HISD Photo
Hedley FFA honors
HISD Photo
Images
HISD Photo
Lady Broncos close out post-season play
By Sandy Anderberg
The Lady Broncos hoped for more playoff time as they went up against the Reagan County Lady Owls; but it was not to be as Clarendon took a 0-10 loss in six innings in the Regional Semi-Final game in Lubbock.
The Lady Broncos had several bright spots but could not put themselves in a position to stop the Lady Owls.
Courtesy Photo / JL Mankin
Once again, Freshman Laken Smith was at the helm for the Lady Broncos and did a good job on the mound against a strong-hitting RC team. Smith threw a total of 126 pitches in the six innings and was able to find the sweet spot over the plate as she faced the batters and had several strikeouts.
Offensively, the Lady Broncos were able to get some hits off of the Lady Owl’s pitcher, but a strong presence in the field added to their frustrations. The team was able to grab bases through walks and their three recorded hits from Jesslyn Guerra, L. Smith, and Shelby Christopher who pounded big hits for the Lady Broncos. However, they struggled to move runners around the diamond and find home plate.
Despite the early exit from the playoffs, the Lady Broncos had a good season and grew stronger fundamentally. The underclassmen will be able to regroup next season, but will greatly miss seniors Shelby Christopher, Elliot Frausto, and Presley Smith.
New Pantex Facility Strengthens National Security
Pantex, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s High Explosives Center of Excellence for Manufacturing, kicked off a new era of weapons maintenance and surveillance last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open its new High Explosives Science and Engineering (HESE) facility.
DOE/NNSA Photo / Michael Schumacher
“The HESE is yet another important upgrade in our continued investment in modern technology,” Pantex Production Operations Division Director Carl Beard said. “The facility serves as another critical piece in fortifying Pantex’s role within the Nuclear Security Enterprise.”
The structure opened in May 2026 for operations; just over five years after construction began in November 2020. The HESE allows Pantex to continue to fulfill its vital role today, while positioning itself for the future.
“The new High Explosives Science and Engineering facility is a landmark achievement, setting an unprecedented standard for high explosives research and development crucial to national security,” PanTeXas Deterrence President and General Manager Kelly Beierschmitt said. “This state-of-the-art facility not only exemplifies American ingenuity but also demonstrates our unwavering commitment to mission success. My sincere appreciation to all the Pantexans and others who made this happen.”
The new facility combines activities performed at 15 aging facilities and refines the space for the development of technology supporting the plant’s weapons maintenance and surveillance mission. The building consolidates several groups under one roof, allowing for more efficient collaboration.
“The HESE will enable Pantex to continue delivering on our mission to provide the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile to the Department of War in support of national and global security,” said Pantex Field Office Manager Jason Armstrong. “This facility will also allow us to optimize for tomorrow as we develop new and innovative ways to accommodate and meet future weapon modernization and production demands.”
Broncos end season in three games
By Sandy Anderberg
The Clarendon Broncos ended a good season at the hands of West Texas last week.
The boys played three good games in the Bi-Distract round that went the full three games but fell short in the final game of the best two-out-of-three series finishing with a 12-14 record.
Courtesy Photo / Al Elam
The Broncos got a late start in game number one trailing 0-4 after two innings. But they were able to rally back in the third to put runs on the board thanks to singles from Caleb Herbert, Aiden Burnam, and Braylon Rice.
Parker Haynes was in control of the defense for two innings throwing three strike-outs and allowing two hits and four walks. Brentley Gaines took over the duties on the mound and finished the game with two strike-outs, five walks and three hits.
The Broncos came back in the last inning and scored three more runs but ran out of chances giving WT the 5-4 win.
Game two was a different story as the Broncos were determined to not go down in two. With Rice on the mound, the Broncos jumped all over the Comanches and held them to two runs in the opening inning while putting nine runs up at their turn at the plate.
The Broncos played solid offense and stellar defense to get the 16-5 win. Overall, they were able to get eight hits in the win. Rice had the hot hand with three hits that included a double and a triple. Hudson Howard, Burnam, Gaines and Kreed Robinson, and Hayden Moore had hits in the innings.
Coach Aaron Smith went back to Gaines for the pitching spot to start game three. Overall, four pitchers tried their hand from the mound to switch up the momentum and try to stop WT who held a 17-0 lead before the final inning where the Broncos were able to score two runs. In their last at-bat, Howard and Wilkins slammed a double each and Robinson had one stolen base.
With a new AD in charge at CHS, the underclassmen are determined to be strong in the coming season but will miss the seniors.
Lady Broncos’ Murillo snags big HR in battle with Tahoka
By Sandy Anderberg
Lady Bronco Josie Murillo does not stand very tall as a person, but as an athlete she is a giant. Murillo nabbed a left-field solo homerun over a tall fence in Floydada last week in the Lady Broncos’ Area round championship over the Tahoka Lady Bulldogs.
The Lady Broncos outplayed and outlasted their opponent on both sides of the plate solidly defeating them 20-4. Freshman Laken Smith was on the mound and did a great job throwing approximately 102 pitches in the game.
Smith read the batterers well striking out nine and walking five. Smith allowed only three hits in the game.
