Editor's note: We've corrected this story and headline to reflect that the girl driving the truck is the victim's mother's sister A Lufkin man has been charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of a young boy who was injured early Sunday when a 10-year-old girl drove a truck into the porch of their home according to a complaint released by the Precinct 1 justice of the peace where he reportedly arrived unresponsive after being transported there by EMS was booked in at the Angelina County Jail Tuesday and released the next day after posting his $3,000 bond authorities responded to a home on Oakwood Drive in reference to a vehicle crash an investigator saw a red Nissan Titan registered to Johnson that had crashed into the rear of the porch area and was parked inside the covered porch chairs and other items as it crashed into the porch The investigator said he saw no indications that the vehicle had braked hard Several alcoholic beverage bottles were present in the damaged property and a small tricycle branded Crazy Cart Shuffle was next to the porch Another officer responded to crash around 12:42 a.m and spoke with a man and woman who said they were the injured boy’s parents The boy was found lying on his back on the porch in front of the vehicle with blunt trauma that bled profusely from his forehead and first responders started chest compressions until EMS arrived The officer spoke with the approximately 10-year-old girl who said she had been told to move the truck but had lost control and crashed into the porch The family then followed EMS to the hospital and the investigator saw what appeared to be a 4x4 board with a metal joint with a large amount of blood on it that had apparently struck the boy with substantial force The investigator arrived at the hospital around 2 a.m and his step-father Johnson outside the emergency room door Rose said the family was seated on the porch around 12:30 a.m She said her younger sister was riding the tricycle and had complained to Johnson that his truck was parked in the way to which he responded to her to “scoot it up,” according to the complaint When the investigator asked Johnson if the girl had driven the truck before he said she had driven miles down backroads dozens of time Rose said the girl had driven the truck before but had become confused and “got on the gas,” causing the accident The officer smelled the odor of alcoholic beverages on Clinton and Rose who both admitted drinking three or four drinks that night while grilling The investigator later viewed body cam footage from the other officer that showed the girl explaining what happened from her point of view She told the officer she wanted to show Rose a trick on the go-cart but needed the truck moved from where it was parked “You do it yourself,” but that once she was in the truck she couldn’t see or find the brake because it was so dark She also “began to jump back and forth in her statements,” saying she believed family members would be mad at her and blame her for the accident the family loaded into a vehicle to follow EMS to the hospital through criminal negligence including other acts of negligence caused the boy’s death by allowing the girl to operate his truck in close proximity to bystanders when she could not be expected to operate the vehicle safely while alone at night there are no recent results for popular commented articles Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist  Get a link to the latest e-Edition delivered to your inbox on our publication days Start your morning with the top headlines each day Get the latest breaking news from The Lufkin News newsroom. Sign up today!  college and national sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning Get the latest local and national police reports every day in your inbox Receive the daily weather forecast and the weekly outlook in your inbox each morning Receive the most recent obituaries every afternoon Receive monthly updates on the latest issues of Charm East Texas magazine Sign up to receive emails about our exciting Deals Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account photos by Buzz Cory www.BuzzPhotos.com Lufkin senior Quincy Coutee (middle) is the recipient of a $500 scholarship from the Lufkin Youth Football League The Lufkin Youth Football League wrapped up its spring flag football season with championship games for age groups 6-7 8-9 and 10-12 Saturday at Lufkin High School’s Abe Martin Stadium The league had more than 120 boys and girls participate in the spring “It was a phenomenal season,” LYFL president Ken Thomas said “For the kids that weren’t involved in other sports in the spring it was a chance to enhance their skill sets and get ahead in the sport of football.” The co-ed league held a draft combine back in early March and began play on March 29 fastest and most aggressive flag-grabbing kids are our young females,” Thomas said “I’m super excited about the the participation of the young females in the spring league.” The league includes junior coaches who are involved in the football program at Lufkin High School the LYFL presented a $500 scholarship to Lufkin senior Quincy Coutee I get to come out and work with the kids and it brings me back to my childhood and where it starts with the youth,” Coutee said “These kids mean a lot to me and they show a lot of heart out here playing football “They get to come out and experience Friday night lights and they look up to us Thomas said Coutee and the other junior coaches do a lot for the program and the scholarship is a way to give back “It’s an honor to be able to provide a scholarship for all the work these guys put in and it goes to the most active senior with our program that year,” Thomas said “Coaching these kids gives them the opportunity to be a part of the young athlete’s maturation process When we’re kids at ages four through 12 we may all be different edwin.quarles@lufkindailynews.com Email notifications are only sent once a day The Lufkin Police Department did not release a daily media report Sunday The Lufkin Police Department made seven arrests late Saturday through late Sunday Arrests and charges include: Deauntre Vanness Shankle warrants for motion to revoke probation/possession of 1-4 grams of a penalty group 2 controlled substance motion to revoke probation/evading arrest/detention with a vehicle two counts of displaying expired license plates three counts of no insurance and three counts of driving while license invalid; Darien Talemedge Bluiett public intoxication; Hannah Elizabeth Phillips assault by contact (family violence); Christian Contreras assault by contact (family violence); Terryon Deshawn Brown possession of less than 2 ounces marijuana failure to identify a fugitive by intentionally giving false information and warrants for probation violation/deadly conduct and assault of a family/household member impeding breathing/circulation; Steven Wayne McCarta warrants for