Morgan Wheatly

Clarendon Aldermen will be considering a $10 increase to the base water rate when they hold their next regular meeting October 13 at 7 p.m. in City Hall.

The increase is being called for to help fund a $3.9 million project to improve the city’s water distribution system.

The city received a grant of $1.387 million from USDA Rural Development for the project, and the remainder of the financing will come from a $2.522 million 40-year loan from USDA.

City leaders say the fairest and surest way to make those note payments – which will start next July – is to add $10 per month to every commercial and residential water account.

“By increasing the water minimum charge, we can insure that water revenue covers the expense of these water improvements,” City Administrator David Dockery said.

The minimum residential water charge is now $22.40 for the first 2,000 gallons, Dockery said. That minimum will go up to $32.40.

The main focus of the project will be to address discolored water found in some parts of town that is caused by miles of cast iron distribution pipes and poor flow through the system.

The city is also out of compliance with state regulations for elevated storage due to problems with the standpipe (or water tower) on the east side of town. Clarendon could face state fines in the near future if those issues are not addressed.

The city additionally will replace all water meters with auto read meters. City officials say the aging meters currently in use are inaccurate by as much as 20 percent, and automated meters would significantly reduce the man-hours needed each month to read more than 700 meters.

More than 50 people attended the Town Hall meeting on March 29 at the Bairfield Activity Center, where Dockery, along with then mayor Larry Hicks and city engineer Clayton Scales, fielded questions from the public following an explanatory overview of the project.

The project is scheduled to be bid in February 2017.

The Town Hall meeting in March answered many questions and resulted in general support for the project.

Dockery said citizens will be given another opportunity to speak or ask questions at next week’s meeting as well.

Hedley will be the place to be this weekend with the 65th annual Cotton Festival taking place Friday and Saturday, October 6 and 8.

The Hedley Lioness Club will get things going Friday with a Chili & Stew Supper at 5 p.m. The club will also be selling chances on a quilt.

The Lioness Club will be open for a quilt show Saturday. All vendors are welcome on Saturday at no cost. All food vendors are welcome except barbecue. The Lions Club will host a catered BBQ dinner at noon.

The Hedley Senior Citizens will sell hamburgers from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Senior Citizens will also raffle a .22 Henry Golden Boy plus a case and ammunition.

The American Legion will raffle off a metal swing and a metal rocking chair for $5 each and the one ticket will be used for both drawings.  They will also be the Color Guard for the parade.  The Rowe Cemetery will have a bake sale.

Hedley Cheerleaders will do a small Ferris wheel and possibly a Jail, and HHS Yearbook staff is selling chances on a large metal Hedley Owls Emblem cutout.

Hedley’s One Act Play will host Bingo on Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the Senior Citizens Building.  See their ad on page six of this week’s Enterprise for more information on the great prizes they have lined up. A total of $5,000 in prizes will be given away during the Bingo, including a two-night stay in Ruidoso, a ski package to Red River, and more.

The Parade will be at 2:00 p.m. Those wishing to be in the parade should be at the school at 1 p.m.  After the parade the School Reunion is at the school at 3:00 p.m.  The class of 1966 is hosting.

All raffle winners will be announced at the Lions Hall at 6:00 p.m.

By Abby Livingston, The Texas Tribune

WASHINGTON – Members of Congress – including many Texans – delivered Wednesday what might be the largest legislative blow that President Obama’s administration has received.

Both the US Senate and the House voted to override the president’s veto of previously passed legislation that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi Arabian government.

It was the first time that either chamber had voted to override a presidential veto during the Obama years. Congress can overrule the president’s will with the support of two-thirds of each chamber.

In the Senate, members voted 97-1 against the presidential veto. On the House side, the tally was 348-77.

John Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican, led the override charge in his chamber. His colleague, US Sen. Ted Cruz, voted in line with Cornyn.

“I applaud my colleagues for joining together and with the American people to stand against President Obama’s attempt to deprive terror victims from receiving full recourse under the law,” Cruz said in a statement.

The president found no relief on the House side later in the day. But the split in the Texas delegation did not fall directly along party lines.

For the most part, Texans backed the override. In all, 28 of the 36 Texas members of the US House – 21 Republicans and seven Democrats – supported overruling Obama.

But seven Texans voted against the measure, including several high-profile Republicans.

US House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, was a chief opponent of the legislation, citing security concerns.

