Today is
Friday June 19, 2026
AUSTIN (KRLD) — Governor Abbott is taking his request for federal help for this month’s ice storm to the White House. The governor has sent a letter to President Biden requesting a presidential disaster declaration for Texas communities impacted by the severe winter storm. It covers 23 counties, including Denton, Smith, Travis, and Williamson. He says local jurisdictions have reported more than $63 million worth of damage to public infrastructure so far. If the White House approves the request, those communities would be eligible for FEMA’s public assistance program to help pay for debris removal and repairs to public buildings and facilities.
RUSK — Officials are investigating the death of a Cherokee County Jail inmate. According to a news release from Sheriff Brent Dickson, jail staff contacted EMS Tuesday after 21-year-old inmate Aiydasani Bryant of Jacksonville began complaining of medical issues. He says it appeared that Bryant went into cardiac arrest while she was being treated by EMS. Dickson reports that life-saving measures were performed but Bryant was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. Bryant was being held on a charge of aggravated assault family violence with a deadly weapon. Dickson says at his request, as with all death in custody situations, the Texas Rangers and the Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit are conducting an independent investigation.
TYLER – The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office issued a wind advisory for Wednesday due to high fire danger. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County residents should not burn outside. Fire officials said it is not safe to burn when the weather is windy or dry.
TYLER — The South Broadway Avenue and Rieck Road intersection in Tyler is open following repairs, and all traffic signals are fully operational. The intersection was closed for most of the day Tuesday while crews replaced the traffic signal pole damaged in a weekend wreck. In a news release, the City of Tyler Traffic Operations Department thanks all residents for their patience and understanding.
TYLER – Dr. Theresa Byrd has been selected as the inaugural dean of The University of Texas at Tyler School of Health Professions, beginning next month. “Dr. Byrd’s impressive depth of knowledge and 37 years of experience in health care education demonstrated that she was a perfect fit,†said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun as quoted in a news release. Formed in 2022, the UT Tyler School of Health Professions includes four academic departments: health care policy, economics and management; kinesiology; public health; and rehabilitation sciences. With a mission to train future health care professionals for East Texas, the new school ensures that native East Texans won’t have to leave the region to study health care and could help to meet projected health care needs in the future, according to the release. Read the rest of this entry »
OVERTON — Overton ISD hosted its third community meeting about changing to a four-day week. According to our news partner KETK, Superintendent Larry Calhoun said the change will benefit students and teachers. “The number one driver is recruiting and retention of teachers and rewarding the teachers you already have and keeping the best teachers we can on our staff,†said Calhoun. Overton resident and long-time educator Stanley Peters said the switch is not the solution to retention. “The more schools that do it, they lose that advantage because there will be more schools going to a four-day week so that advantage will go away, so where do you go next? A three-day week?†said Peters. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — More details emerged Tuesday at a press conference about a large-scale fentanyl bust this past Friday on I-20 in Smith County. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Larry Smith says the false compartment where 42,000 fentanyl pills were found was a hollowed-out battery. “That could’ve been 42,000 deaths right there in the United States,†Smith said. “We got a lot of kids, a lot of adults on drugs. We want to get the word out to them that they need to be careful about taking any tablet such as this.†Smith said a deputy noticed a van with Mexico license plates hauling several motorcycles and a car on a trailer, with another car being hauled behind that. When the driver failed to use a turn signal, the deputy performed a traffic stop, according to the sheriff. Read the rest of this entry »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During his weekly visit with KTBB, Congressman Nathaniel Moran weighed in on the topic of term limits. Moran says being in Congress “is not a right; it’s a responsibility, it’s a privilege to be able to serve the…citizens of East Texas. But it should not be a lifetime position, and people should…go and serve for a time, and then they should come home. You know, we’re gonna have to have some debate at some point about either a term limits bill on the floor or a Constitutional amendment…altogether. I would love to see…some term limits put in place. You don’t want it too short, and you don’t want it too long. But I betcha we can find something in the middle that works for everybody.” Read the rest of this entry »
ELYSIAN FIELDS – More details involving an East Texas teen killed at a Mardi Gras Parade over the weekend in Shreveport. 17-year-old Kip Lewis of Elysian Fields and some friends were engaging in what Shreveport police describe as horseplay, chasing each other with plastic swords. For some reason, one of the teens pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot, hitting Lewis in the upper body. Multiple witnesses saw the shooting. Lewis was pronounced dead at a Shreveport hospital. Police say the boy who fired the gun was detained on the scene. The investigation continues. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Tyler man was arrested Sunday evening after allegedly pointing his phone at a child and recording them in a local Walmart. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler police say Kelvin Shankle, 31, had allegedly pointed his phone to record the child in a dress and put his phone on the ground at the Walmart on South Broadway Avenue. Shankle was arrested for invasive visual recording and criminal trespass, since he had previously been warned away from the Walmart.
