Today is
Friday June 19, 2026
TYLER — The Tyler Economic Development Council has completed the purchase of 412 acres adjacent to Interstate 20 to develop as a new business park to be named Tyler Interstate Commerce Park. Its strategic location at the Interstate 20 interchange with State Highway 155 will provide convenient access for companies to Interstate 20, according to TEDC President/CEO Scott Martinez. “This acquisition is important for us to win future economic development projects that will provide jobs for our residents and further diversify our tax base. We are thankful to the leadership of the Smith County Commissioners Court for their partnership in constructing the new CR 3344. This new roadway will provide access for job-creating companies locating in the new Tyler Interstate Commerce Park,†said Martinez Aas quoted in a news release. Read the rest of this entry »
CHEROKEE COUNTY – The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to report any information on a missing elderly man. According to our news partner KETK, Pablo Torres Martinez, 77, is a Hispanic man with black eyes, gray hair, a full silver beard, weighing approximately 173 pounds and 5’3″ in height. According to a news release, Martinez was last seen wearing a blue jean shirt, blue jeans and black western boots. His vehicle is a 2015 maroon Honda CR-V, licence plate number GXB1353. If you have any information on his whereabouts, call the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office at (903)-683-2271.
AUSTIN (KRLD) — Two Texas rural electric co-ops, including one in East Texas, will receive big federal loans to expand and modernize the electric grid. The Rusk County Electric Cooperative in Henderson will receive a $24.6 million loan to build or improve 91 miles of line. The Rio Grande Electric Cooperative in Brackettville, west of San Antonio, will receive a loan of close to $42.9 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build or improve 383 miles of line. Both loans include funding to implement smart-grid technologies, which monitor and manage electricity transmission to meet changes in demand.
LONGVIEW – Curbside recycling in Longview will not be available Wednesday, Feb. 1, or Thursday, Feb. 2. The change to regular service is due to necessary maintenance at Rivers Recycling, the materials recovery facility that processes the recyclables collected by the City of Longview, according to a news release. During this time, contents placed in curbside recycling carts will be taken to the landfill with regular trash. If customers prefer, they may choose to hold their recycling until the week of Feb. 6-9. Trash collection, yard waste collection, bulky item pickup, and the compost site will continue to operate as normal during this time. For more information, contact the City of Longview Sanitation division at 903-237-1250.
HENDERSON – Rusk County schools were placed on lockdown Tuesday, but the measure was lifted Tuesday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez says a man was arrested after making a threat to a school but wasn’t specific about the location. Authorities said the sheriff’s office detained the man outside his job in Rusk County. The sheriff’s office is also working with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office to pursue charges.
GILMER — 37-year-old Matthew Joseph Savary of Gilmer has received a life sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a male child. According to the Upshur County district attorney’s office, Savary will also be required to register as a lifetime sex offender if he ever paroles. He must serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. The sentence came in a plea bargain, with the state dismissing other counts involving the child. The offense date ranges from November 2021 to the spring of 2022.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During KTBB’s weekly visit with Congressman Nathaniel Moran, he told us he supports the U.S. government’s decision to send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Moran calls it “vitally important to our national security,” saying, “a lot of our NATO allies are watching this closely because if the Russians are not opposed…in Ukraine, they could be in danger to be next.” He says China is watching closely too, to determine…its actions with respect to Taiwan.” Moran also says he’s working on a measure known as the Border Protection Investment Act, which he says would provide “for the funding of any border security measures,” through “a variety of ways.” He hopes to introduce it this week and continue talking it about more in coming weeks.
TYLER – A Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputy was in a three vehicle crash around 3:50 p.m. at East Front Street and Loop 323 on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office says the deputy was responding to a domestic assault call when they hit a vehicle which pushed them into another vehicle. Officials said the deputy and another person were transported to a hospital to be treated for their injuries. The deputy has since been released. The Tyler Police Department is investigating the incident. We’ll have more information as it becomes available.
