Abilene Reporter-News

The Abilene Housing Authority has two new programs to help veterans and families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita find affordable housing. The programs, funded by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development department, offer qualified veterans and families help with paying for rental housing. The housing authority in Abilene will be able to help 70 homeless veterans and 145 families under ... Full Story »

Protesters picketed outside Planned Parenthood on North 10th Street early Monday to continue the interest in the 40 Days for Life campaign, which ended Nov. 1. “There were many people who wanted to continue this effort,” said Dr. Jim Sulliman, who co-founded West Texans for Life so that there will be an on-going presence at PPH in opposition to abortion. “Today was the kickoff for the ... Full Story »

If you’re struck down with H1N1, you might want to spare a bit of care for your favorite furry friends. Though local veterinarians and national health organizations agree it’s unlikely Fido or Mr. Pickles will come down with the creeping crud, it appears ferrets and cats, at the least, can get the illness. But you probably won’t be getting it from them. So far, the U.S. Centers for Disease ... Full Story »

An Abilene man who was to stand trial Monday for a 2008 aggravated robbery pleaded guilty to the charge in the 104th District Court. Fernando Landeros Jr. 40, of Abilene, who was sentenced to federal prison for robbing an Abilene bank in 2008, pleaded guilty Monday to the 2008 aggravated robbery of a Subway restaurant. There are four pending aggravated robbery indictments against Landeros ... Full Story »

BRECKENRIDGE — For nearly six months, Joel and Rebecca White have been living a nightmare — one that started when their son was fatally shot by his brother in what they insist was a tragic accident. Since that awful day on May 20, when 12-year-old Jesse White was shot by his 14-year-old brother Ethan, the Whites have been mourning not only for Jesse, but for Ethan as well, who they say has been ... Full Story »

Two men were stabbed and a woman was injured during an assault early Sunday, Abilene police reported. Kyvonic Kedrell Shivers, 39, is in critical condition at Hendrick Medical Center after being stabbed twice in an incident that occurred in the 3600 block of North 1st Street. Dominique Darrell Shivers, 19, was also stabbed two times in the assault and was listed in stable condition Sunday ... Full Story »

A bill awaiting President Barack Obama’s signature could have one Dyess spouse keeping her residency in South Dakota instead of Texas. Julie Dickerson’s South Dakota driver’s license expires next month and she said she would like to renew it. “I need to do it — or get a Texas license,” said Dickerson, whose husband is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. The couple have lived in Abilene for ... Full Story »

Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series exploring how stimulus funds are being spent in Abilene and the surrounding area. The government has pumped hundreds of billions of stimulus funds into communities across the country since February, hoping to kick-start the economy. After months of speculation about whether the massive $787 billion stimulus program is working, you may be ... Full Story »

The motive for Thursday’s deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood remains unclear, but some surmise a pending deployment and harassment about religion might have been factors. Thirteen people were killed at Fort Hood. The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was shot four times and was in a coma. Stress is not uncommon, but the U.S. armed forces regulations require mental health screenings ... Full Story »

One supports Kay Bailey Hutchison for governor. The other favors Debra Medina, but will support Gov. Rick Perry if it becomes clear the political long shot Medina can’t win the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010. The two — Joy Ellinger and Lance Voorhees, respectively — are vying to become Taylor County’s next Republican Party chair, seeking a position that came open when Curtis Tomme ... Full Story »

Firefighters responded to a fire at the Abilene Reporter-News at 3:30 a.m. Friday. Lt. Greg Goettsch with the Abilene Fire Department said that a call was received regarding a fire in the pressroom and that, due to the size of the building, it was elevated to a 2-alarm fire. First responders extinguished a fire in the pressroom within 10 minutes, he said, but have spent the last two hours ... Full Story »

The TEA Party express bus will be making a stop in Abilene Friday, midway through its 7,000-mile cross-country tour. Organizers say the theme is “Countdown to Judgment Day,” when they hope Americans will “vote the liberals out.” Dr. Heather Hodges, an Anson resident who helps coordinate activities for the TEA Party in the Abilene area, said the two 44-foot buses and several support vehicles ... Full Story »

