Meanwhile in Texoma........

[AndyinPA]

I first read that as carriage in a pear tree, which also seems like it might work in this case.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I first read that as carriage in a pear tree, which also seems like it might work in this case.

I corrected the typo to "partridge", but perhaps I should have used " carriage".

[Volkonski]

Water problems.........

Judge recommends denying WF effort to build Lake Ringgold

https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 002513007/

An administrative hearing judge in Austin has recommended the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality deny the request by the city of Wichita Falls to build Lake Ringgold in Clay County.

The decision follows eight days of hearings in Austin this summer. Several opponents, including landowners in Clay County, objected to the city's plans.

One of several factors cited in Judge Christiaan Siano's lengthy decision, is the city's stagnant population.

In its application the city projected a population rising to 120,000 in 2070.

Siano determined the projection is "far closer to the City’s pre-2011 population of approximately 104,000. He concluded the population projections do not support the projected 9,110 acre-feet per year from Lake Riggold the city said it would need.



The city first considered building Lake Ringgold in 1949, but voters turned it down in a 2-to-1 referendum.

[Volkonski]

Reports on local social media and from our daughter say that local traffic today is a nightmare as people shop for the holiday.

Of course Mrs. V is in the thick of it. She shopped for holiday food Tuesday. She shopped for more food Wednesday. She took yesterday off. She is shopping for even more food right now!

Wednesday she bought (among other things) persimmons. I had never had a persimmon. They are orange and taste like pears.

Who knows what new food she will bring home today...............

[sugar magnolia]

Reports on local social media and from our daughter say that local traffic today is a nightmare as people shop for the holiday.

Of course Mrs. V is in the thick of it. She shopped for holiday food Tuesday. She shopped for more food Wednesday. She took yesterday off. She is shopping for even more food right now!

Wednesday she bought (among other things) persimmons. I had never had a persimmon. They are orange and taste like pears.

Who knows what new food she will bring home today...............

And they're squishy and sticky and nasty as hell when they get ripe and fall off the tree. Possums love them.

[Volkonski]

Just this morning in the county just to the east of us. US 287 is the major highway between Wichita Falls and the DFW Metroplex. Clay County is quite rural with only about 10,000 residents but with over twice the land area of our county.

Man arrested following police chase in Clay County

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/12 ... TuYu9GoXqE

On Tuesday, December 26 around 10:19 a.m., DPS troopers responded to a reckless driver call on US 287 near Bellevue.

21-year-old Edward Sebastian Martinez Ward refused to stop for a traffic stop and a police chase began.

According to DPS Sgt. Juan Gutierrez, the vehicle reached speeds of up to 90 mph and struck two Clay County Deputy units and an innocent motorist vehicle.

DPS Troopers, along with other officers, placed Martinez Ward under arrest after he weaved through traffic, passed others on the shoulder, spun into the median, veered off the road into a field, and became stuck in the mud.

[Volkonski]

Today Mrs. V is driving our younger daughter and our grandson back to DFW. Older daughter went along for the ride.

Took about 3 hours to pack everything up for the baby. Since the baby et al arrived Christmas Eve the cats have played with the baby toys and the baby has played with the cat toys so things got under the furniture, into corners and all over the floor.

Now I can walk in the living room again without fear of tripping.

[Volkonski]

RIP local restaurants.

Looking back at Texoma restaurants that were (sic) left in 2023

https://www.texomashomepage.com/wichita ... t-in-2023/

The 2023 local lookback series continues with a recap of restaurants we bid farewell to in the new year.

Knic Knac’s Kitchen in Henrietta are officially gone for good. The owners had planned to revive the burned business as a bed and breakfast but due to costs from the fire in 2022 further plans for the new year was abandoned.

China star buffet, off central freeway, closed up after two separate fires, just over a month apart, which left the restaurant badly damaged. In September, Waylon Buckingham was arrested for arson and burglary charges, the arson charges included the fires at China Star.

