Casey Donahew, Asleep at the Wheel at Lumberyard This Weekend

Casey Donahew and Band.

It’s another big weekend at the Lumberyard.  On Friday, popular Texas Country singer Casey Donahew makes his debut in Roscoe, and on Saturday, nine-time Grammy Award winners Asleep at the Wheel return for an encore performance.

Singer and songwriter Casey Donahew, originally from Burleson, began his singing career in 2002 and since then has built up a large fan following on the Texas bar circuit.  His Texas Country style is similar to that of Pat Green, Randy Rogers, and Robert Earl Keen.  His six CDs include one live and five studio albums, including Moving On, Double-Wide Dream, and Standoff.  Popular singles include “One Star Flag,” “White Trash Story,” “Double-Wide Dream,” “Small Town Love,” “Let Me Love You,” and “Whiskey Baby.”

Asleep at the Wheel

Appearing on Saturday evening are nine-time Grammy Award winners Asleep at the Wheel.  Led by Ray Benson, who also hosts the television series Texas Music Scene, the group has been a fixture of Texas music since the seventies, appearing on Austin City Limits a record ten times.  They have been named the Best Country Music Band by Rolling Stone magazine, toured Europe, performed for George and Laura Bush, and appeared in the movies Roadie and Wild Texas Wind.  They are members of the Texas Music Hall of Fame and have received numerous other major awards.  Their western swing music always brings out the dancers, and tunes like “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and others always make for a fun evening.

For reservations and more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WHITNEY WILLIAMS HONORED AT TEXAS TECH

Whitney Williams is inducted into ΒΓΣ, business honor society at Texas Tech.

Whitney Williams, daughter of Wes and Shelly Williams who was salutatorian of last year’s graduating class at RCHS and also a state silver medalist on the Plowgirls’ 4 x 400 relay team, has just received another honor, this time from the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech.

She has been inducted into ΒΓΣ (Beta Gamma Sigma), the international honor society for business students.  Membership requirements include that a student must be in the top 10% of a bachelors or masters business program and they are inducted toward the end of their degree program.  Whitney is already a senior at Tech.  While membership is highly selective, Beta Gamma Sigma is the largest alumni group in the world for graduates of business programs. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and a major emphasis is to foster ethical business leadership.  

Congratulations, Whitney!

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CALEB WARD FINISHES THIRD AT STATE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY SPEECH CONTEST

RCHS had three students participating in the 14th Annual TAPT (Texas Association for Pupil Transportation) State Speech Contest in Waco on Monday.  They were Cutter Davila, Caleb Ward, and Murissa Horton.  Caleb Ward finished in third place, which came with a $200 scholarship.

Congratulations to all three for advancing to the state finals, and congratulations to Caleb, who finished third!

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2015 RCHS MASQUERADE PROM AT COMMUNITY CENTER SATURDAY EVENING

The 2015 RCHS Masquerade Prom for grades 9-12 will be from 8-12pm on Saturday at the Roscoe Community Center.  Tickets are $9 at the door.

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7AA AND 8AA AREA TRACK MEET TODAY

Several RCHS athletes, both Plowboys and Plowgirls, are competing in the Area Track Meet at McMurry University in Abilene today.  Results will be posted here next week.

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WEATHER REPORT: SOME HAIL, MILD WEATHER SINCE

Hail in my yard last Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon it hailed here in town three times, the first time with the sun shining.  A big cloud moved in from the southwest and dumped the hail along with some rain before it moved on to the northeast.  The hail wasn’t large enough to do much damage, however.  Most of it was marble-sized, but there were a few about the size of a fifty-cent piece (anybody remember those?) and ¼” to ½” thick, shaped like a hockey puck.  Here in the south part of town .65” of rain fell, but it was less west of town.  The next day there was also a good chance of more rain, but the storm clouds missed us, dropping rain on  places east of Roscoe and points east all the way to Fort Worth and Dallas.

