Today is
Saturday June 13, 2026
SULPHUR SPRINGS – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Sulphur Springs Police Department has arrested a man in connection to a Wednesday shooting on Putman Street.
Arrest reports show that Sulphur Springs police officers responded to reports of shots fired on Putman Street at around 2:59 p.m. on Wednesday. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who was shot in the leg and began applying medical aid. Witnesses at the scene identified the suspect, and one witness told officers that the person had taken their car and left the scene. Officers discovered a possible location for the suspect on Beckham Street. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – 
A California man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. John Khuu, 29, of San Francisco, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on March 12, 2025. According to information presented in court, Khuu conspired with others to launder the proceeds of his drug trafficking organization through cryptocurrency. Khuu illegally imported counterfeit pharmaceutical and MDMA (“ecstasy”) pills from Germany then distributed them to customers across the United States, primarily on dark web markets (DWMs). Customers paid for their purchases by transferring cryptocurrency, usually Bitcoin (BTC), from their DWM customer accounts to one of Khuu’s vendor accounts. Khuu and his co-conspirators traded the BTC for U.S. currency and laundered and transmitted the proceeds through hundreds of transactions and dozens of financial accounts. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER –
Our news partners at KETK report a total lunar eclipse will be visible for all of the United States Thursday Night & Friday Morning. The moon will be in its full moon phase and appear as a distinct reddish color in the skies over East Texas Thursday night. The Eclipse will begin around midnight central Daylight Time (CDT). The total lunar eclipse will be between 1:30 AM CDT and 2:30 AM CDT. You don’t need any special equipment like a telescope. We could see cloud cover in East Texas Thursday Night. However, there will be cloud breaks every so often for this stargazing treat. A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth passes between the sun and moon and earth’s shadow is cast directly on the surface of the moon. The moon will appear a reddish color and described as a “blood moon.” The last total lunar eclipse was visible in the United States on November 8th, 2022, the next lunar event won’t be visible in North America until March 2026.
LONGVIEW – 
HATCO in Longview laid off 68 employees in late February after discovering issues at the facility were far more extensive than anticipated, according to our news partners at KETK. HATCO said due to the discovered issues, they were unable to safely continue operations and closed the Longview facility located at 302 Huntsman Way on Feb. 27, laying off 68 employees. While the company initially budgeted to repair the issues, the cost of the repairs was far more than what they were able to afford. According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, HAVCO was required to provide employees 60 days notice of facility closure unless an exception applies. “Due to the unexpected and unforeseen nature of the facility issues, an exception applies and we are unable to provide such notice,” HAVCO said. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – 
The Tyler Fire Department will soon have two new Class A Burn Buildings for training simulations. The City Council approved the purchase of the portable buildings from Lone Star Tactical Buildings for $129,713 on Wednesday, March 12. A Class A Burn Building allows firefighters to train locally in realistic conditions, simulating the smoke, heat, and fire growth they encounter in real emergencies. Class A fires, which involve wood and other common combustibles, are among the most frequent fire threats in Tyler. The structure has a two-chamber design, which mirrors actual fires. One space mimics a burning room’s intense heat and smoke, while the other simulates the origin and spread of a fire. Currently, the department has only one Class A Burn Building. The additional buildings were necessary to meet the state requirement of igniting two or more Class A fires during training. Tyler firefighters have been traveling outside the city to meet the training requirements. All three Class A Burn Buildings will be set up at the current training facility located at 701 Fair Park Dr. The buildings are portable and can be relocated.
LUFKIN — A former Lufkin ISD superintendent spoke against House Bill 3 during a House Committee meeting on Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, Roy Knight, who was in the education industry for over 40 years, testified against HB 3 that would use state funds to pay for private schools, homeschooling and other educational services. The bill would also create more flexibility for parents to choose their child’s education.
“This bill is a skunk that we’re trying to pass off as a kitty cat,” Knight said.
The bill argues that directing funds toward private schools will enable competitive pay for public school teachers. However, Knight contends that Lufkin has remained competitive with other schools for years. He also stated that public school teachers are frustrated by the implication that they have not been working hard until private schools became more popular. Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE: The Longview Police Department said the officer who was injured in the Saturday incident has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
LONGVIEW — According to our news partner KETK, a Longview police officer was injured on Saturday night while responding to a vehicle burglary. The Longview Police Department said officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Lincoln Drive at around 11:22 p.m. to a vehicle burglary in progress.
As police searched the area, they located the burglarized vehicle and the suspect was found inside a second vehicle on Kenwood Drive. Read the rest of this entry »
WOOD COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, nearly 8,500 Wood County Electric Co-Op customers are without power as of Wednesday night. The co-op said they were working to identify what caused the transmission outage that affected five substations. However, as it is dark and the transmission lines run through rugged terrain, a representative said it will take time to identify the cause.
