Keegan Covington in Serious Condition after Shooting Accident

Keegan Covington

Keegan Covington, 9, of Roscoe is still in serious condition in Lubbock after being accidentally shot at a ranch near Roby on Saturday. He and a family friend were riding in a four-wheeler when the friend, an adult who has not been named by authorities, used a 9-millimeter pistol to kill a non-poisonous snake. He was reloading when the gun went off, hitting Keegan in the back. The bullet pierced both lungs and caused multiple fractures.

While Keegan was being transported by helicopter to Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, he went into cardiac arrest but was resuscitated, and according to reports, family friends say he is not in danger of lasting brain damage.

Fisher County Sheriff Allan Arnwine told KTXS that the shooting is being investigated as an accident and no arrests have been made. He did say, however, that alcohol could have been a factor.

Yesterday, Keegan underwent surgery, and according to reports the operation was successful. The hole in the right lung was repaired, and the doctor didn’t have to take any out. He said Keegan’s vitals are also good.

Keegan's aunt has set up a GoFundMe account for those who wish to help by donating. Updates on the child’s condition can be found on a Facebook page, Prayers for Keegan Covington.

His family has released this statement:

 “We would like to thank the community for their support and encouragement at this time and ask everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers for our sweet boy. We ask for and appreciate the privacy while Keegan recovers.”

(This report was compiled from articles and news reports by KTXS, KRBC, KCBD, KLBK, the Big Country homepage, and the Prayers for Keegan Facebook page. News of this incident has gone viral nationally as I noticed articles last night in such far-flung newspapers as the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star and Sacramento Bee.)

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CITY COUNCIL HEARS REPORTS, CONDUCTS BUSINESS

City Manager Cody Thompson informs the City Council.

At its monthly meeting in City Hall last night, the Roscoe City Council received updates from City Manager Cody Thompson and Police Chief Felix Pantoja, installed two Council Members for new 2-year terms, appointed a Mayor Pro-Tem, and selected a company to assist in applying for and managing a Texas Community Development Block Grant.

City Manager Cody Thompson reported that preparations continue for the upcoming July 4^th Celebration, which will be held this year on Saturday, June 30. Fireworks have been ordered and will be picked up on June 22.

The remaining funds ($24,000) from the Texas Water Development Board will be used to video and clean problem sanitary sewer lines.

Seal coating preparations are underway for this summer’s sealcoating of City streets by City and County workers.

A new pool sweep had to be purchased for the City Swimming Pool, but all is going well there at this time.

Police Chief Felix Pantoja gave his monthly Police Report, saying that May was a busy month. The Department had 114 calls for assistance, issued 3 citations, and dealt with three vehicle crashes, 14 burglaries of vehicles, and 2 burglaries of buildings (VP Tire & Service, and Plowboy Center Lodge). He said that they have a suspect for the vehicle burglaries and the cases will be presented to the next Grand Jury. He also said that one police vehicle is back from the Ford shop after taking care of recalls, and the other one will be gone for a week at the Chevy shop.

The Council appointed Councilman Robert McBride to be Mayor Pro-Tem for the coming year. It also swore in Council Members Edwin Duncan and Robert McBride to new two-year terms. Both ran unopposed for new terms in the recent City election.

Finally, the Council appointed A & J Howco Services to assist in applying for and managing a Texas Community Development Block Grant for future development on the City’s north side.

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SAINTS ELEVEN AT THE LUMBERYARD FRIDAY

Saints Eleven

Saints Eleven will be at the Lumberyard Friday evening singing a mix of Texas Country, Red Dirt, and honky tonk. The band is originally from Midlothian, just south of Dallas, and is well known at clubs in the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex.

Composed of Jeff Grossman, Alex Shepherd, Ivan L.Pierce  and Alex Johnson, the band’s most recent albums are  Saints Eleven: One Night at a Time and Coming Back Around. Singles include “I’ll Be Fine,” “One Night at a Time,” “Just for Tonight,” “Turns to Rust,” and “Man in the Water.”  

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

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WEATHER REPORT: BIG STORM IN CHAMPION

Clouds in the eastern sky this morning.

