Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - November 2006 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Copyright 2006 Victoria Advocate Online (http://victoriaadvocate.com) unless otherwise notated. ************************************************ November 01, 2006 From marketwire.com Bedford Acquires Well and Lease in Karnes County, Texas OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 01, 2006 -- Bedford Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: BFDE) (Cusip 076110 105) -- Bedford Energy, Inc. announces that it has acquired the Jansen #1A Oil and Gas Property in Karnes County, Texas. The acquisition includes a 138-acre lease, a well, and ancillary equipment. Bedford intends to re-complete the well beginning November 10, 2006 for gas production. Bedford is also acquiring additional nearby leases in Karnes County, Texas. For more detailed information on the Company or for a current status of our drilling results, please contact BFDE@bedfordenergy.com or visit www.bedfordenergy.com About Bedford Independent Oil and Gas Bedford Energy specializes in the recovery of oil & gas reserves through acquisition and project development, including existing field enhancement, and low-risk exploration opportunities. The Company has also created an oil field equipment division with specific industry alliances for resale. SEC DISCLAIMER Information contained herein may contain forward-looking statements which are not guarantees of future success or that there cannot be losses. The actual presence or recoverability of reserves for optimal and timely recovery, well costs or schedules or other matters cannot be promised. This release contains "Safe Harbor" provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 & involves risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated herein. Bedford believes the forward-looking statements are based on current reasonable assumptions but can give no assurance that results will be achieved. Unpredictable & unanticipated risks, trends and uncertainties including inability to accurately forecast operating results; the potential inability to achieve profits or have cash flow; access to financing; and other must be understood. Bedford assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events. Bedford Energy, Inc., 531 N Portland Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73107 ************************************************ November 02, 2006 On The Cusp Of A Century El Campo's Gillis Going After Win No. 100 EL CAMPO - It would not be much of a stretch to say Bob Gillis was born into the coaching profession. Gillis' father, Buster, was coaching at Luling in December of 1955 and the doctor scheduled to deliver Gillis, who just happened to be his uncle, warned Gillis' parents their child better be born during the week because he was going to the football game that weekend. "I've always wanted to coach," Gillis said. "I remember writing a paper in second grade saying that's what I wanted to do. My dad and older brother (the late Clay Gillis) were coaches. I never wanted to do anything else." It would be hard to envision Gillis doing anything else, considering the success he's had and the respect he's earned during his 20-plus years in the profession, including 13 years as a the athletic director and head football coach at Columbus and El Campo. Gillis has enjoyed a career that began as an assistant at Tidehaven in 1978 and continued at Pleasanton and Klein Oak before he became the head coach at Columbus in 1988 and moved to El Campo in 1992. Gillis counts a number of special moments during his coaching career, but he'll have the chance to join an exclusive club when El Campo travels to Katy's Rhodes Stadium tonight to play Katy Seven Lakes in a District 24-4A game. A win would not only clinch a playoff berth for the Ricebirds, it would also be No. 100 in Gillis' career. "It's kind of neat, especially since we can get into the playoffs," said Gillis, who will take a record of 99-38-2 into tonight's game. "Nowadays, you face so many different challenges with all the things that go on in school that it would probably be harder for a younger guy to do this." Gillis played football and basketball in high school in Rockport before going on to become a 230-pound offensive guard at Wharton County Junior College and a 248-pound offensive tackle at Howard Payne, where he joked, he was "one of those lighter, quicker guys." Gillis' time at Wharton County proved beneficial, as it gave him a chance to attend Wharton High School games and become familiar with coach Eddie Joseph. "Eddie is a great guy and I learned a lot from him," Gillis said. "I got to watch his games and I enjoyed what he did." Gillis credits Carl Peters at Tidehaven for schooling him in the fundamentals and he learned about defense under Hank Kotzur at Pleasanton and Klein Oak before he left for Columbus, which a fellow coach warned was a "coaches' graveyard." Gillis believes he was on the verge of turning the Columbus program around when he received an unexpected visit from Ed Hickman, who was traveling back to El Campo from Euless, where he had just been offered the Trinity job. "I thought El Campo was an up and coming program," said Gillis, who was selected to replace Hickman. "But my first year we went 6-4 and did not make the playoffs and my next year we went 8-2 and didn't make the playoffs again. I began to wonder but the next year (1994), we finally broke through." Gillis has felt a strong connection with the people in El Campo and the community has responded in kind. "The kids here have a real strong work ethic," Gillis said. "Most of them have grown up here and they have a lot of pride in the school. The parents have also been very supportive." Gillis' success and the backing he received from the community made it all the more shocking when he decided to leave coaching after the 1996 season for a position as an assistant superintendent with the El Campo school district. Gillis' next move was to Victoria, where he became the athletic director of the Victoria school district when Stroman and Victoria High consolidated into Memorial in 2000. Gillis, who continued to reside in El Campo, accepted the position with the Victoria school district shortly after his older brother was killed in plane crash. "I got to see my kids and