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TYLER – UT Tyler announced that 15 mass communication students have won 34 awards at the 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention. TIPA is Texas’s largest college level mass communication organization and they regularly recognize students for their achievements in written journalism, photojournalism, broadcast journalism, videography, public relations and publication design.
Continue reading UT Tyler mass communication students earn over 30 TIPA awards

TYLER – Stephen Dinger and Petra Hawkins’ race for Tyler City Council District 2 will be heading to a June runoff election. Neither candidate was able to earn the majority with Dinger winning 45.65% of the vote, Hawkins with 36.52% and Dexter Floyd in third with 17.83%. Our news partner KETK reports that according to Dinger and Hawkins, low voter turnout was a “big factor” ahead of their June 15th rematch. You can learn more about the candidates’ backgrounds here.

TYLER – The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously to name Julie V. Philley, MD, the next president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Philley currently serves as the university’s executive vice president for health affairs and vice provost and is a board-certified physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Philley will begin her appointment on June 1, 2024, succeeding Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, following his retirement on May 31. A native of Overton, Philley returned to East Texas in 2012 as an assistant professor of medicine at UT Health Tyler. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and studied medicine at UT Health Houston’s McGovern Medical School. Philley and her husband, Richard Lee, are engaged in numerous Tyler activities, where Lee is the Music Director of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and the Tyler Civic Chorale.

TYLER – ERCOT issued a “weather watch” due to high temperatures and a high level of expected maintenance outages that could lead to the potential for lower reserves. According to our news partner KETK, a weather watch is issued during times of expected high demand, mainly during the summer or winter months. Jason Blakeney, owner of Blakeney Hardware, has spent years working in the energy industry and believes there is simply too much demand on our state’s power grid.

“When that happens and you have the housing industry build up as fast as it has it puts a strain on our already strained power supply,” Blakeney said.

According to census data, Texas added more people than any other state in the last year, growing by half a million people. Continue reading ERCOT warns of potential strain on power grid

TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, Gov. Greg Abbott released a letter on Wednesday “instructing” the state’s higher education leaders to ignore revisions made to Title IX, a federal law prohibiting public schools from discriminating based on sex. Rep. Nathaniel Moran spoke in Congress claiming East Texans are against the new regulations.

Moran spoke to Congress on Tuesday, claiming the new regulations, which are set to take effect on Aug. 1, are an attack on women’s sports. Moran said that East Texans feel the new rules are “an inexcusable federal assault towards girls and women that has no place in schools.” Moran said Title IX rule is immoral and offensive to women across the country.

Title IX, a regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Education, “strengthens vital protections for students in our nation’s schools and provides clear rule to help schools meet their Title IX obligation to eliminate sex discrimination in their education programs and activities.”

According to Moran, Van ISD said in a letter, “the changes to Title IX forces schools to treat boys as if they were girls and to accept every student’s self declared gender identity.” KETK’s request to Van ISD for the full letter has not yet been returned. Continue reading Moran says East Texans are against new Title IX regulations

TYLER – The Tyler City Council voted on Wednesday to approve more than $3.2 million for improvements for asphalt and street repairs. According to our news partner KETK, contracted for these improvements is Reynolds and Kay LTD. Cost for the 2024 Asphalt Enhancement Project is $3,203,701. The project will reportedly have 16 “lane miles” of city streets, alley paving, replacing the Bois D’Arc Avenue storm sewer and street and the streets at Lake Tyler.

The city has provided a table of the streets included in the project. To view it, click here.

City officials say they expect the Asphalt Enhancement Project to begin later this month and to be finished in February 2025.

KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department said on Tuesday, a traffic stop led to the arrest of a felon after finding a handgun and meth in a chip bag according to our news partners at KETK. According to a release, an officer saw a suspicious driver and pulled them over due to a reported traffic violation. During the stop, police confiscated a “large amount” of meth hidden in a chip bag and the driver was also in possession of a handgun. “We can’t be any more clear, if you sell or traffic dope in our city you are going to jail for a long time,” Kilgore PD said.

TYLER — Tyler Independent School District celebrated the opening of the new Hubbard Middle School on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the new building is part of a nearly $90 million bond that passed in 2022. The new three-story campus sits right next to the old building that was originally built in 1964, and was funded by $63 million of the bond. The building is complete with up-to-date security, safety improvements and improved traffic flow. The community was invited to tour inside of the state of the art, science labs, theater, library, outside area and cafeteria during the celebration.

Tyler ISD said the district has been working for nearly 20 years to invest and transform facilities while keeping the tax rate as low as possible.

