Today is
Thursday July 23, 2026
AUSTIN — A Richardson resident claimed a Lotto Texas jackpot prize worth an estimated $41 million for the drawing held on April 20. The cash value option was selected at the time of purchase and the winner received $22,574,163.57 before taxes. The winning Quick Pick ticket matched all six of the numbers drawn (21-28-33-34-43-44). The ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven Convenience Store on Interstate Highway 30, in Mesquite.
“We haven’t missed a Lotto Texas drawing in 30 years,” said the claimant, who elected to remain anonymous.
After the claimant’s spouse checked the ticket several times to confirm the jackpot win, the spouse woke the claimant late at night with the exciting news. The spouse went straight to sleep, but the claimant told the Texas Lottery, “I stayed up all night thinking about it!”
When asked what they may do with the winnings, the winner shared that they look forward to using the prize to help their children and grandchildren, along with making time to travel, adding, “There’s a whole world out there I need to see!”
EAST TEXAS – The City of Tyler will need a June 13th runoff to decide a new mayor, as John Nix led with 32% of the votes, while Stuart Hene trails with 26% as of Saturday evening’s count. Candidates James Wynee and Shirley McKellar will not appear on the runoff ballot.
In notable called races, Tyler Junior College’s $167.3M bond fails to secure approval, earning 54.8% of the votes.
Former NBA player Greg Ostertag has won the mayoral election in the city of Mount Vernon with 53.8% of the vote. And Kendra Bircher has won the Tyler ISD District 4 race with 53.4% of the vote.
Our news partner KETK has posted the updated election results here.
MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department made an arrest in a shooting that occurred Saturday, April 25. Officers responded to a call that afternoon in the area of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. and Holland Street. When the officers arrived they found a man who received a gunshot wound. Their investigation found that 24-year-old Shakira Nysha Brazzell had allegedly shot the victim over an incident from the night before.
Brazzell had left the scene before officers arrived, but came back and turned herself in. The victim was transported to a hospital where he received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Brazzell was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon. This investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The next bishop for West Virginia Catholics will be an El Salvador-born advocate for immigrants who has opposed U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown policies.
Pope Leo XIV announced Friday the appointment of the Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C., as the new leader of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which comprises West Virginia, one of the nation’s least racially diverse states.
Menjivar-Ayala, 55, fled El Salvador’s civil war as a teen in the late 1980s, eventually crossing illegally into the United States in 1990, he told The Associated Press in an interview last year. But within “a couple of weeks” he gained humanitarian protection, later was granted a visa as a religious worker, and became a U.S. citizen two decades ago.
Nonetheless, he feels close to immigrants who have been caught up by raids, including last year’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, because “that could have been me,” he said in 2025.
The Catholic Church has long advocated for humane treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States and around the world. Menjivar-Ayala and other U.S. church leaders have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies while also affirming a nation’s right to control its borders and urging reconciliation.
New bishop to prioritize those on the margins
Menjivar-Ayala did not mention immigration policies nor Trump is his speech Friday, instead focusing on his desire to be accepted by West Virginians and his willingness to listen to the community. A portion of his speech was in Spanish.
“I have much to learn, but my heart is ready and wide-open,” he said. “Above all, I want to listen to the poor. Those in the margins of the church and society. To workers, to the immigrants, because as Matthew 25 says, the way we treat the least is the way we treat Jesus.”
In the Washington archdiocese, which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, more than 40% of parishioners are Latino. In West Virginia — all of which is covered by the Wheeling-Charleston diocese — only 2.4% of the population is Latino and 92.6% of its 1.77 million residents identify as white, according to the U.S. Census.
Menjivar-Ayala replaces the Most Rev. Mark Brennan, 79, who has served as West Virginia’s bishop since 2019. Brennan had taken over after a scandal over a former bishop’s sexual harassment of adults and lavish spending of church money. In a shared news conference in Wheeling on Friday, Brennan reminded West Virginians that many in America come from somewhere else.
“But he loves all the people here. He’s not going to be bishop just for one group within the diocese. He’ll be bishop for all the people. I can assure you of that.”
The new bishop, who has spent his ministerial career in the nation’s capital and surrounding communities, will work in a less Catholic and more rural region, overseeing the diocese’s 61,000 Catholics and 92 parishes throughout West Virginia.
