Bronco pride
Terrific tab tally
HHS students earn wins at UIL contest
Hedley High School students participated in in the district UIL competitions last week and was the spring champion.
HHS students competing included:
Calculator Applications: 1st place Team – Savanah Trent – 1st Place; Estaban Carreon – 3rd Place; and Madison Torres.
Current Events: Mya Edwards.
Copy Editing: Savanah Trent – 2nd Place.
Computer Science: 1st Place Team – Zach Wells – 2nd Place, Leandra Mestas – 3rd Place, Kadee McCleskey, and Jordan Upton.
Editorial Writing: Cara Lambert – 1st Place.
Feature Writing: Madison Torres.
Headline Writing: Cara Lambert – 1st Place.
Mathematics: Liam Branigan, Savanah Trent, and Lane Hinton.
Number Sense: 1st Place Team – Hayden Alston – 1st Place, Josh Booth – 3rd Place, Lane Hinton, and Liam Branigan.
Ready Writing: Cara Lamber – 1st Place and Savannah Trent – 2nd Place.
Social Studies: 1st Place Team – Leandra Mestas, Kadee McCleskey, Jordan Upton, and Mya Edwards.
Spelling and Vocabulary: Addison Burrell.
Journalism: 2nd Place Team – Cara Lambert, Savannah Trent, and Madison Torres.
CHS students advance in UIL competition
Clarendon High School took twenty-one students to UIL Academic competition last Thursday, March 25, with eight students advancing to regionals on April 16th at WTAMU.
The Lincoln Douglas Debate started the day off with Catherine Word (3rd ), Josiah Howard (2nd ), and Darcy Grahn (5th) placing. Toby Leeper took first place in Current Issues while Avery Halsey, Shylee Morrow, and Levi Gates grabbed second place team in Calculator.
Halsey (2nd ) and Word (4th) placed in Copy Editing. Morrow (1st ), Howard, and Jaxan McAnear(5th ) nabbed first place team, beating the second place team by one point.
Word (3rd) advances in Informative Speaking while Adriana Araujo (6th ) added points in Persuasive Speaking. Makenna Shadle (2nd ), Davin Mays(4th ), and Laney Gates(5th ) assisted Clarendon in Feature Writing while Laney Gates(6th) placed in Editorials.
Journalism acquired second place team. Leeper (6th ) aided points in Mathematics.
Rounding out the day in Headlines were Word (2nd ) and Shadle (3rd). Speech took second place overall as a team.
Clarendon placed third overall all out of six schools. The top three finishers in each contest will advance to regionals.
Lions to hold Jones 5K, Polar Bear Plunge April 17
A new Polar Bear Plunge will be held in conjunction with the ninth annual Chance Mark Jones Roar & Run 5K, which will be held Saturday, April 17 at the new Clarendon Aquatic Center.
The Clarendon Lions Club is hosting the events to raise awareness of Child Abuse. Those interested in running or walking the 5K (about 3.1 miles) or taking the plun
ge are encouraged to sign up before April 8 to take advantage of the early registration price.
Early registration is $20 for the 5K, $20 to take the plunge, or $30 for a combo registration for both events. Signing up by April 8 also guarantees participants the official 5K/Plunge t-shirt. Registrations after April 8 will cost $25 each or $40 for the combo registration.
The Lions Club is also encouraging all participants to wear costumes for both the 5K and the plunge with a prize being award to the best dressed person in each competition. The crazier the costume, the better, the club says.
The year’s 5K will again start and end at the Clarendon Aquatic Cent many charitable activities of the Clarendon Lions Club, which includes eyeglasses for local school kids, Christmas food baskets for local families, hosting the local office of The Bridge – Children’s Advocacy Center, local scholarships, continued park improvements, and monetary support for other local charities.
For more information, contact Lion Ashlee Estlack at ashlee.estlack@gmail.com or 806-662-4687 or Lion Roger Estlack at publisher@clarendonlive.com or 806-874-2259.
COVID vaccinations available for all adults
Adults of all ages can now get vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Donley County Judge John Howard, MD.
Howard said Tuesday that state officials have now approved giving the vaccine to all adults, and the vaccine is available at the Clarendon Family Medical Center. Those interested in being vaccinated should call the clinic to make an appointment.
COVID-19 infections in Donley County continue to appear to be under control this week, but the local clinic has reported one new case of the disease this week. It is the first positive case of the virus locally since February 15 and the only know case that is active currently.
The clinic has now given 1,311 COVID-19 tests with 361 of those being positive. Combined with known positive tests conducted on local residents elsewhere, there have been 404 confirmed cases in the county. The deaths of 13 local people have been attributed to COVID-19 since the pandemic began a year ago.
CC men place second at ENMU rodeo
The Clarendon College Rodeo Team traveled to Levelland March 18-20 where Eastern New Mexico University hosted a spring rodeo. Clarendon men’s team finished second overall behind Western Texas College and ahead of Tarleton State.
The results of those making the short round are as follows:
In the bareback riding, Cole Franks had 77 points in the long round for 3rd, 75 in the short round (4th) and finished 3rd in the average. Rickey Williams scored 71 for 6th in long go, 80 in the short go (2nd) and finished 4th in the average.
In saddle bronc riding, Brody Wells was 82 in long go (1st), 81 in the short go (2nd) and won the average. Weston Patterson was 80 in the long go (2nd) but bucked off in the short go finishing 5th in the average.
Trey Elshere and Cash Wilson both were 69 points in the long round tied for 7th and both bucked off in the short round finishing with a tie for 7th in the average.
