Colt Spirit
Archives for October 2020
The Voice of the Broncos
Lighting help
Cheryl Ann Molder Miller
Cheryl Ann Molder Miller, 70, of Memphis died Monday, October 19, 2020, in Memphis.
Graveside services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2020, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Cheryl was born May 31, 1950, in Memphis to Carroll and Roberta Jones Molder. She married Carl “Dee” Miller on August 27, 1996, in Memphis. She was a longtime resident of Memphis where she was an LVN prior to her retirement. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She loved her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and a brother, Thomas Grady Molder.
She survived by her son, Ray Thomas and wife Winona of Seminole, Texas; her daughters, Chantel Brooks and husband Larry of Shamrock and Tiffany Rives and husband Mario of Vacaville, California; her brother, John Molder and wife Jeannie of Clarendon; her sister, Billie Layland of Clarendon; her grandchildren, Rachel Thomas, Dwayne Thomas, Shaila Runnels, Paige Thomas, Ashley Runnels, Heather Rushing, and Kamron Mason; and her great grandchildren, Michael Thomas, Marcus Thomas, Taylon Wingfield, Zaveah Wingfield, Zaire Wiggins, Aria Runnels, and Corren Wilson.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com
Local officials warn against door-to-door trick or treating
Local officials are urging parents to avoid door-to-door trick or treating during Halloween next Saturday, October 31, as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in Donley County.
Clarendon City Administrator David Dockery said Tuesday that Mayor Sandy Skelton and County Judge John Howard, MD, were both encouraging the community not to practice traditional door-to-door trick or treating this year and said organized trunk or treat events would be preferable.
“I think when you look at school kids going door to door to potentially elderly residents, it would be preferable to have an organized trunk or treat where masks can be worn,” Dockery said.
Judge Howard reported 24 cases of the disease were currently active on Tuesday with 34 people testing positive in the county during the month of October so far.
“I wish I could impress upon everyone how important it is to wear a mask and wash your hands,” Howard said. “I know everyone is tired of it, but it is in Donley County.”
Howard said the virus is prevalent locally and said another resident was hospitalized as recently as Tuesday afternoon.
CC wins Stampede rodeo
The Clarendon College men’s rodeo team claimed the championship at their home rodeo by earning a huge points total of 605 last weekend, October 15-17, at the Stampede Rodeo in CC’s Livestock & Equine Center.
Clarendon’s score was 300 points more than the second place team from Western Texas College followed by Sul Ross University in third place.
Fifteen colleges and universities in the Southwest Region competed with 725 total event entries in the rodeo. CC rodeo coach and event organizer Bret Franks expressed his thanks to the community for the support of the Stampede and of the CC team, both of which were successful.
“We had a lot of people show up for the rodeo,” Franks said, “and our men’s team went from being number three in the region to first in the region.”
In the bareback riding, Cole Franks won the short round with an 84 point ride after barely qualifying in the long round with a 67-point ride. He tied for the average to win the buckle, while Rickey Williams was 70 points in the long go and 80 points in the short go to finish third in the average.
The Clarendon saddle bronc riders claimed the first through fourth spots with Cash Wilson winning first in the long go, short go and average with his 77 and 82 point rides to claim the championship buckle. Keene Justesen had 74 points in the long go and 73 in the short go to finish second, while Trey Elshere was 75 in the long go and 72 in the short go to finish third.
Brody Wells came in to the championship round in the bottom spot with his 68 point ride in the long go but won second in the short go with his 77 point ride to finish fourth, and Jayde Smith was 72 in the long go and failed to make the ride in the short go round.
The CC Stampede is a NIRA College Rodeo, which attracts teams from 16 colleges and universities and is hosted by Clarendon College every four years.
Test time
SACSCOC removes CC from warning
Clarendon College has been removed from warning by its accrediting body, according to announcements from the school as well as the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
“We are happy to have this matter resolved up,” CC President Tex Buckhaults said in a statement. “We work hard to maintain good standing with SACSCOC because they control our accreditation.”
