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The Clarendon Enterprise - Spreading the word since 1878.

Roger Estlack

Heavy rains boost Greenbelt Lake level

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Carroll Creek was running heavily into Greenbelt Lake after a heavy downpour in the Howardwick area. Photo by Nikki Green

Heavy rains over the last few weeks have saturated the ground and are now having an impact on Lake Greenbelt, especially after about five inches of rain fell on the Howardwick area Sunday.

The deluge had Carroll Creek running fast and strong into the reservoir. It was still running Tuesday, and water was also coming down the Salt Fork Red River into the lake.

Greenbelt had reached a low of 7,064 acre-feet of water stored in the reservoir on April 25. After the general rains over the last month and Sunday’s downpour, the lake was holding 8,121 acre-feet as of Tuesday morning.

The lake level itself has risen about 2.25 feet in the last 45 days, according to Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority. The lake depth Tuesday was 40.02 feet.

Greenbelt’s greatest depth was in June 1975 when it was 75.71 feet.

An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover one acre of land one foot deep or 325,851 gallons.

The lake is still down significantly. A year ago, Greenbelt was holding more than 9,500 acre-feet, and even that was well below the level six years ago when it held 17,260 acre-feet.

Change can come quickly at Greenbelt, however. In April 2015, the lake was also at about 8000 acre-feet when a very wet May added about 5,750 acre-feet to the reservoir.

The area still has a chance of more rain this week, and it could well benefit Greenbelt if it falls in the right place.

Local man uninjured in tractor v. truck wreck

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Riley Wade had a close encounter with semi-truck last week when it ran into the John Deere tractor he was driving.

Emergency personnel look over the aftermath of a tractor versus semi accident east of Clarendon about 1.5 miles last Wednesday, May 31.

DPS Trooper Lynn Mays said 17-year-old Riley Wade of Clarendon was driving a John Deere tractor eastbound on US 287 partially on the shoulder when he was struck by a semi-tractor trailer rig driven by Roberto Lowrie, 45, of Harlingen. Mays said driver inattention on the part of the trucker for is to blame for the accident.

Mays said the truck tried to turn to the left as it struck the tractor in the left rear tire, sending the tractor into the south ditch. The truck turned on its side as plowed down two trees in the center median before coming to rest.

Wade was uninjured, and Lowrie was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo where he was treated and released.

Lowrie will receive a citation for failure to control speed, Mays said.

Emergency personnel respond to an overturned semi-truck that wrecked after colliding with a John Deere tractor last week near Clarendon.

Enterprise wins sweepstakes award from Texas Press

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Ben and Ella Estlack display the state awards won by the Enterprise last week. The plaques arrived following the state press convention with the local paper taking the Sweepstakes award for small weekly newspapers. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

For the second year in a row, The Clarendon Enterprise was recognized as the best small paper in the state by the Texas Press Association Saturday, June 3, during the TPA Summer Convention in Round Rock.

The Enterprise earned the Sweepstakes Award in Division 10 of the 2022 Better Newspaper Contest, winning four first place plaques and placing in ten other categories to gather enough points to win the overall division.

“We are honored to be recognized again by our peers for the work we put into our newspaper and are proud to bring this recognition to our community,” publisher Roger Estlack said. “This is truly a group effort, and we are very blessed to have a super talented team and equally fortunate to have great support from our readers and advertisers.”

The Enterprise won first place in the Weekly Division for Best Website in a competition that differed from the other contest categories.

“In most other categories, we compete against newspapers of similar size and circulation,” Estlack said, “but the Best Website award is among all weeklies in the contest. That includes newspaper websites that are covering bigger communities and with more resources than what we have.”

ClarendonLive.com is managed and updated by Roger and Ben Estlack.

The Enterprise also placed second among all weeklies in the category of Best Online Live Coverage for its coverage of the Broncos second trip to the state basketball tournament last year with Ashlee Estlack heading up the livestream of those events.

The Enterprise received fourth place among all weeklies for its coverage highlighting information in Public Notices last fall.

