icy mix

Lubbock received a few inches of snow early Christmas eve. Having lived in the midwest and Utah all my life, a few inches of snow isn't that big a deal. But here its hard to spot a snow plow or a truck de-icing the roads; which makes for LOTS of stuck cars, sliding cars, and accidents. Interestingly enough, this suburban I photographed below slid off the road due to the ice, but was stuck in inches of mud beneath the snow.
Left: Joe Davila of Lubbock waits in his car for a tow truck after getting stuck on the Marsha Sharp Freeway, Thursday morning in Lubbock.
Right: Carla Baldespino, 12, right, pushes her brother Eric, 6, down a snowy hill at Mae Simmons Park, Thursday morning in Lubbock. Carla said she was very excited for the possibility of a snowy Christmas.

Adam Nguyen, right, and his wife Marie wait Thursday at the Lubbock International Airport, hoping to board a flight to Georgia. Many flights were delayed or canceled Thursday due to ice, wind, and snow.

Ryan Harvey motions to his uncle Raymond Harvey to begin moving his truck to tow his father Roger from the side of Regis Street near the Lubbock Airport, Thursday afternoon. Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

gang pray-ers

Members of the Our Lady of Guadalupe motorcycle group pray for the Salinas family after delivering presents and singing Christmas carols during one of their visits Saturday morning in Lubbock. The group delivered presents and sang Christmas carols to over 15 needy families throughout Lubbock. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

couple exciting games

In the last week I've photographed a few really entertaining high school basketball games. The latest was of in-town rivals, Lubbock Monterey @ Lubbock Coronado. Coronado had a large lead in the first half that quickly disappeared in the second. The game ended in heartbreaking fashion when a non-shooting foul was called with less than 2 seconds left in the game and the score was tied at 68. Monterey got to shoot foul shots, 1 and 1. They made the first and won 69-68.

Monterey's Mikeah Mills, left, Kellyn Schneider and Sarah Radloff celebrate with their team as Coronado's Hailee Roye, right, looks at the scoreboard after missing a desperation shot at the buzzer Monday night in Coronado's gym. Monterey defeated Coronado, 69-68.


Left: Monterey's Haley Schneider, left, shoots over Coronado's Devin Griffin during their game Monday at Coronado. Schneider scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Monterey's 69-68 win.
Right: Monterey's Toni Armstrong, left, and Coronado's Hailee Roye battle for a loose ball during Monterey's 69-68 win on Tuesday.
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A week ago I covered the championship game of the Gene Messer Shootout, a West Texas high school tournament. The home team, Lubbock Coronado, was trailing by 10 at the half but fought back for an exciting finish.

Left: Coronado's Quay Johnson, left, scores in front of Ponder's Kaleb Broadstreet after making a steal during the fourth quarter of the championship game of the Gene Messer Shootout Saturday at Frenship. Coronado won 55-50.

Coronado's Quay Johnson, center, dribbles between Ponder's Scott Gregg, left, and Kaleb Broadstreet, during the final minutes of the championship game of the Gene Messer Shootout Saturday at Frenship. Coronado won 55-50.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Hundreds of Catholic faithful walk down Avenue L in the Diocese of Lubbock Guadalupe Procession Sunday afternoon in Lubbock. The celebration was in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and was led by Lubbock Bishop Placido Rodriguez.

Sunday, December 6, 2009. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
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read Matthew McGowan's related story: Spiritual Journey: March through South Lubbock honors Our Lady of Guadalupe

Lady Raiders top Lobos

Left photo: New Mexico's Valerie Kast, center, blocks a shot from Texas Tech's Ashlee Roberson, left, along side teammate Sara Halasz, right, during the second half of their game at United Spirit Arena, Saturday, December 5, 2009. Texas Tech defeated New Mexico 65-55. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Right photo: Texas Tech's Kierra Mallard, center, and Mary Bokenkamp, right, dive to the floor and steal the ball from New Mexico's Valerie Kast during the first half of their game at United Spirit Arena, Saturday, December 5, 2009. Texas Tech defeated New Mexico 65-55. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
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read more on the Texas Tech Lady Raiders HERE.

