Lane Luckie

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…

WATCH: Poland’s Valley of Palaces and Gardens

Click the video below for a brief tour of several castles in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland.

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…

Small rose garden in Poland promotes Tyler as ‘Rose Capital of America’

Tyler’s Municipal Rose Garden, the largest in America, is making its mark in a city more than five thousand miles from Texas. Tyler’s sister city in southwest Poland has established a small flower garden in a city park as a symbol of cooperation between international partner cities. The modest rose bed in Jelenia Góra is…

WATCH: Future American President visits Tyler’s Polish sister city in 1800

Jelenia Góra, Poland is quite proud of a future American President’s visit in the year 1800. Click here to watch.

Professors from Poland, Tyler Junior College share perspectives through international exchange

Faculty and students at Tyler Junior College are gaining a broader perspective on the world through an ongoing exchange partnership with Karkonosze University of Applied Science in Poland. Located in Tyler’s sister city of Jelenia Góra, in southwest Poland, the public college of about 1,000 students offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the fields of…

WATCH: Inside Europe’s finest example of Baroque architecture

The Basilica of the Assumption in Krzeszów, Poland is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. Click here to take a tour.

Namesake of Tyler’s first hospital, current chaplain share common connection to Poland

The namesake of Tyler’s CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospital and a chaplain currently serving patients there share an interesting connection. Polish-born Mother Frances Siedliska founded the order of religious known as the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1875. Years later in the 1930s, 16 sisters came to Tyler from Chicago to operate…

Tyler Sister Cities delegation incorporates barbecue, dancing into citizen diplomacy in Poland

While Polish and English may sound vastly different, the Tyler Sister Cities delegation is quickly learning they speak the same language as their counterparts in Jelenia Góra: barbecue. On the fourth day of a mission to Tyler’s sister city in Poland, the East Texas team took a break from meetings over educational and cultural exchange…

Tyler’s sister city cuts ties with Russian partner, signs agreements with Ukrainian cities

As Russia marks the annexation of territories in eastern Ukraine on Friday, Tyler’s sister city in Poland is making a bold statement about the war. Jelenia Góra held an official signing ceremony in a historic theater to mark new partnerships with two cities in Ukraine. Earlier in the year, Jelenia Góra severed its sister city…

WATCH: Day 3 of East Texas delegation’s visit to Polish sister city

Lane walks through a promenade in Jelenia Góra to share observations and a surprise street performance.

East Texas missionaries providing housing, relief to Ukrainian refugees in Poland

A team of 25 missionaries from the East Texas-based Youth With A Mission, or YWAM, are on a two-month trip to Poland, providing outreach and immediate aid to Ukrainian refugees who have fled violence in their home country. Josh and Meg McClung are leading an outreach team through MercyWorks, a YWAM ministry. This is the…

East Texas delegation visits Ukrainian refugee center in Poland

Members of a delegation from the City of Tyler and the Tyler Sister Cities organization visited a Ukrainian refugee resource center set up in Tyler’s sister city of Jelenia Góra, Poland on Wednesday. Much of the food and supplies handed out here were purchased with private donations from East Texas effort that collected more than…

Tyler Fire Chief tours modern station in Polish sister city, proposes firefighter exchange

On Wednesday, Tyler Fire Chief David Coble toured a recently-constructed fire station in Tyler’s sister city of Jelenia Góra, Poland. Coble is traveling with a group of representatives from East Texas to deepen the partnership between the two communities. His Polish counterpart led the delegation on a tour of Jelenia Góra’s main fire station, an…

East Texas student art project presented to Ukrainian refugee children in Poland

A message of hope from East Texas has made its way into the hands of children forced to flee the conflict in Ukraine. On Wednesday, a delegation from the City of Tyler and the Tyler Sister Cities Organization presented the artwork of East Texas schoolchildren to a refugee resource center in Jelenia Góra, Poland. It…

Poland relationship among oldest, most active of Tyler’s sister city partnerships

The City of Tyler’s partnership with Jelenia Góra in southwestern Poland is among the most active of its five current international sister city relationships. As one of the oldest cities in Poland, Jelenia Góra’s 900-year history includes nearly three decades of collaborations with East Texas. Jelenia Góra, Poland ‘Twinning’ ceremonies to formalize the sister city…

WATCH: Tour the tarmac at Frankfurt Airport

Come along for a brief tour of the airfield at Frankfurt Airport, one of the largest airports in Europe. Click here to watch.

