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August 15, 2025 - State Highway 7 West near FM 711 was the scene of a three-vehicle crash involving a house Thursday, August 14, 2025.
Just as the crash incident occurred, Royce Johnson was traveling on foot to his produce stand when a van exited the roadway and traveled right in front of him through a table before colliding with the house on the property. Johnson said he thought he could tell the driver was attempting to stop.
Emergency personnel from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Center Fire Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department all arrived at the scene to assist those involved.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Keith Jones at just before 10:05am a white 2014 Ford passenger van owned by Light and Champion and driven by Nicholas Blaine Smith, 26, was eastbound on State Highway 7 when he failed to control speed striking a white 2024 Ford F150 pickup truck driven by Christopher Barton Massey, 68. As a result of the collision, the F150 was pushed into the westbound traffic lanes where it was struck by a grey 2023 GMC pickup truck driven by Ryan James Marty, 38.
Marty was transported by ambulance to Shelby Emergency Department for treatment of his injuries.
Charges are pending DPS investigating mechanics on the van.
Trooper Jones was assisted at the scene by Trooper Dustin Ramos and Trooper Cpl. David Shields, Jr.
Photos Courtesy DPSO
August 14, 2025 - In the mid-morning hours of Wednesday, August 13, Shelby County Sheriff's Office alerted DeSoto Sheriff's Deputies to a need for assistance in locating two suspects that had been involved in a vehicle theft the night before. Prior to arriving, one male suspect who had fled on foot was located and taken into custody by Shelby County Deputies. Shortly after DPSO arrived on scene, deputies learned of a second suspect with a possible location nearby. DeSoto Sheriff's Deputies then assisted Shelby County Deputies to the nearby residence where the second suspect was also taken into custody without incident.
Photos Courtesy DPSO
During a short investigation it was revealed that one of the suspects involved in the vehicle theft had been captured on nearby security footage wearing a backpack. The suspect was not wearing the pack when he was apprehended some distance away, and it was believed that he may have ditched it somewhere between Hwy 2787 and the train trestle at the rivers edge. DeSoto K-9 handlers McCoy, Pearah, and Martinez deployed K-9 Cholo, while Patrol Dy. Emily Henderson also provided drone support in an effort to locate the missing pack. K-9 Cholo was able to find and follow the path of the suspect, and after a brief search of the tracks and wooded area around them, the pack was swiftly located by DeSoto K-9 Cholo. The backpack contained suspected narcotics upon retrieval.
Since our agency was there to provide assistance to Shelby County, suspect information and/or charges may be provided by their agency.
August 14, 2025 - A manhunt is underway following a traffic stop on State Highway 7 West that occurred Thursday morning, August 14, 2025, which involved multiple agencies including at the federal level.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has confirmed the stop involved a van that was occupied by six individuals and difficulty identifying two of them.
According to DPS, two of the six occupants were unable to be identified and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrived on scene to assist. Upon HSI’s arrival, two of the six occupants fled on foot. One of the occupants that fled was apprehended and one was not.
Center Police Department assisted with the search, but it was unsuccessful, which included aerial and K-9 units.
DPS identified the wanted suspect as a Hispanic male wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt with the word “Columbia” on the sleeve, blue jeans, and a ball cap.
If anyone has information on his whereabouts, we ask them to call the Texas Department of Public Safety in Lufkin at 936-699-7340. The case and individuals were turned over to immigration services.
August 13, 2025 - State Highway 87 near FM 147 was the scene of a single-vehicle fatality crash Sunday, August 10, 2025.
Personnel with the Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene at 1:35am with their main engine and found the driver of the vehicle to be trapped inside. The firefighters extricated the driver from the vehicle utilizing Jaws-of-Life to pop the driver’s door out and cut a corner of the roof. Although life-saving efforts were performed once the driver was removed from the vehicle he had succumbed to his injuries.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) the preliminary crash investigation indicates that a 2019 Ford Fusion driven by Eddie Lockey, 57, of San Augustine was traveling north.
The Ford failed to maintain a single lane, left the roadway to the left on FM 147 straightening the curve before crossing over State Highway 87 and striking a tree.
Lockey was pronounced deceased on scene by a local Justice of the Peace.
This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
August 12, 2025 - State Highway 7 West between Center and FM 711 was the scene of an early morning single-vehicle crash Monday, August 11, 2025.
Emergency personnel were dispatched to the location sometime after 5:40am. Center Fire Department firefighters assisted Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Troopers with traffic control while they conducted their investigation.
According to DPS the preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 5:40am, a 2020 Nissan Sentra driven by Benito Lopez, 22, of Houston was traveling east. It is reported that Lopez fell asleep while operating his vehicle, left the road to the right and struck a tree.
Lopez was transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
The crash was investigated by DPS Trooper Dustin Ramos.
August 11, 2025 - Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, advises that CR 1049 will be closed starting Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 7 am.
This will be for a tree removal project at Straw Creek Bridge, and will hopefully be reopened August 14.
August 7, 2025 - Three mobile homes were involved in a house fire Friday, August 1, 2025, and Center Fire Department firefighters responded to the scene at Pecan Grove in Center at around 9pm.
According to the Center Fire Department, when the firefighters arrived at the location in the 1400 block of Shelbyville Street, one house which was not occupied had already collapsed before their arrival and another house immediately beside it which was being lived in was fully involved. The firefighters worked to extinguish the second house, and were able to prevent a third house from becoming completely involved in the fire.
No one was reported to have been injured as a result of the fire and the cause was not known.
Firefighters returned to the station at 11:30pm.
August 6, 2025 - Shelby County Juvenile Probation has taken its first step to ultimately becoming one department with First Judicial District Juvenile Probation Department (1st JD) out of Jasper.
