Business

Agricultural land values in the U.S. are increasing at a rate not seen in nearly a decade.

“Rural America lost more population in the latest census, highlighting an already severe worker shortage in the nation’s farming and ranching regions and drawing calls from those industries for immigration reform to help ease the problem,” Gant Schulte and David Pitt report for The Associated Press. “The census data released last week showed that population gains in many rural areas were driven by increases in Hispanic and Latino residents, many of whom come as immigrants to work on farms or in meatpacking plants or to start their own businesses.”

PAMPA—Zachary Mayer, P.E., has been named as the new area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Pampa area office, effective Aug. 9.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $3.39 billion in July, 13.5 percent more than in July 2020. The majority of July sales tax revenue is based on sales made in June and remitted to the agency in July.

The Panhandle District QuickBooks Pro Desktop Short Courses by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be on Aug. 25 in Amarillo and Sept. 8 in Lubbock. The one-day trainings will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the respective Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Centers, located at 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd. in Amarillo and 1102 E. Drew St. north of Lubbock. “COVID prevented us from holding any live classes last summer, so these are the first inperson QuickBooks workshops our agency has scheduled in two years,” said DeDe Jones, AgriLife Extension risk management specialist, Amarillo. “We are limiting each session to 12 participants because we want each attendee to be in front of a computer,” Jones said. “If the class fills up, then we will add additional classes on Aug. 26 and Sept. 9.” Registration is $75 and includes computer use and teaching materials. Couples are encouraged to attend and will be charged only one registration fee if they share a computer. Those planning to attend should RSVP by Aug. 20 for Amarillo and by Sept. 3 for Lubbock. Payment is due upon arrival on the first day of the course. For more information or to RSVP for either location, contact Lacrecia Garza at 806.677.5625 or dljones@ag.tamu.edu.

ALBUQUERQUE—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is extending the deadline for public comment on the proposal to list two distinct population segments (DPS) of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The extension notice is expected to publish in the Federal Register on July 30, and will extend the public comment period by 30 days. The new deadline for public comment on this proposal is Sept. 1.

AUSTIN—Data from the Texas Workforce Commission suggests that Texas upstream oil and natural gas employment expanded by 3,100 jobs in June—the fifth best single-month performance in over five years. Since reaching the low point in employment in September 2020, months with job gains have outnumbered decline months 7-to-2.

AUSTIN—The Texas Railroad Commission issued a total of 779 original drilling permits in July 2021 compared to 351 in July 2020. The July 2021 total includes 672 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, 11 to re-enter plugged well bores, and 83 for recompletions of existing well bores.

CANYON—Companies looking for West Texas A&M University student employees can recruit them on campus at an upcoming event. WT’s Back-to-School Job Fair will run from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm on Aug. 26 at the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughan Pedestrian Mall in the center of the Canyon campus. Registration deadline for companies is at 5 pm on Aug. 20. There is no cost, but registration is required at bit.ly/b2sfair21. During the come-and-go job fair as the 2021-22 school year begins, students will look for part-time employment opportunities both on- and off-campus. “Connecting students with these employers from their early college years will promote greater connections within the community and, ultimately, a better network for our students as they enter the job market,” said Sam Green, senior career services coordinator in WT’s Office of Career and Professional Development. A full list of companies will be available to students via their Handshake account at bit.ly/wtbacktoschool21.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the 23rd annual Wheatheart Wheat Conference on Aug. 12 at the Ochiltree County Expo Center, 402 Expo Drive in Perryton.