There was only thunder, lightning, and wind in Roscoe Friday night, but no rain, hail, or possible tornadoes like there was in Champion and points west like the Loraine and Colorado City areas. Roofs were blown off a couple of houses, center pivot sprinklers were seriously damaged, and there was extensive hail and wind damage with trees stripped of their leaves.  Areas west and north of town got varying amounts of rain, although not even enough to measure fell in Roscoe and Sweetwater.

The heat wave continued with three of the last seven days hitting the 100° mark and the other four in the mid to upper nineties. The high temperature was last Wednesday’s 103°, and the lowest maximum was Friday’s 94°. The low temperature for the week was Friday’s 68°.

Farmers are planting cotton now, and much of the local area needs rain although chances are slight until next Monday. Skies will be sunny through Sunday with winds from the south. The heat will abate slightly with highs of around 95° today, tomorrow, and Friday. Saturday’s high is forecast to be 93° and Sunday’s only 90°.

Then, chances for rain are good starting on Monday and running through Thursday, or at least that’s what the meteorologists are currently predicting. They are giving 40%-50% chances for all those days. Let’s hope they’re right, and we get a good rain without any accompanying hail or high winds.

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† DANNY DEAN THOMPSON

Services for Danny Dean Thompson, 80, of Champion will be tomorrow, June 14, at 2pm at Champion Baptist Church with Brother Bruce Parsons officiating. Interment will follow in the Champion Cemetery directed by McCoy Funeral Home. He passed away on Sunday, June 10, surrounded by his family. 

Danny was born January 26, 1938, at the Mesquite Community, Nolan County. He graduated from Highland High School in 1956. He married Priscilla Booth Givens June 22, 1957 in Loraine. He was a life-long resident of Nolan County and a member of Champion Baptist Church. Danny spent his life working as a farmer and being a good neighbor. 

He was preceded in death by his parents Claude Arline and Paralee (Gillean) Thompson.

He is survived by his wife Priscilla Thompson of Champion; a son, Brad Thompson and wife Dawn of Champion; two daughters. Debby Bankhead and husband Wendell of Champion and Lisa Thompson of Champion; two brothers, Thomas Thompson of Midkiff, TX and C. J. (Claude, Jr.) of Pasadena, TX; a sister, Peggy Newcomb and husband Walter (Buddy) of Austin; five grandchildren, Brandon Bankhead and wife Kerry of Champion, Bryan Bankhead and wife Jennifer of Champion, Mandy Mitchell Bain and husband Ryan of Amarillo, Megan Paralee Thompson of San Angelo, and Laramie Thompson of Champion; and eight great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be grandsons Brandon Bankhead, Bryan Bankhead, Ryan Bain, Laramie Thompson, Kaden Nachlinger, Kameryn Bankhead, Blayne Bankhead, Johnny Mitchell, Blake Bankhead.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Deacons of the Champion Baptist Church. 

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† SANDRA JO BUCKNER

Funeral services for Sandra Jo Buckner, 71, will be held tomorrow, June 14, at 10:00am at McCoy Chapel of Memories with Kirk Maberry officiating. Burial will follow at Roscoe Cemetery. She died on Monday, June 11, in Abilene.

Visitation will be held today, June 13, 2018 from 6-8pm at McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.

The daughter of Claire and Fredrick Bemenderfer, Sandy was born in Rochester, Indiana, on September 30, 1946. She was married to Michael D. “Buck” Buckner from August 19, 1972, until the time of her passing.

Sandy was the proud owner and operator of Buck’s Steaks and Bar-B-Que. What she loved most about the business operations was making sure all her employees and customers felt like they were part of the family. She was most passionate about her children, grandchildren, and her fur baby, “Buster the cat.” She thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling, and taking trips with her beloved husband, Buck. She had been a resident of Sweetwater 26 years and graduated from Newman High School in 1964.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Sandy is survived by her husband, Buck of Sweetwater; her two sons, Ronald Lee Hines, Jr., and wife Denise of Sweetwater and Michael Jo Buckner and wife Annlyn of Sweetwater; her grandchildren, Brittney Espinosa and husband Gilbert, and Brett and Emma Buckner; her brothers, Sonny Baldwin and wife Leonila of Lockhart, and Fredrick Bemenderfer and wife Janet of Plano; sisters, Paulette Elliott and husband Billy of Idaho, and Colleen Garcia and husband Glenn of Dallas; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers will be Brett Buckner, Chad Pierce, Evan Garcia, Freddie Saldivar, Todd Jones, and Robert Carey.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Nolan County Shrine Club, P.O. Box 1232, Sweetwater, Texas 79556 or to one’s favorite charity.