In the team roping competition, Kreese Milligan and Dawson Reedy placed 6th in the long go with a 5.8 second run but missed their steer in the short round.
Dawson Reedy was 75 points in bull riding in the short round for 5th place and bucked off in the short round.
The Clarendon College team will head to Sweetwater this weekend where Ranger College will host the rodeo.
Pool sets hours, rates for aquatic center
Rates and hours have now been set as city officials get ready to open the new Clarendon Aquatic Center in just nine weeks.
City Administrator David Dockery said a grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held for the center on Friday, May 28, with regular hours to begin Saturday, May 29, in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
The center will be open regularly from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and will be closed on Mondays.
The city council met March 11 and approved fees for annual passes to the aquatic center. Day passes will cost $5 for everyone over the age of 17, $4 for ages 4-17, and free for ages three and under. Annual passes are $100 per individual and $250 for a family of up to four members and $50 for each additional household family member.
Parties can be scheduled at the aquatic center after hours at a rate of $125 per hour.
Dockery said the city has employed Trinity Cavanaugh to be the pool manager for the aquatic center and 11 people have signed up to take lifeguard training beginning on May 1 with the city intending to employ each of that group who pass their training.
City officials will begin filling and treating the pool about April 1, and the first public event at the pool will be the Polar Bear Plunge held in conjunction with the Lions Club’s annual Chance Mark Jones Roar & Run 5K on Saturday, April 17.
Plans are in the works to pave the aquatic center’s parking lot before the grand opening, and the city council also approved action to re-pave Kearney Street near the center with a chip seal from curb to curb from Fourth Street to Sixth Street.
In other city business, the city council on March 11 approved an amendment to an agreement with the City of Pampa regarding the use of their animal control facility; took action to approve three new stop signs at the intersection of Eighth and Jefferson; Bunny Owens and Annette Osburn were approved as election judges for the city election in May; and initial discussions began on future plans for street paving in the city.
Donley County 4H team wins Houston horse judging
The Donley County 4-H Horse Judging Teams, coached by Robin Ellis, did very well when they competed at the Houston Livestock Show Horse Judging Contest on Thursday, March 18.
The team of Bryce Williams, Maloree Wann, Gracie Ellis, and Elliot Frausto won the contest. and the team of Whitney William, MaryJo Dushay. and Makynna Williams placed 11th overall.
Placing individually overall were Gracie 5th place, Elliot 8th place, Maloree 13th place, MaryJo 29th, Makynna 31st, Bryce 35th, and Whitney 36th. In the Reasons Class, finishing in the top ten were Bryce placing 1st and Gracie 2nd
Tornadoes hit Clarendon, Greenbelt
Wreckage and debris were left in the paths of two tornadoes that struck Donley County Saturday evening, March 13, but no injuries have been reported.
Both tornadoes struck the City of Clarendon, and one moved on to Greenbelt Lake, ripping up travel trailers, mobile homes, docks, and other structures in the lease lots and marina area on the south side of the reservoir.
The National Weather Service in Amarillo initiall
y categorized both storms as EF-0 tornadoes but later upgraded the storm that hit the lake to an EF-2 with wind speeds of up to 120 mph.
NWS said at least seven tornadoes hit the Panhandle area Saturday evening as an upper level storm system moved northeast across the southern Rockies, and severe thunderstorms with tornadoes developed as wind shear, moisture, and instability increased just ahead of the upper level storm system.
“If the temperature had been five degrees warmer, it would have been a massive storm, according to the weather service,” Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said. “There was considerable damage, and they are finding stuff tore up at the lake that was not evident right after the storm.”
Clarendon Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said spotting the storms was difficult because the tornadoes were rain-wrapped.
“We had several areas of circulation, and we had at least a dozen spotters out watching,” Powell said.
The first tornado started near the JA Ranch Road at 5:42 p.m. just outside of Clarendon and moved across the edge of the city, moving near Maple Drive and then hitting the edge of the college campus, damaging the baseball scoreboard, before gathering strength and heading to the lake, Powell said.
The weather service said the tornado took on a wider path as it progressed towards Greenbelt Lake, where it damaged mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and boating facilities. Many trees were also snapped in the area.
The first tornado followed a path of about 13.2 miles and was as wide as 1200 yards and was on the ground for about 30 minutes before it dissipated north of the old liquor store by the golf course.
The storm missed the populated part of the City of Howardwick, but caused considerable damage on the southeast side of the lake.
“It hit what’s usually referred to as the A and B lots area, Old Marina Point, and Jetski Beach,” Powell said. “I’m estimating between 30 and 50 trailers or mobile homes were damaged, and one permanent residence was damaged. I’d guess about three-quarters of a million dollars in damage just at the lake alone.”
Powell said officials shut down entrances to the lake Saturday night because of the wreckage and the large number of downed power lines in the area. Sunday morning, people with property in that area were allowed to come inside.
As the first tornado still raged, a second tornado touched down at 5:51 in Clarendon, near Eighth and McLean streets, progressed to Bond Street and then moved north, destroying fences, damaging roofs, and breaking and uprooting trees along the way. The storm also hit the First Baptist Church before dissipating as it crossed US 287.
The second storm reached peak wind speeds of about 80 to 85 mph, followed a path 0.6 miles long, and was a maximum of 40 yards wide at one point. It lasted for about one minute, the weather service stated. It could have been a satellite to the larger tornado.
Several homes, trees, and sheds were damaged. Approximately 10 homes suffered shingle damage to roofs, while multiple trees were downed, the weather service reported.
Following the second storm, emergency personnel did a grid search of the area starting at Koogle Street and moving west to check on homes and damage, Powell said.
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