Texas

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Governor Greg Abbott has activated additional state emergency response resources to address heightened wildfire threats across much of Texas and potential flood risks in West Texas through the weekend. The Governor also amended and renewed the state’s wildfire disaster declaration to now include 179 counties. File Photo (August 2025) “Elevated wildfire conditions and flood risk continue to pose a threat across the state of Texas,” Governor Abbott said. “Today, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional resources in preparation for potential wildfires in the eastern half of the state and severe flooding in West Texas. Texas will remain vigilant and continue to provide all necessary resources to protect Texans from wildfire and flood thre...

JASPER COUNTY, TEXAS — A former store manager has been arrested in connection with a September burglary at Tackle Addict, a fishing supply retailer located at 3755 Sam Rayburn Parkway. On September 10, 2025, Jasper County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a burglary at the business. Upon arrival, deputies determined that two small safes containing approximately $8,000 had been taken from the premises. The case was assigned to Investigator Calvin Starkie. Following what authorities described as a “lengthy and thorough investigation,” Investigator Starkie obtained an arrest warrant on October 8, 2025, for Amber Williams, who was employed as the store’s manager at the time of the incident. Williams is charged with Theft of Property valued between $2,500 and $30,000, a stat...

BEAUMONT, TX – Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Joseph Bihm, who was found deceased inside a vehicle in the 1400 block of Orange Avenue. Beaumont Police responded to the scene at approximately 7:28 a.m. and located Bihm inside the vehicle. He was later pronounced dead by EMS. Patrol officers and detectives quickly identified a suspect vehicle, which was later stopped. The driver was detained as a person of interest. Further investigation led to the identification of multiple suspects, and arrest warrants were obtained for the charge of murder. Lamond Hines, 46, was arrested by the Beaumont Police Special Assignment Unit and detectives. A second suspect, 31-year-old Murry Gibbs, turned himself in the following evening and was ...

SPLENDORA, TX – A driver was arrested on federal human smuggling charges following a traffic stop conducted by the Splendora Police Department’s Criminal Interdiction Unit on Interstate 69. Photo Credit: Splendora PD The vehicle, displaying New Mexico license plates, was stopped based on intelligence provided through an ongoing partnership with federal law enforcement agencies. Officers determined the driver was actively engaged in smuggling undocumented individuals across state lines. Among the occupants was an individual who had been deported in August and had illegally reentered the country just four days before the stop, having evaded U.S. Border Patrol. All occupants were turned over to federal custody. The driver is facing federal charges related to human smuggling. The S...

AUSTIN, TX – A man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Mary Gonzales, whose body was found in a field off Research Boulevard earlier this week. According to the Austin Police Department, officers responded to a call at 7:42 a.m. on Monday, October 6, 2025, and located an unresponsive woman with visible trauma in the 8100 block of Research Boulevard. She was pronounced deceased at 7:53 a.m. Homicide detectives and crime scene specialists processed the scene and began a homicide investigation. On October 8, 2025, the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office positively identified the victim as Mary Gonzales, a 43-year-old Hispanic female. That same day, a warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Enrique Gomez-Urbina, a...

HOUSTON, TX – A woman jumped from a second-story balcony to escape a relative firing a gun inside an apartment on Harbor Town Drive, prompting a SWAT response and an officer-involved shooting where police returned fire. Screengrab via @houstonpolice on X The incident occurred around 8 p.m. Thursday at an apartment complex in the 6500 block of Harbor Town Drive in the Sharpstown area. According to Houston Police, officers arrived and found a woman on the ground outside the apartment. She told police she had jumped from the balcony to escape a male relative who was firing a gun inside the unit, where others were also present. When officers went upstairs and knocked on the apartment door, the suspect began shooting at them. Officers returned fire and took cover. The woman was moved t...

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a joint motion with the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) seeking to invalidate a provision of the Texas Election Code that prevents the party from limiting participation in its primary elections to affiliated Republicans. File Photo (September 2025) The motion supports the RPT’s lawsuit against the State of Texas, in which the party argues that the current law violates its First Amendment right of association by forcing it to allow non-affiliated voters to participate in its candidate selection process. Attorney General Paxton and the RPT are asking the court to declare the contested provision unconstitutional, prohibit its enforcement, and allow the party to implement procedures that restrict primary participation to individ...