What the Abilene Reporter-News liked and disliked: Leaning into the heat

Our view
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Andy Sandoval and his son Michael were guests Thursday at the "We Honor Veterans" dinner, a summer event of Hospice of the Big Country. Dad served in the Army in Vietnam, 1965-66, while son, also in the Army, went to Iraq in 2003 and 2003. He was in the Army for nine years. He is from Anson.
Andy Sandoval and his son Michael were guests Thursday at the "We Honor Veterans" dinner, a summer event of Hospice of the Big Country. Dad served in the Army in Vietnam, 1965-66, while son, also in the Army, went to Iraq in 2003 and 2003. He was in the Army for nine years. He is from Anson.

LIKES

  1. Howdy, Cocker! Welcome to Col. Seth Spanier (call sign "Cocker") and his wife Chris and sons Dylan and Ryan. Dad is the new commander of the 7th Bomb Wing and Dyess AFB, yet another airman formerly stationed here returning home in a leadership position. Spanier's time here will move the base closer toward the arrival of the B-21. It will be an exciting time at our base. He will just miss the 70th anniversary of the base in April 2026.

  2. It's that time. There's one more day of July left - Monday - but high school football drills begin. Hard to believe games will be played in less than a month, with Abilene High and Wylie scrimmaging Aug. 18.

  3. Texas two-stepping. How great would it be to see the Rangers and Astros battle for the American League West title at the wire? The Texas teams are neck and neck entering August. There's no excuse for the Rangers to fade in the summer heat since they play home games indoors now. We'll see if they are contenders or pretenders down the stretch.

  4. Honoring veterans. Hospice of the Big Country again honored those who have served with its "We Honor Veterans" dinner Thursday night. It's not a big event but a way for our older heroes to be remembered and thanked again for serving their country.

  5. Abilene fitness program. ABBAFAB member Scotty Pearson said that in preparation for the group's tribute show in Abilene, they worked out. After all, he said at the show, they wanted to be "Abi-lean."

No, he wasn't in Abilene last week. But someone parked a Jaguar on Cypress Street, maybe to get a coffee at Monk's. You know, to start jim or her up. Mick's Jag needed a wash. Plenty of places in Abilene to proved that satisfaction.
No, he wasn't in Abilene last week. But someone parked a Jaguar on Cypress Street, maybe to get a coffee at Monk's. You know, to start jim or her up. Mick's Jag needed a wash. Plenty of places in Abilene to proved that satisfaction.

DISLIKES

  1. Sweating likes it's 2022. Remember how hot it was last July? Like, the hottest July ever (103.7 daily average high) in Abilene. Well, we had 100-degree days 18 out of 19 days heading into the weekend. Hard to believe it was 78 and we measured 1.6 inches of rain July 1. We since have had hotter morning lows and no rain. There doesn't seem to be much relief in sight.

  2. Gas-ping. The price of gas in Abilene rocketed again this week, with most pumps above $3.30 a gallon - the highest overall price of the summer. Those last-minute road trips before school starts are going to cost more.

HMMM

Would we be judgmental if we noted the misspelling on this portable sign on South 14th Street? Just curious ...
Would we be judgmental if we noted the misspelling on this portable sign on South 14th Street? Just curious ...

  1. But what's on sale? Many bars divide beers into "domestic" and "imports." Coors (Colorado) would be a domestic, Heineken (Holland) an import. An Abilene restaurant offering Happy Hour prices on beers includes Dos Equis, a beer first brewed in 1897 in Veracruz, Mexico, as a domestic. The Four Sixes branded IPA, however, is not considered a domestic, though the ranch is 73 miles northwest of Abilene. It's a craft beer, so it costs more. That's all confusing even before having four pints ...

  2. 84 mph, no problem. Did you see the video of the Triple-A player Luke Voit, who not only was struck by a pitch, the ball wedged between his torso and elbow? He tossed the ball to the catcher and took his base. Just when you think you've seen everything at a ballpark, you see something crazy.

  3. BREAKING NUDES! It was even hotter Monday in Abilene with not one, not two but three calls to police about naked people in public. One guy was exposing himself at a convenience store. Another guy was crossing Ambler Avenue without his clothes. And a woman was disrobing near the northside Hendrick Medical Center. All three had issues other than the heat.

  4. New signs, but what else? The new DK signage around town is nice but the stores still look like 7-Elevens. Which looked a lot like Skinny's before that. Our convenience stores need an interior upgrade, especially when we get used to the clean and modern versions found at travel centers.

  5. Full of Grace. Misty Mayo, who heads the Development Corporation of Abilene, has a knack for putting the right piece or person in place. So it's no surprise that daughter Grace last weekend was a volunteer at summer camps at The Grace Museum. Will we next see Realtor Scott Senter at The Center for Contemporary Arts?

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This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: What the Abilene Reporter-News liked, disliked: Leaning into the heat