Water Damage Restoration in Odessa, TX

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) -

On Sunday morning around 1:30 a.m., a drunk driver hit an Odessa man in front of his home. He’s been in the hospital ever since with serious injuries.

Alex Bingham is a 25-year-old father, son and husband who is now left intubated with a low chance of recovery.

Yvette Dominguez, Alex Bingham’s Mother-In-Law said, “If something horribly happens to him, I’m going to lose her (daughter), my grand babies are going to lose their dad.”

Early Sunday morning his wife, Faith, heard noises outside of their home, so Alex went outside to see what was going on.

A neighbor’s ring camera captured the tragedy. As Alex is outside, a drunk driver goes over a curb and hits Alex, then leaves the scene.

And that would change their lives forever.

Alex Bingham’s Mom, Melinda Yzaguirre said, “It’s just so wrong that they can take a life like that and turn it all upside down just for a night of fun... they had a night of fun, and they ruined somebody else’s life and the kid’s life... and it’s just not fair, it’s just not fair.”

Alex’s mother spoke highly of her son. He was the ultimate provider for his wife and kids.

“My son Alex Bingham is a hardworking man, and he works his butt off for his family, he’s a family man, he’s always wanted to take care of his bills and his family and is loved by everybody,” said Yzaguirre.

“He’s got three kids ages six months, and two years old, and four years old Alex was the sole provider and he’s never going to be the same after this accident,” she said.

Jose Contreras, the man responsible for driving the car while intoxicated was arrested and charged with intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and collision involving serious bodily injury.

But as of today, is out on bond.

“You destroyed a whole life; you destroyed a whole family,” said Dominguez.

Alex’s family and friends are rallying around them in support, so if you’d like to help them, the link to their GOFUNDME is below.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-faith-and-her-children-during-alexs-healing?qid=08206d27676c7afb9e0807222086073a

Copyright 2024 KOSA. All rights reserved.

Odessa's mayor has responded to citizens' feedback to a recent Odessa City Council decision.

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ODESSA, Texas — Odessa City Mayor Javier Joven released a statement Monday morning regarding the new city restroom ordinance which now states that the use of public restrooms, changing rooms and/or locker rooms will be restricted based on an individual's sex.

The Odessa City Council made the decision about public restroom use in an Oct. 22 meeting.

If the ordinance is violated, individuals could receive a $500 fine and a Class C misdemeanor.

Many who attended the Oct. 22 meeting called it a "divisive" move that will negatively target the LGBTQ community, specifically those who identify as transgender.

"I take my responsibility to represent the interests of our community seriously," Mayor Joven said in a news release sent to the media. "The recent agenda item regarding the amendment of restroom regulations in city-owned buildings was a sensitive and important issue that required careful consideration."

From "feedback and perspectives of majority of our citizens," Joven said he supports changing the terminology from "opposite sex" to individual's birth sex.

"While it is crucial to consider the needs and concerns of all community members, including the LGBTQ population, it is also important to prioritize the safety and privacy of the majority," Joven said. "By recognizing the statistical data that shows a small percentage of individuals identifying as transgender compared to the larger population, it became clear that supporting the majority in this decision was the most prudent course of action. Balancing the interests of the minority while upholding the rights and desires of the majority is integral to effective governance."

Joven went on to say that, "In light of the recent decisions made by the Odessa City Council, including banning the enforcement of certain mandates and becoming a 'Sanctuary City for the Unborn,' it is evident that we prioritize individual freedoms and choices."

Joven said he believes that "by ensuring privacy and safety in our city-owned bathrooms, we are not only protecting our citizens but also creating a more inclusive and respectful community."

"Moving forward, I am committed to continuing to listen to the concerns and feedback of all community members, working towards solutions that benefit the majority while respecting the rights and needs of every individual," Joven said. "By approaching these issues with thoughtfulness and consideration, I am confident that we can create a better, more harmonious community for all."

RELATED: Concerned citizens slam 'divisive' decision by Odessa City Council to restrict use of public restrooms

Saving lives and getting care quicker to those outside the city limits is top of mind when it comes to the MCH ballot measure, according to supporters. It will help spread the cost of emergency services from just city property owners to also those in the county that would be most affected by expanding fire/EMS services.

The ballot prop has had specific publicity and some are expressing confusion about the Ector County Hospital District’s Prop A on the ballot.

