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American Legion to honor veterans in Hedley

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American Legion Adamson-Lane Post 287 members this week will place American flags on the graves of 250 veterans buried in the Rowe Cemetery in Hedley.

The flags will be placed on the graves on Friday November 10, at 9:00 a.m. in honor of departed veterans who have served this country’s military. Then, on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., the Post will hold its annual Veterans Day service at the Hedley Lions Club building.

The program will be led by members of the post and will include the raising of the colors, the National Anthem, the Pledge, and honoring the missing in action and prisoners of War still unaccounted for. The key address will be given by Will Thompson. The program will be concluded with the playing of taps.

Presbyterians bless Arena of Life Church with building

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An historic church building will begin a new chapter this Sunday when the Arena of Life Cowboy Church holds its grand opening in the former First Presbyterian Church at Fourth and Parks this Sunday, November 5, at 10:30 a.m.

The Arena of Life Cowboy Church sets up for services in the former First Presbyterian Church with a grand opening set for this Sunday. Courtesy Photo

With their congregation dwindling, Presbyterians recently made the decision to disband and donate their 1929 building to the Cowboy Church.

“I was surprised but extra excited,” Cowboy Church Pastor Bunk Skelton said of his reaction to the offer by Presbyterian Pastor Nancy Ruff. “I’m not one to all at once get real gung-ho about something, so I asked for time with the Lord. But the more I sought the Lord, the more I thought we couldn’t say no.”

Ruff said the Presbyterian congregation had just gotten to a point to where it was no longer viable to continue, but they had hope that they could bless another church.

“It’s not easy to close a church,” Ruff said. “But in dealing with those emotions of closing our church, we are richly blessed that God gave us the opportunity to give our building to the Arena of Life Cowboy Church. We are so excited to be a part of God’s blessing. We’re really thrilled they accepted our offer and that our legacy will continue.”

While the Presbyterian Church had a long history in Clarendon dating back to 1899, the Cowboy Church is relatively new for the community. It was founded January 5, 2013, and moved into the former Eads’ Furniture building on Kearney Street in May of 2014. Since that time, the church has been dreaming of building their own church and has even had six acres donated to it east of town on US 287.

“We’re not trashing the idea of our own new building,” Skelton said. “We’re still working toward that. This will just make it easier as we can put our lease payments into our building fund now.”

Speaking of renting their previous location, the pastor had kind words for their landlord there, saying Virginia Patten had been extremely good to the church through the years.

Skelton said his congregation first thought of making changes to the Presbyterian building but changed their minds.

“The first impulse was to make changes to make it fit us,” he said, “but then we didn’t really want to. We just make small changes to make it work for us, which mostly has amounted to running some electricity.”

The new owners are also opening up previously covered over windows on the front doors of the Presbyterian building.
The Cowboy Church held its first services in the building last Sunday, October 29, but it’s official grand opening is this weekend.

“We’re very, very excited and grateful and thankful that they have allowed us to carry on the ministry of the gospel in this church,” Skelton said.

The Presbyterian building will give the Cowboy Church more room and allow it to offer more Sunday school classes. The church has been having its youth meetings on Wednesday nights and its adult Bible study on Thursday nights, but now those activities will both be held on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.

Skelton is inviting the community to join them as they celebrate the new location of the Cowboy Church this weekend with Sunday School at 9:30 and the service at 10:30.

Also, the Presbyterians are not completely gone from the building. Ruff said Skelton is allowing her to continue her women’s Bible study in the building. It’s a testimony to how close the community of faith is in Clarendon.

“We’re in a super good community,” Skelton said. “When He calls you to a place, He provides for you; and we’ve seen that over and over.”

DCCF now taking grant applications

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The Donley County Community Fund is now accepting applications from qualified non-profit organizations for up to $1,500 grant to be awarded this fall.

Those eligible to apply for the grants include local governments, schools, and non-profit organizations holding a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. All grant applicants must be from Donley County.

Grant applications for any amount up to $1,500 must be received by Friday, November 24, at 5 p.m..

To receive a grant application and determine your organization’s eligibility to apply, contact Jacob Fangman 806-206-5737 or [email protected]. Applications are available from Fangman at Herring Bank or at the Clarendon Visitor Center.

The Donley County Community Fund is an affiliate fund of the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) with the focus of building an Endowed Legacy for the entire county for the benefit of future generations.

Election to decide 14 ballot proposals

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Donley County voter will join other Texans next Tuesday, November 7, in deciding the fate of 14 proposed amendments to the state constitution.

Early voting concludes this Friday at the Donley County Courthouse Annex with extended hours 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Voting on Tuesday will also be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Donley County voters in Precinct 303 will cast ballots at the First Baptist Church in Hedley, Precinct 101 votes at the Annex, and all other county voters cast ballots in the Courthouse.

The proposed amendments are also explained by the Texas Tribune at https://bit.ly/3FGW15M.

According to the Tribune, “many of the proposed amendments would create or alter funds to support: Higher education research, Water infrastructure, Gas-fueled power plants, Broadband infrastructure, Maintenance and creation of state parks.