US House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, and US House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Midland, also opposed the legislation.

Four Democrats also opposed the legislation: US Reps. Rubén Hinojosa of Edinburg, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas, Beto O’Rourke of El Paso and Marc Veasey of Fort Worth.

US Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, who is currently battling leukemia, did not vote.

The vote was a complicated one.

Defying the wishes of families of 9/11 victims’ families is an unsavory political stance, and the House initially voted on the measure on the Friday before the 15th anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

Those advocates charged that if the Saudi hands were clean, the government should have nothing to fear, according to various reports.

The Saudis, however, threatened the US economically last spring if such a measure passed. But the larger concern of the Obama administration was a fear that the new law could boomerang and legally imperil American officials working overseas.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday that the Senate action is “the single most embarrassing thing this United States Senate has done” in decades.

“Ultimately these senators are going to have to answer their own conscience and their constituents as they account for their actions today,” Earnest said, according to The Washington Post.

“To have members of the United States Senate only recently informed of the negative impact of this bill on our service members and our diplomats is in itself embarrassing.”

A Cornyn spokesman, Drew Brandewie, tweeted a curt response to Earnest’s “embarrassing” comment: “It is,” referring to how Obama’s veto was so resoundingly rebuked by the Senate.

The district court issued sentences in several local criminal cases when it met in Clarendon Monday, October 3.

A total of nine pleas took place with District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuting the cases for the State of Texas and the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

Rickey Odell Parish was placed on probation for a period of five years for the third degree felony offense of theft.  Parish pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Parish, 32, from Amarillo, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place on May 14, 2015, after an investigation by Donley County Chief Deputy Randy Bond. Parish was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 11, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Parish is required to pay a $500 fine, $488 in court costs, $19,407.04 in restitution, and successfully complete 200 hours of community service. If Parish violates probation, he could face up to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Laura Hommel King was convicted for the state jail felony offense of forgery and sentenced to two years in the State Jail Division of TDCJ, but the sentence was probated for a period of five years.

King, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place on July 8, 2015. King was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on October 5, 2015.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, King is required to pay $426.99 restitution, a $1,250 fine, $488 court costs, and complete 100 hours of community service.

Blake Chrison Jones was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of tampering with a governmental record.  Jones pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Jones, 21, from New Orleans, Louisiana, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place on February 20, 2016, after an investigation by Vincent Marasco. Jones was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on June 20, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Jones is required to pay a $3,000 fine, $488 in court costs, $200 restitution, successfully complete 200 hours of community service, and a $500 out of state probation fee. If Jones violates probation, he could face up to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Jones was also placed on probation for a period of three years for another third degree felony offense of tampering with a governmental record that occurred on February 27, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Jones is required to pay $488 in court costs. If Jones violates probation, he could face up to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Michael Mungia, Jr., was placed on probation for a period of two years for the state jail felony offense of possession of a controlled substance.  Mungia pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Mungia, 20, from Temple, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place on February 15, 2016, by DPS Trooper Justin Dillman. Mungia plead to an information filed by the state on July 28, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Mungia is required to pay a $500 fine, $458 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 100 hours of community service. If Mungia violates probation, he could face up to two years in the State Jail Division of the TDCJ.

Darren Ray Gunnels was convicted for the Class A misdemeanor offense of possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to nine months in the Donley County Jail.

Gunnels, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place on March 5, 2016, by DPS Trooper Lynn Mays. Gunnels pleaded to an information filed by the State on July 28, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Gunnels is required to pay $180 restitution and $458 court costs.

The court also heard three cases from other counties. For those details, visit ClarendonLive.com.

Sean Eugene Kessler was placed on probation for a period of eight years for the first degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance.  Kessler pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Kessler, 40, from Vandalia, Ill., was arrested in Carson County for the offense that took place on July 26, 2016 by Officer Danny Dawson. Kessler pleaded to an information filed by the state on August 26, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Kessler is required to pay a $8,000 fine, $336 in court costs, $180 restitution, successfully complete 400 hours of community service, and a $500 probation fee. If Kessler violates probation, he could face up to 99 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Jason Hardin McCasland was convicted for the third degree felony offense of assault family violence with previous conviction and sentenced to ten years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ, but the sentence was probated for a period of three years.

