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Abilene/Big
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abilene
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-
- Weekend storms brought
much-needed rain
- ...
Soaking
overnight rains rolled through much of the Big Country late Saturday
and early Sunday, washing some of the hard edge off a months-long
drought. Several locations reported amounts
of 2 inches and up, including the Eastland County towns of Carbon,
Cisco and Eastland. As much as 2.38 inches were ...
-
- Cattlemen from nine
states take Stewman cattle to far greener pastures
- By J.T.
SMITH Farm Editor MARYNEAL - When it comes to dry, Nolan County
is about as powder dry as it gets after many months of devastating
drought. This part of Texas remains in the tight
grips of the worst drought in a century - and
you might expect a cattle production sale to be a hopeless
...
-
- South Texas floods
while Abilene region still thirsty for more rain
- ...
had
received 10.6 inches of rain, less than half of the 21.3 inches
average for the first 9-1/2 months. It will take some prolonged
rain to end drought Being at less than half
the average rainfall, it's clear that days of rain will be necessary
to get out of the drought. "The rain will
stop anything ...
-
- Drought clearly
affects Rehab sale
- Wednesday,
September 30, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor The 39th Annual
Cattlemen's Round-Up for Rehab did well Tuesday in the face of
one of the worst droughts in this century. But the Round-Up pace
remains about 15 percent behind last year. Ranchers ...
-
- Local water usage
could break record in September because of drought
- Tuesday,
September 29, 1998 By LINDSAY TOZER Staff Writer Dwight Eisenhower
had become president the last time the city of Abilene endured
a drought with so little rainfall run-off into
local reservoirs. More than 15 ...
-
- Water district OKs
smaller budget
- ...
just
more than $1.4 million, mainly to pay for outsized electricity
consumption required to pump more water than projected because
of the continuing drought. The four member cities,
Abilene, Albany, Anson and Breckenridge, had been paying their
shares of the higher power costs each month, said David
...
-
- Government holds
wild horse auction
- ...
of
Loop 322 to look at the animals to be offered at this morning's
auction. Information specialist Debbie Harrington said the present
prolonged drought that has visited widespread
havoc on agriculture has hampered the Wild Horse and Burro Program
as well. In a drought, she explained, many potential
...
-
- Izzard says Clinton
Administration has compromised agriculture
- ...
offset
the hefty cost, he would lower the caps in subsequent years when
farm prices reached healthy levels. Izzard said he would seek
tax relief for drought-stricken agriculture.
He proposes no tax on assets sold because of a drought,
as long as the proceeds are used to rebuild livestock herds or
replace ...
-
- Despite drought,
there are doves to be found this year
- Wednesday,
September 2, 1998 By JERRY O'BRYANT Outdoors Editor There's nothing
like watching the sunrise over a field of cut milo - especially
on the opening day of the dove hunting season. Of course the
real bonus to a dove hunter ...
-
- Harold and Chera
Hohhertz honored as Farm Family of the Year
- Saturday,
August 22, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor The unrelenting 1998
drought has been treacherous, but Harold and
Chera Hohhertz vowed Friday it would not put them out of farming.
They were honored as "Farm Family of the ...
-
- Drought driving
wild animals to search for water
- Saturday,
August 22, 1998 By DON KING Correspondent SWEETWATER -- Sweetwater
residents reported a red fox standing just yards away from their
apartment complex recently. Meanwhile, a Taylor County woman
arrived home to find a coyote standing ...
-
- Even if more rain
comes, '98 drought surpasses 1996 in damage now
- Thursday,
August 20, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor It's official - the
1998 drought already has surpassed damage of
the 1996 disaster - with a dozen days left in August. The '98
drought is now on record as the worst
...
-
- Heat wave forcing
wildlife closer to 'city water'
- ...
summer,
most city dwellers knew they'd be fine as long as they stuck
to the air-conditioned indoors. And farmers, their livelihood
threatened by drought, lobbied the government
for special aid. But for area wildlife, not so well shielded
from the sometimes cruel reality of life and death, surviving
...
-
- TDA Drought Workshop
brings discussion on tools for surviving drought
- August
13, 1998 TDA By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor STAMFORD - Some estimates
say the 1998 drought has been so treacherous
Texas may lose up to one-third of its farmers and ranchers from
its impact. But on Wednesday, the parking lot of the ...
-
- Glickman sees drought
devastation up close in region
- Wednesday,
August 12, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor COLORADO CITY - With
his casual slacks, chambray shirt and work shoes, Dan Glickman
could have been a local farmer in Woody Anderson's parched cotton
field north of here Tuesday ...
-
- Brown County drought
damage assessed
- Saturday,
August 8, 1998 BROWNWOOD -- Keith Graf of Dallas, North Texas
regional director for U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, visited Brown County
Thursday to assess drought damage. Lewie Newman,
vice president of the Brown County Farm Bureau, accompanied
...
-
- State to sponsor
drought relief workshop at Stamford
- Wednesday,
August 5, 1998 By Roy A. Jones II Regional Editor STAMFORD --
The Texas Department of Agriculture will have a workshop in Stamford
on Aug. 12 to provide valuable information to drought-stricken
farmers, Agriculture Commissioner ...
-
- Cattle outlook not
very bright
- ...
,
the auction's president and co-owner. "We are consistently
seeing cattle that should be sold later this year or in January,"
he said. The drought is decimating the state's
cattle industry. Thirty percent more cattle are seeing the auction
houses around here this summer than last. "We ...
