November public auctions 2024

Sheriff sales will be held Tuesday, November 5.

Nolan County: 

• Sheriff's Sale, 10 a.m., at the courthouse. This is for two pulling units. Information comes from Public Notice #6049 in the Sweetwater Reporter, published in the October 19-20 Weekend Edition.
  
• Trustee Sale, 1 p.m., at the courthouse. The property up for auction is located at 1409 McCaulley Street in Sweetwater. Information for the house and lot can be found on the Nolan County Clerk page.
• Foreclosure sale, 1 p.m., at the courthouse: A mobile home located at 1105 West Louisiana Street in Sweetwater. The listing can be found on Auctions.com.

Scurry County:

• Sheriff's Sale, 10 a.m., at the courthouse. One property out at Fluvanna,14103 County Road 2214. Cause # 27253, published in The Snyder News, October 23.
• Foreclosure sales: 1 p.m., at the courthouse. Three properties up for bid: 3600 40th Street, 3010 38th Street, and 11236 State Highway 208. Information is posted on the Scurry County Foreclosure page.
• Storage room auctions, currently open for bidding, ending November 7. Contents of seven storerooms in Snyder can be bid on at Self Storage Auction. Notice printed in the October 25 edition of The Snyder News.
  

Mitchell County:

• Foreclosure sale: October 27-29, online. 700 County Road 157, out by Dunn. Zip is in the Colorado City postal area. Information can be found at ServiceLink Auction.
   

Texas Communities Group has a property in Sweetwater up for bid, 1510 Bell. That auction ends November 16.

Perdue Brandon does not have any local tax sales listed.

Voting method explained

The Rotan Independent School District uses cumulative voting to elect school board members. 

With this method, each candidate gets as many votes as there are open seats. 

Rotan has a seven member school board. There are four seats available this election, with seven candidates running. 

Each candidate has their name on the ballot four times.

Voters can cast none, one, two, three, or four votes in this race, in any array: vote four times for one candidate; give two different candidates two votes; give two candidates one vote and one candidate two votes; vote one time for one candidate; etc.

The school has been using this method since 1995.

A tale of two stores

- Dollar Generals, Fisher Co -

Construction of the new Dollar General Stores in Rotan and Roby wrapped up this week.

I'm really looking forward to the grand opening of these businesses. I drove to Sweetwater for a new coffee maker this morning. It would have been nice to drive 13 miles instead of 30. 

Snyder is closer to my house, only 21 miles, but I had to go to Rotan and Roby to take these photos. I like the Sweetwater Walmart better, anyway.

I hope they cut those ribbons, soon. I'm ready to buy cat food, Snickers, ballpoint pens, Windex, motor oil and milk in Fisher County.

Brooks to take over attorney duties, county to get new dozer

The Fisher County Commissioners Court met Tuesday, October 15, 9 a.m., at the Fisher County Courthouse. All commissioners were present, along with: County Judge Ken Holt; Jessika Daniel, filling in for County Clerk Pat Thomson; Joy Dennis, filling in for County Auditor Becky Mauldin.

After a call to order, an unnamed young man made a public comment. Topics he covered: housing inmates; public vote to close jail; use of funds; his former employment at precinct 2 (some back and forth between  precinct 2 commissioner and this fellow afterward, shut down by the judge reminding the commissioner this was a public comment); the new budget; Senate Bill 22 funds; staff undeserving of budgeted 5% raise; ashamed to live in this county. Those in the courtroom gallery applauded when he finished.

Departmental reports were made by: Extension Agent Nick Dickson; an unnamed representative standing in for County Treasurer Jeanna Parks; Dennis (Mauldin) for the county auditor; Sheriff Tom Pohlman for the Law Enforcement Center. There was no report for the Senior Citizens Center. The reports were unanimously approved by commissioners.

New business items started off with conflict of interest bills, which Dennis (Mauldin) reported none.

Dennis (Mauldin) then reported line item transfers. Three items were transferred from non-departmental funds for shortfalls : $5,000 to maintenance; $10,000 to IT, for a bill from last year; $20 to the district clerk. Commissioners approved unanimously.

Each precinct's Tax Increment Financing left over from last year was moved to the new budget: precinct 1, $9,309.88; precinct 2, $15,518.66;  precinct 3, $54,837.63; precinct 4, $13,077.38. Commissioners approved unanimously.

The burn ban was reinstated, approved unanimously by commissioners.

Dennis (Mauldin) came before the court to explain and ask for approval for the difference in price for the LEC (sheriff's department) Kologic contract ($10,000 line item transfer). The court previously approved $54,270 for the contract, but the latest invoice was for $55,350, a difference of $10,080. Kologic said it was for a new user. Commissioners approved unanimously.

Dennis (Mauldin) asked commissioners to approve the annual financial report for publication. There were questions from Commissioner Preston Martin regarding reconciliation of accounts. The item was tabled.

Judge Holt brought the next item to the court: the usage of Morgan Brooks for Fisher County Attorney, beginning January 1, 2025. Brooks won the March primary, and is currently running unopposed in the upcoming election for Nolan County Attorney. Cost for Brooks will be $3,500 per month. Commissioners approved unanimously.

Deliberation put forth by Commissioner Gordon Pippin, regarding the One Way building and the sheriff's storage building, was concluded by being tabled until work bids are received.

Commissioners unanimously approved the 2025 Indigent Defense Grant program.

Use of $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds, for purchase of a new John Deere dozer to be shared amongst the precincts, was passed with three votes; Commissioner Martin voted against getting a new tractor. The total cost of the equipment is projected to be $286,000.

Commissioner Micah Evans gave an information only report regarding millings that the Texas Department of Transportation donated to the county, before court was adjourned.

