News

A 56-year-old woman from Dallas remains in critical condition after a single vehicle rollover on April 3 four miles west of Clarendon.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Simpson said that at around 6:30 p.m., 25-year-old Vanity Anderson of Arlington was driving a grey 1995 Mercury passenger car east bound on US Highway 287 carrying Amyah Cooks, age 3 of Arlington; Alympia Brooks, age 23, Tyrick Brooks, age 2, Terrance Brooks, age 1 all of North Richland Hills; Alma Anderson, age 48 of Ft. Worth and Wanda Williams, age 56 of Dallas.

The vehicle was traveling in the outside of the east bound lanes when the left rear tire blew out, and the vehicle overcorrected while steering to the right and partially traveled onto the outside shoulder of the east bound lanes. Simpson said the the driver then overcorrected while steering to the left, then to the right, and slid sideways into the south ditch. It rolled over in the ditch, off a steep embankment and landed at the bottom on a cattle fence. It continued to roll over coming to rest on its wheels pointing west bound.

Alma Anderson and Wanda Williams were both ejected due to not wearing seat belts. All seven passengers were transported to Northwest Texas Hospital.

At press time, Wanda Williams was still in critical condition, while Alma Anderson is in stable condition.

Vanity Anderson has been charged with driving with no driver’s license and a child safety seat violation. Alma Anderson and Williams were both charged with failure to wear safety belts.

Those responding to the wreck included the Associated Ambulance Authority, Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, Donley County Sheriff’s Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A Donley County jury last Thursday acquitted 19-year-old Autray Dickson of first degree aggravated sexual assault of a child.

At the conclusion of the three-day jury trial, the jury found the Memphis man not guilty of the charged offense and the lesser included offense of indecency with a child.
District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the case for the State of Texas with the Honorable Stuart Messer presiding.

Dickson was arrested by Sheriff Butch Blackburn on May 11, 2010. Dickson was later indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on October 27, 2010, on three counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.

Dickson was represented by Earl Griffin from Childress at the jury trial.

“Twelve residents of Donley County took an oath to follow the law,” said Inman. “After hearing all the testimony and evidence, they found the Defendant not guilty. That’s why we have jury trials in this great state.”

According to court records, there are two other pending cases against Dickson for other first degree felony offenses of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

A former local newspaper woman will be honored in this week when the Panhandle Press Association inducts two new members into its Hall of Fame. Ruby Dell Estlack, former co-owner of The Donley County Leader, will be honored alongside Doug McDonough of the Plainview Daily Herald.

The pair will be inducted when PPA holds its 101st annual convention in Amarillo this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The three-day convention begins Thursday, with an opening reception at the Ambassador Hotel. The Hall of Fame banquet will be held at the American Quarter Horse Museum following a reception at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Estlack worked for 38 years at The Donley County Leader in Clarendon, beginning shortly after she married George Wayne Estlack in 1936. They became the sole owners of the paper in 1958. During her career, she was very active with the PPA and attended many conventions. She and her late husband sold the paper in November 1974 to The Clarendon Press, but the Estlacks remained in the office supply and printing business into the mid-1990s.

McDonough has been involved with journalism in the Texas Panhandle for almost 40 years. He has been with the Plainview Daily Herald since 1976 and twice was president of the Panhandle Press Association and headed its Hall of Fame selection committee for several years.

Workshops and roundtable discussions will be held at the Ambassador Hotel throughout the day Friday, and the luncheon will feature a wind energy update.

The convention will close with its annual Better Newspaper Awards Brunch at the Ambassador Saturday morning.

For more information about the Panhandle Press Association, call Secretary Ashlee Estlack at 806-662-4687 or visit www.panhandlepublisher.com.