-
- No drought contingency
plan to be implemented this summer
- Wednesday,
July 22, 1998 By LINDSAY TOZER Staff Writer Little can make summer
heat more unbearable than a dead lawn, a dirty car or, more importantly,
a half-filled pool. This water-restriction scenario, which has
been played ...
-
- Rains flood parts
of Brownwood, scattered showers elsewhere
- ...
,
he said. SCATTERED RAINFALL Portions of the Big Country received
scattered rainfall but not enough to abate the danger of wildfires
or end the drought plaguing farmers and ranchers.
In Taylor County, the weather service reported nearly an inch
of rain at the Abilene Regional Airport. The system dumped
...
-
- Texas will lose
$1.8 billion from lost cotton production
- ...
Farm
Editor The USDA announced its cotton planting figures Tuesday,
which Texas A&M economists used as baseline numbers to calculate
titanic drought losses to the state's dryland
cotton. The numbers are scary. What's more, Abilene is in the
very center of the region that makes up a hefty chunk of
...
-
- Perry briefs Glickman
and U.S. reps on drought conditions in Texas
- Thursday,
June 18, 1998 By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News Like much
of the Abilene region, much of Texas remain in the grips of an
extended dry spell. Texas Ag Commissioner Rick Perry was in Washington
on Wednesday ...
-
- City pumps water
from secondary supply
- ...
might
set a record for water use. "We've got plenty of water right
now," he said. The city's supply, designed to last through
a three-year drought, would withstand 12 months
without a single drop of rain, he said. Under its drought
contingency plan, the city begins to pump water from Hubbard
...
-
- Perry: Valley farmers
face fifth year of weather-related economic losses
- Friday,
June 5, 1998 WESLACO, Texas (AP) -- With a drought
drying up water levels, Valley growers face another year of weather-related
economic losses, predicts Texas Agriculture Commissioner Rick
Perry. Perry said ...
-
- Holt tells Oldtimers
they should never lose their humor
- ...
Farm
Editor STAMFORD - Legendary farm newsman Harry Holt told the
Texas Cowboy Oldtimers Association it can be easy to get down
after months of drought and extreme heat. But
he advised Oldtimers to keep their spirits up. "I am - by
nature - very sentimental. I can cry at the drop of a hat, especially
...
-
- Drought ruins prisoners'
plans for growing vegetables for the Food Bank
- Saturday,
May 23, 1998 Drought ruins prisoners' plans
for growing vegetables for the Food Bank By TANYA EISERER Staff
Writer Drought-like conditions have reduced
the much-expected crop of vegetables planted by Robertson Unit
inmates for the Food Bank of Abilene to little nubs. The dire
...
-
- Water war waged
in state capitol
- ...
made
water transferred out of a basin "junior" to all other
rights in the basin, meaning the water supply wouldn't be reliable
in times of drought. Many smaller communities
support the junior rights provision because, without it, they
fear larger communities with more money and clout could
...
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business |
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- State program helps
increase soybean yields
- ...
yields
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) A program aimed at improving soybean
yields in Mississippi helped farmers produce a 1998 crop that,
despite a drought, averaged 20 bushels per acre
more than the state average. The Soybean Management by Application
of Research and Technology, or SMART, program links farmers
...
-
- Drought takes toll
on future Christmas tree crop
- Tuesday,
December 8, 1998 By KATIE FAIRBANK Associated Press GILMER --
This year's heat and drought have played havoc
with the Christmas tree industry in Texas. Consumers likely will
not notice this holiday season, although the impact ...
-
- Drought takes long-term
toll on Christmas tree crop
- Sunday,
December 6, 1998 By KATIE FAIRBANK Associated Press GILMER --
Consumers shouldn't expect to pay more for their evergreens this
holiday season despite a drought that has wounded
the Christmas tree industry. Many growers in the ...
-
- USDA to consider
extension requests for CRP emergency grazing
- ...
the
decision of the state committee on extensions," Hall said.
"Given the hits our producers have taken this year as a
result of the drought, I have been urging USDA
to consider requests for extending emergency grazing on CRP,"
Stenholm said. "I am hopeful this will help provide
...
-
- Farmers and ranchers
struggle to survive drought even as fall arrives
- Saturday,
October 31, 1998 By SANDY WEST Associated Press ALTUS, Okla.
-- Cattle in far southwest Oklahoma were so hot this summer that
some ranchers built guards around water troughs to keep the cattle
from leaping ...
-
- Texas pumpkin crop
survives drought year in flying colors
- Sunday,
October 18, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor Mack Hickerson has
been raising pumpkins since 1964 at his Floyd County farm --
certainly no newcomer to the pumpkin patch. But this October,
he is smack in the middle of his ...
-
- Texas cotton crop
might make 3 million bales tops
- ...
sorghum
is expected to be 2.3 million acres, down 27 percent from last
year. Initially, grain sorghum replaced some failed cotton acreage
during the Drought of '98. But as the drought
continued, much of the late-planted sorghum acreage also failed.
Of the grain sorghum that is expected to be harvested
...
-
- R.A. Brown Ranch
24th Annual Bull and Quarter Horse Sale is Wednesday
- ...
be
in the ring at one time. The buyer gets choice, and R.A. Brown
Ranch will keep the other filly." Yes, times are tough There's
no denying the Drought of '98 has been a treacherous
one along with record heat that scorched rangeland. But ranchers
who have been in business for more than a century ...
-
- Cattle: Now and
Next Year workshop is Oct. 19 at Comanche
- ...
mile
west of Comanche on U.S. Highway 377. Well known speakers from
throughout Texas will address topics that affect every cattle
producer in this drought year and also will
discuss the outlook for next year. The workshop will in inside
the Dudley Bros. Sale Pavilion. That's same familiar arena and
...
