Cobbs advance
Archives for June 2011
Enterprise wins sweepstakes at state
The Clarendon Enterprise was recognized as the best little newspaper in Texas last Saturday when it received the Sweepstakes Award at the Texas Press Association’s Summer Convention in Rockwall.
The Enterprise earned the top award in Division 10 – Small Weeklies – and picked up one first place plaque, three second place awards, and one third place awards to garner enough points to win the division.
Anndria Newhouse led the Enterprise awards, winning first place in News Photos with a picture of a lightning bolt published last May. Judges described Newhouse’s work as an “incredible photo.”
Ads designed by Julie Shields took second place in the Advertising category. Judges praised the ads for Cornell’s Country Store as being clean and concise with a good flow and great color.
The Enterprise also received second place in Page Design with judges noting that “great typography and organized layout are trademarks of this publication.”
Roger Estlack received second place in Editorials and a third place award for Column Writing, including a tribute to his late mother.
This year 176 newspapers submitted 1,784 entries in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest. The contest is broken down into 10 divisions in which newspapers compete against papers of similar circulation size. Twenty-three papers competed in Division 10.
The awards were announced June 18th at TPA’s 132nd Summer Convention in Rockwall.
He’s here!
State budget cuts CC funds by $400k
Clarendon College will lose some funding following this year’s state budget crisis, but CC officials say it was not as bad as it could have been.
Altogether, the college will see about $400,000 less in funds from the state over the next two years.
“Overall, the impact of the cuts, while alarming and disappointing, could have been much worse,” CC President Phil Shirley said. “We are pleased that more cuts were not made where Clarendon College was concerned.”
CC will lose about $300,000 in direct state appropriations and another $100,000 from the elimination of education programs in the state prison system. Clarendon had about 60-80 students in classes at the Roach Unit in Childress and the Jordan Unit in Pampa. The prison cuts will have far reaching consequences, Shirley said.
“It is a sad day when we have no courses to offer in prisons because studies show that the more education people get in prison, the less likely they are to return to prison,” Shirley said. “This [cut] is in no way good news for the college, the prisoners, or the community.”
With regards to CC employees working within the prison program, Shirley said the college is still studying the situation as to how to best spread the impact of that cut over the college budget.
The cuts also include elimination of about $200,000 for employee insurance, which will be absorbed into the college’s operating budget, CC Dean of Administrative Services Annette Ferguson said.
While $400,000 is a tremendous loss for CC, Shirley said the college was warned initially that it could face a cut of $1.2 million and that it ultimately made plans for losing between $600,000 and $800,000.
“We feel very fortunate,” Shirley said, but he noted that the governor can still veto the funding for community colleges.
Consistent growth in enrollment over the last several years and the addition of supplemental funding for small colleges helped lessen the expected cuts for CC.
With the cuts being less than expected, the college will also be able to tackle some maintenance projects that will ultimately save the college money, including replacing some dilapidated water and sewer lines and upgrading some dorm furniture with more durable replacements, which will also be more comfortable and attractive.
Shirley credited Ferguson for planning expenditures that will save the college money in the long run by cutting down on maintenance costs and also help attract and retain students by improving dorm life.
The president said CC will largely be able to overcome the loss of the students in the prison system by absorbing a nursing program in Childress.
The Board of Regents approved a memorandum of understanding with the Childress County Hospital District last Thursday, which allows CC to take over the hospital’s nursing program this fall, pending state approval. CC will upgrade facilities at its Childress Center to accommodate the program, which has about 17 students.
Ferguson and Shirley noted that although headcount in the nursing program is lower than in the prison program, nursing students take more class hours, which is the basis for state funding. Students in the Childress program will now benefit from being able to apply for financial aid through the college and their class time at CC will transfer to a university if they choose to further their education.
DA reports Babcock’s ‘status’ is unchanged
Five months after he was accused of beating his four-year-old son to death, Robert Babcock remains in the Donley County Jail.
A rumor surfaced last week that Babcock was being released, but District Attorney Luke Inman tells the Enterprise that there has been no change in the defendant’s “status.”
