Don’t sleep on the platform too long ! More followers than your Facebook profile👌🏾The biggest open panel in East Texas! What up #plentyreviews (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpkO05jrO8z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

This 15-year-old girl lived in the Inca empire and was sacrificed 500 years ago as an offering to the gods. It has been preserved so well because it was frozen during sleep and kept in a dry cold state more than 6000 meters above sea level all this time. No other treatment was required. Found in 1999 near the top of Llullaillaco volcano in northwest Argentina, it was an archaeological breakthrough as it was one of the best-preserved mummies, as it even had blood on its body and its internal organs remained. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CobgTycuBS-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A pastor and his son who pleaded guilty to stealing from an elderly couple have been ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars in restitution. Rev. Jerome Rocky Milton of the Open Door Bible Church was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the family he stole from, as well as $40,000 in restitution to his church. The Smith County District Attorney’s Office requested that the family be paid first, then the church. In August 2022, Rev. Milton was ordered to spend 180 days in jail and given 10 years probation. He is expected to be released from jail Tuesday afternoon. Rev. Milton’s son, Jerome Anthony Milton, was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution for credit card abuse. Jerome Anthony Milton pleaded guilty in October 2022 to a charge of credit/debit card abuse against an elderly individual. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coa03DcPkhB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Texans overwhelmingly support proposals to ease state restrictions on both the medical and recreational use of marijuana, with 82% supportive of legislation that would legalize marijuana for a wide range of medical treatments. Two-thirds (67%) approve legalizing marijuana for recreational use by people 21 and older, while 81% say possession of small amounts of marijuana should be punishable only by citation and a fine, similar to a traffic ticket. The Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston released its latest report on public attitudes about marijuana as the Legislature considers several proposals to reduce penalties or legalize the use of marijuana for adults, as well as to expand the state's provisions for medical cannabis. "Attitudes about the use of marijuana have been evolving over the past few decades, and we found especially strong support for expanding the use of medical marijuana," said Renée Cross, senior executive director and researcher at the Hobby School. "But a majority of Texans across-the-board—across partisan, generational and racial and ethnic lines—also said they support legalization for recreational use." That support also included born-again Christians, a group traditionally opposed to easing drug laws. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of born-again Christians support medical marijuana, for example, while 62% support decriminalization and 52% support legalization. Texas currently allows the use of medical cannabis containing 1% or less THC by weight for a narrowly defined list of medical conditions. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoNep5kuLrI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

MISSING: Dallas PD Needs Help Finding a 9-Year Old Boy Who Went Missing Last Night Posted on February 1, 2023 Dallas (WBAP/KLIF) Dallas police are asking for residents to help find a 9-year-old boy that went missing in the northeastern area on Jan. 31. According to police, Daylin Bell was last seen in the 9600 block of Forest Lane on foot. That was at 10:42 p.m. on Tuesday. Daylin is Black, 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 112 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Bell was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black athletic leggings, and black and white sneakers. Anyone with information about this child’s whereabouts should call 911 or 214-671-4268. Dallas police ask that you reference case number 018356-2023. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoH7UyLuTLR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

January 31, 2023 - Constable Josh Tipton reports the arrest of Jamon M. Lee, 40, of Houston for forgery, felony 3, following his arrest after allegedly presenting false prescriptions at Bussey Drug in Timpson. According to Constable Tipton, individuals from Houston called in prescriptions from a doctor’s office in Nacogdoches for a cough syrup containing codeine, which is a narcotic substance, and other medications. The circumstance seemed suspicious to employees at the drug store, and after Lee entered the store on the afternoon of Monday, January 30, 2023, employees notified Tipton. Constable Tipton states he was in the vicinity with Constables Roy Cheatwood and Taylor Fanguy who all responded in under a minute to the location. Constable Tipton states Lee was observed attempting to retrieve a prescription under false pretenses. Through investigation and speaking with Lee, it was learned Lee and two other individuals were making a route up Highway 59 to local drug stores in the area. It was at that time Lee was arrested for forgery, felony 3, and he is now being held at the Shelby County Jail. Tipton offers a special thank you to Karren Price, District Attorney, for her help and assistance with this matter. He asks all business owners in Timpson to be vigilant for suspicious activity being that Timpson is on 59 a major corridor for criminal activity and drug trafficking being between Houston and Shreveport. A lot of people are visiting town with ill intent. He encouraged anyone to call no matter how small or big the circumstance may appear to be, as it’s better to be safe than sorry. