Things going on

- IREN, Childress Co., Texas -

I didn't get on here in time to announce the special meeting held by Fisher County Commissioners this morning, but it's online at the Double Mountain Chronicle facebook page, if you'd like to watch it. It will also be posted on the Fisher County Courthouse Texas YouTube site.

I drove up to the Childress area to check out the IREN bitcoin mining project going on there. First I drove through a new solar construction zone, mistaking it for the IREN site. There's a lot of building going on in that area, around a community called Kirkland, but Childress County has a lot of space, and these huge projects seem to take up a small portion of it when looking at all that sky.

Between Childress and Guthrie, Guthrie and Aspermont, there is restful landscape to lay the eye on from horizon to horizon. I stopped in Paducah, between Childress and Guthrie, and got a cheeseburger from the Dairy Maid. There's more fries comes with that order than I can eat. Reminds me of the old days (1970's).

There's some activity going on out by the Wetsel Substation, where IREN has bought property for the Fisher County bitcoin mining project. It's just north of where the Claytonville gas plant used to be.

So, while I was looking to the left, something else was happening on my right. In Sweetwater, a data storage facility has been installed on Sam Houston Street. Veribi has a much smaller operation than IREN. I don't even know if it's the same product. If you stop at the 1 1/2 acre site and listen, it sounds like a giant evaporative cooler.

My guess is that there are some lucrative government subsidies for this industry, much like that for the windmills and solar farms. Chances are they'll be popping up everywhere, big and small.

One other thing, the Dollar General in Roby has opened. That is massive progress in this county and brings a department store a few more miles closer to my house.

Out west and around the county

- Spring Creek tributary -

The four inches of rain that fell west and south of Hobbs during the beginning of November swelled up the dry creeks. The tank behind my house spilled over twice. That ought to tide us over for a little while. It can be quite a dry spell between fall and February.

Next Wednesday looks like we might get close to a freeze. Those last few tomatoes better grow fast before being pulled to ripen on the window sill.

The Rotan water line project is coming along. Right now, they're about to cut across Fisher County Road 347, north of FM 1614. They are replacing a part of the Snyder to Rotan aqueduct. 

I got lost in McCaulley today. First I went too far east towards Anson, and then I couldn't find the community center. Sometimes I'm a real airhead. Just go to the big bridge east of Roby on US 180, then go north on FM 57 about two miles. Find the old school and then look to the east. There's a huge metal building. There will be a lot of cars around it. 

They're having a big sale out there and have all kinds of good stuff to buy. I got some books and a quilt and a necklace. The sale will be continuing tomorrow (Saturday) at 9 a.m.

Also going on tomorrow, as well as Sunday, is the Pete Garcia Estate Sale in Rotan. It's taking place at 1011 North Tyler and starts at 8 a.m. both days.

It looks like the Dollar General store in Roby will be opening soon. There are people inside of it putting up inventory. I noticed today that the Rotan site is called DG Market. The outside of Ace Hardware in Rotan is up. I'm looking forward to getting in these stores.

I finished up my jaunt by getting a .25 cent gallon of water in Rotan and going to The Country Store. A person can never have too many books, right?

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.

Construction underway

- Store sites -

The Rotan Dollar General site is abuzz with workers this morning, and if the swiftness in which the Roby DG store is going up is any indicator, we'll be buying socks and waterhoses and ballpoint pens and catfood in no time, from both locations.

The photos in order, from top to bottom, are Rotan DG site, Roby DG site, and Ace Hardware Rotan site.

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration, the Rotan DG store is planned for 12,480 square feet and Roby DG for 9,100 square feet. The Double Mountain Chronicle reported that Ace is planned for 12,500 square feet.

A little news and a bunch of bugs

- Night flight bugs -

There was a pretty good rain around Hobbs yesterday, a little over an inch, but rain doesn't come without consequence around here. This time it was thousands and thousands of bugs. They looked like termites with wings and they all wanted in my house. I put in earplugs to keep them out of my ears, and got out the vacuum. The only good thing I can say about them is that they didn't bite or sting.

You can follow the progress of the new hardware store on facebook. Fisher Ace Hardware & Farm Supply in Rotan has a page with a lot of interesting photos and videos. They documented pouring the store foundation, reporting that it took 27 trucks to get the job done.

The land deal has gone through for the Dollar General store in Rotan. Expect to see groundwork being laid on the southern edge of town. Dollar General in Roby is in construction now.

Stoney LaRue will be playing at the Taylor County Coliseum Friday, September 5, during the West Texas Fair and Rodeo in Abilene. Table, floor and balcony seats are available. Performance begins at 9 p.m.

Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone is coming back November 10, and Tulsa King will return September 15. I swore I would never watch another Sheridan production until he showed us the last episodes of season five of Yellowstone, but Tulsa King is coming on first, so I will be breaking my vow. The shows will air on Paramount Network and Paramount+.

Roby possible site for Dollar General

- East Roby -

Dollar General has registered details for a store in Roby with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The site address is 411 East South First Street, east of the Fisher County Courthouse. 

Square footage for the building is listed as 9,100 with an estimated cost of $750,000.

Construction is currently going on at the site.

Another store rumor

- South Rotan -

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has an Architectural Barriers Project Details page listed for Dollar General Store in Rotan, registration date 4/30/2024.

The site for the store is listed as 500 South McKinley. As best as I can figure, that would be catty-corner to the John Deere House (United Ag & Turf) as you're leaving town going south.

Fisher County Appraisal District has all that property on both sides of the highway, as well as McKinley, belonging to the Rivers and the Rotan Gin.

I don't know if it's real or like that alcohol license application that was posted in the newspaper for Family Dollar last November. That, of course, never came to pass. Maybe they just do a big group licensing packet and don't even look at the addresses. 

June 10 is listed as the start date. There is no activity at this time. October 10, 2024 is the projected finish date.

The estimated cost is $850,000 for a 12,480 square foot building.