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HutchCo Podcast and “Where The Blacktop Ends” Announce New Media Partnership

Hutchinson County, TX — A new collaboration is bringing together local storytelling, sports coverage, and real-life conversations across the Texas Panhandle — from Booker to Borger and beyond.

HutchCo Podcast, a Hutchinson County-based platform known for its coverage of local sports, community news, and interviews, has officially partnered with “Where The Blacktop Ends,” a podcast focused on authentic stories and perspectives from across communities.

This partnership combines two unique voices with one shared mission:
to highlight real people, real stories, and real communities.

Through this collaboration, audiences can expect a broader range of content, including:
• Expanded local sports coverage
• In-depth community interviews
• Guest appearances from across Texas and beyond
• Real-world stories that matter to everyday people

“This partnership is about strengthening the connection between our communities,” said Jason Richardson of HutchCo Podcast.

“From Booker to Borger, there are stories that deserve to be told. By bringing these platforms together, we’re creating a space where local voices, sports, and real conversations all come together in one place.”

Brad R. Smith, co-host of Where The Blacktop Ends, emphasized the broader impact:

“Where the blacktop ends is where the real stories begin. This partnership allows us to connect those stories from small towns and communities and bring them to a bigger audience without losing what makes them real.”

Josh Herran, also of Where The Blacktop Ends, added:

“This is about more than just a podcast. It’s about giving people a voice and building something that represents everyday life — honest, unfiltered, and rooted in the communities we come from.”

By joining forces, the two brands aim to reach a wider audience while staying grounded in the values that built their platforms — authenticity, local connection, and meaningful conversation.

Listeners can follow both shows on Facebook and streaming platforms for upcoming episodes, live broadcasts, and special guest features.

Two brands. One mission.

For more information, follow:
HutchCo Podcast
Where The Blacktop Ends

The Ancient Quarries of Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

The ancient quarries at **Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument** look incredible from above. There are hundreds of small circular pits across the mesa. These are the spots where Indigenous peoples quarried rainbowbanded Alibates flint, prized for its sharpness and traded across the Great Plains for thousands of years. History you can literally see from the sky.

Next time you visit the monument, imagine the landscape bustling with life: skilled artisans selecting stone, families gathering nearby, and the sound of tools shaping the material that helped sustain communities for millennia.

History isn’t just beneath our feet—it’s written across the land itself.

Via Facebook

The City of Borger is named the first ever Recipient of the "National Mitigation Hero Award" through the Wildfire Mitigation Awards Program! This is the highest national recognition for outstanding work in wildfire preparedness and mitigation. AND we were the ONLY award recipient from Texas!

The Wildfire Mitigation Awards (WMA) program was established in 2014 by the National Association of State Foresters, National Fire Protection Association, USDA Forest Service, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs - to recognize impactful wildfire mitigation efforts across the United States.

In the Texas Panhandle, Wildfire is something you prepare for LONG before the smoke ever shows up.

Before the Smokehouse Creek fire... Before Windy Deuce... We've had crews out here doing the work most people never see—clearing, planning, mitigating, cutting lines, providing layers of protection to help protect our community when it matters most.

This award feels like national recognition of their grit... the long days, the quiet effort, and the foresight to prepare instead of react.

We are so proud of our Wildfire Mitigation Team, our community of Fire Fighters who are always ready to lend a hand, our Code Enforcement Crews, our Office of Emergency Management - and everyone that helps out in between! This work doesn’t happen in silos. Mitigation is a true team effort.

Behind that effort stands a City Council that has believed in our Mitigation Program from the beginning—and continues to invest in its success, year after year.

📢📢 We are proud to announce Megan Malone as Gateway Elementary's teacher of the year!

Ms. Malone, a second-grade math teacher, exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding educator. Her passion for teaching, dedication to her students, and commitment to excellence make a lasting impact both inside and outside of the classroom.

Ms. Malone works tirelessly to ensure every student is successful and builds a strong foundation in math while creating a positive and engaging learning environment.

Ms. Malone is pictured with Gateway Assistant Principal Kortney Urquides and Principal Jimmie Welch.

Thank you for your dedication, passion, and commitment to student success. 🐾❤️🐾

Congratulations Ms. Malone! #BorgerISD #GatewayElementary #BelieveAchieveSucceedTogether

Pictured left to right – Crockett Principal Brandon Harris, Brian Yearwood, Assistant Principal Ashley McLaughlin

As a Reading Language Arts teacher, Mr. Yearwood goes far beyond teaching reading and writing; he inspires his students to believe in themselves and embrace challenges with confidence. Every day, he fosters a growth mindset in his classroom, reminding students that they can do hard things and that effort leads to success.

His dedication, encouragement, and passion for helping students grow both academically and personally make a lasting impact on everyone he teaches. We are so proud to have Mr. Yearwood as part of the Crockett family!

Photo by Borger News Herald

By Borger News Herald

Update 3/23/2026 at 2:54 p.m. from William Foreman, Director of Corporate Communications for Orion Carbons:

“At approximately 12:50 p.m. today, a bag filter malfunctioned at our Borger facility, resulting in a release of carbon black. Following established procedures, the system was promptly shut down to stop the release.

The incident was contained quickly with minimal impact, and carbon black poses no acute health hazard.”

1:31 pm Update- Road is reopened; ROAD CLOSURE - FM 1559 is currently shut down due to an unknown incident, according to the City of Borger and Hutchinson County OEM.

This road leads to the Tokai Carbon and Orion plants—Borger News-Herald photo.