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11-14-2023 - From my corrections consultant - The unit Offender Grievance Department received several complaints that a Correctional Officer was sleeping on duty. A Grievance Investigator set out to get a statement from the accused, and any witnesses. The accused officer was found seated, head down on the table, apparently sleeping, in an offender dayroom. The offenders were, of course, "racked up" (in their houses) at the time. The investigator had to wake the officer to get his side of the story. He denied sleeping at any time while on duty. Other officers who knew him said he did sleep often and, when awakened, would sit up and say "Amen", as if he were only praying.

11-14-2023 - If you've been in the area of 7th & Scott in downtown Wichita Falls, you've no doubt noticed the demolition of the old shoe repair shop on the north west corner. News reports say the building was in a bad state of repair and was unsafe. Luckily, the adjacent structures were spared.

11-14-2023 - Good Morning! It's 0515 hours and the coffee is ready. I hear some local traffic on CB Radio Channel 19 already. Walmart is also awake at 154.570 MHz. That waste management company on 463.300 MHz is also up and running. And, of course, the James V. Allred Unit on 153.815 MHz never sleeps. Well, you might find an officer or two snoozing now and then, but that's another story.

11-13-2023 - I took a short walk this afternoon, accompanied by my Icom IC V80 handheld transceiver. This is the radio I received for $1 as a bonus for ordering other items. I gave a couple of shouts on 146.520 FM simplex but got no answer. I was on the low power setting which was probably 1 watt. I'll crank it up to its full 5.5 watt output for my next hike. I could have accessed one of the local repeaters with no problem, but I'm mostly a simplex guy.

11-13-2023 - AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced his appointment of Aaron Nielson as Solicitor General. Quoating the Attorney General: "I am delighted to welcome Aaron as Solicitor General. In this position, he will lead the critical appellate work for some of our most significant, far-reaching cases," said Attorney General Paxton. "His talent and expertise are virtually unmatched, earning him national renown in the legal community. He will be a tremendous asset to our agency and to our state's appellate leadership on the major legal questions of our era."

11-13-2023 - Savanna Army Depot, Savanna, Illinois - 1974-75 - patrolling the J-Area - keeping those "special weapons" safe and secure - easing the boredom with Coke Can Tag and Spotlight Polo - those were the days.

11-13-2023 - From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Prior work experience was required for 47.5 percent of workers and on-the-job training was required for 79.0 percent. On average in 2022, workers were required to have 1,021 days of previous experience. Prior work experience required for management occupations was an average of 1,996 days, while community and social services occupations required 723 days.

11-13-2023 - A couple of local "hams" were discussing the roughness of Sheppard Access Road. I'm reminded of the last time I test-drove a new vehicle, the salesperson said he always made sure customers got on Sheppard Access Road so he could demonstrate the smooth ride of whatever vehicle he was trying to sell. Tune in to local Amateur (ham) Radio VHF and UHF communications on your scanner.

11-13-2023 - From my law enforcement consultant - Years ago, when crime victims (assault, shooting, stabbing, etc.) showed up at either Bethania (now United Regional) or Wichita General Hospital (now gone), one of the officers working the downtown beat would handle that call and resulting report. The downtown officers, feeling slightly abused, gripingly initiated a change in policy whereby the officer working the beat on which the crime or other incident occurred, was sent to the hospital. Unknown how it works these days.

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11-13-2023 - Good Morning! If you've been following my posts, you know it's Folgers Black Silk time! Of all my local scanner radio targets, the city transit bus radio and the Allred Unit radio are the only systems where the call sign is given automatically in Morse code. The Allred Unit (B Tower) also makes a voice ID every hour. I never heard other businesses give a call sign.

11-12-2023 - It's 2000 hours on Sunday. That means it's time for the Wichita Amateur Radio Society (WARS) weekly informal net on the club's 147.140 MHz repeater. Tune in with your scanner or check in if you're a Ham Radio operator.

11-12-2023 - Members of the Local Group are active on CB Radio Channel 23 this evening. I thought everyone was watching the Cowboys, but I guess not.

11-12-2023 - From my corrections consultant - On one of the recreation yards, one offender greeted another with a "Happy Birthday". The birthday offender responded by dropping dead. Seriously. We never know when that moment might take us, and others, by surprise. Tune in to Allred daily operations at 153.815 MHz on your scanner.

11-12-2023 - This morning, I'm listening to portions of a three-way conversation on 151.820 MHz, a Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) frequency. I can't make out the subject of their talk because their transmissions are short. They might be using the radio to coordinate some activity.

11-12-2023 - From my corrections consultant - The monitor on the X-ray scanner in 13-Building was acting up. In case you don't know, 13-Building is the main point of entry into the unit. The company (not in Wichita Falls) was notified and a repair technician was dispatched. The technician arrived in the late afternoon. I don't know if he drove to Wichita Falls or if he arrived by plane and rented a car. He walked up to 13-Building and informed officers that his 8 hours was up for the day and that he would return in the morning. The faulty monitor was not more than 30 feet away. But wait, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is no different. An Allred Correctional Officer drove an agency vehicle to Huntsville to have a two-way radio installed. Unknown if he had the radio with him or if it was in Huntsville. What's wrong with the radio shop that services the Wichita Falls PD and Wichita County S.O.? Shipping the radio from Hunstville to Wichita Falls, if necessary, seems more economical to me. But what do I know? Tune in to Allred at 153.815 MHz on your scanner.

11-12-2023 - The CB Radio band is slowly opening this morning. This is good news if you're a "skip shooter", but not good news if you like quiet, local communications. I prefer the quiet, but it is what it is so I've learned how to find good in all atmospheric conditions. The problem with CB Radio is not the atmosphere but with attitudes. Sometimes it seems like you can't find a channel that doesn't have some silliness going on. On those days, I focus on other radio services such as Ham Radio, scanning, or shortwave. But, when you find a CB Radio silly-free frequency, it's a lot of fun. At least for me.

11-12-2023 - From my law enforcement consultant - An older couple entered the station and approached the Information Desk. Some called it the Front Desk, but since there was no Back Desk, I preferred to call it the Information Desk. Just as the couple reached the window, each produced - the man from his pocket and the woman from her purse - identical .45 caliber semi-automatic pistols. Before the officer could react, they placed the pistols on the counter with the man saying "We'd like to register these."

11-12-2023 - From my law enforcement consultant – A Wichita Falls police officer was driving west on Old Iowa Park Road. Just as he neared what was then a Jiffy store at Harris Lane, he saw a man wearing a ski mask come from behind the building. The officer hit the brakes, and so did the masked man. By the time the officer could stop, the man had disappeared behind the building. Despite a search of the neighborhood, the man was not located. Both he and the officer probably recall this event often.