Archives for January 2008

Abby Patten and Tres Hommel exhibited the top animals in the Beef Division during the annual Donley County Junior Livestock Show last Saturday at the Clarendon Community Center.

Patten exhibited the Grand Champion Steer; and Hommel had the Grand Champion Heifer as well as the Grand Champion Swine.

Other top winners were Kenzie Perryman and her Grand Champion Lamb; and Kati Adams’ Grand Champion Goat.

A total of 68 young people from the Donley County 4-H Club and local FFA chapters showed 96 animals. Last year 73 kids showed 106 animals.

As of Monday morning, figures showed the sale brought in more than $43,000, an increase from the $40,000 raised last year. That number may increase in the final tally as more donations are received.

Complete results are as follows:

Steers: Abby Patten, Grand Champion; Sade Cobb, Reserve Champion; Rowdy Speed, Breed Champion (Amer. and Brit. breeds); Kenzie Perryman, Reserve Breed (Amer.); Chris Blackburn, Reserve Breed (Brit.); Annie Patten, first (Class 403); Jacob Pigg, first (Class 405); Caden Farris, first (Class 406); John Pigg, first (Class 408); Taylor Perryman, second (Class 403); Kenzie Perryman, second (Class 404); Seth Ruthardt, second (Class 405); Jacob Bishop, second (Class 406); Paul Goetze, second (Class 407); Blaine Ellis, second (Class 408); Sydney Shipp, third (Class 402); Trevor Cobb, third (Class 406); Jayson Pigg, third (Class 407); Brittany McAnear, third (Class 408); Quincy Harris, fourth (Class 404); and Kaden Bennett, fourth (Class 107).

Heifers: Tres Hommel, Grand Champion; Shelby Musick, Reserve Grand; J.D. Baxter, second (Class 301); Cole Ward, second (Class 302); and Dalton Askew, third (Class 301).

Lambs: Kenzie Perryman, Grand Champion; Taylor Perryman, Reserve Grand; Taylor Perryman, Breed Champion (Southdown); Zachery Anglin, Breed Champion (FW); Kenzie Perryman, Reserve Breed (Southdown); Kenzie Perryman, second (Class 102); Austin Adams, second (Class 103); Kati Adams, third (Class 102); and Austin Adams, third (Class 103).

Swine: Tres Hommel, Grand and Reserve Champions; Braden Montgomery, Breed Champion (BOPB); Austin Adams, Breed Champion (Duroc); Madison Carr, Breed Champion (Cross); Reid Copelin, Reserve Breed (BOPB); Misti Scott, Reserve Breed (Chester); Brandon Montgomery, Reserve Breed (Duroc); Austin Adams, Reserve Breed (Hamp); Marlee Sargent, Reserve Breed (Cross); Kati Adams, first (Class 602); Dustin Willyard, first (Class 606); Will Monroe, first (Class 607); Kendra Davis, second (Class 602); Kati Adams, second (Class 603); Dustin Willyard, second (Class 604); Kristen Dwight, second (Class 606); Brady Montgomery, second (Class 607); Brooklyn Montgomery, second (Class 609); Reid Copelin, second (Class 610); Kendra Davis, third (Class 603); Coltin Kingston, third (Class 605); Zack Sargent, third (Class 606); Jasie Sargent, third (Class 607); and Danny Garcia, fourth (Class 607).

Swine – Gilt: Misti Scott, Grand Champion; Tres Hommel, Reserve Grand; Kameron Shields, first (Class 501); Madison Carr, first (Class 502 and Class 503); McKayla King, second (Class 501); Madison Shields, second (Class 502); Sabra Patton, second (Class 503); Jake Owens, third (Class 501); Sterling King, third (Class 502); Cody Wood, third (Class 503); Tres Hommel, third (Class 504); Emily Martinez, fourth (Class 503); and Seth Greer, fourth (Class 504).

Goats: Kati Adams, Grand Champion; Maci White, Reserve Grand; Brooke Martin, first (Class 203); Cedar Stevenson, second (Class 201); Jenci White, second (Class 202); Maci White, second (Class 203); Kolt Stevenson, third (Class 201); Brooke Martin, third (Class 202); Christopher Shultz, third (Class 203); Cedar Stevenson, fourth (Class 201); Janae White, fourth (Class 202); Mathew Thomas fourth (Class 203); Davonte Hardaway, fifth (Class 201); Skyler White, fifth (Class 202); and Kirsten Tolbert, fifth (Class 203).