do a lot more things," Gillis said. "What happened definitely put things in perspective. I still want to win but I realize now there are things that are a lot more important." Gillis realized while he was in Victoria how important coaching was to him and he returned as the athletic director and head football coach at El Campo before the 2003 season. The move gave Gillis the opportunity to coach his son, Kyle, for two seasons. "The first time I was here, I was new and I was trying to prove myself," Gillis said. "When I came back, I was more comfortable because I knew the community and the kids. I think I may enjoy it more. I still put pressure on myself but I've learned that all you can do is do the best you can do with what you do." Gillis credits much of the success he's enjoyed at El Campo to his assistant coaches, some of whom have been on the staff since he became head coach, while others have gone on to other positions. "Bob's a great person," said Brad Wright, who coached with Gillis at Klein Oak and El Campo and was the head coach at Karnes City, East Bernard and New Braunfels Canyon before becoming an assistant at Texas State University. "He's the kind of guy you want your children to be around. The kids respect him and like him as a coach and a person. That's what coaching is about. He's there to help the kids and those kids know about it." It seems appropriate that Gillis could reach the century mark in wins in a year in which he's arguably done one of his best coaching jobs. The Ricebirds have built a 7-1 record despite replacing the entire starting backfield and virtually the entire offensive line from last season. "He's a good coach," senior wide receiver Lee Orr said. "He's always positive and he'll pat you on the back, but he'll get on you if you make a mistake because he's trying to make you better. He stays pretty calm and he preaches to us not to get too emotional, but you want to avoid him after a loss. He gives everybody a fair chance. The thing he teaches us most is about playing hard." Gillis is excited about the rest of this season and he's likely to reach other milestones at El Campo since has no plans to stop coaching anytime soon. "If I ever don't have a burning desire to win, that's when it's time for me to go," Gillis said. "As long as I have my health, I want to go on for as long as I can." ****************************************** November 04, 2006 Karnes County treasurer under fire for money loss BY SONNY LONG - VICTORIA ADVOCATE KARNES CITY - The Karnes County treasurer has come under scrutiny by the Karnes County Commissioners Court for not putting several thousand dollars in county funds in an interest-bearing account. Nancy Duckett, who is also the county's investment officer, estimates the county lost as much as $14,000 in interest in October when more than $2 million was left in an account that did not earn any interest. The county's auditor estimates the loss to the county at closer to $60,000 over five months and the county judge agrees. "I had problems with some reports," Duckett said Friday. "That's all it was. I was trying to get the certificate of deposit out, and I ran three different reports three different times, and they didn't look right. I will not put money out if I don't know for sure what is available. I am not about to put money out if the reports are not accurate." The county treasurer's office routinely takes money out of a CD each month to cover the county's bills, with the remainder put back in an interest bearing account after it is determined how much is needed to pay the bills. With the money not returned to an interest bearing account in October, $13,000 to $14,000 in interest was lost. "There isn't a problem," Ducket said. "It has been resolved." County auditor Lajuana Kasprzyk doesn't think so. "This is not the first time funds have not been invested," Kasprzyk said. "We've left a lot of money on the table." Kasprzyk said, according to her figures, county funds were invested in an interest bearing account only seven times in the last 12 months. "That leaves five months in which the county did not earn at least $12,000 interest each month," said Kasprzyk. "That's a lot of money, especially for a small county." As for the report the treasurer said "didn't look right," the county auditor said, "It is one report that she does manually - the Road & Bridge Special account - so that each precinct will know how much they have to spend." The auditor, whose office is responsible for paying the county's bills, concedes there was about a $130,000 difference in the manual report and the computer generated one for that account. But she isn't so sure that should have prevented the treasurer from returning funds to the CD. At the end of September the county had about $2.7 million in the general fund and bills run about $300,000 a month, according to the auditor's figures. County judge Alger Kendall Jr. said the commissioners court was looking into the matter, and a special session of the court has been called for 9 a.m. Monday. The agenda calls for discussion, approval or disapproval of "assistance for the Karnes County treasurer's office as determined to be needed." Kendall agreed that the October accounting problem was not the first time funds had not been invested. "There have been multiple occurrences," Kendall said. "That's the reason we are looking into it." Kasprzyk said the investment negligence is symptomatic of how Duckett runs her office. "There have been problems concerning erroneous reports in other areas, and thousands of dollars left in the vault at any one time," she said. Before being elected to the office in 2000, Duckett was appointed interim county treasurer by the commissioners court when former treasurer Sandra Garza was convicted of theft by a public servant. Duckett is running unopposed for re-election. Sonny Long is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-275- 6319 or cueroadv@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com. ******************************** November 6, 2006 From equipmentleasingplace.com Tradestar Resources Announces Texas and Louisiana Remedial Well Workovers - Update in Operations Tradestar Resources Corporation (Pinksheets: TSRR) is pleased to announce that during the last two weeks, the company has put on line the Hysaw Hobson #6A in Karnes