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July 20, 2026 - Shelby County Sheriff’s Chief Mike Hanson has confirmed the in-custody death of James Elliot Perry, Jr., 49, of Center.
As is protocol, Chief Hanson explained the Sheriff’s Department has an ongoing internal investigation, corresponding information has been supplied to the Texas Department of Jail Standards and the Texas Rangers will lead an independent investigation.
According to Shelby County Jail information, Perry was arrested for disorderly conduct (indecent exposure) on Saturday evening, July 18, 2026, and he was booked in to the jail at 10:11pm. While in custody, Perry died.
Mangum Funeral Home later transported Perry sometime before 9am on Sunday, July 19, and an autopsy has been ordered.
Further information is unavailable at the time of this report, and will be updated as details are made available.
(Update - July 21): According to the State of Texas custodial death report, Perry’s time of death was 7:19am. A medical examiner has conducted an evaluation to determine the manner of his death and those results are pending.
The report indicates that Perry appeared intoxicated and exhibited mental health issues during the incident for which he was arrested and he was placed in a restraint chair.
A summary of how Perry’s death occurred confirms that he entered into the Shelby County Jail on July 18, 2026 at approximately 10:11pm and the initial call of service to deputies was to go check on a male subject that appeared to be intoxicated and “mental.” Upon deputies arriving, the report alleges they found James Elliot Perry "in the front yard completely exposed" and that a witness told deputies he was showing his genitals to an 11-year-old female.
The summary goes on to report that the deputy called Chief Deputy Mike Hanson to get approval to bring Perry in on a disorderly conduct (misdemeanor) charge so that he could receive a mental health evaluation by the Burke Center. Perry was entered into the jail and he was alleged to be “mentally altered.”
Perry was placed in a Holding Cell on 10-minute observation and mental health checks and also placed in a suicide smock for his safety until cleared by the Burke Center, according to the summary.
The summary report alleges that Perry was “all over the floor,” and “hitting the partition in the cell.” To keep Perry from injuring himself, while obvious intoxication and mental health signs were being shown, jailers made the decision to place Perry in a restraint chair as a prevention to keep him from physically harming himself.
Perry continued to show visible signs of intoxication after being placed in the restraint chair, according to the report. At approximately 6:51am a jailer was conducting a face-to-face check on Perry when he was found to be unresponsive.
As of this report, the medical cause of death was “unknown.”
July 21, 2026 - The Center Police Department (CPD) has arrested a Center man on charges involving illegal narcotics following a search of his residence on July 20, 2026.
Keyshawn McCollister, 23, of Center was arrested and according to the Shelby County Jail records has been charged with possession of a controlled substance - penalty group 1/1-B>=4G<200G, felony 2; abandon endanger a child, state jail felony; and cruelty to livestock animal, misdemeanor a.
Keyshawn McCollister
According to a press release by the CPD, officers and detectives with the CPD executed a narcotics search warrant at a residence located at 1201 Fox Street, following an investigation into the suspected distribution or illegal narcotics. The investigation, conducted by CPD detectives, resulted in the execution of a search warrant at the residence of Keyshawn McCollister, 23, of Center.
The CPD press release states that during the investigation, detectives developed evidence indicating the ongoing sale and distribution of illegal narcotics from the residence. During the execution of the search warrant, officers located and seized suspected narcotics, U.S. currency, and other items of evidentiary value believed to be associated with narcotics trafficking. All evidence collected during the investigation will be submitted for forensic analysis and further examination.
As a result of the investigation, the press release says that McCollister was taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County Jail. Charges have been submitted to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office for review and prosecution. While serving the search warrant, officers also identified concerns regarding the welfare and living conditions of several animals located on the property. Animal Control personnel responded to the scene, evaluated the animals, and took possession of multiple animals that were subsequently transported to local veterinary facilities for treatment and care.
The press release indicates CPD remains committed to aggressively identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those involved in the trafficking and distribution of illegal narcotics within our community. The success of this investigation is a direct result of the dedication and professionalism of our officers and detectives, as well as the continued cooperation and support of concerned citizens who provide valuable information regarding criminal activity.
The Center Police Department encourages anyone with information regarding illegal drug activity to contact them and ask to speak with a detective.