-
- Farm relief package
is lean on relief for ranchers
- Thursday,
October 1, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor Although they've
been hit as hard by the Drought of '98 as anyone,
little meat for cattlemen was contained in the $3.9 billion farm
relief package announced by Congress. It offers only $75 million
...
-
- Perry unveils legislative
proposals to assist farmers and ranchers
- ...
Commissioner
Rick Perry has put together a list of proposed federal measures
that, if passed, would offer both short- and long-term relief
to drought-stricken farmers and ranchers. The
Perry proposals, which require action by the U.S. Congress and
USDA, have been shared with members of the Texas Congressional
..
-
- Drought, worms loom
over state's fall crops
- Sunday,
September 27, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Recent tropical
showers that have doused large sections of Texas haven't amounted
to a puddle in the state's northwestern wheat-and-cattle belt.
And crops that have gotten rain are prime ...
-
- ECP assistance may
be available for some area counties
- Saturday,
September 26, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor The ongoing drought
has caused severe hurt throughout Taylor County, notes Tim Hall,
executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency for Taylor
County, Abilene. But farms ...
-
- Drought's impact
on range will be felt well into 1999
- Wednesday,
September 23, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor General rains
- if they ever come - could still make it possible to plant some
winter wheat pasture to provide some forage for livestock. But
native rangeland has taken an ...
-
- Drought has taken
its toll on most Texas crops
- Saturday,
September 19, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor The 1998 drought
has put the whammy on Texas crop production. That's especially
true of cotton. The latest September estimate pegs the Texas
Upland cotton crop at 3 million bales, some ...
-
- Plains Cotton Cooperative
announces record cash distribution
- Thursday,
September 17, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor Just when drought-stricken
cotton farmers desperately needed some good news, they got some
Wednesday afternoon. Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA)
announced ...
-
- Drought is zapping
the blood from some farm equipment dealers
- Sunday,
September 13, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor Abilene has received
an official 9.8 inches of rainfall for the year -- or about half
of average. With many surrounding areas in as bad -- or worse
shape ...
-
- Perry encourages
farmers to get their stalk destruction rebates
- Saturday,
September 12, 1998 With the widespread devastation from the drought,
every penny counts. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry
is urging cotton growers in the South Texas-Winter Garden and
Rolling Plains Central ...
-
- Texas agriculture
faced with both drought and low prices
- Friday,
September 4, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor The nation has
been aware of the devastation Texas agricultural producers face
from the 1998 drought. But beyond the drought,
low commodity prices are causing ...
-
- Stenholm announces
extended emergency haying on CRP land
- ...
extension
has been granted for emergency haying on idled Conservation Reserve
Program acreage. Emergency haying can continue through Sept.
15 in all drought-stricken Texas counties that
were approved for emergency haying. Producers within approved
counties must request approval to hay the eligible CRP
...
-
- Weevil Foundation
extends assessment due date because of drought
- Sunday,
August 30, 1998 By J.T. SMITH / Farm Editor The Texas Boll Weevil
Eradication Foundation has extended the 1998 due date for assessments
in the Rolling Plains Central and Southern Rolling Plains weevil
...
-
- RR Ranch slates
Drought Dispersal sale for Sept. 14 at West
- Friday,
August 28, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor The drought
of 1998 has been horrible - but with it has come the opportunity
for some to buy outstanding females that wouldn't be sold, otherwise.
RR Ranch Drought ...
-
- Cactus plant can
be true friend on the range
- August
26, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor South Texas finally has
been getting some rain. But the 1998 drought
already has taken a toll. And who knows what is in store for
ranchers next year? Grand ranches like the King Ranch have long
known the value of cactus ...
-
- Ranchers will be
years recovering from drought
- Friday,
August 21, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor Because of the cyclic
nature of the cattle business - and the fact a cow is pregnant
nine months - ranchers are not going to just bounce right back
from the 1998 drought ...
-
- Aspermont rancher
N.L. "Boss" Winter honored as Texas Trail Blazer
- ...
Boss
was born. That half section became the family homestead and still
remains in the family today. Boss has seen a lot of droughts
The ongoing 1998 drought has wreaked havoc with
ranchers. But Boss has seen droughts before -- having lived most
of this century. He remembers when -- at the age of 13
...
-
- Clinton signs bill
freeing $5.5 billion to farmers amid new evidence of downturn
- ...
of
downturn WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton signed legislation
Wednesday speeding $5.5 billion to thousands of farmers amid
new forecasts that drought is ravaging U.S.
cotton while large harvests of other major crops will further
drag down prices. The new law will ease the immediate cash crunch
...
-
- Weather problems
slash U.S. cotton crop by 24 percent
- August
13, 1998 By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press WASHINGTON - The prolonged
Southern drought and other weather problems
will cut the U.S. cotton crop by 24 percent this year compared
with 1997, the Agriculture Department projected today. Ideal
...
-
- Local lender organizes
hay exchange program
- August
11, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News One of the tougher
things during the ongoing drought is locating
feed for hungry livestock. The Lone Star Federal Land Bank Association
has joined with other Tenth Farm Credit District lending organizations
...
-
- Farmers could get
1999 government checks early under Senate-passed bill
- ...
Secretary
Dan Glickman said the administration supports the move. "This
will help my state, which is the most drastically affected by
... drought," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
R-Texas. The 1999 payments, which are guaranteed under the 1996
farm law, total $5.5 billion. Farmers would not ...
-
- Drought at least
making weevil eradication easier
- Friday,
July 24, 1998 By SCOTT SCHOLTEN Staff Writer As rotten as the
drought may be for farmers, there is some consolation.
