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Why U.S. Venezuela oil deal could help refinery output and refill SPR
Odessa, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - Recently the Trump administration has entered a sweeping agreement with Venezuela that could give the U.S. access to vast amounts of the South American country’s untapped oil reserves. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Venezuela ...
safety
Brothers arrested on aggravated assault charges
Two Odessa men were arrested Friday after being accused of attacking another man with a knife and a rake handle over a parking space. According to an Odessa police report, officers were dispatched to Clifford Street shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday for a disturbance. On their way ...
News
As jurors deliberate in the Lindsay Clancy trial, here are key moments they may be considering
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial have been struggling to agree on a verdict following a trial over whether she should be held criminally responsible for killing her three young children at her Massachusetts home in 2023. Both sides agree that she did it. ...
News
The Cowboys are getting preseason buzz again. One handicapper says this time feels different
By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS No NFL team receives more hype on a regular basis than the Dallas Cowboys, at least in relation to their lack of success over the past three decades. So it’s not a shock there is some preseason commentary that the Cowboys could be in li...
Local
City of Odessa honors seven former employees during memorial wall ceremony
ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - The City of Odessa gathered today for its third annual Memorial Wall Ceremony, honoring the lives, service, and lasting contributions of city employees who have passed away. This year, seven former City of Odessa employees who passed away in 2025 were honor...
News
NBA suspends Clippers owner Ballmer, fines team $30M, Kawhi Leonard $700K in cap circumvention case
By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES The NBA imposed a sweeping punishment against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday for violating salary cap circumvention rules, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year and forcing the team to forfeit five draft picks. Also, two-ti...
business
Wall Street rises as tech stocks climb and oil prices, bond yields hold relatively steady
By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers U.S. stocks snapped a three-day losing streak Wednesday as gains by big technology companies and relatively steady oil prices and bond yields helped lift the market after a downbeat start to the week. The S&P 500 index rose 0...
government
Sparks responds to PUC approval of Import Path 1 and urges legislative review before further 765-kV decisions
AUSTIN Senator Kevin Sparks issued the following statement after the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) approved Certificates of Convenience and Necessity for two 765-kV transmission projects that form Import Path 1 of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan. On Friday, August 2...
Local
DAILY OIL PRICE: September 2, 2026
Crude Oil: 91.01 (+0.79). Nymex MTD AVG: 90.6150. Natural Gas: 2.956 (+0.052). Gasoline: 3.1038 (-0.0312). Spreads: October/November (+2.73) November/December (+3.03). Plains WTI Posting: 87.49 (+0.79). The post DAILY OIL PRICE: September 2, 2026 appeared first on Odessa American...
News
Congressman Pfluger announces Pfluger Pfest 2026 with Pat Green
SAN ANGELO Congressman August Pfluger is excited to announce Pfluger Pfest 2026 — a family-friendly event with great food, live music, and fun games featuring special musical guest Pat Green on October 4 — the event will begin at 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Bill Aylor Sr...
News
Midland man sentenced to 420 months for exploiting minors
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - A Texas man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by a federal court in Midland for eight counts related to child abuse material. Raymond Daniel Solis, 28, sexually exploited multiple minor females through the social media app Snapchat, both produc...
parks
Texas State Parks to host veteran ruck hikes throughout September
AUSTIN More than 20 Texas State Parks will be hosting Veteran Mental Health Awareness Ruck Hikes throughout the month of September, which is also Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Community members, veterans and their families alike are welcome to participate in one of the ...
News
Gov. Greg Abbott doubles down on rare public fight for Medicaid funding
Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference in Austin on Aug. 31, 2026. Credit: Jacob Lujan/The Texas Tribune By Terri Langford, The Texas Tribune Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is doubling down on the state’s fight to recover nearly $10 billion in Medicaid funding that the Trump admin...
safety
OPD investigating theft from Northern Tool + Equipment
The Odessa Police Department is investigating a theft from Northern Tool + Equipment. According to an OPD news release, a man stole approximately $572 worth of merchandise from Northern Tool + Equipment, 6151 TX-191. Anyone who recognizes the suspect shown in the surveillance foo...
News
North Texas man sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for producing child pornography
MIDLAND A Texas man was sentenced in a federal court in Midland Wednesday to 420 months in prison for eight counts related to his production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. According to ...
News
PHOTO ESSAY: Inside a detention center where scam workers wait for their return home
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business
Pabst Blue Ribbon offers $20,000 reward to help find its missing beer
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Pabst Blue Ribbon wants its beer back, and it’s offering a reward to help that happen. Greig DeBow, the CEO of Pabst Brewing Co., said Wednesday that the company will pay up to $20,000 to anyone who provides new information that leads to the r...
