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LONGVIEW — Upgraded water features and pavilions have been added to the Jack Mann Splash Pad. According to the city this is the first completed project of Longview’s 2018 bond election. Longview Parks and Rec Department is commemorating the completion with discount specials at the concession stand while supplies last. The Jack Mann Splash Pad, is the largest of the city’s splash pads and is located within Lear Park, on Mosley Pkwy. Admission to the facility is free and is open every day of the week except Wednesday. Click the link for more details. https://longviewtexas.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=2040

LONGVIEW — The city of Longview is one step closer to connecting 10 miles of trails. According to a press release from the city, a ribbon cutting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, to mark the completion of the 1st phase of the Guthrie Trail. The event will take place on the trail near the intersection of Fourth Street and Clinic Drive. The public is invited to attend. Get more details by clicking the link below.
https://longviewtexas.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=2041

MABANK — The Mabank Police Department is searching for a man reported missing as of Tuesday. Michael Alvey, 56, has dementia. Anyone with information on his location should contact Mabank police at (903) 887-8500.

TYLER — The proposed 2019-20 budget for the City of Tyler was presented to the City Council on Wednesday morning. According to the city’s temporary website, The proposal recommends a one-and-a-half-cent increase to the current tax rate of $0.244452 per $100 valuation. Sales Tax will make up 42% percent of the General Fund – which provides public services. Continue reading Proposed Budget Presented to Tyler City Council

BULLARD — Bullard Softball Coach Megan Dobrinski has died following her battle with cancer. According to our news partner KETK, Dobrinski was diagnosed with the disease at the end of the season this past May. Last week, Bullard held a softball and kickball tournament to bolster support for her. Supporters at the tournament said she had dedicated her life to the sport she loved and wanted to give some of that love back. Dobrinski leaves behind her husband of 11 years and 2 daughters. Continue reading Local Coach Dies After Fight With Cancer

LONGVIEW — Longview police have identified a Spring Hill ISD student who reportedly made threats towards the district for the first day of school on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, the school released a statement saying that classes would continue as normal. The student’s name was not released because he/she is a minor. Spring Hill officials said that the student would not be at school for the remainder of the week. The school also said that they do not believe the threat was meant to be carried out.

TYLER (Staff/AP) — State Representative Matt Schaefer of Tyler is expressing his disappointment over events surrounding House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. On his Twitter page, Schaefer has posted a statement saying he forgives Bonnen “regarding the content of his apology.” But Schaefer says Bonnen’s offer regarding media credentials for activist Michael Quinn Sullivan “appears to be unethical.” Schaefer also says parts of two emails sent by Bonnen to House members “were misleading, while others were blatantly false.” Schaefer says he prays that “moral and ethical considerations will always outweigh political considerations.” Continue reading Schaefer Weighs In on Bonnen Controversy

TYLER — Two East Texas powerhouses will now get to show off their skills on a national audience. According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Lobos and the John Tyler Lions football game on September 12th will be broadcast on ESPN2. The great East Texas rivalry will be played at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. Kick off is at 7 p.m.

LINDALE — According to a post on the Lindale Police Departments facebook page, the Municipal Court will be closed on Thursday (15th) and Friday (16th) so court clerks can be trained on the legislative updates. If you have any questions, you can contact the court at 903-882-6150.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College will host a Public Hearing on Thursday. According to a news release, the meeting will take place at 11 a.m. in the board room of the White Administrative Services Center on the TJC campus. The Board of Trustees has proposed keeping the current tax rate of 19.9926 cents per $100 of valuation.

MARSHALL — A group of 23 athletes and staff returned to East Texas Baptist University on Saturday after a visit to Japan. The trip marks ETBU’s 11th sports mission experience and the third trip with ISF – an organization that seeks to change the world through sports. The Spirit Team as well as Acrobatics and Tumbling made the 16 hour flight to Japan that took members to Camp Buttobi, 4 hours south of Tokyo. They also worked with the people of Yokohama, which is 17 miles south of Tokyo.