It's making boll weevil eradication easier. Many boll weevils
will go hungry this summer because ...
-
- Perry wants relief
program for livestock producers' feed dilemma
- ...
Rick
Perry has urged U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to fund
a disaster relief program for livestock producers being hammered
by the ongoing drought. Perry said the program
would help with additional feed costs. Texas farmers and ranchers
expect to pay an additional $136 million in feed costs
...
-
- Concern over drought
impact on poisoning in Texas livestock
- Thursday,
July 16, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News Ranchers
have had many questions regarding the months of drought
and its impact on nitrate and prussic acid poisoning from hay
fed to cattle. " ...
-
- Corn and cotton
droop in drought; vineyards valorous
- Wednesday,
July 8, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - While most agricultural
producers in Texas are suffering from the second drought
in three years, the state's 4,000-acre wine industry is not wilting
away, the Texas ...
-
- Drought damage in
billions now even if it rains
- Friday,
July 3, 1998 By J.T. SMITH Farm Editor Even if some rain falls
on your Fourth of July weekend, the drought
is far from over. The damage from months without rain and a long
string of triple-digit degree days already have done billions
...
-
- Farmers Union president
urges Congress to provide disaster relief
- ...
;Some
people in Texas are mistaken when they claim that Secretary of
Agriculture Dan Glickman is not doing enough to assist famrers
and ranchers in drought-stricken areas,"
Sims said. "It is Congress, not Agriculture Secretary Glickman,
that is responsible for the lack of disaster assistance
...
-
- Texas suffers through
second drought in three years
- Saturday,
June 20, 1998 By MADELINE BARO / Associated Press Writer MONTE
ALTO, Texas (AP) -- The fields are so parched they're catching
on fire. Cornfields are yellowing. Soil is turning to dust, casting
a pall over highways ...
-
- Perry initiates
drought preparedness efforts at TDA
- Sunday,
June 7, 1998 Every passing day without a big, general rain is
taking a toll on Texas and its enormous agricultural economy.
With drought-like conditions continuing across
the state, Texas Agriculture Commissioner ...
-
- Drought puts crop
insurance in the spotlight for farmers
- Sunday,
June 7, 1998 By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News Cotton is
rapidly running out of days left in the growing season to make
a crop since dry ground prevented timely planting in May for
the majority of growers ...
-
- Perry says Valley
losses alone could reach $97 million from drought
- Thursday,
June 4, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News Texas Ag Commissioner
Rick Perry says that ag producers in the Rio Grande Valley are
facing the fifth straight year of weather-related economic
...
-
- Drought in Mexico
is affecting cattle ranchers
- Thursday,
May 28, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News Problems in
Mexico go beyond the haze from the many fires that have been
burning there. Mexico's spring rainy season has failed to materialize,
and severe drought ...
-
- Abilene region mostly
dry with haze relief days away
- ...
rolled
through wheat fields well before noon Tuesday between the two
towns, all the wheat, chaff and dust from the machines gave testimony
that the drought continues over most of Jones
County. Todd Vineyard, Jones County ag agent, said Lueders, on
the east edge of the county, caught .60 of an inch. ...
-
- Hay crops show signs
of drought
- Sunday,
May 24, 1998 COLLEGE STATION (AP) -- Without a good rain in the
next few days, Texas hay producers will end up cutting profits
instead of their hay fields, the Texas Agricultural Extension
Service reports. Dry weather conditions ...
-
- Drought and foreign
markets have attention of peanut growers
- Wednesday,
May 20, 1998 By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News Mary Webb
had both good and bad news at the Texas Peanut Producers Board
meeting at the Embassy Suites in Abilene Tuesday. The executive
director of ...
-
- Two months of drought
has left pastures parched and planting behind
- Sunday,
May 17, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News Lots of lightning.
Little rain. But the few drops in the storm passing through parts
of the Abilene region early Friday were still appreciated
...
-
- Low wheat prices
renew interest in government loan program
- ...
year
in the spring, the statewide average price to Texas wheat growers
was $4.18 per bushel. With wheat prices at a five-year low, and
two months of drought having already taken its
toll on the crop, wheat producers are mighty depressed. Rather
than sell their wheat, many may opt to put it in the government
...
-
- Emergency farm loan
applications being taken at Anson
- ...
cracks
in the ground. USDA is aware of the critical situation facing
area agriculture. Applications for emergency farm loans for losses
caused by drought are being accepted at the
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Anson. Marilyn S. Richer,
FSA ag credit manager, said Taylor, Jones, Shackelford
...
-
- Runnels County Wheat
Tour
- ...
,
Ballinger. "The last April so dry here was in 1920."
Trouble is -- almost a week of May also is now history and with
no rain. "The drought is becoming extremely
bad -- especially west and south of here," Mauldin reported.
"Every passing day without rainfall is moving farmers
...
Drought's over?
That's news to Valley farmers
Sunday, April 5, 1998 By MADELINE BARO / Associated Press Writer
EDINBURG, Texas (AP) -- Last year, farmers and agriculture experts
were cheering the wetter-than-usual year that finally pulled
Texas out of a devastating three ...
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texas |
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- Capital Briefs
- ...
by
using it more efficiently. "Although Texans cannot alter
the weather or its cycles, we can change our own behaviors and
how we respond to drought and dry conditions,
both for our personal economic well-being and for the benefit
of future generations," Bush said in a statement. The conservation
...
