Twenty-two RCHS Seniors Receive Diplomas

Victoria Lopez, Megan Boren, Alexis Arce, Lisa Tollison, Jayden Horne, Zeke Murphy, Georgia Bowers, Elizabeth Rubio, Hannah Ward, Gabriella Dyck, Caleb Reed, Joseph Sanchez, Xavier Lujan, Connor Martin, Aries Sauceda, Arthur Villa, Jordan Blain, Juan Leanos, Zackary Jordan and Kolten Hope

One of life’s milestones for 22 RCHS Seniors was reached Friday evening as they received their diplomas and concluded their high school careers in the Special Events Center. Eleven had already received their Associate Degrees from Western Texas College two weeks earlier.

Here is a list of the graduates with added scholastic attainments:

ROSCOE COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2021

Vidal Aguayo *                            Victoria Raquel Lopez
Elida C. Aguilera * Φ ©            Xavier Miguel Lujan
Alexis Mercedes Arce * ©        Connor Montgomery Martin ©
Jordan Alexander Blain ©      Ezekiel James Murphy * ©
Megan Nicole Boren * ©          Caleb John Walter Reed * Φ ©
Georgia Leigh Bowers * ©       Elizabeth Marie Rubio * Φ ©
Gabriealla Gloria Dyck * Φ      Joseph Elijah Sanchez
Kolten Shawn Hope ©              Aries Gabriel Sauceda
Jayden Ray Horne                     Lisa Marie Tollison * ©
Zackary Adrian Jordan ©        Arthur Villa, Jr. ©
Juan Pablo Leaños ©                Hannah Joelle Ward * Φ ©

* = Associate Degree (Western Texas College )
Φ = Phi Theta Kappa (WTC Honor Society)
© = Professional Certification

                            Top Ten Graduates
        1. Hannah Ward                     6. Elida Aguilera
        2. Elizabeth Rubio                  7. Alexis Arce
        3. Gabriella Dyck                    8. Megan Boren
        4. Caleb Reed                           9. Lisa Tollison
        5. Georgia Bowers                 10. Arthur Villa

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SUMMER BASKETBALL STARTS FRIDAY

The Roscoe basketball coaching staff is conducting a summer basketball camp. The camp will cover fundamental skills, games, and concepts of basketball. It will have a 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 tournament, hot shot contest, free throw contest, and much more.

The fun begins at RCHS this weekend with 12 Junior High Boys and Girls teams coming to play in a shootout on Friday and Saturday.

The Elementary/Junior High basketball camp will be May 24-26. 105 kids are already pre-registered. (See information below.)

Then on May 28-29, it will be the Junior Varsity/Varsity Girls shootout with 13 schools sending teams so far.

Incoming 1st-8th grade girls and boys are welcome.
Pre-registration is preferred, but registration at the door will be available.
Date: May 24, 25, and 26.
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Tuition: Free
Location: Roscoe High School gym
Facilitator: Shella Arnwine sarnwine@roscoe.esc14.net

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LAST COVID-19 UPDATE: NUMBERS REMAIN LOW

This will be the last of these Covid-19 updates, and they will resume only if the current situation undergoes a significant change. The numbers for new cases, active cases, deaths, and hospitalizations have all been dropping in the Big Country since the January peak and in the last few weeks have flattened at a low level. During this time, schools have resumed normal modes of instruction, and restaurants, bars, hair salons, and other businesses are once again operating normally.

The rest of the country is running behind west Texas in its pace of improvement, but the direction is the same. The CDC has dropped mask requirements for the fully vaccinated, and states are easing restrictions, even ones like Michigan, Minnesota, and the northeastern states that were dealing with surges just a few weeks ago.

So, it appears that we are entering a period where Covid-19 will hang around indefinitely but no longer be a major disruption in the way we live. Many people will continue to wear masks while shopping, and we all will wear them when making trips to the hospital, rest homes, and doctors’ offices, but life is apparently returning to a kind of normal we haven’t seen for the past fourteen months.

And, unless that changes, this will be the last Hard Times to carefully track the weekly numbers as it has done for over a year now. Let’s hope a weekly Covid-19 update remains unnecessary and becomes just another relic of the past!

In Texas, Covid-19 numbers remain low and essentially flat. Hospitalizations have dropped to 2,222 from 2,508 last week, and new cases also remain under 3,000 per day with yesterday’s 2,836. The number of active cases has dropped to 51,990 from 56,743 last week, and fatalities averaged 59 daily this week, the same as last week.

The numbers also remain relatively flat in the Big Country and Abilene. The number of active cases in Taylor County has fallen to 185, 38 fewer than last week’s 223, and Covid-19 hospitalizations in Abilene are now at 10 patients compared to 16 last week. Also, 3 more deaths were reported, so the total for Taylor County now stands at 407. The percentage of Covid-19 patients in the Abilene trauma service area is at 1.32% after last week’s 1.53%.

In our four-county area, the numbers remain low. Nolan County now has 5 active cases, 1 more than last week. Mitchell County has only 1, the same as last week, and Fisher County also has 1, also the same as last week. Scurry County is reporting 4 cases, 2 more than last week. Once again, none of the four counties report any Covid-19 deaths this past week.