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† THEDA JO MOORE

Services for Theda Jo Moore, 90, of Roscoe, formerly of Paris, Texas, were held on Monday, June 11, at 2pm at Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home of Snyder with Rev. Ben Reid officiating. A private family graveside service followed. She died on Saturday, June 9, at Goodlife Senior Living in Snyder.

Mrs. Moore was born on Thursday, April 19, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Elbert and Blanche (Whitener) Heuschober. She married A. C. Moore on Monday, June 2, 1947 in Fort Worth. He preceded her in death on March 29, 2009.

Theda was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Paris and was involved in the Paris 4-H Club, the Lamar County Livestock Association, and the Red River Valley Fair Association. She was also involved in the Snyder Gold Coats, Home Demonstration Club, and the Scurry County Senior Citizens Center.

She is survived by her sons, Steve Moore and wife Renee of Roscoe and Mark Moore and wife Beth of Salida, Colorado; grandchildren, Chelsie Richard and husband Ryan of Dallas, Lindsey Robinson of Dallas, Leslie Wakefield and husband Clayton of Katy, Tara Moore of Dallas, and Marly Segura and husband Martin of Aurora, Colorado.

She was preceded in death by a son, Jerry Moore.

Memorials can be made to Scurry County Senior Citizens Center, Second Chance Dog Rescue, or your favorite charity. Online condolences may be posted at www.bellcypertseale.com.

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Restless Heart to Headline July 4th Celebration

Restless Heart

This year’s featured performers for Roscoe’s July 4th Celebration on Saturday, June 30, will be Restless Heart. The group is on its year-long 35th Anniversary Tour with stops in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky. The band’s Dave Innis says that “35 years is more than we could have ever imagined or hope for and still share the stage with all our original members.”

Over the years, the band has had six consecutive No. 1 hits and four gold-certified albums. Singles now considered country classics include “The Bluest Eyes in Texas,” “Wheels,” “That Rock Won’t Roll,” “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” and “Why Does It Have to be Wrong or Right?”

The July 4th Celebration will also include the Lions Club’s Pancake Breakfast, the July 4th Parade, Plowboy Mudbog, street vendors on Cypress and Broadway, the Street Dance and Free Concert, the Fireworks Show, and the Post-Fireworks Dance at the Lumberyard with Lyndall Underwood and the Dusty Creek Band.

It should be a great day, so make plans to attend the festivities and once again celebrate our nation’s independence.

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COMMUNITY CENTER TO SPONSOR CITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE

On Saturday, June 30, the same day as this year’s 4th of July celebration, the Roscoe Community Center is sponsoring a city-wide garage sale. The sale will run from 8am to 3pm at individual homes as well as the Community Center.

For those choosing to use the Community Center, vending locations will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis. Inside locations will be $10, which will provide you with a table and come with advertising. Vendors are responsible for any tables beyond that. Outside spots are also $10 and include advertising, but vendors are responsible for their own tables. Those holding sales at their own homes will be charged $5 for advertising and placing their address on the map provided.

Your junk is someone else’s treasure! Don’t miss this opportunity to rid of your stuff on such a good busy day! Come shop or sell your goodies!

For more information, contact Misty at 325-338-1005 or Connie at 325-338-1287.

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TWELVE VEHICLES HIT BY BURGLARY IN ROSCOE

Twelve vehicles in Roscoe were burglarized this week. The person or persons involved focused on vehicles that were left unlocked. Roscoe Police are currently investigating the crimes and expect to apprehend the perpetrator(s) soon.

