Colored Rock Map of Texas at I-20 in Pecos, Click for Travel Guide

Pecos Enterprise

Home
Site Map
Pecos Gab

ARCHIVE
Pecos Country History
Archive 62
Archive 74
Archive 87
1987 Tornado Photos
Rodeo Photos 88
Archive 95
Archive 96
Archive 97
News Photos 1997
Rodeo Photos 97
Archive 98
News Photos 1998
Rodeo Photos 98
Parade Photos 98
Archive 99
Photos 99
Archive 2000
Photos 2000
Photos 2001
Photos 2002


Archive 2002

Area Newspapers
Commerce
Classified
Economic Development


|

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



Search Entire Site:


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

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.

Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise