One dead after hit-and-run in Longview, suspect at large

LONGVIEW – A woman is dead after being hit by a vehicle while riding her motor scooter in Longview. According to our news partner KETK, on Sunday, around 10:47 p.m., Longview Police responded to reports of a hit-and-run involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on a motorized scooter on the 1500 block of E. Marshall Avenue. When officials arrived, they learned that the vehicle was traveling eastbound when the collision occurred and left the scene in the direction of Eastman Road. Officials said the pedestrian hit by the vehicle was identified as Carrie Evette Pickron, 39. Pickron was taken to a local hospital where police said she succumbed to her injuries. The vehicle police are looking for is described as a two-tone black/grey Dodge Challenger car with black wheels and possible front-end damage.

House visit turns into a drug bust for a woman in East Texas

HENDERSON COUNTY – On Sunday, a woman was arrested after Henderson County officials went to her house regarding a theft investigation and allegedly found drugs while they were there. According to our news partner KETK the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said that they sent two officials to Amy Fann’s residence in Golden Oaks just outside of Payne Springs while investigating a theft. While at the residence, officials discovered suspected methamphetamines inside the home. They proceeded to arrested Fann for manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and a harassment warrant out of Grayson County. Fann was booked into the Henderson County Jail where she is awaiting arraignment.

National Day of Prayer celebrations held across East Texas

TYLER – Around East Texas, numerous communities celebrated the National Day of Prayer. It gave places like Tyler, Longview, Lufkin and Gladewater a chance to show how passionate they are about their faith. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler held its 32nd annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast early Thursday morning. The mayor of Tyler Don Warren said they prayed for everyone. “We prayed for first responders, we prayed for young people, we prayed for hope and love,” said Warren. He added the whole point of these events is to bring people with different backgrounds together. In Gladewater, an outside prayer service was held at the Veterans War Memorial. The mayor of Gladewater Scott E. Owens said there’s no better time than now to get together and pray. The National Day of Prayer is held the first Thursday in May and has been observed across the country since 1952.

Tyler man sentenced to 5 years in prison for manslaughter in 2021 crash

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2021 fatal wreck on Loop 323. Jose Esparza, 25, was initially arrested in November 2021 after a high-speed, three-car crash in front of Mercado’s. According to our news partner KETK, Esparza was driving in a black Corvette westbound on the road when he struck the back of a truck “at a high rate of speed.” The Corvette’s computer showed he was driving at 113 mph when the brakes were slammed. Esparza had minor injuries, but his passenger was taken to hospital in critical condition and died two days later. The warrant said Esparza was not intoxicated at the time of the wreck, and the Corvette “was almost unrecognizable due to the severity of the damage.” Esparza was indicted for manslaughter in April 2022, and pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge on Wednesday.

Son of arrested Smith County Clerk attempts to ‘correct the slander’ at commissioner’s court meeting

TYLER — The son of Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips and County Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips, attempted to speak at the Commissioner’s Court meeting on Tuesday to “correct the slander” surrounding his family after his mother and brother’s arrest. According to our news partner KETK during the public comment portion of the meeting, Judge Neal Franklin announced that Lance Phillips requested to comment on a specific agenda item and would be given three minutes to do so. “This is what can happen to you when you’re driving down the Smith County roads. I just wanted to correct the slander about my family on and for the record,” Lance Phillips said. (more…)

Glass Recreation Center offering free car repair, resume writing classes

TYLER – The Glass Recreation Center in Tyler is offering free life skills classes for teens from age 13 to 17 starting on June 6. These classes which are being offered for subjects like resume writing and car maintenance are limited to 15 participants per subject and will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays. According to the center, parents can choose the classes their teen will participate in but class spots are limited. To learn more about the Teen Life Skills program, call the Glass Recreation center at 903-595-7271 visit Tyler Parks and Rec online.

Texas Rose Festival Association celebrates Rose Sunday

TYLER – Tyler is home to the largest municipal rose garden, and on Rose Sunday, the community came together to honor our city of roses. Tyler’s rose garden blooms with more than 15,000 rose bushes, seeing 100,000 visitors every year according to our news partner KETK. On Rose Sunday, people gathered to celebrate these beautiful blooms. “We are here to promote our rose garden, our beautiful 14 acres that are blooming out there and promote our city,” said Executive Director for the Texas Rose Festival Association Liz Ballard. There to honor Tyler’s roses was the Texas Rose Festival court, and the 2023 Rose Queen Laura Bryan. Today, more than one-third of the nation’s rose bushes are processed, packaged and shipped from this area. It’s building up excitement for the 90th Texas Rose Festival in just a few months.

