In the staunchly conservative Panhandle, LGBTQ+ Texans say political and legal battles overlook their humanity.

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

In a split vote this afternoon, the Stephens County Commissioners Court voted 4 to 1 to approve an agreement that will dramatically change the landscape and skyline of the southeastern portion of the county for years to come with the installation of dozens of wind turbines. Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fambro — the commissioner who represents the residents who will be directly affected by the wind farm — was the only “no” vote.

After hours of sometimes-tense discussion, debate, questions and answers, the commissioners approved a tax abatement agreement between Stephens County and La Casa Wind LLC, which is affiliated with NextEra Energy, for a wind turbine (windmill) project to be located in the southeastern quadrant of the county. Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Warren made the motion to approve the tax abatement with the wind farm company and authorize Roach to execute the abatement on behalf of the county, and Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark McCullough seconded the motion. Precinct 4 Commissioner Eric O’Dell and County Judge Michael Roach also voted to approve the agreement. Fambro voted against the abatement.

“I just felt there’s a lot of stuff that still need to be resolved. That’s it,” Fambro said during a break in the meeting, after the vote.

According to the draft of the agreement, Stephens County will abate 100 percent of all property taxes that would be owed by La Casa Wind to the county over a 10-year period, and the company will make annual payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) of at least $445,051 to the county. Additionally, the company will be required to make a $50,000 annual donation that will be distributed to local charities. La Casa Wind will be responsible for paying the full amount of the taxes owed to the local school district and hospital district.

Roach spoke for almost an hour at the beginning of the three-and-a-half-hour hearing on Monday, March 11, explaining the research the county did in advance of the hearing and offering information about why the county officials were planning to approve the abatement.

In addition to a guaranteed payment to the county, regardless of the value of the project, Roach pointed to regulation as a benefit to an abatement. Several times throughout the meeting, Roach said that he believes NextEra will build the wind farm whether or not they get the tax abatement; therefore, he said, he feels like the agreement allows the county to build in some regulations, such as the PILOT payments and charitable donations, that the company will be required to follow.

“If we say no abatement at all — none — if they come, they come unabated, which means there are no regulations,” Roach said. “So the abatement is the regulation. Without the abatement, you have no regulations.”

The proposed project will include about 53 wind turbines that, combined, will generate at least 150 megawatts. The draft of the agreement stipulates that the turbines must be located at least 1,400 feet away from any structures that the company does not have an agreement with.

Roach said that studies in Europe have determined that wind turbines generate noise that can be heard from a distance of 1,100 to 1,200 feet and that the noise can be compared to that of a household appliance.

One of the ongoing concerns about the location of the proposed wind farm is the impact it could have on the new state park located in eastern Stephens County and western Palo Pinto County. As part of the abatement agreement, La Casa Wind will be required to install an Aircraft Detection Lighting System that features lights on top of the wind turbines that turn on only if an aircraft is in the area.

For the meeting, a crowd of about 45 to 50 people was gathered in the courtroom. Following Roach’s presentation, several members of the public addressed the commissioners.

Steve Dempsey questioned several aspects of the proposed agreement, including the county’s lack of any ability to enforce the regulations required by the agreement, aside from canceling the abatement. Zola George also spoke, questioning some parts of the agreement and reading aloud several comments from area residents opposed to the wind farm.

When Keziah Ferrar spoke, she asked if there was anyone in the courtroom audience who was in favor of the wind farm, one man stood up and said he was; many others indicated that they were against the project.

“We don’t want you here,” Ferrar said, turning to face NextEra representative Matthew Johnson. “So, is there anyone here in this room that actually wants them to be here? Anyone? OK, so he is. So, sir, take note, one person in here — and there’s a lot of us that can’t be here today, a lot of people are at work — one person in here supports this project. We don’t want you (NextEra) in our community.”

Some of the continued concerns about the wind turbine project include diminished quality of life for those living in the area due to the noise and the interference with the landscape views, the potential for damage to roads and bridges caused by the heavy equipment that will be brought in, as well as the damage to property values in the general area of the wind farm.

“What I heard last week was these real estate agents can’t sell any land where they can even see wind turbines,” said Terri Bradley. “So for me, now I can’t sell my land for what I bought it for 20 years ago. And that’s wrong. There’s something really wrong with that. I understand everybody has their own rights, but they can’t stomp on everybody else’s, too. Why aren’t we compensated? Why can we get compensated for the reduction in our land value?”

Before he made the motion to approve the tax abatement, Warren spoke to the people in the courtroom. “I’ve been in this county since 1985, and I’ve worked at least four or five jobs all my life. So I’m really for the landowners,” he said. “I understand y’all are fighting for this because you don’t want it, but we’ve got people that do want it. Some of the guys are friends of mine who have worked the same —  hard — all their life, and I think it’s their right to get to have these, just as you think we don’t need them.”

Cutline, top photo: Stephens County Judge Michael Roach spoke for almost an hour Monday morning at the beginning of a public hearing regarding a tax abatement for a wind farm to be located in the southeastern quadrant of the county. At the end of the hearing, the commissioners court voted 4-1 to approve the abatement. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

 

 

The post Following an often-tense public hearing, Commissioners Court votes 4-1 to give tax abatements to wind farm project first appeared on Breckenridge Texan.

