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TYLER — The City of Tyler has appointed Kate Dietz director of utilities. Dietz has served as the Tyler Water Utilities Systems manager for the last 3 years. Her appointment will be ratified by the City Council at its next meeting on July 28. In her new position, Dietz will direct all engineering and activities of the city’s Water and Wastewater Departments, according to a news release. Dietz currently serves as the Northeast Texas Trustee to the Texas American Water Works Association and is a board member of the East Texas Regional Water Planning Group.

KILGORE — Kilgore College will host COVID-19 vaccination clinics for the community, with the first one from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 19. It’s set for the carpeted gym of Parks Fitness Center on the Kilgore campus. Additional dates for the KC clinics are Monday, Aug. 9; Tuesday, Aug. 31; and Tuesday, Sept. 21. Both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available. Face coverings are required inside the clinic. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. Click here for more information.

LONGVIEW — The Longview City Council has passed a resolution denouncing a white unity event purportedly scheduled in the Longview area later this year. According to our news partner KETK, postings from white-power.org of the Aryan Freedom Network indicate a White Unity Conference is set for Sept. 25. Mayor Andy Mack says the event is “non-verifiable” but that the city wants to take a stand against hate.

TYLER — Tyler police say a second suspect has turned himself in on a murder warrant in the June 25 shooting death at New Orleans Flavors Daiquiris in Tyler. 22-year-old Dycorrian Wayne Lofton of Jacksonville is jailed on $750,000 bond. Jaderick Willis, 21, also of Jacksonville, remains jailed on the same bond. Police say the investigation continues in the case, in which a woman was killed. Witnesses said a disturbance occurred in the parking lot and people began shooting.

SMITH COUNTY — Nearly 30 people attended the third Smith County Citizen Input Meeting in Lindale Thursday evening to discuss the six-year Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project, according to a news release. “It was a wonderful turnout,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips said. “This is what we hope for when we hold community meetings. It was great to hear from our citizens about the roads that are important to them.”Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran and County Engineer Frank Davis explained the road bond program with the crowd of 27 people, and answered questions about specific roads. Continue reading Smith County hosts citizen input meeting in Lindale

TYLER — After 24 months, First Christian Church-Tyler will have a new cross on its steeple. Rising more than 110 feet, it replaces the cross originally installed when the church was built in 1965. Senior Minister Dr. Chris Pulliam says the old cross was removed when it was found to be listing slightly. The rebuilding of the church began in 2014, evolving from an air conditioning issue to a larger renovation project. First Christian Church has been a landmark on East Texas’s busiest corner — South Broadway at Loop 323 — for more than 55 years. It serves not only as a center for congregational worship but also welcomes dozens of community groups and organizations to the campus, according to a news release. The installation of the cross is tentatively scheduled for Monday morning.

TYLER — The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Board of Trustees has reaffirmed the accreditation of Tyler Junior College until 2031. According to a news release, the decision was made during the Commission’s June meeting, and TJC received its official notification letter earlier this month. The SASCOC board offered no recommendations or issues, essentially giving TJC a clean bill of health for the next 10 years, according to the release. The reaffirmation enables TJC to continue awarding credit, granting degrees, and accessing state and federal financial aid for students. Accreditation also ensures quality control, assessment of outcomes, and a focus on continuous improvement; and retaining accreditation requires careful attention to fulfilling the institution’s mission and meeting published standards, according to the release.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank announces a strategic plan for $11.8 million in investments across its 26-county service area. According to a news release, the plan will work to ensure that the one in five East Texans who are facing hunger have access to the nutritious food they need. CEO Dennis Cullinane says it’s a timely move, pointing to “a heightened awareness of hunger in East Texas” brought about by the pandemic. The new strategic plan comes after philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife to Jeff Bezos, announced an unsolicited investment in the East Texas Food Bank in December. Continue reading Food Bank unveils strategic plan

TYLER – Tyler ISD trustees have named Dr. Kristen Walls the new principal of Tyler Legacy High School. Walls served as academic dean and assistant principal at the school, then known as Robert E. Lee, from 2017 through 2020. In 2020, she became the principal at Hogg Middle School. Walls succeeds Daniel Crawford, who resigned and was then arrested in a drug case that emerged in early June. Gary Brown has been serving as interim principal.

