Wichita Falls Pundit
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09-08-2025 - 7:30 AM - In the early days of the Internet, a common saying directed at website designers and owners was: “If you have nothing to say, use Flash.” For Amateur (ham) Radio nets, if you have nothing to say, play Amateur Radio Newsline! I’m being serious. I can listen to Amateur Radio Newsline anytime I want. What I want out of the net is original, need-to-know information related to the purpose of the net. I’m not saying anyone in the area is doing that, but it has been done locally before, on a long-defunct net.
09-08-2025 - 7:45 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – September 7–8, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• Hurricane Kiko (CAT-2) Preparations – Central Pacific
Hazard Monitoring:
• Severe Thunderstorms – Central/Southern Plains
• Tropical Activity
Eastern and Central Pacific:
• Hurricane Kiko (CAT-2)
• Disturbance 1: Low (30%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
09-08-2025 - 11:40 AM - I saw a woman driving while holding a cell phone to her ear. The other hand was holding the steering wheel and had a cigarette protruding from it. I'm sure she's ready to take instant evasive action!
09-08-2025 - 11:55 AM - From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Economics Daily - One unemployed person per job opening in July 2025 - There were 7.2 million unemployed people in July 2025 and, on the last business day, 7.2 million job openings. This yielded a ratio of unemployed people to job openings of 1.0 for July. The ratio of unemployed people per job opening has been at or below 1.0 since April 2021 and was most recently at its lowest point of 0.5 in December 2022. Publication of this data series began in December 2000. These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Job openings data for the most recent month are preliminary.
09-08-2025 - 12:30 PM - I have the President McKinley on 40-channel scan, and the band is on fire. I haven't tuned in to the Amateur (ham) Radio yet. I had shopping to do and grass to mow earlier. I might see who's on the air in the Parks on the Air® program later.
FCC Plan for Allowing Prisons to Jam Contraband Cellphones
09-08-2025 2:29 PM - I contacted a station in Jackson on Patoka Lake State Recreation Area (US-4172) in Indiana on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program. This station visits a lot of parks. This is our 24th contact!
09-08-2025 - 6:10 PM - The Local Group is active, as expected, on CB Radio Channel 23. Tune in, if you can.
09-08-2025 - 8:00 PM - There is some argument over the origin of civilization - but this is unimportant compared with the question of when it will resume operation.
09-07-2025 - 5:00 AM - Good Morning! It's Sunday. Better yet, it's Simplex Sunday, a day for Amateur (ham) Radio Operators to give those repeaters a rest, when possible, and use simplex! The Wichita Amateur Radio Society holds its weekly informal net tonight at 8:00 PM on the club's 147.140 MHz repeater. As far as I know, all licensed Amateur (ham) Radio operators are invited to check in. Of course, scanner radio enthusiasts can also tune in. After the net, back to simplex! Other than that, it's probably just Sunday for most people. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
09-07-2025 - 5:10 AM - Wichita Falls NWS Forecast - Today: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 83. East southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
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09-07-2025 - 5:15 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
09-07-2025 - 5:20 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 91.6% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 94.6%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 95.8% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (93.1%) to determine drought stage.
09-07-2025 - 5:25 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 7,061 Megawatts.
09-07-2025 - 7:05 AM - The CB Radio has been failry quiet for several hours. I've heard one short conversation on Channel 19. I'm sure the band will be jumping before long.
09-07-2025 - 7:55AM - International Space Station over Wichita Falls - Time: Sun Sept 7, 2025, 9:30 PM, Visible: 2 min, Max Height: 42°, Appears: 10° SW, Disappears: 42° SW. Listen on 145.800 & 437.800 MHz for possible Amateur (ham) Radio communications.
My CB Radio Daze - How It All Started
09-07-2025 - 8:05 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – September 6-7, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• Hurricane Kiko (CAT-3) Preparations – Central Pacific
Hazard Monitoring:
• Fire Weather – Northern Intermountain and Northern Rockies
• Tropical Activity
Central and Eastern Pacific:
• Hurricane Kiko (CAT-3)
• Disturbance 1: Low (near 0%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No new significant events
09-07-2025 - 12:15 PM - If you're an old-timer, you'll remember when the Texas Department of Public Safety was located on the southeast corner of Kemp and Avenue K. If you're a real old-timer, you'll remember when it was located in that strip shopping center at 10th and Beverly. Back in those days, if you lost your Driver License (that's right, Driver, not Drivers or Driver’s), you had to send a telegram to the DPS in Austin requesting proof of your license by return telegram. You took this confirmation to the local office.
09-07-2025 - 3:30 PM - In the 1977 Wichita Falls City Directory, there are 94 listings under the heading "Beauty Shops." I don't know how many there are in 2025, but it sounds like Wichita Falls has no excuse for a "bad hair" day. By the way, according to Wikipedia, in July 2023, Afghanistan mandated the closure of beauty salons nationwide within a month.