Morgan Wheatly

Criminal charges are pending after one of the victims of a June 26 car wreck died last week.

Longtime Clarendon businessman and former county commissioner C.W. “Dude” Cornell died July 7 while being treated in an Amarillo hospital for injuries he sustained 11 days earlier.

Cornell, age 86, had been eastbound on US 287 in Clarendon on June 26 when his vehicle was struck by another vehicle driven by 34-year-old Gina Canon, also of Clarendon.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said an investigation of the accident is ongoing and that his office is waiting on a report from the Department of Public Safety and the final results of an autopsy that was performed last Wednesday, July 9.

“This is still under investigation, and we fully expect to charge Miss Canon with the highest charge the law will allow,” Blackburn said. “The public can rest assured that we will prosecute this to the fullest.”

Local officials have received preliminary results of Cornell’s autopsy, but that information was not released at press time. Final autopsy results will not be available for about 45 days, Blackburn said.

Services for Cornell were held last Thursday, July 10, at the First Baptist Church in Clarendon.

 

 The absence of the pipeline crew that boosted local sales last year continues to be reflected in sales tax revenues for the City of Clarendon.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs delivered her monthly allocations last week, and the July figure for the city dropped 19.87 percent from $37,876.11 down to $30,347.33, and dropping the city’s year-to-date total 3.68 percent to $223,654.33.

Boosted by the economic mini-boom of visiting pipeline workers, last year’s July allocation was up more than 41 percent compared to the same period in 2012. The city’s allocation this July is 13 percent higher than the $26,853.96 that was received in July 2012.

Hedley’s allocation this month dropped 50.94 percent to $246.07, but that city is still slightly ahead for the calendar year-to-date at $4,132.85, up 1.58 percent.

Howardwick’s figures continue to slide, down 41.99 percent for the month at $948.18 and down 17.47 percent for the year-to-date at $7,801.59.

The sales tax figures for the July allocations represent monthly sales made May.

Combs said that statewide sales tax revenue this month was $2.24 billion, up 3.7 percent compared to 2013.

“Sales tax revenues continue to grow at a moderate pace,” Combs said. “The increase was led by remittances from the wholesale trade, services, and restaurant sectors. Fiscal year-to-date collections have now grown by 5.2 percent.”

 

A longtime Clarendon restaurant is sporting a bright new look thanks in part to help from the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation.

JD SteakOut received $2,000 under the CEDC’s Façade Grant Program, which helped cover the cost of painting the business at the intersection of US 287 and Jefferson.

Restaurant owners Jesus and Dora Hernandez have been doing business in Clarendon for 17 years, but they found that their current location wasn’t getting the attention of travelers. A change to an orange and green color scheme fixed that problem.

“I have a lot of travelers that notice it now,” Jesus Hernandez said. “People tell us that they have passed by here for years and not noticed it. Now they do.”

Hernandez said he would encourage other people to take advantage of the CEDC’s program and improve their properties.

“I would like to see the whole town fixed up,” Hernandez said. “We would all have more business.”

Since the Façade Grant Program began in 2008, the CEDC has awarded $21,397.04 to property owners in downtown Clarendon. The Façade Grant Program provides 50-50 matching grants, up to a maximum of $2,000 per project, for improvements done to commercial storefronts.

The program considers properties located in the city’s entire Central Business District, an area that generally includes properties facing Kearney Street from First to Fifth streets as well as properties facing Sully Street and Jefferson Street from First to Fifth and properties on the west side of Gorst Street from Second Street (US 287) to Fourth Street. Businesses located on the US 287 corridor are also now eligible to apply for funding.

Projects eligible for consideration could be anything from a coat of paint to new signage to sidewalk improvements to a complete rehabilitation of a storefront. Property owners interested in Façade Grant funds must get approval before beginning their projects.

For more information about the CEDC Façade Grant Program, contact Chandra Eggemeyer at 874-2421.

 

 Three people were arrested Tuesday, July 1, after a traffic stop led to the discovery of more than a pound of heroine.

According to arrest reports at the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Darrin Bridges stopped a black 2005 Jeep Liberty for speeding west of Clarendon on US 287 near mile marker 166 and observed “several indicators of criminal activity.”

Consent to search the vehicle was denied, and a DPS canine unit with Trooper Trevor Dillard was called in.

The canine unit positively alerted on the vehicle, and a probable cause search then yielded 504 grams of controlled substance.

Trooper Bridges arrested Alyssa Hodges, age 28, of Clarendon; David Andrew Vinson, age 38, of Clarendon; and Rosa Maria Garcia, age 37, of California. All three were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance greater than 400 grams and booked into the Donley County Jail.

Bond was set on each suspect at $50,000, and at press time Vinson had been released on bond.

The vehicle in the case was impounded in Carson County pending seizure, according to arrest records

 

The Donley County Grand Jury handed up indictments against seven individuals when it met on Wednesday, June 25, 2014, according to District Attorney Luke Inman’s office.

Justin Barker was indicted on the state jail felony of Burglary of a Building for the offense occurring on April 8.

Amanda Jo Johnson was indicted on the state jail felony of DWI with Child Passenger for the offense occurring on April 19, 2014.

Jason Dewey Kysar was indicted on the state jail felony of Forgery for the offense occurring February 8, 2013.

Andrew Martin Keen was indicted on the third degree jail felony of Injury to a Child for the offense occurring April 16, 2014.

Brandon Eugene McChristian (a.k.a. Brandon Eugene McChristion ) was indicted on the state jail felony of Forgery for an offense that occurred March 30, 2014.

Brenda Lee Wyrick was indicted on the state jail felony of Burglary of a Building for an offense on April 23, 2014.

Jeffery Lynn Wyrick was indicted on the state jail felony of Burglary of a Building for an offense on April 23, 2014.