Cody Canada, Jason Boland Here Saturday

Cody Canada and Jason Boland.

It’s 2021, and the Lumberyard will be rocking Saturday night! Two of the best Texas Country singers around will be kicking off the new year with a special treat as both Jason Boland and Cody Canada sing their hits!

This won’t be the first time the two have appeared together as they are old buddies going back to their early days in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where they, Stoney LaRue, and Brandon Jenkins originated the Red Dirt sound. They all went on to form their own bands, and for a long time Canada was the lead singer for Cross Canadian Ragweed. But though their careers diverged, Canada and Boland still manage to get together now and then to perform together, and this appearance will be a part of the Yellow House Revisited Acoustic Series they kicked off in 2019--so named for the yellow house in Stillwater they used to live in.

Since it’s an acoustic performance, they’ll be singing from the Ray Price stage, which is now enclosed by a transparent shield that helps keep out the cold and has overhead heaters for warmth. The show will open at 7:00pm with Brendon Kyle from Sweetwater, who will go to 7:45. Then at 8:00, Cody Canada and Jason Boland will begin their show.

To see to their interview on the Texas Music Scene about their acoustic tour, click here.

Tickets are $15 each if purchased in advance and $20 on the day of the show. For reservations or more information, contact the Lumberyard during business hours at 325-766-2457.

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NOLAN COUNTY INFECTION RATE TOPS IN BIG COUNTRY

  

Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital

Here’s a sobering figure for all Nolan County residents. Nolan County has a higher per capita rate of infection than any other county in the Big Country. Of all the west Texas counties listed in the weekly report below (including the selected ones outside the Big Country), only one, Wichita, currently has a higher per capita rate of infection than Nolan. 

 

The Wichita rate is 13.09 (per 1000 people), Nolan is 12.16, Lubbock 11.55, Scurry 9.57, Midland 9.04, Comanche 5.93, Mitchell 5.61, Erath 5.18, Brown 4.47, Runnels 4.07, and all the others are below 4. Statewide, Nolan County is 7th highest of the 255 counties and almost double the state average of 6.23.*

* These numbers are from the Texas Tribune Coronavirus in Texas website. 

 

Another consideration is the number of recent Covid-19 deaths. The Covid-19 chart in the right-hand column currently lists Nolan County’s mortality rate as the 4th highest of the 255 counties in Texas over the last two weeks. A month ago (Dec. 5) Nolan County had a total of 6 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. It now has 20. Mitchell County had 4 then and 7 now, Fisher 3 then and 8 now, and Scurry 21 then and 31 now.

So, when you’re out in public in Nolan County, keep in mind that we are now the Big Country’s hot spot, and remember to wear your mask and maintain other proper precautions.  

 

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PLOWGIRLS STOP FORSAN 32-23

Waiting for a rebound in yesterday's win over Forsan.

In a game that was a lot tougher than the final score might indicate, the Plowboys held off a gritty Forsan team to win a district battle going away, 32-23, at the Special Events Center yesterday evening. A team that many picked to win District 8-2A, the Lady Buffs fought the Plowgirls all the way, but the Plowgirls jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished.

Carson Greenwood led the Plowgirls in individual scoring with 12 points, followed by Shauna McCambridge with 8. Jacey Rodriquez had 6, Cameron Greenwood 3, and Kaidy Ornelas 3. McCambridge had 19 rebounds, Cr. Greenwood 7, Rodriquez 4, Kirsten Welch 2, Cm. Greenwood 1, and Ornelas 1.

Scoring by quarters:
                                1              2             3             4             T
Plowgirls               8             10           6             8             32
Forsan                   6              6            4              7             23

The Plowgirls' next game is Friday evening in a district contest with the Lady Blizzards in Winters. Tipoff is at around 6:00pm following the JV game. Then, next Tuesday they take on the Lady Wolves in Colorado City.

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PLOWBOYS LOSE TO FORSAN

 

Seth Wilcox shoots a free throw.

The Plowboys, who were outmanned because they are playing with three freshmen lost to Forsan last night. 

 

As a result of their youth and relative inexperience, the rest of the season will be essentially a learning experience for the players, who will grow and get better as time goes on. Until that happens, however, the scores may tend to be a little lopsided, especially when they are playing the older and better teams.

Scoring by quarters:
                                 1             2             3            4             T
Forsan                  23           22           17           11            72
Plowboys                1              1            2            3              7

 

The Plowboys next play Winters in Winters in a district game. The game will begin about 8:00 following the varsity girls' game.