AUSTIN — The Texas Senate has passed its election integrity bill, but Republicans there say Democrats in the House are wasting their time with their flight to Washington. Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola wrote the measure, and he says the bill actually includes more options to vote by adding early voting hours and requiring employers to let their workers off to vote early. The bill would ban drive-thru voting and stop county elections departments from sending out unsolicited vote-by-mail applications.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an ATM robbery at a local bank early Thursday morning. According to our news partner KETK, officers responded to an alarm just after 3 a.m. at American State Bank on Loop 323 and New Copeland Road. A silver pickup truck that is believed to belong to the robber was abandoned at the scene and investigators said they are trying to track him down on foot. The truck was left behind with the keys still in the ignition and the engine running. It is unclear how much money was stolen from the ATM or how many people were involved.

TYLER – A Tyler man who allegedly raped a woman more than 100 times over a four-year period requested a jury trial for next year at a hearing in Tyler on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, 55-year-old Angelo O’Neal is charged with sexual assault of a child. The victim, now in her twenties, alleged that O’Neal raped her at his home more than 100 times between 2011 and 2015. O’Neal was required to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty in Henderson County to charges of indecency with a child in 1996. He was sentenced to eight years of probation.

MARSHALL — East Texas Baptist University has achieved a goal by raising more than $6 million for the Great Commission Center campaign. ETBU last summer received a $1.5 million challenge grant from the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation, requiring the university to raise $6 million by mid-July 2021, in order to receive the challenge grant funds. Achievement of the $6 million goal brings the total amount to over $7.5 million. The challenge grant marks the Mabee Foundation’s largest gift to ETBU. Among other things, the 23,500 square foot Great Commission Center will be home to one of ETBU’s largest academic programs, the Fred Hale School of Business, according to a news release.

TYLER — Lots of news to report following Wednesday’s Tyler City Council meeting. The city authorized $12.8 million to rehabilitate its sanitary sewer system and pay for emergency sewer repairs. It’s all part of a 10-year agreement to deal with wastewater issues that went into effect in 2017. The Council also agreed to move forward after receiving a grant to extend its Legacy Trail 2.2 miles. The project will add 1.7 miles of shared-use path and half a mile of sidewalks from Peete Elementary connecting with Stewart Park along the roadway rights-of-way and through Winters Park. Continue reading City council addresses a range of topics

EAST TEXAS — Workforce Solutions East Texas announces its first in-person hiring events since 2020, to be held this month in Tyler and Longview. For the last 14 months, all WSET hiring events have been held virtually. The upcoming “Recharge, Reset, and Reemploy East Texas” events will take place on Thursday, July 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Workforce Solutions office in Tyler, and on Thursday, July 29, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Infinity Center in Longview. Click here for all the details.

LONGVIEW — The Longview City Council has finalized a resolution denouncing a white unity event purportedly scheduled in the Longview area later this year. According to our news partner KETK, the resolution is set to be taken up at the Council’s July 15 meeting. According to postings from white-power.org of the Aryan Freedom Network, a White Unity Conference is set for Sept. 25. Mayor Andy Mack says the event is “non-verifiable” but that the city wants to take a stand against hate.

AUSTIN — Tyler state Representative Matt Schaefer is anything but pleased with the Democrats’ walkout from Austin over a controversial election bill. He says they bolted to Washington in the name of what he terms “a big lie.” Referencing their concerns about voter suppression, he says, “Read the bill — it’s not there.” Schaefer adds that there’s a lot at stake besides the election measure — like border security and retirement pay for teachers. He adds, “Democrats need to show up for work and fulfill their oath to faithfully execute their duties.”

LONGVIEW — As of Tuesday, July 13, the traffic signal at Loop 281 and Nealy Way in Longview has been set to flash. The signal will be fully operational beginning Tuesday, July 20. Drivers are encouraged to use caution at this intersection. This project consists of constructing a new 4-way traffic signal at the intersection. If you have any questions related to construction, call Zack Shaner, P.E., at 903-237-1321.

HENDERSON – Dozens of roosters that were seized by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office last week in an illegal cockfighting ring were released Tuesday morning to organizations that will rehabilitate the injured birds. According to our news partner KETK, the organizations taking in the animals to nurse them back to health will be Rusk County Pets Alive and the Humane Society of the United States. Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez says some of the roosters will then be adopted by various residents to raise them. Most were malnourished or seriously injured when they were recovered. The ring was busted on the Fourth of July. It was the second cockfighting ring busted in Rusk County over the last several weeks. Deputies also seized nine vehicles and an undisclosed amount of money.