News
Scientists find a huge 10-sided wave pattern swirling in the clouds over Saturn's south pole
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn’s south pole. The spinning, meandering decagon appears to be even bigger and more unstable than the hexagon of clouds around Saturn’s north pole that was...
schools
Student applications for IDEA Permian Basin 2027-2028 school year now open
IDEA Public Schools in the Permian Basin , is now accepting applications for the 2027-28 school year at IDEA Yukon Academy and College Preparatory , IDEA Lopez Academy and College Preparatory and IDEA Henry Academy and College Preparatory . This year, IDEA Henry College Preparato...
schools
Pack pasta salad in a jar for a taste of summer in school lunches
Feature Impact When students open up their lunchboxes in the cafeteria, it’s fun to be greeted with something bright, colorful and fresh. Pasta salad is a summer picnic staple, but once the weather starts to cool and kids head back to school, there’s nothing to say you can’t send...
safety
DPS stepping up enforcement for Labor Day
AUSTIN The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is stepping up enforcement efforts for Labor Day weekend. To keep everyone safe this holiday weekend, more Troopers will be out on the roads, including for the Operation Crash Awareness Reduction Effort (CARE), which runs Sept. 4...
News
Scams in the US are at a record high. Yet most victims get no help and some end up losing even more
By MARTHA MENDOZA/FRONTLINE and JULIET LINDERMAN and ERIKA KINETZ/AP The Associated Press and FRONTLINE When Simon’s wife of 43 years passed away, it felt a bit like he’d died too. In his overwhelming grief, Simon sought companionship online, like so many other lonely widows and ...
News
Beltone Hearing Centers of West Texas participates in third annual Hear2End Hunger Food Drive
In an effort to help fight food insecurity while encouraging preventive hearing care, Beltone Hearing Centers of West Texas is participating in Beltone’s third annual Hear2End Hunger Food Drive, supporting the West Texas Food Bank . From September 1 through September 30, Beltone’...
News
Austin man’s wrongful deportation casts scrutiny on Texas’ embrace of ICE partnerships
DPS troopers return to their patrol route after making a traffic stop in southeast Austin on Aug. 7, 2023. Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune By Alejandro Serrano and Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune Brian José Morales García had only been installing air conditioners in th...
News
Heads or tails? $1 coin with Trump’s face and gold finish to go on sale
By JESSE BEDAYN The Associated Press The $1 coin designed to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and seemingly President Donald Trump, whose face gazes from one side of the gold finish, will go on sale Wednesday, according the U.S. Mint. The coin’s design — Trump’s visage as “head...
schools
TEXAS VIEW: Banning foreign teachers makes shortage worse, doesn’t fix any problems
Gov. Greg Abbott continues his attacks on immigrants that only hurt the state and Texas residents who depend on him for leadership, and whose lives could be adversely affected with no corresponding benefit to anyone in the state. The governor recently announced that Texas schools...
business
September is the hardest month to cook for, and nobody talks about it
September cooking can feel caught between two seasons. Use simple strategies to enjoy summer ingredients while welcoming fall. Photo credit: Depositphotos By Marjory Pilley The calendar says September, but grocery store shelves are laden with pumpkin spice, and the thermometer pr...
News
Top US doctors offer updated flu and COVID vaccine recommendations, aiming to ease confusion
By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together Wednesday to issue shot guidelines — and highlight the science behind them — saying they hope to ease confusion caused by t...
schools
Edouard, now a tropical depression, drenches Texas with flash flooding and downed trees
By JAMIE STENGLE and LEKAN OYEKANMI The Associated Press PORT ARTHUR, Texas The former Tropical Storm Edouard weakened into a depression but dumped nearly 2 feet of rain in some places, flooded roads and knocked down trees Wednesday in parts of Texas as it slowly moved north. Sch...
business
US oil giant Chevron confirms it will expand operations in Venezuela
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer NEW YORK Oil giant Chevron confirmed that it will expand its operations in Venezuela, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nation’s oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stake in the profits. Chevr...
News
Midland College Foundation names new executive director
MIDLAND Midland College has named Midland native Elizabeth Shydlowski as the new executive director of the Midland College Foundation . She returns home with more than two decades of experience in philanthropy, public policy, and government, and a career that includes securing tr...
government
ECISD board picks former teacher for board seat
Former teacher Rosalita Veronica Garcia was selected from interviews by the ECISD Board of Trustees to fill the vacant seat during a special board meeting on Tuesday. Trustees moved to closed session to interview four applicants for Single Board Member District Position 1 which i...
News
TONI SAYS: Medicare Open Enrollment begins October 15
By Toni King Dear Toni: Last week the Toni Says Medicare column was about changes to stand-alone Medicare Part D plans beginning Jan. 1. This caught my attention because I applied for a Medicare Part D plan in July and was denied. Medicare advised me to apply for a Part D plan du...