-
- Farm Bureau holds
convention; plans to discuss farmer insurance and drought
- Monday,
November 30, 1998 By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press LUBBOCK -
Recovering from this year's devastating drought,
eliminating the estate tax and restructuring farm insurance are
the top agenda items at the ...
-
- Cotton farmers welcome
rainfall, but ...
- Tuesday,
November 10, 1998 SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - Rainfall in a drought
year should seem like an early Christmas to West Texas farmers,
but recent rainfall in the Concho Valley has been holding up
cotton harvesting. Nevertheless, few farmers ...
-
- Fed: Texas economy
loses steam because of global turmoil, drought conditions
- Friday,
November 6, 1998 DALLAS (AP) - The state economy is slowing down
this fall because of global economic turmoil and weather extremes
across Texas, according to the Federal Reserve. Manufacturing
and energy ...
-
- High plains cotton
farmers hoping for dry weather to complete harvest
- ...
a
record low for rain from April until July, coming in two inches
below the previous record set during the Dust Bowl in 1934. "
In spite of the drought, quality is not as low
as could be expected," Boman said. "The color is exceptionally
good and fibers have little stain. When compared ...
-
- Texas' latest weather
nightmare sweeps away everyday life for thousands
- ...
the
latest in a series of recurring weather nightmares in Texas.
Last summer, weeks of triple-digit heat killed at least 131 people
and a punishing drought destroyed about $2.1
billion in crops and livestock. Nine people died in flooding
in Del Rio and the nearby Hill Country in August, and hundreds
...
-
- McAllen turns to
effluent reuse to fight water shortage
- ...
a
plant like the one the city is considering could cost up to $25
million to build and from $500,000 to $1 million per year to
operate. The six-year drought that has plagued
the Rio Grande Valley has withered water supplies in Falcon Lake
and Lake Amistad. Those are two reservoirs that supply the area
...
-
- When heat appeared
in Texas, smoke disappeared
- ...
August
8, 1998 When heat appeared in Texas, smoke disappeared By C.
BRYSON HULL Associated Press Writer DALLAS (AP) -- In a Texas
summer blighted by drought, heat and fire, the
suffocating smoke sent northward from Mexican wildfires is now
all but forgotten in the distant haze of memory. But U.S. and
...
-
- Pumpkin crop survives
drought
- Wednesday,
October 7, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Get your carving
knives and pie plates ready because this year's pumpkin crop
has survived the drought with flying colors,
the Texas Agricultural Extension Service reports. Experts say
the pumpkin ...
-
- Xeriscape saves
water, money, enthusiasts say
- ...
the
St. Augustine grass? Xeriscape and "native"-scape enthusiasts
say native Texas plants and grasses are more likely to survive
the drought and heat while demanding less water
and cash. And no, the experts say, it's not all rocks, cactuses
and sand. While parts of the state continue to wilt ...
-
- Slim pickings for
animals after drought
- Sunday,
September 27, 1998 DALLAS (AP) -- The hot, dry summer left fields
scorched across North Texas, and that means animals will have
less to eat this winter. Berries aren't bountiful, seeds might
be short and there's a lack of acorns. " ...
-
- Drought, worms loom
over state's fall crop
- Saturday,
September 26, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Recent tropical
showers that have doused large sections of Texas haven't amounted
to a puddle in the state's northwestern wheat-and-cattle belt.
And crops that have gotten rain are prime ...
-
- Good side of bad
weather is rejuvenated fishing
- ...
from
the Gulf of Mexico, bringing wet weather and high tides to saturated
areas. This abundance of water stands in sharp contrast to the
low-tide drought of spring and early summer.
But one advantage of being "flush" with water is that
fish are fond of the stuff. Fresh or salt, north or south
...
-
- Despite rain, drought
losses still called devastating
- Thursday,
September 17, 1998 By MICHAEL HOLMES Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN (AP) - Recent rains have helped, but they can't restore
the $2.1 billion in losses suffered by Texas farmers and ranchers
in this year's drought, Agriculture ...
-
- Rain douses most
of state except drought ravaged West Texas
- Monday,
September 14, 1998 By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press LUBBOCK -
Over the past month, almost every region of Texas has seen drought-relieving
rain. Far North Texas gotten showers from storm systems that
evolved over the ...
-
- Farmers in Midwest
and Mississippi donate hay to Texas
- ...
Farmersville
loaded his truck with 20 free bales of hay Tuesday as part of
"Project Haylift," an emergency relief program designed
to help drought-stricken farmers. "This
will help me a lot," the Collin County farmer said. "My
cattle are basically walking around on dust right ...
-
- Valley reservoirs
up 14 percent, but drought drags on
- Saturday,
September 5, 1998 By MADELINE BARO Associated Press Writer HARLINGEN,
Texas (AP) -- Water from deadly South Texas floods also has had
a positive impact, pushing Rio Grande Valley reservoir levels
up 14 percent. According ...
-
- Rain brings hope
of bumper fall vegetable crop
- ...
water
to plant the same amount we planted last spring." In the
Rolling Plains, district Extension Director Galen Chandler in
Vernon, said drought continues across the region.
Area farmers and ranchers continue to hope and pray for rain
to break the drought conditions, Chandler said.
He said the ...
-
- Border cotton farmers
face losses due to heavy rain
- Border
cotton farmers face losses due to heavy rain COLLEGE STATION
(AP) - When it rains, it pours. And if this year's blistering
drought did not wipe out Texas cotton, torrential
rains did. Parts of Uvalde County received more than 15 inches
of rain in 10 days and their hopes of a salvageable ...
-
- Despite some floods,
Charley brings much-needed rain to Texas
- ...
season
left some flooded streets, fallen trees and power outages across
southeast Texas Saturday, but it also brought desperately needed
rain to drought-stricken ranches and farms.
