Today is
Monday June 15, 2026
TYLER – The Cowan Center’s 2017/2018 lineup has been announced. Executive Director Susan Thomae-Morphew announced the lineup for the 20th season at a Thursday news conference. There is something for everyone, from headline performers, Broadway plays, a dance troupe and political commentators. There will be plays like Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, Mowtown the musical, and a historical drama, filled with songs, about the Christmas Truce of 1914. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – The East Texas Baptist University School of Nursing is relocating to the historic Marshall Grand in downtown Marshall. The building is the newly-renovated circa 1929 former Hotel Marshall located on the Harrison County Courthouse Square in downtown Marshall. School officials say that moving the school to downtown Marshall will give students and faculty enhanced and expanded space, giving them room to grow. The School of Nursing at ETBU and been in operation since 1992. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – Kilgore College trustees will be considering closing three programs when they meet on Monday. A trustee’s committee has recommended closing the surgical technology, drafting and design and commercial photography programs. The three programs offer an associate of applied science degree and certificate of completion. According to a news release from the school, should trustees decide to close the program, selected drafting courses would still be offered as part of its manufacturing programs. The college also said it will still offer academic transfer photography courses in support of the transfer curriculum for journalism. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The preliminary cause of the fire at Tyler Welders Supply earlier this week has been released. According to Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson, the fire “appears to be accidental.” She said they are still waiting to get in to the building to do a full investigation and establish where the fire started. She expects investigators to be able to get into the building Friday morning to begin their full investigation. The fire started around 1:45 Tuesday afternoon. The fire ignited gas for welding supplies. Multiple explosions occurred when the blaze reached tanks, firing tanks and shrapnel high into the air. There were no injuries.
TYLER – Keep America Beautiful has announced that Keep Tyler Beautiful is the recipient of a 2017 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Grant. The $5,000 will be used to combat cigarette litter in Tyler. Keep Tyler Beautiful will use funds to improve to install 26 cigarette waste receptacles throughout the city. They will focus heavily on the Downtown area and areas where foot traffic is predominant. Research by Keep America Beautiful has shown that for each cigarette waste receptacle installed, cigarette litter is reduced by 9%. Keep Tyler Beautiful is one of 37 organizations to receive grant funding for 2017. Communities that implemented the this program in 2016 saw an average of 60% in cigarette litter. This is an 8% increase in comparison to 2015 results.
TYLER – The Tyler Public Library has been awarded a $6,000 grant through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. With the grant, funded through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Tyler library now becomes a Family Place Library (FPL) site. A FPL is established through a network of children’s librarians nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families. Now, children three and younger and their caregivers will have designated activities and programs at the Tyler Public Library specifically designed to lay a strong foundation for literacy. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview police department is alerting residents about work at home and online jobs scams. The way it works, the victim submits an application by email for the job. Then they receive a fraudulent check for payment of their duties. They are told to deposit the check in their account, then remove the funds and wire the money to another account. That money ends up in the hands of the overseas scammer. Most of these jobs are linked to Nigerian scammers. The bank then tells the victim the check is fraudulent and they are responsible for the money. You can get more information on this scam from the FBI and Federal Trade Commission websites.
TYLER – A Tyler man has been indicted for intoxication manslaughter in connection with a fatal Tyler wreck. The Smith County grand jury indicted 24 year old Terry Lee Jr. last week. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals in May in connection with the death of 58 year old Harold Wayne Coleman of Tyler in February. Lee’s car crashed on Gentry Parkway at Shawnee Boulevard. Lee’s toxicology test shows his alcohol blood content level was at .092 following the wreck. The legal limit is .08. He remains in the Smith County Jail under a $500,000 Bond. The accident occurred on February 9th. Lee’s car veered across the southeast bound lanes, left the roadway and struck a guide wire for a telephone pole. The vehicle rolled and struck a building. Four others in the car were injured.
TYLER – A north Texas woman has pleaded guilty in Tyler federal court to drug conspiracy charges. Nimrose Khan, 35, of Carrollton entered her guilty plea Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell. A combined task force of federal, state and local law enforcement officers, executed federal arrest and search warrants in Plano, Carrollton, Dallas and Tyler. The warrants stemmed from a joint investigation in which the Smith County Sheriff’s office took part. Federal prosecutors say Khan and her co-defendants, conspired to distribute synthetic drugs at two businesses. One of those was the Minute Stop/Valero Gas Station on Highway 64 West in Tyler. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Tyler man has been arrested for aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault. According to Tyler police, Freddi Betancourt, 25, met a woman he had a previous relationship with at Noble Young Park around 8:30 Wednesday night. Police said Betancourt forced the woman into his car where he sexually assaulted her before driving off with the victim still in the vehicle. A witness at the park called police and reported the situation. Police received another call from a second witness who stated they saw a car matching the suspected vehicle’s description on Frankston Highway. A woman was reportedly trying to get out. Betancourt was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail. His bond has been set at $100,000.
LONGVIEW – Longview’s emergency sirens are now all working again. All 20 of the city’s emergency warning sirens sounded and rotated during Wednesday’s test of the system. However, a timing issue was identified which will be addressed as soon as possible. During the test, the sirens sounded for five minutes as scheduled, but only rotated for three minutes. It is believed that this was due to a setting within the electronic equipment. These settings will be examined and adjustments will be made as soon as possible. A follow-up test will occur next Wednesday, June 21 at noon, weather permitting, to confirm that the settings have been adjusted correctly. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – A man responsible for numerous burglaries is in custody. On Tuesday, officers saw a man looking through business windows. When they tried to check on him, he ran. After a brief chase, officers caught Lavonta Moore, 18, of Marshall. It was discovered he was wanted for theft. He was booked into the Harrison County Jail. While talking with detectives, Moore admitted to burglarizing Blissmoor Valley Ranch, The General Store and Barbie’s Formal Wear, all last Saturday. He is now charged with three counts of burglary of a building, one count of criminal mischief, evading arrest, assault on a public servant and a theft charge from that separate case.
LONGVIEW – Today is the 12th annual National Dump the Pump Day. And Longview residents will benefit from it. Longview Transit is joining with other public transportation systems nationwide to participate in the activity. Longview transit is offering free rides on Thursday. The slogan of this year’s activity is “Dump the Pump, Ride Public Transit.†Started in June 2006 when gas prices were $3 per gallon, this national day emphasizes that public transportation is a convenient travel option that also helps people save money. According to the April American Public Transportation Association Transit Savings Report, individuals in a two-person household can save an average of more than $9,312 annually by downsizing to one car. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Jacksonville man is going to federal prison for drug trafficking violations. Abdul Kriem Lugman, 41, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute about 24 grams of cocaine. He was sentenced Wednesday to 180 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark. In December 2015, officers responded to a report of drug dealing at the Home Place Inn. They could see Lugman in a chair with a small white rock-like substance in his hand near a digital scale. A search of the room turned up crack cocaine, cash, digital scales, a police scanner, firearms and other drugs and drug paraphernalia.
MARSHALL — Next Step Community Solutions has three coalitions working across thirteen East Texas counties to combat underage drinking and drug use. Program specialist Staci Clark says, “Adults don’t think that prescription meds are as dangerous because they’re written by doctors, but we know that in this region, we have one of the highest…as far as insurance claims for opioid prescriptions as anywhere else in the state.” Clark says teens are increasingly abusing un-used prescriptions they find at home. Recently, the organization received a grant from the state that will fund a secure prescription drug dropoff location so left over, un-used prescriptions can be properly destroyed.