Following a presentation during a special meeting of the Shelby County Juvenile Board held at 2:30pm on Monday, August 4, 2025, a motion was made by Jim Payne, 273rd Judicial District Judge, and was seconded by LeAnn Kay Rafferty, 123rd Judicial District Judge, for the two departments to enter into a service merger agreement by way of an interlocal agreement with the intention of working toward becoming one department.
Additionally, as part of the motion, Judge Payne also moved to appoint Edeska Barnes to oversee the Shelby County Corrections Department.
The motion carried with County Judge Allison Harbison also voting in favor.
Edeska Barnes, Jasper Juvenile Probation Department Director, gave the initial presentation during the meeting to the judges.
Two options were presented to the board for consideration with “Option 1” being a Full Merger:
- Two departments would merge as one department
- Two separate Boards would merge and act as one J Board
- Two budgets would be integrated into one budget
- Appoint a Director/Chief Juvenile Probation Officer
- Requires Legislative Action (2 years)
The decision the board went with, “Option 2” which is titled the Service Merger:
- Two departments would remain as separate departments
- Boards and Budget would remain separate and continue to operate independently
- Appoint a Director/Chief Juvenile Probation Officer to oversee both departments
- Draft an Interlocal Agreement to describe the shared services
- Can apply for Grant(s) as a Region
- Legislative Action is not required (can begin immediately)
Barnes described the 1st JD board being made up of seven judges including three district judges and four county judges. He also named and described several current employees of the 1st JD Probation Department, as well as partnerships with 12 cities/communities; 12 school districts; 20+ school resource officers; eight school police departments; six city police departments, and four sheriff departments.
According to Barnes, shared programs between the departments would be Equine Assisted Learning, Mental Health Assistance Program (HAP), Sex Offender Counselor, male officer available to assist with transports when possible, Chief Financial Officer regarding the budget, GPS monitoring for youth, expanded collaboration between the school districts and other agencies in the county and juvenile probation, application for a Juvenile Probation/Truancy Officer for Shelby and San Augustine Counties, and a Director.
“We had this past summer seven equine summer camps across the district. We do have a vape program in Jasper Independent School District. We're hoping to spread this into the Buna school district and have been in contact with that superintendent and also in the Newton ISD school district,” said Barnes. “We have a substance abuse program in Sabine ISD, this is in Hemphill, Judge [Daryl] Melton has offered some funds to pay for that where it’s used to identify the need of substance abuse treatment.”
Barnes provided financial figures for placement costs between Shelby County and 1st JD as a comparative and according to the data he presented, Total Placement Costs Including Regionalization Funding for the two departments showed in 2024 Shelby County at $171,153.84 and 1st JD at $164,288.06; and currently in 2025 Shelby County at $63,574.19 and 1st JD at $193,454.28.
Placement - demographics and cost data was also supplied by Barnes and it showed that in 2024 three juveniles were placed in Shelby County while in 1st JD four were placed and in 2025 (September 1, 2024 through July 9, 2025) five juveniles were placed in Shelby County and six were placed in 1st JD.
Placement costs to the department in Shelby for 2024 showed almost $54,000 and 1st JD almost $80,000 while 2025 (September 1, 2024 through July 9, 2025) has Shelby at around $47,000 and 1st JD just over $126,000.
Barnes explained these expenses to each department are not reimbursed.
“All placement cost for the most part is to the department and this is money that I paid out that I get no return on, there’s no reimbursement or there is no payback this is just what it cost,” said Barnes.
Judge Harbison indicated that Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, had some questions for Barnes and Porterfield shared he had been briefed on some of the matter by County Attorney John Price.
“I'm kind of curious a little bit about the compensation for services, and I believe that Attorney Price explained how much that would be. So I just want to give you some information. Maybe you could expand on that a little bit. As you know, a large part of our state granting goes to a large part, or a large percentage of our state funding, I'm sure yours is the same, goes for salaries and benefits. With that being said, of our state funding, only about $90,000, actually goes to our program services. So, with that being said, the compensation for services will take about a third of that money.
“You've already elaborated on the services, the additional that you can provide. You’ve elaborated on additional regional funding, but maybe you can elaborate a little bit about how we can make this $30,000 amount up, because that's I believe what the service amount would be, as far as funding and services or programs. And I'm gathering that that would be paid out of our state money.”
Barnes explained there is the option to pay it out of state or the option to pay it out of local or a combination. He described some past years (2022-2023) where some funds in Shelby County were sent back to the state. Barnes suggested some future possibilities with grant funding that could be beneficial.
“It would be my job to look at each individual that comes through the door and see what best service I can get for that child that’s going to keep the public safe, give that kid services and also be of less cost,” said Barnes.
With no additional items for the board to consider, the meeting was adjourned at 3:43pm.
August 6, 2025 - Sheriff's Department locates Nguyen.
August 5, 2025 - The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department is seeking information on a missing female, from Shelby County.
Trang Nguyen, 47, was last seen on August 3, 2025 at 6211 State Highway 87N Center, Tx.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 936-598-5601.
August 1, 2025 - Commissioner Roscoe McSwain has indicated traffic cones will remain at the site of repair on CR 1490 until Saturday morning, August 2, 2025. Travelers are advised to continue to use caution through this area. It is down to one lane of travel.
July 31, 2025 - (Update:) - Alert! Commissioner McSwain advises CR 1490 will be closed from 12pm to 3pm today Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the intersection of CR 1450 and CR 1490 for repairs. Drivers should use an alternate route as the road will be blocked!
July 30, 2025 - Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, alerts the public that there is a sinkhole on CR 1490 on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
Driver’s are encouraged to use caution.
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