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoH7IusufxD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The Lone Star State is home to some pretty gnarly creatures like giant killer wasps and venomous "sea dragons," to name a few. However, most of them aren't quite as deadly as one tiny insect that calls Texas home, and it’s just waiting to give you a kiss. Kissing bugs or "Triatomine bugs" are looking for just one thing: blood. The way these insects satiate themselves is by "kissing" a host (hence the name), which is typically an animal or human, scientists at Texas A&M University (TAMU) state. However, their seemingly innocent "kiss" has turned out to be rather dangerous because the bugs usually carry a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, or Chagas disease, which is an illness that can become pretty fatal. So, here's all you need to know about the creature that's been named one of the "most dangerous" in Texas and one of the "deadliest" in the world. What states are kissing bugs in? Besides the Lone Star State, kissing bugs can be found in 29 other states around the United States, with most species living in the south. Scientists estimate about 11 different types of species of them exist predominately in states like Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Kissing bugs are actually native to rural areas in South and Central America. What does the kissing bug do to humans? The bugs, infected or not, have a painless bite when feeding on hosts, but not quite like the blood-thirsty grip of a Tick. Typically, when they bite, they'll also defecate (ew!), and that's when the parasite comes into contact with the host's bloodstream, finally infecting the animal or person. "After the T. cruzi parasite enters the body, about 1 out of 3 people develop the chronic phase of Chagas disease," the TAMU scientists say. "The chronic phase can take many years to develop — some people have the chronic phase for decades after the parasite enters their body." The World Health Organization estimates an average of 30,000 cases a year show up in the Americas, and 14,000 lead to deaths. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoH675TOYwM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

On Wednesday evening, Texas plans to execute Wesley Ruiz despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the state's use of drugs long past their original expiration dates to kill prisoners. Ruiz, 43, was sentenced to death nearly 15 years ago for the 2007 shooting of Dallas police Senior Cpl. Mark Nix following a high-speed car chase. The chase began while police were searching for a murder suspect, according to court documents. Ruiz's car eventually slid off the side of the road, and Nix rushed over and began smashing the passenger side window with his police baton. Ruiz fatally shot him in the chest through the back passenger window, court filings state. In an active legal battle, Ruiz and other condemned prisoners have argued the state prison system should not be allowed to continue extending the expiration dates of its execution drugs. They claim the use of old drugs violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. With fewer pharmacies willing to produce execution drugs, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for years has extended the use-by dates of its existing pentobarbital, the only drug used in Texas executions, after retesting potency levels. Previous legal battles seeking to halt the practice have failed in court. In the current litigation, Texas' high courts refused to halt a January execution, overriding a lower state court's temporary order that prisons use only new execution drugs until the lawsuit goes to trial in March. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled the lower court could not issue any order that would seemingly cancel an execution. The prisoners' attorneys and the district court judge assumed, based on the most recently publicly released records from November and TDCJ's silence, that the only execution drugs the prison had in stock were years past their original expiration dates. Minutes after the courts' final rulings on Jan. 10, Robert Fratta was executed https://www.instagram.com/p/CoH6o3pOcJR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Texas man who stabbed transgender girlfriend multiple times and dumped her body at gas station parking lot arrested A man from Texas has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his transgender girlfriend to death and then dumping her body on the side of the road, according to reports. The boyfriend, identified as 25-year-old Joshua Dominic Bourgeois, was charged in connection with 22-year-old Tracy Williams' death. The victim, who was born as Trevian Delaney, was also known as Tracy Single. Williams' body was reportedly found with a puncture wound and multiple lacerations at a gas station parking lot on Katy Freeway and Wycliffe Drive in west Harris County on July 30. Authorities said that Bourgeois and Williams had been in a "dating relationship," according to the Houston Chronicle. Williams' mother, Joyce Williams, told the outlet that her daughter was the oldest of her five siblings and often presented herself as a woman. "My son didn’t deserve that. My son has been murdered. My child is no longer with me, and I have to deal with this every day," Williams' mother said. "I wouldn’t wish this on anybody’s child." Joyce, in a fundraising page set up to cover the cost of Williams' funeral, claimed that her daughter was "murdered near [her] home." Joyce also shared her daughter's pictures online on August 14, writing: "Fat this pains me baby it just is not easy for me, I know you know me but I'm so hurt, numb, and sick boo." Williams' friends told the outlet