Abilene Reporter-News

Dr. Alvie Davis says he still remembers that day more than 50 years ago, Sept. 14, 1959, when he taught his first class at Abilene Christian College.“I thought I would stay a couple of years and then go elsewhere,” he said. “But I really liked it here and decided to stay. The years started piling up.”Fifty years and 89 days, to be exact, for Davis to serve on the faculty at Abilene Christian ... Full Story »

James Vita and Jeremy Jay were surprised when they learned their YouTube video supposedly was a tool for recruiting gang members.According to a television report Tuesday, Vita and Jay’s “Lene Town” music video is posted by gang-affiliated rappers who are using it to recruit members into their organization. Trey Pervis also helped make the video.Vita, 22, who will soon start a job in the customer ... Full Story »

While Abilene’s gang activity has come into the spotlight with recent drive-by shootings and the beating of a Cooper High student in the school bathroom as part of a possible gang initiation, police say local gang crime isn’t necessarily on the rise. The Abilene Police Department, however, acknowledges gangs are present, and APD has recently created a system to collaborate with other law ... Full Story »

Cindy Smith has been hoping Abilene High School could get a taste of the new “end-of-course” exams that will replace the TAKS test in upcoming years, “so that we could get an idea of what is coming.”Smith, the AHS instructional specialist, got her wish when the Texas Education Agency chose Abilene Independent School District and hundreds of others around the state to try out some of the new ... Full Story »

A program set up to reward frequent Abilene Regional Airport patrons with food vouchers, gift cards, tickets, and golf and other passes has attracted hundreds of participants.Those taking part in the airport’s ABI-VIP Passenger Rewards Program, which officially began in January, soon will be entered into a drawing to win prizes of a romantic night at MCM Elegante Suites, a big-screen HD TV, or a ... Full Story »

One teen was killed and another seriously injured in a one vehicle rollover in Runnels County early Sunday, officials at the Department of Public Safety reported.Isaac Lopez, 19, of Winters, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred at 7:25 a.m. on U.S. 83, five miles north of Winters.The accident occurred when a Ford Mustang, driven by Jordan Tamez, 16, also of Winters, drove ... Full Story »

Trustees for the Abilene Independent School District unanimously voted to hire Heath Burns as the new superintendent of schools Monday, prompting a standing ovation from a crowd of district staff and community leaders eager to welcome the new chief.Burns, who will leave his superintendent position at Angleton ISD near Houston, addressed the crowd.He stressed professional accountability, a well ... Full Story »

The Abilene Planning and Zoning Commission approved with little discussion Monday a zoning amendment to allow alcohol sales for immediate consumption at special events at Maxwell Municipal Golf Course, Abilene Zoo and Festival Gardens and adult softball fields at Nelson Park.The commissioners also made substantial progress on the Land Development Code. The issue was tabled until a special ... Full Story »

Icy roads were the cause of a multivehicle accident that killed one person and injured three others, officials at the Department of Public Safety said.According to DPS reports, Stephen Boyd Sparkman, 58, of Sweetwater, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:45 p.m.The accident occurred in Nolan County after noon on Monday, shutting down two lanes along U.S. Interstate 20.Reports indicate a ... Full Story »

Isaac Lopez, 19, of Winters, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred at 7:25 a.m. on U.S. 83, five miles north of Winters. The accident occurred when a Ford Mustang, driven by Jordan Tamez, 16, also of Winters, drove into a ditch as it traveled southwest on U.S. 83. The vehicle skid into a dry creek bed,overturned back into the ditch and rested on its top. Tamez was taken to ... Full Story »

Counterfeit money once again is circulating through Abilene businesses. From Nov. 23 through Dec. 2 the Abilene Police Department reported six cases of counterfeit money being passed. Detective John Clark of the APD said the bills have begun circulating after a large counterfeit operation was busted a few weeks ago.Clark said the recent cases could be related to the holiday season, but they are ... Full Story »

With winter’s chill comes Christmas lights, evenings by the fire — and, truth be told, a bit of danger.While fire is a potential hazard throughout the year, wintertime has its own particular concerns, said Lt. Greg Goettsch with the Abilene Fire Department.A combination of heat from an exterior fire pit and overloaded electrical wires inside a wall resulted in one recent house fire, Goettsch ... Full Story »

Students in Abilene and public schools across the state are required to say the Texas Pledge of Allegiance every morning, but a lawsuit protesting the “under God” portion of the pledge is still pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a brief this week responding to the Dallas couple who sued their local school district and the state ... Full Story »