News

Local officials are urging parents to avoid door-to-door trick or treating during Halloween next Saturday, October 31, as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in Donley County.

Clarendon City Administrator David Dockery said Tuesday that Mayor Sandy Skelton and County Judge John Howard, MD, were both encouraging the community not to practice traditional door-to-door trick or treating this year and said organized trunk or treat events would be preferable.

“I think when you look at school kids going door to door to potentially elderly residents, it would be preferable to have an organized trunk or treat where masks can be worn,” Dockery said.

Judge Howard reported 24 cases of the disease were currently active on Tuesday with 34 people testing positive in the county during the month of October so far.

“I wish I could impress upon everyone how important it is to wear a mask and wash your hands,” Howard said. “I know everyone is tired of it, but it is in Donley County.”

Howard said the virus is prevalent locally and said another resident was hospitalized as recently as Tuesday afternoon.

 

Clarendon College has been removed from warning by its accrediting body, according to announcements from the school as well as the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

“We are happy to have this matter resolved up,” CC President Tex Buckhaults said in a statement. “We work hard to maintain good standing with SACSCOC because they control our accreditation.”

CC was first placed on warning in June of last year after the SACSCOC Board of Trustees determined the college had “failed to demonstrate compliance” with a core requirement and three standards set by the agency relating to governance by the CC Board of Regents following a complaint filed against the board several months earlier.

The warning led to year-long review of Clarendon College by the accrediting body, which culminated in June of this year with a SACSCOC committee visiting CC to determine the college’s compliance with several accreditation standards. The visiting committee interviewed all the members of the board of regents individually, except for Regent Carey Wann who was not a member of the board during the initial SACSCOC investigation last year.

According to information requested from the college by The Clarendon Enterprise, the committee “reviewed extensive documents” and interviewed the board and college president. While the committee found that the college had taken steps to avoid conflict of interest issues with board members, it reported inconsistencies with how the college dealt with conflicts of interest based on responses from members of the board, and it also found the board lacked a “clear operational definition of a conflict of interest for Board members as they apply the policy of the college.”

“During interviews, individual Board members shared inconsistent definitions of conflict of interest and descriptions of how an individual would declare a conflict of interest,” the report said. “The Special Committee examined Board minutes of occasions when Board members recused themselves due to a potential conflict of interest; these lacked consistency based upon individual Board members attempting to determine if he/she should recuse or not.”

The report also found that the college did not have someone – such as a board officer or president – specifically assigned to be responsible for board accountability, did not offer a structured local orientation for new board members to address conflicts of interest, and was not posting all conflict of interest statements on its website as per its policy.

In its response to the findings by SACSCOC, Clarendon College has adopted policy changes to address the issues found by the committee and change the way the board handles conflicts of interest. The board also adopted new policy to provide more structure and monitoring of training for its members.
The college also responded that a Policy Review Special Committee of the board “is working to convert the institution’s policy manual to align with or adopt the TASB Community College Policy Reference Manual.”

“The [Board of Regents] has adopted a new operational definition and a procedure to identify conflict of interest,” the response said. “With these actions the [Board of Regents] and our President have positioned themselves to better protect the integrity of the institution and ensure continued training of its members.”

Following the college’s official response to the SACSCOC committee’s report in August, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees met September 3 to review that response formally removed CC from warning.

Early voting continues through next Friday, October 30, in the 2020 General Election and local elections.

In addition to the presidential, congressional, and other offices on the general ballot, the Clarendon College District, the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District, and the City of Howardwick are also holding elections this year.

Local voters will select the successor for Crump’s position as the County Tax Assessor / Collector. Crump is retiring at the end of the year. Seeking her job are Republican Kristy Christopher and Democrat Tony Dale, and Deedra Keen is running as a write-in candidate.

Also of local interest is the race to be the next person to serve in the US House of Representatives for Texas District 13. On the ballot are Republican Ronny Jackson, Democrat Gus Trujillo, and Libertarian Jack B. Westbrook.

Three seats are up on the Clarendon College Board of Regents, and incumbents Darlene Spier and Carey Wann are on the ballot along with challengers Guy Ellis, Chris Matthews, and Debbie Thompson.

Clarendon CISD’s Board of Trustees has two positions available this year. Incumbent Reneé Mott is seeking re-election, and Kyle Davis and Chrisi Tucek are also running.

Howardwick has six people running for three city council seats. Aldermen Mary Grady and Marietta Baird are seeking re-election, and other candidates are Shelly Chavira, Terry Barnes, Jeremy Kindle, and Jada Murray.

Early ballots can be cast at the Donley County Courthouse Annex for the General Election as well as the college and school elections. Howardwick ballots must be cast at Howardwick City Hall.

Voters have until October 23 to request an absentee ballot. Voters who choose to return those ballots in person must bring an official ID and can only bring their own ballot and not a spouse’s or other person’s ballot with them.

The General Election will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

The number COVID-19 cases in Donley County spiked upward Tuesday afternoon with 15 active cases now being reported under the care of the Clarendon Family Medical Center.

Eight new positive cases were reported as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday alone with the overall number of positives being reported by the local clinic rising by 14 over the last week. A clinic spokesperson said they are seeing cases in young school children as well as college students.

Tuesday’s information brings the total confirmed cases in Donley County to 87.

The clinic also this week began using a rapid test that can return COVID-19 results in 15 minutes.

