Today is
Tuesday June 09, 2026
FORT WORTH – Tyler ISD Head Start announced on Wednesday they are mourning one of their Head Start students who died on July 4 due to gun violence, according to a report from our news partners at KETK. “Please keep her family in your prayers during this very difficult time,†Tyler ISD Head Start said. According to reports from Dallas NBC affiliate NBC 5, Ivy Pierce, 4, and her sister Wynter Thouston, 1, were among five people shot on July 4 while in the area for a fireworks show. Both girls died of their injuries. Read the rest of this entry »
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LONGVIEW – The University of Texas at Tyler broke ground on the expansion of the UT Tyler Longview University Center. The 10,144-square-foot annex will add a 65-person classroom, multipurpose lab space, nursing skills and health assessment labs, along with centralized study spaces. The new facility allows for the expansion of bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in Longview and Gregg County.
“This expansion will allow us to introduce new nursing and science programs and increase our presence in Longview, helping meet education needs and provide more support for health care services across the region.†said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD.
Project completion is set for fall 2025. The first phase of road work has already been completed.
TYLER – Tyler’s newly-elected councilmember Petra Hawkins, was sworn in on Wednesday. In June, Hawkins won a runoff election to represent District Two, with 53% of the vote. According to our news partner KETK, Hawkins, who was born and raised in Tyler, graduated from Tyler ISD and Tyler Junior College. She then became a nurse, first as and LVN, then as an RN. In 2022 Hawkins became a professional Texas Real Estate Agent.
Hawkins is a member of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Tyler Metro Chamber of Commerce, Tyler Area Builder’s Association and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. In addition, she is enrolled in Tyler ISD’s Community Education Specialist Training.
SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a man remains in critical condition after a Wednesday morning shooting at the front door of his Smith County residence, according to our news partner KETK. The sheriff’s office said at around 6:30 a.m., deputies responded to a shooting in the 20900 block of CR 4129 in northern Smith County. When officials arrived, they discovered the victim, 67-year-old Rogieys Simmons, had been shot in the upper body while standing at the front door of his residence. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – FEMA has reopened Disaster Recovery Centers in Henderson, Lamar, Smith and Van Zandt counties. The centers were closed temporarily after Hurricane Beryl.
The DRC locations are: In Smith County, R.B. Hubbard Center “The Hub”, on East Ferguson Street in Tyler.
East Texas Senior Living, serving Henderson County, on Highway 31 in Athens.
In Lamar County, at Chisum Elementary School in Paris, on South Church Street.
In Canton and Van Zandt County, Canton Intermediate School on West State Highway 243.
 Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN – 
Homeowners and renters in Anderson, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk and Sabine counties are now eligible for FEMA assistance after the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred April 26 – June 5. Eligible applicants may qualify for serious needs assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other eligible expenses related to storm damage. Previously, Texans in Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties were approved for assistance.
PALESTINE – 
A man was arrested in Palestine last week for sexual assault of a child, and is accused of assaulting the child at a local motel. According to our news partners at KETK, on June 28, authorities received a reported that a child had been assaulted at the Express Inn and Suites Motel at 1100 E. Palestine Ave. Officials said that the man was identified as Tanner Bradshaw, 34 of Omaha, Neb. after an investigation, and on July 3, a search warrant was obtained for his motel room and an arrest warrant for sexual assault of a child was issued. Bradshaw was arrested the same day, and officials said a “small amount of narcotics and other evidence†was found inside the motel room and additional charges are pending. He was booked into the Anderson County Jail where his bond was set at $850,000.
TYLER-The Tyler Fire Department is joining forces with the American Red Cross to go door-to-door on July 12, 19 and 26 to check smoke alarms, replace batteries and install free smoke alarms in homes that need them. Firefighters will concentrate on houses near Woldert Park and the Caldwell Zoo due to a recent house fire with no smoke alarms.
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City officials encourage residents to test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button. You should hear three beeps, letting you know the alarm is working. If you don’t hear anything, it’s time to change the batteries if your model needs them. If your smoke alarm is 10 years old, you need to get a new alarm, because the sensor becomes less effective over time.
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To schedule a free smoke alarm installation, call the Tyler Fire Department at (903) 535-0005.
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JEFFERSON – 
UPDATE: Donovan Byrd, who was last seen on June 20, was reportedly found dead on Monday, according to our news partners at KETK. The Jefferson Police Department and the Marion County District Attorney’s Investigator found Byrd dead. Information is limited at this time. “The manner of his death and circumstance are still being investigated. Nothing further will be released at this time given that it is still an open investigation,†JPD said. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Byrd’s family and friends during this very difficult time.â€
TYLER – The National Weather Service in Shreveport Monday reported a record number of tornado warnings in their storm coverage area, including East Texas. According to our new partner KETK, 67 tornado warnings were issued due to tropical storm Beryl moving up from the Texas coast.
NWS Shreveport said that the amount of tornado warnings Monday “are further proof that inland tropical impacts can also be quite extreme.â€
Before Monday, the most tornado warnings in a day for the area was recorded on Dec. 27, 2015 with 36 tornado warnings.
TYLER – The 2024 BMW of Tyler Patriot Golf Classic raised $126,900 that will go toward student scholarships at the University of Texas at Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the golf tournament has been one of the university’s largest fundraising events since 1986, having raised a total of nearly $3 million.
UT Tyler President Julie Philley said in a release, “The money raised from this event will help our deserving students attain their academic goals. We are grateful to our community partners for their continued support.â€
JACKSONVILLE – 
A man is injured after a shooting early Tuesday morning in Jacksonville. According to our colleagues at KETK, police received a call about a shooting in the 700 block of Elm Street around 6:56 a.m. where they found a man with a gunshot wound. “The Jacksonville Police Department has identified the shooter and are working diligently towards apprehending the suspect,†authorities said. Jacksonville PD, Fire and EMS responded to the scene.
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