Love of community. Love of family. It’s at the heart of what drives Preston and Erika Rader.

In the fall of 1968, a group of local high school students and adult community musicians came together under the leadership of Dr. James Snowden to form a community orchestra.

Hot air balloons, fireworks and music. Lots of music. Every year, thousands of East Texans descend on Longview for various forms of entertainment and nightlife throughout the summer.

If “all the world’s a stage,” as a character says in “As You Like It,” the spotlight shines on Kilgore each summer during the Texas Shakespeare Festival.

On May 23, 1894, shots rang out in downtown Longview, only minutes after outlaw Bill Dalton and three of his gang members robbed the First National Bank on Fredonia Street.

Some couples flip houses. Matt and Nicole Orban “flipped” their for-profit gym, turning it into Faith Flip, a nonprofit that offers gymnastics at no charge to pre-school through high-school age kids.

April brings the arrival of two fundraisers that invite attendees to mix their Texas with some bling and help out a couple of good causes: Denim and Diamonds by Junior Achievement of East Texas and Blue Jeans & Ball Gowns by East Texas CASA.

When the Kilgore to Longview Run first began in 1976, the Longview Running Club didn’t expect it to become so popular. But by the late 1980s, the race brought in more than 600 runners and was a big hit with the surrounding communities. Every year, people came in droves to run the 11 miles al…

Celebrating its first birthday at its current location in August, Longview World of Wonders is starting to become a household name in the area, according to coordinators.

Lisa Harris especially likes the jewelry she finds at Heartisans Marketplace, at 112 W. Methvin St. in downtown Longview.

Volunteering is a wonderful way for people of all ages to give back to their communities. While volunteers generally offer their time and skills in an attempt to help others, volunteering also helps the volunteers in various ways.

The Yamboree is more than a festival for President Brandon Garmon: It’s a homecoming.

The financial industry has changed over the last half decade, and middle class men and women looking to grow their money have no doubt experienced that change firsthand. Unlike in years past when large financial firms welcomed middle class investors with open arms, many firms now take no suc…

One of Longview’s largest festivals returns Oct. 20-21 in an expanded format that will feature more live music, more biker events, more barbecue and more family friendly fun.

Longview Community Ministries has been serving East Texans in need for 32 years by providing food to families, coats for children, teaching job skills and a variety of other services.

The East Texas Angel Network has stayed true to its name for more than two decades as an organization that acts as a guardian angel to families in need.

The name – Top Ladies of Distinction and Top Teens of America – sums up the focus of a nonprofit organization that marks its 35th anniversary in Longview this year.

The only professional theater in East Texas returns this summer with a lineup that is certain to entertain audiences.

PictureThis Photos from the Unity Honors Luncheon held at the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex on February 22, 2017.

Diversity. Unity. Changed lives. Stronger voices.

Shelly Smith has a lot of responsibilities as the executive director of East Texas CASA, but she only has one goal – to give children in Gregg, Rusk and Upshur counties a “positive future.”

View the PictureThis! Photos from Longview Habitat for Humanity's Raisin the Roof fundraiser on February 18th, 2017.

The needs are great, and they’re growing.

An annual fundraiser for Longview’s children’s museum is being challenged this year by an anonymous donor to raise $100,000.