Morgan Wheatly

Donley County Commissioners met in regular session October 11 and considered several items on their agenda.

The court discussed a proposal to add electrical outlets on the jail and the west side of the Courthouse Annex to better accommodate Christmas lights on that side of the square.

County Judge John Howard said the proposal was for about $2,000, but commissioners took no action on the proposal at this time.

The county is planning to install a water well on that side of the square to alleviate the expense of watering the courthouse lawn. When electrical is run for the future well, accommodations for lighting outlets could be made at that time, the judge said.

The county also received an update on flood control dams on the JA and Crofoot ranch properties. USDA Soil & Water Conservation representative Weldon Sears reported that the dams were in better shape than expected.

District Attorney Luke Inman reported on Chapter 59 Asset Forfeitures, which partially funds some expenses of the DA’s office and is partially used for law enforcement equipment in the district. Howard said their may be a move by the Legislature to change how that process works in the future that could result in less money staying in the local area.

Commissioners approved a resolution for the 2017 Indigent Defense Grant, which brings about $6,700 worth of revenue to the county.

Tax delinquent property bids were accepted for lots in Howardwick as presented by the Donley Appraisal District.

The court approved Judge Howard’s attendance at a mental health law symposium in Lubbock.

The case of a Donley County man was among those heard by the District Court when it met in Childress on Monday, October 24.

Fourteen pleas took place as District Attorney Luke Inman, assisted by Greg Buckley, prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

Richard Audwin Shields was placed on probation for a period of six years for the third degree felony offense of deadly weapon.  Shields pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Shields, age 48, from Lelia Lake, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place on January 2, 2016, by Donley County Deputy Jay Logan. Shields was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on June 20, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Shields was required to pay a fine of $2,500 to Donley County, $398 in court costs, and successfully complete 200 hours of community service. If Shields violates probation, he could face up to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Brandon Kyle Harris, 39 from Corpus Christi, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was sentenced to six years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ for the third degree felony offense of evading arrest.

Patrick Rodriguez, 26 from Memphis, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was sentenced to 16 months in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for the state jail felony offense of possession of a controlled substance.

Spencer Coleton Roberson was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of prohibited substance in a correctional facility.  Roberson pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Baron Lee McQueen was placed on probation for a period of six years for the first degree felony offense of aggravated assault against a public servant.  McQueen pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Nathan C Frazier, 23 from Childress, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was sentenced to 14 months in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for the state jail felony offense of forgery.

Billy Ryan Harrison, 21 from Childress, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was sentenced to six years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ for the third degree felony offense of assault family violence by choking.

Foster Mack Sheffield, 36 from Caddo Mills, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was sentenced to 20 months in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for the state jail felony of possession of a controlled substance.

Sheffield was also convicted for the third degree felony offense of failure to appear and sentenced to six years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ.

Ricardo Carballo-Lopez was placed on probation for a period of two years for the state jail felony offense of fraudulent use of identifying information.  Carballo pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Shawna Marie Ellis, 25 from Amarillo, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was sentenced to 14 months in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for the state jail felony offense of possession of a controlled substance.

Melissa Gay Jones was placed on probation for a period of four years for the second degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation.  Jones pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Matthew Pomes was placed on probation for a period of three years for the state jail felony offense of unauthorized use of a vehicle.  Pomes pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Clarendon College Ranch Horse team member Dee Oles won the Ranch Hand class at the Post Stampede RHAA show as well as Top Hand at the Canadian Ranch Rodeo recently.

Fellow team member Zane Davis also ended up 6th in a tough cowboy class of 18 at Post as well.

Gracie Paul competed at the Duck and Pony Show in Coldwater, Kan., and made the finals in the ranch horse competition.

The next stop for the ranch horse team is Abilene SHOT show on October 28-29.

The Clarendon College Stampede was a huge success with 548 contestants from 17 schools competing from the Southwest Region.

Stampede officials told the Enterprise that this was the biggest number of contestants ever for an NIRA rodeo in this region.

Clarendon College had three Saddle Bronc Riders and a Team Roper in the finals.

Tyler Turco won 4th in the first round of saddle bronc riding but was bucked off in the finals. Kyle Hash and Robert Haley made the finals in the bronc riding as well.

Hash also made the finals in the Team Roping and won second in the finals and split 2nd and 3rd in the average.

With contestants from 17 colleges and universities in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association involved, qualifying events were held all day with nightly performances held at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Activities each day included bull riding, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, goat tying, and break-away roping.

The Clarendon College Rodeo team will have one week off before their last rodeo of the semester at Texas Tech.

The eighth annual Clarendon Arts Festival will be held this week, October 20, 22, and 23, at the Donley County Activity Center one mile north of the city on State Hwy. 70.

