The B-17 Bomber “Sentimental Journey” is at the Silent Wings Museum at the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, and is helping to benefit area veterans.

Hour-long flights on the plane are being offered for $425, and proceeds go to benefit the inaugural South Plains Honor Flight.

The South Plains Honor Flight is an all-expenses paid trip for some U.S. military veterans to see the monuments to their efforts in Washington D.C. on October 2nd through the 4th.

Volunteers are working to raise $200,000 for the organization, which is what is needed to underwrite the event.

“Sentimental Journey” is the most fully-restored B-17 available, out of the five that are still flying.

Rides on the plane can be reserved by calling 681-3596, and “Sentimental Journey” will be in Lubbock through Thursday.

For more information about the South Plains Honor Flight, visit www.americasupportsyoutexas.com.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) has been condescendingly anthropomorphized on its official Twitter feed (and Facebook page), where followers are treated to a hodgepodge of childish colloquialisms and odd capitalization rules. The operative theory seems to be that planetary science enthusiasts have all the intelligence of a small, desiccated, pea.

MSL has landed safely, and the fine folks over at NASA want you to know that the most technologically advanced rover ever made is ready to begin exploring the chemistry and geology of Mars in ways once deemed unimaginable tweets like a drunken teenage redneck. The silly tweets have spawned a hilarious knock-off rover feed called SarcasticRover, which has garnered over fifty thousand followers.

MSL is apparently able to speak (or at any rate, tweet) in first person, about what it is feeling,
experiencing, and seeing (so long as it has nothing to do with science). Lookee here:

MSL even talks in first person on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s MSL mission website, where visitors
are encouraged to learn in acerbic detail about the latest scientific findings prodded to “Send Me a Message.”

Plagued by budget cuts and layoffs, NASA still has enough cash to bankroll a slick social media team, who write the MSL tweets. The team recently won the “prestigious” Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award in April of this year from the Space Foundation, a self-congratulatory organization whose primary function is, it seems, to put on award shows for people in their immediate circle of friends. The team is about as deserving of this award as Obama was in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

Oddly oblivious to how utterly out of place this is for such a high profile scientific mission, a member of
the “award-winning” team had this to say in defense of MSL’s juvenile banter: “Obscure pop culture references, song lyrics, and some of the corniest jokes imaginable are just a few ways that we’ve transformed Curiosity from an inanimate piece of metal into a lovable rover with a life of her own.”

Yes, because that’s really going to improve science and math scores…or something. Even if it were deemed necessary to squeeze every last ounce of popularity out of an already wildly popular mission, who believes that dumbed-down condescension advances that goal?

NASA’s Obama-appointed administrator, Charles Bolden, has already come under fire for marginalizing science in favor of a vision that is flailing helplessly in the Martian wind, and it is doubtful that MSL’s cringe-worthy tweets will do much to assuage his critics.

At a time when our country’s status as the preeminent land of scientific discovery is being legitimately challenged, maybe it’s time to rethink where our priorities lie. Perhaps a new round of budget cuts and layoffs are in order, starting with the jobs of Charles Bolden and NASA’s social media team. MSL was unavailable for comment for this story.

KFYO & KAMC 28′s Ron Roberts collected a few photos of the eclipse and you see those in this news story.

The science website, Space.com, has also collected photos of the eclipse across the country and you can view those by clicking this link.

Update 5:20 p.m. Wednesday: A white male described in his late 40s to early 50s exited the City Bank building at 82nd and Quaker with his hands held over his head. The man dropped to the ground and police took him into custody. No word yet on the man’s motive, but as more information is available, we will keep you updated.

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A standoff likely involving hostages at a South Lubbock bank is currently going on.

The standoff right now involves a large amount of Lubbock Police and Department of Public Safety Officers at the City Bank at 82nd Street and Quaker Avenue, just across the street from the KFYO Studios.

We are monitoring the situation, and will bring you updates as they occur.

The three-judge panel in San Antonio tasked with drawing up the new Texas Congressional, Senate and House Districts has released maps just a few months before the Texas primaries scheduled for May. The first set of redrawn maps by the San Antonio judges were thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court in late January.

