January 2022

The City of Fort Stockton Substandard Building Committee met for its regular meeting on Jan. 6. The mission of the committee is to promote the welfare of citizens by securing, repairing, or demolishing structures that are deemed unfit for habitation or hazardous to the public.

During their property hearings, the committee revisited a large Victorian style house – located at 1508 W. Division St. – that has gradually been deteriorating over the years.

Fort Stockton head football coach Mike Peters was named the 33Lead Athletic Club Football Coach of the Year this past week.

Peters led the Panthers to greater heights than Fort Stockton’s program had ever seen before this past season.

The athletic director for the Fort Stockton Independent School District led his team to the second round of the Class 4A-1 playoffs after the Panthers won their first contested-postseason game in school history following a co-district championship.

The 19th ranked Seminole Maidens showed why they’re one of the elite programs in West Texas on Jan. 11 against Fort Stockton.

Seminole scored a season-high 111 points in their district-opening win against Pecos on Jan. 7 and the Maidens nearly reached the century mark again in their matchup with the Prowlers.

Senior guard Xoe Rosalez and sophomore London Shain outscored Fort Stockton by six points as a duo, netting a combined 51 points in Seminole’s 96-45 win.

Rosalez scored a game-high 26 points and Shain added 25.

Fort Stockton led Alpine by one point (12-11) at the end of the first quarter during the Panthers final non-district game of the season on Jan. 7.

But the tide turned quickly as the Bucks outscored Fort Stockton 23-11 in the second quarter and 15-9 in the third quarter on their way to a 62-44 win in Alpine.

Blue Wave senior swimmer Quaylon Rios qualified for the Andrews Invitational finals on Jan. 7 in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 butterfly during the event’s preliminary races.

Rios dropped his time in both events during the finals on Jan. 8, finishing in fourth place in the 100 fly after entering the race as the nine seed.

Unfortunately, the finish did not stand due to disqualification.

COVID-19 active cases trended downward this past week in Pecos County for the first time since the Omicron variant began to spike locally on Dec. 28.

Active cases reached an all-time high of 282 people in the county as reported on Jan. 6. That number has since dropped to 266 people as of Jan. 11.

Six Pecos County residents were reported to be hospitalized at facilities outside of the county and two additional residents were hospitalized at Pecos County Memorial Hospital.

January 4

Carlos Roberto Gonzalez, of Fort Stockton at 9:21 p.m., officers from the Fort Stockton Police Department apprehended Gonzales on a failure to appear warrant for theft by check. Gonzalez received a $1,000 bond and was released the same day.

When the opportunity presented itself, Adrienne Horton knew it was the perfect time to take a position she had long strived for in her career.

The current Crane High School Principal, who was previously a teacher, counselor, and principal within the Fort Stockton Independent School District from 2004-2020, will return to her longtime home as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum beginning on Jan. 24.

Ruben A. Montoya was reunited with his Heavenly Father on Jan. 9, 2022. Ruben was born Oct. 21, 1947, in Manuel Benavidez Chihuahua, Mexico, to Eleodoro and Alejandra Alarcon Montoya.

He was raised and educated in Mexico before coming to Coyanosa, Texas. He worked as a farm hand on numerous farms in the Coyanosa area. He worked 10 years for Braden Farms. He retired in 2012.

Larry Eugene Elvick, 77, of Fort Stockton, Texas, took his eternal flight on Jan. 5, 2022, in Odessa, Texas.

Viewing and visitation was held on Jan. 7, 2022, at Eternity Funeral Home in Fort Stockton.

A Life Celebration was held on Jan. 8, 2022, at Eternity Funeral Home Chapel with John McIntyre officiating. Burial followed at East Hill Cemetery. Arrangements were under Eternity Funeral Home.