Today is
Monday July 27, 2026
TYLER – The 2023 fall semester is rapidly approaching. According to our news partner KETK, Tyler ISD and Longview ISD begin August 9. With Jacksonville starting their fall session a week later August 16. To find your schools opening day, click here.
TYLER — Leadership from Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Tyler announced Monday the creation of the TJC and UT Tyler Promise Transfer Scholarship. According to our news partner KETK, starting this fall, the scholarship will enable TJC grads who have been in the college’s promise program to take the next step up to UT Tyler to continue their education. The James I. Perkins Family Foundation, who funded the first 25 scholarships at $8,000 each, announced Monday they would fund an additional 25 more for a total gift to the program of $400,000.
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TYLER – A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on U.S. Highway 69, four miles north of Jacksonville, according to our news partners at KETK. On Saturday, DPS said that a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling north on U.S. 69 when it struck 49-year-old Derrick Wayne Steele as he was also traveling north riding on a bicycle. Steele was pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the Peace Brenda Dominey. According to DPS, the posted speed limit in the area was 70 mph and the driver of the Tahoe was not injured. No further information is available as DPS said this is an ongoing investigation.
CLARKSVILLE – An AMBER Alert issued Monday afternoon reached a safe conclusion. According to our news partner KETK, Red River County Sheriff’s report that 15-year-old Erika Anderson was found safe early Monday evening and is being reunited with her family. At this time, that is all the details that are available.
TYLER – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said a driver has been arrested after allegedly running over a pedestrian around 12:15 a.m. on Monday near State Highway 64 West and County Road 1125 in Tyler, according to our news partners at KETK.
Jesus Mora, 38, called 911 and told dispatchers that he had ran over a man with his vehicle and fled the scene, according to authorities. The sheriff’s office said another witness had called 911 and reported that Mora had run over the pedestrian on purpose before leaving the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
ANGELINA COUNTY – Several East Texas counties have enacted burn bans due to dry conditions and fire risk. When a county issues a burn ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited in that county. Courtesy of our news partners at KETK, here is a list of burn bans across East Texas: Read the rest of this entry »
BROOKSTON – An Amber Alert has been issued for a 15 years old girl who was suspected of being abducted in the town of Brookston, TX which is near Paris.The victim is a white female named Erika Anderson, though she may use the name Erika McCarver. She was last seen wearing a gray hoodie. The suspect is 22-year-old Jonathan Ramirez. He is driving a green and beige 2009 Toyota Camry. The license number is RWW6625.
If you have any information please call your local 9-1-1.
PAYNE SPRINGS – Payne Springs Fire Rescue said they responded to a grass fire that started because of alleged illegal outdoor burning around 2:35 p.m. on Saturday. Our news partners at KETK report the grass fire started in the Allen Ranch area of Payne Springs and spread to several outbuildings, one of which was completely destroyed, according to PSFR. Officials reminded the public to always have a water source nearby and to always watch any burning.