County, Texas. The Hysaw Hobson Field is expected to average 45 Barrels of Oil Per Day and net 1300 Barrels in October. ******************************** November 09, 2006 Garcia unseats Seaman as state rep Aprill Brandon - VICTORIA ADVOCATE With one San Patricio County precinct uncounted as of 7 p.m. Wednesday, Democrat Juan Garcia said he knew that he had succeeded in unseating veteran Republican Gene Seaman who was seeking his fifth term as state representative of District 32. At times the race was very close and seesawed back and forth, but in the final hours of counting votes in the San Patricio County towns of Mathis and Odem, Garcia had 17,379 votes to Seaman's 16,777. With only about 300 votes in that precinct, Garcia said it could not change the outcome. "It was a pretty dramatic finish," Garcia said Wednesday night. "We knew that when those Republican counties came in and we did so well - we had e-mail, calls and people stopping us on the street. They all said the same thing,' Juan, I've never voted for a Democrat before, you're my first. Don't let me down.' I knew we were doing something special." Garcia said he and his team worked hard win votes in Mathis and Odem. "We knew we had worked hard. We knocked on doors, entered homes, met their kids, and heard their hopes and dreams. We knew they would come out for us, and they did." He added, "A first time candidate is not supposed to beat a 10 year veteran. For the first time, Texans showed they still have a choice." Phone calls to Seaman's offices and home were not immediately returned. Evelyn Burleson, Calhoun County's Democratic Party chairman, said she learned that Seaman had conceded the race in a 5:45 p.m. Wednesday phone call from Garcia. Port Lavaca Realtor Russell Cain said that Seaman called him earlier in the day to say that he had lost the race. In a message on www.KRISTV.com in Corpus Christi, Seaman is quoted as saying: "It has been my honor to serve God, and the people of District 32 for the last 10 years. Ellen and I were blessed with the opportunity to establish so many friendships with people all over this community and those friends allowed us to be part of so many wonderful things in the Coastal Bend." In addition to San Patricio, District 32 covers Calhoun and Aransas counties and part of Nueces County. Clear winners were known by early Wednesday morning in other area state representative races. In District 17, Democrat incumbent Robby Cook squeaked by Republican opponent Tim Kleinschmidt, with 49 percent of the vote to Kleinschmidt's 48 percent. Cook had 19,633 votes to Kleinschmidt's 19,216 votes. Libertarian Roderick Gibbs had 1,281. District 17 covers Colorado, Fayette, Bastrop, Burleson and Lee counties and part of Brazos County. In District 35, Democrat incumbent Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles who received 53 percent of the total vote won over Republican candidate Michael Esparza, who had 42 percent. Toureilles had 16,049 votes, Esparza had 12,837 votes and Libertarian Edward Elmer had 1,634 votes. District 35 covers Bee, Goliad, Karnes, Atascosa, Jim Wells, Live Oak and McMullen counties. In District 29, Republican incumbent Glenda Dawson, who died on Sept. 12, won over Democrat Anthony A. Dinovo. Dawson snagged 21,284 votes, or 60 percent, while Dinovo had 13,984 votes. The governor will call a special election to determine who will replace Dawson. District 29 covers part of Brazoria County and all of Matagorda County. In District 30, which covers DeWitt, Jackson, Lavaca, Refugio and Victoria counties, Republican incumbent Geanie W. Morrison ran unopposed. Louise Popplewell and Aprill Brandon are reporters for the Advocate. Contact Popplewell at 361-552-2803 or ptlavadv@vicad.com. Contact Brandon at 361-580-6514 or abrandon@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com. ************************************************ November 9, 2006 From allamericanpatriots.com Texas Gov. Perry Requests USDA Drought Assistance for 10 Counties AUSTIN - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency provide disaster relief assistance for 10 counties where farms and ranches have experienced damage due to the effects of drought, including Angelina, Falls, Freestone, Goliad, Limestone, Midland, Refugio, Shackelford, Shelby and Trinity counties. Texas has been suffering from severe and prolonged drought conditions for more than a year, resulting in an estimated $4.1 billion in losses to the agricultural industry. "Having grown up in a farming and ranching community, I know first hand how devastating a drought can be to individual farmers and ranchers and the agriculture industry statewide," Perry said. "We want to help get farmers and ranchers the federal assistance they deserve as quickly as possible." Perry's previous requests for USDA assistance for 5 counties, including Bandera, Edwards, Falls, Kimble and Robertson counties, are pending approval. The USDA has already granted Perry's request for assistance to 123 drought-stricken counties. These counties include Anderson, Armstrong, Austin, Baylor, Bee, Blanco, Bosque, Bowie, Brewster, Brooks, Burleson, Calhoun, Callahan, Camp, Cherokee, Clay, Cochran, Coleman, Collin, Colorado, Concho, Cooke, Cottle, Crockett, Dallam, Dallas, Delta, DeWitt, Dimmit, Duval, Eastland, Ellis, Fannin, Fayette, Foard, Franklin, Frio, Gaines, Gillespie, Glasscock, Gonzales, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Irion, Jack, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, La Salle, Lamar, Lavaca, Leon, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Martin, Mason, McLennan, McMullen, Montague, Morris, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Nolan, Nueces, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Rains, Reagan, Red River, Rockwall, Runnels, Rusk, San Patricio, Smith, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Upshur, Upton, Van Zandt, Victoria, Washington, Wilbarger, Willacy, Wilson, Wise, Wood, Young and Zavala counties. When a USDA request is approved, qualified farm operators in designated counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA's Farm Service Agency. Producers can borrow up to 100 percent of actual production for physical losses, or a maximum of $500,000. The agency offers additional programs, such as technical assistance, to eligible farmers. In 