Today is
Thursday June 11, 2026
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – A Van Zandt County Judge issued a disaster declaration before the total solar eclipse coming up on April 8. According to our news partner KETK, the disaster was declared from April 5-April 9. Officials with the county say the declaration will give the county more options during that time. Van Zandt County will be in the path of totality for up to four minutes on April 8 around 12:24 p.m. The county expects a drastic increase in population and a strain on their resources.
County Judge Andy Reese said in the disaster declaration, “We are expecting a large influx of people, overcrowding of our roads and parking lots, possible fuel and food shortages and possible limited cell phone service. We would encourage Van Zandt County residents to stay home and avoid driving if possible on April 8, expect travel delays and know alternate routes, fuel up vehicles, purchase groceries and supplies and refill prescriptions prior to the event.”
Judge Reese also submitted a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, asking for a state-issued declaration of disaster as well.
JACKSONVILLE – One person is dead and another is in critical condition after a Monday night shooting in Jacksonville. According to our news partner KETK, a 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder. Because he’s a juvenile, his name will not be released. The victims in the shooting have been identified as a pair of brothers from Bullard. The The 15-year-old was killed, while the 17-year-old remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Jacksonville Police said in a release, they were alerted to the shooting on South Jackson Street around 10:22 p.m. Monday. When law enforcement arrived, they found the two brothers with gunshot wounds. They were taken to seperate hospitals where one brother died and the other is in critical condition. Jacksonville PD with the help of the Texas Rangers are continuing their investigation into the case. They ask if you have information, to call them at 903-586-2546.
LONGVIEW – Officials for the annual 2024 Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview have announced the entertainment card for the event. According to our news partner KETK, this years headliner is country singer Mark Wills. The 50-year-old Georgia native had a number six hit nationally in 1996 with ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. Wills followed that up with ‘I Do (Cherish You)’, which was number two on the country charts.
On Friday Night June 14, Jenn Ford and the Wide Eyed Devils along with The Hollow Decks will be taking the stage. On Saturday night, Texas native and country singer Danielle Bradberry, who also won Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice will open the night. With Mark Wills headlining the evening.
The Great Texas Balloon Race begins June 12 with a competition flight over Longview. To buy tickets and to get more information on the Great Texas Balloon Race, click here.
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LUFKIN – A 2-year-old is dead after he was found unresponsive in a pond at a family gathering on Sunday in Lufkin according to our news partners at KETK. According to the Lufkin Police Department, officials responded to a family gathering at around 7 p.m. on Sunday after a 2-year-old of the family was found unresponsive in a pond. According to a statement from police, the family immediately began life-saving measures, which were continued by officials upon their arrival. According to the Lufkin PD, paramedics took the child to a local hospital where he later died. Read the rest of this entry »
CARTHAGE – A Carthage High School teacher has been named as one of 50 finalists statewide for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. According to our news partner, Carthage High School teacher Catherine Jackson is a finalist for a Lifetime Achievement Award. H-E-B said in a release, that 50 finalists were named statewide. Teacher finalists received a $1,000 check for themselves while their schools received a $1,500 check. Officials at Carthage ISD said that as a finalist, Jackson is eligible to win a $25,000 prize for herself and a $25,000 grant for Carthage ISD. Those will be announced on May 5.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department said a student was apprehended after they allegedly made a terroristic threat to Pine Tree ISD on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, officials said were made aware of the threat on a social media platform Sunday around around 11 p.m. After an investigation by Longview Police, the student was taken into custody, charged with make a terroristic and is currently in the Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center.
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EMORY – The Texas Department of Public Safety said that Rains County Justice of the Peace Robert Jenkins Franklin was arrested last Thursday for driving while intoxicated. According to our news partner KETK, on Wednesday night March 20, a Rains County Sheriff’s deputy was asked to check a suspicious vehicle that had its brake lights on and the driver sitting in it for an hour. The officer found the driver was the 44-year-old Franklin of Alba. The deputies report said that several open alcoholic beverage containers were in the truck. And, that Franklin had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath.
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HAWKINS — Thursday during Hawkins’ city council meeting, the chief of police resigned. According to our news partner KETK, he is the second chief to resign in the span of two years. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the resignation of the municipal court judge and the two-week notices of the police chief and two officers. The city council approved the resignation of the Municipal Court Judge Kyle Waggner before going into executive session for 45 minutes.
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ANGELINA COUNTY — 
The Angelina County Commissioners Court approved a $1 million grant that will add five new beds to the juvenile detention center according to our news partners at KETK. Mark Gorman, the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer of Angelina County, met with the court during their regular session on Tuesday asking the court to approve a $1 million Texas Juvenile Justice Department Detention Expansion grant. The Angelina County Juvenile Detention Center Services is a hybrid department ran by the county and state. Gorman said by statute, the center is a county department, with the county providing equipment buildings and office space. The center also entered into a contract with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department primarily for services including counseling, salary and fringe operating. Read the rest of this entry »
DALLAS – The Dallas Morning News reports that more than 93,000 Texans have unclaimed tax refunds, but the deadline to file a tax return is approaching. The IRS said this week that roughly 940,000 people in the U.S. have until May 17 to submit tax returns for unclaimed refunds for tax year 2020, which total more than $1 billion nationwide. In Texas, unclaimed refunds total $107 million, with a median refund of $960. The national median refund for 2020 is $932. “There’s money remaining on the table for hundreds of thousands of people who haven’t filed 2020 tax returns,†IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement “We want taxpayers to claim these refunds, but time is running out for people who may have overlooked or forgotten about these refunds.†Taxpayers typically have three years to file and claim their tax refunds before the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline for 2020 was extended from 2023 to 2024.
By not filing a return, taxpayers could lose more than a refund. Many low- and moderate-income workers may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which in 2020 was worth up to $6,660 for taxpayers with qualifying children. The program helps individuals and people whose incomes are below certain thresholds. “People faced extremely unusual situations during the pandemic, which may have led some people to forget about a potential refund on their 2020 tax returns,†Werfel said. For those who need to file a return, the IRS advises taxpayers to request their W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 from their employer or bank — or order a free wage and income transcript using the “Get Transcript Online†tool at IRS.gov. This week’s announcement from the IRS comes weeks after the federal tax collector launched a pilot program called Direct File in a dozen states, including Texas. Some 50,000 people in those states have used the free program so far this year.
MARSHALL— Authorities have charged a Wichita man for murder in connection to the 2023 killing of a 16-year-old. According to our news partner KETK, the Marshall Police Department Tuesday arrested 27-year-old Jarvis Gill in the murder that occurred in the early morning of June 7, 2023.
MPD said at the time of the shooting they received a call of a person lying in the roadway on Alexander Street. When officers arrived they found the unnamed teen dead of a single gunshot wound. Further investigation found the body had been in the street about 90 minutes before authorities were called. During this time, officers said people drove around the body and took pictures and video of it.
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CHANDLER – A multi-vehicle crash Thursday morning on Lake Palestine has left five persons injured. According to our news partner KETK, the accidents happened around 8 a.m. The Chandler Volunteer Fire Department responded to the incident, finding six vehicles had collided, some with major damage. Five people were sent to local hospitals, one of those had to be flown out. DPS was at the scene controlling traffic until the bridge was reopened to normal traffic flow.