Regional
Vernon approves joining Opioid Settlement
The Vernon City Commission approved participating in the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council and Settlement Allocation Term Sheet. The action came as part of Tuesday night’s regular meeting for October. City Manager Marty Mangum said that after years of lawsuits, a settlement had been reached in ongoing opioid litigation brought against three pharmaceutical companies. The…
Read MorePrefix required on 940 calls
Prefix required on 940 calls Residents in the 940 area code will be required to dial 10 digits when making a local phone call. People with seven Texas area codes will be required to dial 10 digits (the area code and the telephone number) for all local calls starting Oct. 25. According to the Public…
Read More“Crazy” few weeks for Covid at VISD
Vernon Independent School District Superintendent Jeff Byrd said, in terms of Covid, it has been the “craziest three weeks as far as numbers go” that he’d seen. Byrd updated the VISD board of trustees during Monday’s October board meeting. He said that County Medical Authority Dr. Travis Lehman reported that Covid numbers were decreasing county-wide,…
Read MoreHuge wind farm on Waggoner Ranch comes online
Ørsted has completed the 367 MW Western Trail Wind Farm located on the Waggoner Ranch in Wilbarger and Baylor counties. It is the company’s largest onshore wind project, and it brings Ørsted’s total onshore capacity to over 2.8 GW of wind, solar, and battery storage in operation. The project has secured long-term power purchase agreements…
Read MoreVernon Musicians Club celebrates 100th anniversary, farewell performance Sunday
On Sunday Sept. 26, 2021, the Vernon Musicians Club will celebrate a momentous occasion: the club’s 100th anniversary. A party will be held that afternoon from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Forum Room of the Wilbarger Auditorium. Refreshments will be served at the come-and-go affair. The public is invited to attend. In January,…
Read MoreLots to do Saturday: Wine & Art Walk, Imagine the Possibilities Tour
Saturday will be busy in downtown Vernon. This Saturday, September 25 from 4 to 7 p.m., the Vernon Main Street District is once again hosting the Vernon Main Street Wine & Art Walk with a special Imagine the Possibilities Tour. The Wine & Art walk private shopping and social experience will have wine, beer, dessert…
Read MoreTexas A&M AgriLife peanut sheller to be unveiled Monday
A new $1 million-plus peanut sheller at Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed in Vernon will be unveiled Monday. Vernon Business Development Corporation managing consultant Rick Hardcastle announced the ribbon cutting as part of the BDC meeting, last week. The sheller was installed, in part, thanks to BDC funding of the project. Texas A&M AgriLife and…
Read MoreVernon ISD’s proposed bond explained
Dear Vernon ISD Resident: On Thursday, August 12, 2021, the Vernon ISD School Board called a bond election for $40 million. The board and administration worked with a number of bond committee members to develop this bond package. (See more information here Page 1B ) Together, they reviewed the district’s facilities, demographics, equipment, and educational…
Read MoreGovernor Abbott announces Third Special Session date and agenda
Governor Abbott, on Tuesday, issued a proclamation announcing that he will convene a third special legislative session at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 20, 2021. The proclamation identifies 5 agenda items for the third Special Session. “The Texas Legislature now has the opportunity to redraw legislative and congressional districts in accordance with the new census…
Read MoreCounty facing big deficit, works on budget
Wilbarger County is facing a loss of more than $600,000 from this year to next year, due in large part to a drop in expected property tax revenue after the AEP powerplant in Oklaunion shut down. “Somewhere, we’ve gotta knock about $615,000 out of this budget,” County Judge Greg Tyra told the Wilbarger County Commissioners…
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