November 2023

The Goodnight-Loving Trail, Inc. and the Pecos County Historical Commission hosted the Spirit of the River Horsehead Crossing Living History Event. Out by the Pecos River off Highway 11 is a Historical Monument that stands alone by the river erected in 1936 by the State of Texas marker number 2564. On October 27-29, 2023, Horse Head Crossing travelled back in time with Comanche Drummer with song, Lipan Apache, Jumano, and Pueblo, Mescalero, two Poarch Band of Creek Indians and other Native Americans, campfire and chuck wagons cooking, Confederate soldiers, living historians, live cannon fire, gun slinger shootouts, Cowboy Poetry and 528 students and sponsors of all ages from Iraan, Reagan County, Christian Academy of Ft. Stockton, and Monahans. The chuck wagons were up early serving breakfast, later lunch, and supper to all that attended the Spirits of the River Horsehead Crossing Living History Event. The winners of the Chuck Wagon Cookoff for the Beans was Beans, 1st Gage Lawson and 2nd George Delgado, winners in the Desserts were 1st Kevin Williams, 2nd Gage Lawson. In the Meat category winning 1st was Gage Lawson and 2nd Kellye Garrett. Winning in the Bread category was 1st Snap Woodward 2nd Gage Lawson. Best Chuck Wagon winners were 1st Mike Cooper and 2nd Kevin Williams.

Nobody wants to be in need of an air ambulance service, but it’s something nice to have when the need arises. The Pecos County Commissioner’s Court on Monday morning renewed a contract with Air Med Care Network, which provides emergency air ambulance service to Pecos County and dozens of counties across Texas and the United States.

Bob Baker dropped by the Pioneer last week, stopping by after a class reunion at the University of Texas El Paso. Baker did a walk through the offices, scrutinized the layout and reminisced about his days as an editor back in the mid-1960s. He told of how three high school girls used to come in after school and type up the newspaper stories on old typewriters. He took a slow, nostalgic tour of the production area and the old darkroom that still smells of chemicals to this day.

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The economic outlook is bright for Fort Stockton and Pecos County. Economic Development Director Remie Ramos presented is quarterly report at Monday night’s Fort Stockton city council meeting, and said the unemployment rate dropped from July to September and sales tax collection saw a steady increase, up nearly 18% in 2023 so far compared to the previous year.

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GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: I noticed last night that I had about a dozen hammerhead worms crawling onto my porch. They were one to two inches long.

Rainy conditions and excessive speed were reportedly the cause of a single vehicle crash 15 miles east of Fort Stockton on I-10 around 8 a.m. Thursday. According to the Department of Public Safety, a 2019 Chevrolet Impala driven by Anil Jassani, 23, of Houston, was traveling east on the interstate near Mile Marker 241 when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed on the wet roadway in rainy conditions.

MARFA – Walter N. Slosar was selected for the Senior Executive Service position of Chief Patrol Agent, Big Bend Sector, and assumed those duties last week at Sector headquarters in Marfa.

Blue Wave had an outstanding meet on Saturday, Nov. 11 as the girls’ team placed third overall with 199 points, but that is not all, the Blue Wave boys and girls combined to place third overall with 354 points. This team has not had this kind of success since the 2019-2020 season, according to coach Lilia Forst.