Roger Estlack

A Plainview man was in the Donley County Jail Monday after he fled from state and local law enforcement last weekend.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said State Trooper Kellan Roberts had clocked a blue four-door Dodge pickup going at a high rate of speed on US 287 west of Clarendon shortly after midnight Saturday.

The vehicle fled north on SH 70 before turning onto County Road P and then turning back toward Clarendon on County Road 12. The vehicle end up in the bar ditch, and the driver, Raymond Morales, took off on foot. The sheriff’s office and the Department of Public Safety searched for the suspect, and a DPS helicopter was called in from Amarillo to assist with the search.

After 2 a.m., the sheriff’s office received a 911 call that a Hispanic man had run up to apartments on North Sully Street and was seen hiding under carport there. Morales was arrested and booked into the jail, the sheriff said.

Morales was facing numerous charges including, Evading Arrest – Felony, Driving While Intoxicate – Third or More, Assault on a Peace Officer twice, and Failure to Identify. Morales also has an outstanding warrant out of Hall County for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a bond surrender warrant out of Randall County.

Two passengers with Morales were also found in his pickup. Phillip Torres, Jr., and Phillip Torres III, both of Hall County, were charged with Public Intoxication.

The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to: drought conditions or fire on federally managed land.

Producers in Donley County are eligible to apply for LFP benefits. This program is for cows, bulls, horses, and animals weighing 500 plus.

Applications must be filed no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing losses occurred. Losses must occur in calendar year the application is being filed.

Eligible producers must have obtained a policy or plan of insurance under FCIA or NAP coverage by the applicable state sales closing date to be eligible for this program.
For more information, call Bruce Ferguson at 874-3561.

Local voters will head to the polls this Saturday to cast ballots in four elections.
Voters in the City of Howardwick, in addition to voting for two unopposed candidates for office, will vote up or down on raising that city’s sales tax rate to fund street maintenance.

The measure would raise the city’s sales tax by one quarter of one percent, levying a tax of one penny for every four dollars spent in Howardwick.

Howardwick Mayor Del Essary is the only candidate on his city’s ballot. Incumbent Gene Rogers is a write-in candidate for one of two vacant seats on the board of aldermen.

Other local entities having elections this year are the City of Clarendon, Clarendon ISD,
and the City of Hedley.

Clarendon Mayor Larry Hicks has filed to run for his office again, and three candidates are running for the two open aldermen’s positions – incumbent Janice Knorpp and former aldermen Tommy Hill and Terry Noble.

Clarendon ISD has three candidates for two trustees’ positions up this year. Incumbent Weldon Sears is seeking re-election, and Che Shadle and former board member Renee Betts are also candidates.

The City of Hedley has four candidates for three alderman positions – incumbents Tonya Metcalf, Travis Ruthardt, and David Wells and challenger Michelle Copelin.
Positions on city boards of aldermen are two-year terms, and school board terms are for three years. All positions are elected at-large

Howardwick and Hedley voters can cast ballots at their respective city halls. Ballots for the City of Clarendon and Clarendon ISD can be cast at the Donley County Clerk’s Office in the Courthouse Annex.

Balloting will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Saturday.