After opening their doors in 2005, Bully’s Bar and Grill, on Seymour highway, closed their doors in October citing the owners retirement. According to the grills Facebook page, officials said they would sell their memorabilia and restaurant supplies.

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse on Call Field Road also shut their doors this past year.

Grandy’s on McNeill Avenue saw a quick demise after making a comeback in 2022. However, under local ownership, the homestyle diner closed in November 2023.

Two nationally known chains (Denny’s/Marco’s Pizza) also closed up shop on Kemp Boulevard.

[RTH10260]

RIP local restaurants.

Looking back at Texoma restaurants that were (sic) left in 2023

https://www.texomashomepage.com/wichita ... t-in-2023/

The 2023 local lookback series continues with a recap of restaurants we bid farewell to in the new year.



Two nationally known chains (Denny’s/Marco’s Pizza) also closed up shop on Kemp Boulevard.

Where will you now host the We The People Grand Juries

As usual, just asking for a friend

[Volkonski]

Sewer water recycling system is holding things more or less steady despite very little rain.

Wichita Falls lake levels drop

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2024/01 ... f4TzqBU5Fk

Combined lake levels in the Wichita Falls area dropped half a percent.

Collectively, Lakes Arrowhead and Kickapoo contain 53.2 percent.

Wichita Falls customers still remain under Stage 1 Drought Watch restrictions.

Stage 2 Drought Warning restrictions will trigger when the combined level reaches 50 percent.

[Volkonski]

2023 warmer and drier than normal in Wichita Falls

https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 083771007/

End of the year stats showed the city officially received 21.77 inches of rain, which is more than six inches below the normal of 27.89. The average daytime high temperature during the year was 79.6 degrees, which is almost three degrees higher than the normal of 76.2 degrees.

Night lows were lower, too – 53.3 degrees compared to 51.3 degrees.

The year 2023 will go on the books as the only year since record keeping began that Wichita Falls received no snow.

The record for wettest year in Wichita Falls goes to 2015. That year saw 47.38 inches of rain, including the deluges that ended the record drought of 2010-2015.

[Volkonski]

City of Wichita Falls reaches anniversary of drought restrictions

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2024/01 ... trictions/

In one week, it will mark one year since the City of Wichita Falls entered stage one drought restrictions.

Right now the trends are projecting tighter restrictions during the new year. Lake levels were down again this week bringing the combined total of Lake Kickapoo and Lake Arrowhead to 53%.

Last year stage one drought restrictions started when there was a combined lake level of 65%

Stage one restrictions mainly deal with irrigation, and as trends continue through the new year many can’t help but think of the last major drought to impact Wichita Falls in 2011. That drought brought 100 days of 100-degree heat and lasted through 2015.

[Volkonski]

Suspicious person reported near Wichita Falls ISD schools

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... d-schools/

After a suspicious person was reported in the areas around Zundy Elementary and Wichita Falls High School, the WFISD called for additional officers around both schools for Thursday, January 4, according to a Facebook post from the district.

According to Wichita Falls Police Sgt. Charlie Eipper, officers were called to check on two individuals reportedly walking in the area with firearms Thursday morning. Officers were not able to find people matching the description.

The school’s post stated that additional officers from the WFPD and the Wichita Falls ISD Police would be on campus throughout the school day as extra security.

[RTH10260]

It"s suspicious to open-carry firearms in TX

[Volkonski]

It"s suspicious to open-carry firearms in TX

Sec. 46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a):

(1) on the premises of a school or postsecondary educational institution, on any grounds or building owned by and under the control of a school or postsecondary educational institution and on which an activity sponsored by the school or institution is being conducted, or in a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or postsecondary educational institution, whether the school or postsecondary educational institution is public or private

[Volkonski]

Texans must not have gotten flu shots.

