Gov. Abbott Deploys State Flood Resources To Northwest Texas

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy state emergency response resources, as a significant flooding and severe weather threat continues across Northwest Texas for the next several days.

“With Northwest Texas experiencing significant flooding, the State of Texas is swiftly deploying flood response resources to help local emergency officials keep Texans safe,” said Governor Abbott. “Texans are urged to regularly monitor weather and driving conditions and to forgo travel in impacted areas over the next several days as flash flood threats continue. Please continue to heed the guidance of local and emergency officials to protect yourselves and your loved ones. Turn around, don’t drown. I thank all of our emergency personnel who continue to protect our communities during these storms.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts pockets of heavy rainfall between 3 to 6 inches could impact the area, which has already seen significant moisture over the previous month, leading to additional flash flooding. NWS also forecasts an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms in the western portion of the state, bringing threats of large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes.

At the Governor’s direction, TDEM activated the following state resources to support flood response operations:

• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1): 2 Swiftwater Boat Squads
• Texas A&M Forest Service: 2 Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System Strike Teams comprised of High Profile Vehicles, and 2 Boat Teams
• Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel to assist with traffic control and road closures
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Game Wardens and Boat Squads
• Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capability
• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Public Works Response Team): Personnel to support flood pump operations
• Texas National Guard: 2 Ground Transportation Platoons with High Profile Vehicles
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
• Texas Animal Health Commission: Personnel to provide livestock support

TDEM is contracting additional water pumps to assist local jurisdictions impacted by flooding.

Additionally, TDEM placed the following resources on standby to support flood operations as warranted:

• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas Task Force 2): Urban Search and Rescue personnel
• Texas Department of State Health Services (Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather Packages

Shelters are being opened in impacted jurisdictions. Texans are encouraged to contact their local emergency management office for local shelter information.

Roadway travel is discouraged in impacted areas. Texans are urged to visit DriveTexas.org to check travel conditions.

When it is safe to do so, Texans are encouraged to self-report property damage using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) at damage.tdem.texas.gov. The survey is available in English and Spanish.

Hockley County Crash Leaves 1 Dead Along Santa Fe Road

A deadly crash claimed the life of 1 driver in Hockley County yesterday. According to DPS reports around 1:13a a Chevy C-10 was traveling South on Santa Fe road about 3 miles Northeast of Whiteface when both tires on the right side went off the edge of the roadway. The driver, Linda Danielle Garza, 38 of Whiteface, over corrected tot he left, sending the vehicle back across the roadway and into a nearby field. The vehicle collided with a boulder before coming to a rest. Garza, the only occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead on the scene to to injuries sustained.

Texas Anti-Gang Center Makes Arrests In Drive-By Shooting Case

(LUBBOCK, TX) – On 5/21/2023, Investigators with the Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG) in Lubbock worked with Lubbock PD detectives to identify the suspects in a drive-by shooting that took place in the 4900 block of 41st Street as Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang members Joedaniel Herrero, 27, and Mark Escobedo, 30. On 5/23/2023, Lubbock TAG partners executed a search warrant at a residence in the 5200 block of 46th Street, resulting in the arrests of Herrero and Escobedo for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and the seizure of a stolen firearm, drug, and gang evidence. On 5/30/2023, Lubbock TAG partners executed a search warrant at a residence in the 5200 block of 71st Street, resulting in the seizure of evidence related to the drive-by shooting and a firearm.

Area gangs, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, pose a threat to the community when they engage in criminal activity on the streets and in public places, such as the 2015 Twin Peaks shooting in Waco, the November 2020 shooting at 50th Street Caboose in Lubbock, and the recent shooting over the weekend in Red River, New Mexico.

The Lubbock TAG and area law enforcement agencies are committed to maintaining public safety by working together to combat gang and violent crime.

The TAG website: www.stoplubbockgangs.org features educational information on criminal gangs and a Top Ten Most Wanted List and allows community members to report criminal and gang-related activity anonymously.

The TAG Center, initially funded by a grant from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, houses state, local, and federal investigative agencies and staff from the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office charged with integrating intelligence and information to develop a comprehensive strategy to coordinate and conduct criminal investigations to proactively and effectively combat organized criminal gangs.

Covenant Medical & Children’s Centers Receive Environmental Award

Press Release Provided by Covenant Health:

LUBBOCK, TX- Covenant Medical Center & Covenant Children’s each received the Partner for
Change award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to
environmental sustainability in health care.  “Sustainability is at the heart of our healing mission,” said Mike Siwek, Covenant Health executive director real estate strategy and operations. “We’re proud to share that our sustainability strategies have won us a national award.” The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award recognizes superior performance in environmental sustainability, covering a range of different sustainability programs and activities. Winners have also made substantive progress on mercury elimination.

