As 2023 comes to an end, it was a year just like most years. There were some good stories, some tragic stories, and of course, the political arena many people don’t like to talk about. So let’s take a look back at the top stories that took place in Brownfield and Terry County.
Deadly day in Terry County
January 31, 2023, was a deadly day on the roads in Terry County. Around 7:30 am Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the Brownfield Fire and Rescue was called out to a vehicle accident west of Brownfield on US 380 near FM 402. According to law enforcement on scene, a red late model Ram pickup was driving eastbound when the driver lost control, went into a skid, and rolled. The Ram truck ended up in a field on the north side of US 380 about a quarter mile east of FM 402. The four occupants in the Ram were ejected and 34-year-old Johnie Davis Young of Lubbock died at the scene. 46-year-old Little-Julian V. Amala of Lubbock, 40-year-old David Rosales of Lubbock, and 29-year-old Sandy Andrew Garcia of Brownfield were all transported to BRMC. Amala died from his injuries at BRMC. Rosales and Garcia were eventually transported to UMC and Rosales died from his injuries at UMC.
Less than twelve hours later, another fatal crash took place Tuesday evening January 31, 2023, in Terry County. According to TxDPS, Arthur Glenn Calvin, 70, of Quanah was driving in a red late model Ford F-150 west on FM 213 when he hit the back of a “stalk cutter” that was hooked onto a tractor. The Brownfield Fire & Rescue was dispatched around 6:48 pm where they would travel about 5.5 miles west of Wellman on FM 213. According to the TxDPS report, the driver of the tractor pulled to the right into a field north of FM 213 and Calvin hit the stalk cutter. Calvin was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Brownfield Utility Rates Increased
In early February 2023, the Brownfield City Council began to look at raising utility rates. In a city council meeting that took place on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, the Council with much conversation in the past few months has decided to look at all utility rates, from electricity to water. The Council decided to have Chris Ekrut with NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC (NewGen) present a proposal for consulting services to assist the City of Brownfield in undertaking Electric, DER, Water and Wastewater, and Solid Waste Rate Studies. According to NewGen, the goal of the studies would be to develop the City’s five-year financial plans for the electric, water, wastewater, and solid waste revenue utilities, and rates that support the City’s financial needs during this planning period. The study also included solar rate solutions for citizens who have obtained solar energy. The cost for the combined studies of electric, water, wastewater, and solid waste rate studies was $85,000.00. The Council voted 5-1 to retain NewGen for the study. Councilman Michael Tackitt was the descending vote. Councilman Eric Horton, was absent from the meeting, however, stated, “If I had been there I would’ve voted with Councilman Tackitt. I don’t see spending $85,000.00 to study our rates when the city manager should have all this knowledge.”
In the September 2023 meeting when the Council adopted the budget, in the new budget, the increase in utility rates was included in the revenue. In January of 2023, the City Council selected Newgen Strategy Solutions (NSS) to complete a comprehensive rate study. When the study was completed, NSS recommended increasing electric rates by 13%. However, the Council felt it would be better to include a 2.6% rate increase each year for the next five years. NSS also came back with a recommendation to increase the water and sewer rates to 13%. The Council did go with those increases. NSS did a complete rate study on tipping fees at the landfill and recommended the Council raise the non-resident tipping fees to $1.25 per ton and the collection service tipping fees to $2.50 per ton. The Council would go with that recommendation. All four rate increases were put into ordinance form from the Council and will go into effect beginning October 1, 2023.
BRMC Clinic Director receives fellowship
Brownfield Regional Medical Center Clinic Director Michael Tackitt was selected as the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) 2023 Bill Finerfrock Health Policy Fellow. According to NARHC, they promote rural health clinics as a means of improving and sustaining the availability of quality, cost-effective health care to patients in rural, medically underserved areas. NARHC works with Congress, federal agencies, and rural health allies to expand and protect the interests of rural health clinics, like the BRMC Clinic. NARHC members can become actively engaged in the legislative and regulatory process through the Association.
While Tackitt was in DC, he helped tackle the Rural Health Clinic Burden Reduction Act which is a bipartisan piece of legislation introduced by Senators Senators (John Barrasso-WY (R), Tina Smith-MN (D), Marsha Blackburn-TN (R), and Michael Bennet-CO (D). According to the RHC Burden Reduction Act, it will be, if passed into law, a regulatory relief bill containing 5 important provisions, intended to modernize RHC program policies to make them more reflective of the changing healthcare landscape which are:
- Modernizes RHC physician supervision requirements by aligning them to state scope of practice laws governing PA and NP practice.
