What the Abilene Reporter-News liked and disliked: Softball stars
Our view
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Visit by the Big Cheese and others. The compliments flew Wednesday like a brie for all before the ground breaking for Big Lakes Cheese, and we appreciated those given by our out-of-state guests the family and leaders of the company that is building a 280,000-square-foot, $185 million facility here. Second-generation Epprecht family member Heidi Eller, who is chairwoman of the board, was here, along with Dan Zagzebski, president and CEO. Two others GLC leaders spoke, too. Interesting that we beat out Wichita Falls for the facility; we re glad they did not seriously consider locating in Muenster .
Abilene Wide Open: Dancing over the star
The traditional street dance after the downtown parade is a classic part of the annual tradition.
A band - this year Midnight Blue - performs western swing for couples and the occasional whirling child, the Texas star set into the pavement at Cypress and North First streets serving as the dance floor.
Ronald Erdrich is the photojournalist and a columnist for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.
Specifically, Medicine Lodge, Kansas. He drove his limousine to Abilene, pulling a horse trailer. Sometimes we put a horse in there, he said during Saturday s Western Heritage Classic at the Taylor County Expo Center. This time, we just put our camping gear in there.
It might have been a bit too breezy for camping at the Expo Center, however. Gusty winds sent many a hat that wasn t cinched down flying between the food trucks.
But windy or not, plenty of folks came out for Western Heritage s return after last year s COVID-related hiatus. Hundreds crowded trade shows, chuckwagons, a fiddling contest, and ranch horse events.
What the Abilene Reporter-News liked and disliked: Almost $2M
Our view
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How about $1.95 million, then? That s what folks here poured into the fifth Abilene Gives, again obliterating the record. Donors were willing to support Camp Able, which took in an individual record of $112,000. The zoo totaled the most donors with 230. A total of 32 nonprofits took in at last $20,000. Lots of love flowed Tuesday as Abilene showed us the money!
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Welcome back! We hear there was no room at our inns this weekend, what with three university graduations and the Western Heritage Classic back in the saddle. That s good news for our local economy, for sure. Congrats to the graduates! Thanks for late checkout!