Roscoe Police also will cite the driver responsible for a three-vehicle wreck on east Broadway Monday afternoon. The collision occurred when the driver of an eastbound black SUV, traveling at an unsafe speed in a no-passing zone, attempted to pass an eastbound blue 18-wheeler that was turning into the E.On warehouse. The SUV struck the 18-wheeler and then caromed into a parked white F-350 pickup, causing damage to all three vehicles. No one was injured beyond minor bumps and bruises.

Also, on Thursday, a grey, 4-door sedan with an unknown driver lost control, struck a parked vehicle at Seventh and Cypress Streets, and then fled on foot. There were no identifiers for the vehicle, which hadn't been registered since 2015. Both car and driver are believed to be from out of town.
 

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STONEY LARUE AT THE LUMBERYARD SATURDAY

Stoney LaRue

Are you ready for some Red Dirt? Saturday night, the ever-popular Stoney LaRue and his band, The Arsenals, return to the Roscoe for a command presentation on the Lumberyard’s north stage.

Born in Texas but raised in Oklahoma, LaRue is famous for developing the Red Dirt sound along with friends Cody Canada, Jason Boland, and Brandon Jenkins. His 2005 CD, The Red Dirt Album, reached the Billboard sales charts its debut week, and in 2006 he released the best seller Live at Billy Bob’s. In 2014 he achieved acclaim for his 2011 CD, Velvet, and his 2014 album, Aviator.

His latest album, Us Time, is a collection of fan favorites from his live shows. It includes Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” and Gary Stewart’s “Empty Glass,” as well as LaRue standards such as “Feet Don’t Touch the Ground,” and “Oklahoma Breakdown,” plus a new LaRue original, “Easy She Comes,” and others.

Michael Carubelli

The Michael Carubelli Band will open for Stoney LaRue at around 8:00pm. LaRue will take the stage around 9:45pm. For reservations or more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WEATHER REPORT: HEAT WAVE AND ANOTHER RAIN

There’s no other way to put it. It’s been hot, and it will continue to be hot in the days to come. Last week had only one day in which the high didn’t reach 100°F, and that was Monday when it rose to only 99°.  The high for the week was Thursday’s 106°, one degree more than Wednesday’s 105°. We got a break on Sunday and Monday, when the highs were only 90° and 91°. After all the heat, the two days felt like a return to spring. But the temperature was back up to 101° yesterday and should reach 103° today.

We also got a much-needed rain early Monday morning between 2:30 and 3am. Roscoe weatherman Kenny Landfried reported .5” for the official total, but I had .64” at my house, and most people I talked to who live west of town got more, somewhere between ¾ of an inch to an inch. Then last night after midnight, another storm blew through and dropped some rain west of town but nothing in town.

The outlook for the coming week is for continued hot, dry, and windy weather. Highs will be in the mid to upper nineties and lows in the mid to low seventies. Skies will be partly cloudy with winds from the south. The possibility of rain is only slight with 20% chances tomorrow and Friday but little beyond that.

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† DIXIE LEE TEMPLETON SMITH BERLIN

A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Sunday, June 10, at the Roscoe Church of Christ for Dixie Lee Templeton Smith Berlin, 82, who passed away peacefully at her home in Sweetwater June 3. Royce Clay, Hershel McDonald, and Dan Boren will officiate.

Dixie was born on January 28, 1936, in China Grove to J. M. and Ovada Templeton. The second of three sisters, she was raised in Loraine and was a graduate of Loraine High School. She received an undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in 1957, where she met her husband of over fifty years, Jimmy Dean Smith. Following their wedding, Jimmy and Dixie lived in Lubbock, Robert Lee, Panhandle, Friona, and Rotan before settling in Roscoe in 1967. Dixie was a longtime resident of Roscoe. She was a schoolteacher at Roscoe ISD for many years and a member of the Roscoe Church of Christ. She was a Girl Scout troupe leader for several years and volunteered at the Roscoe School Library and the Sweetwater County Library after retiring from education. In 1991 she earned a Master of Education degree from Texas Tech University and shortly thereafter moved professionally to Snyder ISD where she was a school librarian for the final six years of her career.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Jimmy Dean Smith, and her sisters, Mary Rose Templeton Bowen and her husband, Charles, and Virginia Templeton Martin.