LONGVIEW — Longview ISD took action on Monday and approved a pay raise for teachers totaling more than eight million dollars. According to our news partner KETK, House Bill 3 included increases for teachers state wide and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June. Longview leaders are quick to point out they want to go above and beyond the minimum. The highest pay raises will go to the most experienced teachers with more than 20 years of experience, but overall teachers can still expect an increase of around $3,000. The bump in pay could go into effect as early as September.

TYLER — Annually, Texas school districts are graded on several things, including student achievement. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler ISD will move from an overall C rating in 2018 to a B in 2019. Seven school districts in TISD saw an improvement of a full letter overall, while thirteen maintained current standings, and six saw a slight decline. However there is still work that needs to be heightened. Hogg Middle School and Rice Elementary schools inside the District did not meet the standard and require improvement. Click the link to see how other district ranked. https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/perfreport/src/2018/campus.srch.html

MINEOLA — A number of Teachers in Mineola will be seeing increases in pay after the Mineola ISD Board of Trustees voted the increase on Monday. The upgrade begins this school year. According to a news release from MISD, new teachers up to 4 years of experience will get a minimum of $3000, while teachers with 5 years plus experience will see a $3600 bump. House Bill 3 requires 30% of new funding to districts be spent on salary increases with 75% of that amount for teachers, nurses, and counselors. Clerical and auxiliary staff will receive a 3% increase.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank and Smith County Food Security Council will be distributing free, fresh produce on Tuesday as part of the “Produce Drop and Community Resource Roadshow.” The event happens from 10 am to 6pm at New Days Community Church. Families are also invited to discover other local service providers including WIC, Texas Workforce Commission, Amerigroup, Health and Human Services, Goodwill, UT Health Science Center at Tyler and more. For more details contact Dr. Valerie Smith, St. Paul Children’s Foundation, 903.531.9455.

KILGORE — The Kilgore College Foundation has received $150,000 from an alumnus of the college. The recent private gift will support upgrades to KC’s information technology infrastructure. The advancements will bring state-of-the-art wireless networks to KC campuses officials say that will cultivate open access resources such as textbooks – thus reducing the burden of costs to students.

TYLER — The Tyler Junior College Apache Belles’ annual Formal Announcements performance is Friday, Aug. 16 at 7 pm, in the event center on the 3rd floor of Robert M. Rogers Nursing & Health Sciences Center on the main TJC campus. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend. In addition to the announcement of the 2019-20 line and officers, the Belles will debut this year’s high-kick routine and present incoming freshmen with their official Apache Belle necklaces, a memento of their time on the Apache Belles line.

TYLER — The United Way of Smith County will launch the 2019 Annual Campaign with a celebration at the Woman’s Building on S. Broadway, coming up on Aug. 20th. Breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. followed by a brief program at 9:00 o’clock. Each year, the United Way helps 1 in 4 people living in Smith County thanks to corporate gifts, workplace campaigns and individual donors. Officials say, funds raised in the community, stay in the community to help people right here at home.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Two puppies were back at their Van Zandt County home on Sunday. Late last week Cynthia Durham, President of the Van Zandt Humane Society, was arrested for stealing the family’s dogs while they were out of town. According to our news partner KETK, the Housden family were all smiles with their four legged family members back home. Authorities say while in custody Durham claimed she took the dogs because they were malnourished, and then changed her story stating she was worried that the dogs could get run over. Investigators say the dogs were healthy and in an area with very low traffic. Durham is charged with property theft.

EAST TEXAS — As millions of Texas children return to school this month, TxDOT is reminding motorists and parents to take precautions to prevent traffic crashes and injuries in and around school buses. According to our news partner KETK, last year, there were 765 traffic crashes in Texas school zones, resulting in 1 death and 15 serious injuries. In the Tyler area in 2018, there were 20 traffic crashes in school zones resulting in no fatalities and no serious injuries. The most common causes for these crashes were failure to control speed, driver inattention, and failure to yield the right of way, when turning left to a private drive or at a stop sign. Continue reading TxDOT Safety Tips for Drivers and Students

TYLER — Fitzpatrick Architects in Tyler has a master plan in mind for downtown, and the company shared it with the public this past week. According to our news partner KETK, it starts with a catalyst project, renovating the section from Front Street to the square. Sidewalks would be widened and lanes reduced to make it more pedestrian friendly. New living and retail spaces would be added as well. The next plan is to extend the square to the county courthouse. The center would become a lawn area with food trucks, and a new courthouse would be built behind it. It’s touted as a destination where people can park and walk to enjoy entertainment and recreation. A major first step would be to get a $25 million federal grant approved. It’s estimated the project would take five years to complete.