In health care, sustainability means looking at how our operations affect the health and safety
of our environment as well as the health of our patients, staff, visitors and local community.
Strategies to address sustainability at our organization include minimizing and recycling waste,
addressing chemicals of concern, lowering energy and water consumption, sourcing food and
products sustainably, and establishing environmentally preferable purchasing criteria. At Covenant Medical Center & Covenant Children’s we know sustainability is essential to better care for our patients, communities, and planet.  In recent years, we have made great strides toward reducing our impact on the environment, and we are committed to doing even more.  We have done continuous research on our waste process, food service operations, and how we could better operate to keep a healthy environment. A particular win was discovering a process Covenant Medical Center can use to
recycle lab solvents, where Covenant Children’s sends their solvents to Covenant Medical Center for recycling. This award recognizes our efforts for change and reflects our mission that supports the idea that a healthy environment is vitally important for healthy people.

To learn more about our sustainability efforts, visit our website. We’re grateful to the many
caregivers, frontline workers and administrators who are committed to this work and bring
innovation, ingenuity and adaptability to help us dramatically improve our footprint.

KLB Lawn & Business Of The Month

Keep Levelland Beautiful has started up it’s Lawn and Business of the Moth competition once again, and the winners for June have been awarded. This month’s Lawn of the Month winner goes to Ron Parmer at 503 Adams Street, and the month’s Business is Starbucks on College Ave. To nominate someone’s lawn or business give the Chamber of Commerce a call at 806-894-3157

Ron Parmer, 503 Adams St.

Starbucks, 812 College Ave.

Gov. Abbott Calls Special Session For Tax Relief

AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement following the Texas House of Representatives passing HB 1/HJR 1 for substantial property tax cuts as part of the special session #1 agenda.

“The Texas House is the only chamber that passed a property tax cut bill that is germane to the special session that I called to provide Texans with property tax relief,” said Governor Abbott. “It provides more cuts to property tax rates than any other proposal at this time. It is supported by the most respected tax think tank in the state, as well as more than 30 homeowner, consumer, and business groups across the state. I look forward to signing it when it reaches my desk.”

“We appreciate the swift action by the House to pass a bill that provides meaningful, permanent property tax cuts showing up in Texas mailboxes this year,” said Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (TTARA) President Dale Craymer.

TTARA is widely recognized as the state’s leading advocate for responsible fiscal and tax policy.

Yesterday, Governor Abbott announced the special session #1 agenda, including directing property tax reduction dollars to cut school property tax rates as the best method to eliminate property taxes.

Suspected Meth Located In Hockley County Jail

Press Release Provided By HCSO:

HOCKLEY COUNTY, TX – On Sunday, May 28, 2023, sheriff’s office investigators were notified by jail administration personnel of an inmate possibly carrying contraband inside of the detention center after they received a tip from other detainees.  An investigation was immediately initiated upon receipt of the information and alleged involved individuals were separated so searches could be conducted of the jail cells.  No contraband was located inside of the cell areas of the accused involved individuals.  Based on the information received, a search warrant was obtained for the body of a detainee in order to search the person for suspected controlled substances.  Additionally, the entirety of the detention center was searched and no additional contraband was located.  

Based on the search, a quantity of suspected methamphetamine was recovered from the detainee.  The timeline related to the situation is as follows:

• Deputies arrested the individual on multiple charges on Friday, May 26, 2023, and was searched at the roadside, as well as multiple times in the jail, before being moved to a general population housing area on Saturday, May 27, 2023.  At the time of entry into the facility there was no probable cause to conduct an invasive cavity search of the individual.  

• Jail administration and law enforcement personnel were notified early on Sunday, May 28, 2023, by detention staff and the investigation was initiated into the possibility of narcotics being smuggled into the detention center.  Searches were conducted of multiple areas with no contraband located in any housing, common, or working areas of the jail.

• A search warrant was obtained by investigators on Sunday, May 28, 2023, for the purposes of searching the person of the detainee, and the suspected controlled substances were located.  The individual was transported to an area hospital for the search, and suspected methamphetamine was located.  A second detainee was also found to have a small quantity of suspected methamphetamine during a search of her person.  

Based on the investigation, the individual, identified as Janessa Perez, 30 years of age, of Hobbs, New Mexico, was served with additional warrants for the following offenses:  Manufacture/Delivery of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 4<200grams, and Prohibited Substance in a Correctional Facility, both felony offenses.  The second inmate, Dlanee Alexander, 25, of Levelland, was served with warrants for Possession of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 <1gram, and Prohibited Substance in a Correctional Facility.  

