At approximately 2 pm, August 11, 2021, a Smith County Sheriff’s Deputy was arrested and charged with a 3rd degree felony offense for Misuse of Official Information. Deputy Luis A. Sandoval was arrested as the result of a several month long investigation involving the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division and the Smith County

    AUSTIN ­– Despite a decrease in traffic crashes in 2020, Texas saw a dramatic rise in the number of people killed walking and biking on our roadways. Last year, 731 people died in pedestrian-related crashes, an increase of 9% from 2019. Crashes involving bicyclists claimed the lives of 82 people, up from 68

AUSTIN – The start of a new hunting season is right around the corner and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding hunters and anglers that current year Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except the Year-from-Purchase All-Water Fishing Package) will expire at the end of August. New licenses for the 2021-22 season go

  AUSTIN— Every year on July 31, World Ranger Day is an opportunity to take a moment to recognize the unwavering commitment towards park stewardship by the many park rangers at the 88 Texas State Parks that make up our state park system. Initially created by the International Ranger Federation, World Ranger Day celebrates the

  (AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding shoppers they can save money on clothes and school supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6-8. State law exempts sales tax on qualified items — such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks —priced below $100, saving shoppers about $8

Texas Crop and Weather Report – July 2021   By Adam Russell Erratic weather dealt Texas vineyards a difficult growing season as the industry continues to recover from pandemic-related setbacks, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Michael Cook, AgriLife Extension viticulturist, Denton, said much of 2020 put financial stress on destination wineries and vineyards that relied

Nearly 30 people attended the third Smith County Citizen Input Meeting in Lindale Thursday evening to discuss the six-year Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project. “It was a wonderful turnout,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips said. “This is what we hope for when we hold community meetings. It was great to hear from our citizens

Crews will remain on assignment 14-21 days before returning to Texas By Leighton Chachere,  More than 70 Texas A&M Forest Service personnel are currently deployed to wildfire incidents across multiple western states, including Arizona, California, Idaho and Montana. Texas A&M Forest Service heads west to aid with wildfires (Photo by Matt Ford, Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Wildland

AUSTIN – Thousands of Texans and out-of-state visitors headed to Texas lakes, rivers and coastal bays to celebrate the Independence Day weekend. Texas Game Wardens were out in force to ensure everyone stayed safe on the water.   “Texas Game Wardens conducted safety checks on more than 12,220 vessels statewide between Friday and Sunday over

  AUSTIN— During the pandemic, Texans headed back to nature in record numbers, with more people visiting state parks, hunting, fishing, and boating than ever before. A new congressional proposal aims to tap that exploding interest by investing more than $50 million per year in Texas for wildlife recovery and related public education and recreation,