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview Partners in Prevention’s Unity and Diversity Committee will host “Longview Listens: Accidentally Naive” at 6:00 p.m. Monday at First Christian Church. According to a news release, Longview Listens will focus on open and civil dialogue in small group conversations centered around being “Accidentally Naïve” about race and culture. The event is free, but an RSVP is requested by calling 903-237-1019 or signing up through Facebook @longviewunityanddiversity. There’s more information on the ktbb.com Calendar of Events.

TYLER — TxDOT is planning to conduct a range of construction and maintenance work throughout the Tyler District during the weeks of August 12 and 19. Summer seal coat operations are ongoing, with work now in Van Zandt, Smith, and Anderson counties. Motorists are reminded to slow down and pay attention when traveling through these and all work zones. The two-week period’s seal coat efforts kick off Tuesday on FM 47 from downtown Wills Point to FM 2475 and on SH 64 from I-20 to US 80 in Wills Point. Wednesday, workers get busy on SH 110 from FM 16 in Van to the Smith County line, then move to SH 110 in Smith County from 1.2 miles northwest of FM 724 to 1.8 miles north of FM 3271. Go to txdot for more information.

LONGVIEW — Longview resident Martina Lopez says a violent Saturday morning episode involving her adult son was brought on by schizophrenia that he’s been battling for years. According to our news partner KETK, police were first to arrive at Lopez’s home on East Birdsong. The son was said to be bleeding from a self-inflicted cut to his leg and had reportedly broken multiple windows with a baseball bat. Lopez and another resident fled and called police. Police soon learned the man had multiple knives and access to a firearm. Eventually, the man reportedly set the house on fire, rendering it a total loss despite the efforts of fire crews. SWAT officers later captured the man. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and will be jailed on arson charges.

CANTON — The Van Zandt County Humane Society responded on Friday afternoon to the arrest of their president Cynthia Durham saying on their facebook page that the VZCHS is not now, nor ever been in the business of “flipping pets.” According to our news partner KETK, Durham was involved in a process known as “pet flipping,” or stealing pets to be transported elsewhere for resale as a “rescue.” Continue reading Humane Society Official Arrested, Accused of “Pet Flipping”

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Van Zandt County Humane Society responded on Friday afternoon to the arrest of their president Cynthia Durham saying on their facebook page that the VZCHS is not now, nor ever been in the business of “flipping pets.” According to our news partner KETK, Durham was involved in a process known as “pet flipping,” or stealing pets to be transported elsewhere for resale as a “rescue.” Continue reading VZCHS Releases a Statement After Presidents Arrest

KILGORE — Kilgore law enforcement is urging parents to check their kid’s apps to help make them less vulnerable to predators and other risks following a recent child predator sting in Florida. According to Kilgore PD’s facebook page, most of the 15 apps listed are intended for adults. These apps have the potential of exposing children to a variety of things from bullying to unwanted sexual messages, with some giving strangers your child’s location. Authorities say to best protect your children to make sure you approve every app, check privacy settings, and communicate about phone use, apps, and social media.

CANTON — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office has canceled a Silver Alert issued Friday morning for 91-year-old Barney Richardson of Canton. According to our news partner KETK, the VZCSO says investigators learned at about 5:45 p.m. that Richardson might be in the Dallas area. The VZCSO forwarded the Silver Alert advisory to the Dallas Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol & Criminal Investigation Division. Richardson was found safe in northeast Dallas at about 7:45 p.m.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department will administer a Civil Service exam at 9 a.m. on Aug. 24 at MPD. This exam is the first step for those interested in pursuing a career as a police officer with the Marshall Police Department. The test is comprised of a written portion and a physical abilities test to follow. A minimum score of 70 must be achieved on the written part before being allowed to move on to the physical abilities section of the assessment. You must register by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22. to take the evaluation. For more details contact the city of Marshall.