E.ON Lithium Battery System at Inadale Wind Farm an American First

The Lithium-Ion Battery System at Inadale Wind Farm.

E.ON’s new lithium-ion battery system about five miles northwest of Roscoe will be only its second such system installed in the United States and its first specifically for a wind farm. E.ON’s first, the Iron Horse Energy Storage & Solar Project, opened in July at the University of Arizona’s Tech Park.

A part of the Inadale Wind Farm, the 9.9 megawatt battery system is almost ready for operation and scheduled to go online around the first of January. It will be followed by a similar 9.9 megawatt system for the Pyron Wind Farm, its third in the U.S. and its second for a wind farm. E.ON calls the two local projects Texas Waves, and lessons learned from the Arizona solar project are being applied to them. In turn, lessons learned from the Texas Waves systems will be applied to future E.ON projects.  

These energy storage systems alleviate one of wind energy’s problems, which is that electricity from wind energy is produced when the wind blows and not necessarily when it is needed. However, battery storage allows stored wind energy to be fed into the transmission lines at such times, making wind a more reliable energy source.  

E.ON is partnering with Greensmith Energy, the leading provider of energy storage software and services for the Texas Waves projects.

NBC Nightly News is planning to film and run a story on the Texas Waves project when the Inadale Farm system opens in January.

For more detailed information, see the press releases for the Iron Horse and Texas Waves projects. For the Iron Horse Project in Arizona click here. For the Texas Waves project, click here.

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SEVERAL PLOWBOYS SELECTED TO ALL-DISTRICT FOOTBALL TEAMS

Jose Ortega, Defensive Co-MVP and Jacob Rainey, Defensive Newcomer. 

The All-District selections for District 4-2A-II football have been made, and there are plenty of Plowboys on the teams. Jose Ortega was named Defensive Co-MVP along with Hamlin’s Shawn Montanez, and Jacob Rainey is the Defensive Newcomer of the Year. The District MVP and Offensive MVP, as well as the Staff were all from Hamlin.

Here are the Plowboys selected to the First and Second Offensive and Defensive Teams and to Academic All-District:

Defensive Co-MVP: Jose Ortega, Jr.
Defensive Newcomer: Jacob Rainey, Fr.

First-Team Offense

Running Back: Francisco Garcia, Sr.
Receivers: Brandon Lavalais, Jr., Jose Ortega, Jr.
Offensive Line: Paul Pantoja, Sr.,

Second-Team Offense
Quarterback: Jayden Gonzales, Jr.
Receivers: Micheal Wright, So.
Offensive Line: Parker Payne, Sr., Joel Guia, So.

First-Team Defense
Defensive Tackle: Tait Fullwood, Sr.
Defensive End: Paul Pantoja, Sr.
Inside Linebacker: Nick Limones, Jr.
Defensive Back: Diego Garza, Sr.
Utility Player: Clemente Aguayo, Sr.

Second-Team Defense
Defensive End: Parker Payne, Sr.
Outside Linebacker: Clemente Aguayo, Sr.
Defensive Back: Brandon Lavalais, Jr.
Punter: Jose Ortega, Jr.

Academic All-District
Seniors: Clemente Aguayo, Francisco Garcia, Parker Payne
Juniors: Nick Limones, Jayden Gonzales, Coltin Watts
Sophs: Junior Martinez
Freshman: Jacob Rainey
Honorable Mention: Tristan Brooks, Sr.; Coltin Watts, Jr.; Rey Martinez, Jr.; Garrett Bowers, So.

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PLOWBOYS DOWN LEUDERS-AVOCA 52-38

Clemente Aguayo shoots a jumper.

The Plowboys won their first home basketball game yesterday evening by defeating Leuders-Avoca 52-38.

Score by quarters:

                                         1          2          3          4

Plowboys                      14        23        36        52
Leuders-Avoca             11        16        22        38

Plowboys’ individual scoring: Jose Ortega 9, Jayden Gonzales 8, Junior Martinez 6, Micheal Wright 6, Anglin 5, Clemente Aguayo 5, Brandon Lavalais 4, Medina 4, Boydston 3, Camden Boren 2.

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PLOWGIRLS FALL TO LEUDERS-AVOCA IN OVERTIME

Kinzie Buchanan shoots for two of her 18 points against Leuders-Avoca.

The Plowgirls lost a close game in overtime to the Leuders-Avoca Lady Raiders in the Special Events Center yesterday evening 52-47.

Score by quarters:
                                    1          2         3          4         OT
Leuders-Avoca         5        20       34        45        52
Plowgirls                  11        18        27        45        47

Plowgirls’ individual scoring: Kinzie Buchanan 18, Bonnie Wilkinson 9, Victoria Martinez 6, Veronica Cuellar 6, Liberty Saenz 1.

