City of Gilmer issues boil water notice for some residents

City of Gilmer issues boil water notice for some residentsGILMER – According to our news partner KETK, the City of Gilmer issued a boil water notice for residents near U.S. Highway 271 South on Friday after a water main break. Residents living on the following streets will need to bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes: Bruce Street, Crane Street, Webb Street, Ervin Hills, Hilltop Avenue, State Highway 300, addresses between 560 to 715 US Highway 271 South, addresses between 727 to 1150 Bob O Link Rd and addresses between 1550 to 2284 State Highway 155 South.

Residents affected by the water main break and the boil water notice will be notified by the City of Gilmer when the notice is lifted.

Any questions can be directed to Gilmer Public Works Director Jonathan Nix at 903-843-8206 or Mayor Tim Marshall at City Hall at 903-843-2552 or 903-790-7556.

One dead, two injured after Tyler motorcycle crash

One dead, two injured after Tyler motorcycle crashTYLER – The Tyler Police Department said a fatal crash on South Broadway Avenue left one person dead and two people injured on Saturday. According to our news partner KETK, the crash happened when an SUV turning to enter a Pizza Hut parking lot crashed with two motorcycles in the 7900 block on South Broadway Avenue at around 4:45 p.m. One motorcycle driver reportedly died in the crash, a Tyler PD spokesperson said. The other motorcycle driver and the driver of the SUV where both transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighter injured while fighting Henderson County fire

Firefighter injured while fighting Henderson County firePAYNE SPRINGS – The Payne Springs Fire Rescue said one of their firefighters was hurt while fighting a fire in the Lunday Land II subdivision on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, Payne Springs Fire Rescue (PSFR) responded to a single story home fire at around 7:50 a.m. on Friday morning. The home was under high heat conditions and heavy fire when PSFR firefighters made their entry into the home. PSFR said one firefighter did get cut on his hand when glass cut through his gloves. The fighter was cut so badly that he needed stitches. The fire was extinguished with help from the Gun Barrel City Fire Department and the Eustace Fire Department.

The Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the cause of the fire.

Texas measles cases rise to 146 in an outbreak that led to a child’s death

DALLAS (AP) — The number of people with measles in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child, health officials said Friday.

The number of cases — Texas’ largest in nearly 30 years — increased by 22 since Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized.

The child who died Tuesday night in the outbreak is the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The child was treated at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, though the facility said the patient didn’t live in Lubbock County.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official and a vaccine critic, said Wednesday that the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services was watching cases but dismissed the outbreak as “not unusual.”

But on Friday afternoon, Kennedy said in a post on X that his heart went out to families impacted by the outbreak, and he recognized “the serious impact of this outbreak on families, children, and healthcare workers.”

Kennedy went on to say in the post that his agency will continue to fund Texas’ immunization program and that ending the outbreak is a “top priority” for him and his team.

The virus has largely spread through rural, oil rig-dotted West Texas, with cases concentrated in a “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community, state health department spokesperson Lara Anton has said.

Gaines County has a strong homeschooling and private school community. It is also home to one of the highest rates of school-aged children in Texas who have opted out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% skipping a required dose last school year.

Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. Anton has said the number of unvaccinated kids in Gaines County is likely significantly higher because homeschooled children’s data would not be reported.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.

The U.S. had considered measles, a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours, eliminated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in continuous spread of the disease for at least a year. Measles cases rose in 2024, including a Chicago outbreak that sickened more than 60.

Eastern New Mexico has nine cases of measles currently, but the state health department said there is no connection to the outbreak in West Texas.

At a news conference Friday in Austin, officials confirmed the first reported case in Travis County since 2019. Dr. Desmar Walkes of the Austin-Travis County Health Authority said the case involved an unvaccinated infant who was exposed to the virus during a vacation overseas.

Texas Department of State Health Services spokesman Chris Van Deusen said the case was one of four linked to international travel so far this year, none of which were part of the West Texas outbreak. The others were two in Houston last month and one reported this week in Rockwall County, east of Dallas.

In the Travis County case, the child’s family members were vaccinated and were isolating at home and no exposures were expected, Walkes said. She could not give the exact age of the infant.

Officials at the news conference urged people to get vaccinated if they are not already.

“We’re here to say quite simply: Measles can kill, ignorance can kill and vaccine denial definitely kills,” said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat.

School officials in two Texas cities each reported reported one rubella case this week, but Van Deusen said no infections had been confirmed.

Texas GOP leaders defend appointee after tense exchange over diversity hiring

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An appointee of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wiped away tears and gave an emotional defense of her credentials after a tense exchange over diversity hiring policies, which was later followed by the state’s top Republicans rushing to support her publicly.

Texas Water Board Development Chair L’Oreal Stepney, who is Black, was consoled at one point by lawmakers after the exchange Thursday with GOP state Rep. Brian Harrison, who questioned her and other agency officials over their hiring practices.

Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who are all Republicans, later issued statements of support for Stepney and her service, while other GOP lawmakers criticized Harrison over the exchange.

“While passionate and open discussion will always be welcomed, comments that demean and belittle will never be tolerated,” Republican state Rep. Greg Bonnen, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, posted on X.

Harrison is an outspoken critic of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in state government. He questioned Stepney and Edna Jackson, who is also Black, over a line in the agency’s strategic plan that its workforce should reflect the state’s growing diversity.

Harrison did not directly question the credentials of Stepney or any other agency workers during the hearing.

On Friday, he defended his questioning during the hearing.

“My line of questioning was perfect and professional,” said Harrison, adding that he had posed similar questions to dozens of other agency heads. “It was Democrats on the committee who raised the issue of her qualifications. I never said a word about it.”

Harrison’s line of questioning prompted Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier, who is Black, to express her outrage at having “to watch two Black women have to defend 246 years of systemic racism.”

Stepney then delivered an emotional defense of her credentials to the panel. She said March would mark 33 years working for the state and listed off her two engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, one in aerospace engineering and the other in civil engineering.

“It was a deep honor for me to be appointed to the board, to be confirmed by the board, and to be appointed chair,” she said. “I have always been grateful to the governor. What have I done? I have protected the drinking water supply of 31 million Texans.”

East Texas doctors urge vaccinations amid measles outbreak

East Texas doctors urge vaccinations amid measles outbreakTYLER — Our news partner KETK is reporting that the measles outbreak continues to grow in West Texas, healthcare professionals in East Texas are working to educate the public about the disease and its potential impact.

Dr. Doug Curran, Chief Medical Officer at East Texas Community Clinic, and Dr. Sarah Jethro, Chief Resident at the UT Athens Family Medicine residency program, provided in-depth insight into the situation and the steps East Texans can take to protect themselves. “Right now, we have more cases of measles in Texas and in the U.S than before I was born,” Jethro said.

On Wednesday, Texas reported its first measles-related death in over a decade. The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed that the child, who was unvaccinated, passed away after receiving treatment at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock. Notably, the child did not reside in Lubbock County.

Less than two hours way from Smith County, Rockwall County officials have also reported their first measles case. The patient had traveled overseas and later tested positive. The Rockwall County Commissioners Court does not believe the case is related to the outbreak in West Texas. Continue reading East Texas doctors urge vaccinations amid measles outbreak

State reps booed off stage during education meeting

State reps booed off stage during education meetingPALESTINE – According to our news partner KETK, East Texas State Rep. Cody Harris ended a Q&A session one hour early on Friday night after he warned the audience to be respectful. There were school choice protestors outside and educators yelling throughout the evening.

Harris, who represents Palestine in the Texas State House, was holding a town hall at Palestine High School in order to answer questions about his education policy push in Austin. Harris was joined by the author of the school choice bill, Representative Brad Buckley of Salado.

Anytime Rep. Buckley would explain a fact in House Bill 3, he was met with loud comments, yelling and questions from the audience. Harris gave one warning and became fed up.

House Bill 2 will invest over $7.6 billion into public education including a significant portion for teacher pay raises. Harris said he wanted to bring the author of the townhall to explain HB3 in more detail. He explained that the point of the town hall was to explain the pieces of legislation to help rural East Texas public schools. Continue reading State reps booed off stage during education meeting

Five arrested in two major drug busts

Five arrested in two major drug bustsHENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that five people were arrested in Henderson County after investigators conducted two major drug busts on Thursday.

According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, at around 8:45 a.m. investigators conducted a narcotics search warrant in Moore Station on County Road 4300. Authorities found Mickey Shane Hargett, 62, and Lonnie Leon Hall, 60, at the home. Officials said they discovered a hole in the backyard where Hargett buried a plastic container that included baggies and scales for the distribution of narcotics. Hargett was arrested for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance along with active arrest warrants while Hall was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with active arrest warrants. Continue reading Five arrested in two major drug busts

City of Tyler updates stormwater permit

TYLER – City of Tyler updates stormwater permitOn Wednesday, Feb. 26, the City Council approved the updated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit to meet the new regulations from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This revision aligns with the Phase II MS4 permit, which took effect on Aug. 15, 2024, highlighting the City’s commitment to public health and the environment. “Our Stormwater Management Program is dedicated to protecting public health, reducing flooding risks and improving water quality in our community,” said Paul Neuhaus, City of Tyler Stormwater Management and Environmental Compliance Engineer. Continue reading City of Tyler updates stormwater permit

East Texas man arrested after sexually abusing family member

East Texas man arrested after sexually abusing family memberMOUNT ENTERPRISE – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Mount Enterprise man was arrested after a family member reported she has been sexually abused every week since she was 13.

