Today is
Friday June 05, 2026
TYLER – Starting Monday, Feb. 16, Consent Decree capacity improvements will move to East Elm Street between South Broadway Avenue and South College Avenue. The intersection between Elm Street and College Avenue will remain open. Work is expected to take approximately eight weeks, weather permitting. Full access to the Fair Plaza Parking Garage will remain available. Traffic will use Woldert Street, University Place, and College Avenue off Front Street to access the garage. Sidewalks in the area will remain open. Alleyway access off Elm Street will be closed during construction. Traffic control signs and devices are in place to guide motorists. Drivers are urged to use caution when traveling through the area.
LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Commissioners Court has approved an agreement to establish a police department for Longview ISD. According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement will now begin the formal review process required for the department to obtain its license. Longview ISD officials say they hope to have the process complete by this summer. The Longview ISD Police Department will maintain ongoing communication with the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office in the event of emergencies.
EAST TEXAS — Following Lifetouch Photography’s involvement in a controversy regarding the Epstein files, numerous school districts throughout East Texas are canceling their partnerships with the company. According to our news partner KETK, districts that decided to end their partnership with Lifetouch earlier this week, following the allegations, include: Athens ISD, Kemp ISD, Malakoff ISD, Cross Roads ISD, Van ISD, Edgewood ISD and Winnsboro ISD.
In the released Jeffrey Epstein files, Leon Black, the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, which is the parent company of Lifetouch, is accused of making at least $158 million in payments to Epstein for “purported tax and estate planning advice.” However, an investigation by the United States Senate Committee on Finance found that the money was used to finance Epstein’s sex trafficking operations. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — Tyler Junior College (TJC) could be adding three new buildings to its campus with the passage of a $167.3 million bond, set to be voted on in the May election. In a unanimous vote on Thursday, the TJC Board of Trustees called for a bond election that would pay for three new construction projects and improvements to existing facilities, costing an approximate $167,328,269 million. The proposal for the construction projects was developed by TJC’s Facility Planning Committee, which consists of college representatives and community members.
“The committee identified three major projects to provide for TJC’s community partnerships, student learning environments, workforce preparation and the college’s technological and physical infrastructure,” the institution said. “These areas were selected, in part, because they impact the entire campus.” Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNT — A family altercation turned deadly in Henderson County after a 22-year-old man was shot and killed by a relative on Feb. 6. Deputies were called to a disturbance in the 6300 block of County Road 4507, just outside of Athens, following an altercation between 22-year-old Timothy Parker and his 45-year-old stepfather, according to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse and our news partner KETK, .
After the two separated, Parker returned to the scene with a gun and shot his stepfather. The stepfather’s dad then allegedly shot Parker. The sheriff told KETK News that Parker was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews arrived and began treating the stepfather before transporting him to a local hospital to be treated and is expected to recover.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing. The case will be forwarded to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and a grand jury will ultimately determine if any charges will be filed.
HENDERSON COUNTY – The Henderson Sheriff’s Office has confirmed two have died in a plane crash near Echo Lake early Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, Chip Crist, a cattle owner near the crash site, said the plane, which had left Florida, refueled in Nacogoches before attempting to continue its flight. Along with fire and police units at the scene, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Aviation Administration are also there.
On Thursday morning, an FAA report states that an aircraft declared an emergency due to oil covering the windshield. It diverted but crashed into power lines near Echo Lakes’ runway. The plane is described as a Beech A36 model, a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft manufactured in 1994. The airplane is registered to AileRon T, LLC, based out of Orlando, Florida. The identities of the two people have not been released at this time.
TYLER – Beginning Monday, Feb. 16, Consent Decree capacity improvements will move to the intersection of Elm Street and College Avenue. Work is expected to take approximately eight weeks, weather permitting. Full access to the Fair Plaza Parking Garage will remain available.
Traffic will use Woldert Street, University Place, and College Avenue off Front Street to access the garage. The intersection of College Avenue and Elm Street will remain open, and sidewalks in the area will remain open. Alleyway access off Elm Street will be closed during construction. Traffic control signs and devices are in place to guide motorists. Drivers are urged to use caution when traveling through the area.
