In our ag focus today, another cattleman’s take on the supply/demand picture in the cattle business and the price situation that has followed.

Luke Hale and his family own and operate a number of sale barns under the Western Livestock Auction umbrella, including in Woodward.

Hale explained to KXDJ’s Chris Samples, “I think if you want to talk about common sense, it’s very simple. The supply of cattle is down. We see it all the time. The cattle numbers are the lowest they have ever been. That paired with a higher demand for beef, makes for good prices for the producer, which I think they were due for. I think it was a very simple issue which got complicated very quickly, which is something DC is very talented at. I think prices are still excellent. Obviously, we have had a wild roller coaster ride over the last couple of weeks but it seems like we are starting to see things level out a bit. That would be best case scenario.”

Click here to listen to more.

President Trump recently signed an executive order directing an investigation into the four major meat packers (JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill and National Beef). Samples asked Hale if the big companies are guilty of inflating beef prices.

“It sure looks that way in a lot of lights with massive profits. Obviously, a market control of 85 percent, that is beyond significant. That is something that gives you a pretty big weapon to wield. There’s never been much success in showing that. It’s been everybody’s gut feeling but this probe came up and I had forgotten about this. If you will remember, there was also a probe after the Holcomb fire. I wasn’t aware that probe had only closed a couple of weeks before this one was open,” Hale told Samples.

He went on to note, “I think consolidation has already happened. They have 85 percent of the market. I don’t know how much more consolidated you can get. You look at the poultry and pork industry, they are pretty well vertically integrated. I’m not sure if it would be feasible in the beef industry to do a model like that. Consolidation is anti-competitive in a lot of facets.”

You can listen to more here.

If you are interested in utilizing the services of Woodward Livestock Auction, click here. They have sales on every Tuesday and Thursday.

The Perryton basketball teams are both in action on the hardwood tonight.

The Rangers are at Canadian while the Rangerettes will open up district play at Randall.

Rangerette Coach Rhyan Daugherty joined KXDJ’s Chris Samples for an interview Monday morning. He discussed the season so far and said, “I think we are getting better. We are a really young team but we’ve played a tough schedule. Everyone we’ve played has either been pre-season ranked or is currently ranked in their respective classes. So, we are trying to play some good competition.”

When asked what the girls learn in those blow-out losses, Daugherty said that was a good question and added, “Sometimes you wonder. I do think they learn. I think they learn the physicality and speed of the game. Payton Schilling [a freshman] is a totally different player now than she was the first game back in November. I think she’s more dominant and tougher. You don’t get those if you don’t play the level of competition that we play.”

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. You can listen to it on 98.3 KXDJ or online at kxdjradio.com.

Texas has taken a significant step toward modernizing how government communicates with citizens.

With the passage of Senate Bill 1062, state lawmakers have updated long-standing public-notice rules—rules that for more than a century tied transparency obligations to printed newspapers.

Beginning in 2025, governmental entities in Texas may legally publish notices in qualifying digital newspapers, a shift that reflects the changing realities of local journalism and public access to information.

A Law Rooted in Changing Times
For decades, Texas statutes required cities, counties, school districts, and other governmental bodies to publish public notices—announcements such as election calls, public hearings, budget notices, bid solicitations, and zoning changes—in a “newspaper of general circulation.” These rules were built on the assumption that every community had at least one established print newspaper.

But as many rural and small-town communities know all too well, that assumption has grown outdated. Across Texas, local print newspapers have closed or reduced publication days. Some communities like ours now rely on an online news format that provides robust and relevant reporting.

SB 1062 seeks to bridge that gap.

What SB 1062 Does
Under the new law, governmental entities may publish required notices in a digital newspaper if it meets several standards designed to ensure credibility, stability, and public accessibility. A digital publication must:

• Maintain an audited paid subscriber base
• Have operated for at least three years
• Employ staff in the community it serves
• Cover local events, government, and general-interest news
• Update its content at least once per week

These criteria ensure that digital outlets approved for public-notice use are legitimate news sources, not pop-up sites or political content mills.  The HPOs meet all the requirements!

A Victory for Transparency—or a New Challenge?
Advocates for the bill argue it strengthens government transparency by meeting citizens where they are: online.

“Texans increasingly get their news digitally,” supporters said during the bill’s legislative process. “Public notices must follow the public.”

SB 1062 passed with broad support. 

Impact on Local Communities
For rural areas and smaller towns—places where local journalism often operates on a shoestring—the law may have an immediate impact.

Communities that have seen their local print newspapers decline and reduce circulation now have a legally recognized pathway to publish the notices required by state law. This may prevent government entities from resorting to posting notices in far-away regional newspapers that residents don’t actually read.

For digital outlets, the bill marks a significant recognition of their role in modern local news format.

Looking Ahead
Texas SB 1062 represents a notable shift in how the state views public access, community journalism, and local government accountability. It acknowledges the decline of traditional media while attempting to uphold a core democratic value: making sure citizens know what their government is doing.

This change strengthens transparency and will become clearer as communities begin to apply the law in the coming year.

The High Plains Observers have been ahead of the curve since launching their online news platform in 2006, steadily expanding regional coverage and achieving notable gains in readership and social media engagement.

This legal notice service has always been included in our format and currently used in many instances where notices are required.

December 4 drawing winners:
Linda Kile
Vicki Townsend

December 11 drawing winners:
Doug Nagell
Ruth Roberson

Area tax rates (city) adopted for the next fiscal year include:

Cactus $0.314208
Canadian $0.846380
Borger $0.606807
Dumas $0.614928
Fritch $0.547556
Gruver $0.2770
Pampa $0.703304
Perryton $0.501485
Sunray $0.302340
Stratford: $0.820486

As the area taxing entities wrap up their public tax hearings, we are finally able to publish the information as each community and county adopt local budgets and tax rates for the upcoming year.

Have you ever wondered just how your taxes are calculated?  Be an informed taxpayer!

To learn more click (more)

Click here for KXDJ Classifieds.

We have many different businesses looking for employees.

Michael Crain, a former state investigator, joined KXDJ's Chris Samples for installment number nine in their series on the Tom Brown case recently.

Crain has been looking closely at the case out of Canadian and he agrees with all of the investigators from the state of Texas on down that believe Tom committed suicide and there was a coverup. He has now taken the steps to become a licensed private investigator as well.

He has found many inconsistencies in the story from the family as well as statements made by the private investigator they hired, Philip Klein of Klein Investigations and Consulting.

In this episode, Crain shares more from Klein and his multiple versions of parts of the case as well as information he received from Trace Sargent, the handler for the cadaver dog that was used in the case.

If you are interested in listening to previous episodes, they are all linked below.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Latest Episode - November 2025

Thank you to HPO Reader Laura Alexander from Tulsa, Oklahoma, for sharing this postcard for our readers to enjoy!