All of the maps closely mirror those drawn up last year during the Legislative session. The house maps are extremely similar, with Tarrant County being split into five parts with an extra representative district added in the southernmost area of the county. In West Texas, Representative of District 85 Jim Landtroop will now run in District 88. District 85 will move down to the Victoria area. If no appeals are filed, Representative of District 83 Charles Perry will remain as originally drawn last legislative session. Coalition districts in Bell and Fort Bend counties were denied.

Congressional Districts 35 and 25 were restored to the originally drawn maps from last year, and the CD23 as approved by the House and Senate Leadership. CD33, the new district in Tarrant and Dallas, will give more power to democratic voters. You can see those maps here.  Senate maps are essentially exactly as originally drawn in 2011.

On the new maps Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said “The new interim maps issued late today are a substantial improvement from maps previously issued by the San Antonio court. As a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous, clear direction to the district court, these new interim maps more accurately reflect the decisions of elected Texas legislators.” Abbott back in November filed an emergency stay on federally drawn maps that he said were “legally flawed.”

The controversy over maps arose last year as minority groups accused the Texas Legislature of drawing discriminating district maps. If the nine groups contesting Texas’s districts file appeals to the maps, it would open the door for primary elections on May 29th.

Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding the release of redistricting maps that will be used in the upcoming primaries:

“While we believe the original maps drawn by the Texas Legislature were fair and legal, I am pleased we finally have maps that enable us to proceed with our elections.

Governor Rick Perry released a statement late Tuesday regarding the release of the new maps. “As the Supreme Court has agreed, the federal court in San Antonio overstepped its boundaries when it took it upon itself to draw new maps. Had the federal court done it correctly to begin with, the time, costs and inconvenience to our state could have been avoided, and we would be having our elections on schedule.”

When someone mentions a collie, most everyone’s mind jumps to Timmy’s famed canine heroine Lassie. In fact, I bet you’re humming that famous whistle to yourself right now. The long-running TV show Lassie made the collie breed extremely popular and famous during it’s time on air in the 50′s, and the stigma of a beautiful, strong, and heroic collie running to the rescue of her beloved owner has stuck in the minds of Americans ever since.

However, not all collies are as lucky as Lassie. Although we’d like to pretend every collie is standing heroically on a rock overlooking a billowing field of grass, the reality is many of these dogs are living abandoned by owners who, like many other Americans hit by the recession, just can’t afford to feed and vaccinate them anymore.

It’s nothing new. The media has been inundated with stories about animal neglect due to varying circumstances, and several large puppy mills have been busted right here on the South Plains in just the past year (one with, you guessed it, collies.) The State Legislature has passed several laws in an effort to prevent animal neglect, but unfortunately it’s not enough to save the thousands of animals that are abandoned or abused in Texas each year.

Thus enters Houston Collie Rescue. HCR, along with hundreds of other small rescue groups across the nation, take the abandoned dogs‘ welfare into their own hands. It is a (501)c non-profit organization based out of Stafford, Texas near Houston that specializes in rescuing collies. They provide food, shelter, vaccinations, and in some cases expensive medical care for the animals until they can find a place to call their “forever home.” It was formed in 2000, and is now led by current board members Barbara Lewis, Vickey Willard, and Angela Walker with a mission of giving every collie a safe place to live, regardless of their physical or mental needs.

Pat Booher, a volunteer and the Treasurer of HCR, said providing essentials for the rescues isn’t always easy. “(HCR) is a non-profit organization, consisting of all volunteers and relies on the generosity and donations of many people and businesses. We never turn a collie away, and with the tough economy, we have seen an increase in senior collies in our program, as owners can no longer afford their medical care.” They do not have a central kennel location and instead rely on foster families and donations to keep the organization running.

Many dogs rescued by HCR are heart worm positive, and with the influx of elderly dogs, it’s a credit to the organization that they manage to stay on top of the ever-growing medical costs. Generous individual donors and businesses keep HCR funded so they can provide aid to foster families and spay and neuter the dogs. HCR is also quite active in their community, holding several fundraisers throughout the year. “We meet so many wonderful people and our collies work their magic,” Pat says, referring to their yearly fundraiser, the Reliant World Series of Dogs Show. “We could not operate without help from our many volunteers, transporters, foster homes, donors and adoptive families.”

