Jay Hendricks

Man charged with murder after woman found shot inside Iraan home

IRAAN, Texas (KOSA) - A man is in custody after a woman was found shot and killed inside a home in Iraan Tuesday night.Deputies responded to a home on East 7th Street following a 9-1-1 call. Inside, they found 47-year-old Claudia Ortiz with an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at th...

Hegseth announces new policy to test troops for low testosterone

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that he is rolling out a new screening program for “testosterone deficiency” among troops, calling it necessary to allow them to operate at their "absolute best.” The screenings will be conducted annually as part of service memb...

Ector County man sentenced to 99 years for murder conviction

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - Anthony Cortez was found guilty of Murder in the 1st degree by an Ector County Jury and sentenced to 99 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, plus a $10,000 fine. On November 5th, 2024, Cortez shot his co-worker, Marcos Criddle, at their worksite. Su...

FIRST ALERT: Heavy rain & flash flooding threat continues across parts of West Texas through end of workweek

MIDLAND-ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - The potential for heavy rainfall and flash flooding continues across parts of West Texas through the end of the workweek along with well below-normal temperatures.FLOOD WATCHA Flood Watch continues across most of West Texas through Thursday evening as several rounds...

Man arrested after firing a weapon at a woman

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - A man has been arrested after a disturbance with a weapon at a Midland Apartment Complex.It happened Wednesday just before 2pm in the 3000 block of North Midland Drive.MPD reported a male subject fired off a weapon during an argument with a woman. After police arrived, the...

US stocks rise within 0.5% of their record, even as oil prices keep climbing

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK U.S. stocks ticked higher Wednesday following strong profit reports from BlackRock and other big companies. The tentative gains came as oil prices swung to their highest levels in a month because of the war with Iran. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% after flipping ...

Odessa Crimestoppers seeks help after Permian HS burglary

ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - Odessa Crimestoppers is seeking public assistance in identifying individuals for burglary at Permian High School. At approximately 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, these suspects gained entry into Permian High School by accessing the building through the roof and burglarizin...

Be weather wise, utilize park alerts

Many Texas State Parks are experiencing heavy rains and subsequent flooding. Parkgoers are advised to check the state park map for alerts and to be weather wise for areas they plan to visit. Park alerts share the most up to date information for each property including area and full park closures....

Wanted Subject Update

Stacks and stacks of wax packs, now obsolete, summon the joy of baseball-card childhoods

By HOWIE RUMBERG The Associated Press NEW YORK The anticipation. The chase. The powdery, sugar-coated board of gum! For generations of baseball card fans, there was nothing like scrounging up some change and sprinting to the store to buy a wax pack. Some tore the slightly tacky paper wrapper open...

The Latest: Argentina and England revive their fierce rivalry in the World Cup semifinal

Argentina faces England in a World Cup semifinal match that pits soccer great Lionel Messi against the young superstar Jude Bellingham. The winner will meet Spain, whose defensive prowess and swagger allowed them to clinch a spot in the World Cup final with a 2-0 win against France on Tuesday. Fo...

CDC nominee says she won’t betray science — and also backs Kennedy’s actions

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer The Trump administration’s latest nominee to lead the nation’ top public health agency drew frustrated reactions from some U.S. senators on Wednesday when they pressed her on whether she would protect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from political ...

DAILY OIL PRICE: July 15, 2026

Crude Oil: 79.60   (+0.26). Nymex MTD AVG: 71.9493. Natural Gas: 2.924   (+0.020). Gasoline: 3.3009   (+0.0736). Spreads: August/September (+0.48)    September/October (+1.04). Plains WTI Posting: 76.08   (+0.26). The post DAILY OIL PRICE: July 15, 2026 appeared first on Odessa American.

Heavy rains keep drenching South Texas, tornado reported in San Antonio

By JESSE BEDAYN The Associated Press UVALDE, Texas Slow-moving storms drenched much of southern Texas with more heavy rain on Wednesday, prompting warnings to evacuate flooded areas after downpours washed out roads and farmland and led to dozens of high-water rescues across the region. The Natio...

House Republicans unveil a $95 billion plan for the Iran war, farm aid and elections

By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO The Associated Press WASHINGTON House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a $95 billion legislative plan focused on boosting defense, aiding farmers and enacting stricter voter registration rules, a sequel to the massive tax and spending cut bill that President Do...

OPD searching for man with felony warrant for theft

UPDATE: Andres Laabs was arrested in Midland and OPD would like to thank the public for their assistance with this investigation. The Odessa Police Department is currently searching for Andres Laabs, 42, who has a first-degree felony warrant for theft. Laabs stole approximately $400,000 from the ...

US producer prices drop 0.3% from May to June on lower energy prices, but outlook is cloudy

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON U.S. wholesale inflation fell from May to June on plunging energy prices, but intensifying hostilities with Iran are clouding the outlook. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which captures inflation before it rea...

Harmony Home breaks ground on new facility

Celebrating a major milestone moment, Harmony Home Children’s Advocacy Center held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new 17,000 square-foot facility Wednesday. Located on 910 S. Grant Avenue right next to its current facility, the ceremony marked the start of a transformative project that will ex...

Iraan man arrested in connection with woman’s fatal shooting

IRAAN, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A 48-year-old man from Iraan, Texas, has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman on Tuesday, according to the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office. Miguel Luna, 48, of Iraan, was arrested in connection with the death of 47-year-old Claudia Ortiz. Accordin...

7/15/26 11:30 AM 7-Day Forecast +3: Afternoon Scattered Showers

WEST TEXAS (KMID/KPEJ) - Heads up, West Texas, there will be more scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon going into the evening. Skies will be partly cloudy with temperatures rising to 82 degrees, then becoming cloudy toward daybreak, with a low around 66 degrees. Southeast winds will...