that she lived at Covenant House, a shelter for abused and abandoned children, before moving to Houston shortly before her death. One of her friends, Cerenity Bradford, while talking to Click2Houston, said: "She was having some troubles. I don’t know the whole story on that one. She would come here, get some support, get off the street." (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn117FROPD2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A "honor killings" father who killed his young daughters in a cab because they were dating non-Muslim boys was arrested. The FBI has apprehended a father wanted in connection with the 2008 murders of his two teenage daughters after he spent 12 years on the run. Yaser Abdel Said, 63, was peacefully taken into custody by agents on Wednesday in Justin, Texas, according to an FBI statement. His daughters, Lewisville High School students Sarah Yaser Said, 17, and Amina Yaser Said, 18, had died, and he had been sought for capital murder. Said had been listed as one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted since 2014, when he fatally shot his two kids in a taxi in Irving, Texas. The females had been seeing non-Muslim boys, according to the police, who described the deaths as "honor killings," and the suspect was furious about this. When the shootings took place, the girls believed they were heading to dine with their taxi driver father. After the shootings, Sara was able to dial 911. As she spoke to a 911 dispatcher, she begged for assistance and identified her father as the shooter, according to the Washington Post. “Help,” Sarah said. “I’m dying. Oh my God. Stop it.” Authorities took some time to locate the girls after they were unable to determine the address from the 911 call. Around 7:30 p.m., someone from an Omni hotel nearby discovered the girls' dead bodies and dialed 911. The search for their killer never stopped, according to Irving Police Chief Jeff Spivey, despite 12 years of disappointment and dead ends. Yaser Said's arrest today "brings us closer to making sure justice is done on their behalf.” (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn11j5XOG7Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A Texas man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend while she slept close to her 4-year-old daughter was apprehended by authorities earlier this week and is now being held on capital murder charges. On Monday, Cedgadrick Harris, 24, was arrested. Harris is detained without posting a bond. According to KHOU, the July 17 shooting took place shortly after 4 a.m. Harris allegedly forced his way inside when Kimberley Robinson, 28, and her little daughter were fast asleep in bed. KHOU said that when Harris made it to the second floor of the house and kicked in a locked bedroom door, he discovered his ex-girlfriend and her young child there. There were supposedly six shots fired. Robinson expired there and then. Her daughter was reportedly hit by two pieces of shrapnel and taken to a neighboring hospital, according to KHOU. She is anticipated to recover entirely from the tragedy. There were four more kids in the house at the time of the shooting. After Harris allegedly ran away, one allegedly called family for assistance. The other four kids weren't hurt. According to Houston Police Sgt. Michael Casso, who was contacted by ABC13 Houston, Robinson reported Harris for domestic abuse in June after an undisclosed incident. Harris was accused with murder in the first degree as well as assault on a family member. He still hasn't pleaded to the accusations leveled against him. It wasn't known if he had legal representation who could respond to the accusations on his behalf. A potential motive for the murder has not yet been discussed by police. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn11Su7uDr1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

January 25, 2023 - U.S. Highway 59 in Timpson was the scene of a major two-vehicle crash involving a passenger car and a truck-tractor on Tuesday, January 25, 2023. When emergency personnel arrived at the scene of the crash, the truck-tractor was parked on the northbound shoulder and the passenger car was in the middle of the northbound traffic lanes just near Garrison Street. According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Ashley White, at around 5pm a black 2019 Kenworth driven by Trebor Bing, 24, of Richmond was parked legally on the improved shoulder facing northbound. At that time a black 2019 Toyota Highlander driven by Jayme Harrison, 34, of Timpson was northbound in the outside traffic lane when, due to a distraction in the vehicle, Harrison failed to maintain a single lane. The Highlander veered over into the improved shoulder and struck the towed unit of the truck-tractor with the front right side of the Highlander. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn105mfOTQ1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Operation Blue Rain, which was conducted by The Lubbock Police Department’s Special Operations Division, The Texas Department of Public Safety, The Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security and Lubbock Fire Rescue, occurred on January 19, 20, and 21st. 22 individuals were arrested on felony charges for solicitation of prostitution, five were arrested for misdemeanor prostitution, while one was made on a warrant charge. Additional charges included delivery of a dangerous drug and child endangerment. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn0FHQJOE4h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — At least two dozen Texas prisoners are 13 days into a hunger strike in protest against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s solitary confinement policies. The strike began on Jan. 10, the first day of the Texas legislative session, with more than 70 prisoners participating. That number has since fallen to at least 24. Forty percent of the remaining strikers have participated for all 13 days, and the others “have been participating on and off,” according to TDCJ. Brittany Robertson, an activist with Texas Prison Reform, has been in contact with the prisoners during the strike and believes TDCJ undercounted the participants. She said there could be as many as 50 prisoners participating as of Monday afternoon. “One of the participants is being threatened with force feeding,” she said. “He’s an older gentleman and he’s willing to sacrifice himself if it means the younger generations having opportunity.” Robertson said the condition and duration of solitary confinement has severely harmed inmates’ physical and emotional health, led to suicide, and counteracted the criminal justice system’s own objectives. “When you take somebody who is struggling to cope with life and you keep them isolated, you don’t allow them outside, you don’t allow them to feel a hug, or to learn how to create something while being in such an isolated state, and then you let them out… What Texans need to know is that the lack of rehabilitation directly contributes to your crime,” she said. One letter Robertson said she received from an inmate in TDCJ’s Ferguson Unit details staffing shortages leading to neglect. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzW3upuzwq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — A former Bossier sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty Monday to one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile under the age of 13 in Caddo Parish. The abuse occurred in November 2019 in Shreveport. Caddo District Judge Chris Victory sentenced 94-year-old Otis Leroy Allen to serve 10 years in prison at hard labor, with all but two years suspended. He also must serve three years under supervision after he is released from prison. And prosecutors secured a permanent protective order barring Allen from having any contact with the victim or her family. Allen also must pay $5,000 restitution to the victim and must register as a sex offender for 25 years. The victim’s family approved of the plea arrangement and was present in court during the sentencing. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzV8i2Odch/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

AUSTIN, TX. - Human trafficking and sex crimes are a growing problem in Texas, with the state consistently ranking near the top of states with the highest rates of human trafficking. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were over 1,000 reported cases of human trafficking in Texas in 2019 alone. However, this appalling number speaks to an even deeper underlying issue plaguing our state: why are these crimes so prevalent? Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question, as many factors contribute to the high rate of human trafficking and sex crimes in Texas. One key factor is poverty and economic instability; those living in poverty are more likely to be vulnerable to exploitation for labor or sexual exploitation due to their decreased access to resources and social safety nets. Additionally, those who live near international borders – such as Texas – can become targets for traffickers due to their proximity, which makes it easy for them to move people across borders. Furthermore, research has also indicated that areas with higher populations of immigrants tend to experience higher numbers of human trafficking cases as well; due to language barriers and difficulties navigating complex systems, they may be more vulnerable than other populations. Another major contributing factor is a lack of awareness among law enforcement officials and community members about what human trafficking looks like. Often individuals may not recognize when something is suspicious or believe that certain activities are only found in other countries rather than their backyards. Without proper education, people may not report instances they suspect, which can lead traffickers to operate undetected within communities for longer periods without detection by law enforcement agencies. Fortunately, organizations such as The Blue Campaign have been working hard to increase public awareness about human trafficking by providing educational materials on what signs look like and how people can help fight against it practically and legally if necessary. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnwsqBeuHCD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Hurricane Chris just caught an early break for his upcoming shooting trial thanks to some help from a forensics expert. Moreover, his legal team recently spoke to The Shade Room to maintain that the rapper’s actions were in self-defense. According to the 33-year-old’s lawyers, they will prove his innocence at his upcoming argument and hearing on February 1st. For those unaware, authorities arrested Hurricane Chris after he shot and killed a man who tried to steal his car. In fact, the car wasn’t his, which added a charge of stolen possession of a 2016 Mercedes Sedan to Chris’s list. Moreover, the incident occurred outside of a convenience store in his home city of Shreveport, Louisiana. While Chris argued self-defense, officers dismissed such claims after reviewing gas station security footage. Moreover, the “A Bay Bay” MC’s main trial will being on February 13th. After a court hearing last Wednesday (January 18), his lawyer Alex Washington shared updates with The Shade Room. According to said report, a judge allowed a forensic analysis expert to testify on the artist’s behalf and support claims of self-defense. “Hurricane Chris’ actions were in self-defense and justified,” the lawyer stated. “Today, the court ruled to allow our Forensic analysis expert to testify at trial. (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnwsOQeuriG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=