April 2023

March 28

Celina Acosta Mata, of Fort Stockton at 1:31 a.m., officers with the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Mata on an MTR warrant for possession of a controlled substance. Mata received a $5,000 bond and is still in jail as of March 29.

Fort Stockton’s relay teams were back intact and as they have shown throughout the season, a championship is all but guaranteed when the Panthers are at full strength.

Fort Stockton cruised to a team title in their regular season finale at the Patti Purser Relays in Greenwood last Friday and Saturday.

The Panthers claimed six gold medals and four silver medals to win the meet by 51.5 points over runner-up Seminole.

The Fort Stockton Middle School golf team traveled to Monahans to open their season on April 1.

Fort Stockton A boys placed second overall as a team, led by Rylee Muniz who took first place individually with a score round 84.

Damian Gonzalez came in ninth place, scoring a total of 95.

The Fort Stockton A girls also came in second as a team.

The Panthers junior varsity Blue squad extended their win streak with an 8-6 victory over Monahans on March 31.

“Brian Encinas, Jorel Tapp, and Ayden Villarreal had great outing for the panthers. The Panthers offense once again stayed hot and contributed to the win. I couldn’t have asked much more of these boys, they always leave everything on the field,” Fort Stockton coach Luis Dominguez said.

The Lone Star State continues to lead the nation in jobs added with 58,200 new positions in February, bringing the state to nearly 14 million total nonfarm jobs, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. February also marked two full years of uninterrupted job growth in the state.

“The past 24 months of uninterrupted job growth show the strength of the Texas economy and ongoing economic opportunities for Texans,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel.

If you weren’t raised in the church, chances are when you think of Easter you think of cute, little fuzzy bunnies, egg hunts, and chocolate candy. If you were raised in the church, all of these are still a part of your Easter, but it takes on a different meaning, a more reflective countenance than outright joy over candy and commercially represented rabbits.

Pecos County will continue to work with the state’s ongoing Border Prosecution Unit in an effort to identify and disrupt criminal organizations operating in the Texas-Mexico border region. The Pecos County Commissioner’s Court on March 27 signed a resolution directing the 83rd Judicial District Attorney Ori White to submit a grant application for the program for 2023-2025. The 83rd District Attorney’s office encompasses Pecos, Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties. 

The Fort Stockton Economic Development 4-B Corporation approved the purchase of solar lighting for Gene Cummings Park at its March 16 meeting. The lights could cost up to $65,000. 

“We’re going to install multiple new solar lighting around Gene Cummings Park,” said Fort Stockton Economic Development Director Remie Ramos, adding the lights will be similar to what’s currently at the park. 

The EDC approved the purchase following a public hearing on March 16. 

Karen L. Fox, 73, of Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, March 31, 2023 at her home.