Since then the weather has been generally partly cloudy and mild.  There was some thunder last night but no rain.  Temperatures have been milder than normal for this time of year with highs ranging from 80°F on Thursday, Saturday, and yesterday and 70° on Monday.  Lows ranged from 61° on Thursday to 46° on Monday. In general, we are having pretty spring weather—wheat looks good in the fields, wildflowers are blooming, weeds are growing, and people are out mowing their lawns more than usual.  And I probably shouldn’t say this for fear of creating some kind of jinx, but so far this spring there hasn’t been a single sandstorm. I can’t remember the last time that’s happened.

The forecast is for somewhat warmer temperatures this coming week with a 20% chance of rain this evening and tomorrow increasing to 40% tomorrow evening and night.  Highs are predicted to be in the mid-eighties through the weekend with lows in the mid-fifties to low sixties.

A good chance for more rain is predicted for next weekend.

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† MATILDA A. SAAVEDRA

Holy Mass of Christian Burial was at 10:00am on Saturday, April 18, at Holy Spirit Parish Catholic Church for Matilda Alvarez Saavedra, 62, of Roscoe. Interment followed at Roscoe Cemetery.  She passed away at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene on Monday, April 13.

Matilda was born in July 2, 1952, in Blanco. She moved to Roscoe from Sweetwater the same year she married Benigno Saavedra. She worked as an LVN at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital, Simmons Memorial Hospital, Sweetwater Health Care, and Holiday Retirement Center. Also active with family planning in the community, she was a member of Holy Parish Catholic Church, where she was very active until her health began to fail.

Survivors include her husband, Benigno Saavedra of Roscoe; son, Julian Saavedra and wife, Nancy, of Midland; sisters, Mary Perez and husband, Frankie, of Sweetwater; Josie Hernandez and husband, Joe, of Sweetwater; brother, Santos Alvarez and wife, Kim, of Copperas Cove; and grandson, Xavier Saavedra of Midland.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Prajedesa and Adela Alvarez, and her son, Martin Saavedra.

Pallbearers were Florentino Saavedra, Julian Saavedra, Johnny Sepeda, Jonathan Hernandez, Mario Perez, and Chris Ramirez.

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† CHARLES EDWARD RATLIFF, JR.

Funeral services for Charles Edward Ratliff, Jr., 83, will be held tomorrow, April 23, at 10:30am at the First Baptist Church in Roscoe with Dan Boren officiating.  Interment will follow at the Roscoe Cemetery.  He died in Seguin on Monday, April 20.

Charles Ratliff was born on September 10, 1931, in Slidell, Louisiana. He moved throughout Texas and Louisiana with his family before settling down in Roscoe in the seventh grade.  He married Verlia Jones in 1949.  They then raised a family of three children.  He worked for Lone Star Industries in Maryneal for more than 37 years, working in the lab and as a safety supervisor.  Upon retirement, he worked for 22 years as a substitute teacher in the Roscoe Schools.  His and his wife’s contributions to the Roscoe Schools over the years were recognized by the naming of facilities in their honor, the Ratliff Library in the Elementary School building and the Charles Ratliff Press Box at Plowboy Field, an honor recently bestowed upon him in commemoration of his 45 years of service as public address announcer for junior high, junior varsity, and varsity football games and track meets.

Charles was preceded in death by his wife, Verlia, in March 2013 and two brothers, Jesse and Tommy.  He is survived by three children, Mike Ratliff and wife Jolie of Austin, Larry Ratliff and wife Diane of Seguin, and Connie Drake and husband David of Whitney; five grandchildren, Stephen Ratliff and wife Diana of Dallas, Julie Wood and husband Caleb of Dallas, Lindsey Ratliff of Odessa, Jenny Childress and husband Kyle of Kyle, Texas, and Alison Pruett of Dallas; and five great-grandchildren, Carter, Issac, and Brooks Wood of Dallas; Landon Evans of Odessa, and Kennedy Childress of Kyle.  He is also survived by two sisters, Mary Ann Stocker and Delores Ratliff.

Pallbearers will be his grandchildren, Stephen and Diana Ratliff, Lindsey Ratliff, Julie and Caleb Wood, Jenny and Kyle Childress, and Alison Pruett.

Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00pm today, April 22, at McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.mccoyfh.com.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Roscoe Public School Library or Plowboy Booster Club.

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