While acknowledging the beauty of West Virginia mountains and natural resources, he said many people in one of the nation’s poorest states “continue to endure hardship, marginalization and inequality.”
Lauded for his immigration advocacy
Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington praised Menjivar-Ayala’s advocacy for migrants during his tenure in the capital, saying in a statement that “his passion for justice and sensitive care for the Hispanic and immigrant communities of our Archdiocese have planted seeds of grace that will yield a harvest here for decades to come.”
In an article he wrote last year for the Catholic Standard, the official newspaper of the Washington archdiocese, Menjivar-Ayala spoke out against the treatment of immigrants by Trump’s administration.
“Each day this situation is getting worse and more ominous,” Menjivar-Ayala wrote. “For weeks now, the federal government has pursued a ‘shock and awe’ campaign of aggressive threats and highly visible operations of questionable legality that go far beyond mere immigration ‘enforcement.’”
Menjivar-Ayala, whose appointment comes a few weeks after the pope’s disagreement with Trump over the U.S. war against Iran, will be installed as bishop at a ceremony on July 2. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment.
Another Latin America-born priest was also named a U.S. bishop on Friday. The Rev. John Gomez will start his tenure in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, on June 30. Gomez was born in Colombia, came to the United States on a student visa in 2002 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, according to his current diocese in Tyler, Texas. In a statement, Bishop Gregory Kelly of Tyler praised his “commitment to Hispanic Ministry.”
Pope Leo’s first American bishop appointment, two weeks after his own election in May 2025, was a former refugee: Michael Pham, who was born in Vietnam and became bishop of San Diego, California.
The number of priestly ordinations in the United States has been declining for decades, making foreign-born clergy essential to many parishes nationwide.
CASS COUNTY (KETK) — An East Texas special education teacher is in custody following an anonymous tip of continuous sexual abuse of a disabled person, the Texarkana Police Department said on Friday. Pleasant Grove ISD’s Police Department reached out to the Texarkana PD after receiving an anonymous tip on Monday. Texarkana PD said evidence supported the allegation and law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for 63-year-old Jeffrey Parker of Queen City.
Parker was identified by law enforcement as a special education teacher at Pleasant Grove ISD. He was arrested in Cass County for continuous sexual abuse of a disabled person and three counts of improper relationship between an educator and student, the police department said. The school district released a statement following the arrest, saying they are aware of the allegations connected to Parker:
” Upon receiving an anonymous report on Monday, April 27, 2026, the District began investigating and took appropriate steps to ensure the matter was promptly referred to Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Texarkana Texas Police Department and the Texas Education Agency. The District is fully cooperating with all investigative authorities. In addition, the employee was removed from the campus and will not return to PGISD.
The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. We want our students, families and community to know that we take allegations of this nature with the utmost seriousness, and we will continue to support our students and families during this time.
Due to student privacy protections under federal and state law, as well as the sensitive nature of this matter, the District is limited in what it can share publicly. Additionally, under Texas law, including Texas Penal Code § 21.12(d-1), the District is prohibited from releasing the name of the accused unless and until an indictment is returned.
The District understands the serious nature of this situation and remains committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students and staff.”
Pleasant Grove ISD
When asked if Parker remains an employee of the district, Pleasant Grove ISD said they could not comment at the moment. Parker is expected to be transferred to the Bi-State Jail and the case remains under investigation.
TYLER – John Gomez, a Tyler-based priest, has been appointed the second bishop of the Diocese of Laredo, the Vatican announced Friday. Gomez’s episcopal ordination and installation as the Bishop of Laredo will be held on June 30, and a farewell celebration in Tyler will be announced soon.
“His experience in diocesan administration as Judicial Vicar and Vicar General, his experience in parish ministry, and his commitment to Hispanic Ministry will serve him well in his new ministry as the second Bishop of Laredo,” Diocese of Tyler Bishop Gregory Kelly said. “I am also grateful to Bishop-elect Gomez for his help to me over this last year as a new bishop in Tyler and will miss his presence and ministry.” Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL – One person is in jail after Marshall Police Department responded to a street racing incident Friday evening. Officers answered a call at Pinecrest Drive across from D&D automotive, in Marshall at around 10 p.m. Once there, the officers saw two vehicles racing on the street. One of the vehicles attempted to flee the area but was stopped by officers a short time later.
