Texas
Batteries Plus Awards 5-Unit Franchise Deal to Expand West Texas Presence
Local Husband & Wife Team Plan to Open First Store in Odessa by End of Q1 2025
ODESSA, Texas, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Batteries Plus, the world’s leading specialty battery franchise, recently signed its latest multi-unit franchise agreement for the development of five new units throughout West Texas. This deal will expand the brand’s footprint and further establish Batteries Plus’s expertise throughout the state.
Husband and wife duo, Liz and Jay McKee, will own and operate the five stores across the region. For the last 40 years, Jay has spent his career working in the oil and gas industry in California, New Mexico, and most recently Texas after moving back to the state he was born and raised in with Liz. During his time spent in the oil and gas industry, Jay has held roles in sales along with extracting and producing – touching every aspect of the business throughout his journey. Liz has spent over three decades in direct sales, the most recent being at a chemical company where she spent the last 13 years.
“We could not be more excited to be joining the Batteries Plus family,” said Liz. “Odessa is a metropolis that just continues to grow and there is nothing like Batteries Plus in our community, so there is a tremendous opportunity to be able to fill a void for our neighbors when it comes to battery needs and phone repair. We are looking forward to opening our doors and serving the community.”
Of the five locations, the couple is anticipating the first to open in Odessa by the end of the first quarter of 2025. That store will be followed by opening in Midland, Lubbock, Abilene, and Big Spring.
“Adding hard working entrepreneurs like Liz and Jay to the Batteries Plus team is extremely exciting for us and we look forward to continuing to expand our presence across the state of Texas,” added Joe Malmuth, Chief Development Officer. “We already have a strong presence in East Texas, so being able to enter the West Texas market is a nice milestone for Batteries Plus as we continue to be a leader in the industry.”
Batteries Plus has become a global leader in supplying the battery needs of its customers for cars, boats, phones, key fobs and more. With over 800 store locations in operation and development nationwide, Batteries Plus has also carved out a unique niche in the industry with its ‘plus’ services – including cell phone repair and key fob replacement. Positioned for the battery-powered future, Batteries Plus was ranked on Franchise Times Top 400 list, coming in at #130. Plus, for the 30th year in a row, the brand ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list, climbing 53 spots over last year’s rank and even becoming one of only 49 franchise brands to be inducted into Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 Hall of Fame. To learn more about Batteries Plus, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com.
ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS:
Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes®’ Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Seth Goodman, Fishman Public Relations, sgoodman@fishmanpr.com or 224.723.9645
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SOURCE Batteries Plus
Texas
AMBER ALERT: 8-year-old boy missing in Aransas Pass, suspect on the run
An AMBER Alert has been issued for 8-year-old Patrick Killian, who was taken from Aransas Pass, Texas. Authorities are searching for 41-year-old Jeffery Harris in connection with the abduction.
Texas Department of Public Safety says Patrick was last seen at noon on Friday, in the 2600 Block of Armstrong Rd in Aransas Pass, Texas. He is described as a white 8-year-old boy, approximately 4′0″ tall and weighing 50 lbs. He has blonde hair, and blue eyes, and was wearing black frame glasses at the time of his disappearance.
Patrick was last seen with 41-year-old Jeffery Harris, who is described as a white man, standing 5′9″ tall and weighing 215 lbs. Harris has brown hair and blue eyes.
Harris is believed to be driving a silver 2016 Hyundai Elantra with Texas license plate VDK447K.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Aransas Pass Police Department at 361-729-2222.I f you see the vehicle or have any details, please call 9-1-1.
Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Texas
Betting odds, predictions: Arizona Wildcats shocking spread vs. Texas Tech basketball
Despite seven consecutive wins and a top-12 national ranking, the Arizona Wildcats are not expected to beat Texas Tech on Saturday.
The latest betting odds for Arizona’s Big 12 matchup vs. the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas, favor the home team by at least 5.5 points.
Big 12 road games are tough, but that’s still a shocking spread for a team that is playing as well as Arizona. Texas Tech (12-4, 3-2) has lost its last two home games — 85-84 in OT to Iowa State and 87-83 to UCF.
Arizona (11-5, 5-0) is 2-0 on the road in the Big 12 so far. The Wildcats beat Cincinnati 72-67 and West Virginia 75-56.