Although the organization’s focus is in Southeast Texas, its work has spread far past the Houston city limits. The most striking thing about the Houston Collie Rescue is how willing they are to help a collie in need. They frequently help out-of-state rescue organizations with transportation, or even finding foster homes for their rescues. Their attitude is positive and loving, focusing on providing a dog a bright future instead of it’s dark past.

One rescue in particular, a collie named Dandy, illustrates the willingness of HCR to help a collie regardless of its circumstances. Dandy is a full-blood collie who was found roaming the streets of Puerto Rico by a group named Save a Sato. Rescues in Puerto Rico usually don’t end happily, with most dogs being abandoned again shortly after their adoption, so Dandy’s chances of finding a good home were slim. That’s when a volunteer named La Lola found out about Houston Collie Rescue. She contacted them, asking for their help in finding Dandy a home in the states. HCR agreed, and soon Dandy was on a plane to Texas. Upon his arrival, he was placed in a foster home with volunteer Alice Rostkowski, and began adapting to his new life as a pet. “It has been a pleasure to watch as he becomes more self confident, happy, and hopeful every single day,” Rostkowski said. “He has the true collie nature, purely gentle and sweet.  He will make some lucky family a wonderful companion.” HCR is now waiting for an applicant that can give a good permanent home for Dandy.

Dandy’s story is one of many happy endings made possible by HCR. The organization is the epitome of what a rescue organization should be: caring, involved, supportive and devoted. It’s organizations like this that make the Lassie dream possible. They can take a dog covered in grime and doubt, and in a matter of months turn it into a hero; just ask the families that have been blessed with an HCR rescue. Remember HCR when you’re looking  support a rescue group or adopt. Let’s help them keep up the amazing work.

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If you are interested in supporting HCR, there are several ways you can help. Visit their website for a wish-list of donations. If you’re interested in becoming a foster family, download a foster home application. Supporting HCR can be free too, just like them on facebook to show your support and keep up with their projects; they always have something amazing in the works. Finally, share the link. The more people talk about HCR, the more homes could open up for collies across the nation.

If you have any information on the men, contact Crime Line at 741-1000. Callers can be eligible for a $1,000 reward if the suspects are caught.

A federal court released the new maps Thursday, which will remain valid until the lawsuit is resolved. In a separate case, the Legislature-drawn maps were thrown out after the court agreed they hurt minority representation.

Texas House District 82, under the new federally made map, has been moved back into the Panhandle. Representative Jim Landtroop holds office in this district.

CURRENT and Revised Nov. 17, 2011 Texas house Districts

The dust blew in amidst high wind warnings from the National Weather Service, as a cold front moves into the area from the north. These photos are from some employees here at Townsquare Media Lubbock, and our friends across the South Plains. How did we ever get along discussing weather events without smartphone cameras and Facebook?

All shapes and sizes of dogs could be seen at this year’s event. Take a look at some of the attendees (and their stylish doggie attire) below.

Jimbo

This is Jimbo, an Australian Shepherd Mix. He is about two years old and was originally left at The Haven Animal Care Shelter in October of 2010. Employees found him dumped on the facility’s property and took him in.

His History

Jimbo has been taken in by The Haven twice. When Haven employees originally found him, he had been hit by a car and left outside the Haven gates. His leg was mangled, but vets were able to save his leg. However, as a result of his injuries, he now has a permanent limp. He was eventually adopted out to a couple of college-age adopters. Unfortunately, they did not take care of him, and eventually abandoned him by tying him to a fence. Lubbock Animal Control found him, and the Haven paid to take him back to save him from euthanasia.

