November 2023

The Pecos County Commissioners Court on Nov. 27 heard an update on Pecos County Veterans Services from director Michael Corkrum, who also requested a hybrid work schedule to allow him to work remotely while he’s traveling. Corkrum told the commissioners that to be Veterans Service Officer in Texas one must be certified by the Veterans Commission and an accreditation process.

It’s Christmas time! The Fort Stockton Chamber of Commerce has been sponsoring the Joy Run Silent Auction since 2007, where local vendors and businesses donate goods that are then auctioned off with all proceeds going to purchase presents for the Focused Home Nursing Home residents, and to buy supplies for Meals on Wheels. On display at the Chamber of Commerce, there’s everything from hand tools, beautiful artwork to laptops up for auction.

Competitors in the West of the Pecos Blowout Doe, Goat and Lamb Show take their animals to the show arena Saturday morning at the Pecos County Coliseum. Prizes were awarded to the competitors in several different age groups. See more photos from the event on Page 14. Pioneer photos by Shawn Yorks

The Irrigation system at the Desert Pines Golf Course in Fort Stockton is 60-80 years old, and in recent years, the county must routinely fix those leaks. The Pecos County Commissioner’s Court discussed the bid at its Nov. 27 meeting, and ultimately awarded the bid to Duininck Inc. of Prinsburg, Minnesota.

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: I have a bed of red spider lilies that are currently full of leaves. Would it be ok to divide them now? If not, when is the best time? They are growing actively now through early spring.

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It is important to note that an arrest should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

We spent the Holidays with our family hanging out together and fishing. I had a great time! That trip reminds me of a fishing trip I went on years ago. Standing on a riverbank where the water was shallow and kinda muddy where we saw other fishermen nearby but they were not catching much. Our guide, a young man who brought us to this spot, had led us to believe that we could catch big fish here. He got out the bait (it didn’t look too attractive to me) and told us to put our lines in the shallow water. There we stood, the only ones on our lines in shallow water, using some weird bait, hoping to catch a lot of big fish. It sure did take a lot of faith. That reminds me of something in the Bible. Trusting God and His Word (The Bible) takes faith and so does living the Christian life (Luke 7:50, 2Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:20 and Ephesians 2:8,9 one of my favorites). Our fishing trip was a great success just as our guide promised. The Bible promises we will not be disappointed if we put our faith in God, His word (The Bible) and what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us. He shed His innocent blood that our sins could be forgiven, (John 3:16, Romans 5:1-11). Faith is mentioned 299 times in the New Testament.

Did you hear gun shots ringing out over the hills just west of Sanderson Nov. 18 as trucks lined the cliff side near the bluff? As the first shots were fired, filling the air with the smell of gun powder, at 11:30 a.m. the 59th annual Turkey Shoot began. Hosted by the Rifle and Pistol Club at the shooting range on the bluff, shooters of every caliber lined up to sign up for the many events of the day. Each event left the winner with one or more of the 30 turkeys that were up for grabs.

Fresh off a holiday break, both the Fort Stockton High School Prowlers and Panthers hit the hardwood on Tuesday night for a post-Thanksgiving double header, and both teams came out on top. The Prowlers won their third straight game, taking down Imperial Buena Vista, 45-22, and the Panthers rallied late to hold off Kermit, 45-37.