Building Relationships Is Our Most Important Business. 101 W 6th St • Iraan • (432) 639-2543 • www.fnbfst.com/brave/home • NMLS #410651 THE FORT STOCKTON PIONEER Serving Pecos County Since 1908 Home of Historic Fort Stockton www.fortstocktonpioneer.com Volume 113, No. 9 Thursday, March 11, 2021 $1.00 PCMH OUTSTANDING SERVICE County In appreciaƟ on for his outstanding and dedicated service while serving gets J&J as the Road and Bridge Supervisor of Precinct No. 1 and No. 2 from 2007 to 2021, Robert Wayne Elkins, leŌ , was presented a plaque by opens up Commissioner of Precinct No. 2, Robert Gonzales, on Monday, March 8. vaccine Elkins reƟ red from his posiƟ on with precinct No. 2 at the end of February. By NATHAN HEUER Photo by Nathan Heuer facilities PIONEER EDITOR By NATHAN HEUER Beginning March 11, Pe- PIONEER EDITOR cos County Memorial Hos- pital will start giving out the Pecos County Commissioners decided to Johnson & Johnson single- follow suit with Governor Abbott’s executive dose vaccine after receiving order (GA-34) at the group’s regular meeting their first shipment of shots on Monday, March 8. on March 9. The Commissioners unanimously decid- PCMH received 100 vac- ed to make county facilities available for rent cines on Tuesday and the starting on Wednesday, March 10 – the date hospital plans to administer Abbott’s order went into effect. those shots at their clinic “We’re going to go 100 percent (capac- on the hospital’s campus by ity),” Pecos County Judge Joe Shuster said. way of an appointment. “Everywhere is optional to wear a mask, Individuals 18-years-old including when somebody rents a building and older can receive the it’s optional to the people. Some people will Johnson & Johnson vaccine wear them, and some won’t.” at PCMH and those people All county facilities will be allowed to be do not need to be from the at 100 percent capacity except for the large area. Individuals who want community hall at Rooney Park in Fort the shot are asked to call the Stockton – a facility that is set at 75 percent hospital’s clinic number at capacity for the time being. 432-336-2291 to set up an The Commissioner of that precinct (No. appointment. 2), Robert Gonzales, said the facility will like- PCMH will have their ly increase to 100 percent in the next month or two pending on vaccination rates and ac- See VACCINE, page 3 tive cases in the county. The decision comes 17 days before RAINFALL TOTALS the Comanche Spring Rodeo, which is 2021........................................ ..0.75” See FACILITIES, page 3 March............................................0” AN INSIDE LOOK: Comanche Tortilla & Tamale Factory By JEREMY GONZALEZ something that will be empha- CONTRIBUTING WRITER sized in this show, and that’s what I want to pass along in the The Texas Country Report- future of this factory,” J.B said. er (TCR) was in Fort Stockton “I want to start teaching classes Tuesday, March 4 filming in- here on how to make tamales. BURN BAN OFF side the Comanche Tortilla & When you make tamales, you Tamale Factory at 107 S. Nel- have somebody working the son St. corn husks, the men out there The Texas-based show will cooking the meat and even the INDEX 12 pages be running the segment some- kids would get involved. It’s a Opinions.........................................4 time next season, which will be family affair and that’s what Sports..........................................6-7 the 50th season of Texas Coun- this factory represents.” Kids Corner.....................................8 try Reporter. Ben has not stepped foot in- Looking Back.................................9 “When we found out about side the factory in over a year. Crossword......................................9 the Comanche Tortilla & Ta- With his five sons united, the Classifieds.............................10-11 male Factory, we knew we had filming session was also a re- to make a trip to Fort Stockton union in many ways. to visit the Gallegos family,” Host Bob Phillips sits across from J.B. Gallegos for an in-depth interview on the The three film crews began PIB>PB OBJBJ?BO QL producer Ben Hartmann said. history and future of Comanche Tortilla & Tamale Factory on March 4 at 107 S. shooting at 9 a.m. with the two Nelson St. in Fort Stockton. Photo by Jeremy Gonzalez THANK A VETERAN, Hosts