According to arrest records, the victim said that Daniel Alton Flanagan, 51 of Mount Enterprise, has been sexually assaulting her since she was 13 until recently. She explained that the abuse happened once a week until she was about 22. The document said now that the victim is older, the abuse has continued and has been happening every three or four weeks. Flanagan was interviewed at the Rusk County Sheriff’s office where he allegedly admitted to having sex with the family member since she was about 13 and that the abuse had continued until about a month ago.

Flanagan was arrested on Monday for continuous sexual abuse of a child younger than 14 and prohibited sexual conduct with an ancestor or descendant. He is being held on a $225,000 bond at the Rusk County Jail.

Saks reiterates: The downtown Neiman Marcus store will close.

DALLAS – D Magazine reports that in a statement shared with press just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Saks Global reiterated that it still plans to close the downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus store at the end of March, calling any claims to the contrary “misleading.” That comes despite an announcement from Dallas leaders yesterday that the slice of land at the center of a ground lease snafu would be donated to the city. Saks initially said it would leave downtown after “a landlord” terminated Neiman Marcus’ occupancy. In today’s statement, Saks Global confirmed the landlord’s identity as Slaughter Partners.

“From as early as 2011 and as recently as December 2024, there have been several attempts to come to a commercially reasonable agreement with one of the Downtown store landlords, Slaughter Partners (Slaughter),” the statement reads. “In November 2024, previous NMG leadership contacted the City of Dallas requesting assistance in the lease negotiations, during which city officials expressed concern about the store and its continued operation. Before this meeting, previous NMG leadership also discussed purchasing a portion of the land with Slaughter’s broker; however, Slaughter would not offer a price. Despite these efforts and engaging the city, all attempts to come to a commercially reasonable agreement were rejected by Slaughter, who terminated Neiman Marcus’ occupancy upon expiration of the lease.” Saks also says it hasn’t received any documentation regarding the agreement between Slaughter and the city and feels it is unclear how the new agreement would affect the property and its other owners. The company alleges that the whole thing only became an option “after Slaughter’s attempts to increase rent were unsuccessful.” Slaughter, Saks says, continued to demand above-market rate rents. “Saks Global inherited this lease issue from Neiman Marcus’ previous owners and worked in good faith to come to an agreement with the landlord,” Saks Global Properties CEO Ian Putnam said. The company acknowledges the city leaders’ desire to keep the store open and is willing to hear them out, but it ultimately needs to make decisions based on “what’s best for the future and our long-term success.”

Texas Senate approves ban on lottery courier services

AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas Senate on Thursday passed a bill to ban the use of courier services that facilitate the sale of Texas Lottery tickets. Senate Bill 28 by Republican Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood was approved 31-0 amid concerns that couriers have hurt the lottery’s reputation. Courier services take orders online or through an app, buy lottery tickets from a retailer and send a scanned copy to the buyer, holding the ticket until the drawing is held. Couriers charge a fee to buy and manage the tickets, according to the Lottery Commission. The legislation next goes to the House, where state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Prosper, has a companion bill. Shaheen also has a bill to abolish the lottery.

Speaking Thursday to the Senate, Hall said the Lottery Commission “created loopholes specifically to allow the use of telephone and internet group purchases, resulting in underage gambling and other changes to open the door wide for what the Legislature intended to be illegal gambling practices.” “This bill is intended to send a strong message, not just to the Lottery Commission, but to all state agencies … that have taken it upon themselves to defy legislation and create rules that clearly violate the word and the intent of legislation,” Hall said as he introduced his proposal. “SB 28 will not restore integrity to the Texas lottery. I don’t even know if that’s possible. But it will reiterate the responsibility we have given the commission to ensure lottery couriers and their licensed retail outlets are no longer able to operate in the state in language even they should be able to understand,” he said. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hailed the unanimous vote as a step in protecting the lottery’s integrity, saying Texans must have “faith the game is not rigged.” “Today, the Senate made it clear that the first step in restoring public trust in the commission, if even possible, is to ban lottery couriers. The decision on whether the lottery will continue will be made in the coming days and weeks of the legislative session,” he said in a statement. The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers lamented passage of the bill. “We are disappointed that a pro-business state like Texas would consider shutting down companies that have for years followed the guidance and instruction of the Texas Lottery and honored the trust of millions of Texas customers,” the group said in a statement.

East Texas Rep says school choice will pass in State House

East Texas Rep says school choice will pass in State HouseTYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that school choice may soon pass it’s final hurdle in the Texas House of Representatives. Governor Greg Abbott said that for the first time in our state’s history, a school choice proposal has enough backing from representatives.

“I think House Bill Three is going to be one of the finest, if not the finest, school choice bill in America,” said State Rep. Brent Money (R) Greenville.

Money, who represents Hopkins and Van Zandt counties in Austin, said the bill will allow parents another option for education and should only affect the students and families who apply for the program.

“There are strong protections, legal protections, the strongest in the state that say that this program cannot be used to change the way homeschoolers homeschool, private schoolers private school and it’s not going to change the public schools either,” Money said. Continue reading East Texas Rep says school choice will pass in State House