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The dining area at Dog House Kitchen is coming together this week as work continues ahead of the restaurant’s planned Friday opening in downtown Rotan.r. PHOTO BY JEFF HURT

The dining area at Dog House Kitchen is coming together this week as work continues ahead of the restaurant’s planned Friday opening in downtown Rotan.r. PHOTO BY JEFF HURT

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Doghouse Kitchen to open Friday downtown Rotan

Jeff Hurt |
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Mouths are watering with anticipation, when this Friday business partners Kaleb Messick and Ton Neangrith open the Doghouse Kitchen in the old John’s restaurant building in downtown Rotan after more than a year of renovation work aimed at bringing new life to a longtime local landmark.
Stonewall County Commissioner Gary Myers speaks during a Commissioners Court meeting as officials consider a proposed tax abatement agreement with Crusoe for a planned data center project. PHOTO BY JEFF HURT

Stonewall County Commissioner Gary Myers speaks during a Commissioners Court meeting as officials consider a proposed tax abatement agreement with Crusoe for a planned data center project. PHOTO BY JEFF HURT

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CRUSOE EYES STONEWALL COUNTY FOR MASSIVE AI DATA CENTER

News Staff
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Crusoe Energy Systems, the Denver- based company behind some of the largest artificial intelligence data centers in the country, has filed a formal tax abatement application with Stonewall County for a new data center campus on approximately 3,200 acres near the Flat Top and Greater Swenson ranch...
Fisher County Hospital District CFO Caleb White reviews financial reports with directors during the March meeting, saying he was happy with the balances at the start of the year. PHOTO BY JEFF HURT

Fisher County Hospital District CFO Caleb White reviews financial reports with directors during the March meeting, saying he was happy with the balances at the start of the year. PHOTO BY JEFF HURT

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FISHER COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FINANCIALLY STRONG AS MEDICARE PRESSURES BUILD

Jeff Hurt |
Thursday, April 9, 2026
The Fisher County Hospital District Board of Directors reviewed financial performance during its March 31 meeting, reporting strong cash reserves and steady early-year revenue while also addressing ongoing challenges tied to reimbursement systems and patient care.

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RURAL TEXAS IS RUNNING OUT OF LAWYERS

News Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2026
House Speaker Dustin Burrows of Lubbock on March 27 issued interim charges directing the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee to examine partnerships with Texas law schools to create training pathways, clinical programs, and loan-repayment incentives aimed at drawing attorneys into underserved rural...
THE WORK IN AUSTIN STARTS NOW

THE WORK IN AUSTIN STARTS NOW

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THE WORK IN AUSTIN STARTS NOW

Suzanne Bellsnyder
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Most folks think the Texas Legislature starts when the gavel drops in January.But if you’ve been around this process long enough, you know better.The real work — the kind that shapes what lawmakers will spend their time on — starts long before session ever begins.
PATRICIA HURT PUBLISHER

PATRICIA HURT PUBLISHER

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WHEN SCRUTINY IS MISTAKEN FOR SPECTACLE

News Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2026
PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVEDr. Brooks Williams is the City Manager of Ferris, Texas, a small city south of Dallas. He holds a Doctorate of Public Administration from Liberty University and brings nearly two decades of leadership experience across the public and private sectors.

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Texas Launches First All-Digital State Wildlife Action Plan

News Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Texas landowners and wildlife managers can now search conservation priorities for rare and declining species on their land through a free online tool launched last week by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.The redesigned State Wildlife Action Plan, available at txswap.
Dogs housed at the Rotan city pound remain in easily accessible kennels as the city waits on contractors to complete a county-funded perimeter fence, a delay officials say raises safety concerns.

Dogs housed at the Rotan city pound remain in easily accessible kennels as the city waits on contractors to complete a county-funded perimeter fence, a delay officials say raises safety concerns.

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DISTEMPER AND DELAYS PUT ROTAN ANIMAL CONTROL IN A TIGHT SPOT

Jeff Hurt |
Thursday, April 2, 2026
During its March 12 meeting, the Rotan City Council heard an animal control update that included concerns about suspected distemper among local dogs, continued delays in a county-funded pound fence project, and public safety risks tied to access around impounded animals.
Roby CIS OAP performance of “Clue” Staleigh Young and Kailyn Shipp, and Christy Kelley gasp as a dead body falls out of the refrigerator. PHOTO BY MARK MARTINEZ

Roby CIS OAP performance of “Clue” Staleigh Young and Kailyn Shipp, and Christy Kelley gasp as a dead body falls out of the refrigerator. PHOTO BY MARK MARTINEZ

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Clues, Comebacks, and Curtain Call

Jeff Hurt |
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Spring in West Texas has a way of filling every calendar square. Ballgames. Stock shows. Tests. Practices. Meetings. The usual parade of small-town obligations.And somewhere in the middle of all that, students in Roby and Aspermont have also been building entire worlds onstage.