- Removes the requirement that RHCs must “directly provide” certain lab services on site and allows RHCs to instead offer “prompt access” to these services.
- Allows RHCs the flexibility to contract with or employ PAs and NPs.
- Maintains status quo location eligibility, allowing RHCs to be located in an area that is not in an urban area of 50,000 or more, given that the Census Bureau no longer utilizes the term “urbanized area.”
- Allows RHCs to provide increased behavioral health services when located in a mental health-HPSA.
Brownfield gets new internet provider
Residents in Brownfield received another option when it comes to internet providers. Optimum announced that it’s extending its services to the three towns with the construction of a 100 percent Fiber Internet Network. Construction is underway in the areas. The company reached nearly 16,000 homes and businesses across the three cities whic include Seminole and Hereford. Initial services will become available in early 2023, and the builds are expected to be completed later in the year. Some have seen those green boxes around Brownfield, either in an alley, by a fence, or next to a curb. Unlike what some might believe that those green boxes are little alien houses and they will come out at night to get you, those green boxes are actually “pedestals” that are covering the new fiber optic cables that Optimum put in. When asked if these pedestals are temporary or permanent, Brownfield City Manager Jeff Davis said they will be permanent. There are some areas of Brownfield that Optimum placed “vaults” (below ground) to cover and get access to the fiber optic. Davis talked about how Optimum could have set the cables using the city’s poles and also bore down each alley because there is a place in the alley for communications like there is for gas, water, and electricity. However, Optimum was able to petition the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to gain access to the easements. PUC granted that access and the issue is out of the hands of the City of Brownfield. Davis said, “As city manager, I can tell them when they can work… their hours of operation, but I can’t tell them where to bore and place the pedestals or vaults, as long as they don’t get on citizens’ private property.”
A very busy Saturday in March
Saturday, March 4, 2023, was a busy day for Terry County first responders and law enforcement with 6 fires and two accidents. Most fires were grass fires or “controlled burns” that got out of hand. One fire was called out on US 380 East for a house on fire. According to the fire department, the cause of the house catching fire is still under investigation, however, the front yard portion was completely burned and the fire reached the front porch of the house causing it to catch fire. One Brownfield Fire truck was able to respond for the first 15 minutes to the house while other firefighters were out at other fires. Eventually, more firefighters showed up and helped keep the house from burning down. Other fires that took place during the afternoon of the day were located throughout the county. One took place on FM 402 just south of the Plains Highway (US 380 West). The next fire took place about two miles south of FM 211 on FM 168. This was a controlled burn that would end up “getting out of hand”. The Brownfield Fire & Rescue and Meadow Fire Dept. would work on that fire plus other fires in the same area that were supposed to be controlled burns, however, were never called into the sheriff’s dept.
The next fire that was called in was in the far southeast corner of Terry County near the Lynn County line at FM 213 and County Road 705. The final grass fire called in was about a mile south of the Levelland HWY (US 385 north) on Texas HWY 137. All fires were put out with no injuries. Through the fires, there were also two accidents during the day. One happened around 11:00 am just south of Wellman on US 62/385. According to preliminary reports, a person driving a dark-colored Ford Focus driving in the left northbound lane and passing a white late model Chevy single cab pickup, also driving northbound in the right lane, lost control and hit the left driver-side door of the white Chevy. This caused the Chevy to slide into the median and face north. The Ford would end up stopping in the left lane facing west. Drivers and passengers were treated on the scene. Terry County Sheriff’s Dept. Wellman Fire Dept., Brownfield Fire & Rescue, BRMC EMS, and TxDPS responded.
Former Brownfield Student leads College Team to the NJCAA Western District Championship Game
Kyle Isaacs head coach of the men’s basketball team at Arizona Western Community College and former Brownfield ISD student, plus the son of Tony & Giovanna led his team to win for the 21st time in program history, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 1 Championship Monday night winning over Cochise College of Douglas Arizona 73-62. Plus this was the Matadors’ 11th straight win. During the game, Cochise got out to an early lead, however, Evan Butts busted a three-pointer to cut the score to 8-7. The Matadors then tied the game at 13 a piece thanks to a pair of LJ Glover free throws before Evan Butts and Marquis Hargrove each knocked down two free throws to give a 6-0 run for the Matadors and a 17-13 lead.
