On Thursday's edition of Lubbock's First News, Plainview Mayor Wendell Dunlap talked with Tom Collins and Laura Mac about how Plainview is faring now after the closing of the Cargill meat processing plant.

On February 1st, Cargill idled their plant in Plainview, putting nearly 2,000 people out of work. Although a job fair was held in Plainview to help these workers find new jobs, Dunlap said that the actual hiring process has been moving slowly.

Dunlap added that closing has also affected the school district, which has lost nearly 1,600 students as a result of the closing and students' parents losing their jobs.

However, there are some signs of recovery. About 125 workers from the Plainview plant have now been employed at the Cargill plant in Friona. However, for many of these employees, transportation from Plainview to Friona is becoming an issue. Dunlap said he is working on a plan to put together a bus route from Friona to Plainview for these workers.

"What we're hoping to do, and we're working with TxDot and some other agencies on this, but we're...trying to put together a 6-month program and trying to get enough funding to where we can charge the riders a certain amount of money, like $40 a week, and we would bus them to Friona."

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