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WEATHER REPORT: BEAUTIFUL, THEN COLD

December clouds in the east on Sunday afternoon.

The weather we had over the weekend and up to Monday evening was too good to last. From Friday through Monday, afternoon temperatures rose into the seventies with some clouds but also plenty of sunshine. Morning lows on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were 53°, 56°, and 51° respectively, and if you didn’t already know it was December, you wouldn’t have guessed it. 

However, all good things must come to an end, and a norther blew in Monday afternoon, causing the temperature to quickly drop. Yesterday’s high of 51° was 25° colder than Monday’s 76° and with a strong north wind felt even colder than that. Yesterday morning’s low was 35°, the same as this morning’s, and the prediction for tomorrow morning is 29°. The high for today will reach only 40° and tomorrow only 41°. Rain has been predicted since midnight, but so far there has not been enough to measure. The Weather Channel website gives our area a 90% chance of precipitation today and 40% tonight, but indicates that the amount is likely to be light, not more than .2" or so.

The good news is that the prediction is for a warming trend through Sunday. Sunny skies should return on Friday with a high of 55°, Saturday 65°, and Sunday 67°. Lows should also be slightly warmer with 36° on Friday, 38° Saturday, and 39° Sunday.

After today, there is no more rain in the forecast.

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† ROBERTA CATHOLENE CAMPBELL

Funeral services for Roberta Catholene (Bankhead) Campbell, 85, were held at 10:00am on Friday, December 1, at Champion Baptist Church with Reverend Bruce Parsons officiating. She passed away at her home on Wednesday, November 29.

Roberta was born in Roscoe on December 27, 1931, to the late Robert L. and Mary Emma (Williams) Bankhead and lived in Nolan County all of her life. She graduated from Highland High School and was a lifelong member of Champion Baptist Church. She had been the pianist and organist at the church since she was a little girl. Roberta married J. L. Campbell June 11, 1949, in Roscoe. He passed way December 18, 2011. She retired from Highland School District as the Cafeteria Manager after many years of service.

She is survived by her daughter Patsy Sanford of Roscoe; son, Robert L. Campbell and wife Jeanette of Snyder; grandchildren, Shae Sanford of Clyde, Kyle Sanford and wife Brooke of Roscoe, and Courtney Campbell of Abilene; her great-grandchildren, Seth, Tyson and Sadie Sanford of Clyde, and Aubree and Emberlee Sanford of Roscoe; and her sister, Ethelyn Blackwell of Maysville, Missouri.

Roberta is also preceded in death by five sisters, Hautine Bankhead, Evelyn Hard, Latane McKibben, Neil Bankhead, and Nelda Bankhead; three brothers, Doris Bankhead, Troy Bankhead, and Edsel Bankhead; and sister-in-law, Frances Petty.

Pallbearers were Wendell Bankhead, Ray Carnathan, James Wells, and Wilford Petty. Honorary pallbearers were Randall Bankhead and Chase Schuchard.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Hospice of the Big Country, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, Texas 79605.

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† ANTHONY KEITH TIDWELL

Anthony Keith "Tony" Tidwell, 71, of Litchfield, MN, died on Thursday, November 30, at his home in Litchfield. A Remembrance Visitation will be held from 3:00 to 6:00pm on Saturday, December 16, at the Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home in Litchfield.

Anthony Keith Tidwell, the son of Ramon and Mary (Terry) Tidwell was born on June 15, 1946, in Pasadena, Texas. He grew up in Roscoe and graduated from Roscoe High School in 1964 and from the Wright State University in Ohio in 1983 where he studied geology. He was united in marriage to Amy Knieff in Dallas on August 29, 1980. He served in the US Air Force from 1969 to 1977 and continued to be active with the Tan Son Nhut Air Base and the Together We Served groups. When he was younger, he was a trampolinist and coached softball. He enjoyed operating his ham radio, fishing, panning for gold, metal detecting, golfing, visiting and attending high school sporting events.

Anthony is survived by his wife Amy Tidwell of Litchfield, MN; children Ramon (Katie) Tidwell of Chaska, MN, Juli (Joshua) Rubin of Little Canada, MN, Matthew (Danielle) Tidwell of Buffalo, MN, and Debra Tidwell of Abilene; 8 grandchildren; and a sister Marie (Homer) Shipley of Universal City, TX. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Ellen Tidwell, and father, Ramon Edward Tidwell; brother, James Tidwell; and a sister, Patricia Tidwell.

Please sign our on-line guestbook at www.johnsonhagglund.com.

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