failure to comply with sex offender requirement crossing not in a crosswalk and possession of drug paraphernalia; and Manuel Lopez warrants for theft of service valued at $20-$500 motion to revoke probation/theft and theft of property valued at $1,500-$20,000 The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office made three arrests late Saturday through late Sunday Arrests and charges include: Rebecca Jolene Rigby possession of 1-4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance and a warrant for possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance; Amber Cherie Whitworth warrant for assault/family violence; and Jonathan Christian Burke possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance and burglary of a vehicle The Texas Department of Public Safety made 10 arrests late Saturday through late Sunday Arrests and charges include: Jordan Alexandria Ellis possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; Allison Deluna driving while license invalid and warrants for no insurance failure to control speed (accident) and driving while license invalid; Juan Carlos Lerma warrant for parole violation/burglary of a habitation; Richard Anthony Blackburn driving while license invalid with a previous conviction; Abel Munoz Jr. tampering with/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair driving while license invalid with a previous conviction/suspension/without insurance fleeing from a police officer and warrants for failure to appear for driving while license invalid with a previous conviction/suspension/without insurance and no driver’s license; Calvin Hood possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair; Moises Esparza possession of 4-400 grams of a penalty group 2 controlled substance; Larry Delores Bernal III permitting an unlicensed person to drive; Tayler Evelyn Sudduth fleeing from a police officer and driving while license invalid without insurance; and Kyle Logan Hugg possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 2 controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon The Angelina County Jail housed 243 inmates as of 11 p.m We listen to local police and fire departments’ scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something we’re not covering yet, please let Editor Josh Havard know by emailing him at josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews President Donald Trump says he's directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz the notorious former prison on a California island that's been closed for more than 60 years who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering." The Republican president says he's directing the Bureau of Prisons along with the Department of Justice the FBI and Homeland Security to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz to house "America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.” Reopening Alcatraz would be difficult and costly This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors Another great playoff game for coach Jim Gatewood as his McKinney North Bulldogs win 1-0 in the bottom of the 8th inning great fielding and spectacular work in the outfield by the Bulldogs' defense photos by Buzz Cory of www.BuzzPhotos.com A Lufkin cardiovascular surgeon’s practice is permanently closed and he has stopped treating patients at Woodland Heights Medical Center after The Lufkin Daily News began an investigation this week into allegations of medical malpractice and billing discrepancies associated with the doctor Mario Matos-Cruz is at the center of serious allegations involving patient deaths and post-surgical complications with multiple public records and media investigations raising questions about the surgeon’s history a cardiothoracic surgeon hired by Woodland Heights Medical Center in late 2024 has been associated with troubling patterns during and after surgeries according to multiple lawsuits and investigative reports The Lufkin Daily News reached out to Woodland Heights Medical Center Wednesday regarding allegations surrounding Matos-Cruz’s past and surgical outcomes the hospital said Matos-Cruz is no longer seeing patients at Woodland Heights confirming his departure from the hospital Echavarria provided the following statement Wednesday in response to the allegations: “Providing quality care is a top priority at Woodland Heights Medical Center While we do not comment on individual cases or providers what I can share with you is that we take any concerns seriously and when indicated engage in a rigorous internal and external review process We conduct a thorough credentialing process on all members of our medical staff that includes education training and licensure to affirm they meet the requirements to obtain privileges at Woodland Heights.” Matos-Cruz’s online practice profile states that it is “permanently closed.” His name no longer appears in Woodland Heights Medical Center’s online provider search and the hospital’s original press release announcing his hiring has been removed from its website Matos-Cruz previously worked at Adena Health System in Chillicothe where he was one of three surgeons linked to a suspended cardiac surgery program and a series of multiple patient deaths A federal whistleblower lawsuit and multiple media reports allege that uncredentialed surgeries were performed and improperly billed to Medicare Matos-Cruz and a second surgeon parted ways with Adena in late 2023 Among the most troubling accusations: Matos-Cruz and a colleague were reportedly seen watching YouTube videos to prepare for unfamiliar heart surgeries according to reporting by the Scotio Valley Guardian a 74-year-old woman who underwent surgery by Matos-Cruz and Dr torn trachea and other surgery-related injuries before her family removed her from life support according to medical records obtained by the Cincinnati Enquirer A federal False Claims Act lawsuit filed in October 2023 by Adena’s former vice president of quality and safety alleges that the hospital knowingly billed Medicare for transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures performed by Matos-Cruz before the hospital had proper federal certification TAVR procedures were not to be performed until final approval by the board of trustees but three procedures were completed without final board approval The lawsuit claims the executive was fired after raising concerns about Matos-Cruz’s role and broader issues in their cardiac surgery program The Texas Medical Board does not currently list any disciplinary actions against him Ruben Ibarra Jr.'s email address is ruben.ibarra@lufkindailynews.com Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Funeral services for Carrie Ann Goins Camp Interment will follow in the Berry Cemetery Carrie went home to be with her Lord and Savior to James “Jimmy” and Barbara (Haak) Goins She was a 1989 graduate of Lufkin High School and 1995 graduate of Stephen F double majoring in