Roger Estlack

Residents of Howardwick will soon have more choices for high-speed internet service following action taken by the city council during its regular meeting last Tuesday, January 13.

Aldermen approved an agreement with AMA-TechTel to lay fiber optic cable across the community.

City Secretary Sandy Childress said officials have been working on the deal with AMA for several months. As part of the agreement, AMA will pay the city a stipend and also provide free internet and telephone service to City Hall and to the fire department.

Childress said AMA plans to offer fiber internet starting at $50 a month for Howardwick residents.

Construction on the build-out of the service began January 14.

In other city business, Childress reported she has applied for a City Clean-Up Grant through the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission.

Childress said she will be presenting in Amarillo on behalf of the city’s application at a PRPC meeting this month. If awarded, the grant would pay for roll-off boxes to be placed in areas where Howardwick has had problems with illegal dumping.

Sign-ups are now open for 22 positions on seven elected boards in Donley County for citizens interested in serving in local government.

The cities of Clarendon, Hedley, and Howardwick; the Clarendon and Hedley school districts; the Clarendon College District; and the Donley County Hospital District are all scheduled to have elections this May.

With the sign-up period opening on January 14, the City of Howardwick already has all its incumbents filed to run for re-election. Aldermen Terry Barnes, Mary Grady, and Johnny Hubbard have declare for their two-year seats on the city council.

The Clarendon City Council also has three full two-year terms up for election this year. The terms of Tom Thompson, Chris Topliff, and Chelsi Shadle are expiring. Thompson has filed for re-election, and Shadle has recently submitted a letter of resignation as her family is moving to house outside the city limits.

Hedley has two aldermen’s positions and the mayor’s seat up for election. Those are two year terms and are currently held by Mayor Trisha Chambless and Aldermen Aaron Hanes and Clinton Pierce.

The Clarendon CISD Board of Trustees has two positions open this year. The three-year terms of Chrisi Tucek and Mike Word are expiring.
Hedley CISD has three full terms and one partial term available. The full three-year terms of Troy Monroe, Shauna Herbert, and Tangela Copelin are up, and there are two years remaining on the unexpired term now held by Shawn Willoughby.

Three regents positions are up this year on the Clarendon College board. Those seats are held by Carey Wann, Dr. Guy Ellis, and Chris Matthews and are six-year terms.

The Donley County Hospital District Board of Directors has four positions up this year –Jan Farris, Place 4; Nikki Adams, Place 5; Mark C. White, Place 6; and Lori Howard, Place 7.

All local boards are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must file for a specific place on the board. Candidate applications are available from the administrative offices of each entity.

Filing continues through Friday, February 13. Elections are scheduled to be held Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Bingo lovers will win gift cards and enjoy homemade chili when the Clarendon Lions Club holds its Valentine’s Bingo on Friday, February 13.

The event will start at 6:00 p.m. at the Clarendon Lions Hall, and proceeds will help the club improve the kitchen facilities in the building to help better serve the community. In addition to the weekly club meetings, the Lions Hall hosts the regional office for The Bridge – Children’s Advocacy Center, has been available for many community events over the years, and is often rented by families and businesses throughout the year.

Tickets for the Valentine’s Bingo are $40 each. Seating is limited so get your seat reserved early at the Enterprise or calling 806-662-4689.

Editor’s Note: This event has been postponed due to the winter storm that hit the Panhandle. It will be rescheduled in March.

The Southeast Texas Panhandle Ag Conference will be held on Monday, January 26, in Memphis at the Kathy Fowler Insurance Agency building.

Registration will begin at 8:00 to 8:15 and the program speakers will immediately follow. This year’s speakers will include Dr. Ken Ledge, cotton agronomist; Dr. Calvin Trostle, grain and forage specialist; Nick Boogades, soil fertility specialist; Dr. Dede Jones, risk management specialist; Joe Dan Ledbetter, FSA Representative; and Ben Knight along with industry seed reps. There will also be an Auxin training to follow.

Lunch will be provided along with 4 CEUs offered. The cost will be $30. Please RSVP to the Donley County Extension Office at 806-874-2141 or the Hall County Extension Office at 806-259-3015.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce has opened nominations for its annual community awards.

Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, February 2, for the following categories: Man of the Year and Woman of the Year – individuals who have made a significant contribution to the community in 2025, Saints’ Roost Award – honoring an individual for a lifetime of service to the community, and the Volunteer Organization of the Year.

Nominations should specify which award the person or organization is being nominated for and a brief paragraph stating the reason for the nomination. The nominations should be no more than one page in length.

Nominations can delivered to the Clarendon Visitor Center inside the Mulkey Theatre; emailed to Chamber@ClarendonTx.com; or submitted online at ClarendonTx.com.