December 2023

The Pecos County Commissioners Court filled several county board positions at its Dec. 11 meeting, most with terms ending at the end in 2024 or 2025. The court appointed Sophia Franco as the Elections Administrator effective Jan. 1, 2024, and the court also appointed Santiago Cantu as a member of the Pecos County Appraisal District Board of Directors with a term expiring Dec. 31, 2025.

ALPINE – The Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) at Sul Ross State University in Alpine is bolstering resources available to West Texas landowners. Mike Janis has joined BRI as the newest member of the team, and he will help enhance the offerings of BRI’s Center for Land Stewardship and Stakeholder Engagement by assisting landowners access grant funding for conservation efforts that benefit native wildlife.

Fort Stockton’s only movie theater will become a memory on Dec. 31 due to “failure to establish an amicable landlord-tenant relationship” between Panther Pictures (operated by Collette and Lino Barragan) and the City of Fort Stockton. The Barragans lease the space at the Fort Stockton Convention Center, a lease that began a 36-month term on Sept. 26, 2022, but could be rescinded without cause by either party with 90 days’ notice.

Ingredients: 2 2/3 cups flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 12-ounce can of beer of choice Directions: In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add in the can of beer and incorporate all the ingredients.

Bread is one of those staples that will never go out of style, and making your own will always be better for you than buying the pre-packaged varieties at the store. One of the easiest and quickest breads to make is beer bread. This is because there’s no rising to worry about, the beer does all the work for you. And while it may not be great for your waistline, it sure is delicious.

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GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: We mowed our yard and forgot to replace the screen around our magnolia tree that I gave my wife several years ago. I discovered a buck deer had shredded the tree leaving only one inch of bark intact.

Renewal only rolls around once every four years, so the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is reminding all agriculture producers that the Agricultural and Timber Exemption numbers they currently hold will expire on Dec. 31.

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.