The driver, identified as 30-year-old Timothy Dawon Perry was taken into custody. Perry was charged with racing on the street and driving with a suspended license from a previous convictions. He was also found to have two outstanding warrants. Perry’s vehicle was impounded following his arrest.
TYLER – After years of planning, the future Blackstone Hotel took another visible step forward as Valencia Hotel Group and the City of Tyler gathered on Friday, for the Blackstone Hotel Site Celebration in Downtown Tyler.
Held in the Plaza Tower Atrium, the event brought together guests to mark the progress of the project . During the event, Valencia Hotel Group President and CEO Doyle Graham presented Mayor Don Warren with a plaque in appreciation of his support for the hotel project and his commitment to Downtown Tyler’s continued growth.
The future Blackstone Hotel will bring a full-service hotel experience to Downtown Tyler, with plans for 140 guest rooms, 5,700 square feet of meeting space, and conveniences designed to serve both visitors and the local community. In addition to welcoming overnight guests, the hotel is expected to create new opportunities for conferences, weddings, celebrations, and other gatherings in the city’s core.
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SMITH COUNTY – Smith County will have 18 voting centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Saturday, May 2. There are several city and school elections, including Tyler mayor and a special-called bond election for Tyler Junior College.
There were 8,653 ballots cast (7,754 in-person and 899 mail-in ballots during early voting. That is 6.4 percent of the 135,424 registered voters eligible for this election.
The cities of Tyler, Hideaway, Lindale and Winona; and the independent school districts of Lindale and Tyler District 4 are having elections. The City of Lindale is also holding a special election for a charter amendment.
There are some Van Zandt County residents who are eligible to vote in the TJC Bond Election. Smith County Elections Administrator Michelle Allcon said about 50 have voted so far. The voting center in Garden Valley is most convenient for these voters, as it is near the Van Zandt County line.
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HUNTSVILLE (AP) — A North Texas man who claimed he wasn’t the shooter in a fatal robbery that killed two people nearly 18 years ago and who said prosecutors misused rap lyrics he wrote to secure his death sentence was executed Thursday evening.
James Broadnax was pronounced dead after receiving a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Houston.
Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Broadnax’s attorneys to stop his execution.
He was condemned for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. Prosecutors say Broadnax and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, fatally shot and robbed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in the parking lot of Butler’s recording studio in Garland. Cummings was sentenced to life without parole.
Broadnax was defiant in a final statement in which he also sought forgiveness from the victims’ relatives. Seven relatives, including parents of each of the victims, were present.
“I prayed to God for your forgiveness,” he said, when asked by the warden if he had a final statement. “Despite what you think about me, I hope to God that prayer was answered. But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I’m innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself. Period,” he said.
The execution also was punctuated by screams of “I love you” from his wife, who also was among witnesses to the punishment. She was emotional at times during the procedure, leaning up to the death chamber window with arms spread, and had to be helped out of the prison.
As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began, Broadnax urged his supporters to keep fighting. “Don’t give up,” he said, and was stopped in another mid-sentence by a gasp. He shook his head briefly and all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead 21 minutes later, at 6:47 p.m. CDT.
Prosecutors said Broadnax, 37, confessed to the shooting, telling reporters during jailhouse interviews that “I pulled the trigger” and that he had no remorse.
His lawyers had focused his final appeals on two issues: Cummings had recently confessed to being the shooter; and Broadnax’s constitutional rights were violated because prosecutors eliminated potential jurors during his trial on the basis of race.
“I’m really gonna tell it like it’s supposed to be told, that it was me, that I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swan,” Cummings said recently from prison in a video created as part of the efforts to stop Broadnax’s execution.
His attorneys also alleged prosecutors dismissed all seven potential Black jurors on the basis of their race, “utilizing a spreadsheet during jury selection that bolded only the names of every Black juror,” according to court documents. One Black juror was later reinstated to the jury. Broadnax was Black.
In a 1986 ruling known as Batson v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that excluding jurors because of their race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Broadnax’s attorneys had argued in an earlier appeal that prosecutors had violated his constitutional rights by using some of the rap lyrics he wrote to portray him as a violent and dangerous person in order to secure a death sentence. A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott,T.I. and Killer Mike, had filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax’s appeal.