McCasland, was arrested in Hall County for the offense that took place on May 13, 2016. McCasland plead to an information filed by the State on September 30, 2016.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, McCasland is required to pay a $2,500 fine, $381 court costs, and complete 200 hours of community service.

Dennise Chavez was convicted for the second degree felony offense of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ.

Chavez, was arrested after the offense occurred on May 24, 2015, after an investigation by DPS Trooper Jacob Schroeder. Chavez was indicted by a Collingsworth County Grand Jury on October 9, 2015.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Chavez is required to pay $3,025.22 restitution and $376 court costs.

Pack 437 Webelos Scouts and Troop 433 Boy Scouts represented Clarendon in the 2nd annual Boy Scout Catapult Competition held at Camp M.K. Brown Saturday, October 1, 2016.

The boys demonstrated their pioneering scout skills such as knots, lashing, teamwork, and problem solving. The competition was broken into two categories: Pioneering and Rebel. Pioneering required the boys to construct their catapult from wood and rope while the Rebel class could use other materials if they opted too.

Tyler Paul teamed up with a scout from Troop 429 in Groom building their catapult for the pioneering competition where three other troops across the Panhandle of Texas also competed. While Jacob Murillo, Steven Mills, Patrick Monds, and Adian Schulz entered their catapult in the Rebel class. Rebel class had one other entry. The Webelos experienced a mechanical issue after the 2nd shot, but other competitors rose to the occasion to lend a hand.

The boys’ leaders are very proud of each one for all their hard work. For the past five weeks Clarendon Cub Scout Den 2 and Troop 433 have been preparing for this catapult competition.

Those helping were Eagle Scout Joseph Watson, First United Methodist Church of Clarendon, Den Leader Linda Rowland, parents, and numerous other community members.

For more information about Clarendon Cub Scouts or Clarendon Boy Scouts, check out their Facebook pages.

Donley County 4H members did well at the 2016 Tri-State Fair in Amarillo. Local team and individual results are as follows:

Livestock Judging – 3rd Place Team: Taylee Ehlert, Tyler Harper, Grayson Waldrop, and Kennady Waldrop; 9th Place Team: Levi Gates, Grant Haynes, Calder Havens, and Laney Gates; 10th Place Team: Brock Hatley, Parker Haynes, Jodee Pigg, and Koyt Tucek.

Individual Overall Livestock Judging Results: Brock Hatley 4th, Taylee Ehlert 9th, Tyler Harper 16th, Levi Gates 17th, Grant Haynes 23rd, Grayson Waldrop 36th, Parker Haynes 45th, Calder Havens 47th, Jodee Pigg 53rd, Koyt Tucek 68th, Kennady Waldrop 76th, and Laney Gates 86th.

Youth Culinary: Izzy Craft: 1st Place Chocolate Chip Cookies and 3rd Place Mints; Chardy Craft: 1st Place Shortbread Cookies and Best of Show; Levi Gates: 1st Place Brownies; and Laney Gates: 3rd Place Snickerdoodles; also entered cornbread muffins.

Youth Textiles: Hannah Hommel: Best of Show in Canvas Painting, 1st Place Applique Embroidery, 3rd place Decorated Wood; and Jayde Gribble: 2nd Place Photo Art.

Youth Livestock Show: Swine: Calder Havens 6th Place Class 9 Black OPB; and Hannah Hommel 3rd Place Class 10 Black OPB and 3rd Place Class 11 Black OPB.

Goats: Izzy Craft 2nd Place Medium Weight; Chardy Craft 5th Place Heavy Weight

Steers: Grant Haynes 1st Place and Jaxan McAnear 5th Place Class 6 Shorthorns; Koyt Tucek 5th Place Class 7 Shorthorn; Tristen Harper 8th Place and Madison Smith 9th Place Class 9 Americans; Tristen Harper 8th Place Class 11 American; Tyler Harper 9th Place and Presley Smith 12th Place Class 13 Crosses; Koyt Tucek 8th Place Class 17 Cross; Brock Hatley 7th Place Class 19 Cross; Koyt Tucek 4th Place Class 20 Cross; Grant Haynes 4th Place Class 21 Cross; and Hannah Hommel 4th Place Class 25 Cross

Horse Show: Brandalyn Ellis: 1st and 2nd Place Ranch Sorting Teams, and 2nd in Barrel Racing; and Brenna Ellis: 2nd Place Ranch Sorting Team, 4th in Barrel Racing.