Bronco royalty
Mule deer antler limit applies in Donley County
By Dana Wright, TPWD Wildlife Biologist
Hunters pursuing mule deer this fall in the Texas Panhandle should be aware that an antler restriction has been expanded and includes Donley County.
The antler restriction regulation in 28 counties prohibits the harvest of any mule deer buck with a main beam outside spread of less than 20 inches.
The restriction originally included seven counties: Briscoe, Childress, Cottle, Floyd, Hall, Motley and Lynn counties. It now includes an additional 21 counties: Andrews, Armstrong, Bailey, Castro, Cochran, Dawson, Donley, Foard, Gaines, Hale, Hardeman, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Martin, Parmer, Randall, Swisher, Terry, and Yoakum.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expanded the regulation with the goal of improving buck age structure and sex ratios in these counties by reducing hunting pressure on younger bucks.
The antler restriction was tested in six experimental counties starting with the 2018 hunting season. Results from the experiment showed that prior to the experiment the area had a one buck/4.7 does, at the end of the experiment surveys indicated an improvement in sex ratios to one buck/2.9 does. Of the bucks brought to the check stations during the four-year experiment, 81 percent that were 4.5 years or older met the 20” outside beam spread.
In addition, a mule deer archery-only season was established in all counties with the antler restriction. The archery-only season opens October 1 and runs through November 4, with the general firearm season occurring November 19 through December 4.
More information about the antler restriction and FAQs can be found online at https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/game_management/muledeer/faqs.phtml
Broncos get second win
The Broncos evened up their record with a huge win over Smyer last Friday on the road. The 55-8 win gave the Broncos a 2-2 overall record as they knock on the door of their District season start.
The Broncos ended with 429 yards with 374 of those yards on the ground and 85 yards in the air. Senior Jmaury Davis ran the ball five times for 205 yards that include three touchdowns. Quay Brown found the endzone one time and went 93 yards on four carries, and Lyric Smith added one touchdown carrying the ball seven times for 48 yards.
Smith also was on the receiving end of three passes for 63 yards and another two touchdowns. Harrison Howard was five of nine passing in racking up 85 yards that included the two touchdown strikes to Smith.
The defensive effort by the Broncos was solid as they only allowed Smyer to find the endzone once. Wilson Ward did a solid job on defense as he put himself in a position to grab a pass from the Smyer offense and go nearly the length of the football field for six points. Ward also posted six tackles in the game. However, Colton Benson led the way on defense with 15 tackles and one QB sack. Mason Sims grabbed eight tackles, and Grant Haynes stepped up and had seven tackles against the Bobcats.
The Broncos will host Tulia on Friday, September 23, for their homecoming game beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Bronco Stadium. To purchase tickets for Friday’s game, visit https://clarendon-cisd.ticketleap.com/bronco-football-vs-tulia/
Hedley beats Patton Springs
H’wick man hospitalized after shooting incident
A Howardwick man remained hospitalized Monday following a shooting incident last Wednesday, September 7.
Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the man, whose name has not been released, will be facing a third degree felony charge of Deadly Conduct when he gets released from the hospital.
Blackburn said his office was called to Borger Street in Howardwick last Wednesday evening on a report that man possibly on drugs was hallucinating and shooting firearms in the direction of people’s residences.
When a deputy and the Department of Public Safety arrived, the man went inside his trailer house and fired several more rounds.
Sheriff Blackburn and two deputies entered the trailer armed with shotguns and a beanbag shotgun. The individual would not lay down his weapon, so he was shot with the bean bag gun, the sheriff said.
It was soon learned that he had been severely injured by the bean bag. The man was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital where he remained at press time.
Blackburn said the Texas Rangers are investigating the case at his request.
City sets new fiscal year sales tax record
The City of Clarendon set a record when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar distributed monthly sales tax allocations to local governments last week.
City Administrator David Dockery said the September allocation pushed total sales tax revenues beyond the half a million dollars mark for the first time for a fiscal year, with receipts for fiscal year 2022 totaling more than $502,000.
The city’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. Sales taxes reports are reported by the comptroller by the calendar year.
September’s allocation for Clarendon was actually down 7.32 percent at $37,878.59. The city’s calendar year total for 2022 is still up 5.1 percent at $377,491.81.
Hedley was up for the month 20.09 percent at $700.80 but is 14.5 percent down for 2022 at $8,613.03.
Howardwick was up 5.68 percent for the month and is 6.39 up for the year at $15,673.10.