Following the loss of Jimmy, Dixie married Jerry Berlin in 2011 and the two were happily together until the time of her passing. She will be remembered by her husband Jerry Berlin, of Sweetwater; her three children, Stephen Smith and his wife, Angela, of Wiggins, CO; Randall Smith and his wife, Coilla, of Roscoe; and Susan Smith of Kornwestheim, Germany; six grandchildren, Cheyenne Smith and his wife, Kylee; Cale Smith and his wife, Kimberly; Anna Smith; Sarah Nolen and her husband, Tyler; Caden Smith and his fiancée Brittany Cain; and Rachel Smith and her fiancée Jonathan Daniel; and six great-grandchildren, as well as many extended family members and the hundreds of students whose lives she changed over the years.

In lieu of flowers, Dixie and her family invite you to donate to the Garrison Institute on Aging, TTUHSC, 3601 4th Str./MS:9424, Lubbock, Texas 79430.

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City Swimming Pool Opens Friday

Summer is for swimming.

It’s going to be hot this weekend, but there’s one good way to beat the heat, especially if you’re a kid, and that’s taking a dip in the City Swimming Pool, where the water is sure to cool you off. Opening day is this Friday, June 1 at 1:00pm.

The pool will be open Tuesdays through Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00pm.  Price of admission is $2.00 per day with season passes available for $75.

The pool may be rented for private parties beginning and ending between 5:00 and 9:00pm. The fee is $60 for two hours, $70 for three, and $80 for four with a $15 deposit. The price includes an approved licensed lifeguard. The pool may also be rented all day on Mondays (1-7pm) for $125. Also, if enough people sign up, swimming lessons will be offered in the mornings (10-12am).

For reservations or additional details, contact Pool Manager Tammy San Agustin at 325-574-3101.

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JESS & TERRY LAMBERT RECOVERING FROM BEE ATTACK

Jess Lambert and his son Terry are still recovering from a bee attack last Wednesday at their ranch just off CR 173 near Nolan. They were working on a trash pile when Mr. Lambert, who was driving a bulldozer, hit a swarm of bees and was attacked. His son, Terry, ran over to help and when he sprayed the bees with a spray can, they turned on him. Mr. Lambert was stung somewhere around 150 times and Terry over 1600 times.

Mr. Lambert then drove to Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital in Sweetwater, where he stayed, but Terry, whose condition was more serious, was taken to Abilene Regional Medical Center, where he was put in ICU and given a medically induced coma. The medical staff at Sweetwater and Abilene removed well over a thousand stingers from his body.

The good news is that both are doing much better now and are recuperating at Mr. Lambert’s home in Roscoe. Terry, who is a lieutenant in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice at the Middleton Unit in Abilene, will return home soon, if he hasn’t already, and get back to work.

Mr. Lambert says he and Terry received excellent medical treatment in both Sweetwater and Abilene, and he is thankful for it.

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SWEETWATER SUSPECT RECEIVES 20-YEAR SENTENCE IN SHOOTING OF ROSCOE MAN

Brandon Abeita                                        Tanner Engel

Tanner Engel, 28, has been sentenced to twenty years in prison in a trial that ended on Monday, May 21. He was found guilty of murder after shooting Brandon Abeita, 39, in Sweetwater on April 3, 2016.

The shooting reportedly occurred in the 1100 block of Fowler Street as the two men struggled inside Engel’s pickup. Abeita tried to drive away in the pickup but hit a utility pole. He was taken by ambulance to Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Engel was initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and placed in the Nolan County Jail, but the charges were later upgraded to murder. Abeita grew up in Roscoe and was a member of the RHS class of 1995.

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WEATHER REPORT: HEAT WAVE - WITH MORE TO COME

This past week, temperatures have risen to a level not seen so far this year. Friday’s high of 97°F was surpassed by Saturday’s and Sunday’s highs of 102°, our first triple-digit temperatures of the year, both of which broke Roscoe’s records for those days according to the Weather Channel. On Monday the high dropped to 99°, but yesterday it was back up to 101°. Since the lows for all those days were all at least 70°, air conditioners have been running practically non-stop.

