News

Workers knocked down Clarendon’s water tower in the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 24, 2010.  The tower had served the city for more than 80 years and has been replaced by a new, taller standpipe. Visit our Facebook page for more video of the knock down.

Several Donley County FFA and 4-H members did well while competing at state and national 2010 livestock shows against thousands of youth and their animal projects.

Tres and Hannah Hommel were the only two representing Donley County at the National Western Livestock Shoe in Denver, where they showed their swine.

4-H members attended the Fort Worth Livestock Show to exhibit Market Steer, Swine, and Breeding Beef Projects. Jacob and Kae Hewett exhibited their Breeding Beef projects and received 9th and 10th in the heifer division and 2nd with their Braunvieh Bull; Jacob Pigg placed 9th in the Market Steer division and qualified for the Premium Sale; other youth exhibiting steers include Tres and Hannah Hommel, Brittney and Kelsey McAnear, Kaden Bennett, Rowdy Speed, Annie Patten, John and Jayson Pigg, Trevor Cobb, Joseph Russell, Seth Ruthardt, Caden Farris and Chris Blackburn.

At the San Antonio Livestock Show five youth exhibited their Market Swine. Kati Adams of Hedley had a 12th place Landrace; Misti Scott placed 10th with a Chester; others competing include Austin Adams and Lee and Shiann Cook.

Nine youth competed at the San Angelo Livestock Show. Caylor Monroe placed 1st with a light weight Cross; Austin Adams got 4th showing a Spot; Reid Copelin placed 6th in the York division; Misti Scott exhibited a 3rd place Chester and 6th place Duroc; Dalton Benson received 10th place with a Duroc; Madison and Lilly Carr exhibited their Breeding Guilt projects and Madison placed 11th with her Chester; Lilly placed 6th in the Pollands; also competing was Tres and Hannah Hommel with their Market Steers.

Wrapping up the show season, a total of 26 youth traveled to Houston to exhibit Market Steer, Swine, Sheep and Commercial Steer projects. 
In the Market Steer Division, Kelsey McAnear placed 7th in the Short Horns; Annie Patten placed 9th with an Angus; Trevor Cobb placed 4th in the Maines; Kaden Bennett placed 10th in the Limousine Division; Caden Farris received 6th place with a AOB steer; Chris Blackburn placed 5th with a Polled Hereford; Rowdy Speed and Brittney McAnear got pulled for consideration but did not get high enough to place.

Also exhibiting were Jayson and John Pigg, Joey Russell, and Seth Ruthardt. 

In the Market Swine Division, Austin Adams received Reserve Breed Champion with a Polland; Kati Adams placed 6th with a Spot; Colton Kingston placed 12th with a Hamp; others exhibiting were Wyatt Wheatly, Kyle Lindsey, Kolby Foard, Grayson Morris, Reid Copelin, Misti Scott, Dalton Benson, and Lee and Shiann Cook. 

Krista Reynolds also exhibited her Market Lamb at the Houston show, and Cedar Stevenson competed in the Commercial Steer project competition.

The Clarendon Enterprise proudly unveiled its new website this week and encouraged readers to go online and get involved.

ClarendonLive.com will replace ClarendonOnline.com, which has served the newspaper since 2000.

“The old site served its purpose, but it was time for a change,” said publisher Roger Estlack. “The new site is more interactive, it is more convenient for our readers, and it will be updated more frequently.”

ClarendonLive will allow readers to post comments on stories, submit story ideas and photos, and place classifieds and announcements online. In addition, visitors to the site can still search more than nine years worth of archives that were transferred from the old website.

 “We want ClarendonLive.com to become the spot everyone goes to for information about Clarendon and Donley County,” Estlack said. “We also want to see people get involved on the site and hope that it generates civil discussion on local topics.”

Readers can also sign up to get e-mail alerts when the site is updated, and a link is available to follow the Enterprise on Facebook.

Enterprise staff members have been working since December to get ClarendonLive ready, and the new site will still be fine tuned in the coming days and weeks.

“This has truly been a team effort,” the publisher said. “Contributing Editor Ashlee Estlack has put a lot of ideas and guidance into the site, and Julie Shields did a tremendous job learning the new interface and transferring content from the old site.

“Anndria Newhouse also provided great support and suggestions. We’ve also had a team of volunteers looking at the sight for about a week now.”

Much of the credit for the new site goes to Dr. Randy Reddick, who chairs the Journalism Department at Texas Tech University.

“Dr. Reddick taught me publication design, and he has graciously taken us under his wing in the development of ClarendonLive,” Estlack said. “He has done a lot of work behind the scenes, spent a day with our staff, and was on the telephone for many hours with us over the last few weeks. We truly appreciate all his efforts on this.”

The Enterprise has a long tradition of reporting local events. The paper has been through many changes since its establishment as The Clarendon News in 1878. It was one of the early community papers to begin a digital edition with Enterprise-D in 2005, and ClarendonLive.com will continue that spirit of innovation.

“We will always have a newspaper, but increasingly readers will want more local news on the web,” Estlack said. “That’s the purpose of ClarendonLive – to keep our readers informed and connected to our community.”

