Today is
Saturday July 25, 2026
LONGVIEW – 
Our news partners at KETK report a Longview resident won $1 million in the lottery playing a scratch-off. The winner purchased the winning $1 million Crossword ticket at CEFCO on E. End Blvd. in Marshall. They chose to remain anonymous. This was the fourth of four top prizes claimed in that game, which offers more than $152.4 million in total prizes.
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 »
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.
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.
TYLER – City of Tyler officials say that 10 roadways have downed powerlines or trees blocking them and people are asked to avoid these areas. According to our news partner KETK, these roads or intersections have one lane closed:
West 8th Street and South College Avenue
North Parkdale Drive and Lynn Drive
Belvedere Boulevard and Woodlawn Street
Shiloh Road and Paluxy Drive
Woodland Hills Drive and Cloverdale Drive
Woodland Hills Drive and Peggy Place
Amy Lane and Gail Lane
1903 N. Forest Ave.
320 S. Vine Ave.
421 W. Harpole St.
To contact the Streets Department to report flooded streets, potholes, sinkholes and downed trees, residents can call 903-531-1393 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also report these type of issues on the MyTyler app. In all cases, the city asks residents to watch for repair crews and to please drive accordingly.
LONGVIEW — Officials are searching for a Longview man who was reported missing on Sunday. According to our news partner KETK, missing 29-year old Stoney Johnson. Longview PD describes Johnson as 5 foot 9 inches, weighs around 150 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. Johnson is thought to be driving a gray 2012 Ford Fusion with Texas license plate NNB7232. Anyone with information on Stoney Johnson’s location is asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1199.
TYLER – Due to Tropical Storm Beryl moving up from the Texas coast Monday, Tyler city officials ask residents to avoid non-essential driving and to be weather aware. If you must drive, slow down and know your surroundings. Because of storm activity, there may be downed power lines and trees. And, with the heavy rainfall, if you encounter water over the roadways, turn around. In some cases, you may find traffic signals without power. Remember, these are to be treated as four-way stops.
With power outages occurring, the city is making cooling and charging centers available at these locations: Tyler Public Library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »
LOVELADY – Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 31, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2016 murder of 10-year-old Kayla Gomez in Bullard, has committed suicide, according to our news partner KETK. On July 2, Zavala-Garcia was found unresponsive at the J. Dale Wainwright state prison in Lovelady and life-saving measures were conducted. EMS was called to the scene and life-saving measures proved unsuccessful. Zavala-Garcia was declared dead at 5:43 p.m., an in custody death report shows. According to that report Zavala-Garcia’s means of death was hanging/strangulation caused by a homemade ligature.
Kayla Gomez went missing from Bullard First Assembly Church in November of 2016 and was found dead a few days later outside Zavalla’s home.
Zavalla avoided the death penalty by taking a plea deal to get life in prison without the chance of parole.
RUSK COUNTY – 
One person is dead after a two-car crash in in the Wright City area in Rusk County near the Smith County line according to our partners at KETK. The crash happened on Monday at State Highway 64 and FM 15. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office has shut down the road as of 2:10 p.m. while they work the scene.
TYLER – About 70,210 customers are without power in East Texas as of 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday in the aftermath of tropical storm Beryl. Our news partner KETK has a list of East Texas counties and electric cooperatives affected. You can find the list here.
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County fire investigators said fireworks may have contributed to a house fire reported Thursday night. Firefighters were called to a house FM 756, near Beam Road at 11:45 p.m. Several people were at home at the time of the fire, but were uninjured. Fire crews from other jurisdictions responded to the fire, but the home was a total loss.
Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said preliminary investigation of the fire shows that the fire started in the garage, “and fireworks may have been a contributing factor to the cause of the fire. The investigation is ongoing and no foul play is suspected at this time.
TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said that a 19-year-old has died after being shot in the head on July fourth. According to our news partner KETK, 19-year-old Rawly Sanchez, was reportedly shot to death behind a Smith County business. Sheriff’s reports say deputies responded to a call of a shots fired around 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, at Highway 271 north near Tyler. Smith County dispatch reported the gunshot victim was taken to local hospital.
