Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
TYLER – TxDOT crews continue to prepare for the winter storm forecast for East Texas. Crews have been preparing roadways around the eight-county district for potentially icy conditions. Brine operations on bridges and roadways susceptible to wind and ice started Wednesday.
I-20 and other major roadways were also treated with a brine solution consisting of salt and water designed to help slow the initial freezing on pavement.
Crews have readied equipment and materials and will continue to monitor the roadways throughout the weekend. Drivers should allow a safe traveling distance between their vehicles and the mobile convoys. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) announced on Monday that construction of the Old Jacksonville Highway expansion project will be pushed back for a few more years.
According to our news partner KETK, on Monday, during their open house, the organization said they would hold construction until 2030, two more years than anticipated, as they wait for tech stock to buy the property needed and “move the utilities that’s going to be involved with the project.”
“It’s just taking a little bit more time than was originally forecasted. So that is really what is kind of pushing this project back a little bit, but it is definitely still moving forward, and we still see it happening,” MPO Director Michael Howell said.
The project is set to widen the highway from four to six lanes, affecting Loop 323 and FM 2813 in Gresham. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — An East Texas theater company has been awarded a $25,000 grant for its 2026 season as a part of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration. According our news partner KETK, the Texas Shakespeare Festival at Kilgore College was one of 50 arts projects across the country to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as a part of the federal initiative, “Celebrating America250: Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes.”
The National Endowment for the Arts was named a key partner in developing the National Garden of American Heroes, an executive order dedicated to recognizing notable historical figures.
The grant is awarded to arts projects in any discipline that celebrates the contributions to American history of one or more national heroes. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities is performing smoke testing, as part of the Consent Decree, to help locate breaks and defects to improve the City’s wastewater system from Monday, Jan. 12 through Friday, Jan. 16. The testing will be conducted by Pipeline Analysis from Cumberland Road, Locklear Lane, Paluxy Drive and South Broadway Avenue.
During the process, air and smoke will be blown into the sanitary sewer system in the street to monitor where smoke escapes the system. White smoke will exit through vent pipes on the roofs of residences and through any sewer line breaks in the ground. The smoke is non-toxic, leaves no residue and does not create any fire hazards. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Thursday night officially marked the start of preparations for the upcoming 93rd annual Texas Rose Festival during the annual Winter Gala, where this year’s theme and the Rose Queen were announced.
During the gala at the Willow Brook Country Club, it was announced that the theme of the 93rd festival will be ‘Celebrations through the Seasons,’ on which the floats, decorations and dresses for the festival will be based. According to our news partner KETK, during the gala, Miss Claire Ann Malone, who has a generational family connection to the parade, was named the queen of the 93rd Rose Parade.
“I’m the seventh in our family and my mom was queen, so it’s really special to kind of do what she did at her age when she did it in 1996,” Malone said. “It’s just really special to me, and it means a lot, and I’m excited to be a representative of the city that I grew up in.”
The gala was just the start of Rose Parade preparations, with more events leading up to the 93rd Texas Rose Festival Parade on Oct. 17.
BULLARD — More than 400 middle school students start the new semester on Wednesday at the brand-new Bullard ISD campus, sparking traffic concerns on Highway 69. According to our news partner KETK, t he new middle school will house grades seventh and eighth and will be located on Highway 69 and FM 2493.
Out of caution, there will be increased police patrols in the area during the morning hours. TxDOT has reduced the speed limit to 45 in that section of Highway 69 and set up a temporary stoplight at the intersection in front of the campus.
“Just exercising caution, having patience and following all of the local traffic laws and safety precautions will help for a smooth transition,” Bullard ISD employee Amy Pawlak said. “We have systems in place and so now we are just excited to get going and to start the spring semester.” Read the rest of this entry »
ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin man received an 8-year prison sentence on Tuesday after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, in which he was accused of acquiring over $9 million. According to our news partner KETK, Matthew Jess Thrash reportedly had more than 100 victims, from whom he defrauded millions through various fraudulent activities, including schemes related to sports investments.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, Thrash used these funds for gambling, personal expenses and to repay other victims in an effort to evade detection.
On Tuesday, Thrash was sentenced to 97 months in prison and is ordered to pay in restitution $8,100,024. Read the rest of this entry »
ANGELINA COUNTY — Angelina County deputies arrested a man early Thursday after a woman was shot in the neck during a New Year’s party outside of Diboll, authorities said. According to our news partner KETK, deputies responded around 2 a.m. to 1100 Ryan Chapel Road following reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found a female victim with a gunshot wound to the neck.
