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TYLER – Petra Hawkins has won the Tyler City Council District 2 runoff, according to Smith County unofficial voting results. Hawkins won with 52.7% and 508 votes to Stephen Dinger’s 47.3% and 456 votes.

The runoff election was held after Dinger, Hawkins and Dexter Floyd each failed to reach a majority of the vote during the May elections. Dinger originally won 45.65%, Hawkins had 36.52% and Dexter Floyd had 17.83% back in May.

TYLER – Unofficial results show that Petra Hawkins has defeated Stephen Dinger and Dexter Floyd in a Tyler City Council District 2 runoff election. Hawkins won with 52.7% and 508 votes to Stephen Dinger’s 47.30% and 456 votes.

HENDERSON, Texas – Yet another east Texas school district will be searching for a new superintendent as the Henderson ISD announced that Dr. Thurston Lamb is reportedly resigning from his position as Henderson ISD superintendent according to a meeting agenda and our news partners at KETK. Lamb joined the district as superintendent back in 2019 and previously worked at school districts in Garland, Richardson, DeSoto, Duncanville, Plano and Crowley. In 2022, he was named the Region 7 superintendent of the year. No reason or motive was immediately given regarding Dr. Lamb’s resignation.

ATHENS – An Athens man has been sentenced to 60 years in state prison after he was found guilty of murder for a 2021 Frankston hostage situation. According to our news partner KETK, Marco Matthew Gonzales, 38, was shot and killed on the front porch of a home near County Road 309 before Robert Mason Eckert, 38, retreated inside and took hostages. Eckert was then arrested after the hostage situation was brought to an end safely. Later, he was indicted on charges of capital murder, aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

TYLER – The Tyler Fire Department put out a fire at the Broadway Salvation Army thrift store on Friday evening. According to our news partner KETK, firefighters responded to 633 N Broadway at around 7 p.m. where there was a heavy fire on the outside of the building. Officials said the fire mostly started in the fenced in area where donations are dropped off and traveled inside but was contained by sprinklers. Tyler Fire Battalion Chief David Admire Jr. said the building sustained some structural and water damage on the inside but it is not a total loss.

“Four or five sprinkler heads went off and they were able to control the interior fire,” Admire said. The Tyler Fire Department said no one was at the location at the time of the fire and it will be investigated.

UPSHUR COUNTY, Texas – After allegedly scamming an elderly Upshur County resident out of more than $70,000, a man was arrested on Wednesday by officials. According to our news partner KETK, 85-year-old man was contacted on June 9 by someone claiming to be with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was coerced to pay them after being told about multiple warrants. The Upshur County Sheriffs Office said in a statement that the vitim paid $70,000 to Davan Patel, 38 of Melissa, who was arrested after going to the victim’s home to collect the money. Patel was taken to the Upshur County Jail and was charged with theft against the elderly with bond set at $1 million.

WHITE OAK, Texas – Our news partners at KETK report that after almost a year at the position, White Oak ISD superintendent William Paul has resigned. According to a release from the district and a Friday afternoon board meeting, Paul and the district reached an agreement that allowed Paul to “pursue other interests.” The district also said the search for his replacement will begin soon.

TYLER – Officials from the City of Tyler have announced multiple road closures for this weekend’s Juneteenth Parade which is slated to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday. The parade will start at the intersection of Glenwood Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr.(MLK) Boulevard traveling east on MLK until it reaches North Border Avenue. It will end at the intersection of 32nd Street and North Broadway Avenue. The city also provided a map of the parade’s route and a list of road closures which can he found here: Continue reading City of Tyler announces Juneteenth Parade routh

TYLER – The East Texas Anti-Gang Center – Tyler (TAG) conducted a “proactive investigative enforcement operation” in the Tyler area on Wednesday according to our partners at KETK. According to a release, the operation was proactive enforcement intended to target “criminal street gang activity.”Eleven people were arrested as a result of the operation. Continue reading Anti-gang operation in Smith County leads to 11 arrests

TYLER — The nation’s largest evangelical community, the Southern Baptist Convention, ended a two-year fight on Wednesday night rejecting a proposal that would ban women from becoming pastors in the church. Our news partners at KETK report that Lindale’s First Baptist Church Pastor Tom Buck said the 20 year doctrine is true to scripture, that women can lead ministry but not hold the pastoral office in any capacity. Continue reading Local reaction to SBC rule on women pastors

TYLER — Curbside recycling collection will stop on Monday, June 17, until further notice. This change is due to a structure fire at Rivers Recycling in Kilgore. The facility sustained significant damages and will be closed for repairs. Rivers Recycling was the current material recovery facility used by the City of Tyler to accept and repurpose curbside recycled materials.