The event, sponsored by Clarendon’s Les Beaux Arts Club, begins with the Preferred Buyers Reception held Thursday evening, October 20, from 6:00 to 9:00, where buyers will be delighted with the variety being offered at the Clarendon Arts Festival this year.

Organizers say about 150 works of art are being checked in this week at the Clarendon Arts Festival. Anyone is welcome at Thursday’s reception; and if you haven’t already pre-paid as a preferred buyer, you can pay that night at the door.

As well as the large selection of art being offered, buyers enjoy the heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by the ladies of Les Beaux Arts Club.

The Clarendon Arts Festival opens to the public Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the art club’s Mac & Cheese Cookoff running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Members of the public will be given voting tokens to vote for their favorite Mac & Cheese. The People’s Choice Award will be given to the cook that receives the most votes. Sample Cups will be sold at the door (five for $5) for the public tasting, starting at 11:00 a.m. and concluding at 3:00 p.m.

The Arts Festival resumes at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Those attending the Sunday can enjoy St. Mary’s famous Annual Enchilada Dinner.

In addition to the art show, there are many artists setting up booths with hand-constructed items for sale.

The 2015 Clarendon Arts Festival is sponsored by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and Hotel Occupancy Tax, and Donley County Activity Center. With all the fine art and crafts showing here this weekend, everyone should be able to find a treasure.

A frustrated Clarendon couple took their case to City Hall last week after an August 29 downpour caused a sewer line to back up inside their Third Street home.

B.J. and Jennie Owens told the City Council at its regular meeting October 13 that their homeowners’ insurance had denied their claim for damages, and City Administrator David Dockery reported that the city’s insurance had also denied a claim for the same damages.

The city’s insurer also notes that cities are generally immune to liability in cases like this unless there was some negligent damage to the sewer line by city.

Mr. Owens said the sewer backed up in a shower, rain down a hallway, filled up a floor furnace, and then found entry into the basement.

The Owens afterward put in a backflow valve to prevent the damage from happening again, but they said they feel they have done nothing wrong and that the city bears some responsibility in the matter, noting that they and their neighbors on either side have had backups in the past.

Dockery said that backups like these can happen in instances of extreme rainfall when rainwater infiltrates the sewer system through vents, uncapped clean-outs, and other openings.

City officials were sympathetic to the Owens’ case, but were also hesitant to give assistance to the couple, worrying about what precedent that might set for the future.

The city council instead directed Dockery to call the city’s insurer again and strongly urge them to reconsider the claim for damages to the couple’s home.

In other city business, Nathan Floyd was sworn in as the city’s newest alderman. He takes the seat formerly held by Sandy Skelton, who was appointed to the mayor’s position following the resignation of Mayor Larry Hicks.

Aldermen also considered and denied a request from Kyle Hill for additional expenses on a low water crossing on Front Street.

The council set a public hearing for October 27 at 7 p.m. regarding possible condemnation of property at 512 S. Sully.

A study of water rates was discussed considering the debt that will be owed by the city for an upcoming water infrastructure improvement project funded by a USDA grant/loan. Aldermen directed the administration to draft an ordinance raising the base water rate by $10 per month to be presented at the October 27 meeting.

Aldermen approved the annual city fund investment policy and named the city administrator and city secretary as fund investment officers. The council also approved a management plan for the city as a requirement of the USDA funded project.

The council voted to approve reappointing Roger Estlack, Leslie Norrell, and Dr. Robert Riza to the Clarendon Economic Development Corp. board of directors for two-year terms.

A fourth EDC seat will be considered later after Jacob Fangman notified the city that he did not wish to be reappointed to the board.

A Louisiana man is out on bond following a robbery that was interrupted by a Clarendon resident on October 6.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Walter Wheeler, age 64, is charged with Aggravated Robbery, two counts of second degree felony Possession of a Controlled Substance, and one count of misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana.

Local resident Billy Chadwick was awoken at his Second Street home before 7 a.m. on the date of the incident by someone attempting to steal his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the sheriff said. Chadwick discovered Wheeler attempting to put the bike in a U-Haul trailer hitched to a four-door Dodge pickup, and he tried to stop the thief.

Wheeler then hit Chadwick in the head with a 2×4, and altercation ensued with Chadwick ultimately subduing the man and notifying authorities.

Deputy Miranda Betts responded to the call, and Wheeler was transported by EMS to the Collingsworth County hospital for treatment before being booked into jail.

Wheeler was arraigned the next day with bond set at $101,500 by Justice of the Peace Pam Mason. He made bond the same day.

Sheriff Blackburn said Wheeler has a length criminal history.