Bob and Kelli Phillips hosts arriving at 2 p.m. to con- A MEMBER OF THE met with Ben Gallegos, age 93, who took over the family busi- ing just as hard, if not even duct the interviews. ARMED FORCES, and his five sons (in order of ness after his father and grand- harder,” J.B said with a laugh. J.B. says TCR photographer OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT birth): Edward, J.B., Gilbert, father. The current owner of the Dan Stricklin sets the schedule OFFICER EVERY DAY. Oscar and Charlie. “I wanted to have all my Comanche Tortilla & Tamale and is aiming to have the seg- “Having Ben and all five of brothers involved with this. I Factory continued by stating ment aired in November. With his sons show up really made called them and said every one the business has always been no confirmed release date, Fort the day special, and made for of us have worked at the fac- about family and will continue Stockton residents can look an exciting day of filming,” re- tory. Whether we wanted to or to be. forward to seeing the Coman- vealed Hartmann. not; we were here. Sometimes “This was a family thing. The che Tortilla & Tamale Factory Kelli interviewed Ben and you tried to get fired, but the same goes for making tama- showcased in the 50th season Bob interviewed J.B. Gallegos, next day you were back work- les — it’s a family thing. That’s of Texas Country Reporter. 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Contact us for complete details. 2 The Fort Stockton Pioneer | Thursday, March 11, 2021 Pecos County Peope Highlighting local people and their impact Tippin shows compassion with vaccine generosity By NATHAN HEUER people have been a big part everyone in Pecos County, Pecos County Memorial Russell,” Judge Shuster PIONEER EDITOR of my life,” Tippin said. Terrell County, we had a has since been able to do a said. “The reason we’re In January, the Andrews chance to help them out.” vaccine clinic every week ahead is we had an extra Since leaving his role native was able to make a Shuster and current in large part because of resource of numbers com- in Fort Stockton as Pecos positive impact once again PCMH CEO Betsy Briscoe Tippin’s willingness to give ing in from Medical Cen- County Memorial Hospi- in Pecos County by way of were in touch with Tippin a the county vaccines upon ter.” tal Chief Executive Officer, his current position as CEO short time after and by the request and availability. Moving forward, Tippin Russell Tippin has always of Medical Center Hospital end of January, the MCH As a result, Pecos Coun- plans to continue to give kept a place in his heart in Odessa. CEO had begun to give ty the vaccination percent- vaccines to Pecos County for the community and the Once it was decided by PCMH mass quantities of age for those 18 and older is and other rural counties in people who live in it. DSHS that MCH was going the vaccine. 12 percent higher than the West Texas. While the pro- It’s a place where both to be the main hub for vac- “We wanted to be good state vaccine percentage. cess may take a while to get of his kids were born and a cines in West Texas, Tippin partners and I just wanted As of 3 p.m. on March 9, 21 everyone fully vaccinated location where he formed immediately got out a map to make sure those people percent of Texans above who wants one, the former many close friendships in his office and started to Former PCMH CEO Russell had a good opportunity to 18-years-old received at Fort Stockton resident will over an 11-year period form a distribution plan Tippin has been the CEO at MCH in Odessa since August of 2019. get that vaccine,” he said. “I least one dose of the vac- never lose sight of helping (1999-2010) that still stand for Pfizer vaccines reach- After leaving Fort Stockton and know a lot of people down cine according to the CDC others and making a posi- to this day. ing smaller communities PCMH in 2010, Tippin went back there. A lot of people on website compared to 33 tive impact. “When I was in Fort in the area. to his hometown, Andrews, for the board, the medical staff percent in Pecos County. “Fort Stockton always Stockton, I made a lot of “I’ve kept an eye on Fort a nine-year stint with Permian Regional Medical Center before and Fort Stockton always The county has cur- has a place in my heart.