🌱 Threat At Walmart + City Of Odessa Terminates Recycling Services

Hello all. I'm here with your fresh copy of the Odessa-Midland Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 91 Low: 62.
• Saturday: Couple of thunderstorms. High: 72 Low: 58.

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

1. Raji Abdulazeez, 31, called the police saying he was in crisis at an Odessa Walmart and armed with a gun. When police arrived, Walmart was evacuating shoppers and staff from the building. Police worked with staff to locate Abdulazeez in the store where they found him holding a non-functioning BB gun. They detained him without incident and the gun was never displayed and no overt threats were made to anyone with it. Abdulazeez has been charged with criminal trespass and a class B misdemeanor. (NewsWest9.com)
2. The City of Odessa has terminated recycling services due to budget cuts. Odessa residents who would still like to recycle will have to drive to Butts Recycling Inc. in Midland. The millions of dollars used for recycling will be going to the improvement of infrastructure, such as roads, pipes, sewers, and first responders. (waste360)
3. Social media threats about a school shooting in schools across West Texas on Wednesday are now being investigated by the FBI. The investigation started with a threat made to a New Mexico School that then permeated across a number of schools in west Texas including Midland. The threat claimed that there would be a school shooting and bombing. Police departments were placed on high alert but suspected the threat was not credible. (San Angelo LIVE!)

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Today and tomorrow in Odessa-Midland:

Friday, May 12

• Bookmobile At Bradford Park (10:00 AM)

Saturday, May 13

• Midland Downtown Farmers Market At Lawn, The Museum Of The Southwest (8:00 AM)
• Night At The Circus Mother And Son Dance At Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• According to recent data, the state of Texas had the 10th-highest rate of U.S. teen driver fatalities in 2022. Bumper.com reports that "young drivers are statistically more likely than other age groups to be involved in fatal accidents." (Bumper.com)
• Odessa police want citizens to be on the lookout for a suspect who stole $400 dollars worth of copper wire. The theft occurred on Apr. 29 in the 1400 block of S. Alleghany. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police department. (Odessa Police Department via Facebook)
• The Midland Fire Department responded to a fire on May 11 on the 1000 block of Main Street. One person was treated at the scene for minor injuries no other injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still being investigated. (Midland TX Fire Department via Facebook)

You're officially in the loop for today! See you soon for your next 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.