Legislation seeking to ban high-level nuclear waste from the State of Texas will now be taken up by the Texas Senate after the House of Representatives gave final approval of the bill in a vote held on Monday. House Bill 7 (HB7) by Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) was filed in response to an effort to bring […]
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Parents and Residents Speak Out Against School Superintendent’s Mask Mandate
A special meeting of the Ector County School Board ran late Thursday evening, after parents and residents lined up to speak out against Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri’s proposed mask mandate resolution being considered by the board. In all 33 people addressed the board, with only 5 in support and 28 speaking against the resolution – […]
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Ector County School Board Considering Mask Mandate at Upcoming Meeting
Update: School officials have announced that a temporary mask mandate will be in place for all employees inside school buildings and buses beginning Friday, and will be applied to all kids and visitors this Monday. The Ector County Independent School Board (ECISD) is set to consider requiring their students and employees to wear masks, possibly […]
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Hospital Officials: Treatment Protocols Touted by ‘Physician Groups’ Will Not Be Prescribed
Officials with Medical Center Hospital (MCH) and Odessa Regency Medical Center (ORMC) in Odessa held a press conference on Monday addressing continued overcapacity crisis, and numerous obstacles the recent spike in COVID-19 cases is causing. Among the many items addressed during the online press conference that dominated the discussion was the hospital’s position on treatment […]
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Congressman Pfluger: Nearly 600 Afghan Pilots, Service-Members, and Texas Family Members Stranded and in Danger
Texas Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX11) told Odessa Headlines in a statement that over 600 Afghan pilots, service-members, and family members of his constituents are stranded in the country of Uzbekistan, and that he is working to get them extracted to safety as the Taliban puts immense pressure on the Uzbek government to repatriate them back […]
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Midland Businessman Kevin Sparks Announces GOP Primary Bid for State Senate
A business leader in the Midland oil and gas industry, Kevin Sparks, announced his candidacy this past week to run for the District 31 seat in the Texas State Senate. According to a campaign press release, Sparks is the president of Discovery Operating, a family-owned, and operated oil and gas company based in Midland that […]
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Odessa Hispanic Chamber Fires CEO Citing Misappropriation of Funds
Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Paul Garza has been fired effective immediately, according to chamber board president Ben Quiroz. Odessa Headlines spoke with Quiroz Tuesday afternoon, who said the chamber let Garza go after discovering a “misappropriation of funds” and went on to say the chamber would be pressing criminal charges. Quiroz stated that taxpayer […]
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Odessa Councilmembers Launch Accusations Against Republican Led Petition Effort
(Update) As of Friday afternoon, the Ector County Elections Office says the petition lacks a sufficient number of verified signatures to force a public election on the debt issuance. An effort by four members of the Odessa City Council to circumvent voter approval to issue $95 million (plus interest) in debt to pay for water […]
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An Effort to Bring High-Level Nuclear Waste to West Texas Meets Strong Opposition
State and federal officials across Texas have signaled a unified front of opposition to an effort by a waste disposal company to bring the nation’s high-level nuclear waste to Andrews County in West Texas – but the opposition hasn’t stopped the company or the federal government from moving forward with considering the approval of the […]
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Odessa City Council’s Latest Attempt to Circumvent Voters May Be Blocked by Citizen’s Petition
Odessa residents who say they are frustrated with the Odessa City Council’s latest attempt to circumvent voter approval for millions in taxpayer-backed debt have launched an unpreceded petition effort to block the issuance and order an election that restores the voices of the voters, and forces city management to be more transparent with major spending […]