West Texas Dispatch

As we observe the nation’s 250th birthday…we’re looking back at the history of Texas and Abilene. Last week we talked through the state’s timeline up until the 1880s…today we pick up the story with the founding of Abilene. More than 72-million Americans traveled over the July 4th holiday…and more than five-and-a-half million of them flew. We’re checking in on summer travel through Abilene Regional...

This week America celebrates its 250th Birthday. We want to look back at what was happening during that time in what would eventually become Texas. A lot of people like to celebrate July 4th with fireworks, by watching organized shows, and by experiencing the thrill of sending them up. Even though there’s no burn ban right now, there are restrictions. We’ll take a closer look. It’s an interesting...

Abilene officials are up to their elbows in budgeting for the 20-27 fiscal year. Today we’ll take a look at how they’re approaching the work…with millions of extra revenue flowing into the coffers. We’ll also talk about the local economy–which is fueling that flush-budget situation. So much new development underway…and more coming. But how are the small businesses doing? Some Abilene community mem...

The New World Screwworm made it into Texas just a couple of weeks ago–and now officials have confirmed that it’s reached West Texas. We’ll have an update. Texas Tech and A&M are collaborating to address challenges in rural healthcare. The unique approach employs not only telehealth–but shipping container clinics to expand access to medical and behavioral care in the state’s rural areas. A co-found...

The New World Screwworm has made it into Texas. Lab testing confirmed the first case in Zapata County last week. West Texas ranchers are taking note…but not panicking. Jodey Arrington is making his way toward retirement…the ballot is settled for November…and the soon-to-be former Congressman says he already feels lighter. At a time when more Texans are relying on food assistance…the Food Bank of W...

Ben Bailey and Tammy Fogle are here today. We’ll ask them how they’re going to get voters excited about showing up at the polls for this runoff — after a very low turnout for the May election. Prices are up for everything. The thing that’s fueling this hit to pocketbooks is the prices of oil. We’ll take a look at how high gas prices are hitting west Texas. Extreme weather and ‘dust events’ are lea...

Texas’s Primary Elections are finally over-after yesterday’s runoff decided the contests that didn’t produce an outright winner in March. Those candidates are now shifting the focus of their campaigns to defeating their opponents on the other side of the aisle. We’ll have the final installment of our month-long series Minds on Trial – wrapping up by looking at how society views and approaches ment...

Early voting is underway in the runoffs for candidates trying to secure their spot on November’s ballot. We’ll check in on the race for the Republican nomination for Texas’s 19th Congressional District. We’ll also hear about the runoff in the U-S Senate race–and for the G-O-P contest for Railroad Commissioner. Today we’ve got our next installment of Minds on Trial. Today-we hear from an individual...

We continue to dig into the way Texas has worked to improve the way the criminal justice system deals with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis..today we go all the way back to the model that the Texas system followed. After years of planning, fundraising and building–Heritage Square will open its doors this week. We’ll hear from some of the key architects of this incredible project. Th...

Today we bring you the second installment of our series “Minds on Trial” with a look at how Texas has worked to solve the problem of not having enough resources for people experiencing mental health crises—and keeping those crisis from escalating into a dangerous situation. A four-way race is a hard one to win out right. We’ll wrap up the joint city and school general elections for you–and look ah...

Today on the show we kick off a series looking at how Texas is trying to change the way people in crisis interact with the justice system. We start by looking at the problem that the state has been trying to solve…and is leading the way on for other states. Housing remains a hot topic in the Abilene area–even for the universities! Only some of their students live on campus–and some students withou...

He’s the mayor of Abilene. He wants to be mayor again, in this time of great change for the City. We sit down with Mayor Weldon Hurt, unopposed candidate for reelection. Inspectors recorded dozens of safety violations at a West Texas ICE detention facility. We’ll hear more about the report. Almost a third of Texas women aren’t up to date on their mammograms. A local partnership aims to provide thi...

We have a special show in store today. Early voting in Texas’s Joint City and School Elections starts Monday. Today we’ll hear from the candidates for Place Four. There are four of them. Navy veteran Benjamin Baylie is a small business owner who advocates for streamlining the processes around local development as an approach to addressing Abilene’s Housing Crisis. Rich Lyles touts his experience n...

Millions nationwide turned up at protests over the weekend. Abilene’s gathering was just a few hundred, but was bigger than the previous demonstrations. El Paso, Texas, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar is trying to sound the alarm about a large immigration detention center in her district. 9-1-1 calls from the tent camp are common, and there have been outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles. Locals in...

Are you combining trips or searching out the gas stations with the lowest price at the pump? We’ll check in on gas prices today. Landowners near the Texas-Mexico border are concerned about plans to extend the border wall–and locals are organizing a legal resistance to the plans. And… they are a staple of downtown Abilene. The Texas Star Trading Company was one of the first retailers to truly give...

Today we’ll update you on the runoff for the Republican nominee for Congressional District 19… the vote count has been finalized – and the names on the ballot are set. Or are they? West Texas has seen some wild weather over the past week. We’ll dig into where it came from — and what’s ahead. Congress is ready to take up the legislation that provides a wide range of support for farmers and ranchers...

Today on the show, Mayor Weldon Hurt shares the key takeaways from last week’s State of the City Address. The presentation ranged from economic growth and city projects to some perspectives on Abilene’s housing crisis. The Farm Bill is getting closer to having its day in Congress… Retiring Congressman Jodey Arrington is celebrating. How do West Texas Farmers feel? And speaking of farmers - we’ll t...

Lots of people showed up to the polls for this primary…both Republicans and Democrats. Texas’s Primary Election Day is behind us…but there is plenty of work ahead for some of the candidates… we’ll wrap up the outcome and look ahead. Resources are limited for mental health in rural Texas. The 9-8-8 suicide hotline is key to filling in the gaps for people in crisis… but the state has yet to dedicate...

Early voting has had a much-higher- than- usual turnout in Taylor County this primary-voting season. That’s thanks in no small part to the crowded field for two open seats. Last week we brought you interviews with the candidates for Texas State House District 71–that has been held by retiring state-rep- Stan Lambert. We have another special show in store this week, as we focus on the Republicans v...

This week we’ve got a collection of conversations with the candidates on the ballot for House District 71.As soon as Stan Lambert announced he wouldn’t seek reelection – candidates started filing their paperwork. Liz Case is making a second run for the seat, after coming close two years ago–with the backing of some of the state’s top Republicans. Newcomer Joshua Ohlmacher joined the race after fee...