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In the Heart of the Blackland Divide

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Roscoe School to Join Texas Consortium of High Performance Schools

2012 RCHS grads who also received Associate's Degrees from WTC.

The Roscoe Independent School District, known for its innovative collegiate program, is one of only 23 school districts in the state to be invited by the Texas Education Agency to join its High Performance Schools Consortium.  

In making the invitation, Texas Commissioner of Education Michael L. Williams said, “The school districts selected to participate in the consortium are already known for their innovative work and are looked to by many as educational leaders. This exciting project will help the Governor, legislative leaders, and the Texas Education Agency craft a sound, well-thought out plan to move all Texas schools to the next performance level.” 

Roscoe is known statewide for a program that for the past two years has allowed over half of its graduating seniors to earn their Associate’s Degrees from Western Texas College while still in high school. 

The school has also established a working relationship with Angelo State University to facilitate students’ transitions from high school to college and to receive university counseling while still in high school.   

Of the 23 school districts selected, almost all are large with either 4A or 5A high schools.  Only four are smaller: White Oak ISD and Anderson-Shiro ISD, both 2A; Roscoe, which is 1A; and Guthrie, the smallest of all, which plays 6-man football but has a virtual school that offers Spanish courses to school districts all over the state.   

The High Performance Schools Consortium will work in four key areas: 1) improving digital learning, 2) establishing learning standards, 3) assessing student progress, and 4) increasing local control to give parents and communities more involvement in their students’ educations.



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ONE KILLED, FOUR INJURED IN MONDAY WRECK ON SNYDER HIGHWAY


Sigfrid L. Credo
Five high school seniors from Horn High School in Mesquite were thrown from their vehicle when it overturned on US 84 just north of Roscoe at about 2:30 on Monday afternoon.  They were returning home after a weekend visit to Texas Tech.

One, Sigfrid L. Credo, 18, died that evening after being airlifted to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene.  The drum major at Horn, he hoped to attend Tech after graduating. 

The others were his twin brother Roald Louis Credo, Scott Michael Hiney, Brandon Stewart, and Travis Wayne Tarlton.  The first three were taken by ambulance to Rolling Plains Hospital in Sweetwater, while Tarlton was flown to Hendrick in Abilene.  All are now in stable condition.     

The burgundy 2004 Volvo station wagon they were in overturned when the driver lost control and then overcorrected, causing the car to flip.  



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ROBERT MCBRIDE NAMED OUTSTANDING VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Robert McBride and his award.
Robert McBride, Nolan County’s Veterans Service Officer and Roscoe City Councilman, was presented the Outstanding Officer of the Year Award in Dallas last week at the 65th Annual Conference of the Veterans County Service Association of Texas.   

In two years, McBride has gone from being the newest County Veterans Service Officer in Texas—and the first ever accredited in Nolan County—to receiving the award at last week’s meeting.  The plaque reads as follows:

“Robert R. McBride, Nolan County Texas, West Texas Region, is presented the Outstanding Officer of the Year Award 2011-2012, In Recognition of Outstanding Achievement to the Veterans of the State of Texas, 65th Annual Conference, Veterans County Service Officers Association of Texas, September 18, 2012, Dallas, Texas.” 


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PLOWBOYS OPEN DISTRICT PLAY ON FRIDAY AGAINST BAIRD


After last week's open date, the Roscoe Plowboys will tackle the Baird Bears in Baird on Friday in their first district game of the season. 

Baird is 1-2 so far with an opening victory over Menard 28-13 followed by losses to De Leon 44-0 and Haskell 41-0.   This will also be their first district game.

Kickoff is at 7:30pm. 

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WEATHER REPORT

The weather this past week has been typical for September.  Skies were sunny with high temperatures at or slightly above ninety degrees and lows of around sixty. 

The forecast is for more of the same with a front moving in Thursday night, bringing with it slightly cooler temperatures and a 50% chance of rain on Friday.



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CITY TO HOLD “TRUNK OR TREAT’ EVENT DOWNTOWN ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27

For Halloween this year, the City of Roscoe is holding a “Trunk or Treat” downtown on Cypress Street between Broadway and Second Street.  Various local organizations will have cars parked along the curbs with open trunks full of goodies and treats for the kids.

Kids are encouraged to wear costumes and/or masks, and adults in costume will also be there.  The event will run from 3:00-5:00pm on Saturday, October 27. 

More details will be provided later.    For more information, call City Hall at 325-766-3871.



