News

Sales tax revenues were mixed for Donley County municipalities when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered monthly allocations last week.

The City of Clarendon slipped for the second month, dropping 0.74 percent for July with an allocation of $40,682.97.

Despite the setbacks this month and last month, Clarendon is still ahead for the calendar year-to-date with sales tax revenues up 5.78 percent at $286,517.93.

Hedley was up 7.39 percent for the month of July with an allocation of $634.60. That brings Hedley up 5.16 percent on the year-to-date with revenues of $6,646.61 since the first of January.

Howardwick was also up with an allocation of $1,556.13, an increase of 11.95 percent compared to the same period last year. The lakeside city is now up 4.98 percent for the year-to-date at $11,630.91.

Statewide, Hegar delivered $1.03 billion in local sales tax allocations for July, 15.3 percent more than in July 2021.
These allocations are based on sales made in May by businesses that report tax monthly.

Clarendon College recently added two new members to its Board of Regents.

On Friday, June 24, 2022, Janice Knorpp and Shaun O’Keefe were sworn into office on the Clarendon College Board of Regents, filling two of three vacancies on the board.

Regent Knorpp, a longtime resident in Clarendon and former City Council member, was appointed to fill the vacancy left by former Regent Edwin Campbell, and her seat will expire in 2024.

Regent O’Keefe, a medical professional who works with Veterans, went through the election process and fills a vacancy that is set to expire in 2028.

Clarendon College President Tex Buckhaults stated that he is excited about the addition of Regents O’Keefe and Knorpp and is looking forward to working with them.

See photos on page four. For more information, visit clarendoncollege.edu or call (806) 874-3571.

Family and friends are mourning the loss of a Clarendon teenager who died Sunday following a single-vehicle accident in Canyon.

Clayton Anderson, age 16, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to the Canyon Police Department.

Canyon police and firefighters were dispatched at 6:05 a.m. Sunday, June 19, to a major vehicle crash in the 24000 block of US 87. Upon arrival, they found a 2004 Chevrolet Pickup traveling south on US 87 had left the roadway and struck a tree at the “2nd Roadside Park.”

The driver of the pickup, Trent Wood, age 19, was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Anderson was a front passenger in the vehicle.

Canyon police say they are still investigating the crash, and services for Anderson had not yet been announced as of Tuesday morning.

Anderson was well known in the rodeo community and was recently named the Texas High School Reserve Reined Cowhorse champion and was to compete at Nationals this summer. He was also the Top Hand in the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association’s Junior Ranch Rodeo and was scheduled to compete in this year’s event as well.

He was a member of the Region 1 Texas Junior High School Rodeo Association, competing in Steer Saddle Bronc Riding, Calf Roping and Team Roping qualifying for Nationals 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2020, he won the Texas Junior High Rodeo Champion Steer Saddle Bronc Riding.

Clayton was also a member of the Tri-State Region 1 Rodeo Association and the Texas High School Rodeo Association, competing in Team Roping and Reined Cowhorse for 2022. He was a WRCA Junior Qualifier and was 2021 Top Hand recipient.

Clarendon City Secretary Machiel Covey has been named the Clerk of the Year by the Panhandle Chapter of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association.

Covey has served TMCA for 13 years in different offices. In addition to her work with the association, a large factor in Covey’s recognition was the proactive protocols she helped implement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Clarendon was in out in front during the pandemic, and some of the things implemented here were later duplicated in other Panhandle cities.

Covey will be recognized this Thursday during the Panhandle TMCA chapter meeting in Amarillo. Her nomination will then be forwarded for a chance to win the state title at the association’s annual meeting in Georgetown in October.

The City of Clarendon will partner with Donley County in an effort to open more grant opportunities for the community following the June 9 meeting of the city council.

County officials are working to more accurately report the average income of local households, which is used as a determining factor for state and federal grants.

The current federal survey that says 42 percent of Donley County households are of low to moderate income. Local officials believe the number is under reported and are pursuing doing an independent survey because some grants are only available to communities with 51 percent or more households are of low to moderate income.

City Secretary Machiel Covey said about 700 surveys need to be completed, and the city will split the $7,000 price tag of conducting the surveys with the county.

In other city business, the council approved retaining the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission to conduct a search for the next city administrator to replace David Dockery, who intends to retire next spring.

The search will cost $3,500 to $7,000 and will begin in October. City officials want the new administrator’s service to overlap Dockery’s by 90 days.

The city will also retain the PRPC to file the necessary reports for the city’s ARPA funding. The federal COVID-relief funds come with very complicated reporting requirements. PRCP will charge the city $20,000 for that service, and the ARPA funds can be tapped for that expense.

Alderman Larry Jeffers was selected by his fellow council members to serve as the city’s mayor pro tem.

The city also approved the airport board’s request to purchase a windsock structure with a beacon for $5,680.77. The money is available from funds raised for the airport, and the city can apply for a RAMP grant to recoup half of that amount.

City aldermen also met in a called session on June 17 to consider paving options for this season. The council set a maximum amount of $125,000 to spend a project with those streets to be identified later.

The council agreed to abandon 1.7 feet of Allen Street along the former residence of the late Frances Skelton with her family bearing the cost of that correction.

A similar action was taken about a year ago with a neighboring property. Poor surveys in the distant past resulted in improvements being built on what was really city right of way.