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2008 - The year end review
Here's a look back at 2008, a year during which The Fort Stockton Pioneer marked its 100th anniversary. The Pioneer hosted an open house and produced a special section that appeared in the Aug. 28 edition. The section chronicled The Pioneer's 100 years of service to the community.
JAN 17 EDITION
One of the U.S. Border Collie Handler's Association winter trials took place in Fort Stockton. More than 50 animals and their handlers participated.
Sheepdog trial is a competition in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates or enclosures, as directed by their handlers.
Herbert Holmes of Sanderson organized the trials. Warren Cude of rural Fort Stockton supplied the sheep.
MARCH 6
Lawrence R. Norton was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty in a federal pornography case. Federal judge Robert Junell also sentenced Norton to 10 years of supervised release.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Norton Aug. 22, 2007, after a search warrant was executed at his Fort Stockton residence Aug. 7, 2007.
MARCH 6
Texas Youth Commissioner conservator Richard Nedelkoff announced Feb. 28 that the Sheffield Boot Camp facility was to be closed March 31.
Nedelkoff visited the facility and spoke with employees about the closure and employment opportunities for the TYC staff currently at the facility. At the time, the facility housed 17 inmates and had a staff of 60.
MARCH 27
The Fort Stockton Independent School District Board of Trustees voted March 24 to approve nearly $500,000 in salary increases, with most reserved for teachers, counsellors, diagnosticians, librarians and nurses.
"We were extremely low compared to the other districts," superintendent Ron Mayfield said. "We need to stop to think who has the most impact on our kids. Our teachers need to be making comparable salaries to other districts."
APRIL 24
Pecos County Memorial Hospital took another big step in transforming itself into a regional health care facility.
Ground was broken April 16 on the Physical Therapy Wellness Center. The new facility, with its accompanying specialty clinic, will be adjacent to the hospital to the east.
"This is a day that was a long time in coming," PCMH chief executive officer Russell Tippin said. "We've been working on this for five years. It is a key component to becoming a regional facility. This couldn't have happened without the support of this community."
MAY 1
Dave Carpenter of Parker, Colo., was the fastest in the field, averaging 165.982mph over the 118 miles of the Big Bend Open Road Race from Fort Stockton to Sanderson and return April 26.
Carpenter, in his 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, was the only competitor to finish in the Unlimited class, according to provisional results released April 29. Carpenter's navigator was Dan Stoltenberg.
MAY 8
The Huckaby Fire, according to the Texas Forest Service, burned nearly 98,200 acres in central and eastern Pecos County.
The fire was reported to have started from a downed power line around 5:30 p.m. April 30 on the Huckaby ranch about 30 miles southeast of Fort Stockton. Fueled by dry grass and brush, and pushed by dry westerly and southwesterly winds, the fire expanded quickly, covering about 21,000 acres by the evening of May 1.
MAY 15
Two incumbents were returned to the Fort Stockton City Council, and Arthur Orona gained a seat in municipal elections contested May 10.
Incumbent John Pacheco received the most votes with 360 and incumbent Brenda Tipton garnered 191 votes, the third-highest. Orona received 277 votes.
"I'm very excited and I'm really looking forward to getting in there and working with the city council, the mayor and the city manager," Orona said. "I'm looking forward to tackling these problems that the city faces." MAY 29
Seniors who failed to make the required score on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exit test won't get a diploma and won't get to participate in graduation at Fort Stockton High School.
Despite emotional pleas from two individuals in support of seniors who didn't meet the standard, the Fort Stockton Independent School District Board of Trustees elected to take no action May 26, keeping in place current school district policy, which states that seniors must successfully complete the state exit test to participate in commencement activities.
MAY 29
IMPERIAL - The body of a Midland man was recovered from Imperial Reservoir May 25 following an intensive 2 1-2-day search, according to Pecos County Sheriff Cliff Harris. Frazier Riggs, 19, formerly of Fort Stockton, had gone missing the evening of May 22 after falling off a personal watercraft.
Riggs' body was recovered from the surface of the south end of the 600-acre reservoir by a Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden at 9:08 a.m. May 25, Harris said. Riggs was the son of Pecos County Precinct 1 Commissioner George Riggs and ViCindy Riggs.
JUNE 5
Fort Stockton High School graduated 108 at its annual commencement May 30 at Williams Special Events Center.
Lily Singh was the valedictorian and Marcos Mendoza was the salutatorian.
JUNE 12
CareStar 2 was officially declared operational June 6 at ceremonies at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa and Pecos County Memorial Hospital in Fort Stockton. The Fort Stockton ceremony was attended by city and county officials, and officials and employees of MCH and PCMH.
"The mood in Odessa this morning and here is very exciting," PCMH chief executive officer Russell Tippin said. "This is a very big day. It's a very good day to be living in Fort Stockton."
JUNE 26
A severe thunderstorm dumped 1.04 inches of rain at Fort Stockton-Pecos County Airport and dropped hail as a large as 1.75 inches in diameter June 19, according to the National Weather Service in Midland.
The storm also produced a wind gust of 68mph at the Texas Tech Mesonet site two miles northwest of Fort Stockton.
JULY 17
The Pecos County Commissioners Court approved July 14 a tax abatement for the Sherbino II Wind Farm LLC, a development venture of British Petroleum Alternative Energy.
