Twenty-One RCHS Seniors Graduate Saturday

The RCHS Class of 2014. (Photo courtesy of Shelly Williams)

A chapter of life closed for twenty-one Roscoe Collegiate High School Seniors as they received their diplomas and successfully completed their high school careers in the Special Events Center on Saturday evening.  Even more impressive is the fact that seventeen of them had already received their Associate’s Degree from Western Texas College in a ceremony held on May 9, and two others are early graduates. 

Valedictorian of the Class of 2014 is Eva Aguayo, who had an overall grade average of 99.58.  Salutatorian is Whitney Williams with an overall average of 99.47.
   

RCHS students who graduated with an Associate's Degree from WTC. (Photo courtesy of Shelly Williams)

Here is the Class of 2014:

           Eva Aguayo A *
           Tito Arce A *
           Valerie Avalos A
           Paul Ballenger
           Shelby Brown A
           Jacinda Cedillo A
           Amber Craig A *
           Jacob Cuellar E
           Rene Diaz A *
           Dillon Freeman A
           Brittany Green A
           Shelby Higgins A *
           Jesus Leanos A
           Zackary Longoria A *
           Harlene Mraz A
           Alejandro Solis T
           Chance Overton E
           Ashton Payne A *
           Adam Pope A *
           Shelton Toliver A *
           Whitney Williams A *

           A = Associate’s Degree from WTC
           T = Certificate from TSTC
           * = Top Ten
           E = Early Graduate

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SCOTT ETHEREDGE IS NAMED CONSERVATION FARMER OF THE YEAR

Volney Hough presents the conservation award to Scott Etheredge (right) at the Area Awards Banquet in Wall on May 6.

Scott Etheredge, who lives northwest of Roscoe, has been named the Nolan County SWCD (Soil and Water Conservation District) Conservation Farmer of the Year 2013.  Like his father, Cliff, and grandfather, Pete Etheredge, he is always looking for ways to improve farming, mainly through conservation. 

He has found that no single method of farming works for all the lands he farms, so he employs the “no till” method in some places, the “strip till” and “ridge till” in others. 

Three hundred of the 3000 acres he farms are irrigated with three pivots and one drip system.  One of the pivots has an inadequate water supply, so to help feed it water, he has dredged a natural seep to improve water retention and lowered a pump to the deepest part.   

Etheredge was recognized in an October 2012 Farmer-Stockman article by J. T. Smith for capturing rainwater to use in his spray rig.  Double gutters on the barn and a single gutter on a shed fill two 12,000 gallon storage tanks that are connected with an underground pipe.  He keeps the system clean and uses the rainwater for field work.  He also collects rainwater off his house to irrigate the flowerbeds with a soaker hose and the yard with a French drain.

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EVA AGUAYO RECEIVES BIG COUNTRY STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD

Eva Aguayo (right) at the Regional Track Meet.

Plowgirl Eva Aguayo was one of 52 area athletes selected by the Abilene Reporter-News as Best of the Big Country Student-Athletes of the Week this past school year at an awards dinner Saturday at the Teague Special Events Center on the Abilene Christian University campus. 

The 52 student-athletes were nominated by their coaches for their leadership, character, teamwork, and on-field performance.  They were then voted on by a selection committee comprised of Reporter-News staff and select members of the community.

The award was created to draw attention to those representing their programs in a positive way on and off the field.  Twenty-six high schools were represented among the 52 athletes honored.

Eva was not only the 2014 class valedictorian but also a member of the Plowgirls’ relay team that won silver and bronze medals at the state track and field championships as well as a frequent high scorer on the Plowgirls’ basketball team that made it to the regional playoffs.

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 “FLIP FLOPS & TANK TOPS” BENEFIT SHOW AT LUMBERYARD SATURDAY

Whiskey Myers is the headline act for "Flip Flops & Tank Tops."

The Lumberyard will be doing its part for autism Saturday when it hosts the Third Annual “Flip Flops & Tank Tops” concert, an afternoon and evening affair that kicks off at 3:00pm and goes until midnight.  Sponsored by Backroads Music LLC of Snyder, proceeds will benefit the Hope Center for Autism.

Show times for the various singers and bands are as follows:

     Beau Taylor – 3:00-3:45
     Ryan Ready & Creed Fisher – 4:00-5:15
     Sundance Head – 5:30-6:45
     Zach Edwards – 7:00-8:00
     Mark McKinney – 8:15-9:30
     Whiskey Myers – 10:00-12:00

Cover charge is $20.  For more information, call the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WEATHER REPORT: DRY

I actually saw some rain last week, but it was in Chicago, so I guess that doesn’t really count.  Here in Roscoe I heard we got a sprinkle last weekend, but that was it.  The area remains in dire need of moisture, and we may just get some this weekend.  At least, there’s a chance. 

Last Saturday’s high of 84° was a break from the ninety degree weather we had otherwise.  However, Sunday, Monday, and yesterday all had highs in the nineties with yesterday’s 97° the high temperature for the week.  Lows have been in the sixties.

The forecast for the next five days is for highs in the eighties and lows in the sixties.  Meteorologists are giving tomorrow night a 20% chance of precipitation increasing to 30% Friday night, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Saturday night.  On Sunday, the chances drop to 30% during the day and 20% Sunday night.  Here’s hoping that somewhere in that stretch we get something substantial.

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