An ad hoc School Reunion committee met last Wednesday in the fellowship hall at the Friona Methodist Church to discuss the 5-Year All-School Reunion. After discussing various options, it was agreed to schedule the event for Saturday, September 20th at the Clarence Monroe Community Center. A catered BBQ meal will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a dance later in the evening. The annual Maize Days Parade will be held earlier that morning and plans are to have all of the school campuses open for visitors. More details and ticket information will be announced when all the details are finalized.
Ad Hoc Reunion Committee — (clockwise from lower left) Sharon White, Bill White, Greg Lewellen, Lee Davila, Lee Erin Koehler, Mari Martinez, Kim & Mitchell Smiley, Marca Lynn Herring, Elizabeth McLellan, Wendy Carthel.
New Stock Show Event — The Agriculture Mechanics Show will make its debut as part of the Parmer County Junior Livestock Show on Friday. Doors open at the Clarence Monroe Community Center at 7:00 a.m. and the judging begins at 9:00 a.m. with the awards ceremony immediately following.
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“B” there — The first Bingo Night for 2025 is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21st. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the dining room at Legacy Pointe located at 1500 N. Main.
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St. Ann’s Sausage Dinner — You are cordially invited to St. Ann’s Annual Sausage Dinner on Sunday, January 26th. Serving will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (Texas time) in the Parish Hall located at 401 3rd Street in Bovina. They will be serving a buffet of sausage and sauerkraut with all the trimmings. Donations are $18 for adults and $6 for children under 6. Take-out plates will be available at no additional charge.
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Save The Date — The 2nd Annual Parmer County Chili Cook-Off is scheduled for Wednesday, January 29th at the XIT Recreation Center in Bovina. Cargill Meat Solutions is the event sponsor which benefits the non-profit Bovina Senior Citizens Association. Tickets are now available. Please see ad on page page.
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Flags To Full-Staff On Inauguration Day — On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings on January 20, 2025, in honor of Inauguration Day. Pursuant to federal statute, the U.S. flag should be displayed “especially on...Inauguration Day, January 20.”
“While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America,” Abbott added.
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New Speaker — Texas House members elected Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) as their next speaker on Tuesday, concluding two months of deal-making to determine who would succeed Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) in the role. The election followed a November GOP caucus vote in which Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield) emerged as the winner, while Burrows claimed the backing of a majority of the entire chamber’s 150 members. Source: The Texas Flyover
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More Power — According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration analyzed by consulting firm Cleanview, Texas leads the nation in wind and solar power generation capacity and ranks second to California in battery storage capacity.
The state has 42,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power, 22,000 MW of solar farms, and 6,500 MW of industrial-scale battery capacity installed. Combined, this represents roughly 80% more renewable energy generation capacity than second-place California.
Rapid growth across these sectors over the past five years has fueled the state’s emergence as a leader in renewable energy, which now accounts for about 30% of the electricity generated in Texas. Since 2019, wind power has grown 50%, solar power has grown 800%, and battery storage has grown 5,500%.
Battery storage is likely to be a hot topic in the state legislative session. ERCOT, the Texas power grid operator, has estimated that capacity could reach 16,000 MW by the end of the year. Source: The Texas Flyover
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National Days
January 16: Religious Freedom Day
January 17: Popeye® The Sailor Man Day
January 18: Thesaurus Day
January 19: Popcorn Day
January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21: Hugging Day
January 22: Library Shelfie Day
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The Friona Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture held a ribbon cutting ceremony last Wednesday for Friona’s newest business, KO Hydration & Wellness. Owner Karina Ojeda, RN is shown cutting the ribbon to officially open the new venture. Chamber of Commerce officials as well as family and friends joined Karina for the ceremony and open house. KO Hydration & Wellness is located at 703 S. Main St. and you can reach them at 806-703-5629 for more information. The Facebook page is KO Hydration & Wellness LLC.