Suzie Alford Joins City Council

City Attorney Zollie Steakley swears in Suzie Alford.

At its monthly meeting last night, Roscoe’s City Council got a new member, Suzie Alford, when she was sworn in by City Attorney Zollie Steakley.

Alford taught third grade at  Roscoe Elementary School for 27 years and is a lifelong Roscoe resident.  A graduate of Roscoe High School, she earned her bachelor's degree at Howard Payne.  

She was also the main fundraiser for the Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway historical marker now standing in Memorial Park.

She ran unopposed for the Council seat to replace Ken Brawley, whose term expired this year.  Others serving on the City Council include Mayor Pete Porter, Robert McBride, Helen Perry, Christi Beal, and Virgil Pruitt.

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LAUNDRY EXPRESS NOW OPEN BEHIND RETTA MAE’S

The Laundry Express.

Roscoe’s newest business, the Laundry Express, owned and operated by Gwen Boyd, opened last week.  Located just behind Retta Mae’s Restaurant at the intersection of S. Main Street and I-20, it is open from 7:30am-8:00pm Monday through Friday, and 8:00am-2:00pm on Saturday. 

The business does full laundry service including ironing and starching.  The washing equipment uses true-steam technology to leave clothing and other laundered items virtually wrinkle-free.  Allergen removal cycles are available as are special procedures for washing extremely dirty or greasy items.

Charge for laundry is by weight, $1.75 per pound.  Pickup and delivery in Roscoe and Sweetwater are available for $5. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place tomorrow morning, June 13, at 10:00am.

For more information, call 325-236-2772.

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CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PLAT FOR PHASE 1 OF THE YOUNG FARM ESTATES ADDITION

Phase 1 of the Young Farm Estates Addition (Click image to enlarge).

At last night's meeting, the City Council reviewed and approved the plat for Phase 1 of the Young Farm Estates, the proposed residential addition located east of FM 608 in north Roscoe and just south of the new lift station.

The property will comprise seventy lots, most of them 110’ x 60’ or 120’ x 60’ with a few slightly larger.  There will be two streets, Tom Dobbins Drive and James Wells Drive, as well as two connecting lanes, Iona Way and Lady Lane.

In other Council business, CPA Ricky Bowman presented the 2012 City Audit, which was approved by the Council; Robert McBride was appointed the City’s Mayor Pro-Tem; and City Manager Cody Thompson gave the Council updates on current public works, including water and sewer.

 

Police Chief Felix Pantoja announced that the Roscoe Police Department and Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor a presentation in the Community Center on Thursday, June 20, at 7:00pm, which will inform the public about weather alerts and public weather awareness.

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GUNFIRE, POLICE CAR CHASE MARK SATURDAY NIGHT INCIDENT

If you thought you heard gunshots in Roscoe between 10:30 and 11:00 Saturday night, you weren’t mistaken.  An incident, which began at a large gathering in the Community Center for a birthday party, resulted in shots fired on Fourth and Cypress, followed by an extended car chase involving several local law enforcement units and culminating less than a half hour later on I-20 west of Loraine with the arrest of the alleged perpetrator, Raul Martinez Rodriguez, 28.
 
The trouble began in the Community Center, when Rodriguez and another man who had previously had trouble with one another got into an argument and were asked to leave.  They did so, but apparently met up again at Fourth and Cypress, where the trouble resumed and several shots were fired. 

As Roscoe Deputy Police Officer Les Soles arrived to investigate, Rodriguez fled the scene in his white 2005 GMC pickup, driving first to Main, where he headed north to Front Street, then across the tracks at Cypress to FM 608, then to US 84 east, where he proceeded onto I-20 west at high speed. 

Officer Soles, who was in hot pursuit, notified other law enforcement officers from the Nolan County Sheriff’s Department, the DPS, and the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Department.  The chase on I-20, which involved speeds exceeding 100mph, ended near Mile 221 between Loraine and Colorado City when the white pickup struck traffic spikes set out by the DPS and Mitchell County officers, deflating the tires and forcing Rodriguez to stop.  He was then arrested and taken into custody. 

