Wait, where?

The Fisher County Commissioners showed surprise when a citizen speaking at the monthly meeting expressed concern about new construction by IREN on FM 540, about 3 miles north of where it junctions with SH 92. The court appeared not to be aware of the project.

This is the Sweetwater 2 project, set just to the west of Hamlin, within the Fisher County bounds.

KTAB TV in Abilene reported on the project March 10, 2025. Specific site information was not given, other than it was to be located 28 miles from the Sweetwater 1 project. 

Sweetwater 1 is located on FM 611 in Fisher County. 

Both sites are in Fisher County. The city of Sweetwater is in Nolan County.

The commissioners' meeting can be viewed on the Fisher County Courthouse Texas YouTube channel.

The KTAB article can be viewed on Big Country Home Page. 

Longworth Community Center to be auctioned

At 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, parcel 32152 will be sold by auction at the Fisher County Courthouse.

The county owned property consists of 1.36 acres and a 2,040 square foot building. It's appraised at $46,320 by the appraisal district.

It is located just off FM 57, on the north-east side of Longworth. 

There is no minimum bid. 

 

Update:

The Longworth Community Center property was sold to Alexandria Rivas of Roby for $23,500. 

This 'n' that

- Hobbs School,  2005  -

I found myself talking to the laundry this morning. Not out loud, but I sent a thought to a pair of fuzzy pink socks that keep shredding into the load. "You better watch out or you'll go in the trash!" I told them. It was probably an empty threat, as they're very comfortable to wear. I leave tissues in pockets all the time and wash them, leaving bits on everything. I haven't quit using Kleenex, so the socks are probably safe.

I hashed over IREN changing from bitcoin mining to artificial intelligence. Sometimes it's called crypto mining, which doesn't seem like a word interchangeable with bitcoin mining, but I don't know what either one is, so potato, potahto. I also don't know what AI cloud is, but it's not important to my point. If this helps IREN to pay off their debt earlier, I would think that's good for the county. I'm not going to hurt my mind by thinking about it more deeply at this time. 

IREN's Sweetwater 2 site is out on FM 419 in Fisher County, by the old Claytonville gas plant. It seems like they're in a good position to change since it's still in the building phase. What do I know? Nothing.

I hit a benchmark in December. I've been writing on this here website for 20 years. I posted the first photo used on the blog, taken in 2005. It's of the Hobbs School, which was being used for a multi-county GED program at that time. It was sold in 2012 to the Gordon Family, who continue to own it.

Fisher County Sheriff's Sale 2026

Tuesday, January 6th at 2 p.m. there will be a public auction at the north door of the Fisher County Courthouse, located at 112 North Concho in Roby, Texas. The following properties will be up for sale:

• Parcel 5741 - 202 East Burnside in Rotan - .241 acres - a house and land
• Parcel 7793 - 205 North Walton in Roby - .344 acres - a house and land
• Parcel 7594 - 805 West South 1st in Roby - .586 acres - commercial property, a motel
• Parcel 6318 - 401 East McArthur in Rotan - .241 acres - a house and land
• Parcel 6611 - 611 East 6th in Rotan - .482 acres - a house and land
• Parcel 5385 - 258 County Road 713 (6th St) in McCaulley - .482 acres - a house and land
• Parcel 5724 - 202 East Johnston in Rotan - .273 acres - a house and land  
• 8 tracts of working interest in oil leases - 

1. Jonisue Stiff lease, operator Ohlhausen Oil Company
2. J. W. Cave "D" lease #20126, operator Ohlhausen Oil Company 
3. Jonisue No. 2 lease, operator Ohlhausen Oil Company
4. Morris -B- lease, operator TCS Petroleum Company  
5. Jonisue Stiff lease, operator TCS Petroleum Company
6. W. B. Wetsel lease #3715, operator Ohlhausen Oil Company 
7. James "A" Cave lease #20469, operator TCS Petroleum Oil Company
8. J. W. Cave lease #20064, operator TCS Petroleum Company 

I searched hard for those Jonisue leases, but didn't come up with much. It's a mystery to me where they're listed on the Fisher CAD. On the Railroad Commission website, it looks like the wells were never developed, due to crowding, or the operators have changed. I'm not even 100% sure on the other lease numbers. I was just stabbing in the dark there. I didn't try very hard at all to find the Morris -B-.