This investigation remains active, and additional charges or arrests may be forthcoming.
To protect the integrity of the investigation, no further information will be released at this time. All persons charged with a criminal offense are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Contact the Center Police Department by dialing 936-598-2788.
July 17, 2026 - The motor vehicle division of the Shelby County Tax office is reported to be down July 17, 2026, as of 11:41am.
Debora Riley, Shelby County Tax Assessor/Collector, has reported this and that the state has issued a service disruption notice on the matter.
Their notice reads as follows:
TXDMV is continuing to work on restoring network services. Support staff are working the service providers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide an update once the issue has been resolved.
IT Services Division
July 16, 2026 - Drivers on Hurst Street should be aware of a single lane exit/entrance at Walmart and McDonald’s in Center as of 12-noon July 16, 2026.
There is no indication at this time of how long this will be in place. The parking lot project going on isnprojected to take approximately two hours, as of 12:26pm; however, the single lane remains the only designated entrance and exit for the restaurant as of 4pm.
Traffic into Walmart is completely blocked at the Hurst Street entrance while all traffic in or out for McDonald's is allowed the single lane.
Drivers are encouraged to use the Roughrider Drive entrance for both businesses.
July 14, 2026 - A Presidential Proclamation has been issued honoring Senator Lindsey Graham who died July 11, 2026. US Flags should be lowered to half-staff until 6pm, Saturday, July 18, 2026.
All flags flying with the United States Flag should also be lowered. If you have a flag that cannot be lowered, respect for the day can be shown by tying a black ribbon or cord to the top of the staff.
July 12, 2026 - Flood advisory in effect until 6:15pm CDT this evening.
Urban area and small stream flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected in northeastern Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas, Central Shelby County in eastern Texas until 6:15pm CDT.
Impacts include minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
Additional Details: At 5:17pm CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. This will cause urban and small stream flooding.
Some locations that will experience flooding include: Center, Shelbyville, Martinsville, Appleby, Jericho, Arcadia, Stockman and James.
http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
July 12, 2026 - A strong thunderstorm will impact central Shelby County until 5:15pm CDT.
At 4:49 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Center, moving north at 5 mph.
Hazard: Wind gusts up to 30 mph and half inch size hail.
Source: Radar indicated.
Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.
Locations impacted include Center, James and Arcadia.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening weather conditions.
July 10, 2026 - On July 1, 2026, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the East Lamar public water system, 2100006, to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of July 8, 2026.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Alison Rhone at 936-332-4439.
July 1, 2026 - Due to a line break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the East Lamar public water system to notify all customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Alison Rhone at 936-332-4439.
July 10, 2026 - The 300 block of CR 3126 was the scene of a structure and vehicle fire on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
While the Center Fire Department (CFD) was on scene for another call on Nacogdoches Street, which was a gas leak, they received a call for the structure fire west of Center on CR 3126 at 1:05pm.
As the firefighters addressed the fire, smoke billowed from within the house and surrounded the area impacting visibility and making it difficult to breathe.
According to the CFD, upon arrival they discovered a pickup truck fully involved in the fire beneath a patio covering at the front of the double-wide home on the property. After extinguishing the vehicle, it was determined the fire had traveled into the attic of the house and efforts were made to extinguish the rest of the fire that had traveled into the home. The interior of the house incurred heavy damage throughout.
After extinguishing the what remained of the fire and preventing further spread, the firefighters returned to the station at 5:30pm.
July 8, 2026 - Emergency personnel responded to FM 2694 on Friday, July 3, 2026, following a crash incident and one driver was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy Angela Neal initially responded to the scene of the incident at the intersection of FM 417, followed by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Trooper Keith Jones.
According to DPS, at 10:08pm a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by Ashley Snider, 37, of Center was stopped at the stop sign on FM 417, waiting to turn onto FM 2694, while a 1993 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Cody Clifton, 24, of Timpson was traveling north on FM 2694 while approaching the stop intersection. Clifton disregarded the stop sign at the intersection and struck the Jeep as it was turning.
Neither Snider or Clifton were reported to have been injured.
According to Shelby County Jail records Clifton was arrested for driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor b, and no insurance, misdemeanor c. He was booked in just after midnight on July 4 and released at 9am on July 5 on a $2,000 bond.
According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
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