The tax abatement, scheduled to take effect in 2010, will be 100 percent each year for 10 years. BP agrees to pay the county $300,000 in the first and second years of the abatement, and $550,000 in the eighth and 10th years, for a total payment in lieu of taxes of $1.7 million.
JULY 24
Linda Morales was crowned Miss Fort Stockton 2008 during the annual Water Carnival pageant July 19 at Comanche Springs pool. Morales, the daughter of Abel and Priscilla Morales, succeeded Kati Harral.
AUG 28
The Pecos County Commissioners Court approved two separate tax abatement deals with SandRidge Energy Inc. Aug. 25.
The agreements will provide payments in lieu of taxes of $13.7 million for 2009-2019. The payments are projected to provide about 34-35 percent of the money that would have been received in property taxes, according to calculations.
The abatements are for the construction of the new Century Plant and the expansion of the existing Pikes Peak and Grey Ranch plants.
SEP 18
After months of planning, revising, haggling and compromising, the Pecos County Commissioners Court adopted the 2009 county budget at a special session Sept. 15.
According to a copy of the proposed 2009 budget on the county's Web site, the budget forecasts expenditures of $33,373,523 vs. revenues of $33,196,627.21.
In separate companion votes, the court set the tax rate for Interest and Sinking at 9 cents per $100 valuation, the Maintenance and Operation rate at 47 cents and the total tax rate at 56 cents per $100 valuation.
SEP 25
With only Councilman Steve Hampton dissenting, the Fort Stockton City Council passed the city's $15 million budget during its regular session Sept. 23.
"It's been a difficult challenge," city manager Rafael Castillo said. "But we have a wonderful team. ... What you see here is a lot more structure than you've seen in the past. It's a lot more professional."
The budget forecasts expenditures of $15,211,565 against revenues of $23,663,475, according to the All Funds Summary provided by interim finance director Roger Carlisle. The ending fund balance is budgeted to be $8,451,910.
The council also approved the tax rate for 2008-09, setting it at $0.3894 per $100 of taxable value. The rate is projected to raise $763,267.
The rate for the previous budget cycle was $.04854, which yielded $686,125, according to city figures.
In the previous budget cycle, the average home was taxed $190.72. The tax on the average home for the 2008-09 budget year is projected to be $182.36.
OCT 9
A Fort Stockton man was arraigned on a capital murder charge Oct. 7 in connection with the shooting death of Drew Slater Oct. 3, according to Fort Stockton Police Department chief Juan Castro.
David Michael Myers was arraigned at the Pecos County Law Enforcement Center and bond was set at $500,000.
Myers was arrested in Midland Oct. 4 on charges of unauthorized used of a motor vehicle and running a red light, according to the Midland County Jail. He was transported back to Fort Stockton Oct. 6.
Slater, 25, an employee of Longfellow Ranch Partners LP, was shot several times at his residence at 1505 W. Hornbeck, Castro said.
OCT 16
The Fort Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitor Development Projects will continue to move forward. It just may not take the shape or go at the pace envisioned by the CVB.
The Fort Stockton City Council voted Oct. 14, with Councilman Steve Hampton dissenting, to move forward with the projects, which originally totalled more than $4 million, and asked city manager Rafael Castillo to provide recommendations on how best to proceed.
OCT 30
The fate of the Old Jail was resolved. It will remain in the hands of the Pecos County Historical Commission.
No bids were presented to the Pecos County Commissioners Court during its regular meeting Oct. 27. The court had set a deadline of 11 a.m. Oct. 27 for groups or individuals to submit a bid.
Longfellow Ranch Partners LP withdrew its proposal to renovate and lease the 125-year-old building following the death of Longfellow employee Drew Slater.
"The Old Jail will continue to operate just like it is," County Judge Joe Shuster said. "It will continue as it is, with the Pecos County Historical Commission."
OCT 30
Seniors Joe Daniel Granado and Marissa Juarez were crowned Fort Stockton High School homecoming royalty Oct. 24 before the District 4-3A game with Clint.
NOV 20
ODESSA - The Fort Stockton Panthers weren't talking much Nov. 13 as they left the field at Ratliff Stadium.
There were simply no answers for what had happened over the course of three hours in the Panthers' 62-36 loss to the Seminole Indians in the bi-district round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs.
The Panthers (6-5) fumbled the ball six times, five in the first half. The Indians (7-4) recovered every one of them.
"You're not going to beat anybody when you fumble four times in the first quarter, five times in the first half," Fort Stockton coach Tom Howard said.
Fort Stockton senior running back Francisco Jaquez and senior wide receiver Joe Daniel Granado were named to the Associated Press Class 3A All-State second team.
Jaquez rushed for 1,745 yards and 20 touchdowns on 173 attempts, and Granado caught 43 passes for 1,033 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Three other Panthers earned honorable mention. Cole Gossett was named as an offensive lineman, Kyle Mishnick at linebacker and D.J. Galvan at defensive back.
DEC 18
The RV park and temporary housing for construction workers on the planned SandRidge Energy Inc. Century Plant finally got the official go-ahead Dec. 16.
The Fort Stockton City Council voted to approve an agreement with M.R. Gonzales Jr. and his wife Christiane Gonzales for services in lieu of annexation.
The contract will allow city utilities to be extended to the planned RV park and temporary worker housing project. The Pecos County Commissioners Court had already approved the project.
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