Smith County Sheriff’s Office learned this at the hospital. Three friends were riding in a truck on Old Gladewater Highway, but turned around to go back to Highway 271. The trio reportedly passed behind Bautista Auto Sales and that’s when gunshots were reportedly fired. While sitting in the back of the truck, Rawley Sanchez reportedly was shot in back of the head. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Read the rest of this entry »
DAINGERFIELD –
A motion passed by the City of Daingerfield will cease all response by the Daingerfield Volunteer Fire Department outside of city limits, according to our partners at KETK. In a memo, the city said a motion was passed for the VFD to no longer respond to life-threatening calls outside of city limits on May 13. That motion went into effect on Monday, but on June 10, the city council made an additional motion to cease all VFD responses outside of city limits. The decision to cease all VFD responses will go into effect on Sept. 1. On Thursday, the VFD posted to social media a list of facts related to the response changes. One of the statements listed is that so far this year, 54% of all their responses were outside the city limits, and that the county’s contribution represents about 7% of the VFD’s total budget.
DAINGERFIELD — 
Our news colleagues at KETK say one person is injured following an early Thursday morning shooting in Daingerfield, now officials are looking for the suspect.The police department said at around 1:13 a.m. officers responded to a report of a robbery and shooting at a business parking lot where they discovered a victim who had a gunshot wound. According to a preliminary investigation, the suspect is a short, light-skinned Black man wearing a Nike Ski-type mask and armed with a handgun. The suspect reportedly ran from the scene before officials arrived. “It is believed that a vehicle may have been involved in facilitating the suspect’s escape, possibility picking him up after he fled the parking lot,†the police department said. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Daingerfield Police Department at 903-645-2114.
TYLER – 
The University of Texas at Tyler placed first and third in the collegiate track of the 2024 U.S. Department of Energy American-Made Community Energy Innovation Competition. The contest concluded last month with the third and final impact phase in which the top three collegiate teams competed for a share of the $100,000 grand prize. Two UT Tyler teams was among the top three finalists in the contest this year. Read the rest of this entry »
CANTON – TxDOT has scheduled a closure on I-20 in Van Zandt County for Monday that will affect the FM 859 bridge north of Canton from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. According to our news partner KETK, during this time of construction, the main lanes of the interstate will be closed in both directions while crews work on the bridge. The FM 859 bridge will also be closed while crews are working. TxDOT said that I-20 traffic will be diverted onto the frontage roads during these closures. This closure is part of a larger project to replace the FM 859 bridge.
TIMPSON – 
One person was arrested after a robbery at Austin Bank in Timpson on Tuesday morning, according to our colleagues at KETK. DPS said that troopers arrived at the scene within two minutes and encountered the suspect. Authorities said the subject was threatening citizens inside and outside of the bank with a pellet revolver. The person was taken into custody at the scene. The investigation is being handed to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the identity of the arrested individual is not yet available.
PAYNE SPRINGS — A 3-year-old was airlifted to a Dallas hospital Tuesday morning after nearly drowning in Enchanted Oaks, Payne Springs Fire Rescue (PSFR) said. According to our news partners at KETK, PSFR was alerted at around 10:13 a.m. of a possible drowning and responded immediately with EMS to treat the toddler. UT Health Air 1 West transported the 3-year-old to a children’s hospital in Dallas. “This is our third call on the lake involving pediatric patients this summer. Please use the utmost caution on and around the lake with children,†PSFR said.
BULLARD – 
Bullard residents will soon be under water usage restrictions due to weather conditions and mechanical issues with a city water well, according to our colleagues at KETK. The city announced that they will be under a Stage 1 Water Conservation Notice starting Friday, meaning all Bullard utilities customers will need to abide by the following restrictions:
Residents with even numbered addresses can water outside on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday
Residents with odd numbered addresses can water Saturday, Monday and Wednesday
All outdoor watering is prohibited on Friday
Those who violate the guidelines will be subject to a written warning, and may be issued a citation.
ATHENS — An old Athens motel will be converted into a new affordable housing complex. According to our news parter KETK, a Dallas construction company has partnered with the City of Athens. Wallace Ventures’ is converting the old Quality Inn motel off Highway 31 that was vacant for more than 10 years, into “Athens Reserveâ€, a 122 unit studio apartment complex. Each apartment will just under 300 square feet.
Athens City Manager Elizabeth Borstad said, “The Athens Reserve project is a significant transformation for this property, turning an abandoned hotel into efficient and affordable housing. This initiative provides a practical housing solution while enhancing the local area.â€
Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Starting Monday July 1, the Tyler Police Department have added more officers on the street to shore up STEP. According to Andy Erbaugh, Tyler PD Public Information Officer, STEP is, the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. The program is based on accident data in the Tyler city limits and it lets officers target problem areas. Through Sunday, July 7, officers will be watching for speeding, seat belt violations, intersection problems and impaired driving.
The Tyler Police Department asks that you don’t drink and drive. And, they wish you a safe and happy holiday!