His Personality

Before he was abandoned, Jimbo was an outgoing, friendly dog. However after the poor treatment he received from his former owners, he is now extremely shy. Haven workers say he would do best as an inside do so he would grow more comfortable with people. He his very loving and kind, despite his shyness. When I visited him at the Haven, he obviously loved to have his belly and ears scratched, even though it took quite a bit of coaxing for him to come out of his dog house. Staff say he is great with children and other dogs, however he shouldn’t be allowed around cats or other small animals because of his prey drive. Haven staff say they believe his shyness would improve if he spend time in an affectionate, well-balanced home.

His Breed

Jimbo is an Australian Shepherd, but he looks and acts like he may be a shepherd-collie mix. Both breeds are highly intelligent and great problem solvers. They also are loyal and loving companions who bond closely with their family. Australian Shepherds have a strong herding instinct, and will protect their “flock” from precived dangers. Shepherds and Collies have both been known to keep children from wandering out in the street. These dogs are not aggressive, however. They rarely bite and love people. Because of their high energy and intelligence, Australian Shepherds do great in agility competitions. They can be taught various tricks and commands, and pick up on their family’s routines quickly.

Adopting Jimbo

Jimbo has been neutered and is up-to-date on all of his shots. His adoption fee is only $75. If you are interested in fostering or adopting Jimbo contact the Haven at 806-763-0092, email them at havenACS@gmail.com, or visit their shelter south of Idalou. You can also send me an email at Julie@kfyo.com, with the words KFYO Rescue in the subject line.

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Good news! Several more of KFYO’s featured dogs have been adopted! However there are still more dogs that need good homes!

KFYO’s Transmitter Site consists of three towers, each just over 300 feet tall, in south Lubbock County.

Now, as you might imagine, repainting radio and television transmitter towers is an interesting task.

When towers are initially constructed, and before they are stacked, the towers can be painted while they are on the ground.  But once they are constructed, the painting, or in our case- repainting, becomes more difficult.  Most towers that are painted, have to be repainted every few years.  The reason the towers are painted are for visibility for aircraft.

So, let’s answer the obvious question, how do you repaint a radio or television transmission tower?

Well, in most cases it involves a lot of climbing.

As you can see through the video below, and on the photos above, someone has to climb the tower wearing a special harness.  The harness includes various clips, so you can attach safety rigging to the tower and tools to your harness, plus belt attachments for tools.

The team of tower climbers for KFYO also carried paint buckets with them on their rigging.  Using special mitts, the climbers dip paint sponges into the paint bucket and then basically rub the paint on to the tower.

Since the towers were being repainted, the tower crew didn’t have to make any measurements concerning which sections needed to be painted red or white.

A team of six was able to paint KFYO’s three towers in two days.  The high winds yesterday afternoon made work a little difficult, but the great weather today made things easier.

In the world of broadcasting, KFYO’s towers are pretty short (but the tallest towers for an AM station in Lubbock).  For example, in Lubbock, most of the towers used by FM radio stations and television stations are between 700 to 900 feet tall.  In major cities, FM radio station and television towers can be between 1,500 to 1,900 feet in height.  Many of the towers taller than 1,000 feet are built with an elevator, so workers can more safely travel up and down the tower.

Newer broadcast towers don’t even have to be painted.  Recent changes in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules allow towers to be unpainted.  The way the newer towers are visible to aircraft in the daytime involves strobe lighting.  Basically special high-intensity strobe lights blink in unison and are able to be seen by aircraft.

Well, I hope you enjoyed our special tour of the KFYO Transmitter Site and thank you for listening to the News & Talk of West Texas- News/Talk 790, KFYO.

About Orion

Orion is a Siberian Husky who has been at the Lubbock Animal Shelter for several months. He is a friendly, upbeat dog who loves attention and being around people. Orion was adopted out earlier this year, however sadly the adopter’s apartment complex did not allow animals so he was returned to the shelter. Orion is an intelligent, curious dog who is very aware of his surroundings. He isn’t hyperactive and would be a lap-dog if you let him.

About the Breed

Orion’s temperament is a textbook example of the breed’s personality. Siberian Huskies are loving and happy-go-lucky dogs. They are a higher energy dog, and are good with children. They are friendly to strangers, and bond very closely to their family. Siberian Huskies rarely bark. A well-adjusted Siberian Husky will be a sociable and relaxed pet. They are relatively intelligent and easy to train, however they are independent. Huskies make good exercise partners, and need frequent exercise.