Any material collected from residential and commercial curbside recycling customers that continue to utilize the recycle cart will be taken to the landfill with the regular municipal waste collected. If the cart will continue to be used, it should be set out on its regular schedule. Continue reading Curbside recycling in Tyler paused due to recycling center fire

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing the Texas and U.S. flags in Van Zandt County to be lowered at half-staff in honor of a county commissioner who died during severe storms. Longtime Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. died on June 3 after a tree fell onto his car while he was driving at night.

According to our news partner KETK, Van Zandt County will be allowed to lower the flags to half-staff beginning June 17 in honor of the life and public service of Melton. Flags should be returned to full-staff by sunrise on June 19, Abbott said.

“The First Lady and I extend prayers of comfort for the Melton family during their time of grief and urge all Texans to remember and honor Commissioner Melton’s service to his community as a dedicated elected official and to his country as a United States Marine who was awarded a Purple Heart and a Navy Commendation Medal for Valor,” Abbott said.

The governor said individuals, businesses, municipalities, counties and other political subdivisions in the surrounding area may fly flags at half-staff.

LONGVIEW – After a long discussion Thursday evening and a vote, the Longview City Council unanimously approved a proposed bio-mining facility. According to our news partner KETK, the plant will be located on 2120 East Loop 281 and operated by Mint Innovation. There, the company will extract valuable metals like gold and copper from old devices that ended up in the trash.

During public comment, several people expressed concerns over the environmental impact the facility could pose. Specifically, the chemicals that will be used. The final decision will come from Mint Innovation, which is considering the City of Longview and other cities for their second facility.

“I’m a byproduct of Flint, Michigan,” one speaker said. “Was born and raised there. I in good conscience could not sit here and by the side and not say anything.” Continue reading Longview unanimously approves biomining facility

TYLER – Smith County Officials awarded veteran volunteers with Team Rubicon with the Smith County Community Hero Award Thursday after the group worked for nearly a week helping a dozen residents cleanup storm damage. County Judge Neal Franklin and Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore presented the group with the award Thursday morning before they left to return to their various homes around Texas and other states.

About 15 volunteers from Team Rubicon worked Saturday, June 8, through Wednesday, June 12. The team helped 12 residents clean up large tree debris in the Tyler, Flint and Chapel Hill communities.Team Rubicon is a nonprofit, veteran-led disaster response and humanitarian organization.

Team Rubicon’s services were free to the homeowners. They are funded by donations and grant funding. For more information about Team Rubicon, visit their website.

TYLER – A Tyler man was found guilty of sexual assault after a jury trial, and is scheduled to be sentenced next month. According to our news partner KETK, Vincente Zavaleta, 45 of Tyler, was originally arrested in March 2023 in connection to a cold case investigation involving the sexual assault and kidnapping of women going back more than 10 years. Zavaleta was linked to the 2012 case he has now been convicted of after a DNA profile was linked to him, and investigators said the victim gave a description of a truck used in the crime that reportedly matched the description of a truck linked to Zavaleta. His jury trial began on June 4, and he separately has been indicted for sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping in connection to a case from 2016. Zavaleta’s sentencing has been set for July 16.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Chamber of Commerce hosted their state of the economy on Wednesday. The main topic of discussion was that business in Gregg County is booming, according to our news partners at KETK. “Progress that we’re seeing in Gregg County some of the growth that we’ve seen from projects and what we’ve been looking forward to in the future,” Kilgore Economic Development Corporation executive director Lisa Denton said. Continue reading Business booming in Gregg County

TYLER — The Keep Tyler Beautiful staff presented the 18th Gold Star Affiliate and Sustained Excellence awards to the City Council during Wednesday’s meeting according to our colleagues at KETK. Keep Texas Beautiful awarded the City of Tyler after they reached the Gold Star affiliate status because of its continuous efforts in beautification, litter reduction, maintaining public-private partnerships, the city said. Continue reading Keep Tyler Beautiful receives Gold Star

HENDERSON COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, former Payne Springs Chief of Police April Meadows accepted a plea last month for charges of money laundering and manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. According to court documents, she must give up her peace officers license as part of her plea. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 27 at 9 a.m.

Meadows was accused alongside former Payne Springs police officer Jonathan Hutchison, who is also accused of money laundering and manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance.. Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said at the time of their arrests that search warrants of their homes revealed controlled substances inside.

SMITH COUNTY — If tree removal companies are caught illegally dumping tree debris on Smith County roads or vacant lots, they could face up to two years in a state jail facility or a fine. According to a news release from Smith County officials, businesses that are paid to remove trees cannot dump or burn them, said Tommy Goodman, the Smith County Sheriff’s Environmental Crimes Unit deputy. They must take them to a landfill or to businesses that grinds them up to make mulch or other products, he added.