In Division 10, the sports photos by Elaina Estlack won first place, Editorials by Roger Estlack on city progress and the state of the newspaper business won first place, and the Enterprise was also first in General Excellence.

The Enterprise received second place honors for Feature Photos by Elaina and Roger Estlack, News Photos by Roger Estlack and Page Design by Tara Allred and Roger Estlack.

Columns by Ben and Roger Estlack placed third in the division as did the Enterprise’s New Writing and Feature Writing entries.
Sports Coverage by Sandy Anderberg was fourth, and Enterprise Headlines also finished fourth.

The Enterprise was first in the Sweepstakes count among weeklies of similar circulation with 725 points followed by the Caprock Courier and the Archer County News with 400 points each, and the Flatonia Argus with 350 points. The Enterprise placed in 14 out of 18 categories.

Ninety-nine newspapers submitted 920 entries in the contest. Fifty-three weekly newspapers competed in Divisions Six through Ten. Entries were judged by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.

Enterprise completes Google tech lab training

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The Clarendon Enterprise successfully completed an exclusive training program leading up to its 145th anniversary last week with the purpose of positioning the Texas Panhandle’s oldest newspaper to continue to serve Donley County into the future.

The Google News Initiative Foundations Lab, which began in October 2022 and wrapped up on May 23, 2023, was designed to build digital capabilities and technology infrastructure within small to medium-sized news organizations. The program was launched in English in the United States and Canada and was conducted in Spanish in Latin America.

The Enterprise was one of only two newspapers in Texas selected to participate in the program, and there were only 14 publishers selected in the United States and just 34 organizations in all of North, Central, and South America.

“This was a rare opportunity for us to have access to world-class training and technical expertise,” said Enterprise publisher Roger Estlack. “By collaborating with leaders in digital publishing and sharing ideas with publishers in the US and Canada, we were able to learn about best practices for reaching our readers while also developing strategies to insure the sustainability of our historic publication.”

Throughout the program, participants received customized coaching and hands-on support, learned from industry experts, and collaborated with other cohort members.

Participating organizations first set up technology building blocks (e.g., Google Analytics, optimizing core web vitals), developed operational muscle and discipline to support sustainable growth, and established digital-first workflows that nurture readers down the audience funnel from awareness to engagement and, ultimately, to financial support.

Each news organization then transitioned to an intensive phase, where these new capabilities are implemented in pursuit of either reader revenue or advertising/sponsorship revenue goals.

Among the results for the North American cohort: Participating teams collectively grew newsletter and known audiences by 44 percent, active users by 14 percent, increased page speeds by 27 percent, and improved average search position by 17 percent during the nine-month Lab.

The Lab is delivered in partnership with Blue Engine Collaborative, a consortium of mission-driven consultants, coaches and advisors focused on driving digital audience growth, revenue, and long-term sustainability.

“The Google News Initiative has been a great partner with the Enterprise over the last three years,” Estlack said. “We received a GNI grant during the first year of the pandemic that was very helpful; and since then, we have participated in several smaller GNI workshops prior to applying for the GNI Foundations Lab. We are extremely grateful for the support Google has provided us in particular and local journalism in general.”

Selected participants in the GNI Lab were:

In Canada, Shootin’ the Breeze in Alberta, Chek News, Daily Hive, Energetic City and Times Colonist in British Columbia, La Liberté in Manitoba, and Chesterville Record, Fort Frances Times, Rabble and The Review in Ontario were selected.

In the United States, El Latino, India Currents, San Francisco Examiner and Santa Monica Daily Press in California, The Atlanta Voice in Georgia, Honolulu Star-Advertiser in Hawaii, The Current in Louisiana, Native News Online in Michigan, Adirondack Explorer and New York Amsterdam News in New York, The Charlotte Post in North Carolina, Dallas Free Press and The Clarendon Enterprise in Texas, and The Washington Informer in Washington, D.C. were selected.

