🌱 County Jail Selling E-Cigarettes + Fire Cadet Hazing

Morning, everybody. It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Odessa-Midland Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Very windy; mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 53.
• Saturday: Plenty of sunshine. High: 82 Low: 47.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Odessa-Midland who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories in Odessa-Midland today:

1. The Ector County Jail will be selling e-cigarettes to inmates after receiving approval from the Ector County Commissioners Court. Sheriff Mike Griffis said that each e-cigarette is tied via a barcode to a particular inmate, and if it's found to be altered in any way when the inmate turns it in to get another one, then the inmate won't get another one. All the revenue from the e-cigarettes will go to jail, and there will be no offset to taxpayers. Griffis says they jail is planning to start with 1,000 units at $3.85 a piece to be sold for around $14 to see how it goes. (CBS 7)
2. The Healthy Kids Running Series in Midland will start this weekend. The series is a national and inclusive youth running program that involves five weekly races open to kids aged two through current eighth-graders. The Midland races will be held each Sunday for five weeks starting at 5 p.m. on Apr. 16., and registration will cost 45 dollars for all of the races, which includes shirts for all the participants and medals at the end of the five weeks. The running series has been operating in Midland since the spring and fall of 2021 with the goal to get kids to lead healthy lifestyles by creating a positive introduction to running and increasing motivation and healthy habits. (Midland Reporter-Telegram)
3. An independent review of the Odessa Fire Rescue Cadet Training found cadets were subject to hazing in the program. The review of 2022's program concluded there was not adequate direction given to training officers regarding the purpose of cadet training. Complaints about the program included a report that cadets were ordered to crawl across a parking lot in the blazing sun, resulting in burns to their hands that were not treated. Interim Fire Chief Jason Cotton said the department is actively working to change the culture and the issues identified in the review. (FirefighterNation.com)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Odessa-Midland:

Friday, April 14

• Helping Parents Thrive Parenting Their D/HH Children — Virtual (11:00 AM)

Saturday, April 15

• Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum Of The Southwest Lawn (8:00 AM)
• Who Let The Dogs Out 5k — Midland College (8:00 AM)
• 4th Annual Crawfish Boil Bash & Competition — The Destination Midland (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Action Air Plumbing & Septic of Odessa wants to share with the public the warning signs of a failing HVAC System with summer approaching. Some warning signs could be increased energy bills and strange noises coming from the system, such as grinding, squealing, or banging. Putting off repairs until a system stops working can decrease the life of your unit, so if you notice a warning sign, call to get it looked at. (Digital Journal)
• The Texas House recently voted to expand medical marijuana eligibility. The new bill had overwhelming support in the House and would expand the medical conditions that fall into the Compassionate Use Program, allowing more people to get medical marijuana cards. (News/Talk 790 KFYO)
• The City of Midland Animal Services will be closed today, Apr. 14 due to the increase of symptomatic animals showing signs of an illness. The department has treated all animals that have shown signs of infection and will be treating them over the weekend and disinfecting the facility. (City of Midland - Public Information via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll be in your inbox soon with another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.