Andrews officers, community pay tribute to beloved K9 Iro at memorial service

Law enforcement and community members gathered Tuesday to honor the life and service of Andrews Police Department K9 Iro during a memorial service."Law enforcement and community members gathered Tuesday to honor the life and service of Andrews Police Department K9 Iro during a memorial service.

Texas agencies must cut spending by 3% under new order from Abbott, Patrick and Burrows

From left, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hold a bill-signing ceremony at the Texas Capitol on April 23, 2025, to create a Texas Department of Government Efficiency. Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune By Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune Texas’ top e...

Big Spring seeks volunteers for Moss Creek Lake cleanup on July 18

The City of Big Spring and the Stelter Initiative are seeking volunteers and heavy equipment for a large-scale cleanup of Moss Creek Lake scheduled for July 18, 2026."

The band playing when a Bangkok bar caught fire mourns its members among the 33 dead

BANGKOK (AP) — Victims of this week’s flash fire at a Bangkok music ba r that took more than 30 lives included four of the six core members of the band playing when the blaze broke out. The fate of the Totsakan band has been a key focus in Thailand's coverage of the blaze, and [...]

Midland Officials Report a 65% increase in fire calls in June

Midland Fire Department officials reported a 65% increase in fire calls during June 2026 compared to the previous year, driven largely by a near doubling of incidents within Midland County.

Former Obama counsel Kathryn Ruemmler says Epstein used her to gain legitimacy

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI The Associated Press WASHINGTON Kathryn Ruemmler, the former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs who was White House counsel to President Barack Obama, said Wednesday in testimony to Congress that it “was a mistake to deal with” Jeffrey Epstein but insisted she never witnessed crimin...

Are Americans more selective with health trends?

Talker News | Talker Half of Americans are looking to flip their approach to wellness on its head in 2026, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, split evenly by generation, looked at whether Americans are taking a simplified approach or leaning more toward “healthmaxxing” — an...

Blanche confronts skeptical questioning of fund, tax deal for Trump at Senate confirmation hearing

By ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER The Associated Press WASHINGTON Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confronted skeptical questioning at a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday about the creation of a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump and a tax immunity deal for the pre...

A bold and flavorful al fresco favorite

Feature Impact Warm breezes that linger longer into the evening, wafting appetizing aromas through the air can only mean one thing: it’s patio season. From casual porch gatherings to full-fledged backyard dinners, dining al fresco calls for vibrant dishes packed with flavor. Inspired by the bold ...

Man arrested over threat to shoot Reform UK leader Nigel Farage

LONDON (AP) — A man who made a threat on social media to shoot Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was arrested, police said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the security of British politicians following the killing last week of former government minister Ann Widdecombe. The man was held on Tu...

The Latest: Trump says ICE should continue traffic stops despite new policy to halt them

President Donald Trump says Immigration and Customs Enforcementshould continue traffic stops after two deadly shootings within a week, seeming to contradict a new policy to halt them. To remove criminals from the country, “we CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting...

West Texas A&M releases May 2026 graduate, President’s and Dean’s lists

Courtesy Photo CANYON, TEXAS The final tally is 1,220 graduates for West Texas A&M University’s Class of May 2026. Overall, the university awarded 927 baccalaureate degrees, 279 master’s degrees and 14 doctoral degrees to spring graduates at the May 15 and 16 commencement ceremonies, following pr...

US reimposes blockade and steps up strikes as Iran threatens to halt Mideast energy exports

By JON GAMBRELL The Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and intensified its airstrike campaign Wednesday in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The American strikes hit an Iranian army barrack...

Council does not replace Vasquez during Tuesday meeting

The Odessa City Council accepted the resignation of councilman Gilbert Vasquez Tuesday night, but took no action to fill his vacancy. Vasquez, whose term was set to expire in November, resigned effective June 30 due to family obligations. “Although we want someone to be in that position as we go ...

`Tool Bag for Grads’ has launched in the Permian Basin

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - A new partnership between the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Permian Basin Chapter and Skillpoint Alliance Permian Basin aims to remove a common financial barrier for students entering the trades: the cost of professional-grade tools.According to the ...

Report: Detainees at ICE facility in Texas report frequent beatings and other human rights abuses

By MICHAEL BIESECKER The Associated Press WASHINGTON Dozens of people held at a sprawling Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas say they were either beaten by guards or witnessed others being beaten, according to a new report issued by legal and human rights advocates. The 84-pag...

Faint new planet is revealed around a young star after a decade in hiding

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Astronomers have discovered a faint, elusive planet orbiting a young star after more than a decade of cosmic hide-and-seek. In an unusual twist, two groups working independently detected the cold gas giant a few days apart late last year us...

House passes bill to ‘ditch the switch’ and make daylight saving time permanent

By KEVIN FREKING The Associated Press WASHINGTON There will be no turning back the clock if the House has its way. The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent. Proponents, including the White House, argued the change would provide more daylight during the times...

ICE should do traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says, seeming to oppose new suspension

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, PATRICK WHITTLE, JACK BROOK, REBECCA SANTANA and MICHAEL R. SISAK The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency should continue vehicle stops after recent fatal shootings, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, seeming to oppose a new su...

Lubbock police seeking information in July 5 shooting that left multiple people injured

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - The Lubbock Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is asking the public for information in an east Lubbock shooting that left multiple people injured earlier this month. Just before 1:30 a.m. on July 5, officers responded to a shots fired call near East 16th Street and Magn...