Last Friday, Clarendon CISD quarantined its fourth grade classes with 25 students in all after an individual who had been in contact with those students tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Superintendent Jarod Bellar said he was informed about the positive test late Thursday afternoon, October 8, and decided to quarantine that grade level to be safe.

“We wanted to be pro-active and see if anyone developed symptoms over the long weekend,” Bellar told the Enterprise.

Fourth graders who were not exhibiting symptoms were expected to be back at school Tuesday.

Clarendon CISD also announced Monday that the school was notified Saturday evening that a lower elementary grade level teacher had a presumptive positive test for COVID-19. However, Bellar told the Enterprise that due to precautions that had been taken in the teacher’s class, the school did not think it was necessary to quarantine that grade.

The school says currently grades 5-12 are the only grades required to wear masks during the day, but younger grade levels are welcome to wear masks as well.

Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, did not have an update this week from state or area officials to add to the local clinic’s count but did say officials are seeing a “mini-outbreak” among students.

“We’re seeing a cluster of positive cases at the school, and I think we’re responding appropriately,” Howard said. “We’re also seeing a predictable increase at the college.”

Speaking late Tuesday, Howard said the last thing he wants to see is the school shut down, but that quarantining grades or classes is a possible course of action.

Donley County Clerk Fay Vargas said turnout was brisk for the first day of voting, and Tax Assessor / Collector Linda Crump said last week that 349 new voters had registered for this year’s elections.

In addition to the presidential, congressional, and other offices on the general ballot, the Clarendon College District, the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District, and the City of Howardwick are also holding elections this year.

Local voters will select the successor for Crump’s position as the County Tax Assessor / Collector. Crump is retiring at the end of the year. Seeking her job are Republican Kristy Christopher and Democrat Tony Dale, and Deedra Keen is running as a write-in candidate.

Also of local interest is the race to be the next person to serve in the US House of Representatives for Texas District 13 when Congressman Mac Thornberry retires in January. On the ballot are Republican Ronny Jackson, Democrat Gus Trujillo, and Libertarian Jack B. Westbrook.

Three seats are up on the Clarendon College Board of Regents, and incumbents Darlene Spier and Carey Wann are on the ballot along with Guy Ellis, Chris Matthews, and Debbie Thompson.

Clarendon CISD’s Board of Trustees has two positions available this year. Incumbent Reneé Mott is seeking re-election, and Kyle Davis and Chrisi Tucek are also running.

Howardwick has six people running for three city council seats. Aldermen Mary Grady and Marietta Baird are seeking re-election, and other candidates are Shelly Chavira, Terry Barnes, Jeremy Kindle, and Jada Murray.

Early ballots can be cast at the Donley County Courthouse Annex for the General Election as well as the college and school elections, during regular business hours through October 30. Howardwick ballots must be cast at Howardwick City Hall.

Voters also still have until October 23 to request an absentee ballot. Voters who choose to return those ballots in person to the clerk’s office must bring an official ID and can only bring their own ballot and not a spouse’s or other person’s ballot with them.

The General Election will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

The Donley County Health Fair will offer several free health care screenings, including a COVID-19 antibody test, this Thursday, October 15, but there will be no information booths this year in an effort to keep folks safe during the pandemic.

Organizers met Monday morning to finalize plans for the event and say people can still come inside for the screenings at Clarendon College’s Bairfield Activity Center or they can have the option having the tests done in a drive-by style in their car.

“We will be able to have the tests available outside,” said Darla Franks of the Donley County AgriLife Extension Office.

The screenings will be available from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Franks said.

Blood tests offered will include PSA, A1C, Lipids, Glucose, and COVID-19 antibodies.

“They will need to be fasting for eight hours to take the blood tests,” Franks said.

Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, especially encourages everyone to take the blood test to check for the COVID-19 antibodies.

“I want as many people as possible to get tested,” Howard said. “It’s free, and it will tell if you’ve had the COVID-19 virus.”

Free flu shots will also be available for those wanting one.

Masks and temperature checks will be required to attend the fair.

This year’s health fair is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Clarendon Family Medical Center, Mike’s Pharmacy, and the Donley County Hospital District.

It’s time to saddle up and get ready for a fun ride as the Clarendon College Stampede welcomes more than 500 contestants to its NIRA rodeo this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 15-17.

With contestants from 16 colleges and universities in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association involved, qualifying events will be held all day with nightly performances being held at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Tickets for evening performance are $5 in advance from Clarendon College and the Clarendon Visitor Center and will be $10 at the gate.
All activities will be held under the roof of the CC Livestock & Equine Center.

Activities will include bull riding, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and more.

Clarendon College officials are excited to be hosting the NIRA rodeo, which is held here every four years.

Rodeo coach Bret Franks and nearly the entire staff at Clarendon College have been working for weeks to make sure the event comes off without a hitch.
Local and area sponsors have also lined up to support what promises to be one of the most exciting rodeos the town has seen since the Stampede last hit Clarendon in 2016.

Under Franks’ leadership, Clarendon College has reached new levels of success with the most notable being the national bronc riding championship won by Wyatt Casper in 2015 followed by Riggin Smith’s national saddle bronc championship in 2019.

Additionally, the CC men’s rodeo team took third place overall at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.
With the Stampede, CC looks forward putting on a successful rodeo in front of local supporters.

For more information about the Stampede, call Clarendon College at 874-3571.