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VENDORS FOR WIND FESTIVAL ENCOURAGED TO REGISTER AT CITY HALL

Those who plan to be vendors at this year's West Texas Wind Festival in downtown Roscoe are encouraged to register at City Hall.  The registration deadline is October 16.

For more information, call City Hall at 325-766-3871.



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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

U. S. Senate Candidate Paul Sadler Visits Roscoe

Seated left to right: Roscoe City Councilman Robert McBride; Glenn Wortham, Executive Director of the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse; Tony Lara, Nolan County Commissioner, Precinct 4.  Standing left to right: Greg Wortham, Mayor of Sweetwater; U. S. Senate Candidate Paul Sadler; and Terry Willman, Nolan County Commissioner, Precinct 6. 
Paul Sadler was in town last week for lunch at the Lumberyard.  A Democrat and Member of the Texas House of Representatives for six terms, he is now running for the U. S. Senate against Republican Ted Cruz.

Texas Monthly magazine has named him one of Texas’ Ten Best Legislators on four different occasions, and the Dallas Morning News an “Outstanding Legislator” twice.  As former Chair of the House Public Education Committee, he has also earned the John B. Connally “Award for Excellence in Education.”

A guest of Sweetwater Mayor Greg Wortham and several other local dignitaries, he made a point of introducing himself to everyone in the Lumberyard during his brief stay in Roscoe.


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GENE WATSON TO HIGHLIGHT THIS YEAR’S WEST TEXAS WIND FESTIVAL


Gene Watson
At its meeting in the City Hall on Thursday, the Promotion Committee set plans for this year’s annual West Texas Wind Festival, and the show should be bigger than ever. 

The headliner for this year’s event is country music star Gene Watson.  Known in the music business as a “singer’s singer,” Gene Watson has been recording since the sixties and is looked up to by such younger stars as Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Womack, and Randy Travis.  


His recorded hits include “Fourteen Carat Mind,” “Love in the Hot Afternoon,” “Farewell Party,” “Memories to Burn,” “Got No Reason Now for Going Home,” and others. 

You can listen to him sing some of his hits by clicking here


The opening band for the evening will be the Tennessee Stiffs from Austin.

In addition to the free music show, there will be a Plowboy Mudbog at George Parks Field, food and craft vendors on Cypress and Broadway, a kid’s area with bounce houses, and a fireworks show.  


The Fire Department will also host a barbecue cookoff with a first place steak prize of $1500, donated by Fuller Foods of Colorado City, along with prize money for other categories. 

More details will be available after the Promotion Committee meets again on September 27.   Food and craft vendor applications are available at the City Hall.  For more information, call City Hall at 325-766-3871 or Kelly Etheredge at 325-725-0756.  For more cookoff information, call Gary Armstrong at 325-933-0318.

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WEATHER REPORT: RAIN    


The past week was one in which rain was on again and off again.  Last Thursday saw a general rainfall in the whole region with everyone getting something and most getting somewhere between a half-inch and an inch.  Then Saturday was cloudy, grey, and drizzly all day with most places getting another quarter-inch or so. 

Here in Roscoe, I got .6” on Thursday and .25” on Saturday for a total of .85”.  On the east side of town, Kenny Landfried got almost the same with an official total of .81” for both days.  North and east of town Jeremy Baker got an inch and Darrell Aljoe .8”.  Northwest of town Wastella got an inch and Kenny Landfried got .9” at his Cottonwood field.  Southwest of town Mike Massey also got .9”. 

The most I heard of was the two inches that fell on the Adams Ranch near Maryneal, and the inch and a half near Lake Trammell.  Then early yesterday morning it rained again southwest of town, with two inches falling three miles south of Champion.   The rest of the area, including Roscoe, missed out, though.

Temperatures were unseasonably cool for almost the entire week.  Highs were in the sixties on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  On Sunday, the temperature rose to 79°F and on Monday 84°, but yesterday got up only to 74°.  Lows were in the mid to high fifties, and mornings were cloudy and cool. 

The forecast is for a return to sunny skies and warmer temperatures.  The high today should be in the mid-eighties and around ninety for tomorrow and the days following.  Lows should be around sixty.  There is no rain in the forecast.  


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MILES DEFEATS PLOWBOYS 46-0

The Plowboys once again came up short with a loss Friday night to the Miles Bulldogs, who broke into the win column for the first time this year after two losses.  The final score was 46-0.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs pulled away in the second, scoring four touchdowns and tacking on a field goal on the last play of the half to go up 30-0 at halftime.

They scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter along with another field goal to go up 46-0.   The fourth quarter was once again scoreless as the Miles subs got some playing time.

For the evening, the Bulldogs racked up 471 yards rushing and 48 passing for a total of 519, while the Plowboys had 46 yards rushing and 46 passing for a total of 92.  

The Plowboys have an open date this week and will begin district play next week at Baird against the Bears.
 

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PLOWBOYS SET ALL-TIME RECORD FOR FUTILITY WITH LOSS TO MILES

Friday night’s game with Miles was memorable for two reasons:  1) It was the Plowboys’ first game ever on Plowboy Field’s new Astroturf; and 2) by losing the game, the Plowboys set a new all-time record for consecutive losses over a multi-year span. 

The Plowboys’ last victory came on November 10, 2010, with a 53-7 victory over the Rotan Yellowhammers.  The following week, they lost in the playoffs to Munday to finish the 2010 season.  Then last year, 2011, they were 0-10, and so far this year they are 0-3, which adds up to fourteen consecutive losses, a new record.

The previous record for consecutive losses was thirteen, first set in the mid-fifties by the ’53, ’54, and ’55 Plowboys.  The ’53 Plowboys lost their last two games, the ’54 Plowboys went 0-10, and the ’55 Plowboys lost their first game before breaking the streak in their second game with a 25-7 victory over Tuscola.  They then went on to go 5-5 for the year.

That string of thirteen consecutive losses was then tied by the ’89 and ’90 Plowboys.  The ’89 Plowboys lost their last three, and the ’90 Plowboys went 0-10 before the ’91 Plowboys broke the streak with a first-game victory over Forsan, 14-6. 

In a hundred years of football at Roscoe High (records begin in 1912), these are the all-time records for losing.  


Lone Star Football lists Roscoe’s all-time won-lost record at 519 victories, 365 losses, and 32 ties for an overall winning percentage of 60%.  

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Oil Field Activity Picks Up in Area


Drilling rig on the Davenport Ranch north of town in Fisher County.
Recent and planned activity by oil companies is fueling speculation that Roscoe and the surrounding area may be on the verge of an oil boom, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in decades, if ever. 

The rumors have been flying for a big part of this year, ever since the prices that oil companies pay local landowners for leases of mineral rights jumped to levels several times that of just a couple of years ago.  Three-year leases that formerly ran around $25-$50 per acre have jumped to $500-$600 per acre and include as much as 20%-23% royalties on producing wells. 

For some time, this area has been known to be sitting on sizeable reserves of oil and gas, but extracting it is not especially productive with traditional drilling methods.  However, recent improvements in horizontal drilling, known as “fracking”,* seem to be perfect for the local situation, and the current boom in the Midland-Odessa area may soon be extending eastward.

As a result, the Texas Railroad Commission has seen a recent increase in the number of drilling permits requested and approved for this area.

The oil field here, known as the Cline Shale formation, is on the eastern shelf of the Permian Basin and includes Nolan, Mitchell, Scurry, and Fisher counties.  Its major players are Devon Energy and its partner, Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, which recently bought 30% of Devon’s interest in west Texas fields for $1.4 billion.  


Devon will be the operator in their Cline Shale ventures, and Sumitomo will be the major financier, covering 80% of the drilling costs.  In April, Devon Energy announced plans to drill fifteen wells this year in the Cline Shale.

Other operators include Abraxas, Energen, Pioneer Natural Resources, Berry Petroleum, and Gulfport Energy.

Drilling has already begun with more on the way.  There are currently two horizontal wells underway on the Davenport Ranch north of Roscoe in Fisher County, plus one on the Spires Ranch and two on the 69 Ranch, all near Maryneal.  There may be more, but these are the ones I know about. 

I am told that the success of these first wells will largely determine the amount and speed of subsequent drilling in this area.  Only time will tell how this all plays out.
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* “Fracking,” short for hydraulic fracturing, involves pumping water into a well to create or enlarge cracks in rocks deep in the earth to force them further open.  This allows more oil and gas to be extracted. 

The process requires large amounts of water, which drillers are willing to pay top dollar for, and certain area landowners have already begun or will soon begin creating fresh water pits, which they fill with water from their existing wells and sell to the drillers.  