Adopting Orion

For an adoption fee of only $60, Orion can become a loving member of your family.  The adoption fee will include a microchip, shots, and a voucher for getting him neutered. If you paid for these things on your own, shots, neutering and microchipping can cost well over $250. If you are interested in visiting or adopting Orion, contact Lubbock Animal Services at (806) 775-2057, visit him at the new shelter at 3511 SE Loop 289 in Lubbock, or send me an email at Julie@kfyo.com!

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Orion isn’t the only animal in need of a new home on the South Plains. Check out the Haven’s Visula mix Valentine, and Shepherd mix Shadow

Valentine

Meet Valentine, a 2 year old Vizsla/Yellow Lab mix. Valentine has been at the Haven Animal Care Shelter since February 2011. She was turned over to the Haven by authorities after she was found abandoned in new owner’s yard.

Her History

Valentine came to the Haven in terrible condition. She had been tied down in the yard by her owners before they abandoned the house, and was left without access to food or clean water. When authorities found her she was nearly dead from emaciation, and is now the subject of an animal cruelty case. After months of rehabilitation, Valentine has gained all of her weight back and is ready to move into a loving home.

Her Personality

Valentine will keep you constant company if you let her. Because Valentine is a “people person,” staff at the Haven want her to be a mostly inside dog. She would need a larger yard so she would have plenty of room to exercise when she’s outside. She would make a very good family dog, especially for an active family. She would be a great walking/running companion as well. She is a very sweet dog, which makes it baffling that she was abandoned.. Valentine does very well with children but is slightly dog aggressive, so she needs to go to a one-dog family. Also, because of her long period of starvation, she is also somewhat food aggressive. Food and dog aggression are both qualities that can diminish with time and proper training.

Her Breed

The Vizsla is an extremely intelligent breed, ranking in the top 25 smartest dog breeds according to The Intelligence of Dogs. They are highly trainable and can be taught various complex skills. Vizslas, if trained correctly, make very good hunting companions, and can  learn skills like pointing, retrieving and tracking. They are active dogs and require daily exercise. They are naturally good with children and do well in families with active children. They make wonderful running companions as well. They grow attached to their family and adapt quickly to their new family’s lifestyle. Owners of Vizslas describe them as gentle, loving, expressive dogs.

Adopting Valentine

Valentine has been spayed and is up-to-date on all of her shots. Her adoption fee is only $75, which is a fraction of the cost of spaying and vaccinating a new puppy. If you are interested in visiting or adopting Valentine contact the Haven at 806-763-0092, email them at havenACS@gmail.com, or visit their shelter south of Idalou. You can also send me an email at Julie@kfyo.com, with the words KFYO Rescue in the subject line.

The new Lubbock Animal Shelter is officially open, and dogs and cats are already settling in.

Opening the $4.8 million facility hasn’t been easy. A site for the new shelter was argued over for several years, with sites like Mackinzie and Clapp parks being shot down by widespread public protest. For a while, it appeared a site for the new building would never be decided upon. However anyone who visited the old site could agree the old building was severely under-equipped for the over 30,000 animals it saw annually, and a new building was desperately needed. Finally the new site was chosen in an area that didn’t receive much protest, and construction began.

The new shelter at 3511 SE Loop 289 is still making final adjustments as the cages are being filled. Some minor construction and cosmetic finishes have yet to be completed, however for the most part the shelter is ready for accommodating animals from the old shelter. Employees with LAS have taken great precaution in ensuring that disease from the old building isn’t spread into the new one. That’s why it could take three or more months before the transition to the new shelter is complete. Animals will be brought in slowly and methodiclly to ensure disease isn’t spread.

Built in disease control is what makes this building better than the last. Bacteria resistant floors prevent diseases from festering, and stainless steel caging ensures even bars can be sanitized. Concrete floors and rusty chain link cages madekeeping the old facility clean almost impossible. Seperate HVAC systems also mean animals can be successfully quarantined, and that adoptable animals won’t obtain diseases from other areas of the shelter. Frequent floor drains, power sprayers, and easily divided cages make cleaning not only more effective, but quicker as well.