Theresa Butler, Matthew Butler’s mother, had asked that the execution proceed.
“This so called confession from cummings is just a stall tactic by Broadnax’s desperate defense team. Its all a lie,” Butler wrote in a post on social media.
Broadnax was the third person put to death this year in Texas and the 10th in the country. Texas has historically held more executions than any other state.
About an hour before Broadnax’s execution on Thursday, Florida put to death James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, for beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death.
TEXARKANA (KETK) — The Texarkana Police Department needs the public’s help in finding a man wanted for multiple offenses related to the sexual assault of a child after he posted bond and faked his death.
According to the police, 46-year-old Gordon Lemons was arrested in July 2024 for aggravated sexual assault of a child, but was later released after posting a $150,000 bond.
Similar charges were to filed against Lemons in May 2025, but Lemons allegedly attempted to fake his own death and fled the area days beforehand. He traveled to South Texas and attempted to cross into Mexico, but was picked up by ex-girlfriend, Thesia Griffin, to help avoid law enforcement instead.
Griffin was arrested on Tuesday for hindering apprehension and booked into the Bowie County Jail for assisting Lemons, the police department said.
“We now have evidence that Lemons is hiding out in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with help from family and friends,” the police department announced on Thursday. “Lemons should be considered dangerous. Please do not attempt to approach him.”
The Texarkana Police Department urges anyone with information to call them at 903-798-3116 or submit a tip to Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers to be eligible for a cash reward at 903-793-STOP or at http://www.p3tips.com.
SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man is back in jail after he allegedly violated the terms of his probation, a sentence he received in 2025 after admitting to drinking alcohol before the crash that killed both of his parents, according to our news partner KETK.
In an arrest report, Jose Bravo Jr. was driving southwest on FM 2767, across from Jackson Elementary, with his parents on March 24, 2024. Bravo Jr. claimed a dog ran in front of his car, forcing him to swerve to avoid it and causing him to lose control of the vehicle and travel off the roadway.
After Bravo Jr. and his parents were ejected from the vehicle, officials arrived on the scene and transported Bravo Jr. to a hospital. His father, Jose Bravo Delgado, was pronounced dead on the scene, and his mother, Santa Lucia Bravo, was taken to a hospital in Tyler, where she died two days later after succumbing to her injuries caused during the crash.
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AUSTIN (AP) — Officials at Camp Mystic said Thursday they are withdrawing their application for a camp license to operate this summer, saying they want to give families of those who died there more time to grieve.
The decision comes after days of pointed questioning by Texas lawmakers who are investigating camp officials’ response to the devastating flood on July 4 that claimed the lives of 25 campers and two teenage counselors. The camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, also died in the flooding.
“No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed Thursday that the camp withdrew its application.
GREGG COUNTY – A former Gregg County deputy received a sentence of 180 days in jail after pleading guilty to two DWI charges last week. Joshua Tubb was arrested by the Kilgore Police Department two days in a row last December for driving while intoxicated. Following these arrests, Tubb resigned from his position with the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office.
Following his guilty plea on April 24, the court sentenced Tubb to serve 180 days in jail. He was also ordered to complete two years of probation with 80 hours of community service and must pay a $2,000 fine.
HALLSVILLE – A Hallsville man was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Tuesday after he was arrested in 2024 for possession of child pornography. According to our news partner KETK, Kevin Barnett was arrested in October 2024 following an investigation launched by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office after they received a call from the Texas Child Protection Services regarding a juvenile victim being “photographed inappropriately.”
After obtaining a warrant for Barnett’s arrest, they found him to have multiple videos containing child pornography and subsequently placed him under arrest. He was charged him with possession of child pornography and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
On Monday, Barnett was found guilty on five charges of possession of child pornography and one charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was sentenced to 50 years in state prison by the 71st District Court on Wednesday.
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TYLER – An investigation is underway following an alleged incident during an athletic practice that involved a Tyler ISD staff member and student, the district confirmed on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, in a statement issued by Tyler ISD, the district is aware of the allegations and have initiated a thorough investigation.
The district has not released information on the details of the incident, citing privacy laws.