Environmentalists complain about fracking, its waste, and the potential for ground water contamination, but Allan Frizzell, district vice president for the Texas Oil & Gas Association, says that the depth of the proposed wells in the Cline Shale, 5000-7000 feet, means that groundwater resources will be safe.

 

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IRION COUNTY DISPATCHES PLOWBOYS 40-0

Irion County celebrated its homecoming with a 40-0 destruction of the Plowboys in Mertzon on Friday night.
 

The Plowboys were out of the game from the outset as Irion County scored on two of its first three offensive plays.  The Hornets’ Logan McGee returned the opening kickoff 77 yards to the Plowboy 10-yard line, and Dontae Harris ran it in from there on the first play from scrimmage. Two extra points followed and the score was 8-0. 

After the ensuing kickoff, the Plowboys had a three-and-out and punted.  The Hornets took over on the Plowboy 30, and on the next play freshman Reb Sullenger ran it in for another TD, and the rout was on. 

By the end of the first quarter, the score was 20-0, and by halftime it was 34-0.  The Hornets made another TD in the third quarter to close out the scoring, as the fourth quarter was a scoreless affair played by the subs, just like last week when the Plowboys played De Leon. 

For the evening, the Plowboys had a total of 8 yards rushing on 24 carries. The passing game was a little better with 96 yards.  Out of 24 attempts, 15 were completed and 2 were intercepted.  Irion County totaled 259 yards rushing and 79 passing.  

The Plowboys will play their first game on the new Astroturf of Plowboy Field on Friday night against the Miles Bulldogs.

Kickoff is at 7:30pm.


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U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE PAUL SADLER AT LUMBERYARD TODAY

Paul Sadler
Sweetwater Mayor Greg Wortham will host U. S. Senate Candidate Paul Sadler at lunch today in the Lumberyard, and the public is invited to come by and meet Sadler there. 

Sadler, a former teacher and Democrat who is running against Ted Cruz in the upcoming election, has served as the leader of the multi-state Wind Coalition and, according to the Sweetwater Reporter, played an important role in bringing development to this area through wind energy projects and transmission infrastructure.

He is a former state legislator and Chair of the House Public Education Committee.

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VP TIRE & SERVICE TO CELEBRATE FIRST ANNIVERSARY WITH FREE SANDWICHES


VP Tire & Service on E. Broadway
VP Tire & Service on 702 E. Broadway will be celebrating the completion of its first year of business on Monday, September 17, by giving away free brisket sandwiches to show  appreciation to its many customers. 
 

The sandwiches will come with chips and a drink and will be available between 11:00am-2:00pm.   For more information, contact David Pantoja at 325-280-1917.


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WEATHER REPORT

Last Friday was a day of extremes.  Continuing the triple-digit weather of last week, its high was 103°F, but then a norther with high winds arrived that evening, and the temperature dropped to a cool 59°.  The high on Saturday was only 76°. 

Since then it has slowly warmed back up.  Yesterday’s high was 93°, and today should be about the same.  However, another front is on the way which should arrive tomorrow afternoon sometime.  It will bring another drop in temperatures and a 60% chance of thunderstorms.

The weekend should be cool and clear with a high on Saturday in the seventies and on Sunday around eighty.  Lows should be around sixty.



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 † HAZEL MAY DUNLAP

Graveside services for Hazel May Dunlap, 93, formerly of Roscoe, were held at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 7, at the Roscoe Cemetery. She died last Wednesday, September 5, in Colorado City.

Hazel May Hobbs was born May 25, 1919, in DeQueen, Arkansas, and married J.C. Dunlap on February 2, 1951, in Clovis, New Mexico. She was a homemaker and a Baptist.

Survivors include her son, Terry Barrington & wife Angie of Katy; daughter, Janis Inman & husband Wyndell of Colorado City; sisters, Jo Stautzenberger of Hereford, Fannie Utley of Sweetwater, and Sally Harrington of Snyder; 31 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 1985, her parents, Henry & Geneva Richardson Hobbs, three brothers, five sisters, and three great-grandchildren. 



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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

What’s That Flag in the Cotton Field?

The flag in the cotton field about a mile east of Roscoe.
In past week or so, I’ve been asked by more than one person about the flag flying on a flagpole out in a cotton field east of town.  Visible from the highway, it is just west of US 84 near where it joins I-20. 

The flag itself, with seven white stars in a circle on a blue field next to three bars—red on top and bottom and white in the middle—was one that neither I nor others immediately recognized. 

