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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, September 16, 2002
Pecos man dies in pedestrian, vehicle accident
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Monday, Sept. 16, 2002 -- For the second time this month, a homeless
Pecos man has been struck and killed by a car while attempting to cross
U.S. 285, this time in the downtown area of town.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety report, Abdon Luna
Ramirez, 81, was struck by a vehicle while crossing from the north side
to the south side of the East Third Street (Business 20).
In a statement given to the Reeves County Sheriff's Office, the driver
Valerie Rodriguez said that she and her friend, a 15-year old female juvenile,
were coming in from Barstow on Business I-20 at about 3:30 a.m.
In the statement Rodriguez said that they were on their way to her mom's
house when they hit Ramirez.
Rodriguez also stated that they had not been drinking because she is
pregnant and her friend does not drink because she is a minor.
The DPS report stated that Ramirez was wearing dark clothing and there
was poor lighting in that area.
The report had no information on whether Ramirez had been drinking or
not.
Troopers David Murphy and Jeff Rickel out of Kermit are investigating
the accident.
The incident occurred almost two weeks after 61-year-old Hal Pratt was
hit by a vehicle on U.S. 285 near the Quality Inn, on the south side of
Pecos. No charges have been filed against the driver of the Ford pickup,
Mark Gomez, who police said struck Pratt, but information gathered by police
on the incident is scheduled to be presented to the 143rd District
Court grand jury, Pecos Police Chief Clay McKinney said.
Rains cause problems for weekend fiesta in Pecos
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Monday, Sept. 16, 2002 -- Big, fat raindrops were a welcome sight
to some community members, but the rainfall put a damper on other local
residents, who were busy eating, listening to music and buying gift items
at the 16th of September Fiestas Saturday night.
The fiestas were held at the Santa Rosa Church grounds on Friday and
Saturday, with food booths featuring a wide variety of foods, gifts and
games. However, the rain which began about 6 p.m. on Friday, delayed the
start of the opening night's events, and the next line of showers, which
passed through the area beginning about 8 p.m. on Saturday, made some individuals
leave the festivities early and look for cover.
The rains continued in the area on Sunday afternoon, and were at their
heaviest in the area between about 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Some parts of Pecos received a total of over four inches of rain throughout
the fiesta weekend. The weekend rains were among the heaviest the area has
received since the current drought began in the Trans-Pecos a decade ago.
Friday's storms were even more severe in other areas, delaying the start
of football games in Fort Stockton and around Midland-Odessa and forcing
others in the Lubbock area to be put off until Saturday.
Some street flooding in Pecos was reported due to Sunday's rains, which
also caused a few brief power outages. Street lights on the south side of
Pecos on Eddy Street were out Sunday following the rains, and water caused
a lane closure in the 700 block of Eddy when water washed out a recent street
patching job.
The Texas Agricultural Extension Agency reported that they had received
a total of 1.45 inches between Friday afternoon and this morning, while
the rain gauge at KIUN Radio Station in downtown Pecos reported the rainfall
had been about 1.5 inches.
Bill Randall Cole, station manager, said a caller this morning had said
that she lived seven miles north of Pecos and that she had recorded about
2.8 inches of rain in that direction.
The forecast for the remainder of the week is dry, with a warming trend.
The rain prediction calls for a partly cloudy week, with mostly sunny skies.
"The temperatures will be about 60-65 throughout the week, with a high of
99," said meteorologist with the Midland Weather Service Brian Curran.
Curran said that preliminary numbers they had received stated that Pecos
had received about 1.04 inches of rain.
"There's a cold front that appears to be moving into the area, but that
won't be until the weekend," said Curren. "It's too early to tell if it will
come to the area," he said.
Balmorhea received about an inch of rain, as well as Coyanosa.
Pecos teen awaiting surgery following rollover
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Monday, Sept. 16, 2002 -- A Pecos teenager is in stable condition
awaiting surgery at Odessa Medical Hospital today, after suffering injuries
in a one-vehicle rollover south of Pecos Friday afternoon.
Jessica Rodriguez was involved in a one-vehicle rollover on U.S. 285,
15-miles out of Pecos, while returning to town from Alpine on Friday.
Jessica is the daughter of Trans-Pecos Drug Task Force officer Jaime
Rodriguez, who was shot and killed this past May by a passenger on a Greyhound
bus while conducting a search for drugs on the bus when it was stopped in
Pecos.
According to Diana Rodriguez, Jessica's mother, the truck that Jessica
was driving caught some gravel causing it to roll over three times.
"I just thank God she is still alive," Diana said.
Jessica is currently in stable condition and will be having surgery on
her left leg later this afternoon.
"I am doing good," Jessica said. "I will have surgery today sometime
in the afternoon."
According to her mother, Jessica's leg is broken in two places from her
knee down to her ankle that will cause her to have plates inserted during
surgery.
After the surgery she will spend a week in the hospital and will have
to go through surgery, Diana said.
Jessica also has some stitches over her body in areas such as her back,
face and elbow, Diana said.
"There is no permanent damage to her head," Diana said.
According to Diana, some people from Pecos were coming in from Alpine
when the accident occurred.
"Some Pecos people called the ambulance,' Diana said. "But we do not
know who they were."
"I thank God and her dad for watching over her," Diana said.
Diana also added that she would like to thank everyone for their support
and prayers through all of this.
"I would also like to thank all the officers that went to the hospital
to see how she was doing."
Entries, crowds good for 16th of September Parade
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Monday, Sept. 16, 2002 -- Floats, cars, trucks and riding groups were
out early Saturday morning to participate in this year's 16th
of September Parade.
"This year we had a lot of entries and great turnout," said one of the
organizers for the event, Octavio Garcia. "We're very pleased with how everything
turned out and want to thank everyone that helped make it a success."
This was the first parade held in two years, after fiestas events were
canceled in 2001 due to the terrorist attacks on the United States, and
Garcia said that the community responded well to the parade, with a lot
of people turning out Saturday to see it and enjoy it.
First place winners in the float category were: Santa Rosa Altar Servers;
second place, Las Guadalupanas and third place went to DECA, with Julie
Payne organizer.
In the car/truck competition Salvador Hinojos took both first and second
place, with his 1965 Silver Stingray and 1963 Chevy and third place went
to Carlos Romo with his 1964 Chevy Impala.
Riding group winners were first place, Gaines County, their first time
ever to participate in this yearly event and second place went to the Madera
Valley Riding Club.
Nathan Moon took first place in the horse drawn category.
In the variety category, Matachines, El Paso Dancers placed first; Reeves
County Library placed second and the September 16th Committee
took third place.
FFA meeting at high school set for Tuesday
PECOS, Monday, Sept. 16, 2002 -- An FFA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday
evening at 7 p.m., in Building `B' at Pecos High School.
The meeting will take place in Tim Flanagan classroom located in Room
152 of Building `B' on the west side of the high school campus. New and old
members are welcomed to the meeting.
Weather
PECOS, Monday, Sept. 16, 2002 -- High Sunday 73. Low this morning 59.
Weekend rainfall at Texas A&M Experiment Station 1.75 inch. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly clear. Lows near 60. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Tuesday:
Sunny. Highs near 93. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Tuesday night: Clear. Lows
60 to 65. Wednesday: Sunny and warm. Highs 93 to 98. Thursday: Partly cloudy.
Lows 60 to 65. Highs near 95.
Obituaries
Abdon Ramirez and Inez Vernon
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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