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The Clarendon Family Medical Center has treated 130 postive COVID-19 cases through January 18, according to a report from the clinic on Tuesday.

By comparison, the clinic saw 72 cases in the entire month of December and 85 in November. The clinic is currently treating 101 active cases.

“November and December were bad but not this bad,” clinic spokesperson Marsha Bruce said.

Numbers reported by the clinic do not include residents who test positive outside of Donley County or who test postive at home. Bruce also said the clinic has had to turn people away because of limited staff.

The Clarendon City Council moved forward with orders to demolish the historic Neece home during the city’s regular meeting Thursday, January 13.

The home at 602 S. Bugbee has been the subject of recurring code issues dating back to 2014 with the city going back and forth with property owner Linda Lewis, who had hoped to restore the structure.

On December 2, Lewis’ husband asked the city council for more time to repair the house, but Clarendon Aldermen, following testimony of Code Enforcement Officer Gret Betts and Fire Marshal Jeremy Powell, declared the house as a dangerous structure and ordered its removal within 30 days.

Last week, City Administrator David Dockery told aldermen the city had received a letter from an attorney representing Mrs. Lewis, asking again for more time and promising to remove debris and outbuildings by January 29 and make the house structurally sound by February 28. Dockery said the letter proposed if the owners did not meet those deadlines, demolition could proceed.

Dockery also said the city’s attorney advised that if the council did accept the owners’ request, a bond should be required that would pay the city’s cost for demolition if they failed to meet the deadlines.

Dockery noted that while that might ultimately take the cost of demolition off the city, it would also make the process last months longer and would cost the city additional legal fees. He also said the city attorney had advised that the city not take action on any other properties until this case was finally handled.
With Aldermen John Lockhart and Jacob Fangman absent, the decision on the property was left to the three remaining aldermen.

“I’m done,” Alderman Larry Jeffers said. “It’s more than an eyesore; it’s a health issue. If they haven’t done anything in seven years, why now? They haven’t done anything in the last 30 days.”
Alderman Eulaine McIntosh leaned toward giving the owners more time.

“I hate to spend tax money if we don’t have to,” McIntosh said.

Dockery said demolition will likely cost $55,000 to $60,000, and Mayor Sandy Skelton said he had spoken with neighbors who had all voiced support for the city to take action on the property.

Alderman Terri Floyd was not enthusiastic about the decision facing the council, but ultimately sided with Alderman Jeffers.

“I hate it that such a historic house has gotten to this point,” Floyd said. “It breaks my heart, but I think it’s time.”

Jeffers moved, seconded by Floyd, to approve publishing a bid notice for the demolition of the house. The vote was then 2-1 with McIntosh opposed.

In other city business, aldermen approved amending the city’s employee handbook to provide for more vacation time for employees with longer tenure. City employees get two weeks of paid vacation and can earn an additional week of vacation after ten years of service. With last week’s action, employees with 20 years of service will get four weeks of vacation, and employees with 30 years of service will get five weeks of vacation.

The city council also approved a motion to set up non-interest bearing bank accounts for grant funds for waste water improvements and downtown revitalization. Dockery said those actions should be the final items needed to secure those grants and said award letters should be issued to the city this week.

Dockery also reported on streetlights in the city. A survey recently revealed that 57 of the 265 lights in the city were not working. Public Works Director John Molder developed a way to map and tag light poles with GPS coordinates. That information has been shared with Southwester Electric Power Co., and repairs are now being made to those lights, the administrator said.

Dockery also reported that COVID relief funds from the federal government totaling almost $400,000 have been freed from several of the requirements initially placed on the money. The city can now use those funds for almost any usual government purpose. Dockery recommended the council take its time to carefully consider how best to utilize the money for the benefit of the city.

The 2022 Donley County Junior Livestock Show was held last Saturday, January 8, at the Donley County Activity Center with Tyler Harper and Emma Howard winning the beef division.

Harper showed the Grand Champion Steer, and Howard exhibited the Grand Champion Heifer.

Other top winners were Mya Edwards and her Grand Champion Sheep, Kaitin Ehlert and her Grand Champion Goat, and Calder Havens twice with the Grand Champion Gilt and the Grand Champion Barrow.

Reserve Champion honors went to Harrison Howard, steer and barrow; Taylee Ehlert, heifer; Mya Edwards, sheep; Madison Moore, goat; and Kaitin Ehlert, gilt.

(Editor’s Note: For pictures of all Grand and Reserve Champion winners from this year’s stock show, pick up this week’s print edition or get the full digital edition of The Enterprise here.)

Thirty-nine youth from the Donley County 4-H and Clarendon and Hedley chapters of the FFA exhibited 76 last weekend. That’s down from 51 kids showing 71 animals in 2021 but similar to 2020 when 39 kids showed 71 animals.

The livestock auction following the show generated an estimated $40,750 as of Tuesday morning, and that number will increase as donations continue to be received. Last year’s show brought in $28,500 by this point, but the 2020 premium sale totaled $41,400 the Tuesday after the show.