For more information on the Cave and Wetsel leases, on the appraisal district site go to Search>Ohlhausen, choose any of them, then click on Notice of Appraisal>View. 

Sources: Double Mountain Chronicle December 19, 2025 issue; Fisher CAD website; RRC website; Google earth

More candidates file, jail closed for good

 Four more potential candidates for Fisher County offices have filed "Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer by a Candidate" forms:

• Jackie Terry for Republican chair
• Brad Boyd for precinct four commissioner
• Robert Terry for precinct four commissioner
• Shelton Waldon for county judge

In other news, the commissioners court voted to decommission the jail. 

"It's a money pit," said Precinct One Commissioner Gordon Pippin. 

Precinct Four Commissioner Micah Evans did not vote for the closure.

The vote was taken during the monthly meeting on Monday.

Terms expiring in 2026

Fisher County offices up for election:

• county judge
• county clerk
• district clerk
• sheriff
• justice of the peace
• treasurer
• precinct 2 commissioner
• precinct 4 commissioner

Local offices with expiring seats:

• Rotan City Council
• Roby City Council
• Rotan ISD
• Roby CISD
• Fisher County Hospital Board

There are no candidate filings for Fisher County on the Texas Secretary of State site.

Sources: Fisher County Election Page; Texas Secretary of State Candidate Page; Double Mountain Chronicle online archives; Roby CISD website; Rotan ISD website; Fisher County Hospital website

Candidate update

Joy Dennis, former Rotan City Council member, and administrative assistant and court coordinator for Fisher County Judge Ken Holt, has submitted an "Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer by a Candidate" form for the office of district clerk.

If this is carried forward, Dennis will be running against incumbent Gina Pasley, who is seeking another term. 

Pasley has been Fisher County District Clerk since 2016.

Sources: Fisher County Texas Election Page; Fisher County District Clerk Page

County news: property sells, possible candidates for 2026

The county owned Sylvester Community Center was sold to Norman Dozier of Abilene for $40,000 at the November 10 public auction. The  minimum bid was set at $25,000 by the commissioners. There is no record online, at this time, of the sale of the Longworth Community Center.

The Fisher County Election page, on the county website, has a list of thirteen people who have submitted an "Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer by a Candidate" form, indicating interest in running for office. 

Here are the names and offices sought:

• Pat Thomson, County Clerk
• Angie Pippin, Justice of Peace
• Jeanna Parks, County Treasurer
• Robert Castilleja, Sheriff
• Elvis Elrod (Dexter), Precinct 2 Commissioner
• Preston Martin, County Judge
• Gina Pasley, District Clerk
• Pat Dickson, Sheriff
• Elias Sepeda, Justice of Peace
• Brandon Arnold, Sheriff
• Ricky Spencer, County Judge
• Kerry Anderson, Republican Party Chairperson
• Casey Terry, County Judge

Rotan City Councilwoman Joy Dennis resigned from the city council at the last meeting, held November 10. She stated her intention was to run for a county office, and did not want to create confusion by holding a county and a city role at the same time. Dennis did not indicate which county office she would be pursuing.

The primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline is December 8.

Sources: Local Government Solutions Online Records Search; Fisher County Texas Election Page; Double Mountain Chronicle Rotan City Council Meeting Video; Texas Secretary of State: Filing in the 2026 Republican or Democratic Primary Election

Rescheduled auction

Whitley May Auctioneers have rescheduled the Sweetwater sale. It will now be held on November 11.

County property sells

The Capitola Community Center, at the corner of FM 611 and FM 419, sold for $41,000 at a sheriff's sale this month.

The new owner is Casey Terry of Fisher County. 

The unused property was owned by the county.

The Sylvester and Longworth Community Centers will be the next county properties to go to auction. Minimum bid is $25,000, each.

The sale is scheduled for November 10, 10 a.m., at the courthouse.