Tropical storm Charley roared into Texas at 4:30 a.m. Saturday,
making landfall in the coastal town of Port Aransas, just
...
-
- Drought driving
wild animals to search for water
- Saturday,
August 22, 1998 By DON KING Correspondent SWEETWATER -- Sweetwater
residents reported a red fox standing just yards away from their
apartment complex recently. Meanwhile, a Taylor County woman
arrived home to find a coyote standing ...
-
- Gulf of Mexico's
first tropical storm of the year bearing down on Texas
- ...
By
MARK BABINECK Associated Press Writer Quickly developing Tropical
Storm Charley bore down on South Texas shores Friday, promising
to give the drought-stricken region much hoped-for
wet relief even as coastal residents braced for potential strong
winds, high tides and flooding. The system dumped heavy
...
-
- This year's rainless
spell the worst since the '50s, researchers say
- By CHRIS
NEWTON Associated Press Writer LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - The drought
of 1998 on Wednesday officially became the worst since the legendary
seven-year dry stretch of the 1950s, with university researchers
estimating agricultural ...
-
- Agriculture Commissioner
vows to push for farmers' drought aid
- The Associated
Press: WESLACO, Texas (AP) - Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry
says he's pushing federal officials to quickly send aid that
would help farmers deal with what has become a disastrous drought
...
-
- Drought likely to
severely damage Christmas tree crop in Texas
- August
18, 1998 BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) - Weeks of sweltering
temperatures are one thing. When it starts messing up Christmas,
now that's serious. Some operators of Christmas tree farms across
Texas say they may be unable to do business in December
...
-
- Texas drought has
severe after-effects
- August
17, 1998 DALLAS (AP) - Although much of Texas got a break Saturday
from the heat, farmers and low-income residents are still trying
to deal with the damage caused so far. Texas farmers statewide
have suffered nearly $2 billion in direct losses, and the drought
...
-
- Young FFA members
help send hay to drought-stricken Texas
- August
14, 1998 ASHLAND, Mo. (AP) - Teen-age volunteers from Future
Farmers of America are helping out Texas ranchers by loading
donated hay bales onto trucks bound for the drought-stricken
Lone Star State. "It makes me feel good to help ...
-
- Bush thanks firefighters;
hay shipments begin
- ...
,
Bush and the Texas Agriculture Department announced that several
private companies will haul donated hay elsewhere to Texas at
no charge as the drought and heat wave continue
to bake the state. "This volunteer effort epitomizes the
Texas tradition of neighbor helping neighbor in time of need,
...
-
- New estimates reflect
drought's toll on crops
- August
13, 1998 By CHIP BROWN Associated Press Writer AUSTIN (AP) -
The Texas cotton crop is expected to be one of the worst in 20
years. Corn, sorghum and hay aren't far behind, according to
estimates released Wednesday by Agriculture Commissioner Rick
...
-
- Sharp recommends
using National Guard to haul hay
- ...
legislators
Friday that Texas follow Oklahoma's lead and use the National
Guard to transport hay to ranchers whose cattle herds are starving
in the drought. Sharp's proposal was one of
many offered to a joint hearing of the Senate Finance Committee
and the House Appropriations Committee as lawmakers ...
-
- Wildlife also suffering
from drought
- Wednesday,
August 5, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- As cattle producers
are wondering how to feed their livestock because of drought,
wildlife throughout the state are having a difficult time feeding
themselves, the Texas Agricultural Extension ...
-
- Perry says more
companies join effort to get hay to Texas
- ...
Browning-Ferris
Industries, Union Pacific Railroad and Roadway Express have joined
a growing list of companies that are hauling hay to drought-stricken
areas of the state. The Texas Department of Agriculture has worked
throughout the summer to secure transportation services from
the private ...
-
- Farmers say they
need help after double whammy
- ...
By
PEGGY FIKAC Associated Press Writer AUSTIN (AP) - Farmers reeling
from the one-two punch of a devastating drought
and low commodity prices came to the Texas Capitol Wednesday
to draw attention to their plight, saying they must have help
or face going out of ...
-
- Disasters show holes
in 'Freedom to Farm' law
- Sunday,
August 2, 1998 By CURT ANDERSON AP Farm Writer WASHINGTON (AP)
-- When drought or harsh winter weather struck
in the past, a federal program stood ready to help cattle producers
buy feed and keep their herds together. Like so much ...
-
- Thirsty rodents
seek relief from drought
- Sunday,
August 2, 1998 FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- They've been spotted
scurrying and squeaking in flower beds, swimming pools and water
bowls. They're rats, looking for the same thing the rest of us
crave after a month of dry, 100-degree days ...
-
- Economists say drought
costs limited to ag industries, death toll rises
- Sunday,
August 2, 1998 AUSTIN (AP) -- The drought griping
Texas doesn't have a stranglehold on the state's economy, according
to financial experts. Texas Comptroller John Sharp last month
estimated the state will ...
-
- Hot July is over,
but August probably won't bring relief from heat and drought
- Saturday,
August 1, 1998 By DAVID KOENIG / Associated Press Writer DALLAS
(AP) -- Good riddance, July. The temperature soared beyond 100
degrees all across North Central Texas on Friday, the 26th straight
...
-
- Texans whining about
the heat might later turn to wining
- ...
being
rationed in many Texas cities this summer, wine will be flowing
freely at the Lone Star State's wineries. Now, there's a reason
to toast the drought. "We are expecting
this to be one of the best harvests we've ever had in quantity
and quality," said Merrill Bonarrigo, an owner of Messina
...
