Year in Review: May
May was graduation month in Scurry County, and the county’s three public high schools’ students walked the stage May 24.
The three schools combined graduated 198 students this year.
Snyder’s valedictorian was Kellee Martini and the salutatorian was Jordan Phillips.
Ira High School’s valedictorian was Ben Fonville and the school’s co-salutatorians were Alyssa Cowan and Mattie Martin.
Hermleigh’s valedictorian was Ciera Digby and the salutatorian was Bailey Pierce.
“I know that everyone sitting in front of me today is nervous or worried about the future,” Martini told graduates during her commencement speech. “But, from what I’ve learned so far, you don’t have to stress over finding that one perfect place in the world because what’s perfect for you is always changing, and change is something we have to accept.”
Earlier in the month, Snyder ISD hosted a Maker Faire.
The event featured students sharing their passions and demonstrating their projects, as well as representatives from the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME), who showcased their science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) gadgets.
STEAM coordinator Ryan Maney organized the event.
“This was a great way to bring diverse grades together in an environment that is fun and hands-on for everyone,” Maney said. “This was an opportunity to show their creativity and explain their passions. This is deeper than what you’ll find in a textbook.”
On May 17, the Scurry County AgriLife Extension urged local residents to think about the future with a Futures Forum.
Extension Agent Ronda White said the forum is held every four or five years to gather input on how her office can best address community needs.
“I was very pleased with how things went tonight and the feedback we received from attendees to help us identify critical issues in our community,” White said.
One consensus during the meeting was the need for a “Life Skills 101” class to help prepare young people for the future. This class would include instruction on communication skills, how to conduct oneself during an interview and the proper way to fill out applications and resumes.
The audience also identified relationship building as a critical need, saying that a program that encourages young people to be engaged with their families, friends and community would be beneficial.
Finally, audience members said that apathy among young people was an issue that needs to be addressed.
The Ritz Theater brought comedy classic Greater Tuna to the stage May 17-19.
Director Cassie Cochran said the show generated plenty of laughter.
“It’s a Southern satire,” she said before the show premiered. “The audience will definitely find the performance funny. It’s an easy show to watch and gets you laughing, but they will also react to the performance. It’s almost like a mirror. This comedy exaggerates the lives of people in a small town in Texas, so the audience may even notice themselves or family members in the characters during the performance.”
Greater Tuna is set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas.
A storm dropped more than two inches of rain in Scurry County overnight May 20 and 21, but a feared tornado never materialized.
At least two reports of stranded vehicles were received as a result of the downpour, one in the Towle Park Pond and the other on Ennis Creek Road just off of Coliseum Drive.
“We were extremely lucky,” Snyder Fire Department Deputy Fire Marshal Nathan Hines said. “The storms didn’t produce any tornadoes until after they had left Scurry County.”
Tornado sightings were confirmed in Howard and Midland counties.
Hail accompanied the overnight storm.