By Mike Snyder, Houston Chronicle Aug. 4--KERMIT -- The lights on the rigs pierce the black West Texas night, illuminating mesquite shrubs and jack rabbits scampering across the flat landscape. The glow sends a reassuring message: Good times have returned to the oil patch.

By Geoff Folsom, Odessa American, Texas Nov. 9--Kermit Winkler County Memorial Hospital is taking its rebuilding in baby steps. The first phase of the construction of a new hospital takes place Dec. 19.

By Elizabeth York, Odessa American, Texas Feb. 14--KERMIT -- Country music and local news emanate 22 miles from a radio tower erected in downtown Kermit. And Kermit Radio, 93.7 FM KERC-LP, has become a source of pride for the small town.