Dalhart High hosts academic awards assembly

BY BILL KELLY
Dalhart Texan

Dalhart High School held its annual Awards Assembly on Monday May 11 in the high school auditorium. Students received awards for individual classes and for achievements throughout their high school careers, and were also presented with certificates for achievements in various academic contests. 

Dalhart High principal Staci Maddox welcomed everyone to the ceremony. U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Daniel O’Sullivan and Corporal Cole Thorn then presented the U.S. Marine Corps awards. The Scholastic Excellence Award went to Addison Ramirez and the Distinguished Athlete Award was given to Hunter Trusler. Natalie Garcia presented her awards next. It was noted that these particular awards were selected by the students’ classmates. Jake Byrd received the George Strait award, Diego Guevara received Best Hug, Rose Pedraza got the “Survived the Dentist” award, Jacob Fernandez received the Hoodie awards, Jonathan Berngen received the Rap Dancer award, Logan Guetersloh received the Non- Stop Dancing awards, Alex Sacdin received the Bright Eye award, Joslyn Sweeney received the Lego Master award, Haley Calvert received the Jewelry Designer award, and Luz Reyes received the Best Burrito Making award.

Texas must decide: Strengthen rural universities or surrender them

By Walter W. Wendler
President, West Texas A&M
University

Texas does not lack courage. Today, special bravery is needed. Regional public universities, key institutions that built rural Texas, are facing challenges from population decline, financial strain and growing skepticism about the importance of higher education. The temptation is to handle these issues quietly, to consolidate, and to use gentle terms like “right-sizing.” Giving in to this temptation would be a serious mistake. Rural population decline is not just a seasonal dip; it tests our resolve. Rural Texas is fundamental, not secondary. 

Nearly 70% of Texans live within the Texas Triangle. However, the food, fuel and fiber that support this state and much of the nation are produced outside of it. Agriculture, energy, water, manufacturing and rural healthcare form the core of Texas’s prosperity. Regional universities play a vital role by educating teachers in small districts where recruitment is becoming more challenging, by training nurses who keep rural hospitals operational, by developing engineers and technologists who maintain energy independence, and by nurturing first-generation students who go on to become business owners, civic leaders and taxpayers.

Texas fruit production down due to low chill hours

Texas Crop and Weather Report – May 5, 2026

By Mary Schreiber
Texas AgriLife

The combination of a late freeze and a lack of chill hours will likely lead to reduced fruit yields across the state, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. 

Tim Hartmann, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide fruit specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Horticultural Sciences, has been connecting with fruit producers and tracking reported chill hours. He emphasized the importance of favorable weather conditions for fruit production.