The Matadors got out to a 10-point lead thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from Lendeborg and Butts which put the Matadors up 29-19 before Cochise scored the final two points of the half, trimming the Matadors’ halftime lead to 29-21. The Apaches used an early 10-4 run to start the second half, cutting the Matadors’ lead to 33-31 but Arizona Western answered with a 5-0 run to push the lead back to seven at 38-31. AJ Marmolejos scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half and put the Matadors up 18 at 55-37 with a layup, giving Arizona Western its largest lead of the game. Cochise cut the Matadors’ lead to nine points but Arizona Western was able to keep the lead, capping off the game with a Lendeborg slam.
City of Brownfield gets new Fire & Rescue Chief
After about a four-month search process for a new Brownfield Fire & Rescue Chief, the City of Brownfield City Council approved a new hire. After the retirement of longtime BFRD Chief Dennis Rowe, the City of Brownfield used Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to conduct an extensive national search that resulted in 23 well-qualified and exemplary applicants for the chief position. The leading candidates participated in a highly competitive and comprehensive interview process, which included multiple panel interviews with stakeholders, executive management, and department directors. Due to partnering with SGR, the City attracted top candidates on both a regional and national level for this search.
On Thursday, April 6, 2023, during the Brownfield City Council meeting, Davis presented his recommendation for the top job. Davis introduced James Woolard as his recommendation for the BFRD Chief. As the City of Brownfield looks ahead to the future, Davis and the Council felt it is essential for the new chief to prepare the department for significant changes in the emergency response profession. Davis said, “James Woolard has proven his ability to be both, a great fire chief and leader, who can prepare the organization for change.”
New Police Chief Comes to Brownfield
The Brownfield City Council gathered for their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, April 20th, and hired a new Brownfield Police Dept. Police Chief. The City of Brownfield hired Christopher Kotzur as its new Chief of Police.Chris began his career in law enforcement in 1998 with the Comal County, Texas Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy. He took a brief break from the profession in 2000 to work in the private sector, but quickly missed helping others and began his career with the City of Cibolo Police Department in May 2001. Chris worked his way through the ranks of Patrol Officer, Corporal, Sergeant, and Lieutenant during his time with the Cibolo Police Department. He worked in every functional area of the department and enjoyed learning all aspects of local law enforcement. Chris attended the 252nd session of the FBI National Academy in 2013. He retired from the Cibolo Police Department in February 2021 and took a year off to spend time with his family. During his time in Cibolo, the city grew from a population of 3,000 to 33,000.
Tragedy Strikes Meadow Family and the Community of Meadow
Around 5:45 pm Monday, May 1, 2023, Brownfield Fire & Rescue was called out to an accident on County Road 230, 1/2 mile west of Meadow involving at least one vehicle that was on fire and a person inside. According to the Texas DPS, 18-year-old Wes Woodard of Meadow was traveling eastbound in a 2016 Chevy Silverado on CR 230 on the westbound side of the roadway, and 60-year-old Antonio Aleman of Hondo Texas was traveling westbound in a 2017 Forn F-250 on CR 230 on the westbound side. Aleman took evasive action to the left to avoid collision with Woodard at the exact time, Woodard took evasive action to his right. Both vehicles collided head-on on the roadway with Woodard’s vehicle coming to a rest facing east on the south side of the road, and Aleman’s F-250 coming to a rest facing east on the eastbound side of CR 230. Wes Woodard died on the scene and was a senior at Meadow High School.
Lack of voting in municipal election
Every May there are municipal elections which are for city councils, the hospital board, school boards and water boards. Of course in May 2023, there was two contested elections. The elections in themselves wasn’t necessarily news worthy as it was the lack of involvement from the voters. There are 4,603 registered voters in the City of Brownfield and there are 6200 registered voters in the county. There were a total of 446 voters in the previous Municipal elections. That is 7.2% of the county electorate, and for the city, the breakdown for the number of voters who voted in the city election was 291 which is 6.4% of the city electorate. So to be fair, we’ll say less than eight percent of the electorate voted.
Demolition of old Brownfield Middle School
After several months of logistic issues, cleaning out, and allowing police training at the Old Brownfield Middle School, it was finally demolished. BISD Superintendent Chris Smith said, “They have to sort items for the dump, steel, and brick/mortar for the parking lot. The demo should go relatively quickly but they may be sorting debris for a while.” While the sorting will be going on, the brick, concrete, and mortar will be sent over to Cub Stadium to be crushed and used in a mix to make a better parking lot. Construction has already begun on the stadium parking lot with the dirt work. Fat forward to the current day, there’d is no more building or debris at the old middle school location.