A Memphis couple was in the Donley County Jail this week after passing at least 30 worthless checks to businesses in Clarendon.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said 53-year-old Darryl Smith and 31-year-old Amy Smith were each being held on $10,000 bond and facing charges of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity – Theft, a third degree felony.

Authorities received a call from Bronco Burger last Thursday, March 18, about worthless checks being passed in Clarendon. The restaurant had received three such checks, and the establishment’s owners reported that the subjects had also passed checks at a Taylor’s convenience store here.

As the sheriff’s department began investigating the case, the couple was reported at Taylor’s again and was later stopped at White’s Feed & Seed, where they were arrested and booked into jail.

Blackburn said the checks were on the couple’s own bank account but that the account had been closed for several months. The checks ranged in amount from $2 to over $200, and the Smiths had started passing them locally on March 12.

“On March 17 and 18 alone the checks totaled about $700,” Blackburn said. “We expect to be bombarded with the bad checks from businesses in the next couple of weeks.”

The sheriff said the couple admitted to planning to use the money from the bad checks to buy crack cocaine.

The local population will more than double this weekend when the Clarendon College Invitational Judging Contest is held on Saturday.
The contest regularly attracts more than 2,000 high school FFA students and 4-H students from Texas and nearby states.

According to the 2000 US Census, Clarendon has a population of 1,974.
Blowing snow and hazardous driving conditions forced the cancelation of last year’s contest.  That marked the first time in the 28-year history of the event it had to be cancelled.

Past contests have had huge impacts on the local economy.  Restaurants are typically packed for the event to the point of actually having to turn people away, and this year will hopefully be equally successful.

In fact, the annual judging contest is the single biggest event to attract visitors from out of county for one day than any other annual event. By comparison, the July 4th Saints’ Roost Celebration barbecue annually attracts about 1,000 people, the Buck’N Blow Out Rodeo on Labor Day weekend drew 1,500 last year, and the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff records between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors each September. Each of those events, however, has hundreds of local residents in attendance. The greatest number of people at the judging contest will come from outside of Donley County.

In addition to helping local merchants, the event also presents a great opportunity for CC to showcase its campus, faculty, and programs for prospective students. Johnny Treichel, Clarendon College livestock and meats judging coach, said the event is the biggest recruiting tool for the college.

“This is the only time each year the college has this many potential students on campus,” he said. “And we are pleased to have such positive support from the community.”

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen voted tonight to remove John Webb as city administrator during a called meeting at City Hall, The Clarendon Enterprise has learned.

Alderman Will Thompson confirmed late Tuesday that the board voted 3-2 to remove Webb.

“Some issues were raised about confidence in information he has presented to the board,” Thompson said.

Calls to Mayor Chris Ford and Mayor Pro-tem Tommy Hill were not answered late Tuesday night, and a call to Webb’s cell phone went straight to a non-functioning voice mail system.

Thompson said the board met with the city administrator in closed session before taking action in open session. He said that he and Alderman Ann Huey voted against the measure and that Aldermen Larry Hicks, Tommy Hill, and Kyle Davis voted for the removal.

Thompson deferred other questions, including the effective date of the removal, to the mayor.

Webb has served as Clarendon’s city administrator since October 2008.

A resolution that would have resurrected the city police department was shot down by the Clarendon Board of Aldermen during their regular meeting last Tuesday.

Clarendon shut down its police department in 1984 and began contracting with the Donley County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement service, but issues have come up about enforcement of city ordinances. Code enforcement was taken out of the current contract last fall.

Mayor Chris Ford told the board Tuesday that he had consulted with the Texas Municipal League and the city attorney with about the issue.

“If you want a city code enforcement officer to issue citations, you have to have a police department,” Ford said. “If you don’t want to do that, you can just have a code enforcement ‘official’ who files complaints with municipal court.”

City Administrator John Webb spoke in favor of reviving the police department’s state certification. He said the city could not afford a police department but having a certified peace officer would be helpful in issuing citations and serving warrants from municipal court.

“You have the luxury of having a certified Texas peace officer already in City Hall,” Webb said, referring to himself.

But Alderman Larry Hicks objected to that notion.

“I don’t want (a certified peace officer). I want a city manager,” Hicks said. “I’ve been very pleased with him as a city manager, and I wish he would quit trying to be a cop.”

Webb responded the city has 50 warrants which had not been served and recertifying the police department could help that, noting again that he was wanting a full time police force because, “We don’t have the revenue to start a police department.”

Hicks said he believed the resolution would be divisive.

“If we agree to this it will just drive a bigger wedge between us and the sheriff,” he said. “We should be trying to work with them.”

Alderman Will Thompson agreed that the city should focus on the warrants issue.

“Should we try to work to solve the problem?” Thompson asked. “I have not found that (the sheriff) would not work with us. We’re just not communicating.”

The board voted to turn down the resolution, 4-1, with Aldermen Hicks, Thompson, Kyle Davis, and Tommy Hill voting in the majority, and Alderman Ann Huey in the minority.