Texas Tech upsets no. 10 Washington in OT

The AP called me Thursday morning looking for a shooter for the Texas Tech v Washington game. I'm glad I was available because it was a fun game to shoot. One of my favorite images has to be the last in this slideshow of Betty Doris LaRoe, a tech fan, taunting UW as they leave the court after the first half.

going blind

I spent Wednesday afternoon with eleven-year-old Chad Lance of Dickens, Texas. Usually when you drive through Dickens (population 332) you think of TCS Ponderosa Grocery & Deli on Highway 82, voted among the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas; but now I will think of this inspirational boy. Although he has lost complete use of his left eye, and will likely soon lose sight in his right, Chad is an upbeat kid who loves his family and still keeps up with his school work and chores around the house. Read Joe Gulick's story - Child losing sight fights Stickler Syndrome bravely

22 points in less than 3 minutes = amazing comeback!

CANYON — All season, New Deal head coach Ron Mayo said there was something different about this year’s team.

On Friday night, the No. 5 Lions had to reach deep down to find that something different. Once they did, it turned into one of the greatest comebacks of the season.
New Deal turned two fourth-quarter fumbles by Sunray into touchdowns, and the Lions scored 22 unanswered points in the final 7:12 of the game for a 32-28 victory in a Class 1A Division II regional semifinal at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium... (continue reading George Watson's story - Fourth-quarter rally sends New Deal to next round)

Springlake-Earth goes down to defending state champs

CANYON — During its outstanding playoff run, Springlake-Earth knew not to panic when it got behind.

But getting down to a team that knows what to do with a lead is a different story. Stratford, the defending Class 1A Division II state champion, used its physical offensive line to drive a pounding running game, ending the Wolverines’ season in a 56-20 victory Friday afternoon at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium... (continue reading George Watson's story, Stratford ends Wolverines’ playoff run)

origin of black friday

Black Friday as a term has been used in multiple contexts, going back to the nineteenth century, where it was associated with a financial crisis in 1869. The earliest uses of "Black Friday" to mean the day close to Thanksgiving come from or reference Philadelphia and refer to the heavy traffic on that day. The earliest known reference to "Black Friday" (in this sense), found by Bonnie Taylor-Blake of the American Dialect Society, refers to Black Friday 1965 and makes the Philadelphia origin explicit:

JANUARY 1966 -- "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. "Black Friday" officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.[13]

The term Black Friday began to get wider exposure around 1975, as shown by two newspaper articles from November 29, 1975, both datelined Philadelphia. The first reference is in an article entitled "Army vs. Navy: A Dimming Splendor," in The New York Times:

Philadelphia police and bus drivers call it "Black Friday" - that day each year between Thanksgiving Day and the Army–Navy Game. It is the busiest shopping and traffic day of the year in the Bicentennial City as the Christmas list is checked off and the Eastern college football season nears conclusion. [thanks wikipedia]
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Stores advertise their day-after Thanksgiving sales as shoppers search for the best deals at South Plains Mall, Friday morning in Lubbock. Many stores, like Pac-Sun, tried to lure shoppers in with windows full of advertisements.
(Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

praying for your enemies

I have to say, I was very impressed with Texas Tech's offensive line Saturday when they played Oklahoma. Yes, they played great, but when I saw them kneel and pray for an Oklahoma defender who was being cared for by his team's trainers, I was proud to be in Lubbock.
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See more photos and read the related stories regarding Tech's victory over Oklahoma - HERE

Red Raiders over Northwestern State

[Left photo] Texas Tech's Nick Okorie is fouled by Northwestern State's Cory Dixon, left, while driving to the basket during the first half of their game, Thursday night at United Spirit Arena. Texas Tech won 94-75.

Thursday, November 19, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
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read the related story - Knight stresses defense, and it seems to be getting through

Lady Plainsmen notch first win

Swinging elbows, diving for possession, it's that time of year again - girls high school basketball.

Lubbock Monterey's Kristyn Wilson, left, and Toni Armstrong, right, swarm Frenship's MaKenna Chancellor, center, during their game Tuesday night at Monterey. Monterey defeated Frenship 54-46.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

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read the related story - Lady Plainsmen notch first win of year.

