Archives for December 2014

Two men were spending time in the Donley County Jail this week after they were caught burglarizing a barn west of Clarendon and became the subjects of a short manhunt.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said his office was notified of criminal activity at the property about 6:30 a.m. Monday, December 15. When the subjects realized they had been spotted, they drove off through a pasture and through a fence before getting their vehicle wedged in some mesquite trees.

The first subject, 52-year-old Lionel Ray Harris of Amarillo, was picked up near the Clarendon College Livestock & Equine Center, and the second subject, 49-year-old Terry Wayne Cash of Quanah, was captured in an alley on the east side of the city.

Blackburn said city and county workers along with some local firemen helped look for the men before their capture. “We had a lot of help from the community,” he said.

Both Cash and Harris have extensive criminal histories, the sheriff said. The men had stolen a John Deere riding lawnmower that morning but ditched it before going across the pasture.

Blackburn reminds everyone to be very aware of their property and possessions right now. Criminal activity is on the rise in terms of burglaries and thefts.

“We usually see this leading up to Christmas and through the holidays, but it seems worse,” he said. “These guys were from out of town. Everyone just needs to stay alert and watch out for their neighbors.”

Christmastime activities continue this week with Late Night Shopping as local merchants stand ready to fill your last minute Christmas wish lists..

In a move from the traditional Thursday schedule, Late Night Shopping this year is being held on Fridays at downtown merchants.

Local businesses are grateful for the support of all their customers and provide great deals with exceptional service.

Holiday shopping is easy and affordable with a Christmas Cash loan from the Donley County State Bank and enjoy interest free shopping at a dozen participating establishments. There is still time to take advantage of the program as the shopping season draws to a close.

The program, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, allows anyone to make application for a loan of up to $3,000 interest free with the Donley County State Bank. Once a loan has been approved, the borrower will be issued Christmas Cash Dollars, which may be spent like US currency toward new purchases at all of the participating businesses. Christmas Cash must be spent by December 31, 2014.

As of Tuesday morning, participating Christmas Cash merchants this year are: Cornell’s Country Store, J&W Lumber, Osburn Appliance, Country Bloomers, Ronna’s Creations, Stavenhagen Video, Henson’s, Every Nook & Cranny, Straight Off The Ranch, The Clarendon Enterprise, Mike’s Pharmacy, Lowe’s Family Center & Ace Hardware.

The City of Clarendon is exploring grant opportunities to fund up to $3.9 million in water system improvements following last Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen.

Grant funding for the project could pay for between 40 and 75 percent of the project, and work could be scaled back depending on the level of grant funds the city qualifies for.

The project, if funded and pursued, would include replacing the standpipe water storage on the east side of town, improving waterlines throughout the city, and installing water meters that can be read electronically, reducing errors and lost work time.

Aldermen last week approved advertising for engineering services on the project, which is the first step in pre-applying for the funds.

After determining what level of grant funds the city qualifies for, officials will determine what size project to pursue and options for funding the city’s match.

In other city business, aldermen continued to look at Clarendon’s sign ordinance and what changes they would like to make to it. The board will continue to look at this.

Aldermen also reviewed bids for the city’s health insurance coverage.

In light of rising premiums and given a bid with better benefits, the board elected to end its FirstCare coverage after nearly two decades and take out coverage through the Texas Municipal League.

In council comments, Alderman Sandy Skelton urged the city to expedite removal of the non-operational elevator on the front of City Hall, and Mayor Larry Hicks said he would see that was done. Workers have since removed the elevator.

Sales tax revenues dropped this month for all three Donley County municipalities when Texas Comptroller Susan Combs delivered her December allocations last week.

Clarendon’s revenues dropped 2.21 percent for the month to $31,455.18, bringing the city’s calendar year-to-date figure down 3.21 percent to $398,447.17.

Hedley’s sales tax check dropped 71.95 percent to $393.55. That city is now 7.42 percent down for 2014 at $7,037.24.

Howardwick’s allocation was also down, falling 44.18 percent compared to the same month one year ago at $787.23. The yearly total is down 23.37 percent at $13,317.05.

Statewide, Comptroller Combs said that state sales tax revenue for the month was $2.66 billion, up 10.7 percent compared to November 2013.

“The growth in sales tax collections was fueled by increased remittances from both business and consumer driven sectors,” Combs said. “The gains were led by oil and natural gas-related sectors, while collections from retail trade and restaurants also rose strongly.”

The sales tax figures represent October sales reported by monthly tax filers.