Families were infuriated by praise for local law enforcement in a report on the Robb Elementary School shooting released Thursday by a private investigator.

As officials try to determine a cause for the wildfires, a Canadian homeowner filed a lawsuit blaming an energy company for the destruction.

Shaken by the devastation, families find comfort in each other as they pick through the rubble and commune at a church in nearby Borger.

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

The police department and sheriff’s office will continue operating as separate entities in Breckenridge and Stephens County after a public hearing last week ended in a unanimous vote by the City Commissioners to go on maintaining their own law enforcement agency and to proceed with a search for a new police chief.

About 30-35 people were in attendance at the public hearing held by the City of Breckenridge on Thursday, Feb. 22, to discuss the possibility of combining the Breckenridge Police Department and the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. City Manager Cynthia Northrop had been researching the topic at the direction of the city commissioners following their regular meeting on Feb. 6, when the idea of combining the two agencies was presented by a local resident as a cost-saving measure.

During the public hearing, several citizens addressed the commissioners with their thoughts on the concept and Northrop presented her research.

“I’ve seen a lot of people digging in their heels on both sides, saying that it’s right or it’s wrong to go one way or the other. And so I’m here to tell you that … there’s no inherently right or wrong avenue to go,” former Stephens County Sheriff Will Holt said. “It’s not…wrong to consolidate. … On the flip side, there’s nothing wrong with moving forward with a police department, as long as it’s done correctly.”

Part of Northrop’s presentation included a look at the City and County budgets for law enforcement and what kind of savings might be achieved by combining the two. “The bottom line is, I think in the first year, you’re going to see a savings of about $70,000. In the out years, that could be anywhere from $80-$100,000 savings going forward,” she said.

Those numbers were based on the budgets, not actual costs, she explained. Additionally, her calculations were based on the plan of having two officers on duty in the city limits and two on duty outside the city limits at all times. Over the past several years, the city has only had an average of one to one and a half patrol officers on duty at a time, Northrop said.

Northrop also discussed her research into Garza County and the City of Post, which combined their law enforcement services in 2015. City Commissioner Vince Moore pointed out that the reason Garza County was studied is because it is a similar situation to Breckenridge’s — a county with only one municipality. However, he said that in Garza County, 82 percent of the population lives in the city of Post. In Stephens County, 57 percent of the population lives in Breckenridge and 43 percent lives in the county, and that makes the comparisons uneven.

In concluding her presentation, Northrop listed the pros for combining the two agencies as increased service coverage, if fully staffed; consistent law enforcement throughout the city and county; and reduction in crime due to the increased coverage. The cons for combining the services included a reduction in salary, benefits and seniority for the City officers, as well as a decrease in employee morale due to the transition. Click here to see the meeting’s agenda packet, which includes documents referenced by Northrop.

Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims, who has had 52 years of law enforcement experience, said another thing that needs to be considered is the training and safety of the officers. He also talked about the cooperation and assistance that the various law enforcement agencies have provided each other over the years.

City Commissioner Rob Durham said that he is invested in the work the City has been doing regarding the police department. “Our law enforcement that we have with the city and with the county are more cohesive now than we’ve had in the years that I’ve been here in the community,” he said. “And I think we need to build off of that. I think (combining the police and sheriff’s departments) would erase … every plan that we have for the community moving forward; I think that would just all be or be erased. I think the deal that we have with the chief as far as the hiring process, I think Cynthia will do great.

“I’m thinking vision down the years, because I think that’s why Breckenridge is kind of in the position that we’re in now,” Durham continued. “Because in the ’80s, there wasn’t much vision for 2024. Well, we’re in 2024, so I want to have vision for 2048. What are we going to do 20 years from now?”

Following additional discussion, Durham made the motion to “continue the City law enforcement services and authorize the city manager to proceed with hiring the police chief.” All of the commissioners and the mayor voted to approve the motion.

The City of Breckenridge is seeking to hire a new police chief after the former chief, Bacel Cantrell, recently resigned. Cantrell’s last day in the position was Feb. 1. Tommy Williams is serving as the interim police chief, hired through the City’s contract with Strategic Government Resources.

The search for a permanent police chief is being handled in-house by the City. A committee has been appointed to oversee the search and includes Mayor Bob Sims, City Commissioner Gary Mercer, City Manager Cynthia Northrop, Stephens County Sheriff Kevin Roach and Eric Debus, the police chief in the Rhome, the city where Northrop previously worked.

 

 

The post City Commission votes to continue with separate police, sheriff departments first appeared on Breckenridge Texan.

A trial over the Barbers Hill school district’s dress code will test Texas’ new CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles.

A historic $3.3 billion federal investment in broadband could connect millions of Texans to the internet. But getting the money to the right hands could be a challenge.

The LaPoynor school district frequently flies a Christian flag, but may not be running afoul of the Constitution because it says students are choosing to raise it.