In Latin America, El Eco, El Litoral, La Gaceta and La Nueva Provincia in Argentina, Diario La Tribuna in Chile, Crónica del Quindío, La Silla Vacía and Noticias Uno in Colombia, el Periódico de Guatemala in Guatemala, La Prensa in Honduras, El Imparcial de Oaxaca, Noroeste and Prowell Media in Mexico, La Prensa in Nicaragua, and Panamá América were selected.

The Google News Initiative is Google’s effort to partner with news publishers around the world to build a long-lasting, diverse, and innovative news ecosystem. GNI does this by offering training, programs, funding, and products to journalists and newsrooms to help strengthen their work in the digital age.

Danny “Dan” Ray Cummins

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Danny “Dan” Ray Cummins, 85, of Amarillo died peacefully on June 4, 2023, in Amarillo, surrounded by his loved ones.

Danny “Dan” Ray Cummins

Funeral services will be held on 2:00 p.m. Thursday, June 8, 2023, at the First Baptist Church in Clarendon, with Pastor Lance Wood officiating.  Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon. Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Dan was born October 1, 1937, to Forrest and Lorene Cummins in Hollis, Oklahoma.  He grew up near Hollis and graduated from Hollis High School in 1955.

Dan married the love of his life, Hertha Lanford, on June 2, 1957.  For 66 years, Dan and Hertha shared a bond of unconditional love, building a loving family, and creating a lifetime of cherished memories together.  Their marriage was an inspiration to all who knew them, and Dan considered his family his proudest accomplishment.

In 1970, Dan began working at Highland Park Village in Amarillo.  Dan took great pride in his work at Highland Park, where he served as the dedicated and loyal manager of the housing complex for over 50 years.  Dan and Hertha raised their family at Highland Park Village – it was their home, and he loved it dearly. Never one to consider retirement, Dan was still leading his employees from his hospital bed during his final days.

Dan’s legacy of leadership and service did not end with his work at Highland Park.  Throughout his life, Dan was passionate about helping others and making a positive contribution to his community. He served on the Highland Park ISD School Board for 31 years and was instrumental in starting 4-H and FFA programs for Highland Park students. To this day, the National Jr. Honor Society at Highland Park ISD is named after Dan, honoring his longstanding commitment to the school.

A faithful follower of the Lord, Dan served as a deacon at the former Mesa Verde Baptist Church in Amarillo.  More recently, he became a member of the Bolton Street Baptist Church in Amarillo.

Above all, “Gran-Dan” loved his family.  His most cherished memories were celebrating holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and any other special occasion with his loved ones.  Dan particularly enjoyed spending time with his kids, grandkids, and great grandkids at his lake house at Lake Greenbelt.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Pat Hall.  He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Hertha, and their four children: Chriss Clifford of Clarendon, Theresa Shelton and husband Ken of Clarendon, Danny Cummins and wife Shonda of Clarendon, and Melana Hales of Amarillo.  Dan is also survived by his grandchildren: John Ray Clifford and wife Megan, Robert Clifford and wife Christine, Haley Shelton and husband Taylor, Katie Herrera and husband Abraham, Paydon Hales, Brayden Phillips and wife Taylor, Raylyn Shelton, Kennadie Cummins, Tandie Cummins, as well as eight great grandchildren and one more due in August, all of whom he loved dearly.   He also is also survived his sisters, Susie Hollingsworth and Temp Batten, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

The Family kindly requests memorials be sent to Emi’s Color Shoot, P.O. Box 50184, Amarillo, Texas, 79159 or to the Potter County Junior Livestock Association, P.O. Box 30399, Amarillo, Texas 79120.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com.

Christopher Ray Liner

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Christopher Ray Liner, 69, of Memphis, Texas, went to be with his Heavenly Father on Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Memphis.

Christopher Ray Liner

Services will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 9, 2023, in the First Baptist Church in Memphis.  Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery in Memphis.

Viewing will be held Thursday at the funeral home with family receiving friends for visitation from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Memphis.

