Morgan Wheatly

For the first time in the history of the Clarendon College cross country program, a Bulldog brought home first place in a meet.

Tes Tesfay, a freshman from Stafford, TX, won the New Mexico Junior College Invitational in Hobbs, New Mexico, on Saturday, September 29, with a time of 27 minutes and 31 seconds.

He completed the soggy 8k course just 30 seconds ahead of teammate Hector Becerra, a sophomore from Harlingen, TX, who finished the race in fifth place. Both runners ran their best times of the season.

The team finished in second place, just 17 points behind the winning team. The remainder of the Clarendon College Bulldog squad finished as follows:

Bulldogs: Eli Corona, 15th; Louis Calderon, 16th; Lucas Spencer, 17th; Casey Broderson, 18th; Jesus Contreras, 19th; and Jarvis Weaver, 20th.

Lady Bulldogs: Bree Coons, 15th; Estefany Lemus, 18th; Melanie Kowalski, 21st; and Giovanna Luna, 22nd.

The 4H held its annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, September 25, at the Donley County Activity Center. Attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner consisting of brisket – prepared by Big Boy’s BBQ, beans, various side dishes, and banana pudding prepared by the 4H Food and Nutrition Group.

 This banquet recognized participation for the 2011-2012 school year. Each member received a certificate for his/her project involvement.

 Several members received plaques for their dedication: Gold Star Awards, Tres Hommel and Austin Adams; Bronze Star Award, Chardy Craft; Outstanding Young 4-H member male, Blaine Ellis; Outstanding Young 4-H member female, Hannah Hommel; I Dare You Awards, Jake Owens and Caden Farris; Rookies of the Year, Braylee Sheilds and Izzy Craft; and Outstanding 4-H Member Achievement and State Council Member, John Pigg.

 The 4H members have numerous opportunities to excel due to parent and community members’ involvement. During the banquet, the following people were recognized for helping with a variety of projects: Friend of 4-H, Johnny Treichel; Silver Spur Award, Jenifer Pigg; Silver Spur Award, Guy Ellis; and Club Manager, Laura Hommel.

 The club also expressed its appreciation of Leonard Haynes, the Donley County Extension Agent, for everything he does for our club and our community, exemplifying the 4H motto: “To Make the Best Better”.

A Clarendon woman will spend five years in the state prison after she stole tens of thousands of dollars from her employer over one and a half years.

Laura Hommel King pled guilty to the third degree felony of Aggregated Theft and agreed to let District Judge Stuart Messer determine her punishment. She faced jail time from two to ten years and a possible fine of up to $10,000.

District Attorney Luke Inman’s first witness during the punishment hearing was Johnny Floyd, owner of Floyd’s Automotive Supply and 287 Tire & Tube, who had employed King as a bookkeeper beginning in August 2010.

Floyd said he slowly notice cash missing and then notice more money missing as time went on. He eventually got a new bookkeeper and his former bookkeeper and they spent 30 days unraveling a pattern of theft that they believed totaled nearly $75,000. Of that amount, $51,902.81 was verified beyond a doubt.

Floyd said he confronted King about the missing money and said that she admitted she had taken it and promised to pay him back. He said he believed she probably started stealing from the time she went to work for him and continued until January 2012.

“I feel very sorry for her, and I told her that,” Floyd said. “I feel more sorry for her parents and her children, but I feel no remorse (for pursuing this) because this isn’t the first time she’s done something like this.”

Floyd said the thefts had made him physically sick, that he couldn’t eat or sleep, and that it had changed his plans for his business. He asked the court to give King the maximum sentence.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn was the state’s next witness, and he testified that his office had spent about 85 hours going over records with Mr. Floyd and his bookkeeper, looking at hundreds of documents detailing almost $75,000 in missing funds. Blackburn said he interviewed King after her arrest and that she had initialed each page of his report indicating that she admitted to taking the money.