However, according to the weather forecasters, “We ain’t seen nothing yet!” Today, the high is projected to rise to 106°. So, not only should today be the hottest day of the year so far, but tomorrow and Friday will not provide any relief as both are predicted to hit 105° with lows for all these days about 75°. Saturday’s high will be almost as bad at 103°, so Sunday should be a relief when the mercury reaches only 93°. But that’s for only a day, because Monday will be back up to 100° followed by days with highs of 105°, 107°, and 104°. Whew!

We haven’t seen this kind of a heat wave since 2011, and, of course, with temperatures like these, the chances for rain are slender. Unless something changes, the most we can hope for is to catch a scattered shower here or there. It's cotton planting time, so this is not good.

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† JAY STANLEY ETHEREDGE

A Memorial Service will be held at 3pm today at Chapel of Memorial Oaks Funeral Home in Houston for Jay Stanley Etheredge, 76, who died on May 24 in Houston after a brief illness. Interment will be in the Roscoe Cemetery this Saturday, June 2, at 2:00pm with Bishop Erik Gronberg officiating.

Jay was born on September 1, 1941, in Rotan to Pete and Hilda Etheredge. He attended Roscoe schools and graduated from Roscoe High School in 1959. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Lutheran University in 1963 followed by an MBA from Texas Tech University in 1965. His devotion to Texas Lutheran continued throughout his life as a loyal, steadfast, and involved alumnus.

Jay’s professional career was highlighted by twenty-five years as Risk Manager for Conoco, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Throughout his life, his greatest joys were spending time with his family and watching sporting events. He took great pleasure in cheering on his hometown teams, the Astros and the Rockets, but his favorite events to watch were those in which his children and grandchildren were the athletes and performers. He always had a kind word, thoughtful suggestion, and encouraging hug afterwards. Jay was a member of Memorial Drive Lutheran Church, living out his faith and caring for his spiritual family in numerous positions throughout the years, including Sunday School teacher, Church Council leader, and usher.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, Pete and Hilda Etheredge. He is survived by his son, Mark Etheredge and his wife, Kristen, of Southlake, and their children, Pete, Miriam, and Elise; by his daughter, Vicky Etheredge, of Houston, and her children, Dylan and Kelsey; and by his son, Steven Etheredge and his wife, Jacki, of Houston, and their children, Owen and Erin. He is also survived by his brother, Cliff Etheredge and his wife Ann, of San Antonio.

Memorials may be made to Texas Lutheran University, 1000 W. Court Street, Seguin, Texas, 78155 or MD Anderson Cancer Center–Mantle Cell Lymphoma Department, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, 77210.

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27 Seniors Graduate at Friday Commencement

The Class of 2018

Family and friends gathered at the RCHS Special Events Center Friday evening to celebrate the graduation ceremonies of the Class of 2018, and 27 seniors moved on to a new phase of life as they received their high school diplomas. Twenty-three of them had already received their Associate’s Degrees from Western Texas College on May 8.

Valedictorian of this year’s class was Kayla Justiss, and Salutatorian was Camden Boren. Winners of this year’s Devon Reece Freeman Scholarship were Clemente Aguayo and Logan Wicker, and the William “Bill” Blakely Scholarship was awarded to Mariann Rainey and Nolan Reeves.

Here is a list of the RCHS graduates of 2018 along with their scholastic accomplishments:
 
Thea Shae Abeita *                               Ivy Nicole Jolley *
Allison Marie Acebedo *                      Kayla Jo Justiss * Φ
Clemente Aguayo *                               AbiGail Leigh Meadows *
Camden Dee Boren * Φ                        Laurin Rhaye Mitchell
Morgan Taylor Bowers *                      Ainsleigh Lynn Nelson *
William Tristan Brooks ⱳ                    Isaiah Elijah Olvera
Johnathan Alfonso Castillo * ⱳ          Paul David Pantoja * ⱳ
Jose Inocencio Chavira * ẟ                   Braxton Cole Parrott *
Tate McCoy Fullwood * ⱳ                    Parker Russell Payne *
Francisco Edward Garcia * ⱳ              Mariann Dawn Rainey *
Caden Joe Garrett *                               Zachary Rangel * ⱳ
Diego Adrian Garza * ⱳ                        Nolan Wayne Reeves *
Iris Elaine Gonzalez*                             Logan Nicole Wicker
Arizona Cecelia Guevara *