General Business and Marketing Carrie was married to Jason Camp and was blessed with three amazing children Carrie wanted nothing more than the best for her children and instilled faith Whether traveling to watch Lauren play shortstop for the Lady Pack or enjoying Friday nights at Abe Martin Stadium tapping her foot to Carson playing the bass drum and watching Cooper on the football field Carrie never missed the opportunity to support her kids She led by example and was a strong follower of her Lord It was no secret that Carrie loved going to the beach She spent hours of time sitting in her favorite beach chair reflecting She cherished each available morning that she had sitting around the firepit on the back porch sharing a good conversation and cup of coffee with Jason Carrie loved to travel and always invited the entire family Her most memorable trip occurred just before the passing of her father when she had the opportunity to show her mom and dad the Grand Canyon She loved being known as a wife and mother but what put her over the moon was her new title of “Granna” to her pride and joy Miss Isla Brielle Montes Carrie’s world moved to another level with the birth of her first grandbaby Family was everything to Carrie and her most joyous times were spent surrounded by those who loved her Carrie was a worker bee and loved her Merrill Lynch family She was known for getting the job done right and treating her clients with compassion and positivity touched everyone who had the pleasure of working with her Whether in the Lufkin office or across the Merrill Lynch network She recently passed her licensing exam and was filled with excitement about the next chapter of her career memorial contributions should be made to Harmony Hill Baptist Church to be used at the discretion of the Senior Pastor The family would like to thank Carrie’s devoted sisters of Xi Iota Gamma sorority Merrill Lynch and Bank of America for their tremendous support in our time of need the tremendous outpouring of support from friends and family paramedics from the Lufkin Fire Department nurses and staff of Woodland Heights Medical Center in Lufkin Memorial Hermann Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute in Houston and the Life Flight nurses and pilots The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors A former Lufkin woman died early Wednesday in a three-vehicle crash on state Highway 105 and FM 362 in Grimes County according to a report from the Texas Department of Public Safety was pronounced dead at the scene by Grimes County Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin worked as an attorney for many years during the time the couple lived in Lufkin a Ford Expedition — in which Patricia Taylor was the backseat passenger — was eastbound on Highway 105 A Ford Ranger stopped at the stop sign on FM 362 and Highway 105 failed to yield right-of-way and was struck by the Expedition The Expedition then continued into the westbound lanes and struck a Chevrolet pickup that was westbound on Highway 105 The driver of the Expedition was transported to CHI St and the front seat passenger was transported to Scott & White College Station both with suspected incapacitating injuries The drivers of the Ford Ranger and the Chevrolet were transported to CHI St also with suspected incapacitating injuries and there was no additional information available late Wednesday Stacy Faison's email address is stacy.faison@lufkindailynews.com drink and enjoy each other’s company at the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Kiwanis Park in 2024 One of Lufkin’s largest cultural traditions will return Saturday with a celebration of heritage and community as the annual Communities Cinco de Mayo Festival takes over Kiwanis Park and a scholarship pageant — all designed to bring people together and raise money for local students “It’s not just about being Mexican and wanting to celebrate that holiday,” said Roy Reyes longtime organizer and founder of La Lengua the Spanish-language publication behind the event and to raise funds for scholarships,” which anybody can apply for the festival is a major scholarship fundraiser managed by a nonprofit board Reyes said the goal is to award a minimum of $25,000 in scholarships each year to local graduating seniors and nontraditional college students lawyers and accountants that have received scholarships and are now professionals in their fields.” Reyes launched the event in 1996 after the city approached him about taking over a previously restaurant-run festival he was managing a radio station and printing La Lengua “It was either 1999 or 2001 when we started giving money out for scholarships the festival will include craft and business vendors bounce houses and a scholarship-driven pageant in which the winner is determined by the most individual raffle ticket sales All proceeds from the raffle go toward scholarships “The smallest scholarship was probably around $6,000 and the biggest scholarship was like $28,000 Organizers estimate last year’s crowd drew more than 8,400 people making it the second-largest event supported by the city “This event is important because it brings people together,” Reyes said we can go beyond the distrust and misinformation and then we’re more open to working together.” The event is sponsored by Brookshire Brothers and supported by the City of Lufkin “I want to emphasize that it’s like the old saying performers and the industry to make it possible.” For more information about the event, visit etxcincodemayo.org Vendors offer food at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Scenes from the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Food vendors at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Hundreds attend the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin is crowned Miss Cinco de Mayo 2025 at Saturday's celebration at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Members of Mariachi Lara pose for a photo with traditional Mexican folklore dancers at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Young dancers perform at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin A young girl rides a mechanical bull at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Traditional Mexican folklore dancers perform at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Maria Lira is named Miss Cinco de Mayo 2025 at Saturday's celebration at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin The crowd waits for Miss Cinco de Mayo 2025 to be announced at Saturday's celebration at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Vendors prepare food at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday at Kiwanis Park in Lufkin Friends and family turned out in droves Saturday for the annual Cinco de Mayo festival The previous day's rainstorm kept the weather perfect for a day spent in the park The free family event featured mariachi bands a scholarship pageant and food