City Council approves McMurry street closure
By Makalah Wright
The Abilene City Council met on June 11 for their first meeting of the month, moving through a packed agenda that included long-service employee recognitions, a contested street abandonment for McMurry University and several zoning changes.
One of the meeting’s debated items was the final reading of an ordinance allowing McMurry University to close a section of Ross Avenue, from South 15th Street to Hunt Street and a portion of South 16th Street — incorporating the right-of-way into a planned athletic and practice facility.
Grant Kirwin, McMurry’s Chief Operations Officer, told the council the closure would improve pedestrian safety by eliminating a street that divides the campus, requiring students and visitors to cross traffic to reach parking on the west side.
He noted that in 2024, a student-led group had petitioned the university administration to pursue a traffic study and speed bumps.
“We have known that it is a traffic issue for our internal campus for quite some time,” Kirwin said.
Resident Tammy Fogel spoke in opposition during the public hearing, comparing the situation to a previous proposal to close a street near Hendrick Hospital, which was rejected by the council. She warned that blocking the flow of traffic on a thoroughfare redirects it into surrounding neighborhoods without a clear mitigation plan.
“We know what happens with water when you block its path. It goes another way,” she said.
The council voted to approve the request from McMurry University to close the street.
In the recognitions section of the meeting, Sheletra Hayes, a paralegal in the city attorney’s office, was recognized for 25 years of service. In a pre-recorded video, Hayes described the emotional weight of working with residents navigating traffic citations — some of whom, she said, are living out of their vehicles while still holding down jobs.
“It is heartbreaking. It really is,” Hayes said.
She thanked her work family and her children, who were present in chambers, and encouraged others not to give up during hard seasons.
Lindsey Hoxsey, patients manager for 911, was honored for 20 years of service. Mayor Weldon Hurt highlighted Hoxsey’s leadership during the city’s cyberattack just over a year ago, when 911 operations had to revert entirely to paper while still responding to emergency calls — all without GPS systems or real-time officer location data.
The most celebrated recognition of the meeting went to Joey Kincaid, a retiring fire department chief marking 40 years of service — the third generation of his family to serve Abilene’s fire department.
In his remarks, Kincaid reflected on the gravity of the job alongside the fulfillment of it. He recalled the worst call of his career — a multi-vehicle crash on the interstate that killed several children — and spoke candidly about how those images linger.
“Most people don’t have the joy of having a job where they look forward to going to work every day for 40 years, and I’ve had that. That’s a blessing.”