Notes:

• Commissioners: Precinct 1, Gordon Pippin; Precinct 2, Dexter Elrod; Precinct3, Preston Martin; Precinct 4, Micah Evans
• Senate Bill 22 (SB22)
  
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
  
• Texas Indigent Defense Grant opportunities
• American Rescue Plan Act info (ARPA)
  

Ballot info, early voting Oct 21; General Election Nov 5

Candidates on all ballots throughout Fisher County:

• President: Trump/Vance, Harris/Walz, Oliver/ter Maat, Stein/Ware 
• Write-in candidates: Ayyadurai/Ellis, Cuellar/Lasley, DeLaCruz/Garcia, Fox/McVay, Sonski/Onak, West/Abdullah

• U. S. Senator: Allred, Brown, Cruz
• Write-in candidates: Andrus, Roche
  

• U. S. Represenative District 19: Arrington, Johnson, Lewis
  

• Railroad Commissioner: Craddick, Culbert, Dunlap, Espinoza
• Write-in candidate: McKibbin

• Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Place 2: Blalock, Jones

• Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Place 4: Devine, Weems

• Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Place 6: Bland, Goldstein, Roberson

• Presiding Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Schenck, Taylor

• Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7: Parker, Mulder

• Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8: Finley, Anyiam

• Member, Texas State Board of Education, District 15: Kinsey, Kirkpatrick, Westbrook

• Texas State Representative, District 69: Coppage, Frank

• Chief Justice, Texas 11th Court of Appeals District: Bailey

• District Judge, Texas 32nd Judicial District: Harrison

• District Attorney, Texas 32nd Judicial District: Thompson

• Fisher County Sheriff: Wade
• Write-in candidate: Pohlman

• Fisher County Tax Assessor-Collector: Speck

Candidates on ballots in divided Fisher County districts:

• Precinct 1 Commissioner: Pippin; Precinct 3 Commissioner: Posey

• Rotan ISD Board Trustee candidates: McWilliams, Weems, Stanley, Mullins, Carrillo, Spruill, Clary

• Roby CISD Board Trustee candidates: Carrion, Whitefield, Estes, Edmonson

• Hermleigh ISD Board Trustee candidates: Tate, Taylor, Pence, Claxton, Minton, Beane

Two bonds for Rotan Independent School District:

• Proposition A: $5,700,000 bond (for school construction)
  
• Proposition B: $800,000 bond (for teacher housing)
  

Notes:

• Vote Texas
• Secretary of State Candidate Information
• Fisher County Election Page Sample Ballots
  

Snyder Goodwill coming soon

- New Goodwill, Snyder -

Goodwill Industries is in the process of getting a new store ready in Snyder. It will be in the former Higginbotham Bartlett Hardware building at 1913 25th Street, northwest of the square.

It's right across the street from The Red Door, a resale shop that's fun to peruse; lots of furniture, and anything else you can dream up, in their large, two-store sized space.You can easily park at Goodwill, then hit both stores in one stop.

To continue on a second-hand store spree, head on up College Avenue to Gateway. They have inventory similar to Goodwill. It's a little funkier with unique items.

I can appreciate stores that you have to dig a little bit for treasure.

Goodwill is now hiring.  There are nine positions for the Snyder store listed on their careers page.

Photos: Top is the new Goodwill location, bottom is The Red Door and Goodwill

Fisher County Vote 2024

Sample ballots for the November 5 General Election have been posted on the Fisher County Election website. 

There is one write-in candidate, Tom Pohlman, for sheriff.

As amusing as it might be to put Willie Nelson or Felix the Cat on that empty line, votes for someone who is not registered to run in an election will not be counted.

Misspelling the name of a write-in is not an issue, as long as the vote-counting authority can easily ascertain the voter's intention. Parker County has a step-by-step guide with photos for write-in voting.

Early voting is October 21- November 1 at the Fisher County Clerk and Rotan City Hall offices.

Notes:

• Fisher County Election Page
• Texas Statute for Write-In Candidates
• Texas Secretary of State: Process for Write-In Votes
• Fisher County Election Day Polling Places

City to test ordinance

Rotan City Council will meet this Thursday. Default meeting dates for the cities of Rotan and Roby are the second Thursday of the month; Rotan at 7 a.m., Roby at noon. That falls on October 10 this time around.

The Rotan agenda will include a public hearing regarding the torn up trailer house and vehicle situated at 511 East Sammy Baugh. This is the first property to come before the council in enforcement of the new substandard structure ordinance that was passed back in May.

County commissioners will meet next Tuesday, October 15, at 9 a.m. They usually meet the second Monday of the month, but pushed the meeting forward a day due to Columbus Day on October 14.

Note: Fisher County: Public Hearing Notice

Like they used to

- Heritage Square, Abilene -

I was in Abilene the other day, using the Grape Street train crossing to get from North First to South First, when I was held up by a sight that had me gaping and almost stopping traffic.

My first thought was, "They're making them like they used to!".

A big, beautiful structure sat before me, complete with grotesque stone creatures guarding the main entrance from above. It was in an obvious state of construction. 

I was only a little dismayed to learn that the building is an old one that is being renovated, but very excited to find out that it was designed by architect David S. Castle.

It was originally built as the Abilene High School in 1924. It sits between Peach and Vine streets, fronting South First, with Third Street running behind. 

This is the Heritage Square project. It will house the library and other community oriented programs. I am looking forward to visiting this mammoth historic site when it is finished, which is projected to be sometime in 2026.

Notes:

• Abilene Heritage Square
• The Portal to Texas History, search "Abilene High School", with quotations

Photos, from upper left, are from Abilene Heritage Square on facebook; The Portal, McMurry Collection; The Portal, David S. Castle Collection. 

Additional information and articles:

• Abilene Scene: The Lingering Youth of an Old High School
• KTAB: Restoration Reflection