February 2025

The Fort Stockton Historical Society hosted its annual banquet last Thursday evening at the Large Community Hall, drawing more than 100 attendees for an evening of celebration, reflection, and education. The event featured a year-in-review presentation, the introduction of new board members, a prime rib dinner, and a captivating program on the history of local airfields.

Next month, one of the Fort Stockton cultural hubs will welcome mentalist, hypnotist, and motivational speaker, Dr. Steve Taubman, for an evening of Mind Magic.

Congressman Tony Gonzales ( TX- 23), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference (CHC), has spearheaded a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, urging House leadership to support a budget that reins in wasteful spending while safeguarding critical programs that millions of Americans rely on.

Gloria Sanchez was born in Fort Stockton, Texas to Florentino and Juanita Ramos. She was ninety-nine years old and would have been 100 years old on April 11.

Dorothy Ann Smetak Wilkerson, 81, of Proctor, Texas passed peacefully from this life on February 14, 2025. She was born August 14, 1943, in Marble Falls, Texas to Frank Smetak and Rosa Grones Smetak.

Guadalupe Celaya Gonzales, a beloved matriarch, passed away peacefully in Fort Stockton, Texas, on February 20, at the age of 80. Born on May 21, 1944, in Fort Stockton, she lived her life steeped in the traditions and values of her community.

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The Fort Stockton City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, February 10, at 5:30 p.m. at 121 West Second Street. The meeting covered a wide range of topics, including a public hearing, updated ordinances, and regular business items.

Blue Origin has secured a $7 million grant from the Texas Space Commission to enhance its horizontal first-stage booster engine test facility. The funding will enable the addition of subcooling capacity, allowing for the use of energy-dense propellants in the company’s New Glenn program. New Glenn, a reusable heavy-lift rocket, is central to Blue Origin’s longterm vision of expanding human and industrial activity in space.

The Pecos County Memorial Hospital District (PCMHD) Board of Directors convened on February 18, to discuss key issues affecting the hospital’s operations, finances, and policies. The meeting, held in the classroom at Pecos County Memorial Hospital, covered a range of topics, including financial reports, medical staff appointments, and critical policy updates.