Happy Who Endure

On July 1st of this year I was assigned to photograph Maria Gil and her daughter for a preview story about a donation drive at Family Promise, a homeless shelter where they were staying. Being relatively new to Lubbock, I had never heard of Family Promise, so I was interested to learn what it was: an interfaith volunteer organization that supports a few homeless families at a time and helps them get back on their feet by providing shelter, food, daycare, and transportation as they work to save money. Right away I knew there was a deeper story to be told. I chatted with Maria for a bit and was impressed with her positive attitude and hope. I told her I wanted to tell her story and asked if she would let me be a fly on the wall as she lived at Family Promise and went through the process of finding a place to live. That night I began shadowing her. On Sunday, the 5th of July, she was in tears as she called to tell me she was moving out. It was then that her story really began. For six weeks Elliott and I shadowed her as she struggled with homelessness. Below is the multimedia that went along with Elliott Blackburn's story - Happy Who Endure (it's a great story!).

I've been in touch with Maria many times since working on the story. Her and Angelina seem to be doing well. Angelina enjoys her mornings at preschool and Maria has been attending Bible study. There spirits are up. I know she was glad to have the story (finally) run because she kept saying how she hopes it gives strength to others who may be in a similar situation.


It ran in Sunday's paper (Yes, to Elliott and my dismay it took a lot longer to get published than we were hoping, but it all eventually worked out.).

Cowboys defense too much for Red Raiders

The Oklahoma State Cowboys defense was locked in Saturday night as they defeated Texas Tech 24-17 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It seemed like Perrish Cox swatted away or intercepted dozens of passes from outstretched Red Raider fingers. I'm sure Tech's quarterback uncertainties didn't help either. Check out RedRaiders.com for more game stats & photos.

Oklahoma State's Patrick Lavine celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown against Texas Tech during the second half of their game Saturday, Nov, 14, 2009 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)


Cute kid, but he needs a little work on his "S".
Oklahoma State's Perrish Cox, left, deflects a pass in the end zone intended for Texas Tech's Tramain Swindall, right, during the first half of their game Saturday, Nov, 14, 2009 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

I think this accurately reflects the love Tech fans have for the Cowboys.

meet James Brigham McAllister

born October 30, 2009 in Lubbock, TX
7 pounds, 8 ounces



It was an amazing feeling to watch this little guy come into the world. It's an honor being his dad.

Linda's 2nd battle

Linda Wallace turned to her family, her friends and her faith when she was first treated for breast cancer.

"I got the all clear," Wallace said. But "they told me it could come back in 10 to 15 years."

Just three years later, the Lubbock grandmother relied on her family's support again when she discovered she would face the life-threatening disease a second time... (Continue reading Sarah Nightingale's story: Grandmother faces her second battle against breast cancer)

A&M over Tech 52-30

To my great disappointment, Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield was injured during their game in Lincoln, NB last week. Taylor Potts returned to his starting position, but after a poor performance was replaced by third-string quarterback Seth Doege.

Texas Tech's Sam Fehoko, center, performs the Haka dance prior to Saturday's game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Oct, 24, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Texas Tech's Harrison Jeffers, center, fumbles the ball as he jumps into Texas A&M's Kyle Mangan, right, and Garrick Williams, bottom during the second half of their game Saturday, Oct, 24, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Tech lost 52-30. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)


Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts walks off the field after failing to convert on 4th and 1 in the second quarter against Texas A&M Saturday, Oct, 24, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. After a poor performance, Potts was replaced by third string quarterback Seth Doege. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Texas Tech's Marlon Williams, left, Stefan Loucks, right, and Britton Barbee, bottom, force Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill to fumble during the first half of their game Saturday, Oct, 24, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Texas Tech fans file into section 113, one of the new sections at Jones AT&T Stadium, before Tech's game against Texas A&M Saturday, Oct, 24, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

pumpkin trail

The first ever Lubbock Pumpkin Trail event kicked off Thursday night at the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum where hundreds of lit Jack-O-Lanterns were on display. The event will continue through the 24th and is free to the public. Thursday, October 22, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Shef serves up a can to K-State

Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield threw for 490 yards and 7 touchdowns during his first collegiate start Saturday, October 10, against Kansas State. Sheffield set a Texas Tech record for most yards in a single half.

Texas Tech's Tramain Swindall catches a short pass over the middle ... yadda yadda yadda... 52-yards later he scores a touchdown with the help of a few key blocks, Saturday against Kansas State. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield throws deep down the sidelines to receiver Jacoby Franks for a 72-yard touchdown, Saturday against Kansas State. (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)