2005, Gov. Perry requested a statewide drought declaration to pave the way for federal assistance for all farmers and ranchers who suffered losses due to extremely dry conditions; the USDA approved assistance for 245 Texas counties last year. Source: Texas Governor's Office ************************************************ From mysa.com November 15, 2006 Powerful winds fan Hayes brush fire By Roger Croteau Express-News Staff Writer High winds shoved a brush fire through hundreds of acres in the Driftwood area of Hays County on Wednesday afternoon, prompting evacuations of some subdivisions. Firefighters in Bandera, Kendall, Atascosa and Kerr counties worked to control smaller blazes. Winds were expected to moderate, but authorities cautioned that a freeze expected in the Hill Country this morning could turn underbrush to tinder. Most area counties have banned outdoor burning. About 1,200 acres had burned as of 7:30 p.m. in the Hays County fire, but no structures were damaged and no injuries reported, said Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Pam Robinson. The fire was 75 percent contained. She said the suspected cause was a controlled burn that got out of hand. The fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m. near FM 1826 and Darden Hills Road. Firefighters were able to save several homes threatened in the Rim Rock, Goldenwood and Rutherford Ranch subdivisions. By late afternoon, the wind had shifted to the southeast, pushing the flames toward Buda along Ranch Road 967 and the blaze still was not under control, Robinson said. A dozen area fire departments, plus the Texas Forest Service, were fighting it. The high winds also caused sporadic power outages throughout the area. Winds whipping through San Antonio on Wednesday morning at over 30 mph knocked out two CPS Energy circuits, shutting off power to about 3,000 customers. Swaying or breaking tree limbs also affected 25 other circuits, meaning they experienced brief outages through the day, said spokeswoman Teresa Cortez. Generally, outages lasted 20 to 30 minutes. The two circuits affected customers in the Walzem-Montgomery Road and Randolph areas. By late afternoon, the wind gusts started diminishing, Cortez said, and all major circuits were up and only a few hundred intermittent outages were reported. New Braunfels Utilities spokeswoman Gretchen Reuwer said there were several small blackouts around that city. "We had one power pole blow down and several others caused by trees contacting the lines," she said. "Our crews have been busy, but for the most part, it's held up well." Comal County Deputy Fire Marshal Wayne Ellington said a possible freeze could make the fire danger worse. "If all that green grass and brush freezes and dies, it will be lots of fuel, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. In Kendall County, a brush fire that broke out about 3 p.m. Wednesday had about 40 firefighters scrambling to keep up as it burned north of Interstate 10 and west of Boerne. "When we first got here, it was moving pretty fast. Right now, it's in some short grass, and it's slowed down," Jeff Fincke, Kendall County fire marshal and emergency management coordinator, said by phone from the site late in the afternoon. "We're estimating it's burned at least 75 acres at this time," he said. "There's a couple of houses in the direction it's moving, but we haven't started any evacuations yet, because we think we may have a line cut behind it." "The wind is definitely an issue," Fincke said. Bandera County Sheriff Weldon Tucker said a fire off Texas 173 about five miles south of Bandera burned about 50 acres before roughly 60 firefighters managed to extinguish it about 3 p.m. "It was real difficult because of the wind," he said. "I'd estimate that at one point it jumped about a quarter of a mile." On the western end of Bandera County, Vanderpool Fire Chief Doug King, who is also a county commissioner, said later, "We're really worried. If we get a fire started, we'll probably chase it all the way to the border. But so far, we're in good shape." Small fires were extinguished in Kerr and Atascosa counties. No fires were reported in Gillespie, Medina, Frio, Wilson or Karnes counties. Jourdanton Fire Chief David Prasifka said the Atascosa County fire burned 25 acres and came 50 yards from a structure near the community of La Parita. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- rcroteau@express-news.net Staff Writers Zeke MacCormack, Jeorge Zarazua and Ron Wilson contributed to this report. *************************** From ecanned.com November 13, 2006 Housing Report for Karnes County, Texas When compared to other counties in Texas, Karnes County ranks 199 of 254 by percent in growth of new residential structures. The county places 2,657 of 3,141, in terms of residential real estate percentage change change in the United States. According to the data, there is a large amount of affordable housing in Karnes County, Texas. In 2000, 94.6 percent of owner-occupied dwellings were valued under $125k. In Karnes County, the census reported 5,580 homes in the year 2005. This county has gone through a growth in housing units, adding a total of 52 residential structures since 2001, a change of 0.9 percent. Karnes County had a median home value in the year 2000 of $41,600, published by the Decennial Census. This home value is less than the Texas 2000 median home value of $82,500 and less than median owner- occupied dwelling value of $119,600 across the nation during that year. Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau *************************** From mysa.com November 17, 2006 Falls City grad killed in Iraq Jeorge Zarazua Express-News Staff Writer When Army Spc. Mitchel T. Mutz left for Iraq on his second tour of duty about two months ago, he shared for the first time since enlisting in the service some concern with his Falls City parents. "Before he left, he said, 'Mom, Dad, I'm worried this time,'" said his father, Bobby Mutz, recalling that reports of growing violence in Iraq seemed to be weighing on his son's mind. "We just reassured him, you know, that we loved him," said the former Karnes County sheriff. So when the doorbell rang Thursday afternoon and the elder Mutz saw a chaplain and a uniformed Army officer standing at his front door, he said he knew what to expect. "I told them, 'You don't need to tell me what happened,'" he said. The Defense Department announced Friday that an improvised explosive device killed the 23-year-old and another soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Schuyler B. Haynes, 40, of New York. The two were on mission in the town of Baquba when the device exploded. "He was a brave young man to do what he did," Mutz said of his son, who waited six months to be assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood. Mutz said his son was intrigued with the work of a cavalry scout, adding he repeatedly watched the movie "We Were Soldiers." "He said, 'That's what I want to do. I want to join the Army and do what needs to be done for the country.'" Mitchel Mutz decided to join the Army in February 2003 after studying for two years at Coastal Bend College. He graduated in 2001 from Falls City High School, where he played basketball and golf. Mutz last spoke with his family Oct. 21, the day his older brother, 27-year-old Nathan Mutz, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, got married. Bobby Mutz said his younger son was slated to be best man before he was deployed to Iraq for another year. "He said, 'Mom and Dad, I want to go over there and get my year behind,'" his father said. He said services are pending, and that he expects his son's body to arrive in Falls City on Monday. In addition to his father and brother, Mutz is survived by his mother, Dixie; paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Mutz of Floresville; and maternal grandparents, Mary Louise and Roy Pullin of Kenedy. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Philip Mutz. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- jzarazua@express-news.net ************************************ From home.businesswire.com November 20, 2006 Abraxas Announces Preliminary 2007 Capital Expenditure Budget SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Abraxas Petroleum Corporation (AMEX:ABP) today announced a preliminary 2007 capital expenditure budget of $27 to 44 million. The preliminary budget includes roughly 20 to 30 projects, which will be selected from the Company’s expansive inventory of projects on its existing leasehold and may include the following – the listed projects are subject to change based on rig availability and drilling results: West Texas Devonian horizontal re-entry (14,000’) in the Oates SW Field of Pecos County; Woodford Shale horizontal re-entry (13,500’) in the Oates SW Field of Pecos County; Cherry/Bell Canyon (7,000’) in-fill drilling in Ward County; Spraberry (9,000’) in-fill drilling in Midland County; Clearfork (3,500’) in-fill drilling in Mitchell and Scurry Counties; and Strawn Reef (6,000’) in-fill drilling in Coke County. South Texas Several exploratory wells (9,000’–12,000’) targeting the Wilcox on internally generated prospects in Bee and Karnes Counties. Wyoming Mowry horizontal well (8,500’) in the Brooks Draw Field of Converse and Niobrara Counties. The ultimate capital expenditures will depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to commodity prices, rig availability, service costs, and general market conditions. The Company plans to issue guidance for 2007 after necessary drilling contracts have been secured and consequently, has a better handle on the timing of certain projects. “Our 2007 budget was partly designed to improve our reserve ratio through the conversion of proved undeveloped reserves (PUD), as well as probable / possible reserves, to the category of proved developed reserves (PD). Our goal is to increase the ratio of proved developed reserves to total proved reserves by at least 10%; we feel that such an improvement in our PD ratio would greatly benefit Abraxas in the public markets and consequently, benefit all of our shareholders. At present, approximately 50% of our budget consists of PUD projects while another 20% represent probable and possible projects. We will begin the year by keeping our company-owned workover rigs busy on several re-entry / re-completion projects in West Texas, while we secure larger drilling rigs for grass roots and deeper projects,” commented Bob Watson, President and CEO. Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is a San Antonio-based crude oil and natural gas exploitation and production company with operations in Texas and Wyoming. Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements: Statements in this release looking forward in time involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Abraxas’ actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance suggested in this release. Such factors may include, but may not be necessarily limited to, changes in the prices received by Abraxas for natural gas and crude oil. In addition, Abraxas’ future natural gas and crude oil production is highly dependent upon Abraxas’ level of success in acquiring or finding additional reserves. Further, Abraxas operates in an industry sector where the value of securities is highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond Abraxas’ control. In the context of forward-looking information provided for in this release, reference is made to the discussion of risk factors detailed in Abraxas’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission during the past 12 months. ****************************** From freemarketnews.com November 21, 2006 URANIUM ENERGY INCREASES HISTORICALLY-DRILL PROVEN URANIUM RESOURCES WITH ADDITION TO SOUTH TEXAS PORTFOLIO AUSTIN, TX – November 21, 2006 – Uranium Energy Corp is pleased to announce the acquisition of 100% of the Nichols Project, with an historic resource of 1.2 million pounds of uranium, located in South Texas. The Nichols Project consists of 900 acres, and is located within the heart of the historic Karnes County uranium mining district. Karnes County is immediately adjacent to Goliad County, the site of the Company’s advanced Goliad Project operations. The property was originally developed by Texaco Uranium (now ChevronTexaco), and reportedly contains an historic resource of 1.2 million pounds of e- U3 O8 . Uranium Energy Corp is currently negotiating with a third party to acquire all or part of the Texaco exploration and development database associated with this deposit. Data reviewed to date, including gamma logs from oil wells in the immediate