TYLER – TxDOT crews got ahead of the winter storm forecast for East Texas by preparing roadways around the eight-county district for potentially icy conditions. The pre-treatment of bridges and other roadway areas susceptible to wind and ice began early Monday morning. I-20 and other major roadways will be pre-treated with a brine solution consisting of salt and water designed to prevent ice and snow from sticking to surfaces. Officials say the process is a fast-moving mobile operation with minimal impacts to traffic. Drivers should allow a safe traveling distance between their vehicles and the mobile convoys distributing the pre-treatment materials. Read the rest of this entry »
FORT WORTH (KRLD) – Fort Worth’s teen curfew will expire next month — and any discussion to extend it could end up being a moot point, thanks to a bill filed by East Texas state Senator Bryan Hughes. The Fort Worth City Council had voted earlier this month to extend the city’s long-standing teen curfew for 30 days so it could have more time to garner public input and further examine the issue. But now the city says it will allow the ordinance to lapse on February 13. That’s because Hughes’s bill would prohibit cities and counties from imposing teen curfews. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says that’s why it’s best to put the brakes on the discussion for the time being. Parker says the measure has the support of both Republicans and Democrats.
TYLER — The East Texas Communities Foundation is currently accepting applications from East Texas students for 88 scholarships to be awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year. The deadline for submission of the online application is March 1, 2023. Detailed eligibility criteria and links to the applications are available here. Seven new scholarships are available this year. Those include the Pasha Zapolsky Memorial Scholarship, which will assist students graduating from any of the 32 counties ETCF serves who have played competitive soccer during high school. They must maintain a 3.67 GPA and demonstrate devotion to their Christian faith. Amount is $1,000. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department asked City Council to approve application for five state grants, and the council has agreed. According to our news partner KETK, officials say this will help officers better serve people in the city. Each grant is up to $100,000, and two of the grants will help replace old equipment that is used on daily patrols. “The cameras, for example, are well utilized for crime scenes, and they would like some new updated cameras that are more reliable,†said Laura Hill, director of grants and human services. The department will also use the money for new body armor to protect officers in the field. “As you can imagine, it’s quite expensive, so any little bit we can get from grants helps save the taxpayer dollars and we don’t have to budget to replace that same safety equipment,†said Hill. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – A Marshall man who worked as a tax preparer has pleaded guilty in Marshall federal court to making false and fraudulent statements. According to a news release, Boyd Lynn Butcher, 50, agreed to pay over $300,000 in restitution and to be sentenced to three years in prison. According to court documents, beginning before 2015 and continuing through at least 2017, Butcher operated Boyd’s Tax Service. During that time, he prepared more than 450 federal tax returns for third parties in exchange for a fee — usually $300 per return — even though he was not authorized by the IRS to prepare tax returns for others. When preparing many of those returns, he created false or fraudulent information to generate unwarranted tax refunds. In total, officials say he caused a tax harm to the IRS of more than $317,252.00. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A Tyler native pleaded guilty to four separate charges on Thursday related to a crash that killed two young boys on State Highway 149 near Lakeport last year. According to our news partner KETK, Hayden Malone, 22, pleaded guilty to two charges of intoxication manslaughter and two separate charges of intoxication assault. Malone has remained in jail since he was arrested Jan. 13, 2022 — the day of the crash that reportedly killed a two-year-old and five-month-old. The boys had been taken to separate hospitals where they later died from their injuries. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Four men from Smith County were arrested this week for allegedly attempting to solicit sex from what they thought were underage girls, but were actually undercover agents with the attorney general’s office. According to our news partner KETK, their affidavits say the men messaged what they thought was a 17-year-old girl named “Sarah†on a website “for offenders soliciting minors for commercial sexual acts in exchange for payment in Tyler.†The account operating under the name “Sarah†was in reality a sergeant with the Office of the Attorney General who was conducting an online investigation. The suspects are Jose Hernandez, 37, of Tyler; Matthew Organ, 44, of Whitehouse; James Amos, 54 of Flint; and Delano Phelps, 89, of Tyler. Each was arrested for second-degree felony solicitation of prostitution under 18 years old and was freed after posting a $50,000 bond.
