Morgan Wheatly

A Clarendon woman is grateful for her neighbors and local firemen this week after a fire threatened her home last Friday, February 27.

Nell Gray said she was reading that morning when a smoke alarm went off at her home at Sixth and Gorst and she turned to see smoke billowing towards her.

“I started to go get my purse (in the back bedroom), but then I thought ‘get out of here.’”

The 90-year-old, who uses a walker to get around, made it to the front porch about the same time that a neighbor noticed what was happening.

Clarendon College freshman Sarah Luttrell was across the street in her parents’ home with her friends, Deborah Howard and Zhanae Bassett, when she noticed what she first thought was fog outside the kitchen window. She soon realized it was smoke coming from Gray’s house, alerted her friends, and took off out the front door.

Luttrell and Howard each took an arm and helped Gray to safety in the nearby car of Jack Barton, who had pulled up in time to see Luttrell dashing across the street. Meanwhile, Bassett was calling 911.

“I was really glad to see those girls,” Gray said. “They got me to Jack’s car, and I just sat and watched the fire department. They got here really quick.”

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was on the scene at 11:15 with 14 firefighters and eight units. According to Fire Chief Jeremy Powell, they found heavy smoke and flame showing from an attic vent on the north end of the home. An external attack was made thru the north attic vent while an entry team entered the home through the front door. The entry team aided by a thermal camera made entrance to the attic via an attic entry ladder in a hallway and directly attacked the fire suppressing it within minutes.

Fire damage was contained to the attic of the home with smoke damage affecting the entire home, Powell reported. Water damage was limited to a bathroom, hallway and bedroom underneath the area of the attic fire.

Gray said most of her possessions are salvageable, and she credits the fire department with saving her home.

The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time, but family members say they believe it may have been related to a heater in the bathroom ceiling.

Gray and the girls say God had a hand in saving her life and her home that day.

“I’m just glad we were out of class that day,” Luttrell said. “We were supposed to be in history, but it got canceled due to the weather. It was orchestrated by God. Our class, the snow, everything happened for a reason that day.”

 

The City of Clarendon will be the only local government to hold a competitive election this spring, but all other local governments did receive enough candidates to fill upcoming positions before the sign-up period closed last Friday, February 27.

Clarendon Mayor Larry Hicks is unopposed for re-election, incumbent Aldermen Doug Kidd and Sandy Skelton are both running for office again and will be joined on the ballot by Britton Hall.

The City of Howardwick will have an election to renew a local sales tax option in that city, but they will not have competitive races for elected office. Mayor Mike Rowland and Alderman Gail Leathers are signed up, and Brenda Hampton is signed up for the other alderman’s seat.

Clarendon ISD incumbents Wayne Hardin and Wes Hatley are returning to the school board, and Donley County Hospital Board directors Wayne Tubbs, Carey Wann, and Melinda McAnear are returning to their positions.

Hedley ISD has Dana Bell returning to its board, and recently appointed trustee Carole Ward has also signed up to stay in her position.

The City of Hedley had three candidates sign up on the last day. Incumbent Aldermen Tonya Metcalf and Kathy Spier are returning and will be joined by Sally Griffin.

This year’s elections will be held on May 9. Local governments with uncontested races will cancel their elections.

 

If you’ve skipped paying that speeding ticket that you stuffed in your glove box, you could soon find yourself wearing a pair of handcuffs when the Texas Warrant Round-Up begins Saturday, March 7.

Donley County Justices of the Peace and more than 200 other jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies across the state will be participating in the round-up, and officials say it’s best to pay your fine now before it starts.

Local justice courts handed numerous open cases over to a collection agency in Amarillo, which has sent letters out to those individuals.

The courts have already put a hold on the driver’s licenses of the offenders in question, and if they don’t pay up before February 25, warrants will be issued and the offenders will be arrested.

Precinct 3&4 Justice Denise Bertrand said Donley County has had good results from participating in the Texas Warrant Round-Up before.

“It has been successful in the past,” Bertrand said. “I consider it a success when they pay their fine, and we don’t have to put out a warrant or put them in jail.”

As collection agents letters show up in mailboxes and word gets out about the round-up, local courts are already seeing an influx of people paying their fines.

If someone is unable to pay their fine, officials still say it’s better to contact their offices before warrants go out next Saturday.

“Community service is an option if they can prove they can’t pay their fine,” Bertrand said.

 

Clarendon College baseball player Michael Cruz was honored last Thursday for NJCAA and WJCAC awards.

Cruz, a sophomore from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, was named to the 2014 Baseball I All-American Second Team as a designated hitter. Cruz has also been named to the Western Junior College Athletic Conference All Conference Baseball Team for 2014, also as a designated hitter.

Dr. Robert Riza presented these honors during halftime of the men’s basketball game against New Mexico Junior College Thursday night at Clarendon College.