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July 30, 2026 - The Shelby County Commissioners Court meeting held on July 29, 2026, maintained a level of intrigue as the executive session was time-consuming while the regular agenda was brief.
The commissioners spent almost an hour in executive session, and when they returned to open session, no action was taken.
As the agenda reached the point of entering executive session, Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison announced the original reason for the executive session had changed and they were going to skip that portion of the agenda, unless the commissioners had reason to keep the private dialogue.
Judge Harbison said, “I put an executive session on here, but some things have come up since then and it is no longer, what I had to put on there is no longer relevant so we can just pass this if you want, or would you like to meet and discuss?”
Commissioner Roscoe McSwain asked if it would cover anything they wanted. Judge Harbison said it had to do with personnel.
Commissioner McSwain requested they enter the executive session anyway, and they did so with County Attorney John Price and District Attorney Karren Price at 9:41am; however, upon returning to open session at 10:39am, no details were given and no action was taken.
During the Commissioners’ Court Reports portion of the meeting Commissioner McSwain asked the status of Sheriff Gerald Corbell, commenting on the absence of the Sheriff.
McSwain asked, “Could you give us an update on the sheriff? I mean, we haven’t seen him in court since October [2025] and you know any details to tell us about what’s going on?”
Judge Harbison commented on having seen the Sheriff on a previous day and that his procedure had taken longer than expected. The procedure in question wasn’t elaborated on for the public’s knowledge.
Judge Harbison shared some of the instances where she has been in his company recently.
“I saw him last week in a meeting with outside council. He went in Teresa [Hughes’] office, he did contact me Monday when I was gone,” said Judge Harbison.
McSwain commented that he had not checked on him personally and just wanted to know how he was doing.
“He told me that surgery was worse than he thought it was going to be, but he’s up and going, driving,” said Judge Harbison.
Judge Harbison shared that she attended the Texas Historical Commission meeting in Austin on Monday with Luciana Barr, Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator; and Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, and Delbert Jackson, a resident of Center, was also there. She stated that Shelby County was third on the list for a full restoration plan.
The Judge said she appreciated everyone’s support.
Commissioner Bellmyer shared that he and Commissioner Stevie Smith met with Brady Environmental on the condition of the elementary school house where AgriLife is located about the asbestos abatement at the facility. Estimates are expected back by the end of the month when a bid count can be conducted and preparations are moving forward.
Judge Harbison commented that she believes the vendors are TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System) certified, so they won’t have to go through the bid process since they are state certified.
Commissioner McSwain commented that oil production for roadway has gone very well this year. Precinct 1 and Precinct 2 have each made nine loads each, which is close to 4,000 tons each. Precinct 3 has made seven loads and next Monday they will be working on Precinct 4.
Commissioner Bellmyer commented that the Rosehill Road project crew has finished; however they were short 650 feet of footage.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:47am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Pay weekly expenses. 2. Current payroll. 3. Bond for County Attorney, John Price. 4. Adjourn.
July 28, 2026 - Timpson Volunteer Fire Department firefighters responded to a trash fire on County Road 4855 at around 5:30 PM on July 28, 2026.
When the firefighters arrived at the location, the fire was threatening to ignite a mobile home on the property.
Using high pressure waterlines the firefighters were able to knock the flames back from the house; however they were not able to fully engage the origin of the fire until deep East Texas electric cooperative personnel were able to cut power to downed power lines which came down as a result of the fire.
Once clear, the firefighters moved units closer to a large pile of tires that were burning and began extinguishing them.
The majority of the blaze was extinguished and the firefighters cleared the scene at around 7:45pm.
The Shelby County Precinct 5 office was on scene to investigate the fire involving the tires.
July 27, 2026 - Commissioner Roscoe McSwain announces that County Road 1005 will be closed tomorrow, July 28, 2026, from 10am till 3pm between County Road 1024 and Short Church for culvert replacement.
This area of the roadway will be impassable until the project is complete.
Drivers are encouraged to plan a different route until that time.
July 25, 2026 - Roy Cheatwood, Constable Precinct 3, reports the recovery of the stolen property and the arrest of one individual in relation to one of and additional charges through the combined efforts of local law enforcement.
Constable Cheatwood was first contacted by the owner of a white 2021 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck belonging to Doug Shook, valued at around $40,000, after the owner discovered the theft of the truck at sometime before 9:30am on Sunday, July 12, 2026, from his yard in Shelbyville.
After reviewing security camera footage, it was determined the theft had occurred around 6:30am that morning.
Following the completion of a report for the theft that morning, Constable Cheatwood reports that while he was patrolling the area looking for the vehicle on U.S. Highway 84/Haslam Strip, Doug Shook observed the stolen vehicle coming down Haslam Strip as it turned off Haslam Strip onto CR 3590 behind Farmers State Bank at around 11:44am and blocked the vehicle's exit.
Shook contacted Constable Cheatwood who was able to quickly apprehend the driver identified as Aaron Brazzel, 29, of Joaquin. Brazzel was arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, state jail felony.
Brazzel was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was booked in at 12:25pm and was released on s personal recognizance bond just over two hours later at 2:44pm.
Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers Keith Jones and Constable Cheatwood located Brazzel on July 21, 2026, at a residence located on Faulkville Street and arrested him on a warrant for criminal trespass, misdemeanor b.
As DPS Trooper Colton Bearden arrested Brazzel, and during that time marijuana was found to be on his person and he was also found to be in possession of several pipes.
Aaron Brazzel
As of July 25, 2026, the jail booking information indicated Brazzel was charged with possession of marijuana <2oz, misdemeanor b - $1,500 bond; and possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor c - no bond; and criminal trespass, $1,500 bond
The owner of a brown 1988 GMC pickup truck belonging to Julie Robinson, valued at approximately $4,000, that had been located on a property off U.S. Highway 96 reported it’s theft to Constable Cheatwood on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 2:30pm, after reporting it to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department she went to Constable Cheatwood for help.
Constable Cheatwood says that he began his investigation and he was joined by John Pope, Constable Precinct 5, in seeking the location of the truck.
According to Constable Cheatwood, by 4:30pm that day the truck was located by the officers in the on CR 3173 and in an open field.
Constable Cheatwood commented that no arrests have been made in this theft, and that it had been sold/traded four times since it was taken. He also said that although the vehicle wasn’t located with someone behind the wheel, it was safely returned to the owner without getting involved in a high-speed chase and needlessly putting others in harms way as a result.
Several pieces of equestrian riding tack belonging to Curtis Lane were reported stolen to Constable Cheatwood, also on July 12, 2026. Throughout the rest of the day, Constable Cheatwood reports that he was able to recover two saddles, bridles, and girths valued at approximately $2,500.
Constable Cheatwood said that he has been been successful through his office in Precinct 3, and around the county, as a direct result of his proactivity.
“I know the people, people trust me, I work with them,” said Cheatwood.
Constable Cheatwood thanks Constable John Pope, DPS Trooper Keith Jones and DPS Trooper Colton Bearden for their assistance in their respective cases.
July 23, 2026 - A headrest that shifts unexpectedly may increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Evenflo Company, Inc. (Evenflo) is recalling certain Reo by Revolve360 child seats in color variants Nantucket, Danvers, Chelsea, Holden, Brookline, and Lenox. Please refer to Evenflo's recall report for the specific models. In certain rear or forward-facing positions, the headrest may shift position during a crash. As such, these child seats fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 213, "Child Restraint Systems."
Remedy
The remedy for this recall is currently under development. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed August 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Evenflo customer service at 1-800-233-5921.
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.
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