* = WTC Associate’s Degree
ⱳ = TSTC Welding Certificate
ẟ = TSTC Drafting & Design
Φ = Phi Theta Kappa (WTC Honor Society)
 
These are the Top Ten finishers gradewise in order:

1. Kayla Justiss                                    6. Francisco Garcia
2. Camden Boren                                7. Clemente Aguayo
3. Nolan Reeves                                   8. Mariann Rainey
4. Braxton Parrott                               9. Parker Payne
5. Iris Gonzalez                                  10. Ivy Jolley

Clemente Aguayo and Logan Wicker are the recipients of this year's Devon Reece Freeman Scholarship.

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RHS CLASS OF 1968 TO HOLD 50TH-YEAR REUNION SATURDAY

 The Roscoe High School Class of 1968—plus anyone else who attended in surrounding years—will have a celebratory get-together at the Lumberyard on Saturday, May 26, from 6:00pm till close.

For more information contact Sharion McFaul Henley.

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TWO TONS OF STEEL AT LUMBERYARD FRIDAY

Two Tons of Steel

Two Tons of Steel returns to the Lumberyard Friday night for an encore performance. Led by Kevin Geil, they have entertained crowds in Las Vegas, the Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville, the National Theater in Havana, Cuba, and in various locations in Europe.

The band got its start in San Antonio in the mid-nineties and is still one of that city's favorite bands, winning “Band of the Year” twelve times and the San Antonio Current’s “Best Country Band” ten times. They have released eight albums and appeared on the cover of Billboard magazine. Top singles include “Sedated,” “Hold Over Me,” “Your Kiss,” “Vegas,” and “Crazy Heart.” Albums include Gone and Jumpin’ Tonight.

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

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MEMORIES OF LIFE IN ROSCOE DURING WORLD WAR II

(as told by Mary Edna Worthy to Tacy L. Ellis)

Downtown Roscoe during World War II.

The following is an excerpt from an article, “It’s a Wonderful Life: Mary Edna Worthy of Roscoe, Texas,” which appeared in Small Town Texas (Vol. 1, Issue 12, August 1998). It begins in the summer of 1942, when Miss Worthy returned from Sierra Blanca to Roscoe, planning to apply for a Civil Service job in November.  

It was time for school to start in Roscoe, and they needed a chemistry teacher. Mary Edna was asked to teach for 6 weeks, long enough for them to find a teacher. She agreed and began teaching Chemistry and English. It was an entirely different atmosphere from her previous jobs. “I liked school and all the kids. So I just stayed at it for 17 years.”

Her love for the students was obvious as she smiled and said, “The kids were fun-loving, mischievous and cut up a lot. Still, deep down underneath, they were serious about their studies. Practically every family had somebody involved in the war somewhere. I know every Monday morning the first thing the students did was to set aside a little time and money to buy savings stamps. When they got $18.50, they could cash them in for a war bond. Some of them would only have a quarter, but I don't think there was a kid in school who didn't buy war stamps. They took it seriously. They were very knowledgeable about the war.”

“Of course, teachers got mail urging us to encourage boys in high school to enlist just as soon as they were old enough. I never will forget the first time I got a letter to 'please advise all the 17-year-old men in your classes...' A lot of the kids were anxious to get into the service. I know when I first started teaching here, about half of the senior boys turned 18 and left during school to go to the war. Strange thing, so many kids growing up here in dry west Texas went to the Navy. Most hadn't seen a body of water bigger than Sweetwater Lake."

They distributed ration books through the school. Before she returned from Sierra Blanca, tires and sugar were being rationed. A friend of Mary Edna who lived in Reeves County wrote that their allotment was 2 new tires a year. Coffee and sugar were separate ration books. Mary Edna described the situation, "You had separate books for gasoline, they called them cards. There were A, B, and C books. If you had a job that was necessary to the war effort then you got a little more gasoline. Doctors were given more gasoline, and so were farmers. It was for their farm machinery. They weren't supposed to use it in their family car or anything but their tractors. Some did and some didn't. The few who did were looked upon with great scorn by most people."

