Roscoe Celebrates July 4th

Jason Boland at the free concert and street dance.

Coronavirus? What coronavirus? These might have been questions of anyone attending the July 4th Celebration in Roscoe on Saturday because this year’s crowd was as large as ever and masks were rare. In fact, I could count on one hand the number of people wearing masks I saw at the parade, the Plowboy Mudbog, the free concert and street dance, or the fireworks show. Not only was local law enforcement not handing out warnings or tickets, but they themselves were not wearing masks.

Just by looking at the crowd, you wouldn’t have been able to distinguish this year’s attendees from those of previous years. In fact, after all we’ve all been through this spring, the day seemed so normal it was remarkable.  

The morning parade sponsored by the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department had its usual large number of entries in all categories and went off without a hitch.

The Plowboy Mudbog at the baseball field had a large crowd and a record-breaking number of mud vehicles entered in six classes. Contestants came from as far away as Dallas and New Mexico. Competition was fierce, and everyone had a good time despite the 99° heat and lack of any wind.

The Roscoe Express shuttled people between downtown and the baseball field all afternoon, and many visitors toured the Roscoe Historical Museum. In the evening, the music by the featured bands enlivened the crowd, and the fireworks show was spectacular as always.

So, despite the current situation, it was another successful July 4th for the City of Roscoe, and all who attended apparently went away happy.

--o--

LAMESA MAN WINS FIRE DEPARTMENT RAFFLE

The AR-15 rifle.

The annual raffle for an AR-15 rifle by the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department was won by Casey Bowman of Lamesa when his name was drawn at the July 4th celebration. In case he did not meet his background check to take the rifle, a second name was drawn.

The Fire Department congratulates Casey and wishes to thank all of those who purchased raffle tickets and thanks them for their support.

--o--

PARADE WINNERS

The July 4th Parade was once again a resounding success. Here are the winners for each category:

          Best Bicycle: Taven
          Best Motorcycle: Tim Thompson
          Best Western: Hardin-Simmons’ Six White Horses
          Best Four-Wheeler: Phoenix and Z
          Best Antique Vehicle: EduMake It
          Best Patriotic: Talamantez
          Best Overall: Ellison
          Best Fire Truck: George Guerra

The Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department wishes to thank the following for their donations to the prize bags for the parade: First Financial Bank of Sweetwater, the Medicine Place, Dr. David King, 911 Services, Loves Storage Center, Sonic, Cotton Belles, Wildflower Boutique, State Farm, Hoyt Place, Morgan Real Estate, Roscoe Industrial Development Corp., Members of the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department, Roscoe Police Department, Parade Judge Misty DeLoera.

--o--

PLOWBOY MUDBOG RESULTS

This four-minute video shows selected entries of the super-modified class on their first run.

Here are the top three finishers in each class:

Street
1. Robert Sparks      Roswell, NM     ’87 Chevy Blazer “Freedom”
2. Sydni Sparks        Artesia, NM       ’90 Jeep “Dirty Dawg”
3. Chris Sparks         Artesia, NM      ’87 Chevy Blazer “Freedom”

Super Street
1. Al Sotelo                Abilene             ‘78 Ch. Blazer “Grasshopper"
2. Jennifer Davis     Seminole           Toyota Pickup “Country Girl”
3. Fletch Rivera       Colorado City    ’72 Chevy Blazer

Modified
1. Kevin Hendley      Lubbock            2000 Chevy S10
2. Brian Averette      Big Spring         ’89 Chevy “Bubba”
3. Luis Pantoja          Roscoe               ’77 Chevy Blazer

Super Modified
1. A. Montgomery     Big Spring         ’82 Chevy Pickup “Bad Co.”
2. Arden Alvarez       Colorado City    Chevy S10
3. Phillip Garcia        Colorado City    ’89 Chevy S10

Open
1. Wacey Daniel          Big Spring         Chevy S10 “Green Go”
2. Tommy Maitland   Sweetwater      ’01 Ford Excursion “The Ex”
3. Tommy Skinner     Artesia, NM     1949 Jeep “Gaudzilla”

Tractor Tire
1. Marrisa Torres         Roscoe              Ford F350
2. Ricky Simon             Dallas               Ford F350
3. David Smallwood    Rotan               1940 Ford Bread Truck

--o--

COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO INCREASE

The number of Covid-19 cases both in the state and locally continues to rapidly grow as the virus has now spread to all parts. Hospitalizations across Texas have more than doubled in the past two weeks, rising to 9,286 yesterday with almost 700 more deaths last week. Hospitals are nearing capacity in some cities and overflowing in the Rio Grande Valley with some patients there being transported elsewhere for treatment.