CC was first placed on warning in June of last year after the SACSCOC Board of Trustees determined the college had “failed to demonstrate compliance” with a core requirement and three standards set by the agency relating to governance by the CC Board of Regents following a complaint filed against the board several months earlier.
The warning led to year-long review of Clarendon College by the accrediting body, which culminated in June of this year with a SACSCOC committee visiting CC to determine the college’s compliance with several accreditation standards. The visiting committee interviewed all the members of the board of regents individually, except for Regent Carey Wann who was not a member of the board during the initial SACSCOC investigation last year.
According to information requested from the college by The Clarendon Enterprise, the committee “reviewed extensive documents” and interviewed the board and college president. While the committee found that the college had taken steps to avoid conflict of interest issues with board members, it reported inconsistencies with how the college dealt with conflicts of interest based on responses from members of the board, and it also found the board lacked a “clear operational definition of a conflict of interest for Board members as they apply the policy of the college.”
“During interviews, individual Board members shared inconsistent definitions of conflict of interest and descriptions of how an individual would declare a conflict of interest,” the report said. “The Special Committee examined Board minutes of occasions when Board members recused themselves due to a potential conflict of interest; these lacked consistency based upon individual Board members attempting to determine if he/she should recuse or not.”
The report also found that the college did not have someone – such as a board officer or president – specifically assigned to be responsible for board accountability, did not offer a structured local orientation for new board members to address conflicts of interest, and was not posting all conflict of interest statements on its website as per its policy.
In its response to the findings by SACSCOC, Clarendon College has adopted policy changes to address the issues found by the committee and change the way the board handles conflicts of interest. The board also adopted new policy to provide more structure and monitoring of training for its members.
The college also responded that a Policy Review Special Committee of the board “is working to convert the institution’s policy manual to align with or adopt the TASB Community College Policy Reference Manual.”
“The [Board of Regents] has adopted a new operational definition and a procedure to identify conflict of interest,” the response said. “With these actions the [Board of Regents] and our President have positioned themselves to better protect the integrity of the institution and ensure continued training of its members.”
Following the college’s official response to the SACSCOC committee’s report in August, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees met September 3 to review that response formally removed CC from warning.
Early voting continues thru Oct. 30
Early voting continues through next Friday, October 30, in the 2020 General Election and local elections.
In addition to the presidential, congressional, and other offices on the general ballot, the Clarendon College District, the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District, and the City of Howardwick are also holding elections this year.
Local voters will select the successor for Crump’s position as the County Tax Assessor / Collector. Crump is retiring at the end of the year. Seeking her job are Republican Kristy Christopher and Democrat Tony Dale, and Deedra Keen is running as a write-in candidate.
Also of local interest is the race to be the next person to serve in the US House of Representatives for Texas District 13. On the ballot are Republican Ronny Jackson, Democrat Gus Trujillo, and Libertarian Jack B. Westbrook.
Three seats are up on the Clarendon College Board of Regents, and incumbents Darlene Spier and Carey Wann are on the ballot along with challengers Guy Ellis, Chris Matthews, and Debbie Thompson.
Clarendon CISD’s Board of Trustees has two positions available this year. Incumbent Reneé Mott is seeking re-election, and Kyle Davis and Chrisi Tucek are also running.
Howardwick has six people running for three city council seats. Aldermen Mary Grady and Marietta Baird are seeking re-election, and other candidates are Shelly Chavira, Terry Barnes, Jeremy Kindle, and Jada Murray.
Early ballots can be cast at the Donley County Courthouse Annex for the General Election as well as the college and school elections. Howardwick ballots must be cast at Howardwick City Hall.
Voters have until October 23 to request an absentee ballot. Voters who choose to return those ballots in person must bring an official ID and can only bring their own ballot and not a spouse’s or other person’s ballot with them.
The General Election will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Fishin’ trip
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