Courtesy Photo
The ladies had their strong arms going as they were able to throw out several runners on the bases and grab fly balls for outs. At the plate, they racked up 20 hits for their 20 runs scored. 13 RBIs and six stolen bases as a team. Elliot Frausto and L. Smith nailed a triple each and the ladies hit serval doubles in the game to completely destroy the Lady Bulldogs.
Next up for the Lady Broncos is a match-up with Reagan County on May 7 in a one game; winner take all to stay alive in the playoffs and go to the regional finals. The game will be played at Lubbock Cooper at 3:00 p.m.
CEDC awards grant to improved 287 property
The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation presented a $2,000 grant for exterior improvements to a commercial property on US 287 last week.
Developer Wayne Hopper received $2,000 from the CEDC’s Traditional Façade Grant program for renovations to the former McKinney Motor Company building at the intersection of US 287 and Koogle Street.
Enterprise Photo
The project included removing covered parking in front of the main building, installing a new awning over the main entrance, and painting the main building and other exterior structures. Works has also been done to the interior of the building, which was not covered by the grant, in hopes of making the overall property more attractive to potential buyers.
Hopper is working with a commercial real estate agent to market the property and try to attract a new business to Clarendon.
The CEDC’s Traditional Façade Grant Program provides up to $2,000 in matching funds that can be used for almost any improvement to a storefront in the Clarendon Central Business District or along the US 287 corridor in Clarendon.
Examples of previously funded projects include a simple coat of paint to new signage to awnings to complete storefront renovations.
Prior approval by the CEDC board of directors must be received before a project begins. For information and an application, visit ClarendonTX.com/cedc/facade-grants.
Last week’s award bring the CEDC’s total for Traditional Façade Grants to $38,382.04 since 2008. A total of $9,200 has also been awarded since 2021 in the CECD’s Historic Façade Grant program, which focuses on rehabilitating historic commercial properties.
Lady Broncos claim Bi-District Championship
By Sandy Anderberg
Courtesy Photo
Fifteen runs separated the Lady Broncos from the ladies from West Texas High in a best two-out-of-three matchup in the Bi-District round last week. Clarendon earned the first game win at home at 14-9 and stole the win on the road at 12-2. No game three was needed.
Freshman Laken Smith was on the mound in the opening game and did a good job despite allowing several walks early in the game. Smith had a great field behind her and they were able to control most of their hits.
At the plate is where the Lady Broncos shined. The WT pitcher was strong and threw several pitches in the strike zone, but the Lady Broncos took advantage of each pitch. Smith earned the first two-run homerun way over the fence in left field, and Clarendon was able to close out the inning with three runs to zero for WT.
The West Texas ladies were able to fight back and tie the game in the third inning. But the strength of the Lady Bronco offense was too much and they were able to pound the ball to retake the lead. Elliot Frausto followed Smith’s lead and picked on the left fielder once again sending it over the fence for another two-run homerun.
But the ladies were not finished and added six more runs to the scoreboard before the final pitch was thrown. The ended with 14 hits and only one error in the game.
Riding high on their first game win, the Lady Broncos were determined to continue their streak and took down WT on their field 12-2. The Lady Broncos scored four runs in the first, two in the second, and four in the third to take a commanding lead in the game and series. WT mustered two runs in their last at-bat, and Clarendon put the icing on the cake by adding two more runs to the scoreboard. No other stats were available.
The Lady Broncos will take on Tahoka in the Area round on Wednesday, April 29, in Floydada beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Last words
Excellence Award
Courtesy Photo
Pantex breaks ground on new facility
Pantex recently began construction on a new building that will provide around 14,000-square-feet of modern office space for its workforce.
The Flexible Support Facility II incorporates new technologies, allows for efficient travel to and from common job-sites, and is designed to house teams that often collaborate on complex projects.
Photo by Adam Baker
“This new office building will allow us to bring these vital teams together under one roof where they can collaborate using the most up-to-date technologies possible and can efficiently travel to areas of the plant where their expertise is needed,” PanTeXas Deterrence President and General Manager Kelly Beierschmitt said.
Pantex Plant, located near Amarillo, Texas, has for decades been the nation’s primary assembly, disassembly, and life-extension center for nuclear weapons. It also serves as the National Nuclear Security Administration’s High Explosives Center of Excellence for Manufacturing.
“We are very excited by this period of growth at Pantex. This is just one of several construction projects at the site. Each project is designed to better meet the current and future needs of our mission – to safely and securely maintain the nation’s nuclear deterrence,” Beierschmitt said. “Some of these new facilities bring together specific tasks that were spread across multiple buildings. Other facilities, like this one, bring together people who will work better and provide a better product by being co-located,” he added.
The Flexible Support Facility II follows a commercial construction approach to allow for cost savings and accelerated construction, with a projected completion date in mid-2028.
“This facility is one example of how we are modernizing Pantex, in this case by using the same ENERGY STAR design used at the Nevada National Security Site,” said Pantex Field Office Manager Jason Armstrong. “Sharing standard, scalable building designs across Nuclear Security Enterprise sites means we can ultimately reduce design costs and accelerate construction of office buildings like this and other non-nuclear facilities.”
Pantex will soon open the High Explosives Science and Engineering Facility and break ground on the High Explosive Synthesis, Formulation, and Production Facility, further solidifying Pantex as NNSA’s High Explosives Center of Excellence for Manufacturing.
Reader Comments