Roger Estlack

One new positive case of COVID-19 has been reported in Donley County, according to Judge John Howard, MD.

Speaking Monday morning, Howard said the state had tested about 4,000 people in area meat packing plants with 1,111 positive cases reported afterward. One of those is a Donley County resident, Howard said.

Also on Monday, the judge said the Texas National Guard was in Clarendon to test more than 40 residents at the local nursing home as well as the staff at that facility. If any of those tests come back positive, the judge will be notified.

Meanwhile, the count of tests run on Donley County residents by the Clarendon Family Medical Center totaled 106 as of Monday. Three of those are pending, 20 have been positive, 83 have been negative. Six local people have now received a positive test outside the county, bringing the total local COVID cases to 26 with at least 21 of those having recovered.

On the state level, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday the start of Phase II in the reopening of the Texas economy. He said gyms, child care centers, and boys’ and girls’ clubs could re-open with safety guidelines effective May 18 and said that restaurants could expand to 50 percent capacity starting on Friday. Rodeos, professional sports, scouting, youth camps, and other activities can also resume this month.

However, due to the spiking numbers, largely in the Amarillo area meat packing industry, the following Panhandle counties would be delayed one week in moving to Phase II – Potter, Randall, Deaf Smith, and Moore.

“We must continue to place health and safety first and foremost,” Abbott said. “Be a good neighbor. Be a Texan.”
For more on the governor’s plan to reopen the economy, visit Gov.Texas.Gov/OpenTexas.

Clarendon High School has announced the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2020 are Harmond Drenth and Trenton Smith.

The Salutatorian for CHS is Trent Smith, son of David and Buffie Smith. He has a weighted GPA of 5.776.

Trent was very involved in extracurricular activities during his high school career. He was a member of the Bronco Band his freshman and sophomore years, a member of the State UIL Basketball team his freshman year. He competed in UIL Academics all four years and advancing to regional competition in math his freshman through junior years, was a member of the Student Council all four years serving as president his senior year, and member of the School Health Advisory Council all four years and a member of the Clarendon FFA his junior year.

Trent has been honored both in school and in our community. He was chosen as a CHS Servant Leader by his teachers all four years, he was a member of the local chapter of the National Honor Society his junior and senior years, served as president of his class his sophomore and junior years, was an A Honor Roll student his freshman and sophomore years, and an A/B Honor Roll student his junior and senior years. He has received many Honor C’s over the years and has received his Associates degree from Clarendon College in addition to being named CHS Salutatorian. Most recently he was named as Clarendon Chamber of Commerce Young Man of the Year.

Trent has also been involved in giving back to his community through community service. He participated in the American Run for the Fallen, served veterans at the school’s annual Veterans Day celebration, was a participant in Shattered Dreams Alcohol and Drug Awareness program, has helped light up the courthouse at Christmas, aided in highway cleanups, helped with the canned food drive and helped put flags out at the cemetery to honor our veterans.

Trent’s hobbies include playing video games, swimming, hunting, traveling, and hanging out with friends.

Trent plans on attending West Texas A&M University where he plans to major in Business Management.

The Valedictorian for this year’s graduating class is Harmond Drenth. He is the son of Tanya Bell and Jade Drenth and has a weighted GPA of 5.86.

Harm played football and baseball ever since enrolling in CHS, his sophomore year, and has been witness to and be a part of a lot of success in those sports as well. Harm has also participated in UIL events every year, as well as made it to regionals every year, and most definitely would have this year as well.

In addition to being valedictorian, Harm is also graduating with my associate’s degree from Clarendon College. This was made possible through the CHS dual credit program. Harm has received Honor Cs in several subjects: English II Pre-AP, Geometry, Algebra II, Spanish (Dual Credit), and was expecting several from this year.

Harm was able to participate in and help organize the canned food drives at CHS to donate to the needy. He also helped with the recycling program, collecting the recycling around the school. However, he was most proud of volunteering in the IT department of CHS. He assisted Mrs. Anderberg, Mrs. Grahn, and Mr. Noble with various tasks, and actually had a period dedicated to this.

They were a great help and provided Harm with references for college requests as well as practical experience.
Harm’s hobbies include computers, video games, and technology as well as vintage automotive repair and restoration.

Harm will be attending Baylor University for a degree in Computer Science, as a member of their ECS Scholars program. This will give Harm faculty mentoring as well as guaranteed internships in his field of network and computer security. Harm has a full ride through merit-based scholarships.

Clarendon’s sales tax revenue plummeted when Texas Comptroller distributed May allocations to local government’s last week.

The city’s revenue fell 25.97 percent to $41,893.01 compared to $56,593.42 for the same period last year. Local officials point out, however, that the 2019 May allocation was unusually high, setting an all-time record for monthly sales tax revenue.

This month’s allocation is just 5.44 percent lower than 2018’s May allocation of $44,303.94 and is higher than 2017’s May allocation of $37,304.42.