vendors as far as the eye could see A highlight of the day was the crowning of Maria Lira as Miss Cinco de Mayo 2025 that she runs together with friend Angelica Zamarripa "My best friend and I decided to open up a Western boutique," she said accessories — just a little bit of everything." The business now has a storefront in downtown Lufkin "It's more visible because before we were in the back I'm the glitzy one and my business partner is the cowgirl." One booth was raising funds for the church La Luz Del Mundo in Nacogdoches "We're selling pupusas and grilled chicken," Adriel Fuentes said "Hopefully we can raise some money for the church." a mariachi band originally from San Luis Potosi in Mexico brought their traditional music to the celebration "We've been coming to this event for almost eight years now "We go anywhere from Louisiana to Mexico and Oklahoma for some it helps make a little extra money Samantha Nichols was in the park with Lufkin High School's National Honor Society "I'm here volunteering because I love the energy of Cinco de Mayo and it's a lot of fun to watch the kids on the bull," she said Sean Pickard was in the park helping to distribute Bibles for Gideon International Hijinx Trampoline Park's mobile virtual reality rides came out to provide some digital fun to the gathering "It's a great event and a good turnout," Craig Lawson said made with a paste made from the powdered leaves of the henna plant We've been coming out the last four years." Erin Gentry with the Naranjo Museum of Natural History had a booth set up letting people know about upcoming summer activities "We have a lot of parents looking for activities for kids to do with summer coming up," she said "The very last week of May is when we have summer camp starting The event is sponsored by Brookshire Brothers and supported by the city of Lufkin a mobile sneaker store that will be on hand at Lufkin’s Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday Joachim Gutierrez flipped his first pair of sneakers that spark turned into a business — and a custom-built 18-foot mobile sneaker store he wired and designed himself the Lufkin native is preparing to launch TXProKicks a mobile sneaker store he built from the ground up and will debut at Lufkin’s Cinco de Mayo celebration May 3 The store-on-wheels will be open from 11 a.m “I never really could afford sneakers growing up,” Gutierrez said I realized I could turn this into a business That first customer still shops with him to this day Gutierrez spent nearly two years working on the mobile store — alone and eventually wrapped it with help from Real Graphics in Lufkin storage and enough display room for over 200 pairs of sneakers “I’m the type of person to keep something a secret until I make sure it’s done,” he said “I worked on it for two years — that’s why it took so long.” The idea for the mobile sneaker store came from a late-night scroll on Facebook and I told myself I wanted something that was going to stand out,” Gutierrez said “Why make people from Lufkin drive three to four hours to Dallas and Houston when they can just have a sneaker store down the street from them?” kids’ shoes and exclusive drops — including fan favorites like the Jordan 4 and within 30 seconds I have 10 people messaging me asking if it’s still available,” he said it’s not just about the sneakers — it’s about building a community “People tend to put money over relationships and I’ve always put relationships over money,” he said I told myself I’ll always have good morals I’ve met customers from four years ago who are now my friends for a lifetime.” The trailer is designed to offer more than just a display “Every sneaker has their own story,” he said “There’s just so many sneakers that have a backstory so when I talk to a customer and we both know that backstory we could turn a sneaker into a two-hour conversation.” The Jordan 4 “Black Cat” — a shoe he once sold for $225 that’s now worth over $1,000 and everyone tells me that if I would have held on to that shoe and I’m glad I had the shoe in the first place.” Gutierrez said he’ll have special giveaways they will be thrown into a $100 store credit raffle.” Gutierrez knows TXProKick is more than a business it’s proof that even the biggest dreams can start small — and from anywhere “Starting a business at 13 years old is something difficult but I think anyone can start a business and be successful if you stay consistent and you work hard,” he said “This is just the beginning of TXProKicks; I really feel like this is going to turn into one of the biggest companies in Texas and hopefully one day in the U.S.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page long-lasting downpours brought over a half-foot of rain to parts of Deep East Texas Friday afternoon and parking lots kept first responders and towing companies saturated with calls The Lufkin Police Department reported a massive number of calls to dispatch Highway 94 and adjacent business parking lots were covered in water, and responded to here by the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Flash Flood Warnings were issued for several counties in the Pineywoods but the heaviest rainfall amounts were focused on Lufkin and central Angelina County READ MORE: Determined Dad Walks 5 Miles Through Flooding to Attend Wedding The forecast for the rest of the weekend for the Pineywoods is spectacular The late-season cold front should bring sunshine by midday Saturday while some areas could drop to the upper 40s for lows But then the rain chances return Monday night and stay with us for the rest of the week. Some weather models are predicting 5 inches or more of rain across the central sections of East Texas Here's a tip: if we get more downpours next week, don't drive in front of St. Luke's Memorial Hospital since it will become Lake Frank Street Gallery Credit: Chaz Gallery Credit: Dan Patrick Check out these crazy rainfall totals from across Deep East Texas. Is more flooding on the way next week?