News

With early voting set to begin on Monday, Oct. 24 for the Nov. 8 midterm election, the City of Fort Stockton is trying to get the word out about the city’s home rule charter that will appear on the ballot for residents who live inside the city limits.

Registered voters participating in the Nov. 8 election, who reside inside Pecos County and outside of the Iraan Hospital District boundaries, will have opportunity to return to the ballot box once again on Dec. 10 to decide whether or not to create a Pecos County Memorial Hospital.

The Pecos County Commissioners approved the hospital’s petition to create the district at its Sept. 26 meeting. The motion to call for the election passed without discussion.

A town hall meeting was recently held on Oct. 17 to discuss the Proposed Charter that will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 8 City of Fort Stockton Special Election.

If you missed it, you will have the opportunity to attend the town hall meeting scheduled for Tuesday,

Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Stockton Convention Center, located at 2181 W. Interstate 10.

The event will allow citizens the opportunity to have their questions answered.

Congressman Tony Gonzales participated in a ceremony at the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas on Oct. 18 with the National Parks Conservation Association, members of the Blackwell School Alliance, Blackwell Alumni, and local officials.

The gathering commemorated legislation that Congressman Gonzales and Senator John Cornyn introduced to designate the Blackwell School as a National Historic Site under the National Park Service. On Oct. 17, the White House signed the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act into law. 

With a growing population and an increase in truck traffic, U.S. Highway 285 between Fort Stockton and Pecos has become a more dangerous road to travel. With that in mind, the Texas Department of Transportation is in the preliminary stages of a project that will widen a 49.3-mile stretch of the highway from two lanes to a four-lane divided highway.

The estimated cost of the project is $400.2 million and right-of-way and utility relocation cost is $40 million.

Another name has been thrown in the hat for the Fort Stockton mayoral race next May.

City councilman James Warnock informed the Pioneer on Oct. 12 that he intends to run for mayor following Chris Alexander’s current and final term.

Alexander confirmed last May that he will not be running for mayor again in the May 2023 election.

The second-ever Big Bend Open Road Race 2.0 -- begun last year as a companion to the longtime annual April race between Fort Stockton and Sanderson – crowned its champions Oct. 15 at the Fort Stockton Convention Center. The first leg from Fort Stockton to Sanderson got under way at 8 a.m. Saturday and racers from 20 states competed in 13 speed divisions.

Race coordinator Crystal Lopez thanked the racers and everyone involved with the event.

Toni Espinoza is venturing down a new life path.

A realtor in Fort Stockton for the past year, Espinoza recently purchased the Fort Stockton Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, but she’s not giving up on real estate.

“I’m going to still be doing real estate and of course managing and operating Dickey’s BBQ,” Espinoza said.