Here are the Big Country’s estimated active cases (with last week’s in parentheses): Howard, 30 (33); Brown, 10 (14); Coke, 5 (9); Nolan, 5 (4); Erath, 4 (4); Jones, 4 (3); Comanche, 4 (2);  Scurry, 4 (2); Eastland, 3 (2); Shackelford, 3 (1); Callahan, 2 (1); Runnels, 1 (2); Mitchell, 1 (1); Fisher, 1 (1); Stephens, 1 (1); Coleman, 0 (0); Haskell, 0 (0); Kent, 0 (0); Stonewall, 0 (0); Knox, 0 (0); Throckmorton, 0 (0). The total of all these counties for this week is 78, 2 more than last week’s 76.
 
Selected west Texas counties’ estimated active cases (with last week’s in parentheses): Midland 234 (268), Ector (Odessa) 218 (313), Lubbock 166 (190); Wichita (Wichita Falls) 82 (59); Tom Green (San Angelo) 62 (77). This week’s total for these counties is 762, 145 fewer than last week’s 907.

Texas now has had a total of 2,501,376 cases (2,490481 last week), 51,990 currently active cases (56,743 last week), and 49,941 total deaths (49,527 last week).

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WEATHER REPORT: RAIN, HAIL, CROAKING FROGS

Sunday's storm cloud at sunset. (Photo by Eden Baker)

After experiencing some spring rain, hail, and croaking frogs two weeks ago, we saw some similar weather again on Monday as another large storm spent a few hours over Roscoe, producing some sizable hail in places and a good rain to add to May’s monthly total.

The storm appeared in the north moving east on Monday afternoon and at first looked like it would miss Roscoe although it was raining north of town. However, another part of it was approaching from the west, and at around six o’clock the rain began to fall. Like the storm two weeks ago, the downpour came mixed with hail and plenty of thunder and lightning. Like the first storm, the hail—at least where I live—was only marble-sized, but it was larger than golf balls west of town. Thankfully, though, none was as large as the softball-sized hail that hit east Snyder on Sunday and reportedly damaged roofs and totaled several vehicles there.

Around seven-thirty or eight, something knocked the electricity out all over town. I’m not sure when other parts of town had their electricity restored, but mine didn’t come back on until shortly after midnight. So, I spent Monday evening dining by candlelight in a dark house while listening to the frog serenade going on out in my yard and nearby ditches while more rain fell.

Yesterday morning, I found 2.3” in my rain gauge while Roscoe weatherman Kenny Landfried reported an official 1.75” in east Roscoe. He also reported getting 1.8” at his farm on Cottonwood Creek northwest of town. Randall Bankhead said the Champion area got from 2.2” to 2.5”, and I heard that over 2.8” fell several miles south of Roscoe with some unconfirmed reports of 3" and more. It appears that the rain was general over the whole area and that the hail damage was not devastating anywhere like it was on Sunday in Snyder. It was welcome precipitation, which adds to the deep moisture that will be useful for crops later on.

Besides the rain, temperatures this past week were milder and skies cloudier than what is normal for this time of year. The high for the week was 88°F on Sunday with other days topping out in the low to mid-eighties. Lows were in the fifties or low sixties.

The forecast for today is a high of 76° with scattered showers and a 60% chance of more rain this afternoon. Skies will be mostly cloudy with wind from the east-southeast. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with southeast winds and a high of 82°, and Friday will be similar. Saturday’s high will reach only about 78° with a 30% chance of showers, and the following three days will also be mild with cloudy skies and high temperatures in the seventies with 20-30% chances for rain.

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† DERWOOD BLAKE BOX

A memorial service was held for Derwood Blake Box, 63, formerly of Roscoe, at the Pecan Baptist Church in Robert Lee on Monday, May 17, at 10:00am. A private family burial is planned for a later date. He passed away on May 11.

Blake was born in Sweetwater on June 28, 1957. A former Plowboy, he graduated from Angelo State University in 1978 with a degree in Education and completed his Master’s degree at Sul Ross State University in 1980. He spent 18 years as a schoolteacher in Sweetwater and later moved to Robert Lee and operated the family ranch.

He was a member of the Pecan Creek Baptist Church in Robert Lee. He loved supporting his nephews and nieces as well as being involved with all their activities. His other passions included trapping, hunting, and competing in barbecue cooking contests.

He is survived by his two brothers, Marcus Box and wife Phyllis of Fort Worth, and Powell Box and wife Joyce of Breckenridge; three nephews, Brandon Box and wife Erica, their children Andrew, Chloe and Mikey of Maryland; Kevin Box of Dallas, and Blaze Box of Greenwood; and his two nieces, Hannah Box; daughter, Hayden Box; and son, Grayson Adames of Sweetwater; Rikki Box and daughter Dani Welborn of Breckenridge.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, S. V. Box and Bobbie Box of Robert Lee, as well as his sister Dona Nell Box.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Pecan Baptist Church in Robert Lee.

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