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Sunday, July 13, 2025

Midland, Texas News Summary: June 13 – July 13, 2025

Midland: Always Fun: Summer Sunday Lawn Concert: Small Town

News summary for Midland, Texas, covering events from June 13 to July 13, 2025.

Midland, Texas News Summary

June 13 – July 13, 2025

Below is a comprehensive overview of key events in Midland, Texas, over the past month. The information has been curated and organized for clarity and relevance, with the “Crime and Public Safety” section presented at the end.

Natural Disasters and Flood Relief Efforts

Widespread Flooding in Midland and Odessa (Early July 2025)
Torrential rainfall in early July caused widespread flooding across Midland and Odessa, resulting in road closures, stranded vehicles, and public safety alerts. On July 3, the City of Midland issued warnings and temporarily closed multiple roads due to dangerous water levels and impassable conditions.
Kerr County Flash Flood Tragedy Impacts Midland Families (July 4–8, 2025)
- On July 4, a flash flood along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County swept away several campers from Midland and Odessa.
- Devyn Smith, a Midland woman, survived by clinging to a tree for hours before being rescued 15 miles downstream.
- Joel Ramos, also from Midland, was confirmed deceased on July 7.
- Four family members—Michelle “Shellie” Crossland, Cody Crossland, Tasha Ramos, and Kyndall Ramos—remained missing as of July 13.
- Jayda Floyd, an Ector County Juvenile Detention Officer from Odessa, was also killed. The Ector County Sheriff’s Office has organized an honorable procession to return her remains to Odessa.
Community Mobilization
- Midland High School students organized a donation drive to collect food, diapers, and hygiene items for those affected in Kerrville.
- The West Texas Food Bank partnered with the San Antonio Food Bank to distribute emergency supplies, and Lucero Mena from the Midland Salvation Army personally delivered hot meals to relief workers and victims.
Broader Central Texas Flood Crisis
The Guadalupe River flooding throughout Central Texas claimed at least 109 lives, including 103 in Kerr County, many of them children. The disaster prompted an outpouring of support across West Texas, with local residents using platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to coordinate volunteerism and donations.

Community and Business Developments

Costco Grand Opening (July 10, 2025)
The eagerly anticipated Costco location in Midland officially opened on July 10, drawing enthusiastic crowds. Mayor Lori Blong participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, praising the store as a significant addition to the city’s economic development. The store is expected to boost consumer access and regional commerce.
Retirement of Assistant Fire Chief Brian McGary (July 3, 2025)
Assistant Chief Brian McGary retired after 32 years of dedicated service with the Midland Fire Department, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and community commitment.
Leadership Transition at Salvation Army (July 2025)
Captains Michael and Amanda Cain assumed command of the Salvation Army of Midland/Odessa, bringing years of experience in ministry, outreach, and disaster response.
Business Climate Ranking
Midland was named one of the top small metropolitan areas for business climate in the 21st Annual Metro Rankings Report by Business Facilities, recognizing the city's strong growth potential and investment appeal.
West Texas Football Club Playoff (July 12, 2025)
The West Texas FC hosted the Lubbock Matadors in the Lone Star Conference playoff final at Astound Broadband Stadium. The winner would advance to the National Premier Soccer League’s regional round, signaling Midland’s growing presence in semi-professional soccer.
4-H Presentation to Kiwanis (July 2025)
Dee Howe, Director of Midland County 4-H, presented an update on the group’s educational and civic programs to the Midland Kiwanis Club, highlighting increased youth engagement and leadership development in agriculture and science.

Social and Cultural Events

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July 2025)
The City of Midland recognized Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, honoring the legacy of Bebe Moore Campbell and promoting access to mental health services for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.
Fourth of July Celebrations
Despite concerns over regional flooding, Midland held its annual fireworks display near the Tittabawassee River on July 4, drawing families and visitors to the celebration of Independence Day.
Flood Relief Fundraising Campaigns
The United Family, a local grocery chain, launched a donate-at-the-register campaign to support Central Texas flood victims. The effort reflects the broader spirit of solidarity and mutual aid across West Texas.

Political News

Tom Craddick Receives Trump Endorsement (July 2025)
State Representative Tom Craddick, who has represented Texas House District 82 for decades, received a formal endorsement from former President Donald J. Trump in support of his re-election bid. Craddick remains a prominent Republican figure in Texas politics.