“Several others would address taxes by: Raising the homestead exemption for homeowners from $40,000 to $100,000, Creating some tax exemptions for medical equipment and child-care facilities, Banning lawmakers from imposing “wealth taxes” without voter approval.

“Other amendments would affect Texans in certain professions by: Granting retired teachers cost-of-living raises, Raising the mandatory retirement age for state judges, Protecting generally accepted farming and ranching practices from state and local regulation.”

REFZ to open downtown Nov. 1

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Restaurant owner Ricardo Santillan stands in the dining room of REFZ Sports Bar & Grill Tuesday morning as the business gets ready for its grand opening next week.

A new downtown restaurant will hold its grand opening next week after several months of construction and remodeling.

REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, located at US 287 and Kearney Street, will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, November 1, and owner Ricardo Santillan is just as ready as the community is.

“It’s been hard and definitely a lot of work,” Santillan said, “but it’s also been very exciting watching the process of taking a building where there was nothing and what it has turned into.”

For eight months, Santillan has overseen a complete overhaul of the former Clarendon Steakhouse building, remodeling the front end, ripping out and installing a new kitchen, remodeling bathrooms, and more. With the final pieces going into place this week, Santillan is planning an invitation-only “soft opening” only in the next few days to make sure everything is ready for Wednesday.

REFZ has hired 24 people and plans to be open seven days a week. Its hours will be Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Happy hour will be everyday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., and weekday $8 lunch specials will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to a full and varied menu, REFZ will have a full bar, including mixed drinks; 16 big screen TVs showing all kinds of sports; and seating for 136 people.

Santillan currently has five of his new hires from Clarendon working at his first REFZ location in Guymon, Okla., which has been in business for six years.

“We want everyone to come enjoy themselves here as place of entertainment,” Santillan said. “Come with your family and hang out and have a good time.”

The process of bringing a restaurant to downtown has been a long one. The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation first purchased the building in 2015 after it was heavily damaged by an automobile and has made significant investments in the building since that time to make it attractive as a potential restaurant. Discussions with Santillan began in November 2022 with an agreement reached in February 2023 and construction starting the following month.

“It’s been great working with the CEDC,” Santillan said. “Those guys helped me all along the way. They have been gracious and supportive of me, and I’ve been thankful for that. I could not have done this project without the CEDC, and it’s one of the main reasons I decided to do it.”

CEDC President Brandon Frausto is also very happy to see the REFZ project come to fruition.

“We are excited to have REFZ be a part of our community,” Frausto said. “This has been a goal of the CEDC for quite some time. I hope this helps build momentum as we move toward our vision for the future of Clarendon.”

Santillan is also looking to the future.

“It’s going to work,” Santillan said. “It’s taken a lot of time, energy, and investment by all of us (Santillan’s business and the CEDC), but we’re doing it for the town as well. We both saw a need for the town, and now we hope everyone comes and enjoys it.”

Lighting committee needs volunteers

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The Donley County Courthouse Lighting Committee is asking for volunteer help this season.

Every year the committee puts lights on the trees around the courthouse, and they invite and welcome anyone to come be a part of this worthy project. The volunteers will be at the courthouse on Saturday mornings October 28 and November 4 from 9:00 to noon.

For more information, please call any CLC committee member or Denise at 806-336-1417.

Local, area jobless rate is declining

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Once again, the Panhandle Workforce Development Area (WDA) holds the second-lowest unemployment rate in the state of Texas, standing at 3.2 percent, with Permian Basin WDA reporting the lowest unemployment rate at 3.0 and Lower Rio Grande WDA with the highest at 6.0 percent.

The Panhandle Workforce Development Area (WDA) as a whole also experienced a decrease in our unemployment rate, going from 3.6 percent to 3.2 percent, a 0.4-point reduction, indicating an overall declining trend across the Panhandle.

Donley County’s unemployment rate of 4.0 percent follows a rate of 4.3 percent in August and 4.6 percent in July. Armstrong County’s unemployment figures were slightly lower for the same three-month period, and Hall County’s figures were slightly higher.

The labor force in the Texas Panhandle has undergone significant changes over the past year, our labor force grew from 209,090 to 212,667, marking an increase of 3,577. Much of the growth was in the city of Amarillo, increasing from 99,869 to 104,604, reflecting an increase of 4,735 employed individuals.

According to the release, 25 counties within the Panhandle WDA saw reductions in our unemployment rates, with Armstrong County being the only exception, experiencing a 0.1 percent increase from 3.7 to 3.8 percent.

Hutchinson County continues to hold the highest unemployment rate in the Texas Panhandle at 4.6 percent, although it did see a decrease from 5.0 in August. In contrast, Hartley County maintained the lowest unemployment rate at 2.3 percent with 2,473 individuals employed out of a possible 2,531.

Statewide, total nonfarm employment increased by 31,400 positions in September to reach a new milestone with job count of 14,049,400. This marked the 24th consecutive series high as employment expanded in 40 of the last 41 months. Since September 2022, Lone Star State employment grew by 372,900 positions as all 11 major industries achieved positive annual growth for the 24th consecutive period.