-
- Emergency farm aid
package now expected to top $1 billion
- ...
top
$1 billion By CURT ANDERSON / AP Farm Writer WASHINGTON (AP)
-- The emergency aid package for farmers suffering from such
natural disasters as drought in the South and
too much rain in the upper Midwest is now expected to top $1
billion, a key Republican House member said Thursday. The Senate
earlier ...
-
- Some of Texas' best
humor has pertained to heat
- ...
ice
to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs. - It was so hot that
the birds had to use potholders to pull the worms out of the
ground. "The drought in Texas is so intense,"
a Kentucky newspaper wrote in 1886, "that potatoes are cooked
in the ground, and all the people have to do is ...
-
- Senator proposes
$400 million for farm reimbursements
- ...
(AP)
- A state legislator Monday proposed spending up to $400 million
to help Texas farmers and ranchers cover some losses caused by
the withering drought. Sen. Steve Ogden said
he would introduce a bill in the next Legislature to offer grants
for up to 30 percent of 1999 feed, seed, seedling and fertilizer
...
-
- No break in heat
wave; Forecaster says record 1980 summer could be exceeded
- ...
(AP)
- Temperatures in North Texas reached triple digits for the 22nd
consecutive day Monday, and a top forecaster speculated the heat
wave and drought could surpass the scorching
summer of 1980 as the hottest ever in Texas. "This heat
wave still ranks second to 1980 but that doesn't mean it doesn
...
-
- Urging all Texans
to help neighbors, Bush donates $500
- By MICHAEL
HOLMES Associated Press Writer AUSTIN (AP) - Gov. George W. Bush
hopes all Texans will help their neighbors as heat and drought
scorch the state. He's pitched in $500 himself. Bush on Thursday
donated $500 to Energy AID, a utility company program that helps
pay electric ...
-
- Federal help coming
to Texas, where heat-related death toll reaches 88
- ...
to
Texas, where heat-related death toll reaches 88 By MICHAEL HOLMES
Associated Press Writer AUSTIN (AP) - The blistering temperatures
and parching drought baking Texas brought federal
help Thursday, along with pleas from state leaders for Texans
to save water and check on their neighbors. The heat ...
-
- Drought's painful
toll continues
- Friday,
July 24, 1998 By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press Writer LUBBOCK,
Texas (AP) - Few words can console West Texas ranchers watching
cattle die in the sweltering heat. Hearing that the drought's
fallout is not as bad as 1996 doesn't help. But researchers
...
-
- Drought leaves farm
workers without jobs, turning to Valley food bank
- Thursday,
July 23, 1998 McALLEN, Texas (AP) - With the drought
drying up job opportunities in agriculture, the Rio Grande Valley's
largest food bank is seeing an all-time high in demand for its
services. In the last ...
-
- Heat wreaks havoc
with hay; cattle being culled
- Thursday,
July 23, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - As the drought
drags on, hay supplies dwindle and prices rise. Texas cattle
raisers are being told to start looking beyond the current crisis
and plan for winter, the Texas Agricultural ...
-
- Before they put
out a wildfire, fighters must give it a name
- ...
The
Wall Street Journal's Texas Journal You could call it this summer's
burning question: What to name all the wildfires raging across
Texas? With drought conditions common in practically
every corner of the state and wildfires breaking out like, well,
wildfire, the heat is on for firefighters to come ...
-
- Bacteria in lakes
can prove dangerous because of hot conditions
- ...
often
lethal and rare amoeba he inhaled while swimming has public health
officials warning swimmers to beware of stagnant water during
the current drought. "Swimming in lakes
and ponds in drought conditions and triple-digit
temperatures can be risky," David Bergmire-Sweat, an epidemiologist
...
-
- Governor seeks disaster
declaration for whole state
- Saturday,
July 18, 1998 AUSTIN (AP) -- The whole state will be under a
drought disaster declaration if the federal
government grants Gov. George W. Bush's request for disaster
status for an additional 176 counties. Texas farmers and
...
-
- Texas drought losses
at staggering $4.6 billion now
- Wednesday,
July 15, 1998 By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News Texas farmers
and ranchers already have lost $1.5 billion to the 1998 drought.
That will translate to $4.6 billion in economic loss to the Texas
economy over ...
-
- USDA, FEMA announce
new Texas wildfire, drought aid
- Wednesday,
July 15, 1998 WASHINGTON (AP) -- As Texas continues to struggle
with wildfires and drought, the Agriculture
Department and Federal Emergency Management Agency have approved
new initiatives to assist the state ...
-
- Much forage already
consumed during drought
- Sunday,
July 12, 1998 By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor "Not a lot of
forage has been grown - but a whole lot has been eaten already."
That's how Ricky Linex, U.S. Department of Agriculture range
conservationist, describes ...
-
- Texas News
- ...
Venso
ruled Friday that Galveston County commissioners overstepped
their regulatory powers by imposing a ban on the use of aerial
fireworks when drought conditions do not prevail
in the county. Commissioners adopted the ban June 12, three days
before the deadline for enacting a ban that would cover
...
-
- Rancher offers place
to legally shoot off fireworks
- ...
to
legally shoot off fireworks By SUSAN MONTOYA Associated Press
Writer DALLAS (AP) - With fireworks banned across much of the
state because of a drought that has left much
of Texas dry as a tinderbox, one rancher is inviting folks to
his land to light up the sky. Gary Turley has turned 16 acres
of ...
-
- Texas economy may
lose $1.8 billion because of cotton crop disaster
- ...