The new building isn’t just more appealing to animals, it’s people friendly too. Not only is the new design open and bright, it has plenty of areas to spend time with potential pets. Cats and dogs can be taken into play rooms where adopters can play and cuddle with the animals. Outdoor play areas are also available for people looking to adopt a dog.

The shelter is open weekdays from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturdays from Noon until 4:00 pm. Adoptions are $60 and include vaccinations, spay and neutering, and microchiping. The old building is currently open and in operation as well.

This is Shadow, a 3 year old shepherd mix who currently lives at The Haven Animal Care Shelter. Shadow arrived at the Haven in April 2011. He was picked up as a stray in the fields surrounding the area.

Shadow is a mild-mannered, well rounded dog who would make a wonderful family pet. He does well on a leash and is good with dogs, cats and children alike. It took several months to coax Shadow into approaching Haven staff so he could be rescued, however now he is a friendly, outgoing dog who loves people. Shadow has a lovable personality, and offers his paw to shake when you meet him. He also will sit politely at your feet, and loves attention. He would make a very loyal, loving and intelligent family pet, and would fit in easily to a loving household.

Shepherd breeds are very popular as pets. They are eager to please, so they are relatively easy to train and housebreak. Since most shepherd breeds are quite intelligent, the require mental stimulation to keep them from becoming destructive. Walks, training, and contact with their human counterparts are usually enough to keep a shepherd happy and well behaved. They make close bonds with their owners and, while they are not considered a guarding type of dog, will protect a family member if they sense a threat. They are also known to make very close bonds with children because of their shepherding instincts.

Shadow has been neutered, and is up-to-date on all of his shots. His adoption fee is only $75, which is a fraction of the cost of neutering and vaccinating a new puppy. If you are interested in visiting or adopting Shadow contact the Haven at806-763-0092, email them at havenACS@gmail.com, or visit their shelter south of Idalou. You can also send me an email at Julie@kfyo.com, with the words KFYO Rescue in the subject line.

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Shadow isn’t the only dog in Lubbock that needs a home. Chaplin the cocker spaniel has yet to be adopted from the Lubbock Animal Shelter.

 

Meet Chaplin, a 2 year old cocker spaniel mix. Chaplin has been at the Lubbock Animal Shelter since May 17th. He was picked up as a stray in a field in Lubbock County. He could very likely be a mix between a cocker spaniel and a welsh corgi.

Chaplin is a high energy dog who has lots of love to give his new owner. He was very obviously somebody’s pet, because he is very well socialized. He knows how to sit, and can jump up into your arms. Once he calms down from the excitement of a new person, he knows other tricks as well. This little guy is full of energy and is extremely good natured. He seems to be friendly to other dogs and would probably do very well with children because of his upbeat and loving personality. He’ll never get bored with you, and loves to play. He also seems intelligent and relatively easy to train.

Cocker Spaniels make gentle and sweet pets if raised correctly. Their cheerful attitude has made them a popular choice for families for decades. Cocker owners frequently describe their dog’s personality as amusing and love them because of their playful antics.  They are also very trustworthy and good with children. They are devoted to their families and make themselves a part of everyday family life. They are relatively easy to train.

For an adoption fee of only $60, Chaplin can join your family.  The fee will include a microchip, shots, and a voucher for getting him neutered. If you paid for these things on your own, shots, neutering and microchipping can cost well over $250.

If you are interested in visiting or adopting Chaplin, contact Lubbock Animal Services at (806) 775-2057, visit their shelter at 401 North Ash Avenue in Lubbock, or send me an email at Julie@kfyo.com!

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Good news! Both Chloe and Tabasco have been adopted into loving homes. Want to help find homes for more dogs like these? Visit the Lubbock Animal Services website for information on Volunteering opportunities.

Remember that the South Plains continues to be under a strict burn ban.

These photos are courtesy of Glen Cherry from Jayton.