Vernon Police Release Information on Fatal Wreck
Vernon Chief of Police Dan Birbeck issued the following release on a fatality wreck Jan. 3 that took the life of Zachary McSpadden of Vernon: “On Saturday, January 3, 2026, at approximately 11:45 p.m., the Vernon Police Department responded to a report of a single-vehicle rollover crash on U.S. Highway 287 near Strahan Street. Upon…
Read MoreLocal resident critical of Vernon College trustees hearing tax abatement presentation in closed session
A plea to the Vernon College board of trustees was made during a regular business meeting Nov. 12 by Wilbarger County resident Kim Arnold for the trustees to take a close look at a company seeking a tax abatement from the college. Arnold made his request ahead of a scheduled presentation to the board by…
Read MoreDriver Injured in Truck Wreck on U.S. 287
A tractor-trailer overturned Thursday morning, Nov. 6, into the median of U.S. 287 near Oklaunion, trapping the driver inside the cab of the truck. First responders, including Vernon Fire Department, Wilbarger County Sheriff’s Department, and DPS, responded to the incident. Two tow trucks, and extrication tools used by Vernon firefighters were used to extricate the…
Read MoreUnofficial Wilbarger County Nov. 4 Election Results
All 17 proposed constitutional amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot passed, according to unofficial results reported Wednesday morning. Unofficial results for Wilbarger County mirrored state-wide results. Less than 10 percent of Wilbarger County’s registered voters turned out to cast a ballot in Tuesday’s election for 17 constitutional amendments. Of the 8,149 registered voters in Wilbarger…
Read MoreWGH Board of Directors appoints interim CEO
The Board of Directors of Wilbarger General Hospital (WGH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tonya Price as the Interim Chief Executive Officer effective October 15, 2025. Tonya has served as the Interim Chief Nursing Officer since July 2025. She brings over a wealth of healthcare experience and has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout her…
Read MoreOne injured in wreck on Business 287
A collision between a cattle hauler and box truck occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, sending one driver to the hospital. Department of Public Safety Sgt. Juan Gutierrez stated in an email that the preliminary investigation revealed the box truck was north on Business 287 when the cattle hauler, traveling on CR 105,…
Read MorePolice respond to report of body
The Vernon Police Department received a call at approximately 6:09 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6, reporting a body on Fannin Street near Beaver Street. Officers arrived at the location approximately three minutes after the call and found a deceased male slumped over on the street curb. Vernon Police Chief Dan Birbeck stated that the cause of…
Read MoreWilbarger County included in governor’s wildfire danger disaster declaration
Wilbarger County is included in a disaster declaration issued by Governor Greg Abbott Aug. 12 for 191 Texas counties, in response to increasing wildfire danger throughout the state. The Governor also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate state emergency response resources to support local officials. “Our No. 1 priority is to…
Read MoreCORRECTION
The story appearing on the front page of the July 31 edition of the Vernon Record regarding Wilbarger County approving an agreement with ICE to serve immigration warrants was incorrect. The Wilbarger County Commissioners Court did not approve the agreement. The item was tabled for possible consideration at a later time.
Read MoreVISD trustees vote 4-3 to approve homeschool participation in UIL events
During the VISD school board meeting Monday, trustees voted 4-3 to approve allowing homeschool students to participate in UIL events. Voting in favor of allowing homeschool students participate in district UIL activities were trustees Patrick Parmer, Bryson Henry, Carrie Hawkins and Chris Lehman. Voting against allowing homeschool students participate were trustees Emory Byars, Amanda Lehman…
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