Morgan Wheatly

A new patrol vehicle is on the job in Donley County thanks to a grant from the governor’s office through the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission.

Deputy Miranda Betts says the new 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe that she has nicknamed Archie is loaded with all the latest equipment and will have no problem catching those who might try to evade a ticket.

“It will definitely run,” she says.

County Judge John Howard said the Edward Bryne Justice Assistance Grant awarded $99,211 to the county to cover most of the cost of vehicle, all of Betts’ salary for fiscal year 2017, and all the costs of supplies, equipment, and fuel for the vehicle.

Howard did most of the paperwork for the grant, but he says it was really a collaborative effort between his office, Sheriff Butch Blackburn, and DPS Sgt. Chris Ward to gather the information for the application.

The county retired a patrol truck as trade-in for the new vehicle, which the judge says is better suited to the job of the highway safety officer.

“This is a highway pursuit vehicle,” Howard said. “It is more stable and more capable and fits in better with us complementing DPS efforts on the highway.”

The judge said the county will be applying for continuing grant funds for the next four years to help cover a portion of Betts’ salary. Those funds, if approved, would decline over time – 80 percent next year then 60, 40, and 20 percent.

The Tahoe will have about a three- to four-year service life with the county before it needs to be traded off while it still retains a good value, Howard and Blackburn both said. At which time the county might be able to apply for another equipment grant to fund its replacement.

Howard said Donley County’s grant was ranked first out of seven applications reviewed by the PRPC.

“Given our position, we have to be smart about seeing opportunities like this to save the county money,” Howard said. “Someone is going to get this money, so we might as well apply for it.”

Howard also said that the county is grateful for the job Betts has been doing to patrol the highways, and Betts says she is thankful for the new vehicle.

“I would like to thank Butch and Judge Howard for their work on this grant, and for helping me have the best most up to date equipment possible to do the job,” Betts said.

High school students taking dual credit classes from Clarendon College will have new opportunities for success through a new Honors College program starting this fall.

Honors College students would receive priority advising and get specialized transfer advising from both Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University and have opportunities to attend transfer days at both universities.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to meet with these students and help them be successful,” said CC President Robert Riza. “This gives them an opportunity to leave home, adjust to college life, get their core classes completed or finish an associate’s degree, and then transfer to a university.”

The program, approved by the Board of Regents last month, will waive tuition and fees for college hours equal to the number of dual credit hours completed for CC students from outside of Donley County. Those students would be required to live in student housing on the Clarendon campus and could not combine their waiver with other CC institutional scholarships.

Donley County resident high school students are also eligible for the Honors College without being required to live on campus, but their tuition and fees will not be waived. Instead, local students already enjoy a 12-hour tuition cap put in place by the Riza administration two years ago, and they can take advantage of local and CC institutional scholarships.

Students in the Honors College will be expected to participate in community service hours, and those who qualify will be inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society during the fall semester.

To be eligible for the Honors College, students who graduate high school in May or June must have passed at least 24 semester hours of dual credit academic course work at CC and have at least a 2.5 GPA. Specialized admission is available for those with fewer than 24 hours.

“The reality is these are our students already through dual credit, but the Honors College designation will be a select group that will get priority treatment and opportunities that other students might not have,” Dr. Riza said.

The program will be overseen by CC instructor Charla Crump, who sees the Honors College as a special opportunity for students as well as a chance for the community to get more involved with the students.

“I’m really excited about the community service opportunities,” Crump said. “This will give these kids a chance to give back to the community, and people love our college kids. Some kids haven’t gotten that, and it looks good on a résumé.”

Crump also said the residency requirement for students outside of Donley County is a good opportunity for them to experience residence hall life before they go to a large university, and the Honors College will focus on kids completing their core classes so they don’t have to take those in a large class setting at the university.

For more information about the Honors College program at Clarendon College, contact Charla Crump at 806-874-3571.

Clarendon’s Mulkey Theatre project was recognized with a Preservation Texas “Honor Award” during a ceremony and reception at the Grand Lodge of Texas in Waco last Monday, February 27.

Preservation Texas Executive Director Evan Thompson honored the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation’s efforts to save the 1946 theatre, which was listed as one of the Most Endangered Places in Texas in 2012.

“The Mulkey Theatre has been restored through the leadership of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation,” Thompson said. “They have shown tremendous vision in their community, and what’s more important is that it has become magnet for the community again and the Mulkey is a centerpiece for fun activities in the spring.”

Since 2012, the theatre’s exterior has been completely rehabilitated, the former Mulkey barber shop is now the city’s official visitor center and is the home of the CEDC and Chamber of Commerce office, the lobby and concessions area has been refurbished, and accessible seating and bathroom facilities have been developed. Fundraising for further interior renovations is ongoing.

The Mulkey was one of 19 historic restoration and rehabilitation projects honored last week. The 2017 Honor Awards recognize successful efforts to save irreplaceable and authentic endangered historic places in Texas.

“We’re proud to recognize projects as diverse as small houses from the mid-1800s in central Texas to a landmark twentieth century hotel in Dallas,” said Preservation Texas President W. Dwayne Jones of Galveston. The Honor Awards ceremony was part of the 2017 Preservation Texas Summit, which included field sessions and educational presentations and workshops covering a range of historic preservation issues, including midcentury modern architecture, historic sacred places, adaptive use of vacant buildings, new approaches to historic districts, cemetery preservation, and window and masonry repair, among other topics.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Mulkey was CEDC Secretary/Treasurer Roger Estlack. Also attending the summit was Ashlee Estlack.

Donations to the Mulkey project can be made to the Clarendon Community Fund, PO Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226.