During the chase, Rodriguez threw his 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol out the window.  It was found beside the highway the next day.  He has been charged with aggravated assault and evading arrest.  At the minimum, he will most likely face deportation to Mexico, where he is from.

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JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ RETURNS TO ROSCOE SATURDAY NIGHT

Johnny Rodriguez at the Lumberyard last summer.

Country music star Johnny Rodriguez, who played to a large audience at the Lumberyard last July, is returning for an encore performance this Saturday night, June 15, starting at 9:30. 

His former number one hits on the country chart include “You Always Come Back to Hurting Me,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” “Just Get Up and Close the Door,” and “Love Put a Song in My Heart.”

He was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and last year released a new album, “Johnny Rodriguez: Live from Texas.”

The cover charge is $10.  For more information, call the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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CITY PREPARES FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY, JULY 6

Landon Dodd & the Dancehall Drifters will headline the free concert.

Organizers of the Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, July 6, once again have a big event-filled day planned.  

As it has in the past, the day will begin with a parade down Broadway at 10:00am and will then go non-stop until the fireworks show at around 9:30pm. Street vendors and food stands will line Cypress, Broadway and Old Town Park, and there will be a kid’s play area with bounce houses and other inflatables.  The Plowboy Mudbog will once again be at the baseball field, and live music on Cypress Street will begin at 5:00pm and continue until the fireworks show.

The Independence Day Parade

The parade down Broadway will begin at 10:00am with the line-up at 9:30.  If you wish to participate or need more information, contact parade organizer Valerie Pruitt at 325-338-4666.

The Plowboy Mudbog

The Plowboy Mudbog will take place as usual at the George Parks Field at Second and Sycamore.  Registration for participants is at 9:30am, the public gate will open at 11:00am, and competition begins at noon.

Admission is free for kids 7 and under, $2 for ages 9-14, and $5 for 15 and up.  The driver entry fee is $30.  All proceeds go to benefit the Roscoe Little League.

This year’s competition is shaping up to be the biggest and baddest yet.  For more information, visit the Plowboy Mudbog Facebook Page.  

The Free Concert and Street Dance

Live music will begin at 5:00pm and at about 8:00pm, this year's headliners, Landon Dodd and the Dancehall Drifters, will take the stage and play until the fireworks show at around 9:30pm.  If you like traditional country music, you’ll enjoy Dodd and his band, who have gained a large following of fans who love dance music with an emphasis on the fiddle and steel guitar.

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WEATHER REPORT: RAIN

Maybe it was the dry planting that did it but, for whatever reason, it rained this past week—twice.  The first was last Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, and the second was in the predawn hours of Sunday morning.

The first rain came in two stages separated by a couple of hours.  In the first stage, at my home in the middle of town, I got a total of .54” and in the second .6” for a total of 1.14”.  Lyndall Underwood on the western end of Roscoe had a total of 1.6”, and Kenny Landfried on Roscoe’s east end got 1.16”. Avenger Field, four miles east of town, got only .56”.  The first stage did have a few hailstones, but they were not big enough to hurt anything and didn’t last long.  There were, however, high winds with gusts of over 50mph that blew down tree limbs all over town. 

The second rain came early Sunday morning with enough lightning and loud thunder to rattle the windows and wake up everybody in town.  The rain, however, fell relatively slowly, and, unlike the rain three days earlier, was not accompanied by any hail.  I got .98”, Lyndall Underwood had 1.11”, and Kenny Landfried 1.17”, while Avenger Field got only .22”. 

The outlook for the rest of the week and weekend is for typical west Texas summer weather—sunny skies, highs in the nineties, and lows in the seventies. 

There is no rain in the forecast.

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