November 2023

Fort Stockton played host to a successful two-day tournament for sub-varsity squads throughout the surrounding area last Thursday and Saturday. The JV and Freshman squads who competed in the tournament included the Fort Stockton JV and freshmen, Sanderson, Midland Christian, Pecos JV, Pecos Freshman, Permian JV, Permian Freshman, Greenwood, Fort Davis, Alpine JV, and Presidio.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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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.