Chris was born July 8, 1953, in Wellington to Richard and Lorene Lowe Liner.  He married Teresa Lee Osborn on February 14, 1992, in Brownwood.  He had been a resident of Memphis most of his life, where he owned and operated OK Tire for over 28 years.  He was a former member of the Memphis Volunteer Fire Department and also served on the Memphis City Council for several years.  He enjoyed fishing, going to the mountains in Ruidoso, New Mexico, watching NCIS, and was an avid TCU Horned Frogs fan.  He also enjoyed volunteering with Kairos ministry.  Chris loved his precious grandkids and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Clifton Todd; his brothers-in-law, Pete Sherman, Phillip Osborn, James Butts, and Bill Olsen; and a sister in law, Carol Albert.

Survivors include his wife, Teresa Liner of Memphis; his sons, Derrick Todd of Memphis and Corey Liner and wife Brandi of Iowa Park; his daughters, Brandalynn Lachell Whitaker of Memphis and Charissa Reeves and husband Danny of Corsicana; his brother, Mike Liner and wife Suzie of Lubbock; his sister, Kelli Jones and husband Tom of Idaho; his grandchildren, Kristen Liner of Austin, Kameron Todd of North Carolina, Kason Todd of Memphis, Kennedy Whitaker of Paducah, Zada Todd of Memphis, Zayden Todd and Skylee Todd of El Paso, Eliza Liner and Abony Liner of Maryland; his beloved dogs, Roxy and Moon; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family request memorials be sent to the Memphis Volunteer Fire Department or the Preservation Foundation.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com.

Editorial: Enterprise celebrates 145th anniversary

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Happy anniversary to us! This issue marks the 145th birthday of The Clarendon Enterprise, and we’re very happy to still be bringing you the news and recording the ups and downs of Donley County.

Roger Estlack, Publisher
& Editor

It was June 1, 1878, when Rev. L.H. Carhart printed the first issue of what was then known as The Clarendon News. The reverend faced many challenges in getting out the news to celebrate his fledgling colony located at that time on the banks of the Salt Fork of the Red River at Carroll Creek. For one thing, the paper was printed back in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and only came out monthly. It was two years before Ed Carhart would bring the first printing press to the Panhandle and start publishing on a weekly basis.

Across the generations, our newspaper has had to adapt to survive – from the move of the townsite to the railroad to the adoption of ever-changing technology. Each publisher has had to figure out the best ways to continue to publish and deliver the news each week and thereby inform local citizens of what’s going on in Donley County while at the same time recording history for posterity.

The digital age has been a great benefit and a great challenge for newspapers. The Enterprise has been a leader among Texas weekly newspapers in adopting new technologies. We were one of the first weekly newspapers in Texas to offer a digital edition for subscribers directly to their email boxes to peruse on their computers, tablets, and smartphones. People rely on the Enterprise’s website and social media outlets. The paper that originally communicated only once a month can now send out the news in seconds. And during COVID, we embraced streaming technology to offer live updates on the danger facing our community.

Many small businesses have been hard hit in the last few years, and the newspaper business has been no different.
Since our last anniversary, we have reported the deaths of two of the Texas’ greatest community newspapers – the Iowa Park Leader last summer and the Canadian Record earlier this year. Those papers closed their doors for a variety of reasons, but their absence expands what some are calling “news deserts” in rural America. Those are small towns or entire counties that have no local news coverage. Studies show that when newspapers disappear from communities, tax rates go up, local officials begin to skirt the law, and citizens become less aware of what’s going on with their local governments.

Beyond recording the wins and losses of local sports teams, the graduations of students, and the obituaries of passing citizens, newspapers provide information that citizens and voters need to hold elected officials accountable and to make good decisions about their communities.

As we have said before, our newspaper would not have survived to this point without the support of the local business community. Advertising has been what pays our salaries, and this has been the case from day one. This is why we have always supported and promoted our local businesses. We understand, perhaps better than most, that there exists a synergy between local merchants and the community.

We still hold fast to the premise that a good, strong community requires the presence of a good, strong newspaper. A strong newspaper requires the advertising of a strong business community, and that comes right back to citizens supporting local businesses.

