Lions crown new sweetheart
Hall County celebrates 89th annual picnic
The 89th annual Hall County Picnic was celebrated Saturday with lots of activities in Memphis with most events taking place around the courthouse downtown.
A cowboy breakfast and a 5K kicked off the day’s events, and a cornhole tournament was held downtown as well.
The annual Hall County Picnic Parade took off at after 11 a.m. with great fanfare and participation from several businesses and organizations.
Parade winners were Civic – Memphis Lions Club, first; Texas Forest Service, second; and Memphis VFD, third; Antique Cars & Tractors – Dea Elliot – 1930 AA Ford, first; Chris Lockhart – 1975 Ford F750, second; Dallan Skinner – 1971 Corvette, third; Miscellaneous – MHS Class of ‘89, first; MHS Class of ‘84, second; MHS Class of ‘94, third; Bicycle Riders – Corey Welch, first; School / Youth Groups – MHS Cheerleaders & Football Team, first; MMS Cheerleaders & Football Team, second; MHS Band, third; Motorized – Ollinger Kids, first; Green Goblin – Paul Ables, second; Altman Girls, third; Commercial – Kathy Fowler Agency, first; Memphis Convalescent Center, second; Summer Towing of Hedley, third; Horseback Riders – Will Rogers Range Riders, first; Anslie Montgomery, second; Chelsay Perkins, third; and Judges’ Choice – Lighthouse Electric.
Afternoon activities included water polo hosted by the Memphis Volunteer Fire Department and a poker run sponsored by the Kathy Fowler Agency.
The high hand winner was Edward McKinney with $276, and the low hand winner was Tommy Speed with $184. The Fowler Agency donated $460 to Hall County Meals on Wheels.
Rain rolled in Saturday evening, but that did not stop the festivities at the street dance. The band took refuge on a sidewalk and played under an awing will be residents continued to dance.
Ybarra finishes ninth at Amarillo Invitational
By Sandy Anderberg
Clarendon’s Tristen Ybarra ran a great 5K race at Klein Park in Amarillo last weekend and placed ninth out of 52 runners from 1A-4A.
Ybarra’s time of 17:37.57 was less than a minute and a half off the winning time.
Madi Benson ran 10th out of 80 runners in the girls’ division with a time of 13:32.82 for the two-mile course. Benson was able to lead the Lady Bronco team to an impressive third place in a field of 1A-4A schools. Elliot Frausto stayed close to Benson and finished 13th at 13:48.02, and Addy Havens ran right behind Frausto in 15th place with a time of 13:52.38.
Gracie Ellis was 24th at 14:39.07, and Lexi Phillips ran 39th with a time of 15:28.99.
The Broncos and Lady Broncos will be open September 28 and will run October 1 in the Greenbelt Gallop at Kinkaid Park.
Broncos suffer loss to Gruver
By Sandy Anderberg
The Clarendon Broncos have faced a tough pre-district season on the football field. Their 18-51 loss at home last week was another hard-fought game with a discouraging outcome for the young team.
The Broncos got started on the wrong foot when they were pushed back behind their own goal line a minute into the game and suffered a safety at the hands of the Greyhounds. Gruver went on to score 30 points in the opening quarter of play and reached 50 points at the break.
Despite the loss, the Broncos had some bright spots on both sides of the ball. Mason Sims did a good job at the quarterback spot but struggled with fumbles and interceptions. Sims earned the Broncos’ first score of the game on a 55-yard run around the left side to the endzone. Penalties plagued the Broncos just when they abegan to find momentum in the game. Sims did, however, find Colton Caudle for a 37-yard pass early on, but narrowly fell short of six.
Junior Kyler Bell stepped in at the QB position late in the game and connected with Mason from 17 yards out for a touchdown and then found him again for another six points.
The Broncos are determined to turn things around and will focus on Lockney for their Homecoming game Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in Bronco Stadium.
Guest Column: Osprey crash generates unfair criticism
By US Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Amarillo)
The crash of a CV-22 Osprey, call sign Gundam 22, off the coast of Japan in November 2023 has generated a wave of unfair scrutiny against the aircraft. The loss of any service member is an absolute tragedy, but the conversation surrounding the V-22 Osprey has become disproportionately negative, often overlooking key facts about the incident and the essential role this aircraft plays in our military’s success.
