LONGVIEW — Longview Independent School District distributed an early Christmas gift of more than $3.17 million in performance-based incentive pay to high-performing teachers and staff on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the funding was provided through the districts ‘Longview ISD Incentive for Teachers’ (LIFT) program, which rewards measurable performance, campus-wide achievement and specialized credentials earned during the school year.
“This is not a bonus for showing up,” Superintendent Dr. Marla Sheppard said. “These dollars reflect results and growth. They reflect the expectation that excellence in Longview ISD will be recognized in a meaningful way.”
Continue reading Longview awards over $3M in teacher incentives
Our news partners at KETK report the Overton City Council voted Thursday night to appeal a Texas Department of Transportation demand to remove the horseshoes from Warren Street. TxDOT contacted the city in early December, stating the horseshoe markings did not meet state roadway standards and directed officials to remove them. On Thursday, city leaders instead chose to formally appeal the decision. The issue first gained attention in October when Gov. Greg Abbott announced that TxDOT had begun removing nonstandard surface markings from roadways across the state. City officials say the horseshoes represent Overton ISD’s mascot, the Mustang, and have been part of Warren Street since the early 1990s. While acknowledging TxDOT’s concerns, council members voted to challenge the order rather than remove the markings. 
HARRISON COUNTY – Elysian Fields High School head girls basketball coach Crystal Roberts has resigned after being arrested for an alleged theft at Walmart’s Marshall location. Roberts, 44, was arrested on a property theft charge between $100 and $750. She was later released from the Harrison County Jail after posting a $700 bond the day of her arrest. Her resignation letter was effective as of Monday.
JACKSONVILLE – Community leaders, health care professionals and local officials gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of CHRISTUS Health’s new state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville that will significantly expand access to specialty medical services across the region, particularly for patients in surrounding rural communities. The 30,000-square-foot facility will house interventional pain management, pain management, orthopedic and vascular services under one roof. Once complete, the center will feature 24 exam rooms, six recovery suites, four procedure rooms and full-service imaging, creating a streamlined, patient-centered environment for both outpatient and procedural care.