area of the deposit, indicate that the ore body lies within the Tertiary age Jackson Formation, and occurs at an average depth of 440 feet. Texaco Uranium’s plans to mine this deposit using In-Situ Leach (ISL) mining methods suggests that the geology of the property is amenable to this environmentally and economically superior technology. Uranium Energy Corp has submitted an application with the Texas Railroad Commission for an exploration permit to allow a drilling program to verify the reported resource. This will be the Company’s fourth planned drilling site in the United States, and the second in the state of Texas. Each drill program, including Nichols, has the objective of confirming historically drill-proven uranium resources, as well as expanding indicated uranium resources as suggested by the historical drilling databases in our possession, with a view towards developing mineable reserves. About Uranium Energy Corp Uranium Energy Corp. (URME: OTCBB) is a US-based junior resource company with the objective of becoming a near-term ISL uranium producer in the United States. Through the use of one the largest historical uranium exploration databases in the US, the Company has developed an ongoing acquisition program of advanced uranium projects. Uranium Energy Corp is developing its advanced Goliad Project in South Texas, with ISL uranium production projected to begin in 2009. The Company also has advanced uranium properties throughout the southwestern US, with all properties being previously explored by senior mining companies, and nearly all properties containing historically drill-indicated uranium resources. The operational management is comprised of pre-eminent uranium mining and exploration professionals, whose collective experience in the uranium mining industry gives the Company ongoing uranium mine finding and uranium mine development expertise. Uranium Energy Corp is well positioned to capitalize on the current alternative energy boom. For more information, please visit www.uraniumenergy.com . Contact North America: Investor Relations, Uranium Energy Corp Toll-Free Voice: (877) 676-7183 E-mail: info@uraniumenergy.com Website: www.uraniumenergy.com Contact Europe: International Market Trend AG Phone: +41.43.888.67.00 Fax: +41.43.888.67.09 Stock Exchange Information: OTCBB Symbol: URME Frankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol: U6Z Berlin Stock Exchange Symbol: U6Z WKN: AØJDRR ISN: US9168961038 Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 , as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 , as amended. Statements in this news release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. These statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such risks and uncertainties may include, but are not limited to, the impact of competitive products, the ability to meet customer demand, the ability to manage growth, acquisitions of technology, equipment or human resources, the effect of economic and business conditions, the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and factors outside the control of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in the Company’s periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. *************************** November 22, 2006 Services set for slain Falls City soldier ADVOCATE STAFF REPORT FALLS CITY - A U.S. Army soldier from Karnes County will be remembered, honored and laid to rest this weekend. Services for Sgt. Mitchel Thomas Mutz, 23, who was killed Nov. 15 in Iraq, are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Friday at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Falls City. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial with military honors will follow in the church cemetery. The services are under the direction of Vinyard Funeral Home of Falls City. Mutz, 23, was killed by an improvised roadside device in Baquba, Iraq. He was a Cavalry Scout assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood. A fellow soldier from New York, Sgt. 1st Class Schuyler B. Haynes, was also killed. Mutz, a 2001 graduate of Falls City High School, had been in the Army since 2003 and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He is the son of former Karnes County Sheriff Bobby Mutz. He is also survived by his mother, Dixie, and brother Nathan. Memorials may be made to the Mitchel Mutz Scholarship Fund, in care of Falls City National Bank or the Falls City public library. ************************ From mysa.com November 26, 2006 Small town of Falls City grieves for fallen GI Melissa Ludwig Express-News Staff FALLS CITY — "Place your pictures here." Those words are tacked to a bulletin board at the Busy Beaver convenience store in this town of 591 about an hour southeast of San Antonio. Around the sign are several photos of local boys serving in the military, their faces serious and achingly young. Blue-eyed Mitchel Mutz is among them. The Army sergeant, a 23-year- old cavalry scout, was killed by an improvised explosive device Nov. 15 in Baquba, Iraq. As in many small towns, the death of even one person — especially someone so young — is grieved by all. Everyone in Falls City knew Mutz or his family. Some baby-sat him, others taught him. He swam in the neighbor's pool, played video games at the Busy Beaver and fished with friends in a nearby stock tank now parched by drought. "It paralyzed the whole town," said Patsy Bordovsky, who helps run her family business, Pollok's Grocery & Market. "All the kids are community kids. If something happens to one, it affects all the parents. Every mother felt like it happened to their own child." On Saturday, hundreds of mourners, almost literally the whole town, pressed into Holy Trinity Catholic Church to pay their respects to Mutz. Most walked down the aisle to stand beside his flag-draped coffin and embrace his parents. The show of support was massive, but by no means the first. Since Mutz's death, snacks, casseroles and sympathies have poured into the Mutz home. In downtown Falls City — a strip of businesses along U.S. 181 — most window fronts are scrawled with a tribute to the fallen hero. Even the population signs on either side of town bear Mutz's name and are adorned with black ribbons. Named for three nearby waterfalls on the San Antonio River, Falls City is a farming and ranching community