Friona Chieftain football games will be broadcast live on KNNK 100.5 FM, online at knnkradio.com, and on WT Services channel 6. Local guys Andy Montana and Darrel Ray will do the play-by-play. If you can't make it to the games tune in and support the Big Red.
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The Friona Star football contest has been discontinued. The contest endured for many years but participation had been dwindling and we felt it was no longer a viable project for the newspaper.
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Attended the annual Co-Op Gin stockholder meeting Tuesday evening. Gin manager Matt Lingle announced that he and Alia are leaving Friona September 3 to accept a position in Monroe, Louisiana. Matt told me it was a great opportunity and was in a cotton related industry. Matt has been the local gin manager for five years and served as a volunteer fireman. We wish the family well in their new adventures. P.S. They are having a moving sale Saturday Aug 29 at 602 Arrah.
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The Co-Op Gin will not crank up and gin cotton this year. It was said there are only 385 acres of cotton in this area and it will be ginned in Amherst. Been a bad year for cotton. Last year the Co-Op ginned 5,053 bales but there is hardly any this year. That is not expected to change in the next few years they say. Raymond Hamilton and Kevin Welch were re-elected to the co-op gin board and everyone attending enjoyed a meal catered by Danny's Hens and Fins from Lubbock.
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Coffee Memorial Blood Center collected 75 donations at last Thursday's blood drive. They believe it to be a record for Friona. Thanks to everyone who participated and to the Noon Lions for cooking hamburgers for the donors. What a great accomplishment by our citizens. Thank you.
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Our Friona Star Fan Page on Facebook has 2,216 followers. I can remember not too long ago we were trying to get to 400 likes. We do post stuff there about community happenings and photos of interest. Look us up and "like" us and be a part of our Facebook community.
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County commissioners met Monday for their regular meeting. Judge Ellis said they reappointed county auditor Larry Johnston for a two-year term. Sheriff Geries bought a new 2014 Tahoe for the department. He reported the jail had 27 prisoners, most of them from Clovis and Hereford. The Sheriff's department has announced that October 6 will be a National Night Out event in Farwell. This is when law enforcement and first responders invite the public to attend, have some fun, and get acquainted. More info on this later.
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Last week I asked who would be cooking the senior meals this week as the regular cooks are away. Last week Xcel Energy and Cargill cooked. This week Atmos Energy cooked Monday and the ladies of the senior center were cooking Thursday's meal.
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Former resident Randy Dickson recently moved to College Station. His daughter-in-law Becky reported that Randy fell off a ladder and suffered a compound ankle fracture. He had surgery and is recovering at his new home.
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For those who remember Rachel Turner Cummings, a Bovina graduate who was in law enforcement here and married to a game warden, I was told last week that she is now a DPS Trooper, but I forgot where she Is stationed. I think around Abilene somewhere.
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Whistles and bells to Jim and Rhonda Murphree on their 34th anniversary and to Jaime and Lourdes Benavides who celebrated 25 years. If you or someone you know will be celebrating an anniversary let us know and we will share.
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Let's see if I can get this story right. Jena Grimsley, Mandy Geries, and Molly Carthel are all Friona graduates. They were active in cheerleading, basketball, cross country, etc, but not in the same grade. They each went away to college, got jobs, got married, had some kids, and live in Lubbock. This year Molly Carthel Sue is a kindergarten teacher at Lubbock Cooper ISD. In her class are Jena Grimsley Massie's daughter Gracelyn and Mandy Geries Rigler's son Nash. Also at Lubbock Cooper as a junior high English teacher is FHS graduate Deirdre Johnston Long. What a neat set of circumstances. Hope you all have a great school year.
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The 2nd annual Border Bash Invitational volleyball tournament for junior high and JV teams will be held here Thursday September 3 and Saturday September 5. The Friona Noon Lions Club is sponsoring. Coach Darrel Ray says nine other schools are entering. Action start at 9:30 a.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. Saturday and goes all day. After the championship matches Saturday evening, the Friona Squaw varsity will have a match with Olton. That should start about 7:30 p.m.
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Check out our Chieftain/Squaw Booster page that starts in this Star on page 10. The weekly booster page will support and provide information about Chieftain/Squaw football and volleyball activities. Thanks to our sponsors for their support. Go Big Red!
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Labor Day holiday is Monday September 7. Most of the town, including the Friona Star, will be closed that day. Then it will be full speed ahead toward Maize Days. There is a schedule of Maize Days events on page 10. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome the more than 250 ex-students registered for the All-School Reunion to be held Saturday September 19 at the community center. Look forward to seeing you all. Until then!
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