So, for a while none of us knew what it was for or what it represented.  But then I got an e-mail a couple of days ago from a person I don’t know.  Its subject heading was Cotton Field Flag, but it had no personal message—just an illustration of that same flag and some accompanying text explaining that it was the original flag of the Confederacy.

Then someone told me that the flagpole was in Tim Kerby’s field, so I phoned him to find out what the deal was.  It turns out that he is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the soldiers of the Confederacy—and they are the ones who put up the flagpole.  

The original flag of that design flew over Fort Sumter when the war broke out and was the Confederate flag until 1863—with more stars being added as more states joined the Confederacy.   But it was largely replaced by the more familiar red flag with stars in an x pattern, the one popularly referred to as the “Stars and Bars” and more commonly thought of today as the Confederate flag.  


The change was made so soldiers could more easily distinguish their flag from the Union flag during battles. 

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DE LEON ROLLS OVER PLOWBOYS 38-6

Plowboys converge on De Leon ball carrier.
It was a long night for Plowboy fans at Mustang Bowl in Sweetwater on Thursday evening as the De Leon Bearcats kicked off the Sammy Baugh classic with a decisive 38-6 victory over Roscoe.  
 

The cards were stacked against the Plowboys before the game ever got underway with two team leaders, quarterback Luke Rovig and fullback/linebacker Landon Jones, watching from the sidelines, both out with injuries. 

Even so, the game began on a depressing note as the Bearcats came out fired up and ready to play, blowing the Plowboys off the line and running through tackles to jump out to a quick 15-0 first-quarter lead. 

The second quarter was the Plowboys’ best showing of the night as the offense found its passing game.  Sophomore quarterback Cutter Davila showed a lot of promise with his ability to scramble, find, and hit his receivers, primarily Chris Deleon and Jesus Leanos.  One Plowboy drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Davila to Deleon, and another saw the Plowboys move all the way down the field from their own 8 to deep in Bearcat territory before turning the ball over on downs. 

The defense, aided by a recovered fumble and a couple of key penalties, regained its composure and held De Leon scoreless until the last play of the half, when the Bearcat kicker made a 38-yard field goal to make the halftime score 18-6.

The third quarter, however, marked by Plowboy miscues and poor tackling, was an unmitigated disaster.  De Leon took over the game and cruised to a 38-6 lead. 

The Bearcats sent in the subs for a scoreless fourth quarter, which was an afterthought for both teams. For the game, De Leon rolled up 471 rushing yards and had a 45-yard TD punt return. 

Despite the lopsided loss, the Plowboys have something to build on with the emergence of their passing game.  The line blocked well enough for the receivers to run their patterns and Davila to find them.  Moreover, Davila is pretty accurate, and the primary receivers can get open and make the catches.  Also, a couple of the new players, such as freshman Vincent Pantoja, showed some promise and should get better as the season progresses.

However, the defense has got to improve quickly if the Plowboys are going to be competitive.  Both the first and third quarters were marked by lackluster and inept tackling.

Hopefully, they can make some needed corrections before Friday night when they take on Irion County in Mertzon.  The Hornets are 1-0 after coming from behind to beat Roby 30-20 in the Mustang Bowl on Saturday.

Kickoff is at 7:30pm.


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NEW BED & BREAKFAST AND STORAGE UNITS GOING UP

The Plowboy Center on Broadway at Bois d'Arc Street.
If you live in Roscoe, you can’t have helped but notice the new building going up at 1000 Broadway, just across the street from the Community Center.  Tom and Max (née Maxine Althof) Watt, both Roscoe alumni who now live in Clovis, NM, are building what they call the Plowboy Center. 

In front is what will be a 1400 square foot bed & breakfast, and behind it a fourteen-unit self-storage facility, two garages, and a 12’ x 40’ covered patio.  The bed & breakfast will be fully furnished for short-term rentals, although Tom and Max say it will be a “Plowboy Bed & Breakfast,” where guests make their own bed and their own breakfast.   

They also say the covered patio will be available to the city if needed during major downtown events, and the bed & breakfast can also be used as an extension to the Community Center. 

They hope the facility will be finished in time for use during the Wind Festival on October 20.   In the future they hope also to build a similar structure just to the west with either more self-storage units or three to four small apartments, depending upon need.


