Less than six months after obstetrics services ended at Olney Hamilton Hospital, two Olney women experienced harrowing deliveries that nearly occurred on the side of the road — including one baby born inside an ambulance parked across the street from the hospital.
Local beef producers are entering the new year with strong prices — and a growing list of unanswered questions. Will consumer demand for high-priced beef hold? When and how will live cattle trade with Mexico resume? Will producers have access to the capital needed to expand or even maintain operations? And how will new regulations, trade tensions, and market volatility shape decisions in the year ahead?
Young County sheriff ’s deputies seized a large amount of narcotics and cash from a Lubbock man during a Christmas Eve traffic stop on State Highway 114, according to an arrest affidavit by Deputy John Evans.
The newly renovated Olney Community Library and Arts Center is preparing to reopen to the public with a refreshed interior, new furnishings and reimagined spaces designed to better serve patrons of all ages. The library, which closed in November for renovations, will hold a tentative grand opening on Monday, Jan. 26, from 4–6 p.m., Library Director Lori Cox said. The reopening was pushed back by about two weeks after a delay in receiving carpet slowed the rest of the installation work.
After nearly two years of debate and delay, the Olney City Council unanimously approved the creation of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2 on Dec. 22 — just under the wire to capture new tax revenue that supporters said would give the long-sought zone a crucial early boost. The vote came at the council’s final meeting of 2025 and followed months — and in some cases years — of sometimes tortuous discussion over the merits, risks and boundaries of the proposed tax zone. By contrast, Monday’s meeting was notable for its brevity. Olney Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Tom Parker was present to answer questions about the zone’s footprint and how the tax increment funds could be used, but there was little discussion from council members before the unanimous vote.
213 E. Main St.
PO Box 577
Olney, Texas 76374
Phone: (940) 564-5558
Fax: (940) 564-3992