Law Enforcement Make 2 Arrests Following Pursuit, Shots Fired

Two Arrested Following Pursuit, Shots Fired at Law Enforcement
The Hockley County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Levelland Police Department,
Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety, arrested two individuals
related to a vehicle pursuit, and aggravated assault offenses.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed attempting to evade a
Levelland Police officer near West Avenue and SH 114 in Levelland. A deputy located the vehicle on SH
114 west of College Avenue and attempted to conduct a traffic stop for violations. The driver began to
evade multiple law enforcement officers at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour eastbound along SH
114.
While deputies pursued the vehicle, an occupant is alleged to have fired multiple shots at the lead
deputy. In the area of SH 114 and Quail Road, the vehicle became disabled and two occupants fled in a
further attempt to evade officers. The passenger, identified as Leopoldo Martinez, 33, of Lubbock, was
apprehended after a short foot pursuit in a field east of Quail Road after a taser deployment by the deputy.
With the assistance of the other agencies, a perimeter was established to contain the second
individual while officers searched the area. The driver, identified as Leroy Martinez, 32, of Lubbock, was
later located in a field between SH 114 and Armadillo Road, east of Quail Road and taken into custody
without further incident. Additional evidence was recovered at the scene that included a firearm and a
bullet-proof vest. No officers were injured during the pursuit or apprehensions of individuals.
Villarreal has been booked on the following charges: Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon
Against Peace Officer; Evading Arrest/Detention; Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon.
Martinez was booked on the following: Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon Against Peace
Officer; Evading Arrest/Detention in Vehicle; Evading Arrest/Detention with Previous Conviction;
Prohibited Substance in a Correctional Facility; Unlawful Possession of Body Armor by Felon; Unlawful
Possession of Firearm by Felon; Parole Violation Warrant.
Both individuals are being held with bonds totalling $210,000 for Martinez, and $105,000 for
Villarreal.
Due to the continuing partnership with our fellow officers and neighboring agencies, as well as
the professionalism and work of personnel, this situation came to a safe resolution with no injuries to
officers, nor involved subjects. We are thankful for our partner agencies and their dedication to helping
us all protect our communities from such actions.
Additional charges may be pending as the investigation is ongoing. All subjects are presumed
innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Sheriff R. Scifres
Hockley County, TX

Levelland Fire Dept. Responds To House Fire

Thursday morning Levelland Fire Dept. received a call from dispatch advising them of a structure fire in progress in the 1800 block of Houston St. Fire teams mobilized and were on scene at 9:12am to find a residential home with fire exposed from windows and doors. Occupants had evacuated by the time teams were on site, but one individual was transported to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Two engines were utilized in extinguishing the blaze; Levelland PD and Emergency Management arrived to help control the scene. Teams were released at 11am to return to the station and place engines back in service.

Covenant Health Job Fair Dec. 6th

LUBBOCK, TX- Covenant Health is looking for kind and caring members of our community to
come be a part of our healing family! Applicants can attend a job fair on Tuesday, December 6
hosted at the Knipling Education & Conference Center.
Covenant Health is looking to fill several positions at our ministries in Texas in Lubbock,
Plainview, and Levelland, including Covenant Medical Center, Covenant Children’s, Grace
Clinic and Grace Surgical Hospital, as well as Covenant Medical Group.
Positions include:
Lab Assistants Phlebotomists Medical Lab Technologists
CT Tech, Ultrasound Tech LVN (Hospital and Clinics) Graduate Nurse
Registered Nurse Certified Nursing Assistant Certified Patient Care Tech
Certified Surgical Tech Environmental Services Certified Medical Assistants
Pediatric Respiratory Therapist Billing & Coding
Patient Services Specialists (Patient Access Reps)
Nurse Tech & Student Nurse Aid (must be enrolled in a RN program)
“Working in health care provides so many different and incredible opportunities to make a
difference in the lives of others,” Vice President of Human Resources Chris Shavers said. “We
are making it easier for people to start their career in health care through this one-stop hiring
event.   Whether it’s serving meals to patients or registering a patient at a doctor’s office, we’ll
have lots of entry level position opportunities for people to apply, interview and start their
career with Covenant.”
The job fair will be an opportunity for those interested to meet with leaders from different
ministries and learn more about the positions available. Job seekers will be able to drop off
their resume and computers will be accessible for those who would like to fill out an application
on site.
Positions are available for both internal and external candidates.