Clarendon’s calendar year-to-date total is now down 5.82 percent at $170,762.12.

Hedley’s May allocation fell 41.92 percent to $1,359.44, and that city’s year-to-date figure is down 5.94 percent at $4,492.94.

Howardwick was also down 1.84 percent for the month at $1,197.96, but the lakeside city remains up 22.14 percent for the year at $6,899.08.

Statewide, Hegar sent $824.1 million in local sales tax allocations for May, 5 percent less than in May 2019. These allocations are based on sales made in March by businesses that report tax monthly, and sales made in January, February and March by quarterly filers.

Widespread social distancing requirements were not in place across much of the state until late March, meaning the impact of those measures affected only a portion of allocations for this month.
The comptroller’s office expects next month’s allocations, based on April sales, will show steeper declines compared to a year ago.

The schedule of the 143rd annual Saints’ Roost Celebration is largely unknown at this time as the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a cloud of uncertainty on July Fourth and other summer activities.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association two weeks ago opened its sign-up period for the junior rodeo and ranch rodeo for the celebration, which is supposed to take place July 2, 3, and 4 this year. At the May 5 meeting of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation, COEA officials said their events filled up in one night and that they have a waiting list of other teams wanting to participate.

Last Thursday, the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce board voted to proceed with plans for the annual Herring Bank Parade on July 4 with a theme of “Texas Strong: United We Stand.”

Both the Chamber and COEA officials say they understand things could change between now and July, which could cause the cancelation of these events, and it’s not clear what social distancing requirements may be in place by that time. Rodeo and parade awards will be ordered with no date inscribed on them in case they have to be held over for next year.

County Agent Leonard Haynes said Tuesday that no decision has been made on the annual Craft Fair scheduled for July 4 on the courthouse lawn. Haynes said he wants to wait another week or until Gov. Greg Abbott releases more information about changes to the pandemic response and social distancing requirements.

State officials are working to reopen the Texas economy, but many events planned for the coming months have already been canceled. Last week, the Clarendon Little League canceled its 2020 season and the Junior Rodeo Cowboys Association announced that it had also canceled its 2020 events, which would have included the JRCA annual rodeo in Clarendon in June.

No new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Donley County since May 1, and 80 people have now tested negative for the virus at the Clarendon Family Medical Center.

Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, says his clinic has conducted 100 tests local residents, and, as of Tuesday afternoon, all of those test results had been received. Twenty local tests have come back positive, and five other local residents have tested positive at facilities outside the county.

The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting 26 confirmed cases in Donley County. Howard said he is trying to get that number corrected because one patient is being counted twice, having tested positive at the local clinic and then again in an Amarillo hospital.

Of the positive cases, 21 have been listed as “recovered.” Howard says it’s possible that as many as three of the remaining four positive cases may also be recovered, but those are not under the care of the local clinic.

Howard still urges everyone to continue to follow social distancing guidelines.

Hedley High School has announced Perla Carreon and Mica Delos Reyes are its top students for the Class of 2020.
Carreon is the Valedictorian and has a grade average of 96.67. She is the daughter of Elizabeth and Victor Carreon and has attended Hedley ISD for six years.

Throughout high school, Carreon has been involved in many extracurricular activities such as basketball for four years, One Act Play for three years, UIL for four years, and the National Honors Society for two years. She has completed 31 hours of dual credit courses. She was nominated for homecoming court her senior year and was crowned queen.

After high school, Carreon plans to attend Clarendon College to complete her basics. After that, she plans to transfer to West Texas A&M University to pursue her career in nursing or teaching.

The Salutatorian is Mica Delos Reyes with an average of 92.03. She is the daughter of Bhel and J.B. Alvey and moved from the Philippines, transferring to Hedley ISD during her sophomore year in 2017.

Throughout her high school career, Delos Reyes has received academic honors and was extremely involved in many extracurricular activities and clubs. She was involved with writing and was an editor of the Journalism Club and has been a member of the School Newspaper club. She was also a member of One-Act Play, Arbor Society, National Honor Society, Band, and other different clubs in the Philippines, such as Environmental Club, High School Theater Group, Art, Drama, Life Sciences, Economics, History, and Language Clubs. She has a great interest in arts.

In the Philippines, she was also one of the co-directors and the prop master in her school’s plays, El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere that both won first place. She also participated in UIL and other competitive organizations and has played volleyball and basketball. She was also heavily involved in volunteer works in the churches in the Philippines, where she met new people and made many cherished memories.

After high school, Mica is heading towards Clarendon College then West Texas A&M University to get a degree in Nursing, which she will eventually use to pursue a career in the medical field in neurosurgery.

Carreon and Delos Reyes will be recognized with the rest of the Hedley Class of 2020 during graduation exercises on May 23 at 8:30 p.m. at the Sandell Drive-In.

All of the Hedley and Clarendon seniors will be featured in our graduation edition published on May 21, 2020.