KILGORE — The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) invites the public to submit nominations for its annual Regional Service Awards program. Officials say the program honors the achievements of individuals and organizations which make a positive contribution to the quality of life in the East Texas Region. The awards will be presented at the upcoming 103rd Semi-Annual Board of Directors Meeting to be held on Thursday, March 23, in Harrison County at Bear Creek Smokehouse. The five awards to be presented are the Regional First Responders Award, Regional Citizen of the Year, Regional Corporate Citizen of the Year, Regional Statesmanship, and Regional Committee Service. Click here for more information.
CHEROKEE COUNTY – The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says 24 people were arrested, two minors were released to guardians, and 88 birds were seized Sunday in a cockfighting investigation. According to our news partner KETK, officials said they responded after receiving information about rooster fighting on CR 2405. Authorities report 22 of the 26 people detained were arrested for being spectators, one was arrested for allowing the use of real estate for cockfighting, and one was arrested for felony evading with a car and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Officials say 30 cars were also towed.
TYLER — TxDOT schedules another week’s worth of roadwork in the Tyler District for the week of February 20. In Smith County, 
Tyler maintenance will have a crew performing ditch work on Loop 323 near FM 14. Expect one lane closure. A second crew will be on FM 850 completing fog seal operations. Both locations will be off SH 31 towards Overton. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. In Gregg County, Longview maintenance will be patching on various roadways throughout the county. Also, crews will be preparing for edging operations on FM 2207, from SH 135 N to SH 135 S. Click here for a complete rundown of roadwork around the district.
TYLER — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith is spreading the word about a recent large-scale arrest involving fentanyl — and making note of a cooperative effort to fight the drug’s growing presence in Texas. According to a news release from Smith, on February 17, a traffic stop by Smith County deputies on Interstate 20 yielded approximately 42,000 fentanyl pills, weighing a total of nine pounds. Smith says the pills were discovered in a false compartment after the driver, Erik Marin Islas Angeles of Mexico, gave voluntary consent for a search of his vehicle. Angeles is being held at the Smith County Sheriff’s Office on a $2,000,000 bond. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Visit Tyler has announced the students who have been chosen to serve as this year’s Rose City Ambassadors. According to a news release, the Rose City Ambassador program is a volunteer program aimed at giving high school students the opportunity to earn community volunteer hours. Students were required to submit an application and go through an interview process. The Ambassadors will act as greeters at large community events throughout the year, starting with the Azalea & Spring Flower Trail March 24-April 9. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — Former Longview City Manager Rickey Childers will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award this spring from the Texas City Management Association. According to a news release, Childers served as Longview ‘s city manager from 1999 to 2006. He also served as assistant city manager in Abilene and Carrollton, deputy city manager in Arlington, and city manager in Lancaster. The TCMA Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the city management professionals who have made significant contributions to the field of local government management for more than 20 years, according to the release. A presentation of awards will be held at the TCMA Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 9, in Allen.
TYLER — A number of Black History Month events are being held around East Texas. The Texas African American museum will be hosting its Second Annual Gala Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Willow Brook County Club in Tyler with keynote speaker Billy O’Quinn, director of the Supply Chain-Chemical Division for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Museum officials term O’Quinn a highly respected executive in the manufacturing industry and corporate world, as well as a servant leader mentoring young diverse leaders and youth. The say O’Quinn has spent over 30 years with Goodyear. Click here for more information on the event and on the museum.
TYLER — Smith County donated surplus computer equipment Wednesday to Mustard Seed Ministries that will be refurbished and given to local school children. Items included 153 desktops, 44 laptops, 82 monitors, 22 printers, four servers, three scanners, two switches, and three DVRs. The donation was approved Tuesday in Commissioners Court. For years, Smith County has donated outdated and broken computer equipment to Mustard Seed Ministries. The nonprofit organization dismantles and reassembles the equipment and donates them to school children who do not have computers. Click here to read more.
TYLER – A Grapeland man and his girlfriend have been sentenced in Tyler to federal prison in a murder-for-hire plot. Reynaldo Campos, Jr., 45, pleaded guilty on August 12, 2022, to murder for hire and was sentenced Wednesday to ten years. According to the indictment, on Feb. 9, 2022, Campos contacted an individual who he believed was a hitman, but who was in fact an undercover federal agent, and solicited the supposed hitman to murder a former associate of Campos, claiming the intended victim had either stolen drugs from him or owed him money. Campos discussed the intended murder with the agent on multiple occasions over the next several weeks. Read the rest of this entry »
O.H. IVIE LAKE – An East Texas man recently caught the eighth biggest largemouth bass in Texas history with the Toyota ShareLunker Program. According to our news partner KETK, Jason Conn, a professional bass fisherman and a Lake Fork guide, caught a 17.03-pound largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie Lake, east of San Angelo. Conn’s bass is considered a Legacy Class Lunker with the Toyota ShareLunker Program through Texas Parks and Wildlife, which is the highest class they offer.