For those interested in attending, the job fair will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday,
December 6 at the Knipling Education & Conference Center, on the 6 th floor of the west parking
garage off 21 st & Louisville.

Christmas Comes To Downtown Levelland

Thursday evening saw the return of a community favorite for this time of year with the Festival of lights put on by the Levelland Mainstreet Program. This year the event was tweaked slightly to involve South Plains College as both entities wanted to see more engagement from our college population. Beginning at 6 with the annual tree lighting at SPC, Dr. Satterwhite and this year’s Ms. Caprock Pageant winner Machayla Parkinson started the event, and the season off. The grove on SPC’s front lawn will remain lit throughout the season. This started off the lighted parade, which moved its way through the campus and on towards downtown. The Marigolds and Levelland Mainstreet program were both hard at work the days prior to the event preparing, with the Marigolds hosting a window decoration contest to encourage a festive environment, and Mainstreet had set up various activities for children in attendance such as inflatable bounce houses while they awaited their chance to see Santa. The lighted parade made its way downtown, dispensing Santa at the Gazebo to start his important job of hearing christmas lists, and making their way past the judging table set up at the Wallace Theater. Various merchants were open giving out cider and showcasing seasonal specials, making for a busy night of holiday cheer for all of Levelland and starting the final chapter of 2022 off on a great note.

Local Law Enforcement Draws Austin Attention

Video producers from Austin were present and the Levelland Law Enforcement Center on Wednesday to shoot an informative video based around their Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The way in which local law enforcement tackles mental health is unique, as they use a co-responder method with an officer of either HCSO or Levelland PD accompanying a mental health professional contracted through StarCare. It’s a fairly new program, but its already drawing attention. These video producers create content for the Texas Association of Counties to inform citizens how certain aspects of local government work. Being a proud proponent of the system, KLVT News sat down with Hockley County Sheriff Ray Scifres for a brief interview. “It’s all about the personnel… We are blessed that between HCSO, Levelland PD and StarCare we have the right people.” He said. With the program only being about a year off the ground, the sheriff also harped on the importance of the partnership the 3 entities have, once again saying ” It’s all about the personnel.” The video will include some brief interview and ride-along footage from CIT teams, and will be replacing an outdated previous video to show just how far mental health policy has come in the past 5 years.

Hospice Of Lubbock Light Up A Life Fundraiser

LUBBOCK, TX- Hospice of Lubbock is hosting its annual tree-lighting event and kickoff of the
annual Light Up a Life fundraiser. Light Up a Life represents a time to celebrate life as well as
support the mission of Hospice of Lubbock. 
The public lighting ceremony of the “Hospice Blue” tree is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 7
at Lakeridge Chapel and Memorial Designers, 6025 82 nd  Street. The tree will remain lit
throughout December as a tribute to the patients and families served by Hospice of Lubbock. 
Throughout the season, the community is encouraged to make donations to  
Hospice of Lubbock in memory of friends or loved ones, in honor of someone special,
or in celebration of the birth of a child, marriage or anniversary. Proceeds go toward providing
direct patient care. 
 
Hospice of Lubbock is the only nonprofit hospice in the region that is dedicated to both
pediatric and adult care. Hospice of Lubbock has provided compassionate care to terminally ill
patients and their families since 1987. 
Virtual guests can attend online at memorialdesigners.net.  
For more information about Light Up A Life or to donate call Hospice of Lubbock at (806) 795-
2751, or the Covenant Health Foundation at (806) 725-6089.