Influenza widespread in Tarrant County, ‘very high’ in Texas as virus spreads nationwide

telegram.com/news/local/article283879963.html#storylink=cpy

Flu on the Rise in Houston

https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiZG ... id=US%3Aen

Flu and COVID-19 cases continue to increase across Texas

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/flu-a ... s/3424962/

Laredo Health urges vigilance as flu illnesses continue to rise

https://www.kgns.tv/video/2024/01/02/la ... inue-rise/

Across Texas, a spike in respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV are on the rise, the trend is felt here in Texoma

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... officials/

Flu cases continue to rise across Texoma

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2024/01 ... ss-texoma/

COVID, flu cases on the rise in North Texas, hospital officials say

https://www.fox4news.com/news/dallas-co ... sing-jan-3

Respiratory illnesses knocking many South Texans down for the count

https://www.kens5.com/article/news/heal ... 956271a86a

[sugar magnolia]

Yay! We're finally #1! MS has the highest flu death rate in the country (TX is #29) per 100,000 population. We're just under twice the TX number of 10.5, with 20. A friend's 8 year old granddaughter is in critical condition in the ICU with the flu right now. It doesn't sound like they think she'll make it, either.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosm ... umonia.htm

[RTH10260]

The flu will ‘miraculously’ be gone by April ‘once the weather warms up’ Thomas Jefferson Donald J Trump

► Show Spoiler

[Volkonski]

Forecast for this weekend-

Sunday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7F.

For these parts that is COLD!

[Volkonski]

Forecast here for Monday night is 5F.

[Volkonski]

Today was plumber day in our house.

The drains from the three bathrooms in the bedroom section of the house had been getting slower for a few days with some backups if too many flushes occurred within a short period of time.

The house was built in two sections a few years apart. The west side has the kitchen, laundry room and a half bath. The east side has bedrooms and 3 baths. They have separate drainage lines out to the sewer. Only the west side has a cleanout connection.

This did not phase the young plumbers. They climbed up on the roof and snaked out the pipes thru the rooftop vent lines.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln- The waste of our waters again goes unvexed to the sewer.

[Volkonski]

MLK Jr Day weekend here is going to be COLD! (By local standards.)

Forecast night lows- Sat 10F, Sun 9F, Mon 5F, Tues 13F. Highs during the days about 22F.

Our plumbers, who roof-snaked our drain pipes yesterday, were complaining/joking that they were both on call for the weekend when many pipes will freeze in local homes. It is good news/bad news for them. More work means more wages. No weekend time off.

Mrs. V had an early music performance scheduled with a group she plays with in Denton on Tuesday but it has been cancelled due to cold temperatures.

Past experience indicates that our WF house will survive the deep freeze. Our former house down near Houston could not have done so.

[Volkonski]

There is not even a drop of precipitation in the forecast.

TxDOT pretreating roads for possibility of snow

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2024/01 ... VL0hIlmDmw

TxDOT maintenance crews began pretreating bridges and overpasses with brine this week, as cold weather is forecasted this weekend.

TxDOT pretreated the following counties: Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Montague, Throckmorton Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young.

[bill_g]

Yay! We're finally #1! MS has the highest flu death rate in the country (TX is #29) per 100,000 population. We're just under twice the TX number of 10.5, with 20. A friend's 8 year old granddaughter is in critical condition in the ICU with the flu right now. It doesn't sound like they think she'll make it, either.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosm ... umonia.htm

Oregon is at the opposite end of the scale as the lowest flu rate. Prolly a race we want to lose. Sorry for your friend. I hope her GD pulls through.

[bill_g]

There is not even a drop of precipitation in the forecast.

TxDOT pretreating roads for possibility of snow

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2024/01 ... VL0hIlmDmw

TxDOT maintenance crews began pretreating bridges and overpasses with brine this week, as cold weather is forecasted this weekend.

TxDOT pretreated the following counties: Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Montague, Throckmorton Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young.

We're under a severe winter storm watch with snow expected within the hour. I'll save you a snowball!