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Belding Farms, a 60-yearold pecan farm in Fort Stockton, has taken legal steps to halt renewal of a groundwater permit to export water out of Pecos County to protect its water rights and those of all others and to ensure sustainability of the aquifer.

When Fort Stockton voters chose to become a home-rule charter city last November, they voted for more control of city government, including elections. And with the May 6 municipal election complete, city residents will get to see part of what they voted for in action.

When Midland College holds its commencement ceremonies on Friday, one of the graduates receiving her degree will not have even graduated high school, yet. Fort Stockton High School senior Rylea Jackson has been taking classes at Midland College in addition to her studies at FSHS and will graduate Friday with an Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies, walking with the Fort Stockton High School Class of 2023, one week later.

Efficiency is the name of the game at the Fort Stockton Independent School District, and the FSISD school board on April 26 approved the campus calendars for the 2023-24 school year to include a 4-and-a-half-day school week for middle and high school students. The idea is to allow school staff more conference, tutoring and training time.

The Texas House last Thursday passed two education- related bills, one that allocates $4.5 billion for teacher pay raises and another to increase the annual per-student base funding from $6,160 to $6,300 – a 2.3% increase.

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.

• Juan Ramon Fernandez Jr., DOB 2/28/2003, offense date 1/30/2022 (CR-25153, Possession of Marijuana less than 2 ounces) Defendant has entered into a 6-month pretrial intervention program with a $500 fee.

The idea of a covered outdoor basketball court at Fort Stockton Middle School is an intriguing one for some in the district. The item had been discussed at the March school board meeting, and board member Andy Rivera asked for the item to be put on the April 26 agenda for the board to consider putting out a request for proposals to construct the court. The court would be just like the one the city of Fort Stockton constructed at Gene Cummings Park, which has grown in popularity as the weather has warmed.

The supply of physicians is far less than the demand in many parts of Texas and across the country. In rural areas of the state, that shortage is magnified on a large scale.