LUFKIN – A 27-year-old man was arrested late Thursday night after officials said he led officers on a high speed chase. According to our news partners at KETK and the Lufkin Police Department, officers attempted to pull over a Dodge pickup for an expired registration in the 800 block of North Medford Drive around 11:55 p.m. when the truck refused to stop. Officials said the 13-minute pursuit reached speeds more than 100 mph with the truck at times driving on the wrong side of the road. The pursuit ended on Highway 69 South after officers performed a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver on the truck. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – After trying to catch up from 2022’s summer drought, East Texas farmers are praying for a better crop season this year, according to our news partners at KETK. “It all depends on the weather, whether you have a good season or a bad season but it’s been good so far, now how long it’s going to last, I don’t know,†said farmer Dennis Floyd. “The okra seems to be doing really good right now, the tomatoes seem to be doing really well, we’re getting very good corn,†said Allison Lott, owner of HWY 80 Produce. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES – The Nacogdoches Police Department is investigating the case of a 2-year-old child that reportedly shot themself in the head around 11:37 a.m. on Saturday, according to a press release. Our news partners at KETK report that Nacogdoches police and fire departments responded to a report of an accidental shooting at a residence in the 800 block of Texas Oak Street. According to Nacogdoches PD, when first responders arrived they discovered that a 2-year-old child had found a handgun inside the residence and accidentally fired the gun which critically injured them. Read the rest of this entry »
PITTSBURG — Two minors were detained after an investigation into suspicious credit card charges in Pittsburg. According to the Pittsburg Police Department and our news partners at KETK, on Monday a citizen notified the Pittsburg Police Department that their credit card appeared to have a suspicious charge after a recent purchase at McDonald’s in Pittsburg. This happened at the McDonald’s at 101 S. Greer Blvd. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office is encouraging citizens to postpone any outdoor burning as drought conditions worsen. Our news partners at KETK report that Officials said the county isn’t under a burn ban yet but the Keetch-Byram Drought Index is expected to rise daily. “While the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) remains in the low 500 range for Smith County, it is expected to rise daily if the area doesn’t receive significant rainfall. Historically, the County has implemented a burn ban when the KBDI reaches the mid-600 to 700 range. However, officials also monitor weather conditions and forecasts, along with the daily incident responses from fire departments throughout the county. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — As East Texas experiences extreme heat, our news partners at KETK spoke with CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler where it’s critical to monitor its facilities’ temperatures around the clock. KETK asked: It’s easy to manage your AC at home, but what does it take to cool down more than one million square feet? Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Our news partners at KETK report that the Longview Fire Department responded to a structure fire at R&K Distributers on Wednesday. The first unit on the scene said they saw smoke coming from the west side of the building. According to authorities, an investigation showed that the fire was in a part of the building where several pallet jacks had been charging their batteries. Officials said that the building’s internal sprinklers were able to put out the fire and the firefighters helped clear out the smoke from the building. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN – The U.S. Marshals Service on Monday arrested a fourth suspect wanted in relation to the April 3 fatal shooting of Richard Coutee, of Lufkin. Our news partners at KETK report that Jardon Castle, 18, of Jasper was arrested by Marshals around midnight in Lake Charles, La. Castle is expected to be taken back to Angelina County in the next few weeks, officials said. “We would like to thank the U.S. Marshals Service for all of their hard work in getting the last of these suspects into custody,†Lufkin Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Pebsworth said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital and Louis and Peaches Owen Heart
Hospital have earned the American College of Cardiology’s National Cardiovascular Data
Registry Chest Pain MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is one of just 262 hospitals nationwide to receive the award
and one of just 32 in Texas. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler Transit bus stop at 106 Broadway Ave. and Elm St. near Downtown will be closed from Monday, July 24, through Friday, July 28, due to road construction. The northbound right lane of Broadway Avenue will be partially closed for construction to the Wilcox Lofts located at 230 S Broadway Ave. Temporary changes for July 24 through July 28 are below: Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – A fire at a mobile home in Longview left a person dead and injured a firefighter around 3:50 a.m. on Thursday near 4000 Burks Road.
Our news partners at KETK report that when firefighters arrived the mobile home was reportedly fully involved in the fire and flames were coming from the front of the residence, according to the Longview Fire Department. Officials said the first crew on the scene attempted to rescue the victim but were unsuccessful because of the “intense fire conditions†inside the home. Read the rest of this entry »
Hawkins — Jarvis Christian University biology professor Dr. Shakhawat Bhuiyan is the principal investigator on a new $2.25 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant titled “Interdisciplinary Research Infusion into STEM Education Undergraduate Program.†The new NSF grant continues over the next five years, with a start date of August 1, 2023, and running through July 31, 2028. Each year, Jarvis will submit an annual project report in accordance with the award terms and conditions.
