Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
CLEAR CREEK – A southeast Texas school system is naming their sports facility after a coach and John Tyler graduate who was killed while helping rescue people during Hurricane Harvey. The Clear Creek school board unanimously approved the recommendation to name a Clear Creek High School spring sports building after Coach Ruben Jordan. According to a posting on the school district’s web page, The building will bear the name Ruben C. Jordan Spring Sports Facility to honor to the coach who was beloved throughout Clear Creek High School, CCISD and the community as a whole. He had many successes as a football, track and cross country coach for 30 years at Creek before announcing his retirement in 2016. They will soon be announcing a date for a dedication ceremony.
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University’s total Spring 2018 enrollment of 2,944 is the highest it has been in the past several years. It has increased nearly 14% since Spring 2015. Graduate enrollments are 377, and high school dual enrollment has grown to 786, up nearly 347% in the past three years. LETU offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across a wide range of disciplines and delivery models at LETU’s residential campus in Longview and at centers in Plano, McKinney and Houston.
NACOGDOCHES – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports a total of 30 acres of invasive giant salvinia have been found in various locations at Lake Nacogdoches. Within days of the discovery of a half-acre of giant salvinia at the Yellow Bank Creek cove, a larger infestation was found where Little Bayou Loco enters the reservoir. Those areas will be treated with a combination of giant salvinia weevils and careful application of contact herbicide on larger mats of the invasive plant. It’s likely the plant traveled to Lake Nacogdoches by way of a visiting watercraft last summer. This is similar to the most recent infestation at Lake Fork, staff believe there is enough giant salvinia scattered throughout the lake that eradication would be almost impossible at this point. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – Area sales tax allocations from the state continues to outpace last year’s numbers. The state comptrollers office is sending out $911.9 million in local sales tax allocations for February. This is just over 6% more than in February of last year. These allocations are based on sales made in December. Tyler’s February allocation tops $4.4 million, which is an increase of just ove two and a half percent. For the year, Tyler has received over $7.8 million. This is a nearly 3.7% increase over the first to months of last year. Longview’s February check is for over $3.3 million, or a 3.3% increase. For the year, Longview has received nearly $6 million, for an increase of nearly six and a half percent.
AUSTIN – A Harrison County residents is one of five persons named by the governor to the Texas Commission on the Arts. She is Karen Partee of Marshall, who is executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Texas Bank and Trust Company. Her term is set to expire August 31st, 2019. The commission fosters the development of a receptive climate for the arts that will culturally enrich and benefit state citizens in their daily lives and attract outstanding artist to become state residents. Partee is a past president and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Longview a member of the Longview Regional Medical Centers Women’s Advisory Council, and the Longview Ballet Advisory Board.
PALESTINE – A Palestine teacher has been arrested. Detectives arrested Samantha Woolverton, 32, at her home on Tuesday. Woolverton has been transported to the Anderson County jail and booked on the charge of improper relationship between educator and Student, a second-degree felony. The investigation is ongoing.
TROUP – Smith County Road 2180, off of Mixon Road near Troup, has been reopened after county road and bridge crews replaced a culvert. The section of the road between County Road 2181 and Farm Road 344, was closed on Monday. The work was expected to take a few days, but was completed on Tuesday. County crews also did some tree removal work while in the area.
MARSHALL – Two-time Academy award winner Denzel Washington has pledged to renew a $1 million gift to Wiley College to continue his funding of its debate program. Washington first donated $1 million to the school in 2007 to support the re-establishment of its program. It had been inactive since the early 1900s, when it was led by English professor and poet, Melvin B. Tolson. Washington starred in and directed the film, “The Great Debaters,” which chronicled the history of the team under Tolson’s mentoring and coaching. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University has been named as one of the top four-year colleges and universities in the nation for providing dynamic pathways to support transfer students from community colleges. The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society named LETU to its 2018 Transfer Honor Roll, and will recognize the school at the organization’s annual convention in April in Kansas City, Missouri.
MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University has exceeded the School of Nursing Campaign goal of $1.8 million with the support of over 180 donors for a total of more than $2.3 million. The University intends to start construction this summer in anticipation of relocating the School of Nursing to the Marshall Grand in the spring semester of 2019. “ETBU looks forward to seeing scores of students, staff, and faculty using the Marshall Grand,” said school President J. Blair Blackburn. “With the University’s presence in Downtown Marshall, our local businesses will benefit from the impact on economic development.”
TYLER – Smith County Commissioners learned about the community of Troup during Tuesday’s commissioners’ court session. The presentation came from Troup Mayor Joe Carlyle, who is proud of the city he grew up in and still calls his home. Since serving Troup, Carlyle has seen many changes, including the city becoming more financially solvent, adopting new zoning ordinances, hiring a strong administrator, Gene Cottle, as city manager, completing several capital improvement projects, downtown sidewalk projects, and improving water and waste water infrastructure. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Smith County residents will be able to celebrate Texas Independence Day with fireworks this year. The county commissioners voted Tuesday to authorize fireworks sales from February 25 through midnight on March 2. Although fireworks can be discharged any time of year, there are only certain state-approved holidays when fireworks can be sold in Texas, including July 4 and New Year’s. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said she sees no reason for the court not to approve fireworks sales. She said there have not had any issues in the past. The Commissioners Court will consider approving fireworks sales for San Jacinto Day and Memorial Day at future meetings.
KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department is sending out a gas skimmer alert to area business owners. A gas pump skimmer was found Monday at the Exxon station at Highway 31 and Business 259. This one was hidden inside the gas pump, so it was not visible to the public. They are asking businesses to check their machines and to call them if they find something suspicious. They feel, if one has been found, there are probably others in the area. They even recommend that you walk inside the store and swipe your card. Its less convenient, but your card will not be compromised.
HENDERSON – The arrest of two persons on arson charges in Henderson County may have solved other arson cases. There have been numerous abandoned home fires in the Cherokee Shores area. Following a long investigation, arrested Monday were Tommy Lee Turner, 30, and Haley Lyhn Skaggs, 25, both of Mabank. Henderson County Fire Marshal Shane Renberg tells KETK, while the two have been charged with just one of the fires, but they may be responsible for the others. He says the investigation is continuing and more charges are likely to follow. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Smith County sheriff’s deputy has been injured while serving a warrant. Deputy Joshua Cox had to have a tourniquet put on his hand after being pushed through a window while struggling with Tyler Shane Kennedy, 27. It happened early Monday evening at a residence on Rocky Lane. The deputies were serving a warrant on Kennedy for endangering a child when he started struggling with them. Deputy Cox was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. Kennedy was taken to jail where, besides the warrant, he is now charged with aggravated assault on a public servant and resisting arrest. His bonds top $800,000.