Critics paint a picture of the Osprey as an inherently dangerous aircraft, claiming it is more prone to accidents than other military platforms; however, the data and the facts tell a much different story.
The Marine Corps variant of the Osprey, the MV-22, has become a cornerstone of U.S. military operations, consistently proving its reliability in challenging environments. Despite its extensive use, the MV-22’s mishap rate per 100,000 flight hours is “equal to or less than any airframe flown,” according to the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric M. Smith. He also recently said, “They’re completely safe. They have a better safety record than most aircraft.”
When compared to conventional helicopters, like the H-60 Black Hawk or the H-47 Chinook, the V-22’s safety record remains well within acceptable industry standards. Beyond its favorable safety record, the Osprey offers significant advantages and capabilities that conventional helicopters cannot match. Its unique tilt-rotor design enables it to take off and land in confined spaces while flying faster and farther than traditional helicopters. These advantages provide critical support in combat, medical evacuation operations, and disaster relief efforts, often meaning the difference between life and death.
The safety of our service members is and always will remain our highest priority. Use of the V-22 aircraft in a variety of critical environments is vital for the success of our men and women in uniform. At every stage of the V-22’s lifecycle, from development to combat operations, highly skilled professionals work diligently to ensure the aircraft’s safety and effectiveness. During my time in the Navy, and now as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have spent considerable time flying onboard the V-22; therefore, I know firsthand that this is not just a phenomenal aircraft, but it provides our military with unique capabilities and advantages that we simply cannot afford to be without.
The V-22 operates under stringent protocols and maintenance requirements, reinforcing the confidence military leaders have in the aircraft and its critical role in maintaining readiness and deterrence. While military flight operations are inherently risky, the Osprey remains an indispensable asset in our defense strategy.
We must remember and honor the eight airmen who tragically lost their lives in the mishap of Gundam 22, but we must also avoid any overreaction that would degrade our military’s operational capabilities moving forward. The Department of Defense conducted a thorough investigation into the incident, and we are working collaboratively to address the findings while taking the necessary steps to ensure the Osprey continues to operate safely and effectively.
It is the duty of Congress to rely on facts, not fears, when evaluating the V-22 Osprey. This aircraft is a combat-proven asset that deserves our continued support and investment. As we move forward, we will continue to improve and build upon the innovative technology embodied by the V-22, because ultimately, enhancing the capabilities of the V-22 will contribute to a more secure future for our country and ensure our military has the advantages it needs to compete with and win against our adversaries.
Congressman Ronny Jackson represents the 13th Congressional District of Texas.
Scharlett Sue Leeper
Scharlett Sue Leeper, 84, of Clarendon died Friday, September 20, 2024, in Clarendon.
Services will be 10:00 AM Tuesday, September 24, 2024 in the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Jerry Koontz and Rev. Larry Capranica, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Viewing will be held Monday at the funeral home with family receiving friends for visitation from 4:00-6:00 PM.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Sue was born June 23, 1940 in Donley County, Texas to Hollis Martin and Mary Ellen Craig Banister. She married Jack Thomas Leeper on May 22, 1958 in Hedley, Texas. She had been a lifetime resident of Clarendon. Sue worked for over 40 years as a nurse for the State of Texas and for the Nursing Home in Clarendon. Her hobbies included painting, artwork, playing games, quilting, quilting with her sister, and getting dressed up to go out to eat with her friends. Sue had served on the Clarendon College Nursing board, Donley County Hospital board, and served Donley County Senior Citizens for 18 years. She deeply loved all of her family and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with all of her kids and grandkids. She was active member of the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon, where she played a vital role in Missions and served as the Missions director, and also loved taking kids to Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 2003; her twin daughters; and two brothers, Basil and Kelsy Banister.
Survivors include her sons, Tommy Leeper and wife Jackie of Clarendon and Bryan Leeper and wife Kris of Pampa; her daughters, Anna Gay Leeper-Tafoya and husband Johnny of Clarendon and Scharla Miller and husband James of Claude; her sister, Patricia Johnston of Emporia, Kansas; 8 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
The family request memorials be sent to the Donley County Senior Citizens in Clarendon, Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon, or Gentiva Hospice.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com
Becky Hudson McAnear
Becky Hudson McAnear, 70, of Amarillo died Wednesday, September 11, 2024, in Amarillo.
