August 2025

The Fort Stockton Panther tennis team hit the road Thursday, August 7, traveling to the Texas Panhandle for a challenging slate of matches against some of the state’s best programs. Facing two powerhouse Class 4A opponents—Randall and West Plains—along with a strong Class 5A team in Palo Duro, the Panthers embraced the test headon.

On Friday, August 8, the Panther Football program welcomed an energetic group of mothers to the newly constructed Field House for the annual Panther Football Moms 101 event. The evening gave moms of Panther athletes an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the game their sons love, both in the classroom and on the field.

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil, we have had this bed of Mexican oregano for 14 years. It was there when we bought our property west of Boerne.

In the wake of catastrophic July 4th floods that devastated communities and claimed lives across Central Texas, the Texas Senate has passed a package of bills aimed at significantly improving disaster preparedness and accelerating recovery efforts.

LOOKING BACK

Years ago, I started working with and training some older teenage boys on Saturdays on our small ranch. A big problem I notice in America with our youth today is so many have never worked or been exposed to it. Oh yes, they know how to use cell phones, watch videos, play some little computer games or watch the tube. I would pick those boys up at 7:30 a.m. sharp. If they were not ready, I left them. I paid a good hourly wage but if they talked on their cell phone while we were working, they were docked an hour. Yes, we took lots of breaks, had nice cool water and discussed the jobs we were doing and good work habits. They had to have proper dress for working outdoors and in the sun. Several things I observed and tried to teach them.

Pay no attention to the seemingly frozen clock in sixth-period trigonometry class. Time is moving way too swiftly.

Dear FSISD School Community, This will be my final year as Superintendent. I communicated my intent to the school board in January 2025.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove 13 of the more than 50 House Democrats who fled the state to break quorum and effectively halt the special session to prevent a mid-decade redistricting plan, the Austin American-Statesman reported. “These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold,” Paxton said in a statement.

“Together We Can Make a Difference!” - Lucky Two Times Animal Sanctuary Bradley is the Pet of the Week! Weighing roughly 40lbs, he is a year and 2 months old and was one of eight in a litter that was dumped at the rest area outside of Fort Stockton in 2024. He is very social, loves attention. He is more of a vocal type, so would be great as a working dog for a ranch hand or security on your property. He has been outside all his puppy life in one of our kennel areas so he is used to the outdoor environment versus the inside. Great animal for a person with patience and looking for that best friend. His sponsor is Dirt Wind Farms LLC.