Van Zandt Deputy Killed in Shootout

Gunfire from a home south of Canton killed a Van Zandt County sheriff’s deputy and wounded a Canton police officer Tuesday night as they tried to arrest a man wanted for aggravated assault and assaulting a peace officer.

Deputies were helping Canton police serve the warrants on state Highway 198 when shots came from inside the house around 10:22 p.m. Officers returned fire, and the suspect was found dead inside from a gunshot wound.

The deputy’s brother identified him as Adam Sherifi, who leaves behind a wife and young children. A memorial now stands outside the sheriff’s office.

The wounded officer was flown to Plano for surgery on a gunshot wound to his right arm and is in stable condition. The Texas Rangers are investigating, and officials haven’t named the officer or the suspect.

Transgender Mailers Traced to Wyoming

Mailers offering transgender resources to Texas students, addressed to the kids instead of their parents, came from a company registered in Wyoming on Sept. 2 whose owners aren’t public.

The envelopes started arriving as early voting opened, addressed to “Students Of The [Last Name] Family.” Inside is a guide on student legal rights, emancipation, and finding support outside the family. The envelope’s return address doesn’t exist.

Most of the guide’s web links point to the Transgender Education Network of Texas, which says it didn’t write or send them. The group has locked its website and reports threats of violence since the mailers surfaced.

Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, locked in a U.S. Senate race, both denied any involvement. 

Texas Bans Fan over Postgame Gesture

Texas permanently banned a fan from its football stadium after video showed him flipping off Florida players on the field following the Gators’ 27-24 upset on Oct. 17.

Wearing Texas gear, the fan held his phone up behind his middle finger to film Florida players leaving the field. Several Gators walked after him, but no fight broke out, and the clip has drawn more than 3.5 million views.

Athletic director Chris Del Conte announced the ban in his weekly newsletter, calling the gesture “unacceptable behavior” and apologizing to Florida’s football program. 

Del Conte said the fan is a local resident who attends college in Florida, though he didn’t know who authorized the student’s field pass. His statement said the matter “has been addressed internally.”

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➤ McKinney: The FBI arrested a 17-year-old accused of plotting to assassinate Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, and carry out a terrorist attack for ISIS. He was arrested Oct. 5 after getting a gun, federal sources said. (More)

➤ Kerrville: FEMA denied Texas’ request for direct aid to families hit by the July 2026 floods, and city officials are urging the agency to reconsider on appeal. The city said residents across Kerr County are still rebuilding. (More)

➤ Del Rio: A federal jury convicted three leaders of a human smuggling ring. Authorities say one of them, an enforcer, shot a man and then tried to dissolve the body in acid before burning it in a car and filming it. (More)

➤ Lubbock: President Trump will hold a midterm rally next Tuesday, Oct. 27, as early voting continues. Doors open at 11 a.m. He is scheduled to appear in Waco that evening. (More)

➤ Border Region: Federal officials barred unauthorized drone flights below 400 feet within about a mile of the Mexican border through Oct. 19, 2027, citing cartel drones that track Border Patrol agents. Pilots can apply for waivers. (More)

➤ Abilene: Four suspects have been arrested after Operation Hot Steel, a police investigation into a coalition of three street gangs accused of stealing guns from cars and selling them on social media. Undercover officers bought several stolen guns. (More)

➤ Fulshear: Children asked the City Council to require helmets for young e-bike riders after a 15-year-old and an 11-year-old were killed riding e-bikes nearby. One urged riders not to “treat your brain worse than your phone.” (More)

➤ Statewide: Every sample an environmental group took from Texas rivers and lakes tested positive for PFAS, the “forever chemicals” used in nonstick pans and firefighting foam. The group is urging companies to phase them out. (More)

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➤ Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career. He enters Week 7 second in the NFL in passing yards. (More)

➤ Texas and Texas Tech landed in college basketball’s top spending tier, with each roster projected to top $20 million in player pay this season. (See Details)

➤ Frisco city leaders unanimously approved a deal to pursue state grants for a 250-room hotel, a 15,000-square-foot convention center, restaurants, shops, and a parking garage at Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas. (More)

➤ Midland Lee student Gabriel Obregon won four world titles in point-sparring divisions last weekend while competing for Team USA in Thonon-les-Bains, France, a resort town on Lake Geneva. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NBA | WNBA | NHL | Soccer | NCAA Volleyball

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➤ Texas hemp businesses sued state health officials Monday over rules that count THCA, a compound that becomes delta-9 THC when heated, toward the legal limit. The suit says manufacturer fees rose 4,000% and seeks to block the rules. (More)

➤ Companies seeking contracts or grants from the comptroller’s office must now certify they don’t require customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery, under an order from Comptroller Don Huffines. State law already bars such businesses from state-funded deals. (More)

➤ Roads and bridges damaged in the July 4, 2025, floods will get $20.8 million in federal repair money across the Austin, San Angelo, and San Antonio TxDOT districts. Mason County’s roughly $1.48 million share mostly covers U.S. 377. (More)

➤ An aerospace conference brings NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and industry companies to El Paso Nov. 2-4 as local leaders pitch the region for space work. The final day includes tours of Blue Origin’s launch site near Van Horn. (More)

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➤ The Houston Zoo is sending Kirby, the elephant calf with an online fan club, to another accredited zoo with her mother, Shanti, and sister Joy. No date or destination is set, and the zoo is urging fans to visit first. (More)

➤ A mass-casualty drill in San Antonio put more than 500 volunteers in the roles of patients and relatives Wednesday, testing how 50 hospitals and health facilities handle a sudden flood of injured people. Teams also practiced reuniting families. (See Drill)

➤ St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas, a Dallas nonprofit serving families in need, received donated land from Credit Union of Texas on Wednesday at its Lancaster center, plus a surprise $30,000 check from Atmos Energy. (See Gift)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Expiration dates on your groceries are mostly guesses, except for the one you should never ignore. (Listen Now)

➤ An Australian lawmaker lost both of her legs after a car was deliberately driven into her outside her office. (Hear Story)

➤ Passengers began vomiting mid-flight, forcing a priority landing and a hazmat response in Germany. (Hear Details)

Would you volunteer to participate in a simulated mass-casualty event?

1. Of course!
2. Depends on the disaster
3. No, too busy
4. No, too scary

Yesterday’s Results:

How do you feel about giving your order to an AI server at a restaurant?

1. I’d rather not: 43%
2. I’ll get used to it: 24%
3. Kind of hate it: 30%
4. It’s fun!: 3%

What Texas school’s live mascot is believed to be the only one to have killed another university’s live mascot?

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