In a nutshell what the ECHD Prop A would do: It’s the first of essentially two steps in two different elections that would move the burden of paying for emergency services off of just City of Odessa property owners and spread equally among those in the county as well.

This first step would allow ECHD the ability to raise their tax cap so that in a later election, the voters could decide on a tax rate for the expansion of fire/EMS services in Ector County.

The City of Odessa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ECHD and Ector Co. that would eventually lower their property tax rate to offset what in city property owners pay.

This first step is not just righting the way out of City emergency services are funded – it also benefits residents outside the city limits by getting them to the hospital faster or getting a firetruck to a structure fire more quickly, and has the potential to lower homeowners insurance rates and risk factors outside the city limits.

ECHD officials have been meeting with folks in areas outside of Odessa like Gardendale, Pleasant Farms and West Odessa. Medical Center Hospital President & CEO Russell Tippin has been part of those meetings and says it all comes down to time.

“We are seeing patients that if you lived in town and had a heart issue or a car wreck and you got here in a good amount of time you’re recovery chances increased…you are one we are able to help. If you lived outside of Odessa we noticed that their outcome was remarkably different because of the time it takes to get them back here to the hospital.”

Tippin said north, south, east and west are growing quickly and these conversations are important. “The first thought was to create an emergency services district… but then we started talking and didn’t want to create another taxing entity. …why reinvent the wheel?”

Prop A is the first step, he said. He said passage of the Prop A does not immediately change taxes. It just allows ECHD to move on to the the next part of the two steps in November 2025. Some eventual legislative approval is also needed if voters give the plan a green light.

Tippin stressed how new fire stations will be built and staffed and those will work hand in hand with current volunteer departments.

This is a partnership between ECHD, the City of Odessa and Ector County. By working together, Tippin said, out of city residents will pay their equal share for the services and will also have access to better services that will get them to the hospital faster.

ECHD has been hampered for years from bringing in more money as the patient population has exploded. As the area’s highest trauma rated hospital other area hospitals send their most complex patients to Medical Center Hospital.

Many of those hospitals collect millions more in property taxes than Medical Center is able to. MCH also gets sales tax and those two taxes are required to essentially “even each other out.” That means the hospital district cannot bring in more funds. This Prop A is the first step in addressing that.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

We are asking voters to increase the Ector County Hospital District’s tax cap from 15 cents to 75 cents.

Yes, it is. To properly fund the expansion of Fire/EMS services, the city of Odessa will reduce their tax rate by 14 cents, and ECHD will need to increase their tax rate by 8 cents. ECHD currently has a tax rate of just over 8 cents and a tax cap at 15 cents. Legally, ECHD can not go over a 15-cent cap unless the cap is raised by voter approval. This proposition would need to be approved by voters first, before moving on to the next phase of the agreement between the three entities.

This is step one of the process as part of the agreement with the three entities. Should this proposition pass, it would allow for ECHD to ask the voters to increase the tax rate by 8 cents in a future election (which can’t legally be done unless the cap raise is approved by voters) to help fund the beginning of expansion of Fire/EMS services in Ector County. In addition, the ECHD sales tax structured would need to be altered via voter approval as well – and then passed through legislation.

This will not impact taxes for 2025. This is simply asking to raise the tax cap to allow ECHD to raise taxes in the future, while the city will decrease its taxes, to expand Fire/EMS services in Ector County, as agreed upon by the three entities.

No. The ECHD Board of Directors votes every year to approve a tax rate for the following year. Taxpayers are protected by a maximum tax raise of 7.99% from the previous year’s tax rate, and can only be set above that limit by voter approval.

It will allow ECHD to ask voters to increase the tax rate above the current cap in a future election, to help fund the expansion of Fire/EMS services in Ector County, as agreed upon by the three entities, while allowing the city of Odessa to lower their tax rate by 14 cents.

Residents can participate in stakeholder meetings and public hearings. They can also access more information at mchodessa.com/fireemsinfo.

U.S. Congressman August Pfluger said former President Donald J. Trump’s visit to Midland-Odessa for a fundraising lunch was a success Wednesday with Pfluger saying Trump will fight for every single person in the Permian Basin and the country.

Pfluger and his wife, Camille, greeted the former president at the Midland International Air & Space Port on the tarmac and then joined the convoy to the Midland Country Club for the fundraiser. Pfluger said both he and Trump were touched by the thousands of people lining the roads with flags in a show of support for Trump.