Authorities also found 25-year-old Kiander Chatman at the scene with blood on his shirt and hands. Deputies said Chatman had been firing a .223-caliber AR-15-style pistol in celebration during the party. The weapon, an Alpha Maxx 556, was recovered from Chatman’s vehicle.
Deputies said Chatman initially gave false information about the incident but later admitted that after shooting into the woods, he brought the gun to the porch and pulled the charging handle to “clear it,” causing the weapon to discharge. Read the rest of this entry »
HARRISON COUNTY — Due to extremely dry conditions, Harrison County officials declared a seven-day burn ban on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, outdoor burning and fireworks are prohibited in the unincorporated areas of the county. According to Harrison County, cities may or may not order a burn ban.
Violations of the ban will be considered a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500.
The order follows a period of unseasonably dry and windy weather, which increases the start and spread of wildfires.
WHITE OAK — The identity of a man suspected of killing a family member has been confirmed by the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office. According to our news partner KETK, Zachary Ryan Keys is suspected of killing a family member in White Oak on New Year’s Eve.
Gregg County deputies found the victim’s body after responding to a call for help on the north side of White Oak. Keys was arrested on a charge of murder and is currently in the Panola County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Additional details were not available.
TYLER — Colten Parsell has been named the new Smith County Animal Control Supervisor.
“I wanted this role because animal control is a direct service to the community. It should be about helping people, protecting our animals and supporting the officers who are out there doing difficult work every day,” he said. “I hope to help strengthen how we serve the community by making sure our officers are supported, our approach is consistent, and our focus stays on safety, education and responsible animal ownership.”
Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said Parsell has a vast amount of experience in personnel management.
“I was extremely impressed by his communication skills and his attention to details,” he said. “He has developed a program from scratch in his most recent position, and he shares our excitement in leading our quality animal control officers.” Read the rest of this entry »
UPSHUR COUNTY — Fire crews from multiple departments battled a wildfire near Lake O’ the Pines and U.S. Highway 259 on Monday afternoon that lingered into Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, New Mountain, Ore City and Ewell Fire Departments were called to the scene, along with two dozers from the Texas A&M Forest Service. Upon arrival, crews found an active fire burning in a swampy area near the lake.
The New Mountain Fire and Rescue said that crews were able to stop the fire from spreading with the wind but part of the fire was surrounded by water and would continue to burn overnight.
A crew from the New Mountain Fire Department returned to the scene Tuesday as they predicted it would burn overnight within containment lines. The crew spent the morning mopping up the area that previously burned. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — East Texans with early fireworks plans may want to reschedule as multiple fire departments urge against outdoor burning and activities involving sparks or flames while fire conditions remain elevated across the region.
According to our news partner KETK, the Rusk County Firefighters Association said weather conditions will remain favorable for wildfire growth on Monday until around 6 p.m.
Officials said vegetation ranges from dry to critically dry, while relative humidity is expected to stay between 20% and 30%.
“We’ve got quite a bit of wind that has picked up over the last 24 hours, which further dries out those fuels and creates fire behavior that’s pretty rapid growth,” Smith County ESD2 Operations Chief Eric Greaser said. “If you’re considering burning off trash or leaves, that might be legal because we’re not under a burn ban. But be very cautious with that and make sure you stay with it and watch it. Make sure that you also have some way to put those kinds of fires out.” Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK — A search party was organized on Saturday for James David Blount, who was last seen in Rusk over three weeks ago.
“We’re all hoping that he is still alive,” Nicole Morris, an organizer of the event, said. “But at this point, I think we’re all kind of coming to the conclusion that it’s no longer a search and rescue, and it’s more so a recovery.”
Blount went missing on Dec. 2, and four days later, his vehicle was discovered along Highway 84 near the Neches River. Since then, law enforcement has been working to locate Blount, but their efforts have not yet been successful.
“My heart hurts for the family and that’s why I’m just so adamant about keeping his name alive and keeping his story alive,” Morris said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that left one man dead and one injured. Around 2:45 Sunday morning, deputies responded to an active shooting at the Valley Blues Club, County Road 486, just north of Tyler off of Texas College Road.
Deputies found a chaotic scene with several hundred individuals attempting to leave the location. One male gunshot victim was located in the parking lot and another male victim had been transported by private vehicle to UT Health ER in Tyler. The victim on scene was transported to UT Health ER where he was later pronounced deceased. The other gunshot victim is currently undergoing surgery and is in critical condition.
Smith County Investigators and the Crime Scene Unit are currently at the location conducting their investigation. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by DPS, Tyler PD, and Texas Game Warden K-9 Unit. Read the rest of this entry »