The Governor’s latest executive order mandates the use of masks and social distancing in public places, but the edict has met with considerable resistance, and both compliance and enforcement have been light in many areas, including the Big Country.

What will come next is anybody’s guess, but whatever it is will apparently be hastened by people’s desire to return to normalcy over their concerns for the consequences.

Here are the numbers for this week as of yesterday:

Abilene now has 573 total positive cases for the year (compared to 400 a week ago) with 253 active cases (compared to 110 a week ago) and 21 hospitalizations (compared to 9 a week ago).

Yesterday, Nolan County was reporting 49 confirmed positives on the year with 32 active cases and 17 recovered. One was in the hospital earlier, but I don’t know if that’s still the case. I have also heard that at least one of those active cases is in Roscoe, but that’s not official, and if there are more, I don’t know about them.

These are the area’s county figures as of yesterday (with a week ago in parentheses if different): Jones, 609 (611); Erath, 160 (87); Brown, 117 (72); Scurry, 71 (32); Howard, 55 (40); Nolan 49 (33); Callahan, 24 (16); Comanche, 21 (17); Mitchell 18 (5); Runnels, 17 (7); Eastland, 11 (10); Fisher, 11 (5); Stephens, 9 (8); Haskell, 6 (5); Shackelford, 5 (1); Coke, 5 ; Knox, 4 (3); Coleman, 3.

Selected west Texas counties yesterday (with a week ago in parentheses): Lubbock, 2,918 (2,095); Ector (Odessa), 946 (558); Midland, 927 (651); Tom Green (San Angelo), 530 (299); Wichita (Wichita Falls), 464 (318).

Texas now has 210.585 cases (159,986 a week ago), 99,385 of them active (72,744 a week ago), and 2,715 deaths (2,029 a week ago).

--o--

WEATHER REPORT: A THUNDERSTORM & SUMMER HEAT

Heavy downpour during last Wednesday's rain.

Despite the weathermen’s prediction of a sunny afternoon with no precipitation, a summer thunderstorm struck with force last Wednesday, breaking telephone poles, blowing over lines with 100 mile per hour winds west of town, and knocking out electricity in Roscoe for a couple of hours during a rainstorm that dropped some much needed precipitation in the area. Roscoe weatherman Kenny Landfried recorded an official 1.22” in east Roscoe, but it rained almost two inches west of town, and amounts varied according to location.

Since then, there have been some more isolated showers here and there, particularly on Sunday and Monday, but the amount of rain was considerably less and in many places didn’t fall at all.

The temperatures were above average, especially in the latter part of last week, including July the 4th, when afternoon temperatures reached 99° just as they had they day before. The high for the week, though, was last Wednesday when it reached 101°. Since Sunday, however, the days have been cooler with highs of 93°, 90°, and 93° respectively.

Unfortunately, that will end today as temperatures climb back into the three-digit range and stay that way the next eight or ten days. Monday and Tuesday of next week have predicted highs of 109° and 108° respectively, and the surrounding days are predicted to be only a degree or two lower. Lows will be in the upper seventies and as high as 80°. So, get ready for some seriously hot weather, and be careful when doing anything strenuous outdoors for the next couple of weeks.

Once again, there is no rain in the forecast.

--o--

† WILLIAM ROY WILLMAN

A graveside service for William Roy Willman, 72, of Sweetwater will be held today at 11:00am at Roscoe Cemetery with Ken Becker officiating and directed by McCoy. He passed away on Sunday, July 5, at Sweetwater Healthcare Center.

William Roy Willmann was born on December 20, 1947, in Clifton, Texas, to parents Albert and Mathilda Willmann. Roy graduated from Roscoe High School and served in the United States Army. He was an active member of VFW Post 2479 in Sweetwater and of American Legion Post 227 in Roscoe. He was a member of the Nolan County Honor Guard. He was also a member of First Salem Lutheran Church in Roscoe.

Survivors are son William Roy Willmann II and wife, Susan, of Belton; daughter, Nova Chevelle “Chevy” Downs and husband, Mike, of Abilene; sisters, Shirley Deleon and husband, Benny, of Sweetwater, Agnes Ann Kamer of Sweetwater, Benda Kay Kamer of Sweetwater; brother, Bradley Keith and wife, Bonnie, of Roscoe; eight grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert W. Willmann and Mathilda Richter Willman; and brother, Donnie Willmann.

--o--