Latest news with #WichitansoftheYear
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WF Chamber of Commerce hosts State of Economy forum: discuss growth, opportunities, and connection
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Opportunities, growth, and connection were at the top of the discussion during this year's 'State of the Economy' event hosted by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 19. It was a packed house inside the Sikes Lake Center as city leaders, business owners and many others joined together to talk about growth for the City of Wichita Falls. Ron Kitchens, president and CEO of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce, said the event is vital for change. '[It's] critically important to celebrate success. We have to craft a vision each year, and then we all got to make a commitment,' Kitchens said. 'We can either be victims of change or victors of change. Today was about creating victory for the future.' Kitchens also said strengthening connections with MSU and Sheppard Air Force Base would also be vital for the growth of Wichita Falls. 'Between MSU and Sheppard Air Force Base, that's about 60 percent of our local economy. They're critical not just today for jobs, but they're critical to our future,' Kitchens said. Kitchens said the Wichita Falls economy has been thriving over the past two years. 'You know, the national hiccups going on. We've got, you know, a $.5 billion in investment going on now. We've had $1 billion investment in the last 30 months,' Kitchens said. Kitchen mentioned that there are new jobs and significant announcements on the way for the city. Also at the event, Carol Wagner and Richard Bundy were named Wichitans of the Year. That is an award to recognize those who help shape the city. The chamber's next big event, Leader Fest 2025, is coming up in August. Click here for more information on how to get your tickets. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman accused of murdering 70-year-old Wichita Falls man
Editor's note: This story contains graphic information that may be disturbing. A New Mexico woman has been charged in connection with the murder of 70-year-old James Shierling on Oct. 26, 2022, in Wichita Falls, court records show. Janea Ariona Aragon was being held Wednesday in Wichita County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail, according to online jail records. Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Shierling was found dead in an apartment building in the 1300 block of 11th Street, according to an affidavit filed in the case. He had moved to Wichita Falls from Georgia in 2019. Police went to the building after other residents reported they had not seen Shierling for several days. The affidavit said officers found the body of the victim wearing a bloody shirt and suffering an incision to one wrist. He was wedged between a table and a wall with a wheelchair nearby. The affidavit also said investigators discovered the natural gas line to the apartment had been disconnected, and a lit cigarette had been placed nearby. An autopsy confirmed Shierling had been stabbed to death. A witness reported seeing Aragon sitting in a recliner in the victim's apartment the day after the murder, according to allegations in the affidavit. Investigators also found Aragon's DNA in the victim's apartment and learned she had returned to Albuquerque the day after the homicide and was arrested in November 2022 on suspicion of stabbing another person, according to allegations in the affidavit. Aragon was booked into the Wichita County Jail on Tuesday, according to online jail records. More: Wichita Falls police investigate homicide on 11th Street More: Wagner, Bundy honored as Wichitans of the Year This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Woman accused of murdering 70-year-old Wichita Falls man