“The amount of this theft – in Donley County – is mindboggling,” Blackburn said. “We usually see $1,500 to $2,000. A theft of this magnitude in this county in this economy deserves the maximum penalty.”

Taking the stand on her own behalf, King told defense attorney Matt Martindale that she first started taking the money to support her children, and she said that if she were to receive probation, she would make repaying Mr. Floyd her top priority.

King admitted she had gotten in trouble when she worked for the United States Post Office in 2005 and had spent 90 days in a federal prison camp and three years on probation following that incident. She said she could pay $700 per month to Mr. Floyd to make restitution.

In closing arguments, Inman said his office recommended a ten-year sentence based on the testimony given, and Martindale argued that prison time would serve no purpose since King would lose her job, lose her kids, and lose her ability to pay Mr. Floyd back.

Judge Messer told King she should have taken out a loan if she had needed money and shot down her attorney’s argument for probation.

“You say it [jail time] won’t work, but probation won’t work for you,” Messer said. “The federal government has tried that.”

Messer ordered King be taken into custody of the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, sentenced her to five years in prison, and ordered her to pay $51,000 in restitution. She has the right to appeal his sentence.

The Armstrong County Museum Board of Directors is celebrating the restoration of the Goodnight House with a Public Open House this Saturday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Everyone is invited to tour the 125-year-old home and grounds of Charles and Marianne Goodnight. The cost is $5 per adult, children are free. All donations will be gratefully accepted. Cookies and lemonade will be served.

On Highway 287, turn south near the town of Goodnight into the property. Come see the home that now emulates much of its 1887 original exterior as well as interior decor and furnishings. Visitors can walk the grounds, tour the bunk house, well house, Playa Lake, bird watching station, and more. Visitors may also see the Buffalo Gold Herd Wear store that is being completed at the entrance.

A unique new book, Charles Goodnight: A Man for All Ages, will be available for purchase at either the Goodnight House or the Museum. It is authored by Byron Price with photography by Wyman Meinzer. It features little-known facts about Goodnight as well as captivating pictures.

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen placed City Administrator Lambert Little on probation for three months following an evaluation of his performance last Tuesday, September 25.

The board met behind closed doors for more than an hour and a half to conduct the administrator’s annual evaluation before calling Little into their meeting on the second floor of City Hall. Citizens left downstairs could hear yelling from Alderman Tommy Hill and later from Mr. Little before the board reconvened in open session after another hour and 15 minutes.

When the board reconvened, Mayor Larry Hicks asked if the aldermen wanted to take action following the closed session discussion. Alderman Abby Patten said she expected to see the city be run more effectively in terms of finances, employees, and resources.

Little suggested a three- or six-month probationary period with him meeting with the board once a month to see if he can reach their expectations. Alderman Tommy Hill said he would agree to three months “to see if everything can be done in the best interest of the city and the citizens.

The board then voted 3-2 for the probationary period with Hill, Patten and Jesus Hernandez in favor and Aldermen Will Thompson and Terry Noble opposed. Noble said he didn’t feel like much would be happening in the next three months for Little to be fairly judged.

Hicks urged all the aldermen to come to Little’s office to let him know personally what they expected of him.

In other city business last Tuesday, the board considered the tax rate for the 2013 fiscal year and voted to maintain the current rate of $0.65 per $100 valuation on a 3-2 vote with Hill, Patten, and Hernandez in favor and Thompson and Noble opposed.

The board of aldermen also approved the $1.6 million 2013 fiscal budget also on a 3-2 vote with the yay’s and nay’s breaking along the same lines.

In public comments at the beginning of the meeting, the board heard from Robert Benson regarding the city’s past sponsorship of the Junior Rodeo Cowboy Association and his desire for the city to sponsor it again and from Laura Paul regarding a complaint she had previously filed about concerns she has regarding a property in her neighborhood.

During a budget hearing before the regular meeting, editor Roger Estlack inquired about the size of the proposed municipal budget and the amount available for contingency expenses in the coming year, which is about $10,900.