Showmanship awards this year went to Harrison Howard – Senior Beef, Emma Howard – Junior Beef, Mya Edwards – Senior Sheep, Eli Ritchie – Junior Sheep, Laney Gates – Senior Goat, Brandon Moore – Junior Goat, Calder Havens – Senior Swine, and Hunter Wann – Junior Swine. The Pee Wee Showmanship winners were Slade Pittman for goats and Mack Wann – swine.

Complete results of the show are as follows:

Steers

• English Light Weight – Laney Gates, Breed Champion; Brock Hatley, second; and Hudson Howard, third.
• English Heavy Weight – Trigg Harper, Reserve Breed; Brock Hatley, second; and Harrison Howard, third.
• American – Presley Smith, Breed Champion; Tyler Harper, Reserve Breed; Hayden Moore, third; and Hunter Wann, fourth.
• Cross Light Weight – Grant Haynes, first; Maloree Wann, second; Koyt Tucek, third; and Taylee Ehlert fourth.
• Cross Light Medium Weight – Koyt Tucek, first; Parker Haynes, second; and Grant Haynes, third.
• Cross Medium Weight – Harrison Howard, Reserve Champion; Parker Haynes, second; and Madison Smith, third.
• Cross Heavy Weight – Tyler Harper, Grand Champion; and Levi Gates, second and third.

Heifers

• Class 1 – Emma Howard, Grand Champion; Taylee Ehlert, Reserve Champion; and Levi Gates, third.

Barrows

• BOPB – Addison Havens, Breed Champion; Trigg Harper, Reserve Breed; and Isabella Martinez, third.
• Duroc – Heston Seay, Breed Champion; Trigg Harper, Reserve Breed; and Tyler Harper, third.
• WOPB – Calder Havens, Breed Champion.
• York – Koyt Tucek, Breed Champion.
• Hamp – Jodee Pigg, Breed Champion; Harrison Howard, Reserve Champion; Hudson Howard, third; and Addison Havens, fourth.
• Cross Light Weight – Maloree Wann, first; Hudson Howard, second; and Jodee Pigg, third.
• Cross Medium Weight – Harrison Howard, Breed Champion; and Hunter Wann, second.
• Cross Heavy Weight – Calder Havens, Grand Champion; Megan Weatherread, second, Maloree Wann, third; and Koyt Tucek, fourth.

Gilts

• Calder Havens, Grand Champion; Kaitin Ehlert, Reserve Grand; Hunter Wann, third; and Danika Middleton, fourth.

Sheep

• Class 1 – Mya Edwards, Grand Champion; Eli Ritchie, second; and Megan Weatherread, third.
• Class 2 – Mya Edwards, Reserve Grand.

Goats

• Class 1 – Flint Pittman, first and second; and Sabrina Smith, third.
• Class 2 – Javier Valles, first; Brandon Moore, second; and Fayde Turner, third.
• Class 3 – Kaitin Ehlert, Grand Champion; Laney Gates, second; Astin McAllister, third; and Kelby Brownlee, fourth.
• Class 4 – Madison Moore, Reserve Grand; Kaitin Ehlert, second; Laney Gates, third; Emily McCurdy, fourth; and Kelby Brownlee, fifth.

The Donley County Junior Livestock Show will be held in Clarendon at the Donley County Activity Center this Saturday, January 8, 2022.

The show will begin at 9 a.m. with the buyer’s meal and premium auction beginning at 6 p.m. Weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. this Friday.

There are 39 local kids entered to exhibit 76 animal projects that they have been busy caring for this fall.

Anyone wishing to purchase an animal or donate to the buyers’ club can do so by calling the Donley County AgriLife Extension office ahead of time at 874-2141.

Potential buyers can also request ahead of time to be called when a particular exhibitor’s animal is coming up for auction Saturday in order to participate in the auction via telephone.

The concession stand Saturday will be breakfast burritos and pulled pork for lunch. The buyers’ dinner will be catered by Dyer’s BBQ.

Showing for the Clarendon High School FFA will be Mya Edwards, Darcy Grahn, and Calder Havens.

Donley County 4-H members showing will be Kelby Brownlee, Laney Gates, Levi Gates, Trigg Harper, Tyler Harper, Brock Hatley, Addison Havens, Grant Haynes, Parker Haynes, Emma Howard, Harrison Howard, Hudson Howard, Emily McCurdy, Hayden Moore, Jayton Moore, Kutter O’Keefe, Jodee Pigg, Flint Pittman, Heston Seay, Madison Smith, Presley Smith, Koyt Tucek, Fayde Turner, Hunter Wann, and Maloree Wann.

The Hedley FFA will be represented by Kaitin Ehlert, Taylee Ehlert, Isabella Martinez, Astin McAllister, Danika Middleton, Brandon Moore, Madison Moore, Eli Ritchie, Sabrina Smith, Javier Valles, and Megan Weatherread.