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MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department is searching for a woman who they believe participated in what is being classified as a riot last month. According to our news partner KETK, the department has obtained a riot participation warrant for the arrest of Rasheen Daleese Porter, who allegedly participated in a large-scale disturbance following a block party on Sanford Street.
According to the department, the initial block party took place on March 29 and was attended by nearly 300 people. Following the arrest of four people and the discovery of firearms on the scene, police later classified the party as a riot.
Since the riot, an additional 13 people have been placed under arrest and the investigation currently remains open.
Anyone with information regarding Porter’s whereabouts is asked to contact the department at 903-935-575 or Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969 to submit an anonymous tip.
TYLER – The Metro Planning Organization (MPO) of Tyler held an open house on Tuesday, answering any questions citizens may have on several upcoming transportation projects, according to our news partner KETK.
The open house served as an opportunity for the MPO to hear back from the community as well, taking in any feedback about their projects. One project discussed was the $17 million grant UT Tyler received to make pedestrian-friendly improvements.
Organizers said it’s important that taxpayers understand how tax dollars are spent, and the open house worked as a way to get information to the public.
“This is where everybody’s tax dollars are being spent in the area,” MPO Director Michael Howell said. “That’s what the MPOs’ plans are for is to let anybody from the public know how their federal transit, and transportation tax dollars are being spent.”
LUFKIN (KETK) — Lufkin police are seeking suspects after a confrontation over loud music and parking spiraled into gunfire, damaging vehicles and blowing out apartment windows.
The Lufkin Police Department responded to multiple 911 calls on Tuesday at around 9:45 p.m. where they found residents in the area of the 200 block of Finley Street. The group reportedly told officers that an argument began over a parking space and loud music that escalated to gunfire.
Witnesses told the police department that suspects drove to the apartment and began shooting.
A man was detained but not arrested as he was suspected of being involved; other suspects had left before officers arrived.
“Bullet holes were found on the outside of the residence where one of the individuals in the argument is believed to live as well as bullet holes appearing to come from inside the residence,” the Lufkin Police Department said. “Numerous shell casings were found in the roadway and the grass.”
Windows of two vehicles and the window of an apartment had been shot. An AR-15 was identified as the weapon used in the altercation and has since been taken into evidence alongside other weapons found in one of the homes.
The Lufkin Police Department said no injuries were reported and the search for others involved is ongoing.
SMITH COUNTY— A multiple-vehicle crash on I-20 near U.S. Highway 110 left one person dead and two injured on Tuesday, officials said. According to Lindale Assistant Fire Chief Troy Pritchard, the crash occurred around 12:20 a.m. and involved at least three vehicles. At this time, the details of what led up to the crash have not been released
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AUSTIN — A Jacksonville resident has claimed a winning ticket worth $1 million in the Texas Lottery. The winner bought the ticket at Champs Food Mart in Jacksonville. The person with winning ticket elected to remain anonymous. For selling the prize winning ticket, the retailer may be eligible for a $10,000 bonus under the Texas Lottery’s Retailer Bonus Program.
POLK COUNTY (KETK) – Several East Texas law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Game Wardens, are continuing to search Lake Livingston for a missing 31-year-old man who has not been seen in the past 48 hours. According to officials, game wardens and an underwater search and recovery team, have been searching for the missing man since April 25 in the area below the Lake Livingston Dam near FM 3278.
During the search, the game wardens are utilizing side-scan and towable sonar technology, along with multiple vessels on the water, to help locate the missing person. The Texas Game Wardens said if the individual is not found on Tuesday, the department’s aviation team will join the search on Wednesday.
Accompanying the game wardens in their search includes the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Texas State Park police officers and several local fire departments in East Texas.
“Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends during this difficult time,” the Texas Game Wardens said.
SMITH COUNTY — With local rescue groups’ demands for transparency following the euthanization of a dozen dogs, the Smith County Animal Shelter brought a set of updated policies to the Commissioners Court on Tuesday.
Pawsitive Place Rescue and Nicholas Pet Haven publicly criticized the recent euthanizations, saying the county failed to give rescue groups adequate notice or time to intervene, despite their past success in pulling dogs from the list
“We learned that multiple dogs at Smith County Animal Control were euthanized without any code red notification to rescues or the public,” Pawsitive Place Rescue said on Facebook. “No warning. No call for help. No chance for the community to step in and do what we have proven we can do when given the opportunity.”
At Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, the animal shelter outlined updated policies on its tier system and euthanasia protocols, emphasizing that it operates as an open-intake facility.
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TYLER – In celebration of its 10th anniversary in Tyler, CHRISTUS Health is honoring a decade of service rooted in dignity, integrity and excellence to the community with a donation to the East Texas Food Bank, supporting ten partner food pantries across the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System area.
In a release from CHRISTUS, the $10,000 donation targets food insecurity, a priority identified through CHRISTUS Health’s community health needs assessment. In a surprise announcement, the East Texas Food Bank shared that an anonymous donor has matched the $10,000.
The food bank estimates that the $20,000 contribution will feed approximately 100,000 families across East Texas.
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MARION COUNTY – The Northeast Texas Municipal Water District approved a water availability study for Lake O’ the Pines in Marion County on Monday, aimed at increasing water use and storage for local cities dealing East Texas’ growing population. According to our news partner KETK, this analysis also seeks to address public concerns that arose last year amid talks of selling water from Lake O’ the Pines to the DFW Metroplex.
Carollo Engineering, an Austin-based firm, was selected to conduct the study. This comprehensive review will explore how the district can more effectively utilize Lake O’ the Pines’ water resources in the future.
Osiris Brantley, general manager for the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District, noted the community’s apprehensions.
“There are a lot of concerned citizens who are concerned over us potentially selling water, so this is just a way to have experts look at everything, and hopefully, when the studies are done and presented to the public, that will ease public concerns so they can see the real numbers,” Brantley said.
Carollo Engineering indicated that the study could help protect the quality of water for East Texans. The firm stated that the study would enable those overseeing Lake O’ the Pines to make informed decisions for northeast Texas customers.
The study will employ various models to determine the best allocation of water to several cities within the district and to assess how much water can be stored at the lake throughout the year. Beyond water allocation and storage, the study will also address water supply needs during droughts or natural disasters that may disrupt normal operations.
The water availability study is expected to begin in approximately six months.
UPDATE: KTBB spoke to Longview Police Department Public Information Officer LaDarian Brown. Officer Brown said that Ronald Williams was found safe Tuesday afternoon.
LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in finding a missing man. According our news partner KETK and the police department, Ronald Williams was last seen walking on Ingram Street across from Alpine Village. He was wearing a beige polo shirt, black shorts and black shoes.
Officials described Williams as a Black male, approximately 5-feet-11-inches tall, and weighing about 180 pounds. He has gray and black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo of a cross on his forehead. Longview Police Department asks anyone with any information on Williams’ whereabouts to call 903-237-1199.
AUSTIN (AP) — One of the directors of Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, offered a tearful apology Tuesday to the families of the 25 campers and 2 counselors killed in a 2025 flood.
“We tried our hardest that night. It wasn’t enough to save your daughters,” said Edward Eastland, a member of the family that owns the 100-year-old camp. “I’m so sorry.”
Eastland’s apology came as dozens of the girls’ family members sat just a few feet behind him during the second day of a special legislative hearing looking into the devastating July 4 flood. A written report of findings is expected later this year.
Eastland said he and his father Richard Eastland were on the campsite that night, and that they made a desperate attempt to save the girls when they realized that heavy rain had created a raging flood that ripped through the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Richard Eastland died in the flood and Edward survived only after being swept into a tree.
“These girls (who died) were our youngest campers and their amazing counselors who we watched grow up,” Eastland said. “The world was a better place with them in it and the anger at us for not being able to keep them safe is completely reasonable.”
Britt Eastland, another director, said the camp will train counselors and stage drills for campers to prepare for floods, fire, tornadoes and intruders. Legislative investigators on Monday noted the camp’s previous lack of training as a critical problem that contributed to the deaths.
“All of these things should have been being done in the first place,” said Sen. Charles Perry.
Camp Mystic families are expected to testify later in the day.
Camp Mystic’s owners want to reopen in late May and have said they will only use parts of the camp that didn’t flood. They expect nearly 900 girls on campus this summer. Those plans have angered victims’ families, and some prominent state officials have called for state regulators to deny or delay renewal of the camp’s license, which is under review.
The Legislature doesn’t meet again until January 2027, and the panel does not control the review of Camp Mystic’s license.