Latest news with #Spurlock
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ride for Silence changes route due to high permit costs in Abilene
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The 'Ride for Silence' organizer says fees for special events permits are too high, so in response, they are changing the traditional route for the ride for cyclist safety. Policies surrounding special event permits are changing the landscape for the 'Ride for Silence' cyclist safety awareness ride. This nationwide annual event gathers cyclists together for a collective ride to honor cyclists who have been injured or killed while riding a bicycle on roadways. 'Too many ghosts': Abilene's 7th annual ride of silence reminds drivers to share the road, be safe Due to changes made regarding permit policies for select Abilene events, the organizers now face a ride with no permit. Ordinarily, the Ride for Silence awareness event begins at McMurry University, taking a multi-mile route through Abilene streets with a police escort to help negotiate traffic in busy areas. However, this year, while trying to obtain a permit for the event, Secretary Treasurer for Steamboat Cycling, Mark Spurlock, said the fees were too high to justify a permit. 'We certainly do not mind paying for the services of the Abilene Police Department. That was going to be around $300. Then there was an event fee, and the part that really kind of tipped the scales, so to speak, was about a $400 liability insurance cost that we were going to have to incur,' Spurlock explained. Spurlock mentioned that the total cost to comply with the guidelines for obtaining the proper permit was approximately $900. Looking at the documents from the Abilene City Council meeting on March 13, events such as the Ride for Silence are now classified as a 'procession.' Additionally, liability insurance from an external entity, separate from the city, is required to qualify for a permit. Spurlock said he has no bad feelings toward the city for the policy change, but he adds that these fees became an issue for this event only this year. 'From what I remember, we just would always go to the city, and they would show up. Other than that, I don't recall us having any event fees or liability insurance over the years,' Spurlock added. Abilene cyclists come together for 2021 Ride of Silence Because of the lack of permits, the event will no longer have a police escort to aid in heavy traffic areas, so the organizers have changed the route and starting point for the ride. This year, the ride will be on Wednesday, May 21, the same date as it has always been, but it will now start at Bike Town, located at 1789 Industrial Boulevard, with an adjusted route to avoid main thoroughfare roads to help ensure safety for the participants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Jacob Spurlock is the Lobo of the Year
Apr. 15—Jacob Spurlock, a senior Communication Studies major from Dallas, was named the 2024-25 Lobo of the Year for Sul Ross State University at the Honors Convocation on April 14. Spurlock will graduate from SRSU at the commencement ceremony on Friday, May 9, at 5:30 p.m. at the Pete P. Gallego Center. Spurlock was the Texas State University System Student Scholar Award recipient in 2024 and served as the president of the Student Government Association for the 2023-24 academic year. He has served as the president of the Xi Epsilon chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association Honor Society, since 2022, and as the president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, since 2024. Spurlock is the recipient of multiple scholarship awards, including the McNair Scholar Program, the Paul and Teeby Forchheimer Communication Scholarship, the Henry Bertrand Jr., Memorial Scholarship, the Dr. D.J. Sibley Jr. Scholarship and the Charles B. David Scholarship. He has been named to the Dean's List following each of his semesters at Sul Ross and was a participant in the Student Research Symposium in 2023. Spurlock was the Outstanding Communication Student of the Year in 2022 and 2023. According to one of those who nominated him, he "is a man of integrity and strong moral beliefs. He is also a committed learner. When he starts talking about what he has learned about communication and personal interactions among individuals, he lights up. As he moves on to graduate school, Jake will represent Sul Ross State University well ... He truly has a servant's heart." Another wrote, "In his role as the president of the Student Government Association, I saw Jake embody what servant leadership is all about. He used his position to help others and to improve the campus and community for all. His public speaking and general communications skills greatly assisted him in these endeavors. I have also observed him graciously and professionally manage difficult situations, always seeking understanding and the common good." SRSU faculty and staff nominate students for Lobo of the Year each year in the spring. Nominees must be graduating in May or have done so in the fall or summer of the previous year, have an overall 3.0 GPA, display qualities of good citizenship and leadership, be active in student and/or community activities and may not have been a previous recipient of the award.
