KLTV journalist Lane Luckie’s special series ‘Germany In Focus’ was again honored by the Texas Association of Broadcasters, alongside an award for the station’s morning newscast. His live reporting from Germany last Fall was recognized as the winner of the Multimedia/ Digital Storytelling category the TV (Medium Markets) division for the 2024 Texas Broadcast News…
Author: Lane Luckie
Lane Luckie is an award-winning journalist based in Texas. A news anchor, reporter and producer, he is also an avid photographer and traveler. His journalistic interests include government, aviation, spaceflight, religion, and higher education. Luckie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern State University.
WATCH: Sailing on Charleston Harbor
Click here to enjoy a sailing tour of one of America’s most historic cities.
WATCH: Solar eclipse brings totality to Tyler, Texas
Click here to watch as Tyler, Texas experienced totality during the 2024 solar eclipse.
Lane Luckie earns German media prize for international reporting
KLTV’s Lane Luckie was announced as the recipient of a RIAS Media Prize award for his reports from Germany in September 2023. The 32nd annual award is presented by the RIAS Berlin Commission and celebrates some of the best of transatlantic broadcast journalism with €10,000 in prize money awarded. The jury made up of six…
German journalist learns about local journalism from East Texas’ largest news organization
After spending three weeks in the U.S., a broadcast journalist from Germany says his experience in East Texas will impact his reporting once he returns home. In late March, Raphael Jung, a news editor for the ARD network in Berlin, participated in an exchange program for broadcasters through the RIAS Berlin Commission. RIAS, an acronym…
Looking back: A teen reporter on Capitol Hill
An unexpected flood of memories recently reminded me of one of the most formative experiences of my adolescence. I pulled a scrapbook and photos out of a storage closet after realizing it’s been 20 years since I attended Presidential Classroom in Washington, D.C. Flipping through my workbook, hand-written notes, and photographs provided a rush of…
Honoring the legacy of KLTV’s first newsman
95 years ago today, legendary KLTV 7 personality “Kip” Kippenbrock was born in Austin, Texas. He passed away in 2010, but is still beloved in East Texas. I am astonished by the impact he made during his tenure at KLTV. When I talk to long-time viewers around East Texas, they are all too eager to…
WATCH: Walking in an inflatable Winter Wonderland
Click here to watch this yard come alive with Holiday inflatables.
Marking 15 years at Your East Texas News Leader
Today marks 15 years since I first arrived at KLTV, KTRE! It’s a great reminder of how blessed I am to pursue my passion in life here in East Texas. From the Berlin Wall to the Great Wall of China, it’s been a privilege to take you around the world to show you how the…
International partnership brings more prominent journalists from Germany to KLTV newsroom
Two nationally-known journalists from Germany are learning about American broadcasters by spending a week embedded in the KLTV newsroom. Aline Abboud, a presenter for ARD network’s flagship ‘Tagesthemen’ broadcast, and Clara Pfeffer, a political correspondent for the RTL and ntv networks, are both fellows of the RIAS Berlin Commission, a bi-national exchange program for journalists…
For Hollywood star Sean Astin, mental health advocacy is personal
Really impressed by actor Sean Astin! Got to spend some time with him Friday while serving as master of ceremonies for Mosaic Counseling Centers of East Texas’ ‘Peace of Mind’ Luncheon. From the adventurous Mikey Walsh in ‘The Goonies’ to the determined Rudy and the steadfast Samwise Gamgee in the epic ‘Lord of the Rings’…
WATCH: Germany In Focus coverage from Cologne & Munich, Germany
Click here to watch my special reports from Germany this Fall.
WATCH: Zugspitze, the top of Germany
Here’s a look at how to get to the Zugspitze summit in the Alps.
Texas orders review of efforts to educate K-12 students about atrocities of Holocaust
A newly-enacted Texas law calls for a survey of the state’s 1,200 public school districts to review efforts to better educate students about genocide and the Holocaust. On September 1, HB 3466 took effect, directing the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) to review school districts’ implementation of requirements related to observances of…
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs central to NFL strategy to tackle football frenzy in Germany
In Texas, football has long reigned king. But interest in Europe is exploding right now and the NFL is paying attention. A sign of the league’s commitment to expand its fan base globally, five regular season games will be played abroad this Fall – three in London, United Kingdom and two in Frankfurt, Germany. One…
Kilgore planning own festival as Munich, Germany celebrates 188th Oktoberfest
Record crowds are expected to celebrate the 188th Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany this month, marking the massive festival’s second year since back-to-back cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than six million visitors each year make the celebration of Bavarian tradition the largest festival in the world. Record crowds are expected to celebrate the 188th Oktoberfest…
Diedrich A.W. Rulfs: the German immigrant who became Nacogdoches’ master architect
Few names are as widely known in Nacogdoches as Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, or Thomas J. Rusk. But there’s one lesser-known figure whose lasting impact is plainly visible in every corner of the city – Deidrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs. “As far as local history is concerned, belongs even higher than these people,” said Nacogdoches…
WATCH: The beauty of the Cologne Cathedral
Click here to listen to the beautiful choir during the Introductory Rites of Sunday Mass at the Cologne Cathedral.
