Mariela Gonzalez
Reporter/MMJ
East Texas
Mariela Gonzalez is a KTRE multimedia journalist. She grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania but has been calling East Texas her home since she graduated from Nacogdoches High School.
She then earned her B.A. in Mass Communications focusing on radio and television broadcasting at Stephen F. Austin State University in December 2020.
Mariela is very excited to continue in Deep East Texas and share stories from the same community that welcomed her with open arms.
She loves spending time with her family and her pets or exploring new cities with her friends during her free time.
Lin Lentz is a part-time worker and volunteer and said with the increase of clients coming in, “we always need more hands. We need people to volunteer to work in the produce room, we need volunteers out front to run the computers and check folks in.”
The Nacogdoches Christian Women’s Job Corp are accepting new students and seeking volunteers for their fall semester classes.
The City of Crockett is seeking grant money to build a public pool for Davy Crockett Memorial Park visitors.
A Nacogdoches church is building for the future to accommodate its growing congregation.
Three days after Beryl’s impact in East Texas, the City of Lufkin is almost complete with storm cleanup.
Nacogdoches County is working on recovery Wednesday after Beryl swept through the area.
Cleanup began Tuesday morning after the Holly Lake Marina in Sabine County was badly damaged by Beryl on Monday.
First responders in Trinity County were cleaning up after Beryl’s winds and rain blew through on Monday.
“Biggest thing we’re going to deal with is going to be rain that will coming in when it does come in,” said Rusk County Emergency Management Coordinator Patrick Dooley.
An East Texas church plans to give back to its community with financial assistance for those in need.
Jaycees members are beginning preparations for Jaycees FreedomFest in downtown Nacogdoches.
The fire broke out on Monday, May 27.
The Texas Special Children’s Project is hosting Independence Day festivities across East Texas for disabled and special needs children and adults.
The Tecnam P-Mentor has been flying in Deep East Texas skies this month.“I was kind of shocked. I didn’t know what to say. I kept saying ‘that’s cool, that’s so cool,” said freshman student Josi Oujesky.
Law enforcement officers are being called to an increasing number of incidents involving mental health crises.
Leaders in Nacogdoches County are turning to citizens to help figure out what is needed for the county jail.
Stephen F. Austin State University President Dr. Neal Weaver reflected on his first month on campus.
The Washington state non-profit organization is traveling for a total of 73 days, visiting 250 agencies across the country that lost an officer in 2022 or 2023.
The devices can be used to call for assistance and the alert can change for different types of emergencies.
On Wednesday afternoon, staff found that the restrooms at Crown Colony Country Club had been vandalized. A door lock had been damaged, and mirrors and sinks were found broken.
“It’s the first step in developing broadband on a stable level here in our region.”
SFA president Dr. Neal Weaver was one of the speakers Tuesday afternoon. He shared what he hopes the future of CARRI looks like.“The CARRI Center is designed to create communities that not only will send Stephen F. Austin great students but will receive back incredible people that will help drive those communities where they want to go,” he said.
Hudson ISD teacher Meredith Young and Jared Rowe spoke with KTRE’s Mariela Gonzalez about their experience.
The courthouse is currently used as a museum. Things like the stairwells are detaching from the wall and the building also has minor leaks.
Nacogdoches County Judge Greg Sowell said they will have 17 positions to fill.
The area is used as their horse pasture, making it “hard to get our horses in and out. It’s getting to the edge of our arena so it’s starting to threaten the arena where we do our lessons.”
Houston was taken to a local hospital for treatment but later died from his injuries.
On Monday, lawyers of both RaceTrac and the Crown Colony Improvement Association were in private discussion with judge Michael Mayes at the Angelina Courthouse.
On Wednesday, owner Kevin White proposed to county commissioners the possibility of combining parking lots to create an event space.
The Blueberry Festival will be held June 8 in downtown Nacogdoches from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“They know the environmental concerns, any of the permitting needs and so Hydrex will be handling that for us. Doing all the permitting costs, then giving that final report back to the city,” Jessica Sowell said.
Swimsuit season is here. If you’re shopping for a kid’s swimsuit, you might consider the color, and not necessarily their favorite one.
A family made it out safely after speeding through five East Texas cities when their car’s brakes failed. Here's how it happened and how they were saved.
County Judge Greg Sowell explained commissioners will be planning on a resolution to create a citizen advisory committee to bring in a new county jail.
The ceremony was followed by a free lunch for veterans and live music for visitors to enjoy.
Lufkin Police responded to a call of the mammal hopping down Fuller Springs Drive on Sunday.
Meteorologist Cody Gottschalk was preparing to mow his grass recently when, “I reached for where the handlebar was, I noticed something scurrying and sure enough, it was probably the biggest black widow I’ve ever seen.”
“It was a crazy day. I remember, ‘okay, it’s time. It’s go time. Clean the house, get ready,’ and then we’re just waiting and then came through our door and we met our daughter,” said Wesley Burke.
With nearly two feet of water inside the building, flood damage caused the office delays and a big cleanup.
Two men with a long record in local law enforcement are in a runoff for precinct 1 commissioner. Today they shared some of their insights into the community's needs.
The Deep East Texas Council of Governments is offering housing assistance for those displaced by the recent flooding.
The City of Nacogdoches is one step closer to getting started on the voter-approved multi-million dollar bond to improve several city projects.
Brunk spoke with KTRE’s Mariela Gonzalez on what he hopes to bring to the city, as well as what his immediate priorities will be upon taking office.
The hotel is planned to open in the fall of 2025.
Brenda Cox’s resignation is the latest in a string of departures of city department heads.
There’s help available for those who may have flood damage to their properties in Deep East Texas counties.
KTRE’s Mariela Gonzalez visited the SPCA of Polk County after flooding left damages to their property.
“It goes through the history of the battalion and we do a lot of traditional things throughout the ceremony,” explained senior cadet Jordan Reynolds.
“The staff has done a lot of work for this hospital getting it up to code, and it’s going to stay.” said board member John McLaren.