EAST TEXAS — Texas wants to allow social media users to sue if they get censored by a website. East Texas Senator Bryan Hughes compares Facebook and Twitter to a utility. Hughes says that access to social media sites has become as much needed as a television signal or a phone connection, because that’s how people get their news. Hughes says we are driven further apart when political views are muted. Florida passed a similar bill, but it was blocked last month by a federal judge who ruled that it was unconstitutional.

KILGORE — ETCOG’s Area Agency on Aging of East Texas announces the reopening of senior centers serving congregate meals in Camp, Marion, Harrison, Rains, and Wood counties starting July 12. The meal sites closed to the public in March 2020 to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, the AAA continued serving clients in the senior nutrition program by offering meals through delivery or pickup. Click here for all the details.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been indicted on a child injury charge after allegedly waiting six days to get his daughter medical treatment for frostbite during the winter storm. As a result, her legs had to be amputated, according to our news partner KETK. The 17-year-old has been diagnosed with mental disabilities. Glenn Caldwell Jr., 45, has been charged with injury to a child/disabled individual by omission and is being held in the Smith County Jail on a $250,000 bond. Authorities say when asked why he waited so long to get her help, Caldwell replied he kept “putting it off, and putting it off.”

AUSTIN — A privacy bill authored by an East Texas senator was signed into law, and soon Texans should see fewer robo-calls as a result. According to our news partner KETK, Sen. Robert Nichols, of Jacksonville, authored Senate Bill 15 “to defend consumer privacy”. The bill will limit state agencies abilities to sell or disclose personal information to third parties. “Not only will your personal information be protected, Texans won’t have as many ‘robo-calls’ bothering them because of SB15,” Nichols tweeted. As it stood before this law, The Department of Public Safety and the Department of Motor Vehicles were able to sell, disclose and allow the resale of personal information attached to vehicles. Continue reading Bill preventing government agencies from selling your information signed into law

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man accused of stabbing a man to death nearly two dozen times in 2019 has had his trial set for September. According to our news partner KETK, 41-year-old Humberto Leal is accused of stabbing Luis Rene Maruffo-Castaneda at his home north of the Tyler city limits on June 30, 2019. According to an arrest warrant obtained at the time, when a Smith County detective arrived on the scene, he found Castaneda dead in the driver seat of his car. He then interviewed Leal, who claimed Castaneda was trying to kill him and he stabbed him in self-defense. Continue reading Trial date set for Tyler man accused in fatal stabbing

GREGG COUNTY –Gregg County residents who received a jury duty summons for Monday are no longer required to appear. According to the Longview News-Journal, Gregg County District Clerk Trey Hattaway said the cases set for next week are resolved, and prospective jurors are no longer needed.

TYLER — Weather permitting, the eastbound lane of East Houston Street between South Broadway Avenue and South Spring Avenue in Tyler will be closed to through traffic beginning July 12 while contractors replace a storm drain. Drivers will not be able to turn onto East Houston Street from South Broadway Avenue. The closure began at 8 a.m. Monday and will continue through July 20. Motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes. They’re also reminded to obey all traffic signs and slow down in and around the construction zone.

GUN BARREL CITY — A man was arrested after a large amount of methamphetamine was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop in Gun Barrel City. According to our news partner KETK, on Friday, Christopher Morgan drove his dark colored SUV out of a gas station parking lot and was traveling eastbound on Main Street when he was stopped by Deputy Meagan Hogan. While conducting the traffic stop, a vehicle search was conducted and law enforcement found a ‘large amount’ of methamphetamine in Morgan’s vehicle. Morgan was arrested and taken to the Henderson County Jail.

TYLER — On the second Saturday of every month, Downtown Tyler celebrates Hit the Bricks. There’s lots going on this Saturday — The Market Place, a Gallery Main Street exhibit opening, the Rose City Farmers Market, and much more. Click here for complete details. “Hit the Bricks” second Saturday is a collaborative initiative of Visit Tyler, the City of Tyler, and downtown business and property owners, with a variety of activities on and off the downtown square.

TYLER – A Tyler man accused of driving to Alabama and kidnapping a 13-year-old girl he met online has been indicted on several charges, including human trafficking and child sexual assault. According to our news partner KETK, 19-year-old Daniel Skipworth is being held in the Smith County Jail on a $550,000 bond. A grand jury in June returned indictments on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, kidnapping, trafficking a child, and engaging in forced sexual conduct. The case began in mid-April, and the investigation began after the girl’s parents filed a missing persons report.