Odessa College is imposing both a vaccine mandate and mask mandate on unvaccinated employees – citing the federal vaccine mandate being imposed through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The federal mandates, which have come at the direction of President Joe Biden, have all faced severe scrutiny in federal courts. However, after the OSHA […]
Posted inLocal
State Rep. Candidate’s Gun-Toting Family Christmas Photo Garners Social Media Attention
One candidate running for office in West Texas has a family Christmas photo getting explosive shares on social media, drawing over 100,000 views on LinkedIn and thousands of reactions on Twitter. Candidate Casey Gray (R-Odessa), who is running in the March 1, 2022, Republican Primary for the HD-81 seat in the Texas House of Representatives, […]
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ECISD Bond Committee Discusses How to Proceed
The ECISD Bond Planning Committee met again Thursday evening last week at New Tech Odessa’s campus to discuss the findings of another community survey and whether to move forward with a bond proposal early next month. Some bond committee leaders have given perplexed reactions to a recent push poll survey the district commissioned, showing that […]
Posted inLocal
Freddy Redmon Joins Race for Ector County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace
Local business owner Freddy Redmon announced his candidacy in the 2022 March Republican Primary Election for the office of Ector County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 3. Redmon, who is described as a native West Texan, grew up in Monahans, graduated from law enforcement academy in 1999, and has worked in law enforcement communications […]
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Odessa Businessman Billy Tripp Announces Campaign for Ector County Commissioner
Odessa businessman Billy Tripp has announced his candidacy in the March 1, 2022, Republican Primary, filing earlier this month to run for Ector County Commissioner in Precinct 2. According to a campaign press release, Tripp is a lifelong Odessa resident and cites a professional background in building construction, oil and gas, ranching, and farming. Tripp […]
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Final Candidates for GOP/Democrat Primary Elections Set for Ector County
Filing to run for the March 1, 2022, Primary Election closed on Monday, and the final list of candidates has been set – with both parties seeing numerous contests for their respective party nomination to public office. The Republican Primary saw the most filings, with 28 candidates filing to run, whereas 7 candidates filed in […]
Posted inOpinion
Mayberry: The Odessa Swamp is Desperate, and I’m Going to Tell you Why
There I was, minding my own business, and suddenly all chaos breaks out in the Odessa political scene. What happened you ask? Well, sit back, pop some popcorn and grab a chair, I am about to tell you what everyone knows but is too afraid to put in print. A group of folks affectionately nicknamed […]
Posted inState
Gray and Landgraf Take Opposing Positions on Special Session to Ban Vaccine Mandates
As pushback against vaccine mandates continues to grow – with numerous federal courts batting down President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates issued by executive order- a growing call for the Texas Legislature to reconvene and ban vaccine mandates by large employers and local governments has become one of the top political issues of the upcoming 2022 […]
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Retired Odessa Police Officer Ron Hughes Declares Candidacy for Justice of the Peace
Retired Odessa Police Lieutenant Ron Hughes has announced his candidacy in the March 2022 Republican Primary for the office of Ector County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 2, filing his application for place on the ballot earlier this week. According to a campaign press release, Hughes had a 34-year career at the Odessa Police […]
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Former Congressional Candidate Casey Gray Declares Candidacy for Texas House District 81
Former congressional candidate and retired military veteran Casey Gray announced his candidacy in the March 2022 Republican Primary on Thursday for the District 81 seat in the Texas House of Representatives – setting up a challenge to incumbent State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) for the spot. According to a campaign press release, Gray, who also […]