Mary Edna related that one man, Dutch Saunders, rode his horse to work from Roscoe to Avenger Field to drive a gas truck. He reported that the government regulations forced him to dump some fuel when they had a surplus. He hated it and it would have been a good time to get extra gas, but his patriotism kept him from stealing the unused gas. This despite the only reason he rode his horse to work was because he didn't have enough gas.

"There was a sense of community that we had never known before." Said Mary Edna, describing her actions, "Since gasoline was rationed, if you were going to Sweetwater, you called around to ask your friends or anybody if they needed to go, too. It was considered very unpatriotic to make a trip like that without asking if others needed to go. Many people in Roscoe went to the same eye doctor in Snyder. A lot of folks, who didn't know each other very well until the war, made acquaintances with each other through this doctor. If you had an appointment. he would tell you who else in Roscoe had an appointment and ask you to ride together."

On to food rations. "I remember when coffee first went on ration here in Roscoe. There was one fellow in town who was a preacher of some sort. Children under 12 couldn't get rations for coffee. This man and his wife came to the school for new ration books and he had changed the age of his little girl from 12 to 13 so they could get more coffee."

There were red and blue ration books. The blue ones were for canned goods and the red were for meat. Mary Edna said that gland meat wasn't rationed, you could buy all of that you wanted. You raised your own hogs and had your own chickens. There was a locker plant in Roscoe where the community center is now. Cheese and butter and pasteurized milk were all hard to get. "My family hoarded sugar," admitted Mary Edna. "We would save our coupons and get sugar when we could, then we'd hoard it until Christmas so we would have plenty."

Kleenex was rationed as well as cosmetics and nylon hose. Mary Edna shopped at Grissom's in Abilene for shoes. (Mary Edna admits shoes are her downfall.) Once when she was in there, one of the salesmen, a friend, hinted that leather goods might be rationed. He suggested she buy extra pairs of shoes. She followed his advice and it was only a few days before leather goods did go on ration. One man tried to buy shoes without a ticket but the clerk would not sell them to him. He offered the clerk $100, but the patriotic clerk said no.

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WEATHER REPORT: MORE RAIN

The area got another nice rain, this one early Sunday morning. It wasn’t a gully washer—the city’s official total was .81”, but it did fall in some areas, such as Pyron, that had missed the previous rain. It was heavier west of town with some farmers around Loraine reporting as much as three inches and more. More rain would certainly be welcome, but most places have received enough recently that the situation is not desperate as we move into the cotton planting season.

The hottest days of the past week were on Thursday and Friday when the highs were 95°F and 94° respectively. On Saturday the wind shifted to the north and the high dropped to 84°. Since then, temperatures have been milder with Sunday’s high of 78°, Monday’s 86°, and yesterday’s 87° with lows of around 60°. Today and tomorrow will continue the trend with partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid to upper eighties. On Friday, however, the weather will return to summerlike heat for the next couple of weeks. Skies will be clear with temperatures rising into the upper nineties with lows in the seventies and winds from the southeast.

During this time, there will be little chance for rain unless something happens that the forecasters can’t currently see.

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A MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE TO S/SGT. WILLIE PIETZSCH

S/Sgt. Willie Pietzsch

S/Sgt. Willie H. Pietzsch, Jr., born May 17, 1919, was the son of William and Edith Pietzsch and older brother of R. D., Mary, and LeRoy Pietzsch. He attended Roscoe schools and was a graduate of Roscoe High.

He entered the Army in 1942 and trained in California and Washington state in the 185th Infantry Regiment, Eighth Army, before shipping out in October 1942 to help defend the Hawaiian Islands. The regiment stayed there for a year and received jungle training before moving to New Britain Island in 1944, taking part in the campaign there until January 1945. They then joined in the invasion of the Philippines, which the Japanese had controlled since 1942. The Battle of Luzon, the island where Manila is located, followed, and Sgt. Pietzsch was killed in action there on February 15, 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and a medal for the Liberation of the Philippines. He was buried in the Roscoe Cemetery on November 3, 1948.

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