LONGVIEW – Longview police are asking for public assistance in locating a missing Longview man. According to our news partner KETK, LaShun David Farrow, 34, was reported missing by his family on Jan. 23. He is approximately 5’8″ and weighs around 165 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes, and tattoos on both arms. If you have any information on Farrow’s whereabouts, contact THE Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler has been awarded more than $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration program to help support the mental health needs of students in East Texas district schools. According to a news release, the program was recently authorized by U.S. Senator John Cornyn’s (R-TX) Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law in June 2022. Officials say it addresses specific concerns that have led to violence in schools, including the need for additional mental health services. “We are extremely grateful to Sen. Cornyn and the Department of Education for this funding, which helps UT Tyler support mental health care for the young people of East Texas,†said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, as quoted in the release. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON — A Rusk County grand jury indicts a logging contractor in a case of timber fraud. Terry Beall of Henderson faces a felony charge of timber purchase as trustee with intent to defraud. He’s accused of stealing between $500 and $20,000 in proceeds from a timber sale. Investigators say in 2021, Beall had an agreement with a landowner to harvest timber from their property. However, some paperwork discrepancies got the landowner to contact the A&M Forest Service law enforcement. It showed that person was not being paid for all of the timber Beall harvested. Officials say to take this as a reminder to monitor timber harvesting, visit property often, and hold contractors to the agreed-upon terms.
TYLER – In 2022, factors such as driving under the influence, failure to drive in a single lane, and unsafe speed contributed to 167 fatal crashes and 192 total deaths in the TxDOT Tyler District. The district Thursday released preliminary numbers revealing the top five contributing factors of fatal crashes in 2022. The district includes Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, and Wood Counties. Failure to control speed and pedestrian failing to yield right-of-way to a vehicle rounded out the top five. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – 73-year-old Charles Ronald Lowrance of Flint was sentenced Thursday to sixty years in prison after being convicted of aggravated assault against a family member. According to information from Tyler’s 114th District Court, Lowrance shot his wife and then himself last February in what law enforcement referred to as an attempted murder-suicide. At trial, Mrs. Lowrance testified that as she lay gasping for air, she fought for life because of her determination that she still had things she wanted to tell her kids. Ronald Lowrance will now have to serve at least thirty years before he is eligible for parole.
TYLER – U.S. News and World Report named The University of Texas at Tyler’s Master of Science in Nursing among the nation’s top 25 best online master’s in nursing programs. This year’s ranking of 24 improved five spots from the previous year. Of the other universities listed, UT Tyler ranked second best in Texas, following a fellow UT System school, The University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston. “We’re honored that our nursing program has been recognized,†said Dr. Julie V. Philley, MD, UT Tyler executive vice president for health affairs, as quoted in a news release. “This accomplishment wouldn’t have been possible without the numerous School of Nursing faculty and staff who tirelessly work to ensure we have an exceptional program.†The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 40 percent growth rate in the number of advance practice registered nursing positions from 2021-2023, according to the release.
FRANKSTON – Frankston ISD announced on Tuesday the board had approved a three-year pilot period for a four-day instructional week beginning next school year. According to our news partner KETK, the district says the new school calendar will give every Monday off to students unless they are invited to an “Intervention Day†which will be scheduled alongside staff development days each month. The district said one of the expected benefits from the adjusted schedule is staff retention and an increase in teachers and staff satisfaction while encouraging them to stay longer. “Retaining quality teachers and staff directly benefits student instruction and achievement,†the district said in a prepared statement. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON – A lawsuit was filed against Henderson ISD on Tuesday that alleges the district ignored the bullying of a middle school student and retaliated against her mother after she made complaints. According to the lawsuit, the student, identified as a “person with a disability,†was a student at Henderson Middle School until her mother and stepfather removed her from the school in April 2022, “as the school district could not keep their daughter safe.†According to our news partner KETK, the family said in the lawsuit they made the district aware that the student in question had a history of emotional distress, depression, an eating disorder, and panic attacks, and had been hospitalized in the past for “suicidal ideation.†Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER/LONGVIEW — Tyler and Longview will take part this Thursday in a coordinated effort to measure homelessness across Texas, referred to nationally as the Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count. The Longview effort is facilitated by the City of Longview’s Volunteer in Service to America coordinator, Sabrina Fields; the North East Texas Homeless Consortium (NET); the Texas Homeless Network; and volunteers from the community. The East Texas Human Needs Network will head up the Tyler project. Officials say these counts will provide a one-day snapshot of homelessness in the two communities, with an eye on addressing concerns related to the local homeless populations. Click here and here to read more.
