🌱 Former Texas Ranger Honored + Midland Receives Colorful Murals

Hi there, Odessa-Midland! I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Mostly sunny and hot. High: 108 Low: 81.
• Tuesday: Partly sunny and hot. High: 109 Low: 82.

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top three stories in Odessa-Midland today:

1. Over the past weekend, retired Texas Ranger Al Mitchel was honored for the time he served as a ranger and given a specially customized hat to commemorate him for his time. Al spent much of his life in law enforcement across the country but jumped when the opportunity arose for him to be a Ranger. Mitchel, now 87, served from 1962 to 1971 in Midland as a Ranger. Earlier this year, the Rangers celebrated their 200 anniversary. (CBS 7)
2. In a vibrant showcase of local talent, Midland-born artists are illustrating the essence of West Texas through murals portraying the unique facets of the Permian Basin. Conceived with individual creativity and color, the artworks include a vivid pump jack, the symbol 'MTX' for Midland, Texas, and a sunset scene featuring iconic West Texas cactuses. The mural fest, organized by the Midland Park Mall and Artworks Midland, intends to bring life to the city while providing a platform for artists to gain recognition from other art organizations. (CBS 7)
3. To kick off the weekend, the Midland RockHounds fell to the Wichita Wind Surge late in the ninth inning, extending their lead in the head-to-head series three to one. It was a back-and-forth game throughout the game that the RockHounds sadly didn't come out on top of. A lot of mistakes and errors were made during the game that Wichita capitalized on, including winning the game on a blown save. Midland split the rest of the weekend with one win and one loss on Saturday and Sunday and hopes to get back on the right foot this Wednesday as they start their series at San Antonio. (OurSports Central)

Today and tomorrow in Odessa-Midland:

Monday, June 19

• Adult Coloring Group At Centennial Library (3:00 PM)
• YA/Teen: Donuts And Art At Ector County Library (4:30 PM)
• Summer Sunday Lawn Concert: Sarah Johnson At 1705 W. Missouri Ave. (7:00 PM)

Tuesday, June 20

• Needlepoint Group At Centennial Library (1:00 PM)
• Bronson Chadwick: Magician At Centennial Library (1:30 PM)
• Family Night: Friends Trivia Night At Ector County Library (4:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Just like that, the 2023 Midland Young Leaders Challenge is officially in the books! It was great to see some of Midland County's rising seniors take on the chance to learn some leadership skills as well as compete for some prospective college scholarships! (Midland ISD via Facebook)
• The city of Odessa wants to wish all the fathers not just a Happy Father's Day but a Father's Day weekend filled with enjoyment. A couple of the employees of the city were asked to send in some pictures and memories to share with the city, thank you to all the fathers who are still here and who have passed away. (City of Odessa, Texas via Facebook)
• The Odessa Police Department is asking the public for assistance locating the suspect pictured, who was found to have caused about $1,500 worth of damage at Prevailing Word of God Ministries. The incident happened back on May 22, if you recognize the man from the security footage please contact the police or leave a tip with Crime Stoppers. (Odessa Police Department via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday! See you soon for your next update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.