City Hires New Full-Time Police Officer

Officer Steven Spencer

The City of Roscoe now has a new full-time police officer.  He is Steven Spencer, originally from Sulphur Springs, who comes to Roscoe after two and a half years duty for the Quitman Police Department in east Texas.  He was sworn in by City Secretary Donna Parker on Monday and is already on the job.

He was selected from an array of candidates by Roscoe Police Chief Felix Pantoja as the applicant with the best credentials for the position.  Besides his work with the Quitman Police, Spencer has been in law enforcement since 2008 and before that worked for several years as a paramedic and firefighter.

His move to west Texas comes after his wife Lisa, a radiological technician, accepted a position with the Texas Department of Health’s office near Dyess Air Force Base.  The Spencers have four children, ages 16, 13, 10, and 6.  They are not sure yet where they’ll be living as they are still looking for a place to live.    

Roscoe’s part-time police officer, Les Soles, has now retired.  The City’s reserve officer, who can be called upon when needed, is Barry Thomas of Sweetwater. 

Police Chief Pantoja also reports that District Attorney Ann Reed has provided the Roscoe Police Department with $10,000 from drug seizures for a new officer’s in-car computer and a new video system for Pantoja’s patrol car to replace the old one, which was broken and no long usable.

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NICE CROWD ENJOYS THANKSGIVING DINNER AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Community Center. (Photos courtesy of Robert McBride)

The Thanksgiving Dinner at the Community Center last Thursday was a big success.  Besides providing a venue for Thanksgiving Dinner for many people who might otherwise have gone without, the food was good, those attending had a good time, and the donations amounted to $400. 

The money, along with the profits recently made from the Community Center tamale sale, will be used to repair and upgrade the Community Center’s restrooms.

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COMMUNITY CENTER TO HOST TWO FREE MOVIES SATURDAY EVENING

In remembrance of the Day of Infamy on December 7, 1941, the Community Center will show the movie Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck, on Saturday evening, December 7 at 8:30pm.  That movie will be preceded by one for the kids, Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter, which will begin at 6:00pm.

Admission to both is free of charge, but don’t forget to bring some money for the concession stand as drinks, candy, and snacks will be available.

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PLOWGIRLS STOP LADY GORILLAS 51-34

Selena Perez (32) takes a shot against Trent.

If any of the Plowgirls ate too much turkey on Thanksgiving, you’d never know it by the way they played last night as they outhustled a scrappy Trent team to win by a margin of 17 points.  The Plowgirls led all the way, jumping out to a 13-8 first quarter lead and then leading at halftime by nine, 23-14.  They increased their lead to 36-20 at the end of three, and then finished off the Lady Gorillas in the fourth for a 51-34 victory.

High scorer for the Plowgirls was Eva Aguayo with 17 points.  Selena Perez and Sunshine Saddler both had 8 points, Samantha Ortega 6, Shelby Brown and Whitney Williams both had 4, and Aston Payne and Mia Herrera both had 2.

The Plowgirls are now 4-2 on the year.  Next up is the Highland Tournament, which runs from Thursday through Saturday.  The Highland girls are ranked number one in the state for Class 1A-II in the TABC (Texas Association of Basketball Coaches) poll, so folks can look forward to some good basketball there this weekend.

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GORILLAS MAUL PLOWBOYS 54-42

Kevin Lavalais (12) shoots from the corner.

It wasn’t a pretty game in the RCHS Special Events Center last night.  After jumping out to a 13-8 first-quarter lead over Trent, the Plowboys still seemed to have the game in hand at halftime as they had played well and maintained a 22-20 lead.  

However, the third quarter was a disaster, as the Plowboys managed only 6 points the entire quarter while the Gorillas racked up a total of 25 to go ahead 45-28.  The Plowboys outscored Trent 14-9 in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late as the Gorillas went on to win the game handily by a final score of 54-42.

Jesus Leanos was high scorer for the Plowboys with 25 points.  Anthony Ortega made 7 points, Luis Villa 4, and Kevin Lavalais and Javier Leanos both had 3.

The Plowboys will next play in the Highland Tournament, which runs from Thursday to Saturday.

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WEATHER REPORT: PRETTY NOW BUT BATTEN THE HATCHES

The contrast of this past week's weather with the ice storm and high winds of the week before was typical for west Texas.  Skies were blue and the temperatures balmy in comparison to what we had just been through.  The highs on Saturday and Sunday were in the sixties, on Monday the temperature climbed to 70°F, and yesterday it went all the way to 79° with a low last night of 58°.

Today should be more of the same with another high in the mid to upper seventies.  Unfortunately, that will all change late tonight as another killer cold front arrives.  The entire Big Country is under another Winter Storm Watch starting tomorrow afternoon and continuing through Friday.  The low tonight should be in the mid-thirties as winds shift to the northeast, and there is a 40% chance of rain after midnight.

Tomorrow will bring a 60% chance of freezing rain and sleet, and the northeast winds will blow 15-25mph.  The low tomorrow night should be around 16° with a wind chill of -1° to 5°.  On Friday there is a 20% chance of snow with highs in the upper twenties and a low Friday night of around 16°.  Saturday will be like Friday with similar temperatures and a 20% chance of sleet or frozen rain.

On Sunday the skies should clear with temperatures forecast to rise into the upper thirties with a low Sunday night in the upper twenties.  Monday and Tuesday are currently predicted to be about the same as Sunday—sunny but still quite cold.

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† DOROTHY HELEN WHISENANT BROUGHTON

Dorothy Helen Whisenant-Broughton, 79 of Converse, LA, passed away on Wednesday, November 27. A native of Roscoe, “Dotty” spent the majority of her life in Sweetwater and Abilene.

The eldest daughter of Sam and Lena Whisenant of Roscoe, she is survived by her sister, Floy Nell Gayle of Colorado City and husband Richard; brother Sonny Whisenant of Jacquin, Texas, and wife Judy and her two daughters, Teresa Broughton Rodgers of Converse and husband Thomas Sr., and Susan Broughton-Radosh of Cypress (Houston) and husband Chris.  Other surviving family members are a niece, Karri McNamara of Arlington and husband Michael, and nephew Alan Waddell of Pittsburg, Texas, and wife Mona.  She had five grandchildren, Gloria Rodgers of Converse, Thomas Rodgers, Jr. of Ft. Worth, Joey Ronemus of Ft. Worth, Sophia Cox (Ronemus) of Arlington, and Stephanie Rodgers of Downey, CA, and five great-grandchildren.

Plans for a memorial service in West Texas are pending.

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† ELVIRA GARZA CABALLERO

Elvira Garza Caballero, 86, died on Sunday, November 24, at Nolan Nursing and Rehab in Sweetwater.  Holy Mass of Christian Burial was at 2:00pm on Friday, November 29, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church with interment following at Roscoe Cemetery.

Ms. Caballero was born in Goliad on March 28, 1927. In 1946, she married Francisco “Frank” Caballero in Sinton. She was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.

Survivors include sons Raymond Caballero of Hutto, and Manuel Caballero, Martin Jimenez, Frank Caballero, and Eddie Garza, all of Sweetwater; daughters Vera White of Lubbock, Patsy Palos of Garland, and Lupita Caballero, Suzie Garza, and Adella Soto all of Sweetwater, and  Frances Villegas of Roscoe; 25 Grandchildren; 15 Great-Grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Caballero on May 13, 2009, her parents, and her son, John Caballero.

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