The number of employed persons also reached a new record high adding 26,900 people over the month.

The Texas seasonally adjusted civilian labor force fell four-tenths of a point over the month to 4.1 percent in September 2023.

Rabe hears Donley case at first docket

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A Donley County case was among 19 pleas in the district court when it met in Childress last Thursday, October 19.

Honorable Judge Dale Rabe presided for the first time in the 100th Judicial District with District Attorney Luke Inman, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuting the cases for the State of Texas.

Susan Faye Kyle, 34, from Amarillo, Texas, was sentenced to time served in the Donley County Jail for the state jail felony offense of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Kyle was arrested on March 17 by Donley County Chief Deputy Jay Longan. Kyle was also ordered to pay $290 in court costs.

Clarendon man dies after train strikes car downtown

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Emergency responders work to free the driver of a car struck by a train at the Kearney Street crossing Wednesday afternoon.  Enterprise Photo

A Clarendon man lost his life Wednesday, October 18, when the car he was riding in went around railroad cross arms and was struck by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train.

Donley County Deputy Kelly Hill said the train conductor and engineer separately said two vehicles went around the cross arms traveling north at the Kearney Street crossing at about 3:00 p.m. The first car made it through, but the second car, driven by 70-year-old Naomi Tolbert of Clarendon, was struck by the westbound BNSF train. The accident was also captured on the railroad’s video, Hill said.

Tolbert’s brother, 58-year-old Blade Barker, also of Clarendon, was thrown from the car and was later pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Pat White.

Tolbert was extricated from the vehicle by the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department and the Associated Ambulance Authority. She was awake and alert at the scene, according to Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn.  Hill said Tolbert was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo and later transferred to University Medical Center in Lubbock.

No citations or charges have been filed in the accident, which remained under investigation Thursday afternoon.

CNS, Texas Tech University announce partnership

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Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC and Texas Tech University are proud to announce their strategic partnership aimed at fostering innovation in West Texas and the development of creative solutions to challenges directly related to national security.

This groundbreaking initiative leverages synergies between the Texas Tech Innovation Hub and Pantex to develop tools, technologies and critical skills important for nuclear and national security. Texas Tech benefits from this partnership by developing opportunities for students and faculty to support real-world national security missions. Pantex benefits from its ability to support its vital national security mission by providing access to talent, expertise and research and development facilities.

“Texas Tech University is extremely proud of its long history of collaboration with CNS,” said Dr. Joseph Heppert, Texas Tech University’s vice president for research and innovation. “TTU has repeatedly been the recipient of national recognition for the quality and success of our graduates from in all fields of study. This expanded partnership between the university and CNS will allow us to collaborate in fostering the next generation of innovators through strategic initiatives and competitions,”

Through this partnership, the organizations’ leadership aspires to achieve the following goals:

Synergy and collaboration: Bringing together the diverse talent pool and knowledge base of Texas Tech University and Pantex to innovate and address crucial challenges.

Innovative problem solving: Harnessing innovative thinking to tackle national security challenges and uncover new opportunities for technology transfer and commercialization.

Workforce development: Engaging students, faculty and community members to identify and connect with potential talent for future recruitment or collaborative partnerships.

Knowledge transfer: Facilitating the exchange of industry-specific challenges and academic knowledge, contributing to the advancement of both academia and industry.

Community engagement: Strengthening the relationship between the Pantex community, Texas Tech University, and the Amarillo and the Lubbock communities.

Pantex, the nation’s only assembly/disassembly facility for nuclear weapons, is integral to the nation’s Nuclear Security Enterprise because it applies unique capabilities to ensure the effectiveness of the US nuclear stockpile in support of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

“The enhanced partnership between Pantex and Texas Tech University is symbiotic in that it will enable another level of innovation and benefit to each organization,” said Pantex Site Manager Colby Yeary. “With this partnership, Pantexans will learn about the latest technologies, processes, and innovators that can provide value to our site, while Red Raiders will have increased exposure to Pantex, including career opportunities that may align well to their professional goals and skill sets. It’s a textbook definition of a win-win scenario.”

Pantex cultivates a work environment that balances dedication to its mission with a culture that encourages growth, collaboration and a sense of fulfillment among its employees. Through the partnership with Texas Tech, Pantex intends to showcase career prospects that inspire students to pursue national and nuclear security professions.
As a part of this new partnership, Pantex and the Texas Tech Innovation Hub invite students from across Raiderland to join in the Pantex Innovation Challenge on Friday, October 13. The one-day event introduces students with a passion for STEM-related fields to developing solutions to problem sets provided by Pantex.
Students participating in the program will form teams, identify and develop solutions through interactive workshops, and network with industry professionals and mentors. The top three to five teams will have the opportunity to win $7,000 in cash prizes and advance to the Innovation Hub’s iLaunch Competition Pantex Track, vying for a chance to secure a $5,000 prize. This initiative represents a unique and exciting opportunity for aspiring innovators to contribute to the vital mission of ensuring national security. Pantex and Texas Tech University invite all enthusiastic individuals to join us in this collaborative endeavor.

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