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office debunked rumors that an escaped killer was spotted in our area on Facebook.
Dozens of law enforcement officers are searching for convicted killer, Gonzalo Lopez. He escaped from a prison transport bus a week ago after stabbing the driver.
"If anyone sees anything suspicious, or anyone suspicious, and they contact their local law enforcement," said Brent Dickson, the Cherokee County Sheriff.
The rumor has been circling about Lopez being spotted in the area has residents worried, but Dickson said the rumor is false.
"No, we have no indication that Lopez is in our county," Dickson said. "We were receiving calls yesterday. There was some confusion in the community and so we made a post trying to clear that up."
While the sheriff encourages everyone to stay alert he says rumors like this one can harm investigations.
MAY 23, 2022 Beloved Palestine ISD coach remembered as generous, kind
On Sunday night, Michael Coyne and two Palestine ISD students were leaving a Dallas Mavericks game when tragedy struck on I-45 in Wilmer. A driver going the wrong way collided with Coyne’s vehicle killing him and injuring two students.
The group was on the trip to help one of the students get through a tough time.
Palestine ISD spokesperson Larissa Loveless said Coyne had an impact far beyond his role as coach.
"He lived life fully," Loveless said. "He would be the first one to step up at a social gathering or a campus meeting to break the ice and start participating and encouraging others to participate."
MAY 24, 2022 19 students, 2 teachers killed in shooting at Uvalde ISD's Robb Elementary
On May 24, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire on students and staff at Uvalde ISD's Robb Elementary School.
Ramos was then killed by law enforcement.
Gov. Greg Abbott says Ramos walked into Robb Elementary School, about 85 miles west of San Antonio, and began shooting. It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.
This tragic shooting has now led to lawsuits and finger-pointing by law enforcement after their response was heavily criticized as an "abject failure." No law enforcement official entered a classroom until more than 70 minutes after the shooting was reported.
JUNE 21, 2022 East Texas angler hooks, frees massive turtle
One East Texas family took a trip to Lake Cherokee for Father's Day and hooked the catch of a lifetime, but due to it being a protected species they released it back into the water.
Texas Game Warden Kirk Clendening confirmed the species as an alligator snapping turtle.
Justin Broomhall says after it was posted on social media, many people thought the photo wasn't real.
JULY 22, 2022 5 killed in crash on Highway 110 in Smith County
Five people are dead after a two-vehicle crash Friday morning on State Highway 110, however, this road isn’t a stranger to crashes.
Neighbors are concerned and frustrated with not only the high-speed limit on this road, but drivers going above the speed limit.
The preliminary investigation indicates a car, driven by Matthew Reneaux, 23, was traveling north at the same time an SUV, driven by Gabriel Salamanca, 39, was traveling south on State Highway 110 when the vehicles hit head-on. DPS says the car caught fire.
Reneaux and passengers Jennifer Felix, 26; and Marvin Jenkins Jr., 38, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Salamanca and a juvenile passenger also died at the scene.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2022 East Texas students hospitalized following halftime performance during football game
After some students were hospitalized for dehydration at Brownsboro's Friday night game, Superintendent Keri Hampton said she's thankful the students are doing much better and emphasized the importance of staying hydrated.
Brownsboro Fire and Rescue said after the halftime show around 9 p.m. last Friday, student performers and band members left the field when officials were told about three students needing medical attention for "heat exposure type symptoms."
Hampton said the students were ultimately diagnosed with dehydration.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 East Texas high school football player suffers severe head injury during homecoming game
An East Texas high school football player has been hospitalized after suffering a head injury during a Friday night homecoming game.
According to First Baptist Church Troup, Cooper Reid, a junior at Troup High School, was injured during Troup's homecoming matchup against Buffalo.
"We believe in the power of prayer," FBCT said. "We are claiming Cooper's full recovery and believing that our God, the Greatest Physician, will heal Cooper and be fully glorified through this."
SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 Man found murdered in Diana, suspect arrested
The Harrison County Sheriff's Office says an arrest has been made after the body of a man was found Saturday night.
According to the HCSO, on Saturday, around 9 p.m., deputies responded to Hershel McCoy Rd., in the Diana area, regarding an unresponsive man near the roadway.
When officials arrived on scene, they found the body of Blake Edward Reddock, of Avinger.
The HCSO identified the suspect as Canton Echols, 33, of Harleton, who has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2008. Authorities say Echols rode with Reddock to the pawn shop and were spotted on surveillance camera together a little after 4 p.m. near Harleton close to where Reddock's body was found. Officials say Echols stabbed Reddock "several times."
SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 3 Tyler ISD students hospitalized after trying 'One Chip Challenge'
Three Tyler ISD middle school students were taken to the hospital Monday after participating in a viral social media challenge involving eating a chip covered in Carolina Reaper and ghost pepper seasonings.
The school district reported Tuesday the “One Chip Challenge" led to parents taking their kids to the hospital and Tyler ISD is warning parents and students about the danger of the social media craze.
In the challenge, people are dared to eat a chip covered in Carolina Reaper and ghost pepper seasonings, two of the world’s hottest peppers.
On the district's Facebook page, school officials said people could experience severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing that can last more than 24 hours and lead to more severe health complications.
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 East Texas woman sentenced to death for murdering woman, cutting baby from womb
An East Texas woman has been sentenced to death by a Bowie County jury.
According to KTBS, after just 90 minutes of deliberation, a jury handed down the punishment for Taylor Parker.
Parker, 29, was convicted of murdering Reagan Simmons-Hancock, 22, on Oct. 9, 2020. Simmons-Hancock was seven-and-a-half months pregnant when she was attacked at a home in the 200 block of Austin St. in New Boston. Parker also cut the unborn baby from Simmons-Hancock's womb. The baby did not survive.
NOVEMBER 15, 2022 Gov. Greg Abbott declares migration to Texas through US-Mexico border to be invasion
Gov. Greg Abbott says he has invoked the Invasion Clauses of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions to declare the act of migrants coming into Texas through the U.S. - Mexico border as an invasion.
Gov. Abbott says he will "fully authorize Texas to take unprecedented measures to defend our state against an invasion."
Gov. Abbott says the following steps will be taken by the state:
- Deploy the National Guard to safeguard the border, and to repel and turn back immigrants trying to cross the border illegally
- Deploy the Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) to arrest and return immigrants to the border who crossed illegally, and to arrest illegal immigrants for criminal activity;
- Build a wall in multiple counties on the border;
- Deploy gun boats;
- Designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations;
- Enter into a compact with other states to secure the border;
- Enter into agreements with foreign powers to enhance border security;
- Provide resources for border counties to increase their efforts to respond to the "border invasion."