\nRead More The Lufkin Police Department reported a massive number of calls to dispatch Highway 94 and adjacent business parking lots were covered in water, and responded to here by the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department READ MORE: Determined Dad Walks 5 Miles Through Flooding to Attend Wedding The forecast for the rest of the weekend for the Pineywoods is spectacular But then the rain chances return Monday night and stay with us for the rest of the week. Some weather models are predicting 5 inches or more of rain across the central sections of East Texas Here's a tip: if we get more downpours next week, don't drive in front of St. Luke's Memorial Hospital since it will become Lake Frank Street The Huntington Dairy Queen was shuttered Monday evening that were permanently closed by the franchisee according to Hemphill store manager Betty Setters The dominoes continue to fall for local Dairy Queens as franchise operator Lonestar DQ on Monday permanently closed a number of stores in East Texas including the ones in Lufkin and Huntington The closures come on the heels of the shuttering of a couple dozen Dairy Queen stores statewide — including the ones in Diboll and Nacogdoches — in February “It is with great sadness that I am announcing that Lonestar DQ made the decision today to permanently close Dairy Queen in Hemphill Lufkin and Longview Eastman,” Hemphill store manager Becky Setters wrote in a Facebook post “I have given a long hard 31 years to Dairy Queen and the hardest part of this for me is my entire crew and their families Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.” who has helped out at other area Dairy Queen stores during her three decades with the business “The office never told us anything that was going on.” Lonestar DQ could not be reached for comment and its website was not operational Monday evening “I heard they lost their license to operate,” Setters said Attempts to reach the Lufkin and Huntington stores by phone Monday evening were not successful Lufkin at one time had a number of Dairy Queen locations but the one on North John Redditt Drive was the only one still in operation prior to Monday's announcement Setters said she believes the franchisee was “totally wrong for the way everything has (gone) down,” saying money was not used properly and business needs were not addressed “They always preached about being honest and transparent but where was their honesty and transparencies?” she asked Setters thanks all the guests and fans of the Hemphill Dairy Queen for their support during the years “We will definitely miss you all,” she said Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here the Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees approved the closure of Coston Elementary and Kurth Primary before the 2025-26 school year while the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum was rejected The board unanimously approved the school closures citing budget concerns and declining enrollment The vote follows months of discussion and community input “Your voice does matter,” Superintendent James Hockenberry said “We want to have trust with the community and staff that we are listening and making decisions that are best for everybody and this is a perfect example of how we can work together and how we are a better district if we listen and a stronger community if we work together for the future.” While LISD had been aware of the decline in enrollment recent budget strains made the issue impossible to ignore any longer The district has not received an increase in the state’s basic allotment since 2019 forcing difficult decisions to ensure fiscal responsibility “We’ve had inflation pressures on the district just like every other business and every other household in the state of Texas,” board president Kristi Gay said “We needed to find ways to be more efficient and to consolidate our campus footprint so that we could free up some resources that we need.” The closure of the two schools will open approximately $2 million annually allowing LISD to redirect funds toward teacher salaries and student resources The district also announced plans to sell two properties — the current administration building and the District Education Center — while converting Kurth Primary into the district’s administration center The board emphasized that no buildings will be left vacant ensuring that these assets remain productive for the community “We don’t want to leave these buildings empty,” Gay said “We want to keep these assets active for our district and community.” While the board unanimously agreed that the closures were necessary Hockenberry addressed the emotional aftermath then I think your feelings are in the wrong place,” Hockenberry said “Tomorrow we’re going to wake up and we’re going to be stronger and we’re going to grow stronger and we’re going to move forward.” displaced students will have a choice in selecting their new campus and LISD will adjust staffing based on student needs Open houses will be held to help parents make informed decisions Though Hockenberry could not guarantee that all staff from Coston and Kurth would be reassigned he assured the board that plans were in place to minimize job losses Though some board members reported positive feedback from the community the decision remains deeply emotional for students “I think when you walk on the school grounds and you see the kids the memories on the walls — you feel the magic of these schools,” Hockenberry said “And when you have to make a decision like this Hockenberry also stated that no additional closures are expected he acknowledged that unforeseen changes in funding or policy — such as the introduction of school vouchers — could impact future decisions “I don’t know what the future looks like beyond the next few years but I absolutely don’t see any version of school closures in the next couple of years,” Hockenberry said “We did a demographic study that helped us make this decision but there are variables that we have no control over and that we can’t foresee that may play into that Lufkin ISD will begin implementing its school right-sizing plan a process that will unfold over the coming months According to the district’s tentative timeline 20 – Parents of impacted students will be notified electronically 21 — Printed letters will be sent home to affected families allowing families to explore their school options 2025 — Parents will select their preferred new school for their children Coston students may attend Slack or Brandon 2025 — Parents will receive final school placement confirmations and teachers from Coston and Kurth will be given placement options at other campuses for the 2025-26 school year LISD also plans to hold a celebration honoring the history of Coston and Kurth recognizing their role in the community before they officially close Hockenberry chose not to approve the adoption of the Texas Bluebonnet curriculum The proposed curriculum had been under scrutiny with concerns about its alignment with state testing and whether it met the district’s academic needs assistant superintendent Shelly Slaton explained the curriculum’s cross-disciplinary approach She pointed to other districts that saw improvements after adoption highlighting that Lufkin ISD teachers had already been preparing for a transition to knowledge-based learning expressed concerns about the curriculum’s effectiveness and political implications “These five districts listed aren’t exactly rock-star schools,” Knight said Tuesday referring to the partial list of early adopters The Texas State Board of Education approved Bluebonnet in an 8-7 vote and some critics have argued that it leans heavily on Christian references while downplaying other perspectives Although Slaton reassured the board that the curriculum includes diverse historical and religious texts ultimately Hockenberry chose not to move forward