Fifth-year senior Caleb Love leads Arizona in scoring at 15.3 points per game. Junior guard Jaden Bradley is averaging 11.7 points and sophomore guard KJ Lewis is averaging 10.6 points.
New Mexico transfer JT Toppin leads Texas Tech in scoring and rebounding at 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. But it’s forward Darrion Williams (16.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.9 apg) and guard Chance McMillian (14.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg) that make the Red Raiders go. They’re both versatile defenders and will be difficult matchups for Arizona.
The Arizona at Texas Tech game is scheduled to tip off at 12 p.m. MST on Saturday. Here are the latest betting odds.
Arizona at Texas Tech Betting Odds, Spread, Predictions
(Rankings references are from the NCAA’s NET Rankings, which are used as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.)
The oddsmakers have Texas Tech as 5.5-point favorites. Here are the latest betting odds, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Who: No. 12 Arizona at No. 19 Texas Tech in Big 12 men’s basketball
Moneyline: Arizona +172, Texas Tech -210
Spread: Arizona +5.5 (-120)
Over/Under: 150.5
When: 12 p.m. MST/1 p.m. CT | Saturday, January 18
Where: United Supermarkets Arena | Lubbock, Texas
Live Stream: Watch Arizona-Texas Tech live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
TV Channel: ESPN2
ESPN FPI Prediction: Arizona has a 49.4% chance to win
Our Prediction: Arizona 73, Texas Tech 68
More Arizona & Big 12 Analysis
Texas
Four-Star Recruit Tiki Hola Compares Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Texas Longhorns, USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are one of the top destinations for class of 2026 defensive lineman Tiki Hola. He visited USC last season when the Trojans hosted the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Hola is a four-star recruit out of Bastrop, Texas and is ranked as the No. 30 defensive lineman in his class per 247Sports. He spoke to On3 about the top five schools on his list and he revealed what he looks for in a school.
Tiki Hola spoke to On3 on Jan. 12 about the update on his recruitment. Hola posted on his social media that his top five schools are currently the Texas Longhorns, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and SMU Mustangs. He plans to announce his commitment decision in July this year.
Hola talked about what is the biggest factor in his decision.
“I look at relationships. That’s always what I’ve looked at since my freshman year, since I started my recruiting process…not only does my relationship with the position coach matter, but also having a relationship with the head coach is big for me,” Hola said. “Also, I am looking at the development that a school can give me and how I can become a better person and a better player there.”
The chance to immediately start and play is low on the list of priorities for Hola.
“The last thing is where I fit on the depth chart and how valuable I feel on the team,” Hola said.
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Tiki Hola was asked about the visits he’s gone on to his top schools. Here’s what he had to say about his trip to USC.
“My visit to USC was great. I loved seeing all the different cultures and all the different things that they do. USC has a lot of history behind it,“ Hola said. “The stadium was beautiful. The Coliseum was a great environment to be in and the coaches made us feel welcome.”
Hola noted how good of a job the USC coaching staff has done throughout the recruiting process.
“Coach Shaun Nua (USC Defensive End Coach) and Aaron Amaama (USC Personnel Assistant), they’ve done a really good job recruiting me,” Hola said. “The enviroment and culture they have were great. Being able to see everyone in person there was phenomenal, from the facilities to the coaches. They treated us right.”
Hola also had many good things to say about his other visits to schools, so USC is by no means the front runner. Hola raved about the Longhorns and Fighting Irish.
“The relationship that I’ve built with coach Baker, the defensive line coach there, is great,” said Hola about Texas to On3. “We talk about how valuable I am to them. Coach Baker really makes me feel welcome. He loves to talk to me about my family and loves getting to know me personally… They make me feel welcome. Another thing is Texas is not too far from home.”
As for Notre Dame, which is competing in the College Football National Championship on Monday, Hola likes the traditions and coaching staff.
“Coach Marcus Freeman, coach Al Golden… and coach Al Washington, they’ve all done a really good job of keeping in touch with me, especially as they’re going on this national championship run,” Holsa said to On3. “They’ve consistently texted me every week about everything that they’re going through in practice for all these big games that they’re heading into… They have great culture, a great history and the development that they’ve had coming into this new year was great.”
Sounds like Hola is still very much weighing his options.
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MORE: USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley Building Momentum For 2026 Recruiting Cycle
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