“This continuing grant gives students the opportunity to research plant-based bioactive compounds and nanoparticles to potentially develop new treatments for cancer,†Bhuiyan said. Read the rest of this entry »
ANGELINA COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that several East Texas counties have enacted burn bans due to dry conditions and fire risk. When a county issues a burn ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited in that county. Below is a list of burn bans across East Texas: Read the rest of this entry »
FLINT – Our news partners at KETK report that authorities revealed details about the arrest of an East Texas elementary school teacher who is accused of promoting child pornography. Officials said that Fabrizio Olague was found to be responsible for “the transmission of explicit material involving minors.†The investigation found that Olague was employed as a teacher at Chapel Hill ISD in Flint where he worked as a dyslexia interventionist, working with children from kindergarten to third grade. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – An Amber Alert issued Tuesday for an 11-month-old child from Tyler has been canceled. According to Tyler police, on Wednesday, around 8:20am, the Tyler Police Department was notified that Tarhondia Jackson, 26, had shown up at the Department of Family and Protective Services office in Tyler and turned over Jamar Ross. He is now in the custody of CPS. Tarhondia Jackson was arrested on a charge from another offense and booked into the Smith County Jail. The alert was issued after Child Protective Services reported to police on July 14th that they were to take the 11-month-old into their custody from a residence on W. Mims Street. The child was not at the residence and was thought to be in the custody of his mother, Tarhondia Jackson.
GREGG COUNTY – A Gregg County grand jury cleared local officers of any criminal wrongdoing in three separate shootings, and declined to return any charges against the officers, according to our news partners at KETK. According to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office, the grand jury’s decisions earlier this month on the March 12, May 7 and May 17 incidents mean that “under Texas law no criminal charges will be filed against the officers.†Each investigation was conducted by the Texas Rangers who testified in front of the grand jury. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW – Longview ISD board members unanimously approved salary increases for district teachers and staff, in addition to setting a time to discuss the proposed 2023-24 tax rate, during Monday night’s regular meeting.
Recommended to the board by Ms. Shalona McCray, LISD Chief Human Resources Officer, the measure includes a 5 percent increase for teachers and pay grade midpoint for all remaining employees.
“In addition to the 5 percent increase of midpoint, the district will implement pay structures that adjust staff salaries that improve internal equity and market competitiveness,” she said. “In addition, we will be adjusting pay for employees below or above proposed pay grade maximums.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — UT Health Tyler has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke GoldPlus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine and School of Health
Professions have partnered with the East Texas Human Needs Network to present survey results on the
health status of Smith County. The presentation will be at the Power of Partnership Symposium noon – 2
p.m., July 18, at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center. Read the rest of this entry »
MABANK – A juvenile is in custody after allegedly fatally shooting a Canton man in the head, officials said.
According to Mabank police, they were dispatched to the 1400 block of Pharm Hills Road in Mabank on Thursday where they found an adult man who had a gunshot wound to his head inside a residence. Officers started life-saving measures on the victim who was taken to UT Health in Gun Barrel City where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
The victim was identified as 24-year-old Peter Parker from Canton, officials said.
After reportedly speaking with three other men at the location, investigators took a juvenile male into custody. He was taken to the Van Zandt County Juvenile Detention Center after being booked in for manslaughter, a second degree felony.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that one person is dead and four are injured after a tanker truck hauling diesel crashed Thursday afternoon near the Motor Vehicle Weigh Station on US 59 between Lufkin and Nacogdoches. According to DPS, a preliminary investigation found that around 12:30 p.m. the truck was traveling south on the road when a 2014 Hyundai Sonata traveling north reportedly made a U-turn in front of the truck and was struck on its passenger side. The truck then overturned. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN – Angelina College officials Thursday accepted a nearly $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of the college. According to our news partner KETK, the Title V grant has two main parts. Establishing new tech programs for in-demand occupations and making better support services. Marcy Anthony, Title V project director said. “We’re now going to offer a networking administration degree, which is actually starting this fall in year two of the grant. Then, in year three, we’ll be able to offer a software development program as a new degree.†In addition to the new degree programs, the college will also provide more services designed to ensure student retention and success. In 2022, Angelina College was one of 78 higher education institutions selected to receive the Title V grant.