Meadow FCCLA Shines
Meadow FCCLA proudly represented their school and community at the highly anticipated FCCLA National Leadership Conference (NLC) held at the Colorado Convention Center from July 1-7. This annual event brought together more than 7,900 passionate Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) student members, advisers, and guests. The conference provided Meadow FCCLA members with a wealth of incredible opportunities, including attending inspiring speaker sessions, engaging in youth workshops, competing on a national level, and networking with fellow youth leaders. Centered around the theme “incREDible,” this conference highlighted how FCCLA offers incredible prospects to its members and advisers through Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) education. By exploring career opportunities and instilling real-world skills, advocacy, and service, FCCLA empowers its members to make an incredible impact that will guide them throughout their lives.
The results of their participation are as follows: Abigail Gonzalez and Ebony Franco placed 8th in the nation with a score of 96 for the Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Level 2 event and were recognized on stage for their achievement. Melony Franco placed 13th in the nation with a score of 92 for the Teach and Train Level 2 event. Melony, Abigail, and Ebony received Gold Medals for scoring above 90% on their rubrics.
Two shootings lead to multiple victims in Brownfield
Early Sunday morning July 2, 2023, between 1:45 am and 2:20 am a pair of shootings took place in Brownfield. One shooting happened at “The Lounge” a bar located at the Crystal Palace Inn 1303 Tahoka Rd, the second shooting took place in the 200 block of South Ballard between the 800 blocks of Broadway and Tate. There were multiple victims in the shootings. The victims were transported to BRMC with unknown injuries. At least two victims were care flighted to a Lubbock hospital. On Sunday, July 2, 2023, at approximately 1:48 am, Officers were dispatched to the Lounge in the 1300 Block of Tahoka Road in reference to a report of shots fired in the parking lot. Officers arrived and located a 48-year-old female and a 24-year-old male with gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the business. A third victim was taken to the emergency room at Brownfield Regional Medical Center by a private party before officers arrived. 24-year-old Braxten Gil was booked into the Terry County Jail at about 10:00 am on July 2, 2023, on three charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon related to this incident. Also on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at approximately 2:11 am, Officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of East Broadway for a report of a female shot at the location. Officers arrived to find a 23-year-old female and a 26-year-old male with gunshot wounds. Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as an older “dark-colored Tahoe-type” vehicle.
Brownfield Police Officer charged
On June 22, 2023, the Brownfield Police Department received a complaint on Sergeant Randi Rogers who is employed by this department. The complaint alleged violations of department policy as well as criminal law. This incident occurred at the CEFCO convenience store located in the 100 Block of North First Street in Brownfield. The criminal investigation of Ms. Rogers was handed over to the Texas Rangers on July 3, 2023. Ms. Rogers was put on administrative leave the same day and notified of the pending criminal and administrative investigations. On August 14, 2023, Randi Rogers would turn herself in again on related charges from the prior arrest at the Terry County Jail in reference to five active warrants for her arrest. The charges were as follows: four counts of False Statement to a Police Officer and one count of official oppression. These charges are all related to the same incident that occurred at the CEFCO convenience store on June 22, 2023 and were presented to the grand jury on August 3, 2023. The misdemeanor warrants listed above were not signed yet when Rogers turned herself in on August 7, 2023.
Terry Co. Jail Lieutenant arrested
Former Terry County Luetenant Deputy of the Terry County Jail was arrested in Bexar County on Sunday, August 27, 2023. Brandon Scott Vasquez was arrested on two charges, assault family violence – choking/strangulation a 3rd-degree felony, and attempted sexual assault a 3rd-degree felony. Vasquez is out on a $50,000 bond. Terry County Sheriff Tim Click once aware of the arrest terminated Vasquez. “He is now the former lieutenant.. I immediately terminated his employment with the Terry County Sheriff’s Dept,” said Sheriff Click.
Brownfield Cubs Team Tennis heading to the Region 1-4A Tournament
The Brownfield tennis team faced off against the Andrews Mustangs on Tuesday, in one of the Region I-4A Regional Quarterfinals. The Cubs came out on top and earned a trip to Abilene to take on Canyon Randall in the Region I-4A Semifinals on Thursday, Oct. 19. The Cubs eventually lost to one of the top teams in the state.
Wreck after wreck after wreck…
Over 20 vehicle accidents took place within 50-hours between Dec. 13-15, 2023 all on US 62/385 south of Brownfield going towards Seagraves. For the past three years, hundreds of accidents have taken place on this portion of highway. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has released a press release to the public of Terry County. According to TxDOT Starting Monday, Nov. 27, motorists traveling US 62/385, south of Brownfield, should anticipate various “mainlane” closures as TxDOT begins to work on a $22.7 million project to resurface the roadway and add a cable median barrier. This come as many complaints were filed with TxDOT, State Senator Charles Perry, District 83 Representative Dustin Burrows, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
