Mayor Lori Blong stated that the ribbon-cutting for a new radio tower, five years after a fatal mass shooting in the Permian Basin, "marks a significant step forward" for the Tall City.
Blong attended the September 5 ceremony and was joined by U.S. Representative August Pfluger (R-San Angelo).
According to the mayor’s Facebook post about the event, Pfluger helped secure more than $700,000 for the project, as well as for the region’s law enforcement agencies.
Midland Mayor Lori Blong at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new radio tower intended to help the city's and county's agencies.
| Facebook
Blong’s post indicated that the new radio interoperability system will allow city and county agencies to communicate seamlessly during emergencies, describing it as a game changer.
The mayor also thanked the city’s managing director and chief information officer, Jennifer Frescaz, for her hard work in making the radio tower a reality.
On August 31, 2019, a mass shooting spree in Midland and Odessa claimed the lives of seven people and injured several others.
Blong said in a Facebook post reflecting on the tragedy that she was humbled by how two of the area’s largest cities banded together during what she described as a difficult and tragic circumstance.
The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is home to a new memorial to the victims of that fateful day, known as the Bright Star Memorial.