Services will be 11:00 AM Wednesday, September 18, 2024 in the First Methodist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Terry Tamplen, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Viewing will be held Tuesday with family receiving friends for visitation from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Becky Ellen Hudson McAnear was born in Clarendon, Texas, on February 27, 1954, to Carroll Becton and Ruth Ellen Palmer Hudson. One of her first proud moments in life was being born ten minutes before her twin sister and lifelong best friend, Bette, thus always being known as the older sister.
Being twins and growing up in Clarendon, they certainly drew attention and shared many adventures together with their friends and family. They loved their travels to visit family members, especially when it involved a train ride or time spent at the lake. When one twin wasn’t sure of an activity, the sister could usually encourage the other to participate. Growing up in the First Methodist Church, where she was a lifelong member, they were often found trying to distract their mother from her role as organist during practice sessions.
She graduated from Clarendon High School in 1972 and went on to attend Clarendon College and West Texas A&M University obtaining her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1976. She worked at Pantex for more than 30 years, starting as a mail clerk riding a three-wheel bicycle carrying mail in the front basket before working her way up to become a technical writer until her retirement in 2017. She made many close friends along the way and touched many lives.
Becky and Mike McAnear were ecstatic over the birth of their daughter, Melissa, in 1985 and later their grandson, Josiah, in 2014.
She was known as one of the kindest people with the best smile and a fantastic laugh to go with it. She enjoyed quilting, crafting, exploring family history, keeping up with friends and family, and Dr. Pepper.
Preceded in death by her parents, brother Barry, grandparents Major and Edna Hudson, and Reverend George T. and Myrtle Palmer and her close friend, Jackie Wood.
Survivors include her daughter Melissa and son Josiah of Amarillo; sister Bette and husband Joe Meason of Amarillo, her nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and close family members and friends.
Editorial: Take time to fill out US 287 survey
Communities along US 287 have just a few days left to fill out a state survey about possibly upgrading the highway to interstate standards. The deadline for the survey has been extended to September 27, and the link is at the bottom of this column. If you care about the long-term future of Clarendon and other small towns, you should definitely take five minutes and let the state know your thoughts.
& Editor
Under consideration is a 671-mile stretch of US 287 running from Amarillo to Port Arthur. According to TxDOT, the comprehensive study will evaluate transportation needs and identify potential multimodal solutions to help improve safety and connectivity. The agency wants “to hear from communities, businesses, and the broader public what this corridor should look like and how it can connect communities and foster economic opportunities for Texans for years to come.”
Transportation access is critical to a community’s survival. Clarendon understood that in 1887. When the town learned that the Ft. Worth & Denver Railroad would not being coming through the community’s original location near present-day Greenbelt Lake, the entire town picked up and moved to be on the railroad. Many towns that were missed by the railroad simply disappeared or stagnated.
In the 20th century, what became known as US 287 also was important to the growth and success of Clarendon, providing a steady stream of revenue through the city for decades. Today, about 16,000 vehicles a day travel through town; and while many do not stop, those that do are vital for restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, and other businesses. From an economic development perspective, traffic count is one of the factors that certain businesses look at when considering locating in a community. The higher your traffic count, the more businesses you can attract.
The state is looking at the big picture of US 287. It must consider what is best overall for the state economy and the travelling public. US 287 is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Texas. Upgrading the highway to interstate standards with controlled access would increase the speed and efficiency of goods and people traveling on that road. However, it is safe to say that there is no good way to upgrade US 287 to an interstate through Clarendon – or Memphis or Hedley or Claude or Childress or a host of other small towns. That almost certainly means some form of bypass would be required.
We know what bypasses do to small towns. You can look at Groom and McLean and see what I-40 did for them when it supplanted old Route 66 and went around those little towns. Shamrock seems to have fared better, but there are still a lot of empty buildings that line the old highway.
South of here, US 287 already skips around places like Electra and Iowa Park. In Vernon, US 287 is practically already an interstate; you don’t even have to hit your brakes – just go 75 to 80 mph all the way through town.
For many years, Clarendon has been blessed by three things that keep our town economically stable – Clarendon College, Lake Greenbelt, and US 287. While the college is holding its own, the lake is struggling with the effects of prolonged drought. That makes it more important to hold on to and try to attract more revenue from US 287.