Crime and Public Safety

Officer-Involved Shooting (July 11, 2025)
A disturbance near Jumburrito on East Nobles Avenue led to a police-involved shooting around 2:13 p.m. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident, which left one suspect injured and hospitalized. Nearby residents reported taking shelter in a liquor store after hearing multiple gunshots. The investigation remains active.
Child Abuse Arrests (July 8, 2025)
The Midland County Sheriff’s Office arrested two individuals on child abuse charges. Details were withheld due to the sensitive nature of the case and ongoing legal proceedings.
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child (July 7–8, 2025)
Dixon Aroldo Perez Sequen, 20, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a month-long sexual relationship with a 12-year-old girl. Police were dispatched to a home on W. Kansas Avenue, where the victim’s father discovered the suspect. Sequen was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and held on a $50,000 bond.
Burglary of Firearms (July 8, 2025)
At approximately 8:45 a.m., two suspects broke into a residence in north Midland, stealing 17 rifles before fleeing in a stolen Ford Explorer. Midland Police are actively searching for the suspects, and the case has drawn attention due to the quantity and type of weapons stolen.
Motorcycle Collision (June 28, 2025)
A motorcyclist sustained critical injuries after colliding with a 2022 BMW 550 in the 3600 block of West Illinois Avenue around 1 a.m. The individual was hospitalized, and the crash is under investigation.

Notes and Observations

Kerr County Tragedy Has Deep Local Impact
The flash floods in Kerr County affected multiple families from Midland and Odessa, making this disaster one of profound local significance. The high death toll and continued search for the missing amplify the tragedy.
Community Generosity Shines
Donation drives, food bank partnerships, and fundraising efforts highlight the resilience and compassion of Midland residents. Their response underscores West Texas’ strong community spirit in times of crisis.
Omissions and Scope
Entertainment and celebrity news were omitted unless directly relevant to Midland. Some ongoing investigations provided limited public details as of this report.

Facebook Killer Startup Seeks 1M at a 10M Valuation. Interested?
Esther Dyson https://t.co/3eXUQgYa5c
The Rise of the Real Social Network: From Anti-Social Algorithms to Planetary Uplift https://t.co/1dwdxZ2Ay6 Drives Venture Capital?
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) July 13, 2025

Betting on the Fractal Future https://t.co/X1ugXdZPy8
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) July 13, 2025

Did you know? The deepest the bow, the higher the respect shown. This is a core part of Japanese bowing etiquette, known as ojigi.

This man married a gymnast.pic.twitter.com/7V5oQLdhSq
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 13, 2025

Scheduling summer plans can be overwhelming, but we’ve done the math: Let us convince you why the best time to hang out is 4:30 p.m. https://t.co/IYcRZ36VyP
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) July 13, 2025

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Monday, July 07, 2025

7: Texas

World War III Is Unnecessary
Grounded Greatness: The Case For Smart Surface Transit In Future Cities
The Garden Of Last Debates (novel)
Deported (novel)
Empty Country (novel)
Trump’s Default: The Mist Of Empire (novel)
The 20% Growth Revolution: Nepal’s Path to Prosperity Through Kalkiism
Rethinking Trade: A Blueprint for a Just and Thriving Global Economy
The $500 Billion Pivot: How the India-US Alliance Can Reshape Global Trade
Trump’s Trade War
Peace For Taiwan Is Possible
Formula For Peace In Ukraine
A 2T Cut
Are We Frozen in Time?: Tech Progress, Social Stagnation
The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption
AOC 2028: : The Future of American Progressivism

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Tech Incubator: Why Midland?

Tech Incubator: Why Midland? pic.twitter.com/SAmGTSW1Hh
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) January 29, 2025

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Vivek Wadhwa: The Smartest Dude In Silicon Valley

(reprinted without permission)

If I am an optimist, it is because Vivek is looking into his crystal ball. I want this guy on my company's Board so bad!

"New trillion-dollar industries will come out of nowhere and wipe out existing trillion-dollar industries."

2014 is ending, but this wave of technology disruptions is just beginning

Dec 22, 2014 23,004 Views 732 Likes 153 Comments

Changes in technology are happening at a scale which was unimaginable before and will cause disruption in industry after industry. This has really begun to worry me, because we are not ready for this change and most of our leading companies won’t exist 15–20 years from now. Here are five sectors to keep an eye on:

1. Let’s start with manufacturing.

Robotics and 3-D printing have made it cheaper to manufacture in the United States and Europe than in China. Robots such as Baxter, from Rethink Robotics, and UR10, from Universal Robots, have arms; screens which show you their emotions; and sensors that detect what is happening around them. The cost of operating these is less than the cost of human labor. We can now have robots working 24×7 and doing some of the work of humans. Over time, these robots will become ever more sophisticated and do most human jobs. The manufacturing industry is surely going to be disrupted in a very big way. This is good news for America, Europe, and parts of Asia, because it will become a local industry. But this will be bad for the Chinese economy — which is largely dependent on manufacturing jobs.

In the next decade, robots will likely go on strike, because we won’t need them anymore. They will be replaced by 3D printers. Within 15 to 20 years, we will even be able to 3D print electronics. Imagine being able to design your own iPhone and print it at home. This is what will become possible.