Showmanship Awards: Lambs – Junior Showmanship Taylor Perryman, Senior Showmanship Kenzie Perryman; Goats – Junior Showmanship Katie Adams, Senior Showmanship Jenci White; Beef – Junior Showmanship John Pigg, Senior Showmanship Sydney Shipp; Swine – Junior Showmanship Austin Adams, Senior Showmanship Braden Montgomery; PeeWee Showmanship – Goat/Sheep Paige Perryman, and Swine Colt Wood.

COLLEGE STATION – Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples touted the work ethic of Texas farmers and ranchers Tuesday discussing an economic milestone. For the first time in history, statewide agriculture production in 2007 contributed more than $100 billion to the Texas economy.

“All Texans should be proud of the dedicated men and women who live and breathe agriculture daily, providing food and fiber to feed and clothe their fellow Texans,” Staples said at the Texas A&M AgriLife Conference at Texas A&M University.

Texas leads the nation in the number of cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and deer. The state also ranks first in production of cotton, wool, mohair, and hay.

The Texas agriculture industry employs nearly 2 million Texans, contributing approximately nine percent of the gross state product.

“Folks, it’s an amazing story to tell,” Staples said. “We have to tell it everyday, and the key is to tell the story effectively and get people’s attention.”

One in seven individuals in Texas is employed “in some form of agriculture,” and everyone in the industry has to be involved in branding, marketing, and selling, the commissioner said.

“Each of us has to energize our agricultural industry, excite the public, and tell them how breakthroughs make their lives better,” he said.

Dr. Elsa Murano, president of Texas A&M University and former vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences, told attendees that “your work is life enhancing, and I certainly value the recognition you bring to Texas A&M University.”

Promoting partnerships and collaborative work among the colleges at Texas A&M is one of many goals Murano outlined. She touted Texas A&M’s bioenergy alliance, an ongoing research program investigating alternative fuels among both the agriculture and engineering programs, as a lead example.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, who received the Texas A&M AgriLife Outstanding Public Servant Award, also emphasized the importance of telling Americans how important agriculture is and how it plays a key role in daily life.

“It’s more important than ever to tell the positive impact of AgriLife,” he said. “Strong values come from rural life, and it may depend on how well we tell the story that agriculture is life.”

The Texas A&M AgriLife Conference brings together Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Revenue to City Hall from Clarendon’s Municipal Court is down because of a decline in the number of traffic citations, according to a report from Judge Jimmy Johnson last week.

Johnson addressed city aldermen at their January 8 meeting and outlined the number of tickets his court handled over the last two years. Traffic tickets in 2006 numbered 343 with fines amounting to $51,876, but that number fell to 153 last year, dropping the tally down to about $25,000. And in December, two citations were issued to one person.

City Secretary Linda Smith said the situation is approaching the point where the Municipal Court may lose money.

“The court had a net of $519 last month,” Smith said.

In addition to handling traffic citations in the city, the municipal court also handles ordinance violations, and hot check cases, the latter of which brought in the most revenue last month.

Johnson also said the city has received only one fine for an ordinance violation since City Administrator Sean Pate resigned in 2005. That position has not been filled.

The judge attributed the difference in traffic citations to changes in personnel at the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, which is under a contract with the city to provide law enforcement services.

Alderman Janice Knorpp said she wanted to see something done about the lack of traffic control and asked to have the sheriff come to the next city meeting.

Mayor Mark White and Alderman Terry Noble said the sheriff is short one deputy and as a result isn’t able to devote one person to traffic control. They said low pay in Donley County is a problem when it comes to recruiting a new deputy.

Armstrong County pays $24,000 and just hired an applicant that Sheriff Butch Blackburn was trying to hire. But Blackburn told the Enterprise Monday that the salary is only part of the problem.

“There’s no one out there to hire,” Blackburn said. “The ones that are out there, nobody wants.”

The sheriff said the starting salary for a deputy in Donley County is $22,500 and goes up to nearly $27,000 with experience. Hemphill County deputies start at $40,000, Carson County starts at more than $31,000, and both of those departments have openings.

Blackburn said he wasn’t griping about what Donley County pays, but he said it does come into consideration. He also said the deputies he has are kept busy with criminal cases and traveling to district court. The day deputy was gone Friday and Monday for court, he said.

“I understand the county would like more money (from tickets) just like the city wants,” he said, “but it’s not happening right now.”