“We are in the final stages of investigation and are preparing for a possible grand jury presentation,” Inman told the Enterprise Monday.
Inman did say that a motion was filed on January 24 regarding the mental competency of the defendant and that District Judge Stuart Messer at that time ordered an evaluation of mental competency. The Donley County Clerk’s office confirmed that and said no other motions were on file and also said there was nothing on file indicating whether the examination had taken place.
Inman said the grand jury is next scheduled to meet in Donley County on June 29, but he could not say that Babcock’s case would be presented at that time.
Babcock is accused of causing the death of Chance Mark Jones, who died on January 5. According to previous reports, preliminary results of an autopsy conducted the next day revealed that boy died from blunt force trauma to the head and that he also suffered internal injuries from trauma to the torso.
The defendant was formally charged with Capital Murder and Domestic Violence, and bond was set at $1.1 million.
Fire breaks out near local daycare center
No one was injured when a fire broke out near a local daycare this week, but officials say the incident highlights the need for extreme caution with dangerously dry conditions persisting.
The fire was first spotted shortly after noon on Monday burning a fence separating the residence of Michael Shadle and Paula’s Daycare in the 300 block of South Carhart Street.
Daycare owner Paula Blackburn said Paige Drackley noticed the fire while she was driving by and came knocking on her door.
“I had brought the kids inside about 10:30, we ate lunch at 11, and were getting ready for nap time,” Blackburn said. “We never smelled anything. We evacuated in less than a minute, and I grabbed my emergency binder.”
The children were taken to the Church of Christ across the street and parents were then notified, Blackburn said.
First Assistant Chief Jeremy Powell of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department termed Monday’s fire as “suspicious.” He said four trucks responded, and the department had the blaze out in about 15 minutes.
Officials said it appeared the fire started on Shadle’s side of the fence, but Fire Marshal Kelly Hill said the cause was still undetermined.
In addition to damaging the wooden fence, several toys on the daycare’s playground were damaged, and the fire also threatened Shadle’s garage at one point, Powell said.
“It is just super dangerous right now even in town because of dry grass, brush, etc.,” Powell said. “We could get a structure on fire real easy right now.”
Powell said recent fires are getting harder to put out because everything is so dry it is taking more water to put a fire out. He said the high temperatures are also placing stress on firemen when they wear their protective gear.
Powell said everyone needs to be very careful, even when barbecuing.
“You need to be right there with it and keep a water hose available,” Powell said.
In the case of Monday’s fire, quick action by good Samaritans helped save the day – particularly Audie Watson, who reportedly grabbed a garden hose and started putting water on the fire before firefighters arrived.
In less than an hour, the daycare center was determined to be safe, and the children returned from the church.
CC holds Leadership Conference
Avian experts
Burton Dale Ayers
Burton Dale Ayers, 74, died Friday, May 27, 2011, in Rio Rancho, NM.
An informal celebration of life gathering for family and friends was held Saturday at Holiday Inn Express South, 6701 Hollywood Road in Amarillo. Arrangements were by French Funerals and Cremation of Albuquerque.
Dale was born Nov. 28, 1936, in Donley County to Clarence and Grace Ayers. He graduated in 1955 from Lelia Lake High School in Lelia Lake, Texas, and in 1965 from West Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in education.
Dale taught school and served as principal at Lelia Lake schools. He also was in the
National Guard.
Dale retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he traveled the United States, establishing schools on reservations. He then worked with Maloy Mobile Storage.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Grace Ayers; his wife, Sue Wesson Ayers; and a brother, Joe Ayers.
Survivors include two sons, Greg Ayers and wife Trina and Mike Ayers and wife Nikki; three grandchildren, Alex, Connor and Jack; a brother, Ralph Ayers and wife Bonnie; two sisters, Lola Marie Gardener and Marilyn Swindle and husband Ted; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be to Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico, 9500 N.E. Montgomery Blvd., Suite 121, Albuquerque, NM 87111.
Sts. Roost Museum adds new exhibits
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