The potential for distribution of contraband inside the jail poses an immediate threat to the safety of our staff, as well as detainees.  The work of investigators and our detention staff helped prevent further issues and uncovered the actions of inmates attempting to widely introduce drugs into the jail.  I am proud of the work of our staff for the recognition of the issue, and their hard work, to locate and seize the narcotics in a timely manner.

The matter remains under investigation and no additional information is available at this time.  All subjects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

-Sheriff R. Scifres

Dlanee Alexander, 25

Janessa Perez, 30

Run The City Of Mosaics

LEVELLAND, TX May 3, 2023 – The Levelland Main Street, in partnership with the West Texas Running Club (WTRC), is excited to announce the return of a Levelland race, established over four decades ago. The Levelland Lope was first started in 1980 with Bobby Birdsong, a Levelland High School Biology Teacher and avid runner, as its race director. Birdsong would go on to serve in this capacity through 1988. Upon his passing the race would take on a memorial epitaph in remembrance of his service to Levelland and the WTRC. The WTRC was started in 1972 by Gene Adams who moved from Tulsa, OK to Brownfield and met up with then High School Track Coach James Morris, who would go on to become the long-time Track and Field Director and Coach for South Plains College, in Levelland. The two men decided to start a running club, since at the time none existed in the area and the rest is history. Now, 300 plus members strong, the club is excited to be bringing this particular race,
with a new flair and route back home, to Levelland.

Lydia Turner, race director and WTRC member, recruited Tania Moody, Main Street Manager, to assist in this endeavor and the two ladies with the support and endorsement of the club, are excited to introduce the “Run the Mosaics, Bobby Birdsong Memorial Race.” The concept was easy, said Moody, in Levelland, we are “Living la Vida Mosaic” and we want to showcase and share the amazing people and historic art pieces that make us unique. The 10K participants will run by 30+ mosaics and each one will be marked by a turquoise City of Mosaics Flag to catch the eye of passers-by. The 2M race and 1M Fun Run, will include 22+. Other offerings that day will include goody bags for the runners, and (pre-ordered) t-shirts, food offerings, the chance to put a tile in the commemorative community mosaic, upon race completion. Downtown Levelland has over 20 unique retail boutiques for a variety of interests that open at 10am and we encourage visitors to hang out, enjoy some shopping, food trucks, and self-guided tours of The City of Mosaics.

Date & Time: June 10th, 7:30 – 10K, 8:00 – 2Mi, 9:00 – 1M
Location:
Race Info: Start: 607 Ave G, Levelland, TX
Go to: http://www.wtrunning.com/club-races/june-race/ for Maps, Info and Registration
T-Shirts for this new race are available for pre-order on the form as well, and are availabe
to the public. Deadline is Saturday, June 3rd at Noon.

Covenant To Host Their 2nd Annual “Covenant Ready Summer Camp”

LUBBOCK, TX- Covenant Health is excited to once again welcome area middle schoolers to
learn about different careers in health care with our Second Annual Covenant Ready Summer
Camp. Students can experience first-hand what it is like to work at the hospital. Our camp will help
them explore different health care opportunities and hear from professionals like doctors,
nurses, pharmacists, medics, respiratory, occupational, physical, and speech therapists, and
more.

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Lunch will be provided)
Date: June 14 th or 15 th or July 11 th or 12 th
Location: Maxey Park, 4007 30th street
Ages: Middle School (6 th to 8 th grade)
Cost: Free to attend
Camp is one day only and only 100 students can attend. There will be a waiting list for each
day.

Whitbeck Mechanical Adopts Portion of Highway 114

Levelland, TX – Since 1985, residents across the state have made a difference in their communities through the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Adopt-a-Highway (AAH) program. Over 3,400 groups and organizations participate in the program—including about 100 groups from the South Plains—that allows volunteers to adopt stretches of state- maintained roadway to conduct litter pickups. Whitbeck Mechanical has adopted a stretch of Highway 114 on the west side of Levelland. “Levelland’s gateways into town are on Highway 114 and having a company help clean and maintain the roadway is crucial for the community welcoming citizens and guests into town,” said Kelly Hancock with Keep Levelland Beautiful. “For almost four decades, the Adopt-A-Highway program has given citizens an opportunity to contribute to and develop a sense of pride in their community,” said Steve Warren, TxDOT Lubbock District Engineer. “Statewide, it has also saved taxpayers, on average, $2.5 million yearly on contracted litter cleanup services,” As the South Plains continues to grow and flourish, so does the need for volunteer AAH groups. Their efforts to make a visible impact in keeping the district’s roadways clean are positive contributions to the district and the community, Warren said.

Individuals, families or organizations interested in participating in the program can find information on the https://www.txdot.gov/about/campaigns-outreach/adopt-a-highway.html or by
contacting the local TxDOT office at (806) 748-4472.