with it As the district moves toward a stronger future Hockenberry said LISD will focus on helping families and staff transition smoothly Based on student selections are where we’ll begin staffing,” he said recommendation or work that I’ve ever participated in.” In addition to the closures and the curriculum vote • A vendor contract to install new turf at Abe Martin Stadium and the indoor facility a $600,000 project funded by reserving $1 from ticket sales implemented 11 years ago The board entered executive session at 6:21 p.m Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLUFKIN, Texas. (KTRE/Gray News) - A Texas man is accused of devising a ‘scavenger hunt’ with five plastic Easter eggs filled with marijuana Lufkin police are searching for Avante Nicholson who is accused of planting the eggs in three parks and behind a Motel 6 on Easter Police said they went through Nicholson’s Facebook page and found multiple photos of the eggs including one photo of the five eggs with hints to their location “They also found statements referencing selling narcotics on multiple occasions and in the posts he stated whoever ‘shopped’ with him the day of the scavenger hunt would get hints to the locations of the eggs,” according to police Four of the five plastic eggs were recovered by police A man and his granddaughter discovered the fifth egg in a park the day after Easter and took it to the police station The deliveries totaled more than a quarter of an ounce of marijuana Four warrants have been issued for Nicholson Three of the warrants are third degree felony delivery of marijuana in a drug free zone and the fourth is a state jail felony for delivery of marijuana “Incidents like this are a reminder of why take seriously all information called in to our offices,” Lufkin Police Chief David Thomas said it seems implausible that someone would give away a drug but the follow up proves that sometimes even the most unlikely things do happen The safety of our community is at the forefront of everything we do Anyone with information about Nicholson’s whereabouts is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 639-TIPS, or through the website at www.639tips.com or the app at 639tips.com/app The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch effective until 8 this evening for much of Deep East Texas as well as adjacent areas of the Brazos Valley This watch includes the cities of Lufkin, Nacogdoches Thunderstorms are expected to rapidly develop and intensify across the watch area throughout this afternoon Conditions across the Pineywoods will be favorable for the development of strong to severe storms Some of these storms may produce a few tornadoes, a couple of which could be intense (EF2 or greater) Damaging winds gusting to over 50 mph and large hail events are also possible from Bryan/College Station to the Pineywoods READ MORE: Wild Video of Storm Chasers Getting Caught Inside A Tornado Severe thunderstorms have been developing throughout the mid-morning hours across north-central and northeast Texas These systems are expected to push southeastward increasing the severe storm threat for Deep East Texas today and Thursday A tornado watch was issued earlier today for northeast Texas and the ArkLaTex A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area People in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.  Download our station app to have weather alerts sent to your smartphone A tornado watch is in effect for much of Deep East Texas until 8 this evening.\nRead More The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch effective until 8 this evening for much of Deep East Texas This watch includes the cities of Lufkin, Nacogdoches Thunderstorms are expected to rapidly develop and intensify across the watch area throughout this afternoon Some of these storms may produce a few tornadoes, a couple of which could be intense (EF2 or greater) READ MORE: Wild Video of Storm Chasers Getting Caught Inside A Tornado Big Lots is conducting going-out-of-business sales at all its locations after a sale of the company fell through It’s shaping up to be a bit of a blue Christmas for the staff of Lufkin’s Big Lots store who learned they would be losing their jobs when the discount chain on Thursday announced going-out-of-business sales at all remaining locations While the Lufkin store does not yet have a set date for its closure employees have been told it will be around the end of February assistant store manager Melissa Kellum said The looming closure is “very new to us,” she said “It just came as a shock to us,” she added explaining that the Lufkin store “is very profitable we knew that Big Lots was going under as a company.” home decor and other items filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection saying private equity firm Nexus Capital Management LP had agreed to acquire a substantial portion of the company’s assets said it didn't anticipate completing the purchase agreement and would continue to seek an alternative transaction with Nexus or another party Big Lots said its target date for completing a sale is early January Discounts as deep as 50% were being offered on the entire assortment of goods The Lufkin location is offering sales on “mostly everything in the store with the exception of food — it’s not going to be marked down — but all the home goods and toys are on sale,” Kellum said The store is operating during special holiday hours right now Christmas Eve before resuming normal business hours after Christmas "And we'll keep running this store just the same Each Thursday evening until the store goes out of business “there will be more markdowns until everything is sold,” Kellum said With holiday shopping in full frenzy and discounts expected to drive more traffic to the store Kellum offered one reminder to customers hoping to take advantage of the sales “They just have to understand that everybody’s shopping at the same time and not to be so you know … Christmas-shoppy,” she said with a laugh The Associated Press contributed to this article Former Lufkin ISD superintendent Roy Knight testified in the wee hours of Wednesday morning in opposition to House Bill 3 in Austin State representative Trent Ashby of Lufkin looks on during a marathon session of the House Public Education Committee in Austin Former Lufkin ISD superintendent Roy Knight spoke out against the voucher bill early Wednesday morning Former Lufkin ISD superintendent Roy Knight did not mince words in his testimony before the House Public Education Committee in Austin early Wednesday morning Knight was one of 734 Texans who registered at the hearing Tuesday and continued until about 6:30 a.m the House’s controversial school choice voucher bill Knight began his testimony by pointing out state Rep who served as the president of the Lufkin school board during Knight’s time as superintendent Knight then addressed the contents of the bill “I’m too old and too tired to