CHRIS
NEWTON Associated Press Writer LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Texas agriculture
researchers and economists updated their estimate of what this
year's drought will cost the cotton industry,
using USDA figures calculate a $1.8 billion loss for the state's
economy. Texas Agricultural Extension Service economist
...
-
- Rains bring some
drought relief but mainly along the immediate Gulf Coast
- Tuesday,
June 30, 1998 HOUSTON (AP) - Some areas of parched Southeast
Texas looked for a second straight day of rain Monday, but it
was south-central Texas' turn for a respite from drought
conditions. A thunderstorm ...
-
- Present heat, dry
spell no threat yet to wildlife
- ...
rain,
and not much prospect of anything appreciable unless something
ugly boils out of the Gulf. For some people, 1998 is dredging
up ghosts of the drought year of 1996, or, worse,
1980, the hottest, driest summer most living Texans ever experienced.
And while hunters living in Houston watch their lawns
...
-
- Heat, dry weather
prompt fires across state
- Tuesday,
June 23, 1998 By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press Writer Drought-fueled
fires raged in three counties across the state Monday as the
first week of summer brought more triple-digit temperatures and
turned thousands of acres of grassland ...
-
- Fires spreading;
Austin asks residents to save water
- ...
teams
have helped fight 22 fires that scorched about 2,000 acres, said
agency spokeswoman Jo Schweikhard Moss. Blame the hot weather
and the drought. "Basically, the drier
the fuels, the more readily they ignite and the hotter they burn,"
said Bob Irvine of the Texas Forest Service. ...
-
- Most crops suffering
from drought
- Wednesday,
June 17, 1998 COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Most of Texas is
suffering from a drought, but ask several farmers
if they need rain and you will likely get different responses,
reports the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Dr. Travis
Miller ...
-
- Texas facing $1.7
billion in drought-related costs, ag officials say
- Wednesday,
June 17, 1998 By JUAN B. ELIZONDO Jr. / Associated Press Writer
THRALL, Texas (AP) -- The drought of 1998 has
dried up $517 million in crops so far, a cost of $1.7 billion
to the overall state economy, according ...
-
- Bush issues drought
proclamation for 207 counties
- Tuesday,
June 9, 1998 By MICHAEL HOLMES Associated Press Writer AUSTIN
(AP) - An emergency proclamation was announced Monday for 207
of the state's 254 counties due to an early drought
and extreme danger of wildfires. Gov. George W. Bush ...
-
- River businesses
hoping for big holiday weekend
- ...
for
a busy Memorial Day weekend -- and are hoping for the same all
summer. Tubing and rafting were disrupted the past two summers
first because of drought then because of flooding.
So for many river businesses, a good season this year is a must.
Low river flows caused by the 1996 drought devastated
...
-
- Valley citrus industry
drying up
- By GILLIAN
SWANSON / The Monitor (McAllen) MISSION, Texas -- "For Sale"
signs on drought-parched orchards and fields
have become the beacons of expansion and economic growth in the
Rio Grande Valley. But before the freezes of 1983 and 1989,
...
-
- Falcon Dam reports
lowest level since 1957 drought
- May 14,
1998 McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- Drought conditions
in South Texas have Falcon Dam at its lowest point since 1957,
forcing farmers to pick and choose which crops they can afford
to irrigate. "We are lower than we've ever been," said
...
-
- Lower Colorado River
Authority buys water rights
- ...
of
this region that water will not be a restriction to population
and industrial growth in the 21st century, even during a repeat
of the worst drought on record." The LCRA
provides water to customers in 33 counties stretching from near
Abilene southeast to Bay City on the Gulf Coast. Garwood Irrigation
...
-
- Wetter was better
in 1997; above-average rainfall busts mid-90s drought
- Monday,
January 5, 1998 By MARK BABINECK Associated Press Writer LUBBOCK,
Texas (AP) - The 1990s won't join the 30s and 50s in Texas drought
lore thanks to because of a wetter-than-normal 1997 that refilled
reservoirs ...
-
 |
opinion |
 |
- Global warming and
the heat wave
- August
17, 1998 By Molly Ivins AUSTIN - As Texas endures the slow, agonizing
death of our entire agricultural sector by drought,
a check of our media and political leaders shows we are also
suffering from a bizarre silence on a topic that could be described
as "the cause ...
 |
letters
to the editor |
 |
- Letters to the Editor
- ...
seniority
is essential to keeping Dyess AFB operational in Abilene. Rural
America can't afford to lose his voice in Washington, given the
current drought and its impact on agriculture
and rural small businesses. Charlie played a key role in bringing
the federal budget into balance. He has a proven track
...
 |
features |
 |
- Buddhist monk doesn't
have his head in the sand (Bill Whitaker)...
Abilene last week, he found local folks trying to come
to grips with comatose oil prices, widespread agricultural devastation
caused by a terrible drought and nervous uncertainty
about the nation's economy. While no miracles were forthcoming
during the monk's visit (but then none was ever promised)
...
 |
outdoors |
 |
- Successful waterfowl
hunting possible in Abilene area
- ...
For
more information on hunting at Stanfield Hunting Outfitters near
Knox City (yes, that Knox City just north of Abilene) telephone
(940) 658-3172. Drought hasn't decreased wildlife
populations I don't know why we ever thought a little thing like
a drought would have a negative impact on our
deer and ...
-
- Quail season good
despite lack of rain
- ...
conditions
aside, north Texas quail hunters are embarking on a much better
season than many thought possible after a lengthy late spring
and summer drought. Quail generally start nesting
in the spring, and while game biologists tell us the fiesty little
game birds need appreciable moisture during their ...
|