Since the first bout of severe weather hit Smith County on May 23, county officials have been telling residents who live on county roads that they could push their tree debris out on the rights of way for the Road and Bridge Department to pick up. Continue reading County warns of illegal dumping of tree debris

UPDATE: Gracie Alderman was found safe Wednesday night, according to authorities.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is seeking help to find a 7-year-old who was ordered into their custody on Friday by a Smith County judge. According to our news partner KETK, the department needs the public’s help finding Gracie Alderman who is about four feet tall with red hair and brown eyes. Authorities said Gracie is believed to be with Galen Alderman and Sara McInnis in a silver Acura RDX. The license plate of the vehicle is from Texas and it says TBL0979, DFPS said.

KILGORE – According to our news partner KETK, several East Texas fire departments responded to a structure fire at Rivers Recycling at approximately 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire has been contained but officials said it could burn for a week. Officials will launch an investigation to figure out what caused the recycling facility to catch in flames. Reportedly, the fire happened after hours and the gate to the facility was closed when the fire department responded to the scene. FM 1252 has been reopened for drivers as the fire is not threatening structures or trees in the area.

The City of Longview announced that they will be pausing curbside recycling until further notice because of the fire at Rivers Recycling. The City of Longview said that for the time being, anything placed in curbside recycling will be taken to the landfill alongside regular trash.

A Kilgore Fire Marshal told KETK’s Ashlyn Anderson that no structures other than the ones on the site are in danger, but that the fire has the potential to burn for up to three weeks.

TYLER – Texas Women for the Arts (TWA) awarded $319,169 in grants across Texas to increase children’s access to art, including two East Texas organizations. According to our colleagues at KETK, the statewide organization awarded grants across Texas, including money for the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and Young Audiences of Northeast Texas. Continue reading Texas Women for the Arts awards grants

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Animal Control and Shelter is offering free microchips throughout the month of June for pets in the county according to our colleagues at KETK. June is National Microchipping Month and it can help owners ensure their pet always finds their way back home. From 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, people can stop by the shelter located at 322 E. Ferguson St. with no appointment needed. “The fourth of July will be here sooner than you realize, so now is the perfect chance to make sure your animals are taken care of before any firework scares,” a release said. For more information, people can contact the Smith County Animal Control and Shelter at 903-266-4303.

GLADEWATER – Our colleagues at KETK report that the National Weather Service (NWS) said the Longview and Gladewater areas along the Sabine River are in the ‘major’ flooding category Tuesday morning. The category is reached when water levels reach 36 feet deep in this area, putting houses and secondary roads at risk. “That’s the highest level at which a river is going to rise, but we’re not seeing record-breaking levels along the Sabine,” KETK Chief Meteorologist Carson Vickroy said. On Sunday, the river crested at nearly 38 feet and has slowly receded since then. Nicholas Bruton, a Sabine River fisherman, said it looks to be well over the normal water level. Continue reading Sabine River flooding still impacting East Texas

GLADEWATER – The Gladewater Fire Department is seeking help to purchase a rescue boat after identifying a need during the recent flooding of the Sabine River and surrounding areas, according to our news partners at KETK. According to a release, the fire department water rescue team received several calls for help and are now trying to secure funding for a Rapid Deployment Craft (RDC). Gladewater FD said the boat would allow crews to work in narrow fast moving water and to be used in extreme rescue situations. “We have put in for grants to possibly help with this purchase, but these take time and may or may not be funded. We are asking for your help and support in acquiring a RDC ASAP,” the fire department said. To donate, people can contact the fire department at 903-845-2484.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council approved an engineering agreement with C.T. Brannon Corporation for $420,285.00 to extend the 12-inch diameter water main at Highway 271 to FM 14 and North Broadway Avenue.

According to a news release from the City of Tyler, the existing water line on Highway 271 ends south of Loop 323, and the project will begin there. It will extend north past Loop 323 before turning west to connect to the 16-inch water line on FM 14. North Broadway Avenue currently has multiple undersized mains that are not looped.

This project will also replace the aging smaller lines with a new 12-inch water line and connect the dead end together. According to a preliminary engineering assessment, the project is expected to require approximately 10,100 linear feet of water line for the Highway 271 segment and an additional 3,300 linear feet for the North Broadway stretch. Continue reading Water line project to improve water pressure, quality

TYLER — To ensure the long-term reliability and safety of Tyler Water Utilities’ (TWU) drinking water infrastructure, the City Council approved on Wednesday, June 12, a contract in the amount of $980,659 with HDR Inc. for a comprehensive condition assessment of the Lake Tyler raw water pipelines.

The Golden Road Water Treatment Plant, which accounts for approximately half of the drinking water supplied to the City of Tyler, relies on two parallel pipelines from Lake Tyler for its raw water supply. Constructed in the 1940s and 1960s and spanning roughly eight miles each, these pipelines are considered vital infrastructure for running the plant and ensuring the delivery of safe and quality drinking water to the City of Tyler. Continue reading City of Tyler to evaluate Lake Tyler raw water pipelines