Area this week: Friday recap

Gas

Gas prices this week fell 1.2 cents per gallon as of Oct. 15, bringing prices to $2.65 per gallon in Texas, according to a GasBuddy survey. Nationally, prices fell 2.6 cents per gallon, bringing the national average to $2.88 per gallon. Compared with this time last year, gas prices are 36 cents higher in Texas. Nationally, gas prices are 42.5 cents higher than this time last year, according to GasBuddy’s press release.

Stephens County Hospital District

The Hospital District met this week and discussed usual business, including updates on the urgent care center, their expansion into nuclear medicine, financial statements from last month and numbers from their emergency room. The longest discussion of the night was on health insurance amounts for the organization’s employees and how much of the burden the district should take on. The increase from last year amounts to about $300,000 more. Currently, the Hospital District takes on 84 percent of their employee’s health insurance costs through the company. The item was tabled for a future date.

Breckenridge ISD board meeting

The BISD board members met Monday evening, having moved their usually scheduled meeting from Oct. 8 to Oct. 15 due to Columbus Day. The meeting featured students of the month from each school, and a heated exchange with a resident complaining about their child being bullied and the district not doing enough about it. According to the resident, she filed a complaint in early September and after not hearing back, filed a grievance last week. The district is currently moving on the grievance but due to how recently it was filed did not have enough information at that time to say anything definitive.

Breckenridge Economic Development Corporation

The BEDC met in their usual meeting Tuesday afternoon. Not much of note occurred in the meeting. Financial statements were approved, and they entered executive session regarding a property. At this time, it does not appear as if any action was taken on the deliberation. The main thing of note was the chance that residents may show up to talk at the meeting about the townhouses being developed after last week’s contentious planning and zoning meeting, which saw over a dozen residents show to protest the development. Nobody showed up.

Weather update

Breckenridge and the surrounding area have been experiencing rain all week. In the beginning, it was cold and rainy. The cold has somewhat let up, bringing temperatures into the high 50s and mid-60s. The rain was projected all week and it has delivered. This week we should see the rain let up as the weather is projected to be partly cloudy. The weather has caused flooding in a variety of areas around Texas, causing several flash flood watches and warnings. Currently, as of publishing, Stephens County is under a watch. The Breckenridge American will update as is necessary.

Football game tonight

Tonight, the Breckenridge Buckaroos will play the Eastland Mavericks at home. This will be the second district game scheduled for both teams. Currently, the Bucks sit at 2-4, with four straight losses, including last week to the Jim Ned Indians, where the Bucks lost 10-7. Eastland is currently sitting at 5-1, coming off a win against Early 49-35. Eastland is averaging about 35 points per game. Their only loss came against Childress, who is sitting at 6-0. As of publishing, the game is not canceled despite potential weather. The rain is supposed to clear up around the area this afternoon. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m in Breckenridge.