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TYLER – Officials sound the “all clear” after the NorthPark Medical Plaza building at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler was evacuated Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the action came because a “suspicious object” was found on the fifth floor. After a search of the floor, officials say the device was discovered to be harmless. The Tyler Fire Department says the object was found around 8:45 a.m. Public Information Officer Paul Findley said at a media briefing the device had been recovered and appears to be some kind of “tool or instrument that was spring-loaded.” He said it was “not some sort of weapon — it was an instrument.” Findley said patients had been taken to other buildings around the campus and all other staff had been moved. Officials say all units were cleared from the scene at 11:41 a.m. and the Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office and hospital security will continue to investigate the origins of the object.

TYLER – On Tuesday, June 7, eastbound IH 20 in Smith County will have one lane closed at mile marker 560 as crews work on hazmat removal from an accident that occurred this past weekend. The inside (left) lane will be open, but the outside (right) lane will be closed. Currently, the work is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. This location is east of Lindale between CR 495 and Lavender Rd.

TYLER — TxDOT will be busy with another round of construction and maintenance work in the Tyler District this week. Tyler Maintenance will have a base failure crew on FM 15. Flaggers will control traffic. A second crew will be performing a level-up job on FM 2661 at the railroad tracks. Longview Maintenance was expected to begin cutting high edges on FM 2207 between SH 135 and FM 1252. There will also be a mobile patching crew on various roadways. Click here for the complete rundown of roadwork around the district.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank kicks off the Summer Food Program on Tuesday, June 7, at 27 East Texas locations so children will not go hungry during the summer break. “The Summer Food Program began in 2005 to fill the meal gap left when the school year ends and children lose access to free and reduced-price meals they depend on for nourishment,” said Dennis Cullinane, East Texas Food Bank CEO, as quoted in a news release. In 2021, the East Texas Food Bank served 28,811 meals to children. “This year we believe the need will be greater with the rising costs of food and are preparing to serve 50,000 meals across East Texas,” added Cullinane. Continue reading East Texas Food Bank begins Summer Food Program

TYLER — The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce holds a big membership event this week, beginning Tuesday. For two and a half days, over 250 volunteers will work against the clock and against each other to sign up new Chamber members. According to a news release, they’ll also create a greater community awareness of the Chamber’s role. The event is organized by Jimmy Cusano and a group called Your Chamber Connection. Their specialty is high energy membership campaigns that allow volunteers to conduct “out of the box” membership fun while building the membership base. according to the release. The YOUR CHAMBER Membership Event runs June 7-9. For more information on how you can be involved, call the Chamber at (903) 592-1661.

RUSK COUNTY — No one was killed after a “hard landing” at the Rusk County airport on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, officials say a husband and wife were in an R44 helicopter, which is a four-seat aircraft. Both sustained injuries from the crash and were taken to local hospitals. At this time, their injuries are not life-threatening, according to Rusk County Office of Emergency Management officials.

TYLER — Tyler police make an arrest in a Memorial Day homicide. On May 30 around 6:15 a.m., dispatch received a 911 call about a disturbance and shots fired on Pinedale Place near the New Copeland Road intersection. When officers and EMS arrived, it was discovered that a man now identified as 33-year-old Austin Lee Deweerdt had been shot. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Police now report that Christopher Ryan Henry, 29, of Flint turned himself in Friday on a murder warrant and was jailed on $1,000,000 bond.

HARRISON COUNTY — A Marshall man is behind bars after a man was found dead in a house by a family member on Saturday. On Saturday, deputies were called to a house in the 500 block of Carey Road in Marshall at approximately 6:50 p.m. A family member found David Yale Allen, 64, of Marshall, dead inside the house, according to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Officials began investigating and named Christopher Cisco, 27, of Marshall, as the suspect on Sunday. An arrest warrant for murder was issued and Cisco was located and arrested near the intersection of Karnack Highway and US Highway 59, officials said. He was booked into to the Harrison County Jail.

TYLER — A portion of Smith County Road 1125, also known as Greenbriar Road, will be closed for about a week, starting Monday, June 6, to put the finishing touches on the new bridge at Butler Creek. Work to be done includes installing a guardrail and asphalt overlay. Smith CR 178, also known as Old Palestine Highway, is currently under construction. Work will be in the southwest part of the county on CR 178, between FM 2868 and FM 346, and will include widening and total reconstruction of 2.6 miles of roadway. Visit this link for all the details.

TYLER — A Tyler man was arrested last Monday after his four-year-old stepson suffered third-degree burns in a bathtub. Joshua Tranair Meekings, 26, has been charged with injury to a child, a felony in the first degree. According to our news partner KETK, he is currently in jail on a $1 million bond. According to an arrest affidavit, on May 27, a detective with the Smith County Sheriff’s office was notified of a CPS report concerning an injury to a child. The child’s injuries were so severe that he was flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas the day before after being stabilized in Tyler for burn injuries.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department says it needs your help locating a runaway. Riley Jones is 14 years old, approximately 5’05”, and weighs approximately 120 pounds. She has black hair and blue eyes. Riley was last seen wearing a black hoodie and all-black clothing. Anyone with information in regard to Riley ia asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – The Mud Creek and Mud Creek Relief Bridge replacement project on SH 135 in Cherokee County, originally slated to begin June 1, has been placed under time suspension due to migrating birds nesting under the bridges that are currently in place. That’s according to a TxDOT news release. In accordance with The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), officials say work will be delayed until the birds have abandoned their nests. There is no time frame to when this project might be continued, according to the news release. Traffic on SH 135 in the affected area will continue as normal until further notice.

EAST TEXAS — One week after 19 students and two teachers were gunned down at a Texas school and one day after four were shot and killed at an Oklahoma hospital, President Joe Biden addressed the nation on gun violence Thursday evening. Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert spoke during the House Judiciary Committee hearing on gun control legislation. “Democrats control the cities with the worst murder rates,” said Louie Gohmert. “That’s right. Your ideas have been shown to get people killed.” Lawmakers on both sides have been negotiating gun laws since the Uvalde shooting, and some GOP members fear losing their Second Amendment rights. The President and the Democratic party argue that we need stricter gun laws. Continue reading East Texas politicians respond to President Biden’s gun violence address

TYLER – Hogg Middle School is going to be closed before the 2022-2023 school year. The school is being closed because the 2022 bond was passed. Therefore, Tyler ISD is going to have a four quadrant middle school concept, according to our news partner KETK. Tyler ISD said they want to preserve the 92-year-old building. Officials will still use the facility for administrative offices and for the community and extracurricular activities. “We’re appreciative of voters giving us the opportunity to move forward with a more efficient middle school concept for our students, teachers, and staff,” said Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford. “Making the move this summer will help the district accomplish budgetary goals of lowering its tax rates while still providing raises for teachers and staff. It will also allow us to prepare the Hogg facility for administrative and other uses. Most importantly, it will not prolong a disruption in school assignments for incoming 6th graders and current 7th graders once we can get into a new Hubbard facility.” Continue reading Hogg Middle School to be closed in Tyler