The Donley County Sheriff’s Office this week said it has a total of 46 municipal warrants on 25 individuals. About half of those are residing outside the county, and of those inside the county, nine live in Clarendon. Most of the cases are hot checks.

“When we have room and time, we do work warrants,” Sheriff Butch Blackburn said. “But felonies will always take priority over municipal Class C misdemeanors. We’ve been busy with child molesters, rape, and burglary.”

In other city business last week, Aldermen: Unanimously rejected an application for a livestock permit at 514 E. Browning; Approved the Fiscal Year 2009 Audit of the City and the Economic Development Corporation; and Appointed Bunny Owens and Bobbie Floyd as the judge and alternate judge for the upcoming city election.

The 2010 Good Health, Much Wealth, Your Choice Health Fair will be held March 25 from 8:30-2:00 p.m. in the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College.

The health fair is being sponsored this year by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Clarendon College, Northwest Health Care System, Clarendon Family Medical Center, and Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance.  

Panhandle Community Services will be available for transportation to and from the Health Fair. You will need to sign up with the Center by calling 874-2573 before Thursday, March 25. This service is being offered free to all who call in and are in need of the transportation.

Health fairs are excellent ways to offer screenings for some health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure, catching them early and thereby reducing the risks for costly complications. Both diabetes and high blood pressure can go undetected for up to ten years. Health fairs can also raise awareness of health issues like preventing heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even skin cancer, the most common type of cancer and one that is preventable even for high risk groups working outdoors.

Northwest Health Care System has agreed to pay for the processing of  tests for Cholesterol – LDL/HDL, and Triglycerides but to get these results you have to provide your mailing address. So if you don’t know your P.O. Box number, Route number or Zip code please write it down before coming to the fair so the results can be sent to you. They want to continue to provide this service, but it is not financially cost effective if results are returned. Your mailing address will be required to receive testing.

Also, organizers have been asked if there will be doctors on site of the health fair. The answer is no. Due to insurance policies and government rules it is not possible to have a doctor at the health fair.  The health fair is designed to help with early detection of illnesses or health problems. You are encouraged to take your results to your family physician when you receive them.

Free Medical Testing will be available in the following areas: Blood Pressure, Pulse, Oxygen, Glucose /Blood Sugar, Hearing Evaluations, Balance, PSA, Carbon Monoxide Screening, Cholesterol – LDL / HDL, and Triglycerides. Additional services and information may be available at the fair.

Information will also be provided on: Disasters, Health and Safety, Food Safety, 2010 Census, Agency on Aging, Hospice Care, Dietary Supplements, Investments, Adolescence Substance Abuse Treatment, Tobacco Cessation and Cancer Prevention, Home Health, Medical supplies, Diabetic Supplies, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Severe Weather, Mobility Adaptive Equipment, WIC, Water Conservation, Pre-Need Funeral Planning, RSVP, TXDOT – Safety, Mental Health Mental Retardation, Victim Services, VA Medical Services, Star Program, and Domestic Violence.

Preventing or delaying the onset of chronic health problems like diabetes, heart disease and stroke can produce significant savings for any insured employee group. Regular physical activity helps people temporarily or in some cases, permanently, prevent having diabetes if they also lose 7 percent of their body weight.

In addition, regular physical activity helps people manage their diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol better, thereby reducing their short and long term health care costs. People who walk at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week, lower their stress, and risks for heart disease, stroke, hospitalizations, osteoporosis, fractures, depression, gall bladder disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and many other conditions, thereby lowering health care costs.

For more information about the health fair please contact Donley County AgriLife Extension Service at 874-2141.

A former Clarendon woman will be among seven women honored at the 2010 Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon hosted by the Amarillo Area Women’s Forum and presenting sponsor Happy State Bank on March 27.

Becky McKinley, the daughter of Chuck and Francis Deyhle, now calls Amarillo home, and, according to the nomination, “…many organizations have benefitted from her culinary and event skills that she frequently donates to assist nonprofit organizations in fundraising efforts.” 

McKinley, a member of the Clarendon High School Class of 1972, is being honored for her service to a number of nonprofit organizations, primarily by implementing her culinary expertise.  She was recently reappointed to the Governor’s Commission for Women and serves on the advisory boards of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health and the Amarillo Area Foundation’s Women’s Philanthropy Fund.  She was recently recognized by the Samaritan Counseling Center for her contributions to organizations that assist families and children. 

McKinley is a past board member of the BSA Foundation, KACV Public Television, Junior League of Amarillo, Amarillo Symphony Guild, and Harrington Cancer Center.

The other recipients who have made a difference through their volunteer contributions of time, talent, and skills include: Kay Brown, Amarillo; Rita Bryant, Amarillo; Cindy Jackson, Stratford; Cari Roach, Amarillo; Rosemary Roach, Amarillo; and Frances Schmidt, Wellington. 

The Women’s Forum was formed in 1975 as a local branch of the Governor’s Commission for Women.  The program began under the umbrella of West Texas A&M University and became a separate organization in 1985. 

For more information and luncheon details, contact Amy Juba, DSA Chair, at (806) 374-2816 or [email protected].