TYLER — Keep Tyler Beautiful’s annual Great Tyler Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 1. KTyB is inviting volunteers to show pride in their city by coming together for this community-wide cleanup, according to a city news release. As part of the Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off and the Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, this is a nationwide event occurring in April. The Great Tyler Cleanup will be hosted from Southside Park, and volunteers are encouraged to meet at the tent for registration. Sign-up will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. Click here for more information.
TYLER — Two iPads with electronic copies of the City Council meeting agenda now sit outside the doors of the Tyler City Council Chambers. The new technology is available where dozens of note cards and a pen previously sat in a basket. The iPads allow residents to electronically sign in if they wish to speak on an agenda item during the bi-weekly City Council meeting or the monthly Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. According to a news release, Chief Information Officer Benny Yazdanpanahi challenged the City’s IT technicians to automate the sign-in process and eliminate the cards and stack of papers that used to sit by the doors. “We did this with zero funding,” said IT Specialist Khaled Elsayed as quoted in a news release. “We used tools available to us through our Microsoft licensing.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A second restaurant on South Broadway in Tyler has temporarily closed due to a mishap. According to our news partner KETK, 32-year-old Zachary Clark was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, third offense, after police say he crashed into the dining room of Jason’s Deli Monday night. The vehicle reportedly went through the front door of the restaurant into the dining room and crashed into the wall between Jason’s Deli and Marble Slab. No one was injured, and Clark was released from jail on Tuesday. The restaurant shared on social media that it will be closed for some time. “We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to reopen as soon as possible,†Jason’s Deli said. The Sonic on South Broadway remained temporarily closed following a fire that broke out Monday morning.
LONGVIEW — The Longview Economic Development Corporation (LEDCO) is seeking public input in an effort known as Advance Longview. According to a news release, Advance Longview is a planning initiative underway to identify strategies that will lead to continued economic development success in the community. Officials say the effort will explore a variety of issues related to job creation and retention in Longview. Residents have the opportunity to participate in the study through an online survey. According to a news release, the survey takes only a few minutes to complete, and a broad range of participants is needed. Advance Longview also includes interviews and surveys of employers. Click here for more detailed information.
TYLER – A Tyler man was arrested on multiple charges over the weekend after an eight-month search related to a child injury case in which he is alleged to have hit his infant son. According to our news partner KETK, Lasabien Ford, 26, was arrested Saturday for assault family violence, assaulting a public servant, obstruction, possession of a controlled substance between three and 28 grams, resisting arrest, failure to identify as a fugitive, evading arrest, and on a felony warrant. In May, Tyler police announced they were searching for Ford, and that he had an open warrant for his arrest. According to his arrest warrant, Ford allegedly held down the infant’s mother on his bed while she was holding the child after she came to pick him up from Ford, who had been watching him. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A Houston woman has been sentenced in Tyler federal court to 18 months prison for illegal transport of aliens. According to a news release, Maria Elizabeth Lopez, 48, pleaded guilty on August 18, 2022, to engaging in a conspiracy to transport certain aliens for commercial and private financial gain. According to information presented in court, on October 3, 2021, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office stopped Lopez for a traffic violation and discovered 24 Hispanic individuals in the Chevrolet Suburban she was driving. Federal agents responded to the scene and determined that each of the passengers in the Suburban had illegally entered the United States and that Lopez had been hired to transport the individuals to destinations in Mississippi and Florida. Lopez also admitted during the investigation that she had previously transported illegal aliens in the same manner.