2. The reinvention of finance.

We are already witnessing a controversy over Bitcoin. Many technology and retail companies are supporting it. Crowdfunding is shaking up the venture-capital industry and making it less relevant because it provides start-ups with an alternative for raising seed capital. We will soon be able to crowdfund loans for houses, cars, and other goods. With cardless transactions for purchasing goods, we won’t need the types of physical banks and financial institutions that we presently have. Banks in the United States seem to be complacent because they have laws protecting them from competition. But our laws don’t apply in other countries. We will see innovations happening abroad which disrupt industries in the United States.

3. Health care.

Apple recently announced Healthkit, its platform for health information. It wants to store data from the wearable sensors that will soon be monitoring our blood pressure, blood oxygenation, heart rhythms, temperature, activity levels, and other symptoms. Google, Microsoft, and Samsung will surely not be left behind and will all compete to provide the best health-data platforms. With these data, they will be able to warn us when we are about to get sick. AI-based physicians will advise us on what we need to do to get healthy.

Medical-test data, especially in fields such as oncology, is often so complex that human doctors cannot understand it. This will become even more difficult when they have genomics data to correlate. Over the last 15 years, the cost of human genome sequencing has dropped from the billions to about a thousand dollars. At the rate at which prices are dropping, the cost of sequencing will be close to zero in a few years and we will all have our genomes sequenced. When you combine these data with the medical-sensor data that the tech companies are collecting on their cloud platforms, we will have a medical revolution. We won’t need doctors for day-to-day medical advice any more. Robotic surgeons will also do the most sophisticated surgeries. We’re going to disrupt the entire health-care system.

4. Now take the energy industry.

Five years ago, we were worried about America running out of oil; today we’re talking about Saudi America — because of fracking. Yes, fracking is a harmful technology; nevertheless it has allowed America to become energy independent and will soon make it an energy exporter. And then there is solar energy, which some people have become negative about. But it is a fact solar prices have dropped about 97 percent over the past 35 years, and, at the rate at which solar is advancing, by the end of this decade we will achieve grid parity across the United States. Grid parity means it’s cheaper to produce energy at home on your solar cells than to buy it from utilities. Move forward another 10 or 20 years, and it will costs a fraction as much to produce your own energy as to buy it from the grid. This means that the utility companies will be in serious trouble. This is why they are beginning to fight the introduction of solar. If solar keeps advancing in the way it is, it will eclipse the fossil-fuel industry. Solar is only one of maybe a hundred advancing technologies that could disrupt the energy industry.

When we have unlimited energy, we can have unlimited clean water, because we can simply boil as much ocean water as we want. We can afford to grow food locally in vertical farms. This can be 100 percent organic, because we won’t need insecticides in the sealed farm buildings. Imagine also being able to 3D print meat and not having to slaughter animals. This will transform and disrupt agriculture and the entire food-production industry.

5. Communications.

Yes, even this industry will be disrupted. Note how AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have seen their landline businesses disappear. These were replaced by mobile—which is now being replaced by data. When I travel abroad, I don’t make long-distance calls any more, because I just call over Skype. Soon we will have WiFi everywhere, thanks to the competition between companies such as AT&T and Google to provide superfast Internet access. We will be able to make free calls over open WiFi networks.

***

In practically every industry that I look at, I see a major disruption happening. I know the world will be very different 15 to 20 years from now. The vast majority of companies who are presently the leaders in their industries will likely not even exist. That is because industry executives either are not aware of the changes that are coming, are reluctant to invest the type of money that is be required for them to reinvent themselves, or are protecting legacy businesses. Most are focused on short-term performance.

New trillion-dollar industries will come out of nowhere and wipe out existing trillion-dollar industries. This is the future we’re headed into, for better or for worse.

Thursday, June 02, 2011

The Mind Of An Entrepreneur

Image via WikipediaIn search of a consulting gig I am in talks with an early stage entrepreneur in Texas. It is amazing to watch his mind work. He has been active in the space he wants to build his tech startup in for almost a decade. The guy has been immersed. That is a good sign. He has a wonderful slide deck. It really spells out the vision. And he has raised some angel money from his brother.

The passion comes through. The knowledge comes through.

One thing I also noted was the dude is suspicious of VC money. He'd rather not take VC money. That thought process was amusing to me. If you end up facing a situation where you are having to decide if you want to take VC money or not, that is a swell situation to be in. Of course he is just starting, he is not there. But it was something to hear him say that.

SXSW: Not Going

Nagas procession at Kumbh Mela, Haridwar

Image via WikipediaI was on the phone with a friend earlier in the day. She is going to South By South West for the first time and she is excited. SXSW is in the air.

I have never bought a plane ticket in America. I guess she was trying to convince me to come along. I guess it is too late to sign up for panels and things. But you can go to the parties in the evenings, she said. They are free.

I get the impression South By South West is the Kumbh Mela of tech. More than 10,000 people show up. From all over the country.

Maybe next year. This year it's a pass.

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Sunday, July 13, 2025

Midland, Texas News Summary: June 13 – July 13, 2025

Midland, Texas News Summary