Today is
Monday June 15, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – On June 2 and June 13, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received two separate calls involving deadly conduct near the intersection of FM 16 and FM 14 in the northern part of Smith County. Both of the unrelated callers reported being shot at by a male driving a black Jeep SUV under similar circumstances. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division began investigating the incidents and determined that they were related based on video footage of the suspect vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – The dedication ceremony of a portion of Guthrie Creek Trail in recognition of Frank “Penny” Edwards, originally set for 10 a.m. today, Friday, June 16, has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
The City of Longview is recovering Friday morning from a severe, overnight storm. As such, this dedication will be rescheduled to a later date and time to ensure Edwards’ service to our community is able to be fully celebrated and remembered.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Nathaniel Moran, of Tyler, released the following statement today after introducing H.R. 4039, No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act: “For over a decade, the Chinese government has persecuted Uyghur minorities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Uyghur people have been subjected to torture, imprisonment, forced labor, forced sterilization, and many other atrocities.
“The United States has always valued the right to practice faith freely and without persecution. To that end, no companies who use raw materials or goods manufactured using forced labor should profit from the American taxpayer. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Early Friday morning severe weather in East Texas has more than 150,638 people without power in our region. According to our news partner KETK, the following is a partial list of current outages: Gregg County – 47,111, Smith County – 2,802, Van Zandt County – 2,680, Wood County – 10,020, Anderson County – 115, Angelina County – 508, Harrison County – 22,705, Henderson County – 121, Rusk County – 2,130, Upshur County – 16,847. Click here for the full list.
BULLARD – Bullard city officials say the parts needed to start the repair of the city water well arrive Friday, with the project to begin Monday June 19. According to our news partner KETK, the process of making repairs and bringing it up to TCEQ standards will take 7 to 10 days. In the meantime, conservation measures are still in place for city residents. No watering Monday, Tuesday or Friday. Day or Night. Irrigation is allowed but only between 9:00 PM and 12:00 AM. Once the water well project is completed and meets standards, the conservation measures will be lifted.
RAINS COUNTY – Rains County officials are on the look out for an emu that was last seen on County Road 3425, according to our news partner KETK. The Rains County Sheriff’s Office asks that if you see the emu or know who owns it, please call them. They also add, if you encounter the emu, keep your distance.
TYLER – Wednesday, the Tyler City Council voted for a new ordinance to limit the consumption of alcohol on certain public areas of Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. According to our news partner KETK, this included parking lots, boat ramps and within 15 feet of city-owned properties. Tyler Police will be enforcing the new ordinance right now. And, violators will be tagged with a Class C misdemeanor. This ordinance has been designed to keep drinking alcohol off city property and to make the lake more family friendly. Tyler PD says they will look at the ordinance every six months and see if it is effective or not.
TYLER – It is sooner than later for Tyler Independent School District. According to our news partner KETK, TISD has put across the board teacher raises ahead of the 2023-2024 school year. Officials from the district in a press release say the starting pay has been increased to $50,500. Teachers with 10 years or more of experience will receive $60,000 a year or more. Deputy Superintendent Ronald Jones said, “We value our teachers and everything they do for the children of Tyler ISD. We know that their work goes well beyond the academics they teach in the classroom. We are doing everything we can to give them the compensation they deserve.†TISD is also working to extend their teacher incentive program called TOP, district-wide. The Tyler Optimal Performance program gives teachers a chance to earn more dollars in addition to their salary.
TYLER – A Longview man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs Wednesday. Dimitri Aaron Reynoso, 48, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. According to information presented in court, Reynoso was trafficking various types of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and pills laced with fentanyl in and around Longview and Tyler. During the course of a joint state and federal investigation, law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Reynoso on multiple occasions. On January 25, 2022, Reynoso sold 82.63 grams of methamphetamine for $1,000. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce 5-star accreditation. According to our news partner KETK, an area chamber must meet minimum standards in certain areas to receive accreditation. U.S. Chamber VP Raymond P. Toole said, “This rigorous review includes all aspects of a chamber’s policies, operations and programming. Accredited chambers are recognized for their continued advocacy of free enterprise and for their commitment to serving members and their local business communities. Congratulations on this tremendous accomplishment.â€
Henry Bell, Tyler Area Chamber President said, “Accreditation is important to our Chamber because it allows us to examine how we are viewed every five years by peers in our industry. It is a way to assure we are staying focused on our mission and vision purpose.†The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce’s main mission is to enhance the business environment, economic well-being and quality of life for the Tyler area.
TYLER – Southside Bancshares Incorporated, the parent company for Southside Bank of Tyler has been awarded the Raymond James Community Bankers Cup for 2022. President and CEO of Southside Bancshares, Inc, Lee Gibson, said , “Southside is proud to be recognized as one of the top performing community banks in the country. We appreciate Raymond James acknowledging our commitment to remaining a strong community bank our customers can depend on, as well as our continued dedication to creating long-term value for our shareholders.” Southside is the only Texas-based institution awarded a Bankers Cup. The Raymond James Community Bankers Cup Award is awarded to the top 10% of community banks nationally.
NACOGDOCHES – The online systems at Stephen F. Austin University were a target of a cyberattack. Officials at the university said the attack may have started between Saturday night and Monday morning. According to our news partner KETK, the university cut their internet connection to stop attacks from continuing. They are now working with IT personnel and the UT system to gauge the amount of damage to their website. School officials say at this time don’t they do not know when they will be back online and asked that students, faculty and the public follow SFA social media while their online assets are down.
According to our news partner KETK, Crockett Police have arrested Forlando Moten of Crockett in the death of 59-year old Willie Campbell, also of Crockett. Detectives say that Campbell was found Friday afternoon on West Oak Street in Crockett with a single gunshot wound. He later died in a local hospital. Police officers interviewed Moten who allegedly admitted to shooting Campbell. He was then arrested, charged with murder and has a 150 thousand dollar bond set. Crockett police are still investigating this case.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that a Van Zandt County deputy was killed in a wreck Sunday afternoon. Sgt. Jeremy McCoy was off-duty when the accident happened Sunday around 4 p.m. and reportedly had his child in the vehicle with him. The child was life-flighted with non-life-threatening injuries. DPS is investigating the wreck.
JACKSONVILLE – The city of Jacksonville and East Texas came together Saturday for the 39th annual Jacksonville Tomato Fest. According to our news partner KETK, the festival hosted in downtown Jacksonville, had over 300 vendors, a kids zone, a “Got Talent” contest and a tomato eating contest. Andy Calcote, co-chair of the Tomato Fest said it takes about 200 volunteers to make the Jacksonville Tomato Fest a reality each and every year. Calcote said they are already planning the 40th Tomato Fest for 2024.