Statewide, the comptroller delivered $1.04 billion in local sales tax allocations for September, 13.1 percent more than in September 2021. These allocations are based on sales made in July by businesses that report tax monthly.
City asks for cars to be moved for street work
The City of Clarendon is asking residents’ cooperation as work gets underway next week on the 2022 seal coat program.
City Hall requests that all obstructions – including vehicles and trailers – be moved off streets set to be worked on next week. Officials say that if a vehicle or other object is still in the roadway when work begins, it will be removed by wrecker at the owner’s expense.
Streets scheduled for seal coat work include:
East Fourth Street from South Carhart to US 70 South; South Carhart from US 287 to East Browning; Clarendon Ave from South Bugbee past Collinson; South Allen Street from West Fifth to West Third; South Bugbee from West Eighth to West Sixth; South Taylor from West Third to West Sixth; South Ellerbe from West Third to West Sixth; and North Jefferson from West White to West Dyer.
This project will take one to two days to complete and will start Tuesday, September 20, at 8:00 a.m.
Broncos beat Booker
The Broncos put a great game plan together on the road last Friday and were able to defeat the Booker Kiowas 46-20.
The win was the first of the season for the Broncos, and they are currently one win and two losses.
Texas Tech recruit and senior Jmaury Davis had a stellar game with 317 total yards on 20 carries. Davis found the endzone five different times in the game. Lyric Smith carried 10 times for 87 yards and one touchdown. Credit goes to the Bronco line for opening up the Kiowa defense for the ball carriers.
Quarterback Harrison Howard had a good game from his position throwing for 21 yards on three out of six passes. Howard was able to throw a 12-yard strike to Mason Sims for six.
The Bronco defense played solid the entire game, and four players finished with double figure tackles. Anthony Ceniceros and Colton Benson had 11 tackles each, and Ceniceros added one quarterback sack to his stats. Jared Musick and Wilson Ward each grabbed 10 tackles and Ward had one fumble recovery.
“The kids played good against Booker,” head coach Clint Conkin said.
The Broncos hope to get another win as they travel to Smyer September 16. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Charles Lester Petty
Charles Lester Petty, 83, of Clarendon passed away Saturday, September 10, 2022.
Graveside services were held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Rev. Larry Capranica, officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Lester was born on September 6, 1939, in Dallas to Harley Ward and Joyce Mae Petty. He was a resident of Quail before moving to Hedley where he met and married the love of his life, Shirley Stone on October 23, 1958. They moved to Clarendon that same year where he began his career working for Harvie Price at Price’s Truck Stop. He went on to manage Kerr-McGee, then later bought and operated Petty’s Texaco. In his free time, he spent his days raising livestock with kids and grandkids for 4-H and FFA.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers; and one sister.
He is survived by his wife Shirley of 64 years; son, Dennis Petty and wife Ruth of Clarendon; daughter, Lacrecia Garza and husband David of Amarillo; three grandkids, Ryan Petty of Clarendon, Ashley Petty of Amarillo, and Chelsea Danner of Amarillo; one great granddaughter, Kendall Danner of Amarillo who was the apple of his eye; a sister, Pat Woodard of Memphis; and several nieces and nephews.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com
DA on probation violation: ‘That didn’t take long’
One of the supporting characters from a 2021 “Thelma & Louise” style run from the law found himself back in front of the 100th Judicial District Court in Clarendon August 25.
Rueben Campos, 38, from Amarillo, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the state jail felony offense of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
District Attorney Luke Inman, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuted the case for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” Inman said. “The defendant couldn’t even keep his nose clean for 90 days on probation, so bad for him but good for the rest of the community.
Campos was arrested on May 21, 2021, by Donley County Deputy Brian Stevens. Another man and two women were arrested the same day, with them women attempting run from the law in a stolen car before running it off into a ravine south of Clarendon.
Campos was originally placed on probation on July 21, 2021.
The State filed a motion asking the Court to adjudicate Campos’ probation on October 19, 2021, alleging five violations of probation.
At the hearing on August 25, Campos admitted violating his probation conditions, and Messer sentenced him to the 16-month prison term.
“This guy wasn’t even one of our local undesirables,” said Caudle. “He was an Amarillo criminal who drifted a little too far away from home to commit this crime. Maybe he will remember to not come back to Donley County when he gets out.”
Campos was also ordered to pay the remaining $2,500 fine and $305 in court costs.
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