People are asked to report an outage at 866-415-2951 and follow the steps found on their website. Read the rest of this entry »
WHITE OAK — According to our new partner KETK, the White Oak Police Department has announced a new chief of police who will take office in April 25.
Brannon Robertson is the current patrol lieutenant and has been a police officer since August 1996. Robertson’s first job was at the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy. He then transferred to the Gladewater Police Department in October 1996. During his time in Gladewater, Robertson was promoted from reserve to animal control, to dispatch and then ultimately to patrol officer. Robertson was awarded Officer of the Year in 2004, 2012 and 2024. During his time in White Oak, Robertson was promoted from patrol officer to sergeant, to lieutenant and soon chief of police.
Chief Terry Roach announced his retirement earlier this year. Robertson claimed that stepping into the position was a “difficult decision made easy.”
JACKSONVILLE – Our news partner, KETK, reports that the City of Jacksonville has a new chief of police, however, he is no stranger to the department. Steven Markasky is a 12-year veteran of the Jacksonville Police Department and has been the assistant police chief since April of 2024.
Markasky was required to complete the multiple-step interview process, including written and oral portions, which involved the input of dozens of professionals. Every member of the police department was invited to help select the best candidate. Once the city narrowed the candidate selection, Markasky was among the finalists and moved on to the next portion of the interview process—an assessment conducted by the city manager and police chief from separate outside organizations. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – 
The University of Texas at Tyler Military and Veterans Success Center will hold multiple events on campus for the community to recognize Vietnam War veterans and the 50th anniversary since the war ended. These events are hosted in partnership with the UT Tyler history department, VFW Carl Webb Post 1799, Vietnam Veterans of America Rose Capital Chapter 932, American Legion Post 12 and other local veteran serving organizations. “We proudly present these excellent events as a way to honor our Vietnam War veterans here in East Texas and across the country,” said Coby Dillard, UT Tyler director of military and veterans affairs. “The men and women who served during Vietnam faced unspeakable challenges both in country and at home. As a community, it is important that we continue to celebrate the service of those who returned, while honoring the sacrifices of those who were lost during this conflict.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The East Texas Human Needs Network (ETHNN) has merged with Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc. ETHNN is a diverse group of organizations and individuals that work together to strengthen the programs, connection, and improve awareness of services that meet essential human needs. Goodwill often serves as a resource center for many of these same human needs. Goodwill’s programs are based in education and skills training designed to help individuals meet their needs through employment.
Read the rest of this entry »
HALLSVILLE – One person was killed after a high-speed chase ended in them crashing into a Hallsville Church on Monday night. According to our news partner KETK, the driver was identified as 29-year-old Jason Thomas Hart of Longview.
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 10:47 p.m. about a suspicious vehicle driving through the Mason Creek Mobile Home Park. The caller said that a dark-colored sedan was driving in circles in front yards and nearly hit several residences. Minutes later, deputies saw the vehicle matching the same description running a stop sign at the intersection of FM 968 and FM 450. Deputies continued their pursuit on FM 450 north, as Hart ignored lights and sirens.
Hart continued fleeing law enforcement, driving erratically, with speeds as fast as 114 mph. Eventually the chase entered Hallsville. As he entered the intersection of FM 450 and U.S. Highway 80, Hart left the roadway on the west part of FM 450, hitting the wall and awning of The First Baptist Church of Hallsville. Deputies attempted to render aid to Jason Hart, but he died at the scene. Officials said case is being investigated under the guidance of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
NACOGDOCHES – 
Our news partners at KETK report that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses could soon have full practice authority in rural East Texas. Rep. Joanne Shofner filed HB 2532 on Feb. 6 that would allow APRNs to practice as independent practitioners. The bill will give APRNs the ability to treat health problems and prescribe medications (including controlled substances). In order to qualify, APRN’s must apply to the Texas Board of Nursing and pay an application fee. The deadline for the fee will vary by program and school. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) range from nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists and clinical nurse specialists. Read the rest of this entry »
TEXARKANA –
The Texarkana Police Department is currently searching for a driver who was involved in a hit and run that left a woman critically injured on Friday, according to our news partners at KETK. Texarkana PD said a woman pedestrian was critically injured after she was hit by a white SUV in the 2300 block of New Boston Road at around 10:20 p.m. on Friday night. Officials are searching for the driver and are asking anyone who lives near the hit and run scene to check their security cameras for a white SUV in the area near that time. “We’ve been working non-stop all weekend to track down the driver, but we still haven’t been able to identify the vehicle. If you live or work in the area, please check your security cameras! If you see anything that might help—no matter how small—please reach out to us. It could well be the break that we need.” Anyone information can contact Texarkana PD by phone at 903-798-3876 and any video can be submitted to the Texarkana Police Department online through their new online evidence portal.