News
What happens next if the jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial can't reach a verdict?
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts jury plans to deliberate for a fifth day Wednesday on whether Lindsay Clancy was criminally responsible when she strangled her three children in 2023, amid conflicting testimony about her postpregnancy mental health. What happens if they can...
safety
Explosion near German train station injures 2
BERLIN (AP) — An explosion near a German train station followed by the discovery of a suspicious object caused police to temporarily close the transport hub in the southern city of Augsburg on Wednesday morning. Later in the morning, police said the suspicious object had been ide...
library
‘Get the Flock out of Texas’: State senator calls for ALPR ban
BRAZOS VALLEY, Texas (KBTX) - State Sen. Lois W. Kolkhorst is calling for a ban on automated license plate readers, arguing the technology used by Flock Safety cameras threatens Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches. In a Facebook post titled “Get the Flock O...
safety
Tiger Woods plans to change not guilty plea in DUI case in Florida, court documents show
STUART, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods plans to change his not guilty plea in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida, according to court documents filed Tuesday. In March, Woods' Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and the legendary golfer was arrested, offici...
safety
Grand Canyon flooding harms an economy that's still recovering from a fire
Deadly flooding at the Grand Canyon is damaging the area's economy, with a washed-out pipeline severing the South Rim's water supply and shutting down lodging at the popular tourist vista for an indefinite period. The national park remained open Tuesday but tourists who planned t...
library
Local comic stores surge in sales following new movie releases
Local comic book stores are seeing a hike in demand following the release of the latest comic-book blockbuster, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marquez said....
News
Big oil companies’ CEOs face perplexing questions
The major oil companies have been making big profits since the Strait of Hormuz was constricted, but that is a great distance from being the whole story. Long-term planning has become harder as the CEOs face a panoply of problems each day with some having commonality with other s...
News
GUEST VIEW: Politics or Governance: Budgets, tax rates, and real consequences
Dustin Fawcett By Dustin Fawcett You have heard me say repeatedly that I believe in good governance and abhor petty politics. I believe government should be about solving problems, planning for the future, and making difficult decisions based on what is best for the people we ser...
safety
Woman killed in Times Square stabbing worked for Bank of America
NEW YORK (AP) — The woman killed in a random stabbing in Times Square was a Bank of America employee, the bank confirmed Tuesday. Police identified her and the attacker, who was killed in a confrontation with officers shortly after the rampage. The woman who died, Erin Piacenti, ...
Local
DAILY OIL PRICE: September 1, 2026
Crude Oil: 90.22 (+4.46). Nymex MTD AVG: 90.2200. Natural Gas: 2.904 (-0.031). Gasoline: 3.1350 (-0.3470). Spreads: October/November (+2.47) November/December (+2.78). Plains WTI Posting: 86.70 (+4.46). The post DAILY OIL PRICE: September 1, 2026 appeared first on Odessa American...
News
Oil giant Chevron is expected to announce it will expand operations in Venezuela, US official says
By AAMER MADHANI The Associated Press WASHINGTON Oil giant Chevron is planning to expand its operations in Venezuela, a U.S. official said Tuesday, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nation’s oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stak...
business
Stocks slip on Wall Street under pressure from higher oil prices and rising bond yields
By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks closed broadly lower Tuesday as another round of U.S. military strikes on Iran sent oil prices higher, stoking worries about stubbornly high inflation. A bond market sell-off deepened, putting more pressure on stocks. ...
safety
Already one of the largest recorded wildfires in North Texas history, Ross Fire continues burning
The Ross fire started in Palo Pinto County on Aug. 24, 2026 and has since grown to more than 80,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties. Credit: A. Turner/Texas A&M AgriLife By Alejandra Martinez and Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune FORT WORTH Over a week since the Ross Fire ...
News
NFL 2026: Houston’s first hurdle on way to Super Bowl goal? Taking the AFC South title back
By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Houston Texans are the only NFL team never to play in a conference championship game and one of only four still waiting for the first Super Bowl berth. Even more painful? The Texans have lost in the AFC divisional ro...
safety
Criminal mischief investigation
Odessa police are searching for a man on suspicion of criminal mischief. According to an Odessa Police Department news release, a man poured an unknown substance into the gas tank of a vehicle while it was parked in the 800 block of E. 8th St. Approximately $3,150 worth of repair...
News
Texas hospitals expect to lose $27 million a day in Medicaid funding starting Tuesday
University Medical Center in Lubbock on April 6, 2025. Credit: Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribune By Terri Langford, The Texas Tribune Texas hospitals are expecting to lose $27 million a day in additional Medicaid funding with the state’s new fiscal year which began on Tuesday. T...