ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – We had a strange mix of trending stories from this past week. The most notable event of the Big Country was a case of an elementary school staff member being arrested. Take a gander at what our readers have been most interested in this week’s Big Country Beat.

This week’s top 5 in BCH’s Big Country Beat weekly countdown

Reporter Noah McKinney highlights an Abilene mother’s efforts to create a memorable Quinceañera for her daughter, Jurdin’s 15th birthday. Despite careful planning, $1,500 worth of Nike gifts vanished after the party. The teenager was understandably upset but remarkably compassionate. Her mother, Yuri Romero, told Noah she prioritized others’ Christmas presents despite her own loss. Devastated, Romero tirelessly searched, including checking dumpsters, to find the missing items.

Although some gifts were saved, Romero remains determined to replace what was lost, emphasizing Jurdin’s resilience and the family’s plea for help in finding the presents.

The former Abilene High/ Lincoln Middle School has laid dormant for more than a decade, but a significant moment was celebrated as plans for the $78 million Abilene Heritage Square construction nears reality, as Noah reported.

With a majority of funding secured, the project is set to revitalize the historic building into a multi-purpose complex. A local historian emphasized the site’s importance in many lives and its promising future, highlighting the project’s significance to Noah.

Heritage Square Inc., a community-funded project, began in 2011 and aims to transform the old school into an educational hub and communal space, housing an Abilene Public Library branch, a Grace Museum satellite, ‘Stone Owl Academy’ classrooms, and restored facilities for diverse events. It’s expected to be finished in two years.

The Playbook is your hub for Friday night lights football season! The Big Country Sports team works tirelessly for 14 weeks to cover as many local high school football games as possible.

The Playbook is where you can see how your favorite teams are scoring. Friday, November 11 is the last installment of KFX and FNL on KTAB and KRBC, respectively.

Multiple students, fans, and community members were injured, and one died in a fatal crash involving two 18-wheelers after a Westbrook ISD playoff game.

Eight people from Westbrook ISD were hurt, some critically, and transported to hospitals for surgery. This crash was recorded along Ranch Road 33 just outside of Big Spring around 9:45 p.m. last Thursday.

A Taylor County school cafeteria worker, Leann Thomason, was arrested last Friday, charged with Injury to a Child after allegedly slapping an elementary school student who asked about the lunch menu. The situation was reported in February at Buffalo Gap Elementary School and was brought to light by a school employee who noticed a distressed student in the cafeteria.

According to court documents, the student reported that Thomason, when asked about lunch, slapped him because she was upset by his question.