waste many words here This bill is a skunk that we’re trying to pass off as a kitty cat,” Knight said Knight debunked the idea that the advent of private schools will cause public schools to be more “competitive.” “We’ve been competitive with our neighbors for years,” Knight said “Lufkin’s been competitive with Hudson and every other school in our county It pisses teachers off when they hear that because that implies they hadn’t been working hard until suddenly the private schools came into the picture.” Knight also said the bill provides the opportunity for more abuse than any bill in the committee’s history “The thing that baffles me the most is you as a body have created a hole in the financial roof of public schools and now we want to go out and buy a 60-inch flat-screen TV Knight said all anyone wants is for schools to be accountable to the people of Texas Ashby thanked him for his years of service to Lufkin ISD and said he is “at the top of the heap” as a champion of public education Ashby said he is aware Knight has many concerns regarding the bill and asked for one recommendation on how the Legislature might improve it in his opinion Knight replied that he believes the bill should move away from norm-referenced tests to the current criterion-referenced tests “The most rooty-poot achievement test you can call for is a norm-referenced test,” he said Knight said criterion-referenced tests show students’ progress from year to year based on required grade-level-based criteria as opposed to comparing students to each other He gave the STAAR as just one example of a criterion-referenced test but said other options are available in order to hold private schools that would receive state funding to the same standard as public schools “Can you imagine serving on the school board with him and trying to tell him that he had a bad idea if you ever want to meet a true Lufkin Panther who said he was at the testimony from 8 in the morning Tuesday until he was able to speak at approximately 12:10 a.m "I never anticipated a 72-year-old man sitting there that long," a still tired Knight said when reached for comment early Wednesday afternoon I felt like I was speaking for the majority of people in Lufkin he was still worked up about speaking out against the bill "It's really easy on politicians to blow smoke up our skirts to pass a bill that I feel to be extremely dangerous for public schools I've read it from beginning to end and see the potential for waste He echoed some of his early statements while speaking about what he said were the misconceptions associated with it "It's being promoted through fallacies," Knight said "One is that it will suddenly cause public school teachers to work harder and to bear down The second fallacy is that parents need choices and taxpayers ought to pay for it The most frightening part is there's an opportunity to have $10,000 per child with zero accountability If they don't want their kids to take the test we're required to take and there is no accounting for where the dollars go." Knight was giving his opinion from experience as well as reading the bill in its entirety He said he isn't against other types of education outside of public schools but doesn't feel this bill is the proper way to go about it "I appreciate a private school and certainly a church school," Knight said "The scary part about it is when there are no strings attached," Knight said "You could be teaching our children with our own tax dollars what nobody wants children to learn about except for that certain organization I just don't support doing it in this aspect with our tax dollars One of the scariest things is public school teachers have been neglected for years Now they want to make private school vouchers a priority over public schools." He went on to say how grateful he is for the opportunity to speak at the testimony "I appreciate the opportunity to speak," Knight said "All I've done my whole life is support public schools to undermine the public schools that myself and so many others care so much about." Knight served at Lufkin High School from 1977-83 as a math teacher and assistant coach He was a high school principal in the DeKalb and Hallsville school districts before taking the title of Lufkin superintendent in 2005 While admitting he was still in need of some much-needed rest whose son Matt is a current member of the Lufkin ISD school board gave a simple final line of support for the local school district "It's still a great day to be a Lufkin Panther." William Lanigan's email address is william.lanigan@lufkindailynews.com Josh Havard's email address is josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com A Lufkin man was charged with shooting a man in the arm in the parking lot of La Michoacana Meat Market Sunday afternoon in retaliation for the victim allegedly slapping him Jerry Smith of the Lufkin Police Department was taken into custody on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon His bond had not yet been set early Monday The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his non-life-threatening injury Police were called out to the store at 416 Atkinson Drive around 1:10 p.m in reference to reports of someone being shot the victim was in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to his arm Several witnesses gave officers a description of Ochoa and said he had fled to another store adjacent to La Michoacana Officers entered the store and spoke with a clerk who said someone had come in but that they didn’t know where that person was “Officers began to give commands and he came out,” Smith said Ochoa told officers he’d had prior dealings and arguments with the victim and that the victim had previously threatened him “They got into an argument in the parking lot and I guess the victim slapped him,” Smith said “So he pulled out his gun and started shooting.” No charges were filed on the victim for allegedly slapping Ochoa Stacy Faison's email address is stacy.faison@lufkindailynews.com Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Carroway Funeral Home Illinois to the late Osie (Short) and Les Carter Kenneth retired from Temple Inland after many years of service as a Data Processor He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force Kenneth enjoyed gardening and he loved his family and the time spent with them He brought happiness to anyone who met him Robert “Dale” Carter of Lufkin; daughter Sheri Wilson and husband Kurt of Lufkin; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brother Charles Carter and wife Shirley; and numerous nieces He was preceded in death by his parents and numerous brothers who will be taking over for Guessippina Bonner as the Ward 1 councilwoman speaks Sunday afternoon at Goodwill Baptist Church in Lufkin Unopposed candidate for Lufkin City Council's Ward 1 seat Angela Hobbs-Spencer speaks Sunday afternoon at Goodwill Baptist Church in Lufkin laughs during a brief speech