Today is
Monday November 25, 2024
TYLER — UT Health East Texas announced Monday the launch of virtual nursing across its hospital network. Partnered with care.ai, the UT Health East Texas virtual nursing program is the first in the region. According to a news release, virtual nursing empowers care teams to work more efficiently and drive improved clinical outcomes.
Enabled by video communication with credentialed registered nurses (virtual nurses) and in-room smart sensors, the platform allows virtual nurses, who are employed by UT Health East Texas, to manage a wide variety of patient care tasks that do not require physical proximity, such as routine monitoring or providing education and discharge instructions. This enables bedside nurses to focus more time and attention on crucial hands-on care that only they can provide. Together, virtual and bedside nurses optimize admissions, rounding, discharge and other workflows, which aims to improve patient experience, staff retention and job satisfaction for the bedside caregiver. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The rash of bomb threats against Brookshire’s Grocery Stores continued this weekend. The Brookeshire’s in Bridgeport was evacuated shortly after noon on Sunday following a bomb threat, the latest in a number of similar threats made at the chain’s stores across the state. The Denton County Fire Department’s Bomb Squad searched the building and found nothing. The grocery store reopened later that afternoon.
Bridgeport Police say the threat came through the Brookshire’s corporate office, like the other recent threats. Other Brookshire’s stores receiving threats over the weekend included Brownwood, Azle and Aledo. Two Tyler Brookshire’s locations were evacuated Friday due to a bomb threat.
TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank is holding a Summer Feeding Program Fun Day for children on Tuesday, June 25 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Glass Recreation Center at 501 W. 32nd street, in Tyler. Activities include face painting, games, a petting zoo, Tyler fire and police department, and free Kona Ice.
“It’s so important to make sure children do not go hungry in the summer just because school is out,†said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Here in East Texas, 1 in 4 children are food insecure so it’s up to our community to make sure we fill that meal gap when the school year ends and kids lose access to free and reduced-price meals they depend on.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Tyler man was arrested on Wednesday after reportedly assaulting and taking a weapon from an officer. According to our news partner KETK, an affidavit revealed a detective with the Tyler Police Department clocked a vehicle traveling 60 mph in a 40 mph zone in the 300 E Southeast Loop 323 area. The detective pulled over the driver, 20-year-old Cordrell Smith Radway, where he reportedly ran from the officer “while still being detained and not free to leave.â€
After a short chase, the detective caught up to Radway and “ended up on the ground†where Radway reportedly actively resisted arrest and repeatedly tried to stand up. The affidavit said the detective then used his pepper spray. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY — A 79-year-old man was arrested in Henderson County on Wednesday for continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14-years-old. According to our news partner KETK, Billy Lide, of Brownsboro, was arrested after officials said the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force, Narcotics Investigators and Special Assignment deputies executed a search warrant at a home on CR 3410 in Brownsboro.
According to the sheriff’s office, during the execution of the search warrant, probable cause was found to issue an arrest warrant for Lide “with additional charges to come for delivery of a controlled substance or marijuana to a minor, a second-degree felony.â€
Lide remains in the Henderson County Jail, as of Thursday morning, and is awaiting arraignment. Officials said the arrest was a joint investigation with the Cherokee County Children’s Advocacy Center and Cherokee County Child Protective Services.
PALESTINE — The State of Texas has filed a motion to execute death row inmate Robert Roberson October 17th. Anderson County prosecutors convinced a jury that Roberson’s two year old daughter died in 2002 of “shaken baby syndrome.”
Roberson’s attorney, Gretchen Sween, says Roberson rushed the girl to Palestine Regional Medical Center with what Sween says was advanced pneumonia, which caused her brain to bleed and swell. She adds, the child had had no skull fractures and that Roberson was arrested before an autopsy was performed. Sween also claims that prosecutors zeroed in on Roberson’s alleged lack of emotion, but what they didn’t say is that he has autism.
Sween is asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to intervene.
HENDERSON COUNTY — The body of a missing man from Crockett was found in southern Henderson County on Saturday, according to our news partner KETK. Patrick White Sr., 53 of Crockett, was initially reported missing on June 5 and was last heard from on June 2. Then on Saturday, June 15 at 8:44 p.m. his body was found in southern Henderson County.
On Thursday, June 13, Deshayon Maurice Knight (pictured) was arrested for capital murder in connection to White’s death after White’s pick-up truck was found and processed for evidence.
White’s body was sent for autopsy. The autopsy has reportedly already taken place and was attended by members of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers.
ATHENS — Former Coffee City Police Chief JohnJay Portillo was in the Henderson County 3rd District Court for a hearing on Monday. According to our news partner KETK, the hearing was held after Portillo’s attorney asked Judge Mark Calhoon for more time before a trial, to come to an agreement with the state. If a deal isn’t reached, Portillo could be on trial as soon as Oct. 21 or 22. Portillo was arrested back in December of 2023 on six charges of tampering/false entry on a government record. Portillo’s arrest came two months after the deactivation of the Coffee City Police Department and Portillo’s termination as chief.
“At the end of the day, there’s always discovery that could come out, there’s continuing investigations, breakdown in communications sometimes occur and then they pick back up in negotiations so, we’ll see,†said Justin Weiner, attorney for Portillo.
Weiner added that he’s proud to be representing Portillo.
“I’m very proud to represent John and very proud of the criminal justice system and hope that it works out the right way, that it typically does,†Weiner said.
TYLER — TJC has earned Military Friendly Gold status for 2024-25, furthering its mission to provide veterans, their families and the military community with opportunities to fulfill their future goals.
TJC achieved the gold recognition in the large community college category as one of only 21 institutions nationwide that achieved this status. TJC also ranked in the Top 10 schools among military spouses.
More than 1,800 schools across the nation participated in the 2024-25 survey performed by VIQTORY, publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine. Colleges earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Of the more than 8,800 schools nationwide, more than 1,800 schools participated in this year’s survey, with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Fleishel Avenue is closed going east and west at the intersection with Beckham Avenue due to repairs being made at the traffic signal, according to the City of Tyler. The time-frame for the closure is unknown at this time. Drivers are urged to use an alternate route.
SMITH COUNTY — Groups of volunteers made it to East Texas to help with storm recovery efforts. Texans on Mission, formally know as Texas Baptist Men, have helped homeowners who are unable or cannot afford to remove trees from their properties. According to our news partner KETK, the group worked in a neighborhood off of CR 1111 near Chandler Tuesday afternoon.
Tyler resident Lela Clarke said her and her family are extremely grateful for everything the group has done. “It makes me start crying, they’re not getting paid for that,†Clarke said. She is grateful the volunteer group lent a helping hand when they felt hopeless. Read the rest of this entry »