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Gregg County Is Weighing a Three-Cent Tax Increase. The Jail Overtime Bill Is $1.2 Million
Gregg County leaders say sheriff's-office overtime has reached $1.2 million as jail staffing remains difficult. A proposed three-cent property-tax increase would cost the median household about $44 a year, according to County Judge Bill Stoudt, but the public still needs the formal rate, budget and staffing plan.
Gregg County / Aug 18, 2026
Source: KETK
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Two Longview Volunteers Brought Newgate’s Healing Arts Table Back to Life
Lauren Parrish and Mary Lou Tevebaugh revived Newgate Mission's Saturday Healing Arts program after it faded following founder Anup Bhandari's death. Participants say the volunteer-led space builds expression, confidence and accountability.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 17, 2026
Source: KLTV
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Pine Tree ISD Cut Its Tax Rate While Keeping a Deficit Budget. Here Is What Taxpayers Should Track
Pine Tree ISD adopted a $1.0727 property-tax rate, below last year's rate and the no-new-revenue rate, while planning a roughly $67.5 million budget with an estimated $800,000 deficit. The rate is only one part of what Longview-area taxpayers should examine.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 16, 2026
Source: Longview News-Journal
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Longview Firefighters Volunteered for Deployments Across Texas. The Quiet Work Starts Before the Call
Longview firefighters and emergency personnel volunteered for specialized training and statewide deployments this summer, sending swift-water, fire-mutual-aid and medical teams while maintaining local coverage.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 15, 2026
Source: KETK via AOL
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Longview’s 1,000-Backpack Drive Treats Student Readiness as More Than Pencils and Paper
The Frenchmon & Nettie M. Pippins Wellness Center is collecting support through Aug. 16 for a 1,000-student backpack distribution that combines classroom basics with hygiene, first-aid and wellness resources.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 13, 2026
Source: Frenchmon & Nettie M. Pippins Wellness Center
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Longview Donors Turned $6 Million Into Room for Women and Children
Hiway 80 Rescue Mission says supporters raised about $6 million and construction began on a 22,000-square-foot women-and-family residence hall designed to roughly double shelter capacity.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 12, 2026
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Read source fileEast Texas
Local stories with officials, schools, public safety, and money attached
Payne Springs Crews Contained a 54-Acre Wildfire—Then Returned With a Thermal Drone
Payne Springs Fire Rescue and Texas A&M Forest Service crews contained a fast-moving 54-acre wildfire in Henderson County, then used a thermal drone to search for hidden hot spots. Their response protected the community while underscoring the danger of dry East Texas fuels.
Payne Springs / Henderson County / Aug 18, 2026
Source: KETK
Read source fileGregg County Is Weighing a Three-Cent Tax Increase. The Jail Overtime Bill Is $1.2 Million
Gregg County leaders say sheriff's-office overtime has reached $1.2 million as jail staffing remains difficult. A proposed three-cent property-tax increase would cost the median household about $44 a year, according to County Judge Bill Stoudt, but the public still needs the formal rate, budget and staffing plan.
Gregg County / Aug 18, 2026
Source: KETK
Read source fileTwo Longview Volunteers Brought Newgate’s Healing Arts Table Back to Life
Lauren Parrish and Mary Lou Tevebaugh revived Newgate Mission's Saturday Healing Arts program after it faded following founder Anup Bhandari's death. Participants say the volunteer-led space builds expression, confidence and accountability.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 17, 2026
Source: KLTV
Read source file
Angelina County Put $5.14 Million Behind a Longer Runway. Here Are the Deadlines and Risks
Angelina County commissioners unanimously advanced a 600-foot airport-runway extension with a $5.14 million project cost and an expected 95% reimbursement. Environmental approval, property acquisition, cash flow and an August 2027 construction deadline now determine whether the plan delivers.
Angelina County / Aug 17, 2026
Source: KTRE / KLTV
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Lufkin Dental Volunteers Gave East Texans Free Care. The Service Went Far Beyond a Cleaning
Volunteers at Goodland Dentistry in Lufkin provided free exams, emergency treatment, extractions and restorative care during Sharing Smiles Day, part of a 2026 effort that served 466 patients through 22 practices in nine states.
Lufkin / Angelina County / Aug 16, 2026
Source: KTRE
Read source filePine Tree ISD Cut Its Tax Rate While Keeping a Deficit Budget. Here Is What Taxpayers Should Track
Pine Tree ISD adopted a $1.0727 property-tax rate, below last year's rate and the no-new-revenue rate, while planning a roughly $67.5 million budget with an estimated $800,000 deficit. The rate is only one part of what Longview-area taxpayers should examine.
Longview / Gregg County / Aug 16, 2026
Source: Longview News-Journal
Read source fileTexas
Statewide Texas stories
United States
National public-accountability stories
Trump Called USS Lincoln Concerns ‘Fake.’ Sailors Have Spent More Than 240 Days Without a Port Call
President Donald Trump dismissed reports about conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln as fake while the carrier passed 240 uninterrupted days at sea. The Navy disputes reports of increased suicidal ideation, but lawmakers and families are seeking data on supplies, sanitation, health care and the ship's return.
Washington / Arabian Sea / Aug 18, 2026
Source: Associated Press
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Trump Ordered a Major Cut to South Korea Drills. The Exercise Had Already Begun
President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the annual U.S.–South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise as it began Monday. The size of the cut remained undefined, leaving readiness, alliance coordination and diplomacy questions that require public answers.
Washington / Korean Peninsula / Aug 17, 2026
Source: Associated Press
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Democratic Primary Turnout Is Surging. Why It Is a Signal—Not a November Result
Democratic primary participation reached two-decade or record levels in several states, giving the party evidence of enthusiasm before November. Competitive contests, fundraising and Republican structural advantages make the numbers a warning signal, not a general-election forecast.
United States / Aug 16, 2026
Source: Associated Press
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Trump Takes the White House Ballroom Fight to the Supreme Court. Here Is What the Justices Must Decide
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to keep White House ballroom construction moving while it appeals a ruling requiring congressional approval. The immediate question is a stay, not the final legality of the project.
Washington, D.C. / Aug 15, 2026
Source: Reuters
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Kennedy Center Board Revives Two-Year Closure and Trump Inscription, Setting Up a New Court Test
The Kennedy Center board voted to pursue a two-year renovation closure, add a Trump inscription to the facade and rename the site’s plaza. A federal judge blocked the board’s earlier process and ruled that only Congress can rename the center.
Washington, D.C. / Aug 14, 2026
Source: Reuters
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Karoline Leavitt Is Leaving the White House Press Office. Trump Has Not Named a Successor
Karoline Leavitt says she will step down at the end of August to spend more time with her family. President Trump says she will remain an outside adviser, but he has not announced who will take the podium.
Washington, D.C. / Aug 13, 2026
Source: Associated Press
Read source fileRecord lanes