where the same Polish Catholic families have stayed put for generations. These days, most folks get their paycheck from San Antonio, but there are a handful of businesses, such as the mill, the Palace Café, and Pollok's, which opened in 1921. Mutz's father, Bobby Mutz, is a former sheriff of Karnes County and his mother, Dixie, is director of the city library. They are well respected here, where people are fiercely proud of law enforcement officers and soldiers. On Friday, about 100 townsfolk stood by the highway holding American flags as a white Fleetwood hearse carrying Mutz's body made its way to the church for a rosary that evening. "We stick together on things like this," said Vi Malone, the town's mayor, as she watched the procession. Folks stick together, but they don't always agree. Earlier that day, the town was holed up in front of television sets watching Texas A&M University upset the University of Texas football team, half of them rooting for the Aggies, the other half for the Longhorns. A few fans emerged to make a quick beer run at the Busy Beaver. As with football loyalty, not everyone sees eye to eye on the war in Iraq. Some folks, such as Malone, think the troops should come home. Others believe they have a duty to stay. No matter what the opinion, everyone has a stake, a fact that hit home after Mutz's death. "I'm scared," said Eloisa Sixto, whose son B.J. is going to Iraq for the second time in February. He surprised her by coming home for Thanksgiving. She didn't have a clue until he was standing there in her trailer. "We just hugged each other and cried," Sixto said. "It was like when he was first born, you want to touch him and make sure he has all his fingers and toes." But when Sixto went into town, it hit her again. Dixie Mutz's son is gone. On Saturday, Dixie Mutz would be the one clutching a folded flag, sobbing over her son's casket. But before that anguished moment, Dixie Mutz sat on her couch the day after Thanksgiving, finding reasons to be grateful. Like the fact that she had 23 years with her son. And that he had so many friends who loved him and respected him. That the townsfolk had been so generous and kind it rendered her speechless. "We do have blessings," Mutz said, her voice breaking. "It's been a comfort; it has really been a comfort." ******************************************* November 29, 2006 Mitchel Mutz laid to rest FALLS CITY - As the final few notes of taps wafted through Holy Trinity Cemetery, the wind picked up. The 100 U.S. flags surrounding the final resting place of Sgt. Mitchel Mutz flapped loudly in the breeze in a final salute to Falls City's fallen soldier. Mutz, 23, was killed in Iraq on Nov. 15. On Saturday, Holy Trinity Church in Falls City overflowed with those who came to pay their final respects to Mutz. Many in the town of 591 filled the pews, many more stood outside listening to the service on loudspeakers. Dozens of law enforcement officers - from state, local and neighboring county and city agencies - were also out in force to honor Mutz, the son of former Karnes County Sheriff Bobby Mutz. Also in attendance and bearing 100 flags lining the entrance to the church, and later the entrance to the cemetery, were motorcyclists of the Patriot Guard Riders. Inside the church and during a memorial on Friday, Mutz was remembered for being an avid fan of country music and the Texas A&M Aggies. High school classmate Shannon Dubic said Mutz was "always really happy, and wanted to make you smile. He never had an enemy, that's for sure." During Saturday's service the Rev. Kasmir Oleksy tried to console Mutz's family and friends. "Whenever someone we love dies, we, too, die a little. We can never be exactly the same. The sound of his voice, his footsteps, and shared memories have suddenly disappeared, replaced with silence and they cannot be recreated," Oleksy said. "It is hurtful. The one we loved and still love has a place in our hearts and we can no longer find a place in his heart, a place where we loved to rest. Mixed with sadness there may be anger, the balance of lives have been so roughly upset. Our tears are right, proper and necessary. We pray for everyone who has been saddened by his death. "Pay last respects to Mitchel Mutz, young brave soldier, son, brother, friend. He played a part in our lives and helped make some of us what we now are. Our love for him and his love for us has changed us. Mitchel was a gift to us in so many ways. We have been lifted by his enthusiasm, cheered by his smile, warmed by his friendship," added Oleksy. Later, during a burial with military honors at Holy Trinity Cemetery, a blanket of layered clouds protected mourners from the mid- day sun. Mutz was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal. Brig. Gen. P.K. Keen, commander, U.S. Army South, presented Mutz's parents, Bobby and Dixie, and brother Nathan, with American flags. A ceremonial honorary rifle volley was also fired. Mutz was buried near two other classmates who also died young, Kevin James Pollok and Jeffrey Swierc. Robin Jurgajtis sat with her family on the tailgate of their pickup along the route from church to cemetery. Mutz was a grade above one of her daughters, and Jurgajtis remembers him as "a great guy" who "showed a lot of courage going back to Iraq." Jurgajtis also said that on Friday evening the road from Floresville, where Vinyard Funeral home is located, to Falls City was lined with people holding up signs and waving flags in Mutz's honor as he was being transported home. "I was told that they went by his house first because his dad wanted him to come home one more time," said Jurgajtis. **************************** From ecanned.com November 29, 2006 Demographic Profile for Karnes County, Texas In 2005, the Census Bureau estimated the median age in Karnes County, Texas to be 34.1 years old. The median age in Karnes is greater than the median age in Texas of 33.2. Since 2000, the area has experienced a decline in the median age, at that time the median was 34.2 years old. With 20.4 percent of the population in 2005 being comprised of children and youth younger than 18, Karnes can be understood as having a medium-low percent of individuals under 18. The working age population group (18-64) has a relatively high presence of the 2005 population base, with 65.2 percent of the population