More than 15 additional counties across the Big Country have been placed on a list with other Texas counties qualifying for natural disaster assistance programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Farms and ranches in the region and contiguous in the designated counties are Callahan, Fisher, Haskell, Mitchell, Nolan, Shackelford, Stonewall, Taylor, Howard, Jones ... Full Story »

Lauren Bratcher hasn’t even stepped inside the “perfect” home she hopes to buy on West View Drive in Abilene, but she’s already told her Realtor to start working up the contract. She knows time has been running out on the opportunity to get an $8,000 tax credit from the federal government stimulus package if she and her new husband can close the deal by Nov. 30. But Bratcher was pleased to ... Full Story »

Pledging activities of a physical nature have been suspended for Abilene Christian University’s social clubs, as administrators and social club members plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss potential revisions to ACU’s pledging policy. The suspension comes after ACU sophomore Nik Tritch received electrical shocks while participating in pledging activities for Sub T-16 men’s social club at ... Full Story »

A Taylor County grand jury on Thursday indicted a woman accused of sexually abusing a child. Kimberly Ann Pursley face one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count indecency with a child. Court documents showed Kimberly and her husband, William Hardee Pursley Jr., were accused of abusing William Pursley’s daughter, who told investigators that the abuse had been going on for ... Full Story »

The advisory board for Maxwell Municipal Golf Course voted Wednesday to recommend that the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission study rezoning of the golf course to allow for the sale of alcohol. The Planning and Zoning Commission at its Dec. 7 meeting is already scheduled to consider a similar change for Abilene’s city parks. The action by Maxwell’s advisory board is intended to help improve ... Full Story »

Abilene Independent School District officials are contemplating what to do next after voters soundly defeated a bond election for a Career Tech High School Tuesday. The measure failed by a wider margin and with a higher voter turnout than a career high school proposition that was one of four propositions on the ballot last year. According to the Taylor County Elections Office, 8,993 voted in ... Full Story »

It took a North Carolina native telling the regulars at a View convenience store about the animal she saw on Highway 277 to get others to open up. “They all said I was crazy,” said Penny Smith, who works at the Z-Mart convenience store in View, referring to some of the reactions she got. “I didn’t say anything for a long time,” Jim Ashby said. Chuckling, and sitting across from him, Bill ... Full Story »

The day after Lynn Dillingham announced he wanted to oust the city and school district officials who supported the failed bond issue for a career tech high school, he decided to hold off his recall attempts. “I have to put it off for a while or give it to somebody else because I can’t deal with it right now,” Dillingham said Wednesday. Earlier, Dillingham said he wanted to recall five school ... Full Story »

Gov. Rick Perry made a couple of quick stops in Abilene on Wednesday for a speech at Frontier Texas! and a private fundraiser at Perini Ranch. Perry, who is running for re-election as governor, spoke Wednesday afternoon about the state’s economy to local supporters at Frontier Texas!. “He talked about the Texas economy and how well it’s been doing,” said Curtis Tomme, former Taylor County ... Full Story »

Topflite Environmental Services cleaned up with the American Legion’s “Top Employer for Veterans in State of Texas” award in the small employer category. The company, which handles and disposes of hazardous waste at Dyess Air Force Base “from cradle to grave” was presented the accolade Wednesday afternoon at the base. Five of Topflite’s six employees are veterans, said Floyd “Buck” Brigham ... Full Story »

Texas Tech University’s Abilene campus will be able to offer new programs in its Health Sciences Center after receiving a new designation from a state board. The campus was recognized as a Regional Academic Health Center by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, according to a news release from the school. The designation will allow the campus to provide undergraduate clinical ... Full Story »

What started 11 years ago as a mostly local short film festival has blossomed into an entertainment event that draws entries from hundreds of award-winning filmmakers from around the country and the world. This year’s 24fps International Short Film Festival, which began in 1999 at the Paramount Theatre as the WESTfest film festival, features 21 films with bragging rights to dozens of awards and ... Full Story »

The Municipal Golf Course Advisory Board unanimously approved making a recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Commission to amend the zoning ordinance that would allow the sale of alcoholic beverages at Maxwell Municipal Golf Course. During the Dec. 7 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission will consider making a recommendation to the City Council to amend its zoning ordinance to allow ... Full Story »