Bob Hallmark
Longview Bureau Chief
East Texas
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Bob Hallmark is a longtime reporter for KLTV 7. He grew up in Aldine, a south Texas town. At age 18, he joined the U.S. Navy. He later attended Chapman University in Orange, California.
Before moving to the Tyler-Longview area, Bob worked for Major League Baseball as network director of the Houston Astros Baseball Team. He was also network producer for Houston's International Hockey League, the Houston Aeros Hockey Team. Bob has also worked for radio/television stations in Boise, Idaho.
Bob is married to Norma Hallmark and has two sons: Jacob and Luke. Bob loves the outdoors. He owns a small farm in Hawkins where he raises livestock, including horses. He also does a little farming.
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With recent rain, most but not all East Texas counties have lifted their burn bans, but an East Texas regional fire coordinator says we’re not out of the woods yet.
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East Texans have joined in with a long distance motorcycle poker run to raise money and awareness to fight human trafficking.
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Summer fires burned out some hay-growing areas and summer drought has parched land that would have been growing hay, leaving East Texas ranchers in need of it for the winter months.
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Having had a long and successful career, Swinard talked about how performances like this are more meaningful, because the payoff is seeing the kids smile.
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The program could be a huge benefit for smaller departments which expended extensive manpower and equipment during the summer fires.
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For East Texas hunters, it’s the traditional opening to waterfowl hunting: teal season.
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Watch Mount Vernon’s Mitchell Nusiard take a kickoff on the four-yard line and split through the coverage for a 96-yard score.
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Gregg County Fire Marshal Mark Moore said he does not see the burn bans being lifted until the counties get a sustained, saturating rain.
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With continued 100 degree days and continued drought, game wardens are warning boaters and fishermen to watch out for underwater obstacles because of receding water.
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“A lot of moving parts had to come together really quick to get that much equipment and personnel on a fire that quickly,” a forest service representative said.
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208 out of 254 Texas counties now have burn bans in effect as wildfire danger continues, with numerous roaring fires being fought here in East Texas.
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At kick-off time, it could well be 100 degrees for fans in the stands, and at field level, it could be much hotter.
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The day is used to raise awareness of mosquito-borne illnesses.
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“She has taken countless thousands of calls on 911. There are probably people on this earth today because of Debra,” says Longview Police Chief Anthony Boone.
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An East Texas World War II veteran celebrated his centennial of life, and friends and family from all over the country came to celebrate with him.
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As the 100+ degree heat parches the land and dries up waterholes and streams, wildlife will look elsewhere for relief, and that could bring them into your backyard.
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In the blistering August temperatures, those organizing sporting events in East Texas are taking precautions to make sure players are not exposed to extreme heat.
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Local exterminator Jared Lundmark talks about why mice, rats and ants invade homes and what you can do to protect against them.
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KLTV 7's Bob Hallmark speaks with a local produce seller who says business has stayed consistent so far despite high temperatures.
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Knowing when to water can make the difference on whether they survive the heat.
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Second Leutenant David Murrel Lewis was killed in action about 80 years ago. It wasn't until last year that he was identified. Friday, his remains were flown back to Texas for services in Sulphur Springs over the weekend.
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Braving the blistering temperatures, it was “play ball” at one East Texas sports park this weekend.
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Many East Texans experienced the cost of losing food from their freezers and refrigerators during the recent power outage and heat wave.
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On this Fourth of July weekend, many celebrations are going on, but the point of this time for many East Texans is not only the celebration of independence, but also family.
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With temperatures in East Texas already approaching triple digits, those who work outside for any length of time now have to be aware of the heat dangers.
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The calf may require the use of sunscreen to keep it healthy.
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Rodeo Director Kyle Moore said the rodeo has drawn an enormous fan base from overseas, including Australia and Brazil.
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An urgent plea for help by neighbors led to a small rescue operation in an effort to save a large number of cats left behind after their owner passed away.
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East Texas weather can vary from blistering heat to storms to freezing temperatures, and all of it can lead to loss of power. But, there are ways to prepare.
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Game wardens urge safety on East Texas lakes during Memorial Day weekend.
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Tatum Police Chief James Smith has reached out to various shelters and humane organization’s to arranged for the cats to be rescued, but with no success yet.
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Warmer weather means anyone with a yard or property has begun the regular job of mowing, edging and weeding. But, that can put you in striking distance of a very nasty plant: poison ivy.
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“If you decide it’s going to happen, it will. Never want to stop. Keep looking forward to what can we do tomorrow. That’s from young people like me!” she said.
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Around 10 a.m. Thursday, the driver of a pickup became stranded due to flooding in a low lying area of County Road 346 and State Highway 79 near Dry Creek.
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"My TDC name is 1218809. I’m not that number any more,” Larry Reedy says, as he talks about his ministry to indigent inmates.
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As we move into May, Memorial Day Weekend traditionally starts the spring-summer water recreation season, but East Texas game wardens are preparing now for a rush to waterways.
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It’s spring in East Texas, and though it’s a little chilly today, the warm weather will be on us soon, and that means the arrival of spring insects in abundance.
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For some vendors, it’s a chance at big sales. For shoppers, it’s a chance at big bargains.
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A beautiful spring day brings hundreds of special needs individuals out to a rural location for an annual “play day.”
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Methamphetamine, fentanyl, and abuse of a corpse, all leading to the arrest of two people by an East Texas sheriff's office.
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A small East Texas school continues to come up with winners on a big stage.
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With interest rates, inflation and the cost of new and existing homes, it’s a real financial challenge for the average East Texan to find housing in their price range.
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Freddie Fitzgerald, a worker at the advocacy center, said it’s an issue that must be addressed no matter what is going on in the world around us.
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An FDA regulation, set to go into effect in June, is not a welcome change for some East Texas ranchers.
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“I had a car accident when I was 4 years old that paralyzed me, and I had another car accident that re-injured me at 9 years old,” she says. We were with her when she got her service dog five years ago. But she always had a love of horses, and wanted to find a way to ride again.
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“Yeah, you could get a little earlier start on some things. Fruit trees, blackberries. Dormant stuff can go in the ground now,” says Upshur County fruit grower Mike Hill, owner of Hill’s Farms.
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For over 40 years Randy Kennedy has been serving his community, the last 26 as the chief of police in the city of Hughes Springs. Instead of a standard retirement observance, the community decided to give him a different kind of ‘thank you’ for his service. Citizens have likened Chief Kennedy to a real life Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, with a signature cowboy hat, homespun charm and a quiet, friendly demeanor.
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As the long shadows of winter begin to fade, it means planting time for farmers and gardeners will be soon, and more people are expected to be planting their own gardens this upcoming season in East Texas.
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Though welcomed by farmers, the steady rain for the past two weeks in East Texas has created a muddy mess for some homeowners and landowners.
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Two years removed from the height of the pandemic, an East Texas law enforcement agency still finds itself struggling to fill empty positions.
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