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 COVID-19 NUMBERS JUST KEEP GOING UP

Although the rapid increase of new cases of Covid-19 in the US is leveling off at about 200,000 new cases a day, the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths since Christmas continue to grow. Hardest hit states continue to be Arizona, California, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. On Monday, US hospitalizations numbered 128,210 with deaths averaging 2,048 daily and now over 350,000 since the pandemic began, all new records.

In Texas, the numbers of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are also still increasing. On Monday, 15,976 new cases were reported, an increase of 4,736 over the daily average a week ago. Hospitalizations are also at a record level with 12,961 Covid-19 patients across the state, an increase of 1,610 over a week ago. And for the first time, one patient in five in Texas hospitals is there because of Covid-19. The average new daily deaths this week is 49 more than it was a week ago. Over 28,000 Texans have now died with Covid-19 listed as the cause on their official state death certificates.

In the Big Country, the situation continues to worsen as well. Abilene also set a record for hospitalizations Monday with 139 Covid-19 patients, 5 more than a week ago. The region’s ICU beds are still full, and Abilene hospitals have now had 205 total Covid-19 deaths with almost half of those (101) coming since Thanksgiving. 102 hospital staff are in quarantine, which is 14 more than last week’s 88. However, the number of active cases, has dropped to 2,094, 47 fewer than the 2,141 of last week.

Also, the Big Country trauma service area has had another week in which over 15% of hospital beds are filled by Covid-19 patients—20.99% yesterday—which means that bars will remain closed for at least another week and other businesses limited to 50% capacity.

More locally, in our four-county area, all the numbers are climbing. Nolan County now has a record 323 active cases, which is 18 more than last week’s 305 and 52 more than the 271 of two weeks ago. Mitchell County now has 67 active cases, 16 more than last week’s 51. Fisher County has 16 active cases compared to last week’s 12, and Scurry County has 178 active cases, quite a jump up from the 109 of last week.

Here are the Big Country’s county totals for the year as of yesterday (with last Tuesday in parentheses): Howard, 2,529 (2,484); Erath, 2,182 (2,018); Scurry, 2,117 (1,891); Jones, 1,882 (1,811); Brown, 1,381 (1,226); Nolan, 1,266 (1,132); Comanche, 892 (783); Eastland, 631 (556); Runnels, 592 (543); Mitchell, 503 (455); Callahan 424 (360); Stephens, 376 (363); Coleman, 311 (245); Fisher, 227 (212); Coke, 222 (218); Haskell, 153 (141); Knox, 135 (132); Shackelford, 78 (75); Stonewall, 43 (38); Throckmorton, 33 (32); Kent, 30 (29).
 
Selected west Texas counties yesterday (with last week in parentheses): Lubbock, 42,951 (41,034); Midland, 11,726 (11,195); Wichita (Wichita Falls), 11,544 (9,852); Ector (Odessa), 6,363 (6,361); Tom Green (San Angelo), 4061 (3,921).

Texas now has had a total of 1,626,568 cases (1,490,479 last week), 314,465 of them active (284,555 last week), and 28,219 total deaths (26,521 last week).

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WEATHER REPORT: SOME RAIN AND SNOW

 

We finally got some moisture after going the entire month of December with hardly more than a trace. 

 

It started on Wednesday as rain and then turned to snow on New Year’s Eve. When we got up on New Year’s Day, there was a blanket of about 3½ inches of snow everywhere. So, instead of a white Christmas, we had a white New Year’s Day. It was a beautiful sight, and the moisture was sorely needed. When the melting began, I went out and checked my rain gauge to find that it had an inch and a quarter in it.

Thursday was cold, and travel advisories warned of icy roads. The high that day was only 35°F, and the cold weather was accompanied by intermittent sleet, snow, and a strong north wind. Friday, New Year’s Day, began as a winter wonderland with all the snow, but by afternoon, the weather was already warming and the snow beginning to melt. That afternoon the temperature got up to 41° under cloudy skies, and Saturday was even warmer with a high of 50° with the snow melting and turning to puddles. On Sunday, the sun came out, and melted what was left of the snow except in a few shady spots, and by Monday even those remaining patches were gone. The high was 57°, and by yesterday the high was back up to 62°, and the lows were above freezing from Saturday on.  

The forecast for today is for a new cold front that brings a strong north wind and cooler temperatures. The high should be around 53° but it will feel cooler than that with the wind chill. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 55° and a lighter north breeze. Friday and Saturday will be partly cloudy with highs of 51° and 52° respectively. Then on Sunday, another cold front moves in with a 60% chance of snow, but no more than an inch or so. The high will be around 40° and the low 28°. Then, on Monday the skies will clear but the high will remain about the same at 53° or so with a low of 33°.

That’s all pretty typical for January weather.

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