News

The Sandell Drive-In invites everyone to enjoy special movies and activities this Easter weekend.

On Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. gate will open for a 7:00 p.m. Easter Egg hunt with different age group areas.

The hunt will be followed by a double feature – “T’was the Nite Before Easter” and “An Easter Carol.” The movies will start about dusk, and this is a free event sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Howardwick and the Sandell.

On Easter Sunday, an Easter Church Service will be held at 10 a.m. and then the gates will open at 7 p.m. for a free evening showing of “The Passion of the Christ” at dusk.

The Sandell concession stand will be open both nights.

Adults of all ages can now get vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Donley County Judge John Howard, MD.

Howard said Tuesday that state officials have now approved giving the vaccine to all adults, and the vaccine is available at the Clarendon Family Medical Center. Those interested in being vaccinated should call the clinic to make an appointment.

COVID-19 infections in Donley County continue to appear to be under control this week, but the local clinic has reported one new case of the disease this week. It is the first positive case of the virus locally since February 15 and the only know case that is active currently.

The clinic has now given 1,311 COVID-19 tests with 361 of those being positive. Combined with known positive tests conducted on local residents elsewhere, there have been 404 confirmed cases in the county. The deaths of 13 local people have been attributed to COVID-19 since the pandemic began a year ago.

Rates and hours have now been set as city officials get ready to open the new Clarendon Aquatic Center in just nine weeks.

City Administrator David Dockery said a grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held for the center on Friday, May 28, with regular hours to begin Saturday, May 29, in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

The center will be open regularly from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and will be closed on Mondays.

The city council met March 11 and approved fees for annual passes to the aquatic center. Day passes will cost $5 for everyone over the age of 17, $4 for ages 4-17, and free for ages three and under. Annual passes are $100 per individual and $250 for a family of up to four members and $50 for each additional household family member.

Parties can be scheduled at the aquatic center after hours at a rate of $125 per hour.

Dockery said the city has employed Trinity Cavanaugh to be the pool manager for the aquatic center and 11 people have signed up to take lifeguard training beginning on May 1 with the city intending to employ each of that group who pass their training.

City officials will begin filling and treating the pool about April 1, and the first public event at the pool will be the Polar Bear Plunge held in conjunction with the Lions Club’s annual Chance Mark Jones Roar & Run 5K on Saturday, April 17.

Plans are in the works to pave the aquatic center’s parking lot before the grand opening, and the city council also approved action to re-pave Kearney Street near the center with a chip seal from curb to curb from Fourth Street to Sixth Street.

In other city business, the city council on March 11 approved an amendment to an agreement with the City of Pampa regarding the use of their animal control facility; took action to approve three new stop signs at the intersection of Eighth and Jefferson; Bunny Owens and Annette Osburn were approved as election judges for the city election in May; and initial discussions began on future plans for street paving in the city.