News

A Clarendon Junior High student will face charges after being accused of attacking another student in a bathroom at the school last week, leaving the victim with a broken jaw.

Other students are also expected to face charges in connection to the case as officials believe the boy was lured into the bathroom for the purpose of being attacked.

The attack, which was videoed and subsequently shared on social media Friday, sparked outrage from the community. The video shows the victim, confirmed by officials to be 13 years old, apparently unexpectedly assaulted in the junior high boys’ restroom by being struck in the face and knocked to the ground.

County Attorney Landon Lambert said his office learned about the incident Friday afternoon and said the Donley County Sheriff’s Office did a great job securing witness statements and preparing the report, and the youth appeared before County Judge John Howard Monday for a hearing.

Lambert said his office was seeking juvenile detention for the 14-year-old suspect for a period of ten-business days during which time authorities could better evaluate the case. The judge did not grant the county attorney’s request and instead released the youth into the care of his mother with a requirement that he have 24-hour supervision, Lambert said.

The court action led to more anger on social media as some felt the youth was not being punished, but Lambert says that is not the case.

“This is just the beginning,” Lambert said. “It is absolutely not the end; this was just the first step. If he does anything else we can detain him. He should not be in public without his parent.”

Lambert said it’s important for people to understand that the juvenile justice system is set up to be rehabilitative more than punitive, but he said the young man “is absolutely facing charges.”

The county attorney also said three to five other youth are believed to have been involved with the attack.

“It was a complete setup,” Lambert said, noting that parents and the public need to be aware of “the law of parties” in Texas.

“Any person who helps set up a victim is just as culpable as the person who attacks the person,” Lambert said. “Every kid that had any part of this will feel something from the county attorney’s office. I promise that’s coming.”

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the juvenile probation department and the county attorney’s office took quick action when his office turned the case over to them.

“Landon did excellent work,” Blackburn said. “It’s no little feat getting all that in order, and he had done by noon Monday. I have no doubt that the court will adjudicate that boy.”

Blackburn also said that the kids involved in the case, including the alleged attacker, have been very forthcoming about what happened and said school officials have also been very cooperative. He is frustrated by social media, however, and he would like the public to give officials a rest from what they read online.

“What you read on Facebook is probably not 100 percent of the story,” Blackburn said. “Facebook is not where you need to get your information.”

Clarendon School Superintendent Jarod Bellar could not comment on the case specifically, but he echoed Blackburn’s comments, saying he would like the public to understand there is a process that has to be followed.

“There’s due process whether people like it or not,” Bellar said. “We’re in a world of instant gratification, but that’s not how things work.”

Bellar said the school has a responsibility to look after the best interests of everyone involved and of all students.

“I wish people would just give us some time to do a complete investigation,” Bellar said. “They need to allow Mrs. Pigg (the junior high principal) to go through the process.”

The Clarendon City Council released two candidates from its search for the next city administrator during last Thursday’s council meeting.

Brian Barboza – City Administrator at Knox City and Vance Lipsey – former Town Manager at Lake City, Colorado, were both personally interviewed by the council February 2 but have now been removed from consideration.

That leaves Fred Ventresco – Town Administrator at Pine Tops, North Carolina, as the last remaining candidate, but city officials say he has not been named as a finalist for the job. Instead, the council last week approved up to $500 in travel and accommodation expenses for Ventresco to visit Clarendon later this month for a face to face meeting.

Aldermen conducted a virtual interview with Ventresco on January 26.

In other city business last week, the council approved a resolutions calling for an election on May 6 to elect the mayor and two aldermen and also to reauthorize the one-quarter percent sales tax for street maintenance and repairs. A resolution was also approved to have the city election conducted by the Donley County Clerk’s office in conjunction with the hospital district and the school district.

A PanComm radio tower lease agreement for emergency communications was approved.

The council accepted the low bid of $406,924 for a CDBG grant project to replace a sewer lift station.

