Good morning, Longview.

The City of Longview Partners in Prevention’s Unity and Diversity Committee is now accepting nominations for the 22nd Annual Unity Honors Award, a lifetime achievement honor that recognizes local residents for fostering unity and social justice—nominations for schools, businesses or community organizations are also accepted until November 30th. The award luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on February 25th at the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center.

Deborah Taylor and others lined up Tuesday at Longview Community Ministries for food and bill help as SNAP funds will be suspended this Saturday amid a government shutdown.

Local food banks expect rising needs—more SNAP recipients and halted federal paychecks will force them to order extra supplies and seek donations.

The First Christian Church PREP School held its annual costume parade Tuesday as children dressed as movie stars, superheroes, princesses, and animals marched around the block for 15 minutes.

The event has run for nearly 50 years except during the coronavirus pandemic (parents cheered as they watched their little ones).

ETCOG will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 13 at 2:00 p.m. at its new GoBus maintenance facility (located behind its headquarters on Stone Road).

The $3.3 million facility (funded by the Federal Transit Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation) will help bring vehicles back on the road faster.

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week for week nine after he broke school passing records in a comeback win over Charlotte with a score of 54 to 20 — he completed 37 of 49 passes for 608 yards and four touchdowns.

Chris Hutton made five tackles, three sacks and a tackle for loss in the Bobcats' 13-6 win over Whitehouse, earning him Player of the Week honors; Kaegan Ash kept Mount Enterprise unbeaten with a strong running game against Lovelady — his play helped keep his team on top of the offense list.

East Texas Baptist University announced yesterday that Maddie Melton was hired as the first head coach of the women’s flag football team, which will launch in spring.

Melton, a 2024 ETBU graduate and national champion softball player, previously served as a graduate assistant for the softball team and coached at APEC Sports Performance in Tyler.

A weekly poll released Tuesday showed that Carthage led the 6A/5A/4A rankings with an 8-0 record — Kilgore finished second while Longview placed ninth at 5-3.

In the 3A/2A/TAPPS poll, Troup topped the list with a 9-0 record as votes were cast by local media outlets.

Salute to Heroes Veteran Appreciation Event

11 AM to 1 PM — Maude Cobb Convention Center — Ticket purchase required — Celebrate veterans with keynotes, a meal, and a military vehicle show.