SMITH COUNTY – Non-Emergency Smith County Offices will be closed Monday, February 16, for Presidents Day. They will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, February 17. There will be no Commissioners Court meeting on February 17, because of a lack of quorum. Most of the court members will be attending a Texas Association of Counties conference. The next Commissioners Court meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 24, on the first floor of the Annex Building, at 200 E. Ferguson St. in Tyler. Meeting agendas can be found here.
EAST TEXAS – On Wednesday, Van Zandt County Commissioners voted to pass a moratorium, pausing all planned green energy projects in the county until Attorney General Ken Paxton investigates their full effects. According to our news partner KETK, the moratorium passed unanimously, pausing construction of nine battery storage units and seven solar projects in the county. This fight has been ongoing since 2024, when the Finnish-based company Taaleri Energia announced the Amador Bess Project in rural Canton.
Given the proximity of international infrastructure to their homes, national security is a major concern for many residents.
Read the rest of this entry »
GLADEWATER — Gladewater ISD is asking voters to approve an $8.1 million bond for safety upgrades, new buses and career and technical education improvements, a proposal district officials say would not increase the current tax rate. The single-proposition bond would span 15 years and address transportation needs, facility renovations and equipment upgrades across the district, according to our news partner KETK.
Superintendent Rae Ann Patty said the bond would not raise the district’s interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate, which is currently .253336. The district passed a bond in 2014 that is set to expire in 2045 and has since paid down that debt enough to add the proposed $8.1 million while maintaining the same tax rate, according to Patty.
The proposal includes the purchase of new school buses that meet updated safety standards, including seatbelt requirements. Patty said that if the bond does not pass, buses would still be prioritized but the number purchased would be reduced due to budget constraints. Read the rest of this entry »
PALESTINE — A man was arrested in Palestine on Wednesday for allegedly promoting child pornography online. The Palestine Police Department began an investigation in January after receiving several reports from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It was reported that an individual living on Crestline Drive was uploading, downloading and distributing child sexual abuse material online. Further investigation led police to believe that the IP address used to upload the images was linked to the same residence.
On Wednesday, the police department searched the home and arrested 27-year-old Juan Carlos Torres. He has been booked into the Anderson County Jail on charges of promotion of child pornography and is being held on a $500,000 bond.
UPDATE: As of Thursday afternoon, the teens are in stable condition and Tyler PD said the injuries are non-life threatening. More information will be released as the investigation continues.
TYLER — Two teenagers were injured in a shooting Wednesday night on Gentry Parkway near the Banana Tree Club. According to Tyler Police Department PIO Andy Erbaugh and our news partner KETK, officers were dispatched at approximately 9:03 p.m. to the 1000 block of West Gentry Parkway following a call reporting an aggravated assault.
At the scene, officials found two 14-year-old victims with gunshot wounds. One teen had been shot multiple times in the leg and the other sustained one gunshot wound to the arm. Erbaugh said emergency medical services (EMS) responded and began treating the victims at the scene. Authorities said the suspect fled in a white vehicle last seen traveling west on Bow Street. No suspects have been detained as of Wednesday night.
Detectives and crime scene personnel are en route to the scene of the crime to begin an investigation. Additional details have yet to be released. This is a developing story and KETK News will update this article as more information becomes available.
HENDERSON COUNTY – The Henderson Sheriff’s Office has confirmed two have died in a plane crash near Echo Lake early Wednesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, Chip Crist, a cattle owner near the crash site, said the plane, which had left Florida, refueled in Nacogoches before attempting to continue its flight. Along with fire and police units at the scene, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Aviation Administration are also there.
SMITH COUNTY — In a step towards pet care affordability, Smith County Commissioners have approved the launch of a new low-cost spay and neuter clinic in Tyler. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Smith County Animal Shelter and the Animal Protection League (APL). According to our news partner KETK, the APL has been dedicated to serving surrounding communities for years, offering affordable spay-and-neuter services and vaccinations. With the green light from the commissioners, they will now have a central location to operate from every Tuesday.
The clinic will be conveniently set up in the parking lot behind the county shelter, making it easier for pet owners to access essential services for their furry family members. Read the rest of this entry »
VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Van Zandt County officials on Wednesday issued a 30-day burn ban, citing dangerous fire conditions. The ban prohibits any outdoor burning in the county’s unincorporated areas for 30 days beginning Wednesday, the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal said.
For more information on the ban visit the Van Zandt County website.