Athens Police Chief steps down to move to private sector

ATHENS – Athens Police Chief John Densmore’s last day with the department was Friday, the city announced. According to our news partner KETK, Densmore announced his resignation in order to go into the private sector. “During his tenure, Chief Densmore has worked tirelessly to keep our city safe and enhance the quality of life for all of our citizens,” according to a release from the city. “On behalf of the city, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for his dedicated service to our community. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and are confident that he will continue to make a positive impact in his new role.” Previously, Densmore worked at the Cedar Hill Police Department as a Lieutenant before moving to Athens and becoming chief in February 2021. The search for a new police chief will begin immediately.

Grand opening: Long-standing P.T. Cole Park in Tyler renovated

TYLER — There are many changes to P.T. Cole Park which has been in the community since 1955. Tyler Parks and Recreation along with city councilmen welcomed the new park with a ribbon cutting on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, this has been a working project in the community since October 2022. The 2.3-acre park has playground equipment, basketball courts and a splash pad for the hot East Texas summers. District 2 councilman Broderick McGee said this is a way for children to make new memories. “It’s going to be exciting that you know for years to come, they’ll be able to come back to this park still here and bring their kids,” said McGee. (more…)

Texans impacted by severe weather urged to report damage in state survey

TYLER — After severe weather caused damage across Texas this week, the Texas Division of Emergency Management is urging all impacted Texans to report property damage to a TDEM survey. According to our news partner KETK, Texas residents are encouraged to self-submit damages to their homes and businesses using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool damage survey. “Reporting storm damage is a critical step to helping Texas communities recover from this severe weather,” said Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. (more…)

Lake Tyler boat ramps temporarily closed

TYLER — Due to recent heavy rains in the area, the Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East boat ramps will be temporarily closed and the lakes are closed to boat traffic from lake residents, the City of Tyler announced. The lakes are currently at an elevation of 376.4 feet Mean Sea Level and are continuing to rise. The ramps are closed due to hazards from debris that washed into the lakes from recent rains. This is also an effort to reduce damage to the shoreline caused by boat wakes. The closure is effective until further notice and Tyler Water Utilities anticipates reopening the ramps once lake levels decrease.

CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System receives national recognition for stroke care

LONGVIEW – Two achievement awards are heading CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System’s way for demonstrating commitment to stroke care, according to our news partner KETK. These achievements highlight the hospital’s following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions. Studies show that someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds, with strokes being the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, a participant in the Get with the Guidelines program, qualified for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System in Longview and Marshall both received “gold plus honor roll elite” recognition for stroke care and “gold plus honor roll” recognition for type 2 diabetes care. (more…)

Texas House passes bill to add SFA to UT system

NACOGDOCHES – The Texas House passed a bill on Wednesday bringing Stephen F. Austin State University into the University of Texas system. The bill now goes to Governor Greg Abbott for signature. The bill was filed at the end of February and passed the Texas Senate on April 17 ahead of its Texas House approval on Wednesday. Included in the bill, SFA will now be enrolled in the Permanent University Fund system, and the university’s new name will be “Stephen F. Austin State University, a member of The University of Texas System.” The school colors will remain unchanged. (more…)

In cookbook, Miranda Lambert reveals recipes that fed her

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Country music star Miranda Lambert is dishing on the recipes from her family and friends in East Texas. Her new cookbook is called “Y’All Eat Yet?” and is equal parts Lambert’s family memoir, a guide to Texas-style entertaining and church potluck cookbook. Lambert says some of the first songs she wrote as a teenager were inspired by hearing stories and life lessons over the dinner table. The Grammy-winning singer has a lot to celebrate as she heads into the Academy of Country Music on May 11 as the reigning entertainer of the year.

Texas man involved in online romance scams gets 3 years

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Texas man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in an online romance scam in which the identities and images of real U.S. military generals were used to cheat victims from across the nation out of a total of $1.5 million. Federal prosecutors in Rhode Island said Tuesday that 52-year-old Fola Alabi was also ordered to pay full restitution and forfeit his home. The victims were often women in their 70s and 80s and either widowed or divorced. The victims were from multiple states including Rhode Island, Tennessee, North Carolina, California, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Idaho and South Dakota.

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