“We have really touched every school in Tyler, so that all of our students have equal opportunities across the district in terms of access to programming and state of the art facilities,” Jennifer Hines, Tyler ISD director of communications, said. Continue reading Tyler ISD holds ribbon cutting for new school

TYLER – Monday, workers from Tyler’s largest union, IUE-CWA 86782, held an informational picket at their union hall across from the Trane Technologies plant. According to our news partner KETK, the union stressed the informational picket is not a strike. It’s a membership drive and an opportunity for union members to use their own time to spread the word about what they want from the company without having to stop working.

IUE-CWA 86782 recording secretary Tierra Zhane provided the following list of demands they have for their union’s contract with Trane. Livable wages. Affordable insurance. The ability to use personal time without having to provide documentation. And, no unaffordable surcharges to insurance that “eat up” a proposed 45 cent pay increase.
Continue reading Trane workers hold informational picket

LONGVIEW – Authorities in Longview are investigating truck crashing into a house Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Fire Marshall said the accident happened around 10 a.m. with a report of a truck having crashed into a home on Mill Run Drive, near the Compassionate Hearts Alliance. The Fire Marshall said the driver had non life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

ATHENS – Texas State Sen. Robert Nichols was honored by Raise Your Hand Texas on Monday for his defense of public education and opposition to school vouchers, according to our news partners at KETK. The group is honoring 100 Texas state legislators as Public Education Champions for their “steadfast commitment to Texas public schools, teachers and students.” In addition to his defense of public schools and teachers, the group said that Nichols has “remained steadfast in opposition to school vouchers which would defund local public schools and siphon taxpayer dollars to private schools and vendors with no accountability and transparency.” Nichols was recognized by Will Holleman and Deann Lee of Raise Your Hand Texas and Dr. Janie Sims, superintendent of Athens ISD, in a ceremony at Central Athens Elementary on Monday.

TYLER – City of Tyler officials say their non-emergency offices and facilities will be closed Friday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6 through May 10 is Public Service Recognition Week. With the exception of emergency and essential services, the city will be doing their part in recognizing their employees Friday. Public Service Recognition Week has been celebrated since 1985. It’s goal is to honor the men and women who serve as federal, state, county and local government employees.

WHITE OAK — A Longview woman charged with first degree felony murder of a 66-year-old man pleaded guilty on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Regina Massie, 40, pleaded guilty to the 2021 murder of Steve McDowell, of White Oak. McDowell had reportedly hired Massie and her boyfriend Brandon Gilliam, 42 of Longview, to repair his pickup truck but then McDowell discovered money was missing.

Documents show, Massie told investigators that McDowell confronted Gilliam about the theft and she saw Gilliam hit McDowell in the head with a foot-long pipe and try to suffocate him by covering his nose and mouth.

Massie will be sentenced on June 5. Gilliam was also charged with first degree felony murder in connection to the case.

TYLER — A man accused of attempting to kidnap and rape a woman running at the Rose Rudman Park in 2019 pleaded guilty on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, a woman finished running at Rose Rudman Park when she saw the suspect, James Earl Roberts Jr., and thought he looked suspicious and began to run again. She heard him running behind her when Roberts reportedly tackled her, put his hands over her face and dragged her into the woods, officials said.

Police said Roberts pulled a knife from behind the victim and cut her throat numerous times. Documents also stated Roberts punched the victim multiple times when she fought back. The victim was able to wrestle the knife away from Roberts and threw it aside. Roberts “suddenly got up and took off running.” She then reportedly crawled out of the woods and another woman came to her aid. Continue reading Man pleads guilty to attempted kidnapping, rape

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is responding to a vehicle and a train collision causing several crossings to be blocked. According to our news partner KETK, the train collision occurred at the railroad crossing on North Center Street. The police department said no injuries have been reported at this time. Several crossings including Lake Lamond, North Center Street and North Fredonia are blocked by the train. People are asked to find an alternate route at this time.

SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, a Bullard man accused of impersonating an officer has pleaded guilty Tuesday in the 7th District Court. Jason Fears, 36, was arrested in January 2023 after officials said he flashed red and blue lights and made a hand signal at someone to pull over in Chandler. The person Fears attempted to pull over, followed Fears into Tyler.

Fears was pulled over in Tyler for speeding and when the Tyler police officer learned about the incident in Chandler, he was arrested and charged with impersonating a public servant. Fears was sentenced to 10 years at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

ANDERSON COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation said that FM 3224 in Anderson County is closed due to much of the ground beneath the road being eroded due to heavy rains and flooding. According to our news partner KETK, the Anderson County Emergency Management Office said that FM 3224 between Highway 287 and County Road 422 is closed until further notice.

County officials also add that County Road 103 at County Road 108 near Elkhart is closed because of standing water in the roadway. Westside Fire Department reports that FM320, CR2212, CR425, CR2202 also has water covering the roads.

