Why oil wealth hasn't fueled West Texas prosperity
The Permian Paradox is a three-part series that examines the reality of life in West Texas from historical identity to infrastructure gaps to commercial stagnation.
In Part I, Odessa Mayor Cal Hendrick explained Odessa's deep roots in cattle ranching and hard work. Hendrick, a fifth-generation Odessan, described the city as one originally built by ranchers and not developers. Furthermore, he said that legacy of self-sufficiency still shapes the city's culture and policies.
'100 years ago, Odessans were cattlemen, and they wanted the town to reflect that. Which was good for then but it has cost us now,' said Hendrick.
The independence helped Odessa thrive during oil booms but without long term planning, it left infrastructure behind. Roads, water systems and zoning laws to this day continues to have lingering issues.
In Part 2, City Council At Large, Craig Stoker, spoke about the food desert and inconsistent infrastructure.
Basic needs require a commute; some drive more than 20 miles to reach a full-service grocery store, and Councilman Stoker, who formally worked with the food bank, pointed to Odessa's outdated infrastructure as a key obstacle to development.
'We're out here on an island,' said Stoker. 'Most development happens along the I-35, I-45 corridors. Trucks don't come here daily like they do in places where there is real estate for it.'
Stoker mentioned that the closest cold storage facility is in Lubbock, which makes it a 'nightmare' for retailers and grocery store chains. Stoker said, national brands like H-E-B are focused on metro expansion and not West Texas growth which forces residents to rely on smaller chains or even drive to Midland for weekly necessities.
Meanwhile, Odessa's Development Corporation focuses on attracting manufacturing and industrial warehousing, not neighborhood amenities. Some have argued that while those investments bring jobs, they don't always improve residents' day-to-day quality of life.
Part 3, addressed where the money is going.
Despite Odessa's wealth in oil, many new developments are popping up in Midland County, instead. According to Kevin Dawson, a local development tracker and Founder of Maybe in Midland/Odessa, most of the area's commercial growth is funded by private investors and families who already live in the region.
'Development here is local,' said Dawson. 'Its about who's within a 1-3-5 mile radius. Daily traffic, income levels, population, and its not just oil production that drives whats built.'
This means areas with higher population density like parts of Midland, get more attention from developers. Meanwhile many Odessans continue to wait for the basics.
There is hope. The mayor says long term projects like a new sports complex and much improved water infrastructure are in the works
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Newsweek
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Maine Police Officer Agrees to Leave US After ICE Arrest
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Maine police officer arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has agreed to voluntarily leave the United States, federal authorities announced Monday. Jon Luke Evans, a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department and native of Jamaica, was detained by ICE on July 25 as part of expanded immigration enforcement efforts. A judge has granted voluntary departure for Evans, allowing him to leave the country independently, rather than face formal deportation proceedings. Newsweek reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email on Monday for comment. Why It Matters President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to remove millions of undocumented immigrants as he looks to fulfill his campaign pledge of widespread mass deportations. In addition to people living in the country without legal status, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have also been detained. Immigration authorities have been under increased scrutiny amid allegations of misconduct, with the agency at the center of the national debate over immigration policy. Concerns have been raised over the legality and human impact of ICE's enforcement practices. In this undated photo provided by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, Officer Jon Luke Evans receives his police badge. In this undated photo provided by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, Officer Jon Luke Evans receives his police badge. Old Orchard Beach Police Department via AP, File What To Know Evans was employed as a reserve officer after Old Orchard Beach officials verified his work authorization through the DHS's E-Verify program. Federal authorities had previously informed local officials that Evans was legally permitted to work in the United States. However, ICE later alleged that Evans had overstayed his visa and unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm. Evans admitted after his arrest on July 25 that he attempted to purchase the firearm for use in his role as a police officer, according to ICE. The attempted purchase triggered an alert to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents, who coordinated with ICE to carry out the arrest. Evans lawfully entered the United States on September 24, 2023, through Miami International Airport, but overstayed his visa. He was scheduled to depart on October 1, 2023, but did not board the flight, ICE said in a press release. "Jon Luke Evans not only broke U.S. immigration law, but he also illegally attempted to purchase a firearm. Shockingly, Evans was employed as a local law enforcement officer," ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in July. The voluntary departure agreement allows Evans to avoid formal deportation proceedings by paying for his own travel expenses, Portland, Maine, news station WMTW-TV reported. Evans was initially held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island before being transferred to an ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts. What People Are Saying ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in a July statement: "The fact that a police department would hire an illegal alien and unlawfully issue him a firearm while on duty would be comical if it weren't so tragic. We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities." What Happens Next Evans is expected to leave the U.S. following the judge's voluntary departure order, potentially as early as the day it was granted. The case has sparked a public dispute between local and federal authorities over the reliability of employment verification procedures. Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard has defended the department's hiring process, emphasizing that federal officials had confirmed Evans' work authorization before his employment. This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
