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TYLER – The Better Business Bureau in Tyler collected thousands of documents and devices from East Texans on Saturday during their annual Shred Day event.

The annual collection event usually sees between 500 to 800 cars drive up but in just their first hour of collections on Saturday the Better Business Bureau (BBB) saw over 200 cars roll up with documents. The BBB said it’s all being done to protect the identities of East Texans.

“We want to make sure that we are helping people protect their identity. Identity theft happens every 4.9 seconds in this country and so we want to remind people that we need to be secure and make sure that our documents are shredded securely,” Mechele Mills with BBB of Central East Texas said.

The Better Business Bureau’s annual event also takes old computers, hard drives and cell phones to be destroyed and recycled. To learn more, visit the Better Business Bureau online.

WHITEHOUSE – According to the Sheriff’s Office, one person was injured and one was arrested after a stabbing in Whitehouse Sunday morning. The stabbing suspect was taken into custody after a 45-minute standoff with deputies. The incident started on Judy Street in Whitehouse and one man was injured in the stabbing. The suspect was stopped by a deputy in the 1700 block of Centennial Parkway. The suspect refused to get out of the car and deputies negotiated with the suspect for about 45 minutes before he surrendered, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said the suspect was arrested on an unrelated warrant. The sheriff’s office decline to name the suspect as the Whitehouse Police Department is investigating this as an aggravated assault case.

LONGVIEW – UPDATE: Just days after the crash that killed a Longview teacher and a nurse practitioner, Joel Mack’s final act of generosity is unfolding: in less than 24 hours, his organs will be donated to save others.

Newly released details from the Texas Department of Public Safety shed light on the U.S. Highway 259 crash that killed a Longview nurse practitioner and a Longview ISD teacher last weekend. Our news partners at KETK report that the collision occurred at around 3 a.m. on Sunday in the Diana area, involving Longview ISD teacher Kimberly Law and Hospitality Health ER nurse practitioner Joel Mack, DPS confirmed.
Continue reading Crash kills practitioner and teacher

HAWKINS – People living in Hawkins will vote for a new mayor following political conflict, lawsuit and the arrest of their current mayor.

In the past two years, the City of Hawkins has seen major changes under the current mayor, Debbie Rushing.

“I decided to run for mayor because I’ve noticed things happening in the city in the years that I’ve been here and I raised children here, so it became an important thing for me,” Hawkins’ mayoral candidate, Kayla Ross, said.

Since Rushing’s election in 2024, the city has fired its city judge, shut down the police department, and seen Rushing arrested.

Now, the future of leadership could all change at the ballot box on May 2.
Continue reading Leadership reboot for this city

RUSK – Missing 57-year-old David Blount’s brother, Billy Blount, shared a letter on Friday calling for action and stating that the City of Rusk has “failed his brother, his family, and every resident who expects transparency.” The open letter arrived in the KETK newsroom on Friday afternoon, calling for accountability from those investigating his brother’s Dec. 2 disappearance.

“We have watched in disbelief as the City of Rusk turned what should have been a straightforward investigation into a masterclass in stonewalling and self-preservation,” David’s brother Billy said. “Thank God for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Rangers who stepped up in our family’s time of desperate need.”
Continue reading Officials respond to family’s questions

LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University staff and students gathered in Longview on Friday to break ground on their new Christian Polytechnic University Center. According to our news partner KETK, the new 100,000-square-foot center will be a four-story building that will house more than 25 labs and spaces for the university’s engineering, business and computer science programs.

“There’s been a lot of work, actually many years, to get us to this point,” LeTourneau University President Dr. Steven D. Mason said. “The vision for this building at LeTourneau University, as the Christian Polytechnic University, has been in the making for several years to make it a space and a place that would embody everything that we hope for at an institution like ours.”

The new center is all a part of the university’s Build With Purpose campaign, where university donors are funding projects all across their campus.
Continue reading University gets more space

TYLER – Workforce Solutions East Texas completed moving into a new expanded workforce center on South Beckham Avenue this week. According to our news partner KETK, the new 28,500-square-foot facility will continue to provide Workforce Solutions’ free job recruitment and employment services but at a greater capacity than ever before.

“We’re excited to offer employers and prospective employees a tremendous facility. It allows ample space for recruitment of skilled workers, interviewing, training, enhancing respected skills, and receiving the resources necessary to become valued, long-term assets to the Tyler business community and the surrounding area. I believe employers will see this facility as a force multiplier to ongoing work in building their businesses. Employees will see this as a critical link between their hard work in preparation and the job in which they’ll excel. Together, we’ll set the stage for the next generation in Tyler’s economic development,” Workforce Solutions East Texas’ Executive Director, Doug Shryock said.
Continue reading Employment center gets new site

TYLER – Just days after the abrupt closure of Painted Tree Boutique locations, including one in Tyler, many vendors are now searching for new ways to sell their products, with some turning to creative community-driven solutions to stay afloat.

According to our news partner KETK, Heather Watson, a booth owner and marketing and business growth consultant said,“It’s crazy how much has happened just within a couple of days,”

Watson, like many others, rushed to retrieve her merchandise amid uncertainty about access to the building.

“Initially, it was just that urgent sense of, I need to get out there, I need to get my things out. I don’t know if the door is going to get locked,” Watson said.
Continue reading National closing impacts local businesses

HENDERSON – A man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Henderson County. According to our news partner KETK, the Henderson County District Attorney announced on Friday that Dwight Hugh Fitzpatrick received two 40-year sentences for aggravated sexual assault of a child. This comes after more than two years since the investigation began when a child told her grandmother that she had been sexually assaulted.

“We worked closely with the family of the young victim to ensure her needs were our first priority,” DA Jenny Palmer said. “Members of her family appeared in court wearing pink, her favorite color, and expressed their gratitude that she did not have to testify. Representatives from Maggie’s House, along with a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, were also present during the plea.”
Continue reading 80 years prison for sex assaults

TYLER – Early Voting for the May 2 City-School Elections ends today. There are several city and school elections, including a special-called bond election for Tyler Junior College.

The cities of Tyler, Hideaway, Lindale and Winona; and the independent school districts of Lindale and Tyler District 4 are having elections. The City of Lindale is also holding a special election for a charter amendment.
Continue reading Early voting ends today