By Jean Hayworth/Breckenridge Texan

From 1950 through the late 1970s, Breckenridge offered entertainment in the form of movies at a couple of drive-in theaters on the west side of town. But, back in its earlier days, the city was home to several movie theaters, including the National Theatre, which has since been restored to its former glory.

Most people who lived in Breckenridge in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s likely remember the Corral Drive-in, which was located west of Breckenridge on Highway 180 West, near the road to O’Neal Drive. It was located on the north side of the highway, accommodated 300 cars and was opened by 1949. It was initially operated by R.A. Noret; however, by 1953, the drive-in was taken over by B.E. Garner, who maintained it until 1955, when William “Bill” Creagh took over ownership and kept it going into the late 1970s.

Families could load up and take a car full to the drive-in for a night’s entertainment that typically included cartoons and the latest news shown prior to the main feature. Sometimes, there was even a double feature.

In an aerial view picture, the Corral Drive-in was shown to still be intact in 1983, but it was demolished by 1995. The ramps and foundation for the movie screen can still be seen in an aerial view.

At one time, there was also a Breck Drive-in Theater, and a few former residents from that era also might remember another drive-in theater named the Trail Drive-in, which opened in February 1955. It was also located west of town, but on the south side of Highway 180 West. That drive-in entrance is now a deserted lot that sits between the Regency Inn and H&H Garden Center. It was visible in an aerial view in 1955, but was demolished by 1960.

There was a small business that sat on the southeast corner of where the drive-in was located, which also was demolished about the same time.

Before the time of the drive-ins, the downtown area of Breckenridge offered several movie theaters. In the 1920s and ’30s some of the theatres closed, moved and re-opened with different names. So, at times, it is difficult to follow which theater was which.

The Alhambra Theatre opened October 18, 1920, alongside the Sager Hotel on the northeast corner of Breckenridge Avenue and Walker Street.  By 1929, it was known as the Palace Theatre, which was originally located in the 100 block of West Walker Street.

On Feb. 24, 1921, a fire swept through “Block 10” in downtown Breckenridge, destroying or heavily damaging numerous buildings, including the original National Theatre. Just a few months later,  the Breckenridge American advertised the opening of the newly rebuilt National Theatre by F. W. Zimmerman on July 2, 1921, with a capacity of 500 seats, at a cost of $750,000, which may have been a bit of an exaggeration, according to the article. The theater was located in the same place it is today, the 100 block of East Walker Street. Later was called the Regal Theatre and then went back to being called the National Theatre.

In those early days, there were live, stage shows or plays in some of the theaters, and in the beginning, silent movies were shown in black and white. Gradually, the movies changed to include sound and eventually color.

In 1931, a 375-seat Plaza Theatre opened and operated through 1938. However, by 1939, it vanished from any listing, but re-appeared in 1942 and was listed through 1944, but then vanished from the scene altogether.

In 1945, the Buckaroo Theatre advertised to have 350 seats. There is a postcard of the main street in downtown Breckenridge, which shows the Buckaroo Theatre and the Palace Theatre and in the next block was the National Theatre.

Through the years, Breckenridge also had theaters named the American Theatre, the Ruby Theatre and the Broadway Theatre.

According to an article in the Breckenridge American in October 1967, the radio station, KSTB, announced that they were going to build a 300-seat theatre and it would be called the Regal Theatre. The radio station had purchased the old Palace Theatre, which was razed, so the Regal could be built in that spot. However, the Regal Theatre was never built. Eventually, the National Theatre was temporarily renamed the Regal Theatre, according to some sources.

In the mid 1996, the Friends of Historic Breckenridge took over ownership of the National Theatre, which had a collapsed roof at that time. Cavanaugh Garza and some other volunteers constructed a stage. On a very hot late April day the following year of 1997, metal chairs were set up in the open cavity, which would become, once again, the National Theatre. On that day, a group of budding, local thespians put on three performances of a play that Garza had written, called, “Pictures, Planes and Crude Oil,” as a fundraiser to get the extensive renovations off to a big start, which initially called for a roof.

The play included several historic figures of Breckenridge history that included Earl Akin, pioneer aviator and glider designer; Walker Sayle, the elected sheriff of Breckenridge in 1912; Basil Clemons, noted photographer from the Oil Boom era; Dr. Alexander Miller, an early physician in Breckenridge who was killed; and Frank Pellizzari, Jr., who had a boot and shoe repair shop in town and was head of the Boy Scouts. A few of the cast members included the Jim Bob Coody as Walker Sayle, Bob Sims, John Cook and Virgil Moore III, who all portrayed Earl Akin in the three performances; Kevin Simmons as Neal Jefferson, an attorney; Chuck Dollins as Delaney Alexander, manager of the Sager Hotel; Ky Ash as Dr. Alexander Miller; and Guyla White as Katherine Jefferson, daughter of Dr. Broyles, who shot Dr. Miller.

The National Theatre could have its own big story for all the renovations, which were completed over a period of almost three decades, with the Friends of Historic Breckenridge (FOHB) spearheading the process of getting the theater renovated, as money or grants became available, and even to this day, more renovations have been completed with new seats in the theater.

The post Stephens County Chronicles: Theaters offered entertainment for early Breckenridge residents first appeared on Breckenridge Texan.