Area News
Tyler’s July 4 Festival Moves to The Park of East Texas for 250-Year Celebration
Tyler’s annual Fourth of July Fireworks Festival is getting a new home in 2026, as The Park of East Texas officially takes over hosting for the long-standing community celebration, previously held at Lindsey Park. The event will take place on Saturday, July 4 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM and will remain free and open…
Read MoreOp-Ed: Seeing Jesus in the machinery of violence
By George Cassidy Payne In 2001, forensic artist Richard Neave and his team reconstructed a face the world thought it knew. What emerged was not the pale, European Christ of Western art, but a Middle Eastern man with dark hair, brown skin, and features shaped by the climate and culture of his time. Historian Joan…
Read MoreUpshur County Sheriff’s Office: Union Hill student taken into custody after making threatening statements
Upshur County Sheriff’s Office 10h · On April 23,2026, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office responded to Union Hill ISD campus for an incident involving threatening statements made by a student. Due to the serious nature of the threats and the impact on the school community, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office was immediately notified. The student…
Read MoreFEMA Approves More Than $206 Million in Public Assistance Funds
DENTON, Texas – FEMA Region 6 announced $206.3 million in funding to support recovery for past disasters in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas for Public Assistance projects. Through Public Assistance, FEMA empowers state and local communities to recover following a major disaster, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair or replacement…
Read MoreEastern District of Texas observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, continues vigorous prosecution of firearms-related offenses sentencing 17 defendants to over 261 years in federal prison
PLANO, Texas – Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs joins the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Executive Office for the United States Attorneys (EOUSA) in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme is “Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities.” “Firearms are a staple in…
Read MoreICE deported man who says he’s a U.S. citizen after traffic stop in Central Texas
By Uriel J. García and Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune April 23, 2026 The U.S. government detained and deported a 25-year-old man who says he’s a U.S. citizen to Mexico earlier this month, after police stopped the vehicle he was riding in near Fredericksburg, then called immigration authorities when he couldn’t immediately provide identification or…
Read MoreTwo years after a judge recommended her murder conviction be tossed, Melissa Lucio still waits for freedom
By Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune April 24, 2026 Every Thursday at 9 a.m. when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals publishes its orders and opinions online, Melissa Lucio’s family, supporters and lawyers scan the court’s website for the death row inmate’s name. Caught between freedom and a potential execution for the last two years,…
Read MoreTribCast: Greg Abbott battles cities over working with ICE
TribCast: Greg Abbott battles cities over working with ICE by Matthew Watkins, The Texas Tribune April 23, 2026 Gov. Greg Abbott’s office has threatened to cut state funding to three of Texas’ largest cities if they don’t fail to fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. This is the latest in a long-running feud between the…
Read MoreDallas police revise policy allowing more ICE cooperation after Abbott threatened to cut funding
By Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune April 23, 2026 Dallas on Thursday removed its ban on police officers prolonging a person’s detention during encounters like traffic stops to hold them for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. It is the second city in Texas to revise its policy on local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration…
Read MoreThe number of child care deserts in Texas is growing
By Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune April 23, 2026 CHIRENO — Every day, Courtney Bush has to figure out who can pick up her kids. It’s not an easy decision, even after wrestling with it for years. With no child care options or after-school programs in her rural East Texas town, Bush sometimes leaves work…
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