Big Country Beat: 12 arrests, Taylor Co. lightning fire & Abilene MPO concerns

Karley Cross
·2 min read

ABILENE, Texas (BigCountryHomepage.com) – 10 arrests from a child predator sting out of Sweetwater leads this edition of Big Country Beat. Keep reading for a full look at the trending local articles of the week.

LAST TIME → Big Country Beat: Abilene ADA is arrested & a long closed factory condemned

This week’s top 5 in BCH’s Big Country Beat

5. 6 towns to be folded into Abilene MPO operational boundary

In a meeting last Tuesday, the Abilene Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) met to solidify its operational boundary extension to include Merkel, Buffalo Gap, Tuscola, Lawn, Hawley, and Clyde. In the finalization stage, reporter Noah McKinney tells us that the the City of Anson did not want to be part of the program, and the City of Tye spoke to also opt out.

“Over the several years that I have been a staff member for the City of Tye, I have not seen any outreach from this organization at all… I don’t think there’d be any disadvantages to being included, but I haven’t seen any advantages to being included also,” explained Tye economic development director Cody Ellis at a February MPO meeting.

4. Police: Abilene woman shot ‘multiple times’ by ex-boyfriend

An Abilene woman was reportedly shot multiple times at a North Abilene apartment complex early Wednesday morning. DFW area authorities later arrested the suspect, one Gregory Haywood, 56. Police told KTAB/KRBC she was his “previous intimate partner,” and she was not killed in this shooting.

3. Abilene mother accused of biting, scratching, abusing 14-month-old child

An Abilene mother accused of abusing her 14-month child, causing bruising and head trauma, was arrested on Wednesday. Court documents say these injuries were reported last October by the child’s daycare.

2. Taylor County house struck by lightning, engulfed in flames

Lightning allegedly struck a home under construction in View last Saturday, catching it on fire.

Authorities told KTAB/KRBC nobody was home at the time and nobody was injured.

1. 10 arrested during child predator sting operation in Sweetwater

Sweetwater authorities worked with Homeland Security and other large agencies to arrest 10 men in a child predator sting.

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