Lawmakers threaten UT Permian Basin closure sparks pushback
Odessa Senator John Montford vows to filibuster any UTPB shutdown as House leaders acknowledge talks on closing UTPB and Sul Ross State University. Speaker Gib Lewis says no concrete proposals yet though cost‑effectiveness and a statewide study could justify closures. President Duane Leach calls remarks inappropriate amid enrollment growth. Page 3B.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
University of Texas of
Permian Basin
Odessa
UTPB
Senate
John Montford
D-Lubbock
Texas
Gib Lewis
House
Sul Ross State University
Alpine
Lewis
Fort Worth
Denton
North Texas State University
Texas Woman’s University
Montford
Duane Leach
UPTB
Leach
Faith healer in Odessa credits cures to prayers and notes
In Odessa Texas Maria Vasquez a 44 year old faith healer uses prayer hands and a Bible altar to treat ailments. Families from Midland Pecos and beyond testify to relief while a Pecos doctor warns about a colon tumor and urges surgery. A growing crowd gathers outside her Knox Avenue office as testimonies mount.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Odessa
Maria Vasquez
Vasquez
David Holguin
David
Fay
Midland
Holguin
Knox Avenue
16Th Street
Chihuahua
Mexico
St. Peter
Tucson
Ariz
Colorado
Ohio
Maria Rubio
Pecos
Rubio
Won Joo Bang
Odessa tax rebate falls short of expectations
Odessa officials said the latest retail sales tax rebate came in about $20,000 below projections, though year-to-date rebates remain near forecasts. Frank Muser noted this year’s results are a solid pickup over last year, while the state mailed $512,026 for November sales, a 9.1 percent rise from January 1984. Jim Chaffen said the office has learned more about the timing and amounts of rebates.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Frank Muser
State Comptroller of Public Accounts Office
City sales tax rebate tied to oil industry in Texas
Odessa officials link a proposed 20 percent rebate to the general economy with oil industry activity. As crude prices fall, oil companies spend less on equipment, cutting retail and use tax payments. Use tax redirects from resale to personal use. Downward crude prices curb employment and consumer spending, reducing Sears Roebuck and other retail tax collections. Fiscal Services Director Muser notes two-year drops in sales tax receipts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Texas
Chaffen
Sears & Roebuck
Muser
Odessa
Rollback petition misses deadline in Alpine
Nell Rudder, 41, Brewster County Republican Party chair, blames internal party sabotage for missing Mondays 5 p.m. deadline on a petition to force a tax rollback election aimed at saving Big Bend Memorial Hospital. She alleges GOP members gathered documents without her knowledge.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nell Rudder
Big Bend Memorial Hospital
Rudder
Brewster County
Republican Party
The Phone as our constant companion and ruler
A reflective piece on how everyday telephones invade privacy and shape behavior. It argues that phones exert control by demanding attention from dawn to dusk, drive our routines, and promise connection while triggering guilt when unplugged.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Texas
Also Mentioned on This Page
Susan Hammons
Jim Chaffen
Comptroller
Joe
By Ken Brodnax
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