falling in this age category. The retirement (65 and over) group makes up 14.4 percent of the population. When compared to other counties in the United States, this represents a medium-low percent of the population base. Estimated since the year 2000, a medium-high number of individual migrated to the Karnes internationally. The migration from outside the US into Karnes accounts for 0 percent of the total international migration into the State of Texas. This percent of immigration can be considered medium-high when analyzed against immigration per population in 2005. Karnes County, Texas had an estimated population of 15,351 in 2005. The total population has decreased, since its 2000 population of 15,444. The decline shows a decrease of -0.6 percent. Karnes ranks 180 of 254 counties when calculating total change in population for Texas and the county ranks 2,118 of 3,141 counties in terms of population growth in the United States. Karnes County, Texas has a population base that is comprised of 39.5 percent White, 10.4 percent African American, 0.4 percent Asian, and 49.4 percent Hispanic. The area population base can be described as having a very high level of racial and ethnic diversity, with 60.2 percent of minorities in the 2005 population base. This is greater than the State of Texas percent of 49.5. Since 2000, Karnes has increased in diversity when 58.6 percent of the people were minorities. When calculating the total land area, Karnes covers a total land area of 750 square miles. The county has a very low density of 20 persons per square mile, in 2005. Other US counties with similar densities include: -- more densely populated -- Jackson, WI (20 per sq. mile ), Dent, MO (20 per sq. mile ), Bates, MO (20 per sq. mile ), -- less densely populated -- Van Buren, TN (20 per sq. mile ), Lyon, IA (20 per sq. mile ), Madison, LA (20 per sq. mile ). Datasource: Population Estimates Program, U.S. Bureau of the Census. ************************************************* From mysa.com November 30, 2006 Ken Allard: Lesson of unequal sacrifice One of the themes of my new book, "Warheads," is our nasty national habit of outsourcing military service, what I call using "Other People's Kids." Unlike the jobs so freely exported to Guatemala, Singapore and Bangladesh, we have reserved the grim business of making war for our own young people. But only those unfortunate few apparently predestined to live their lives well away from the football scholarships, National Merit finals, Who's Who and other waypoints of upwardly mobile American youth. Because we have adopted unequal sacrifice as de facto national policy, it means that some of those non-elites taking their places on the front lines of Iraq or Afghanistan get badly wounded or don't make it back alive. Such is the nature of war. But here of late, I have been haunted by how many of those kids seem to be Texans. And concerned that the souls being lost are really our own. On a recent morning during a Texas-sized windstorm, they buried Cpl. Jose Galvan at the Fort Sam Houston cemetery. The mayor praised this brave young Marine, who graduated in 2003 from Holmes High School and promptly volunteered for duty in harm's way. Friends spoke admiringly of his strong Christian beliefs and "statesmanlike, big brother aura." Jose was killed in Anbar province during his third tour of duty in Iraq. Last week, en route to my first Texas Thanksgiving dinner, I noticed that flags in the small towns southeast of Floresville were flying at half-staff. The mystery was solved in Falls City, where hand-scrawled signs and notes along U.S. 181 paid tribute to Sgt. Mitchel Mutz. A 23-year-old scout with the 1st Cavalry Division, he was killed Nov. 15, early in his second Iraq tour. In Express-News staff writer Melissa Ludwig's compelling story last Sunday, we read that Mitchel's father is the former sheriff of Karnes County and that his mother still directs the Falls City library. While local folks have their own opinions about the war, "everyone has a stake, a fact that hit home" with unmistakable clarity after the young sergeant's death. There is a painful civics lesson here that the rest of America needs to relearn, because we seem eager to keep ignoring some basic truths. Such as: that war causes the deaths of recent graduates from the local high school; that their dads are county sheriffs or their moms are town librarians; that they aren't just names on a casualty list quickly scrolled on the evening newscast; that "they" are actually "us" because in America, military service was meant to be a shared obligation of citizenship, not a spectator sport. Forget the basics and bigger mistakes become easier. Such as: that technology can substitute for troops and allow wars to be won on the cheap; that with a professional army, you can commit the troops without committing the country; that savvy politicians can save time and money by deploying only the minimal forces thought necessary to defeat the enemy. And, finally, that ranking military officers have no higher obligation to resign should their political masters disregard or suborn their advice. After all, don't civilians control the military in this country? Reinforced failures can become cascading events. Six months ago, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman suggested convening an Iraqi equivalent of the Dayton Peace Accords, a good idea that may now be impossible as sectarian violence becomes indistinguishable from civil war. Bugging out is always an option, but so is ethnic cleansing or oil at $200 a barrel. Listen to lame duck Republicans or eager new Democrats and you might think that the only options for national policy are somewhere between surrender and stupidity. And while it's hard to make matters worse, give the politicians enough time and they'll figure out a way. But before we allow those grieving classmates and flags along U.S. 181 to recede into our collective memories, can we try recalling that the ideal of equality in this country means that the burden of defending our freedom is the responsibility of the many. Not just the few, the proud and the poor. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- Retired Col. Kenneth Allard is an executive-in-residence at UTSA and the author of "Warheads: Cable News and the Fog of War." E-mail him at WARHEADS6@aol.com.