Sheriff Teaches Forensic Science With LISD

Hockley County Sheriff Ray Scifres was a guest lecturer in a Forensic Science course taught by Coach Munoz on Tuesday to discuss in-depth the requirements and purpose of the field. Discussions of crime scenes, and how to proceed in investigations were main points taught by the Sheriff to eager students looking to enter the field. In a Facebook post by the Sheriff’s Office they state “We are always thankful to be invited to participate in educational opportunities about our profession! Happily, we can report 1) no deputies were harmed while teaching ad the high school, and 2) no students fell asleep while we were talking!”

LHS Helps Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff

With the Holiday season being in full swing, many non-profits are preparing themselves for Holiday donations, and none more than the Salvation Army. Levelland High School was happy to help in the opening ceremony of the “Red Kettle Kickoff” at United Supermarkets Tuesday, providing music and fanfare from the LHS Choir, Drumline and Cheer squads. School Board Member Deete Edens was present to thank all in attendance and introduce the guest speaker: Major David Worthy, with Salvation Army. Worthy thanked the community for their support, telling the crowd it was the 131st year for the Red Kettle Campaign across the nation, and the 5th year for participation in Levelland. A strong emphasis was placed on community support, and students dropped the first donation in the kettle to start off what will hopefully be a fruitful donation season. Red kettles can be located at United Supermarket, as well as Wal-Mart in town for donations.

Marigolds Hosting Downtown Decoration Contest

The Levelland Marigolds are hard at work preparing the square for the Festival of Lights on Thursday, and to that end have started a Business Window Christmas Decoration Contest amongst the downtown merchants. In an email sent out to local businesses, the Marigolds encourage festive window decorations in the theme of “West Texas Christmas”.

” The judges will remain anonymous & will be going around the night before on Wednesday, 11/30/2022, so your decorating should be finished by dark on that day. You do not need to be present for judging. A sign will be put on the windows of the first, second and third place winners. First place will have your business name added to the plaque housed at the Chamber office. Please leave your decorations in place through 12/1. Hopefully they will stay in place throughout the season. Thank you
in advance for participating!”

The 1st of December is the upcoming Festival of Lights with Levelland Mainstreet and SPC, in which the Marigolds are also sponsoring a Santa Claus to hear children’s Christmas lists, and this competition will go a long way to ensure the square looks as festive as possible for the event.

SPC Electrician Program Receives Equipment From Interstates

LUBBOCK – The Electrical and Power Transmission Program at South Plains College Career and Technical Center campus recently received $4,000 worth of equipment, wiring, pipes and electricians’ bags from Interstates. The materials will benefit the students as they train to become electricians.

“The tools and cordless drills help our students use technology and train them to be better students,” said Diana Malone, instructor in electrical and power transmission. “The pipes that we use in the lab are ½ inch in size, and the donation included ¾ to 2-inches, which are the new products and they’re expensive.

“The gloves that they’ve given us will help prevent injuries and promote safety in the lab, which is something that we regularly emphasize,” she said. “The leather gloves are cut-resistant and will allow them to work with electricity without worrying about getting shocked.”

For more than 60 years, Interstates has tackled complex challenges and developed innovative solutions. Yet, the most impressive thing they’ve built is their team. At Interstates, they treat each other like family because the foundation of their success is their team. They offer opportunities for education and career growth, one of the best safety records in the business, and benefits that put their families first.

“Interstates is proud to support and give back to the local community, especially great programs like the Electrical Technology program here at South Plains College,” said Mike O’Donnell, regional manager of Interstates. “Interstates depends on quality programs like this to produce qualified electricians. Thirty percent of our current craft employees at the Texas Regional Office have graduated from South Plains College, and we will continue to tap into this invaluable resource for future hiring needs.”

The curriculum provides a sequence of electrical courses approved by the electrical industry that meet the needs of the industry as well as the goals and desires of the student. The Electrician Specialization prepares graduates with adequate knowledge and skills to enter and competently perform in the electrical industry. Graduates are readily employable with electrical companies within college service area and throughout Texas.

“We really appreciate the support of the industry and the opportunities it gives to our graduates,” Malone said.

For more information, contact Malone at (806) 716-2424.