“What an honor for Camille and I to be the first to greet him to the Permian Basin and he felt right at home and was thrilled to be here,” Pfluger said via phone following the event. “He felt right at home and thrilled to be here and the first thing he talked about was energy dominance and he knows and spoke multiple times today about ‘drill baby drill’ in the most important and prolific area for production.”

He said the crowd at the lunch was a good one and he was proud the fundraiser took in more than the Houston fundraiser, which was also on Wednesday.

“President Trump was excited to be in Texas and in Midland and Odessa and said thank you,” Pfluger said of the energy sector. “His understanding of what we do here is amazing … he knows how hard it has been the last three or four years under the Biden Harris administration.”

Pfluger said as they rode to the private event and saw all the people that he told Trump: “The people love you.” He said the former president wondered if they should have done a public event but Pfluger said he assured him the people of Midland-Odessa know he needs fundraisers to go to the places where folks don’t line the streets to spread his message.

Pfluger said Trump touched on just about “every issue” during the event. “He talked about the lack of border security under Harris and issues around the world,” Pfluger said. “But we saw a side of Trump we don’t usually see … he was self-deprecating and was very engaged and he was just a guy you want to sit and talk to.”

Pfluger was particularly touched by Trump talking about his time in office and going into Iraq when he was president. “I was fighting in Iraq at that time,” Pfluger, a former Air Force pilot, said. “He talked about how he talked to military leaders and got an assessment of what it would take to defeat Isis … they told him they already knew but Obama wouldn’t listen … President Trump used that story to say we know what the problems are and we are going to go back to solving them.”

President Trump also detailed how proud he was of his vice presidential running mate, J.D. Vance, and his performance during a Tuesday night debate.

Trump told the group he had been questioned about why he picked Vance as a running mate. He said now the country knows why and it is because he is sharp, articulate and concise. Trump said he is very proud of Vance.

Pfluger said it was a great crowd of true pioneers in the industry who want to see the country succeed. “They dug deep and I’m proud of this area,” Pfluger said. “It strikes me when I think of the Permian Basin for 70, 80, 90 years … and every single time we go through a downturn or a tough time or an oil embargo … whatever it is we always get back up. And guess what? That is the same for President Trump. He always gets back up and fights. He will fight for the Permian Basin and will stand up for the whole country … I look forward to his inauguration in January.”

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) -

Early Saturday morning, the Ector County Sherriff’s Office put out an amber alert for the abduction of six-year-old Maximillius Dominguez.

By Saturday evening, the amber alert was discontinued. The child was found safely, and the mother and father were arrested for kidnapping.

According to Herrera, the process of putting out an amber alert is pretty simple.

The Sherriff’s office must send a pdf to the Texas Department of Public Safety to let them know about the amber alert request.

Friday night, a woman reported her six-year-old grandson had been taken from her front yard by the child’s father, Jose Dominguez. An amber alert was issued just before 1 a.m.

When it comes to making an amber alert state or city wide, it depends strictly on the circumstances.

In Saturday’s case, making the public aware of the situation was important, as the Sherriff’s office was able to find the suspect through a tip.

Investigator Nicholas Herrera, of the Ector County Sheriff’s Office, said, “It’s extremely important, especially in situations like we had on Saturday. We were contacted as soon as it was sent out by multiple agencies, so we’re very thankful for that. The public was also made aware, so we actually got a tip from somebody and were able to make contact with the vehicle involved.”

After the amber alert went out, law enforcement spent most of Saturday looking for the child in Gardendale.

The possibility of the suspect and victim fleeing to another state played a huge part in issuing this weekend’s amber alert.

“When we were notified, it was just the father that was in possession of the child, we did not know anything about the mother. Deputies did make contact with the mother and they did not see either our male subject or that child on scene, so from there just with the possibility of him going to Colorado, we went ahead and made it state-wide before he was able to get across state lines,” said Herrera

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, the tip about Dominguez’s car came in and deputies found and arrested him. Then at 6 p.m. on Saturday, the Sheriff’s office got a call saying the child was with his mother, Vanessa Mariscal, in west Odessa.

Law enforcement was able to find them and arrested Mariscal.

Mariscal and Dominguez, the mother and father, were both arrested for kidnapping. According to jail records, they are being held on fifty-thousand-dollar bonds.

Copyright 2024 KOSA. All rights reserved.