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ROSCOE SHOW PIG SALE SET FOR OCTOBER 20

Show pigs on display at last year's Nolan County Stock Show.
Allen Richburg, Cullen Presley, and others have scheduled a major show-pig sale at the Roscoe FFA Ag Barn on Saturday, October 20, the same day as the West Texas Wind Festival.  Over twenty breeders will each be bringing from one to six barrows and gilts from locations all over Texas as well as Oklahoma, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  There will be a total of 100 to 120 July and August show pigs of various breeds for sale.

The Sale Order Show will start at 1:00pm with Reggie Spencer of Colorado City as judge.  The auction will begin at 7:00pm with opening bids set at $200. 

The Roscoe FFA Chapter will run the concession stand. 

The sale will be an excellent opportunity for anyone with kids who are planning to show pigs for the upcoming stock show year.  For more information, consult the Roscoe Show Pig Sale Facebook page, or contact Allen Richburg at 325-236-5666 or Cullen Presley at 325-338-2457. 


On Monday, October 8, there will also be the 21st Annual West Texas Rehab Benefit Pig Sale to raise money for the West Texas Rehab Center in Abilene.  It will be held at 7:00pm in the Wylie FFA Barn.  Breeders who would like to donate pigs to the sale should contact Allen Richburg at 325-236-5666 or Denny Heathcott at 325-754-5610.  For more information, go to the West Texas Rehab Benefit Pig Sale Facebook page

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WEATHER REPORT

It’s been sunny, hot, and dry without even a threat of precipitation.  The highs Monday and yesterday reached 100°F.  Lows were in the seventies. 

The near outlook is for more of the same.  Today’s high should be around 103°, tomorrow’s 101°, and Friday’s 102° with lows in the mid-seventies.  On Friday night a norther is supposed to blow in, bringing a 20% chance of rain and taking nightly lows down into the sixties.  Saturday and Sunday’s highs will be in only the eighties.  


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† VELA HALL ALEXANDER EVANS

Vela Evans, 95, died Thursday, August 30, at Hendrick Hospice in Abilene.  Graveside services were held on Sunday in Restland Cemetery in Gatesville.

Vela Hall was born January 26, 1917, in Coryell County and grew up near Crawford.  After graduating from Crawford High, she went to Tarleton State and graduated in 1936.  She married William Riley Alexander on April 18, 1937.  They farmed in McLennan County before moving to Wastella in 1943. Mr. Alexander was killed in a farming accident in 1963.

From 1957 to 1968 she worked at Anthony’s in Sweetwater and the ASCS offices in Colorado City and Sweetwater.  She was then Roscoe’s Postmaster until1974, when she married Herbert S. Evans.  They lived in Friona, Marion, and New Braunfels.  Mr. Evans died in June 1995, and in December of that year, she returned to Roscoe.  In 2001, she moved to assisted living at Hoyt House in Sweetwater. 

Survivors include two daughters, Elizabeth Ostlund of Sweetwater and Virginia Williams and husband Larry of Roscoe; one sister, Mrs. Edna Beth Beckelhymer and husband Roy of Austin; one brother, Halbert Weldon Hall and wife, Betty, of Bryan; two stepsons, Jim Evans of Yelapa, Mexico and Carl Evans of San Antonio, Texas; two stepdaughters, Elna Morton and husband Larry of Erie, PA, and Nancy Matz and husband Jack, of McKinney; four grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; six great-grandchildren; four step great-grandchildren; two nephews and eight nieces, including Mrs. Letha Boston of Roscoe and Rebecca Gracey of Albuquerque, NM.

Memorials may be given to favorite charities or Hendrick Hospice Care, 1682 Hickory Street Abilene, Texas, 79601.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.mccoyfh.com.


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† JACKIE LEE FITTS

Jackie Lee Fitts, 77, passed away last Wednesday, August 29, at the Midland Hospice in Midland.  Graveside services were held on Friday, August 31, at Sunset Memorial Gardens of Odessa. 

He was born July 13, 1935, to Jack and Dorothy Fitts of Roscoe.  He grew up here and graduated from Roscoe High in 1953.  He then entered the Army and was stationed in Korea, Italy, and Germany over the next thirteen years, serving as a warrant officer in a missile battery.  Upon discharge and return to west Texas, he worked for EDI and later became a partner in ESI Supply of Midland.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Richard Greg Fitts.

He is survived by his wife, Jan; his daughter, Sherrill Fitts Wells and husband Shane of Odessa; Jeff Freeman and wife Karen, Eric Freeman and wife Paula, of Odessa, and Leslie Parry of New Orleans; his sister, Kay Posey of Midland; seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.


Online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.

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