As Texas debates high-speed rail projects, Germany looks to triple rail network
It could be years before either of the two proposed high-speed rail projects connecting Texas’ largest cities becomes a reality. But Germany, seen as a model in the industry, is exploring a growth plan that would triple its rail network. This Summer, Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced a goal of connecting two-thirds of Europeans by high-speed…
Bishop of Tyler points to exodus in German church in warnings ahead of Vatican conference
In a recent pastoral letter to the approximately 120 thousand Catholics in East Texas, Bishop Joseph Strickland warns of an “evil and false message that has invaded the Church.” The August 22 letter reiterates what the Bishop of Tyler refers to as ‘basic truths that have always been understood by the Church” and says they…
Georgia sea turtle hospital rehabs threatened species, returns ‘patients’ to ocean
Seemingly ancient relics of massive trees create a maze in the sands of Driftwood Beach, an iconic destination on Georgia’s Jekyll Island. The petrified forest on the beach draws thousands of tourists to south Georgia’s Golden Isles each year. But the 10 miles of shoreline are also a favorite nesting spot for threatened sea turtles….
WATCH: British colonial fate decided at Fort Frederica
Fort Frederica, on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, was established in 1736 to defend the British colony against Spanish attack from Florida. Click here to take a tour.
East Texas pastor guided spiritual healing after America’s first mass shooting in a church
As gun violence in America has many churches taking a closer look at security plans, one East Texas pastor has a unique perspective on the matter. Brother Norman Crisp’s congregation at First Baptist Church in Daingerfield knows tragedy firsthand. On June 22, 1980, a gunman opened fire there, ultimately killing 5 people and wounding 10…
WATCH: Zion National Park, a wondrous sanctuary in southwest Utah
Click here to take a video tour of Zion National Park’s natural beauty.
WATCH: The glorious Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
Click here to be amazed by the grandeur of one of America’s natural wonders.
Spanning eight decades of history, Hoover Dam remains a modern marvel
Spanning the border of Nevada and Arizona, Hoover Dam was completed in 1935. It regulates river flow, provides flood control and provides water storage supplying water to portions of California, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico. It can produce some of the largest quantities of electricity in the U.S., generating about four billion kilowatt-hours of energy annually….
German journalist learns about local journalism in U.S. through partnership with KLTV
An exchange program for American and German journalists is building bridges of understanding through the field of broadcasting. A news presenter for a regional public TV network in eastern Germany just spent a week embedded in the KLTV newsroom, the largest news organization in East Texas. Janett Eger, a journalist with Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), presents…
McClung family moving to Poland to pursue ministry as YWAM missionaries
An East Texas family is preparing to embark on a long-term mission to serve others in the region from a newly-established ministry base in southern Poland. This week marks one year since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The anniversary highlights an ongoing humanitarian crisis across central Europe. In early May, the McClung family…
Reflecting on 20 years since the Shuttle Columbia tragedy
East Texas will never forget February 1, 2003. 20 years ago, a national tragedy unfolded in our backyard and East Texas showed the world what it means to help neighbors in need. East Texas has vowed to never forget the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 crew. They’ll never forget the 25,000+ volunteers who came from around…
Tyler Sister Cities Organization fundraising second round of humanitarian relief for Ukrainian refugees
The Tyler Sister Cities Organization is raising funds to send more humanitarian relief to thousands of Ukrainian refugees in its sister city of Jelenia Góra, Poland. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, millions of refugees have fled across the border into Poland. Tyler’s longtime sister city of Jelenia Góra, located…
Tyler Fire Chief sends customized ‘Ben Franklin’ style fire helmet to Polish counterpart
An early Christmas gift just arrived at the main fire station in Tyler’s sister city in Poland. The commander of the fire brigade in Jelenia Góra recently unboxed a customized American-style fire helmet, a symbol of gratitude from Tyler Fire Chief David Coble. In late September, Coble was part of a small group of representatives…
Space Station device monitored lightning in East Texas during last week’s tornadic storms
As powerful storms produced tornadoes in East Texas last week, a special device was tracking lightning data from the International Space Station, flying 250 miles overhead. On Tuesday, December 13, a National Weather Service survey determined an EF2 tornado with peak winds of 115 mph touched down in northern Panola County around 3:30 p.m., traveling…
For centuries, the Sallier Oak has symbolized survival in southwest Louisiana
In Southwest Louisiana, the names Audrey, Rita, Laura, and Delta are notorious — the powerful Hurricanes that wrought devastation and erased livelihoods for so many. But there’s one name associated with resilience in the face of Mother Nature’s fury: Sallier. The stately Sallier Oak, an enormous live oak tree named after one of Lake Charles’…
Preserving a piece of cultural history
What a great honor to have my photo of the 1803 Pacale-Roque House in Natchitoches, Louisiana featured in the Winter issue of 64 Parishes Magazine! The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities put together a nice feature on the restoration and relocation of this architectural and cultural treasure. Built by a man of color who purchased…
International exchange program brings German journalist to KLTV newsroom
A correspondent for a German TV network is learning about local journalism from the largest news organization in East Texas. Tom Garus of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), an affiliate of the internationally respected ARD network, just completed a week embedded in the KLTV newsroom in Tyler. Based in Berlin, he serves as reporter and moderator for…
Lane Luckie 