TxDot advises when approaching standing water, always do so carefully.

TEXARKANA – The Texarkana Police Department said that they were a part of a multi-day sting that resulted in the arrests of five men. According to the Texarkana PD, and our news colleagues at KETK, they participated in a sting alongside the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, Miller County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. The police department said that the purpose of the operation was to arrest individuals attempting to solicit sex with a minor. The operation led to the arrest of three men, Dylan Dickens, Jesus Rosales and Keith Godfrey for online solicitation of a minor after they allegedly communicated with an officer “they believed to be an underaged girl”. The Texarkana PD said that there were two additional arrests made as a part of the operation that were not related to solicitation of a minor, Henry Oller and Lance Bradshaw were arrested and charged with solicitation of prostitution. All five of the men have been booked into the Bi-state County Jail, Dickens has been released after posting bail on Friday.

TYLER – The parents of a baby were arrested  Sunday night after a Smith County Sheriff’s Deputy discovered suspected fentanyl in the 6-month-old’s diaper. According to our news partner KETK, arrested were 27-year-old Dre-Darian Taerondrick Ester and 22-year-old Jada La Nae Speight, both of Tyler. The pair were driving on Loop 323 and the Van Highway when an officer pulled their vehicle over for a traffic violation. The deputy reported the vehicle smelled of marijuana. As the deputy did a probable cause search, they discovered a 6-month-old baby girl in a car seat. The deputy then reportedly saw a “bottle of pressed fentanyl” that was being held inside the baby’s diaper.

The pair were charged with Manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance between four and 200 grams, possession of marijuana between four ounces and five pounds and abandonment/endangerment of a child in imminent danger.

Ester and Speight are being held in the Smith County Jail on $105,000 bonds. Child Protect Services has taken custody of the child.

SMITH COUNTY – Sunday afternoon, human remains were found on an oil well service road near Troup. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a call about human remains being located off of FM 346 East, between Troup and Whitehouse. When deputies arrived, they found the remains about 100 yards off of FM 346.

Official commented that, “This investigation continues and investigators are confident in having investigative leads to follow which will ultimately lead to the identity of the suspects. This continues to be an active investigation.”

Authorities added that the remains haven’t been identified and have been sent to Dallas for an autopsy. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that foul play is suspected .

LONGVIEW – Kristen Ishihara has won the race to become the next mayor of Longview according to our news partners at KETK. Ishihara won with 4103 votes against Temple Carpenter’s 1393 votes. “I am just truly humbled by the support,” said Ishihara. “The trust of the voters, that means so much to me.” Both Carpenter and Ishihara have served the city of Longview as members of city council. Ishihara for nine years, before leaving the seat in 2023. She will now rejoin Carpenter on the council as Mayor.

TYLER — The City of Tyler is launching its first on-demand MicroTransit route for South Tyler to complement existing fixed route services. Starting Monday, May 13, riders utilizing the South Tyler route will be able to book a ride by calling Tyler Transit at (903) 533-8057 from a bus stop. The ride will take them directly to the doorstep of a destination within three-tenths of a mile of the closest bus stop on the existing South Tyler route.

“Our goal is to improve our current customers’ experience riding with us and attract new users by providing a more convenient, reliable and efficient transportation option,” said Russ Jackson, Tyler Transit manager. “By tailoring our services with the MicroTransit pilot, we hope to meet the community’s needs without imposing additional financial burdens on our riders. We’re trying to make public transportation more accessible and flexible.” Continue reading City of Tyler launches MicroTransit pilot program

LONGVIEW – More than a dozen East Texas school districts asked voters for millions of dollars in bond measures. After two failed bond proposals, Longview ISD was able to get their $456 million bond passed. The last time Longview residents approved a district bond was in 2008.

“That it’s 10 dollars a year increase on your taxes for every 200,000 dollar evaluation on your home,” Karen Haas, Longview PAC, said. But for renters and other homeowners, the district said they won’t be impacted at all. Continue reading Longview ISD passes $456M bond after failed attempts

EAST TEXAS – Multiple school districts and counties held multi-million dollar bond elections along with municipal elections. Our news partner KETK has compiled a list of results that can be found here.

TYLER – UT Tyler has announced that they’re partnering with U.S Dermatology Partners in order to start a new Department of Dermatology. According to our news partner KETK, they plan to start offering courses within next year, hire a department chair and program director before applying to become a Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited dermatology residency program. The aim of the department is to help create a generation of dermatologists and physicians trained in dermatology to serve local communities. The department will also engage in clinical research with U.S. Dermatology Partners, one of the largest private dermatology practices in the United States. U.S. Dermatology Partners has 11 locations across East Texas where they do surgical, medical and cosmetic dermatology. Continue reading UT Tyler starts dermatology department