The figure is over budget, however, so officials will value engineer the project to get it back into budget.

The city also renewed its agreement with the City of Pampa as an alternate location for animal control services.

Candidates continue to sign up for local offices as the deadline to sign up approaches this Friday, February 17.

Howardwick Mayor Tony Clemishire and Aldermen Johnny Floyd and Jada Murray are all running again.

Hedley incumbent Aldermen Trisha Chambless, Alicia Hanes, and Jennifer Floyd have also filed paperwork to seek reelection.

Clarendon Mayor Jacob Fangman and Alderman Eulaine McIntosh have filed for re-election. Alderman Terri Floyd had not filed at press time but told the Enterprise she will be a candidate for re-election.

At Clarendon ISD, incumbent Chrisi Tucek and challenger Mike Word have filed to run for the two open spots on the Board of Trustees.

Rose Lemley, Jeff Robertson, and Melinda McAnear has filed to run again for their Place 1, 2, and 3 positions on the Donley County Hospital District Board of Directors.

Hedley ISD has two full three-year terms and one unexpired term up this year, and incumbents Troy Monroe and Shauna Herbert have filed for reelection to her full term.

All local boards are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must file for a specific place on the board. Candidate applications are available from the administrative offices of each entity. Applications for the City of Clarendon positions are also available at cityofclarendontx.com.

Elections are scheduled to be held Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Comptroller Glenn Hegar Distributes $1.3 Billion in Monthly Sales Tax Revenue to Local Governments
Clarendon bucked a two-month decline in sales tax revenues and set a new record when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered February allocations last week.

The city brought in $52,610.48 for the month, an increase of 7.02 percent over the same period in 2021 and an all-time high for February sales tax revenue. Clarendon now has received $90,252.04 for the calendar year to date, up 3.23 percent compared to one year ago.

Hedley’s sales tax revenue increased 55.39 percent to $1,836.40 for the month. Hedley’s year-to-date total is now $2,660.97, up 33.81 percent.

Howardwick was also up with an allocation of $2,142.63 for February, up 22.98 percent and pushing that city’s year-to-date figure up 19.54 percent from a year ago at $3,355.04.

Statewide, Hegar sent $1.3 billion in local sales tax allocations for February, 9.3 percent more than in February 2022.

These allocations are based on sales made in December by businesses that report tax monthly; October, November and December sales by quarterly filers; and 2022 sales by businesses that report tax annually.

The Brake Time convenience store at US 287 and Jefferson is looking for local residents wanting to release their artistic expressions with a new art contest.

Idea submissions are being accepted until February 28, and six winners will be selected, with the public’s help, to each paint a section of fence on the Brake Time property, roughly eight feet by 16 feet.

Brake Time officials say they are looking for something fun with a positive energy. Those interested are asked to bring a sketch of their idea to the store with their name and phone number. Submissions will be posted at the store and online.

Once the six winners have painted their sections of the fence, another round of judging will be opened. The winner of the second contest will get to paint the west side of the Brake Time building.

Artists must provide their own supplies. Visit the local Brake Time store with questions or for more information.

US Rep. Ronny Jackson last week along with Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act to help protect America’s ag industry from malign foreign investors.

The bill would also bolster the US supply chain by reforming the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) – the governmental body that oversees the vetting process of foreign investment and acquisition of American companies. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced companion legislation in the US Senate.

“Today, America faces numerous threats to its national security, and the agricultural industry is no exception,” Jackson said. “Our adversaries, especially the Chinese Communist Party, continue to increase their presence in America’s food industry and agricultural supply chains.”

This bill will help to combat foreign investment into, and interference of, the American agriculture industry by modernizing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to ensure that the US monitors this investment and understands the national security implications.

Specifically, this bill would reform CFIUS by: Ensuring CFIUS recognizes the agriculture industry and agriculture supply chains as critical infrastructure, Adds the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, and Requires CFIUS to review any investment that could result in foreign control of any US ag business.