November 2025

TEXAS & SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIATION Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. released the following statement after the U.S.

KIRBY WARNOCK After years of serving Fort Stockton through its community thrift store, El Buen Vecino was presented the deed to the building it occupies from the First Methodist Church of Fort Stockton. After years of uncertainty, the board needed some reassurance that it could remain in the building.

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In 1970, Baylor University started a freshman men’s spirit organization called The Baylor Line. It seemed like a rather odd thing to do, considering that the Baylor Bears did not win a single football game the year before. But optimism was in full force on the Brazos River, and at an organizational meeting on campus, the Baylor Line was formed, and one of its original members was Fort Stockton’s Kirby Warnock.

Registration is now open for the second Water in the Desert Conference, which will be held Feb. 11– 13, 2026, at Sul Ross State University in Alpine. The conference will once again bring together landowners, scientists, policymakers, and community leaders to explore the future of water across West Texas.

Today, Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) hosted a collaborative meeting between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the New World Screwworm Working Group, founded by Congressman Gonzales, which is comprised of federal and state lawmakers, various agricultural, livestock, and wild game associations, scientists, veterinary experts, and Texas farmers and ranchers. During the meeting, the USDA shared updates relating to the construction of a domestic facility in South Texas focused on sterile fly production, a critical element in eliminating screwworms, and discussed the agency’s New World Screwworm Response Playbook to respond to a domestic screwworm outbreak. A key pillar of the USDA’s screwworm response playbook is effectively managing coordination between federal, state, and local industry partners to monitor and manage screwworm outbreaks in livestock and wildlife. Partners within the New World Screwworm Working Group are committed to working with the USDA on these efforts.

Senator César J. Blanco announced today the appointment of Cassandra Urrutia as his new Chief of Staff. Urrutia has served in Senator Blanco’s office since January 2021, most recently as both District Director and Legislative Director.

TxDOT is working with other state agencies to actively monitor illegal dumping across the state. The initiative that began in San Antonio is now expanding its scope into new territories, adding a new twist to the “Don’t Mess with Texas” attitude that has inspired Texans to keep our roads and highways clean.

Governor Greg Abbott named Kelly Rowe as chair of the Commission on Jail Standards. Additionally, the Governor appointed Joe Fauth and Richard Kirkpatrick for terms set to expire on January 31, 2031 and January 31, 2027, respectively, and reappointed Patricia M. Anthony and Monica McBride for terms set to expire on January 31, 2031. The Commission establishes standards for the care and treatment of county prisoners, construction, maintenance, and operation of county jails.

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