LONGVIEW — Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 15, Mobberly Avenue in Longview is scheduled to be closed to southbound traffic at Bostic Avenue. Southbound truck traffic will be detoured to High Street at Cotton Street. All other traffic will be detoured at Bostic Avenue. According to a news release, lane closures continue along High Street between Mobberly Avenue and Edwin Street. High Street remains reduced to one lane in each direction, and Mobberly Avenue access will be limited to northbound traffic only. Stop signs will be used to control traffic Edwin Street during the lane closure to improve safety for all involved, according to the release. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The Smith County Criminal District Attorney’s Office announces the opening of registration for its first public Citizen Prosecutor Academy. According to a news release, that’s an opportunity to learn in a small group setting about the interworking of the Smith County District Attorney’s Office and obtain valuable insight into the crimes that regularly occur in Smith County and how the criminal justice system functions. Attendees will hear from prosecutors and investigators about a variety of crimes and topics. The Academy will begin March 30 and will meet for three hours each Thursday night from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a period of eight weeks. Dinner is provided each night. Read the rest of this entry »
DIANA – Joining a growing number of school districts in East Texas and elsewhere in the state, the New Diana ISD Board of Trustees voted Monday to switch to a four-day week, effective with the coming school year. According to our news partner KETK, after discussion and some parent comments, the board passed the new calendar in a 4 to 3 vote. The vote comes after parents, staff, and students voted overwhelmingly to switch to the four-day week in a survey that the school district conducted. According to the results of the survey, 78.1% of New Diana ISD staff voted to a adopt the new schedule, along with 63.2% of parents and 76.1% of students.
ATHENS – The Henderson County Sheriff’s office says it is looking for a man who has an outstanding warrant for injury to a child. According to our news partner KETK, a news release says officials are seeking help finding Phillip Westley Flynn. If you have any information in reference to his location, you are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 903-675-5128 or Henderson County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-545-TIPS.
LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Commissioners Court gives some help to the county Sheriff’s Office in its employee shortage. The court gave its approval to transferring funds from the salary and benefit lag fund to overtime for the Sheriff’s Office. Lag pay is payment of employees for work already performed. The overtime will allow the Sheriff’s Office to cover costs for its current employees. Gregg County Chief Deputy Craig Harrington told commissioners that the Sheriff’s Office has been 40 employees short since the start of the pandemic, making it necessary for existing employees to work extra shifts.
LONGVIEW – Longview police say a woman has been found safe after being reported missing Feb. 1. According to our news partner KETK, a missing person report on Trinity Ross was originally filed with the Kilgore Police Department. Police later learned that Ross had last been seen in Longview, so Longview authorities took over the case. That sighting was January 29 near the intersection of Avenue D and West Marshall Avenue.
TYLER – Dr. Amy H. Schwartz has been selected as the new dean of The University of Texas at Tyler Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy, effective March 2023. “Dr. Schwartz impressed us with a depth of knowledge throughout her 30 years of experience as a pharmacist, and I am very pleased that she has accepted the role to lead our faculty and educate our students,†said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun as quoted in a news release. A board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, Schwartz is known for her extensive experience in pharmacy and higher education, according to the release. She has had recent publications in Pharmacotherapy, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and American Medical Association Journal of Ethics. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The city of Longview is putting out the word that citizens can use the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool to report damage from recent weather events including the Jan. 29 ice storm/winter weather event. Businesses, homeowners, and renters can use the tool to report damages. Visit this link to move forward with the process.
LONGVIEW — Structural upgrades and building improvements to district facilities were just some of the agenda items approved by the Longview ISD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting Monday, according to district officials. They say an elevator located near the library at Longview High School requires extensive repairs and updates. LISD Maintenance Supervisor Mike Gipson explained that the elevator is from the original construction of the high school in 1976. Trustees also approved a bid of $915,020 to repair damages to the district warehouse on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Initial damages were sustained in the hailstorm on Jan. 19. Board members later approved using $163,000 in grant funds for the purchase of MERV 13 Air Filters for district campuses. Click here to learn more.
CHAPEL HILL – The Chapel Hill Independent School District School Board of Trustees has called for a bond to build a new Junior High School, Career and Technical Education Center, Multi-purpose Activity Center, Operations Facility, and classroom additions. “I urge Chapel Hill voters to educate themselves on the proposed bond and make an informed decision during May’s elections,†said President Les Schminkey as quoted in a news release. On Monday, board members voted unanimously to call the $113,920,000 school bond for May’s election. If all three propositions pass, officials say the property tax rates will increase by .27 cents. For a home valued at $100,000, the tax bill is estimated to increase no more than $13.53 per month. Click here to learn more.