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HUNTINGTON — A Huntington ISD teacher has resigned after students reported she made a negative comment following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Superintendent Carolyn Fiaschetti confirmed to our news partner KETK that Brianna Parrish, who taught U.S. government and world geography, stepped down on Tuesday. Parrish had initially been placed on leave after the district learned of the reported comments, though officials did not disclose what was said. The resignation comes as the Texas Education Agency reviews more than 280 complaints against teachers accused of making inappropriate remarks about Kirk.

“While all educators are held to a high standard of professionalism, there is a difference between comments made in poor taste and those that call for and incite further violence – the latter of which is clearly unacceptable,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement.

UPDATE: According to our news partner KETK, the Longview Police Department arrested a 21-year-old woman on Wednesday afternoon for the fatal shooting at an apartment complex on Sept. 12. Jarya Lashay Wilson, 21, of Longview, was arrested for murder and booked into the Gregg County Jail, where she is being held on a $50,000 bond.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is currently investigating a fatal shooting that happened at an apartment complex on Bostic Drive on Friday.

Longview PD said officers responded to a shooting that was reported at around 10:31 p.m. on Friday in the 200 block of Bostic Drive.

When officers arrived to an apartment complex on Bostic Drive, they found two male victims who had been shot. A Longview PD press release identified one victim as Jonathan Lee, of Lakeport. Lee was pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading Woman arrested after fatal Longview shooting

TYLER – Oncor Electric Delivery will be doing utility work Thursday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. According to the City of Tyler, the work will be on South Southeast Loop 323. The right, northbound lane between McDonald Road and Tanglewood Drive will be closed. Drivers are asked to anticipate delays and seek other routes. Signs will be posted, and workers will be available to help manager traffic. City officials ask that caution be used when traveling the work zone.

FLINT– The father of the Flint man accused of vandalizing the marble statue of Jesus at St. Mary Magdalene Church explained to officers that his son acted in this way because he is a worshipper of Satan, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

At around 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 7, Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered that the face and hands of the Jesus statue located at the front of the church had been vandalized. Officials were able to obtain video footage of the incident, which showed around 1:14 a.m. the suspect shattering the hands, wrists and part of the face of the statue. After damaging the statue, the suspect was seen walking south towards County Road 1299. Continue reading Father of suspect in church vandalism cites Satan worship

TYLER — Ambetter Insurance may no longer be accepted by UT Health East if an agreement is not reached between the two companies by November. According to UT Health and our news partner KETK, UT has been working with Ambetter to reach a new agreement that would ensure that their members continue to have in-network access to their facilities. If a new deal is not reached by Nov. 1, UT Health East Texas facilities will be out-of-network for Ambetter customers.

Additionally, if an agreement is not reached by the start of the new year, UT Health physicians and providers will also be out-of-network for Ambetter customers starting on Jan. 7, 2026. However, UT Health does state that those under Ambetter can still access emergency services at in-network rates. Continue reading UT Health East Texas and Ambetter Insurance face network dispute

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Office in Troup said they are receiving calls from concerned citizens about a scam text. According to a social media post on the county’s Facebook page, the fraudulent text appears to be from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and claims the person has an outstanding ticket. The text reportedly threatens that if the person does not click a link to pay a fine, their vehicle registration and driving privileges will be suspended. The victims are calling the JP 3 Office, which offers auto-registration services.

Officials remind the public that neither Smith County nor the State of Texas’ DMV would ever text anyone about a ticket or demand payment. Do not click on any link, and immediately delete the text. If you ever question whether a text, call or email is legitimate, it’s probably is not. Always call the department or organization it appears to be coming from directly.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Emergency Services District 2 recently purchased land to relocate several fire stations in order to reduce fire response times. Our news partner KETK spoke with Eric Greaser, Chief of Operations for Smith County Emergency Services District 2 (ESD2), on Tuesday about the new land the district has purchased to relocate fire stations near Dixie, Noonday, and Winona.