The state’s survey is just eight short questions. Most of it deals with when, how, and why you use US 287 and what concerns you have about the current highway as it is. The eighth and final question is open-ended and allows you to say whatever you want about the highway. The survey also allows you to “place a comment on the study map.” There you can drop a pin on a specific location and make your comment. If you think a place is a safety concern, drop a pin there and make your comment. You can also drop a pin in Clarendon and give your thoughts about the future.
Looking at the comments on the map this week is a little alarming. It appears that someone – or perhaps a bot – is making repeated comments in multiple locations, saying things like, “Please bypass Clarendon,” “Please bypass Memphis,” etc. Other comments are more thoughtful and unique, but many still are either open to or actively encourage bypassing our community. Traffic safety is usually the reason given for that stance.
Everyone’s opinion is valid, and everyone should go make their thoughts known. One thing that should be kept in mind, however, is the significant investment that has been made by existing businesses to locate in Clarendon and similar communities because of the highway. Those investments mean jobs and tax revenue for our towns. Moving the highway would put those businesses at risk and also make it harder to attract new businesses.
Keep in mind that this survey is just the first step in the long-term development of US 287. If the state decided tomorrow that it was going to bypass Clarendon, it would be many years – possibly decades – before it happens. Highway design, environmental impact studies, and right-of-way acquisition takes a lot of time, and then there’s got to be money appropriated. Think about how long we have been hearing about extending I-27 north of Amarillo and south of Lubbock. It’s been 30 years or more, and it still hasn’t happened yet. But it will someday.
Right now, you have a chance to speak, so don’t let the moment pass you by. Take five minutes and go fill out the survey. Here’s the link: https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/statewide/us287-corridor-interstate-feasibility-study.html.
Careless Snapchat post leads to arrest
A Clarendon College student has been charged with a third-degree felony after a social media post caught the attention of the FBI last week.
Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn says the case is an example that posts on social media can have serious consequences.
“A girl is facing a felony now for putting something stupid on Snapchat,” Blackburn said. “People need to think before they type.”
The FBI contacted the Donley County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday morning, and the agent reported discovering an image on Snapchat that clearly showed the student and an entryway of the dorm she lives, which was identified as Clarendon College. In the post, the student said she was “shooting up this school” because a big bug was on her.
The sheriff’s office immediately contacted the college, located the student, and took her into custody for Terroristic Threat.
Clarendon College President Tex Buckhaults later said CC worked with the sheriff’s office to identify and locate the student and that college officials believe there was no longer a threat from the student.
Emily Jaramillo, age 18, was booked into the Donley County Jail, that morning. She was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Pat White the next day with bond set at $5,000 and was later released on bond.
Blackburn said Jaramillo had no weapon in her possession but said authorities had to act on the report of a threat. The sheriff said from the time his office was notified, it was only 20 to 30 minutes before the student was in a jail cell.
USPS proposes to slow down rural mail
The US Postal Service has again proposed to lower public expectations for mail delivery, having already proven it cannot reliably deliver mail on time in many areas. It has filed a petition for a review of proposed new service standards with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
The announcement states that if a newspaper is further than 50 miles from a new Regional Processing and Distribution Center, an additional day would likely be added to expected delivery times for any mail that entered into the newspaper’s local post office.
National Newspaper Association Chair John Galer, who represents NNA on the USPS Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, said the announcement will draw attention to USPS’ current failures and cause the public to have even less confidence in its Postal Service.
“The plan is offered in the name of cost-cutting. In reality, it is just the same old story, one of inefficiency and unreliability,” Galer, who is publisher of The Journal-News in Hillsboro, Illinois, said.
NNA has long complained about unreliable rural mail service. It has asked the PRC on numerous occasions to require reports on how well USPS does in delivering rural mail on time, but the PRC has declined to do so.
Galer said NNA would participate in the PRC’s review of the new request.
“There is no question that USPS has severe financial problems,” he said. “It was supposed to produce more than a billion dollars in profit this year under its new Delivering for America plan. Instead, it looks like losses of close to $7 billion will be reported. The mail is changing. There is less of it. We agree with USPS’ statement about that. But USPS has been driving its mailers away with postage increases that have risen several times faster than inflation; at the same time it is delivering mail slower. That certainly results in less mail. Now it wants a reward for its predictions of less mail. At some point, Congress has to step in to protect rural America.”
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