Increasingly in the newspaper business, the financial support of readers and contributors is also keeping the doors open. People are coming to realize that local journalism matters. No matter what your feelings about the national media are, it is likely that you understand the importance of good local reporting.

If you value the newspaper you’re reading, if you value the service we provide in keeping local governments accountable, if you value the coverage we give to your schools and college, then we urge you show that support by subscribing to the Enterprise. If you already have a subscription, then please consider purchasing a gift subscription for friends or family who no longer live in Donley County but who still love the old hometown.

We continue to explore new and innovative ways to deliver you the news and to bring you information. We’re working on some exciting changes that we hope you will enjoy in the coming weeks and months. And we hope that you will share that enjoyment and encourage others to back our efforts as well.

We appreciate the support so many readers and advertisers have shown us for 145 years, and Clarendon is fortunate to have several other businesses that have been here for generations as well as new businesses that keep our little town fresh and exciting. Together we can continue to work to make Clarendon and Donley County the best that it can be for many years to come.

Bertha Anna James

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Bertha Anna James, 99, of Tulia died Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Tulia.

Graveside services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Silverton Cemetery in Silverton, Texas.

Bertha Anna James

Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Bertha was born November 1, 1923, in Littlefield to Peter and Pauline Elizabeth Bontke Barbian. She married Gerald James on March 22, 1947, in Plainview. She had served in the US Army during World War II. She had been a longtime resident of Silverton before moving to Clarendon in 2000. She then moved to Tulia where she had been a resident the past several years. She was a homemaker and enjoyed her family especially her kids and grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 1996; five brothers, Louis, Frank, Johnny, Tony, and Pete Barbian; and a grandson, Wade James.

Survivors include her sons, Alan James of Granbury, Gerry James of Silverton, and Buddy James of Amarillo; her daughters, Marilynn McClanahan of Tulia and Donna Echols of Pecos; a sister, Magdalene Young of Lubbock; seven grandchildren; and several great grandchildren.

The family request memorials be sent to Silverton Cemetery Association, BSA Hospice of Southwest, or a favorite charity.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com

Brenda Cheryl McConnell

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Brenda Cheryl McConnell, 72, of Clarendon died Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Amarillo.

Graveside services will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.  Viewing will be held Tuesday, May 30, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Brenda Cheryl McConnell

Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Brenda was born May 24, 1951, in Memphis, Texas, to Robert Odell and Edna Tims Osburn. She married Wade A. McConnell on December 17, 1967, in Clarendon. She had been a lifetime resident of Clarendon where she worked as a grocery store clerk for many years. She enjoyed sewing, spending time with her grandkids, and she loved her fur babies.

She is preceded in death by her father; her husband in 2008; and her brother, Gary Lynn Osburn.

Survivors include her mother, Edna Durbin of Amarillo; her son, Clint McConnell and wife Kathy of Bushland, Texas; her daughter, Delinah Mills and fiance Jody Paugh of Amarillo, Texas; one sister, Judy Osburn of Amarillo, Texas; six grandchildren; one great grandchild on the way; and other extended family.

The family suggests memorials to be sent to a favorite charity.

Sign the online guest book at www.robertsonfuneral.com

Man jailed for shooting woman Sunday night

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A 19-year-old man is in the Donley County Jail after he allegedly shot a 17-year-old woman Sunday night, May 21.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Kade Allen Flowers of Amarillo is facing two felony charges – Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Tampering with Evidence – after the shooting. The woman was still in ICU in Amarillo as of noon Monday.

Blackburn said his office received a 911 call Sunday night of a lady at 7th and Taylor streets who had been shot. A deputy arrived quickly and found the woman on the ground with a gunshot wound in the back next to a blue Honda Civic.

EMS with the Associated Ambulance Authority arrived and transported the woman to Northwest Texas Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.

After detaining and questioning Flowers, who was on the scene when emergency personnel arrived, a search of the area turned up a .380 semi-automatic pistol, which had been hidden by the suspect. Flowers was then arrested and booked into jail.

Blackburn said the case is still under investigation at this time.

 

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