Thursday state and local news

The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office says it has received reports that fentanyl is being distributed in the area through xanax bars and oxycodone tablets. Deputies also showed photos of the variety of items that contained fentanyl being distributed in East Texas. Fentanyl abuse is a statewide problem, according to law enforcement. Governor Greg Abbott met with authorities in Midland yesterday to talk about the problem and what needs to be done to control it. This is Midland Police Chief Seth Herman.

“On one just daily routine patrol operation we seized over ten thousand pills and that was in a routine call for service.”

Governor Abbott issued an executive order identifying cartels producing and distributing the deadly fentany as “terrorist organizations.”


The 106th East Texas State Fair opens in Tyler Friday (9/23) with all the great acts and turkey legs you’ve come to expect. But the clock is ticking on a possible move according to fair CEO John Sykes.

“We have a lease with the City of Tyler that matures in 2026. The Fair, in 2005, went out and purchased 240 acres. Which, quite frankly, is the same size as the University of Texas Tyler campus. but it’s very very hard to just go build a fair grounds. It’s very expensive to do and you cannot run a company on a two-week event. We’ve got to have a business plan that operates 365 days a year.”

Hear the full interview with John Sykes of the East Texas State Fair.


compiled by Mike Landess
edited by Jeff Johnson