Tara Holley's first on-air experience was at age 3 on a jingle in Temple, Texas. Radio has been a part of her life ever since. She received a BA in Theatre and Communication in 2004 from McMurry University. Her professional journey includes theatre, Neilsen media research, advertising and marketing, creative writing and scripting, and more. However, radio has always been her first professional love. Tara writes about all things East Texas -- including fantastic food, Texas legends and lore, and lifestyle topics. She loves conversation, comedy, coffee, animals, philosophy, and the arts. Her basic life philosophy can be summed up in the words of the great Bill and Ted: “Be Excellent to Each Other.” Tara received the Mayor's ROSE (Recognition of Service and Excellence) Award in 2021 and the President's Club Award for Townsquare Media Tyler in 2021 for Contributor of the Year. She served on the Heart of Tyler Board of Directors from 2017-2022, was a 2-year Chair for the Downtown Tyler Film Festival, and served on the Tyler Civic Theatre Board for several years, as well. She is currently on the Tyler Music Friendly Advisory Board.'
Tara Holley
To Rinse or Not to Rinse: The Ground Beef Dilemma in Texas Kitchens
Are you team rinse or team no-rinse when it comes to ground beef post-cooking? Learn about the conflicting viewpoints among Texans.
University of Texas Grad Could Help Your Dog Live a Longer Life
For those of us who love our dogs with all of our hearts in East Texas, it might be extraordinarily difficult to find anything about them that we DON'T love. However, there may be one thing that we would be willing to change--their life expectancies.
Ready for a Super Fun Road Trip? Here’s a Texas Hill Country Itinerary
I love the scenery, charming B&Bs, dining, different cultural influences, and outdoor activities all within a fairly close distance. Such a cool vibe.
Stay Informed: Essential Texas Gun Laws Every Owner Should Know
Stay informed on Texas gun laws. Did you know foster parents can own guns? Learn more about concealed carry regulations.
Tyler, TX People Tell Newcomers What They’ll Love Most About Living Here
A woman asking for insight from Tyler locals before her pending move to our area received plenty of positive feedback. Here are the top 10 responses.
They Say it’s the Most Haunted Hotel in the State of Texas
This is a well-known hotel In Mineral Wells, Texas, which was once abandoned and borderline creepy. It's considered to be one of the most haunted places in the state.
WATCH: Why You May See a New Color on Our Texas Traffic Lights Soon
For as long as many of us can remember, it's been red, yellow, green. Granted, in some places, you see a separate part of the light that shows protected greens or yellow or whatever. But generally, the 3-color combo is what we've known.
Now, whether some people in the Dallas and Tyler, Texas area actually understand what those colors MEAN is another conversation entirely. Yeah, we're looking at you, yellow light speeder-uppers! (That's a technical term, of course.)
Texas Officials Warn You May Lose Cell Service During the Solar Eclipse
No, it is not because the aliens that are planning to take over our planet will be jamming up the systems so there's no way we can call for help when they arrive during the solar eclipse. (Well, at least we've not officially heard that being confirmed. Yes, I'm kidding for Pete's sake.)
Besides, if aliens were going to be invading our entire planet, who on earth would we call for help anyway?
Extremely Popular Fast-Food Chain is Rolling Out…Pizza?
The more I read about the first 6 pizza flavors, the more I'm hoping we'll see them on our East Texas Chick-fil-A menus, too.
This is the Tyler, TX Car Mechanic People Can’t Stop Talking About
So, ya know how challenging it can be to find the "right" doctor or lawyer? Well, it seems people can have quite a struggle when it comes to finding the "right" mechanic. And by right, in this case, we're referring to a business that is not only competent but excels in what they do. It also refers to a business that seeks to treat people fairly and charges for the work they do in a way that feels fair to the customer.
The 7 Weirdest Driving Laws in the State of Texas
Granted, not all of these laws are quite that strange, but they will likely surprise some of us. There are also city-specific laws here in Texas that don't apply statewide. For example, when driving in El Paso, Texas, drivers are technically supposed to give a little honk when passing another car.
Why Do Scary Dolls Keep Washing Up on Our Texas Beaches?
A while back, I chatted online with Jace Tunnell who is with the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Jack had taken quite a few of these strange photos and he was happy to share some of the photos of the dolls that have washed up with us.