Sunday afternoon at Goodwill Baptist Church who is running unopposed for Lufkin's Ward 1 city council position speaks with supporters Sunday afternoon at Goodwill Baptist Church Editor's note: We edited this story to reflect that the Angelina County Citizens Chamber of Commerce is jointly hosting the March 18 candidate forum at The Pines Theater with the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce who is running unopposed for Lufkin City Council's Ward 1 seat hosted a meet and greet Sunday afternoon at Goodwill Baptist Church in Lufkin Hobbs-Spencer will be taking over for Guessippina Bonner who was elected as the council member for Ward 1 in 2016 and she considered it important to meet some of her future constituents it's important for you to know who I am," she said "More so for me to know who you are and what you need." Hobbs-Spencer began the talk with a prayer before explaining who she is and why she decided to run for city council "What you will get from me as your future council member for Ward 1 is excellence to make the difficult decisions and put feet on the ground to make a difference and impact this community in a positive way." Hobbs-Spencer is certainly not above putting her own feet on the pavement "I tell my volunteers that I will never send you somewhere I am not willing to go." After graduating from Sam Houston State University Hobbs-Spencer obtained her criminal justice degree in 1989 and worked as a Texas Adult Probation agent from 1990-94 where she worked as the (Prison Rape Elimination Act) and reentry coordinator for the Frederick County Adult Detention Center "I promised my mother that once I retired from government that I would return home," she said "After 28 years with the government of Maryland my boots have been to the ground because there is so much work that needs to be done here." a candidate for the Lufkin ISD school board "What made me want to run for school board is that oftentimes we complain "I want to be a resource for kids and advocate for the education of all kids." He said an issue in Lufkin that needs to be addressed is the 1% of kids who continually find themselves in trouble "One of my objectives is to find something for them to do Hobbs-Spencer left those assembled with her mantra: "Where she lives is where she works The Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce and the Angelina County Citizens Chamber of Commerce will host a candidate forum March 18 at The Pines Theater April 3 is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming election For more information, contact Hobbs-Spencer at (936) 339-1245 or angela4lufkin@gmail.com Brock West's email address is brock.west@lufkindailynews.com Details leading to the arrests of a former East Texas educator and her boyfriend on child pornography charges were revealed in a redacted complaint on file with Pct 1 Justice of the Peace Billy Ball’s office and his girlfriend Hillary Danielle Williams were arrested Saturday by Angelina County sheriff’s deputies McCary was charged with possession of child pornography while Williams was charged with bestiality and possession with intent to promote child pornography Williams’ most recent teaching job was at Wells ISD where she taught junior high and high school math deputies were contacted by sheriff’s office communications staff in reference to a suicidal person McCary told one deputy that he had walked around was able to clear his head and no longer wished to harm himself Williams told another deputy that she and McCary had argued the night before at which point he left the home and said he was going to kill himself When she messaged him later that night to check on him he sent her a photo of what appeared to be him standing on some type of pipe “that was way up in the air,” causing her to believe he was going to jump McCary later showed the photo to the deputy saying it was actually one of him standing on a driveway culvert across the road that was less than 16 inches off the ground Williams told the deputy that McCary was blackmailing her with pictures he had on his phone She also told him that McCary was showing the other deputies the photos Williams told the deputy they were pictures of a girl that McCary had requested and that she had sent to him despite knowing that wasn’t OK The deputy asked McCary if he had any photos on his phone that he should not have to which he responded that he did and that Williams took them and sent them to him He also said he took one of Williams engaging in sexual acts with a dog then showed the deputy the photos and a video of a sex act involving the dog at which point he and Williams were both placed under arrest McCary told officers that he and Williams had been watching porn and using cocaine when he filmed the video involving a friend’s dog adding that the drug really messed with their minds He also admitted he might have a photo of a nude young boy that he had found on the internet saying they both used cocaine and marijuana and admitting taking nude photos of an underage girl McCary remained in the Angelina County Jail late Monday with bond set at $250,000 Williams was released Monday after posting her collective $350,000 bond Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLUFKIN Texas (KTRE) - The annual Lufkin Christmas parade is still underway for Tuesday night as rain chances fade The parade was originally set for Saturday night but was moved to Tuesday as chances of inclement weather swept through the area Road closures for the parade route began Tuesday afternoon Road Closures and Staging Details for the Lufkin Christmas Parade 2024 – As we prepare for the rescheduled Lufkin Christmas Parade on Tuesday here are essential details regarding road closures and parking restrictions to ensure a smooth and timely event Road closures along the parade route will begin at 1:00 PM on Tuesday all floats should be in place and staged for the parade Cars parked along the parade route will be towed starting at 3:30 PM Vehicles will be relocated to Louis Bronaugh Park for retrieval please do not park along the parade route after 3:00 PM Downtown businesses and residents are kindly asked to avoid parking along the parade route after 3:00 PM Your cooperation is critical to ensuring the parade begins on time and runs smoothly for our community to enjoy The parade is scheduled to begin promptly between 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM but this depends on the streets being fully cleared by Lufkin PD We urgently ask for everyone’s cooperation in adhering to the parking restrictions and road closures to ensure the parade can start on time This event is a cherished tradition for our community we can create a seamless and festive experience for all Let’s work together to make this a night to remember—your efforts truly make a difference Thank you for supporting this wonderful celebration follow Visit Lufkin on Facebook and Instagram or contact us directly