“These stations that were located here from the volunteer fire departments oftentimes were on donated land or the best that they could do at the time,” Greaser said. “It didn’t necessarily address access on major roadways or where the call volumes have evolved to. So this is a more strategic plan for acquiring these properties and making sure that we can have great access to those calls and reduce response times.” Continue reading Smith County ESD2 buys land to relocate fire stations

LONGVIEW – State Representative Jay Dean of Longview has announced a $10 million grant for the East Texas Regional Airport, secured with the help of Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows. According to our news partner KETK, the grant, awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), will be used to make state-of-the-art upgrades to the airport, enhancing the services provided to customers from Gregg County and across East Texas.

Dean expressed gratitude for the funding, thanking Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt and the Gregg County Commissioners Court for their efforts in securing the grant. He specifically praised Judge Stoudt for being “warrior” throughout the process of upgrading the airport.

To learn more about the airport’s services, visit the East Texas Regional Airport online or in person at 269 Terminal Circle in Longview.

SMITH COUNTY — A student who made a threatening post on social media has been arrested, according to Whitehouse ISD, and our news partner KETK. The district said they were notified by law enforcement on Tuesday that the student who made the threat is in police custody and will face legal consequences. Due to the threat, the district said that students may see an increase in officers on and around campus over the next week as a precaution.

Parents and students who hear of any further threats have been advised to report them directly to school staff or local law enforcement.

“WISD and our law enforcement partners take every report seriously, and the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” Whitehouse ISD said.

SMITH COUNTY – A 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday after reportedly being caught stealing from a Smith County golf course. According to our news partner KETK, Cody Kovarik was apprehended at a Lindale RV park for the Friday morning burglary at Garden Valley Golf Course. Smith County Sheriff’s Office said video surveillance from Friday captured Kovarik stealing several items from an outbuilding at the golf course.

Kovarik has a history of committing thefts in Smith County. He was listed by authorities as a suspect in an unrelated case from August. Kovarik been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and burglary of a building. He is in the Smith County Jail. His bond has been set at $125,000.

TYLER – Smith County Commissioners considered deducting the time Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips spent in jail from her salary on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, Phillips makes nearly $96,000 a year. Commissioners took no action on Tuesday, so Phillips pay will not be deducted. Instead they took a vote asking the Texas State Legislature for clarification.

In a public comment at the commissioner’s court on Tuesday, Phillips asked “why would you start a new precedent with my case?”

Phillips, was found guilty last year for interfering with public duties after a 2023 traffic stop involving her son. Continue reading Smith County Commissioners ask for clarity in County Clerk salary

MARSHALL – The Texas Rangers are currently investigating the case of a woman who died on Sunday while in the custody of the Harrison County Jail.

According to our news partner KETK and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Alicia Stuebenbrach died after being transported to a hospital in Marshall. The cause of her death is currently unknown after she was pronounced dead at 4:21 p.m. on Sunday.

The Texas Rangers are investigating Stuebenbrach’s death in accordance with state law, which requires that an outside agency must investigate an in-custody death. The investigation remains ongoing at this time.

A press conference regarding the case will be held at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office starting at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is asking East Texans for their input on local trolley service and high-speed rail along the Interstate 20 corridor.

The Tyler Rail and Regional Transit Study is entering it’s final stages and so the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is asking local residents to respond to a survey that will help them decide how rail service could be deployed in the area. Consultants are currently examining a limited trolley service on existing rail lines in the short-term future and they’re also looking at possible connections to high-speed rail service proposed for along Interstate 20.

“There is a proposed high speed rail line that would connect Dallas-Fort Worth with Atlanta Georgia,” Tyler MPO director Michael Howell said. “If this high speed rail line were to go in that would potentially give somebody the ability to get on a train in Tyler and go all the way to Dallas.” Continue reading Tyler officials seeking input on I-20 high-speed rail