City of Tyler sending delegation to sister city in Poland

A delegation from the City of Tyler and other community groups will make a diplomatic mission to its sister city, Jelenia Góra, Poland, this week to strengthen ties between the two communities. Representatives of the City of Tyler include Fire Chief David Coble, City Engineer Darin Jennings, Tyler Sister Cities Organization board member Mickey Slimp,…

Remember the sky on 9/11

It’s been 21 years since 9/11. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is asking people to post a picture of the sky above their head today. It’s inspired by the clear blue sky that was present in New York City and across the country on September 11, 2001. As we vow to never forget…

NASA operations manager explains launch day for historic Artemis I moon mission

NASA is preparing to launch its new mega moon rocket, the Space Launch System, or SLS, on Monday.

Business is booming again on Florida’s Space Coast

As NASA prepares to return humans to the surface of the Moon, tests for the space agency’s Artemis I mission aren’t the only activities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. LUNAR LAUNCH On June 20, the space agency completed a critical dress-rehearsal of a launch for its new Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket and…

WATCH: Airboat ride through Florida’s Everglades

An airboat ride is the perfect way to get around in the Florida Everglades. Click here to watch.

WATCH: Florida’s mind-blowing waters of Crystal River

Come along as we explore the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Florida.

NASA conducts critical dress rehearsal for new moon rocket

NASA is taking a big step toward returning humans to the surface of Moon. Monday, the space agency conducted a “wet test” dress rehearsal for its new SLS, or Space Launch System, moon rocket and Orion spacecraft. This was expected to be a final test before the launch of the Artemis I demonstration mission later…

East Texas children send message to Ukrainian refugees through original artwork

Young artists from East Texas are sending a message of hope to Ukrainian refugees a world away. Students of the Tyler Art School, a private studio located in southeast Tyler, have created artwork that reflects their concern for the millions of Ukrainian children forced to flee their homes due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine….

Weekend Drive: A splash of color along the highway

Springtime in Texas is a sight to see in parts of the Lone Star State. It’s when wildflowers of all colors seem to paint vast fields and pastures in the central and eastern parts of the state. The world-famous Texas bluebonnet was adopted as the official state flower in 1901 during the 27th Texas Legislature….

Lane Luckie’s special reports from Germany honored by Texas Association of Broadcasters

KLTV news anchor and reporter Lane Luckie’s special series ‘Germany In Focus’ was honored with a first place award from the Texas Association of Broadcasters. His on-the-ground coverage of last year’s German Federal Parliamentary Election from Berlin was recognized as the winner of the Multimedia/ Digital Storytelling category in the TV II division of the…

Lane Luckie named to NSU Greek Hall of Fame

As part of its Greek Life Centennial celebration, Northwestern State University recognized 100 distinguished individuals for their notable contributions to fraternity and sorority life at the university over the last century. Lane Luckie, a 2008 graduate and an alumnus of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, was among the graduates honored through…

Last-minute moves set up exciting race finish at Texas Motor Speedway

The first day of Spring provided perfect weather for IndyCar racing at Texas Motor Speedway. Click here for highlights.

Tyler partnering with Polish sister city to offer assistance to Ukrainian refugees

The Polish sister city of Tyler, Texas has become a receiving point for hundreds of Ukrainian citizens fleeing their home country after the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Jelenia Góra, a city of more than 78 thousand residents in southwestern Poland, has mobilized its municipal government to provide humanitarian services in response to…

Donna McCollum: 44 Years as the Voice for Deep East Texas

In our industry, a tenure this long is uncommon. But that’s Donna — truly exceptional — both as a journalist and as a person. Retirement is a bittersweet moment for a beloved collegiate. KTRE and KLTV veteran reporter Donna McCollum is retiring after an amazing career of 44 years telling the stories of Deep East…

Napa Valley, California: America’s Wine Country

California’s Wine Country has become a destination for wine lovers and foodies alike. Napa Valley and Sonoma County are home to hundreds of wineries, with most offering tours of their vineyards, tasting rooms, wine cellars and caves, as well as production facilities. The region has become a hospitality destination, catering to those seeking a world-class…