News

A three-vehicle accident on Saturday evening at Howardwick sent three people to the hospital but resulted in no serious injuries according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

DPS Sgt. Cindy Barkley said an underage, non-licensed driver was northbound on SH 70 when he attempted to turn left on to Rick Husband Boulevard in front of another vehicle travelling southbound on SH 70. The ensuing collision caused the two vehicles to spin into a third vehicle stopped on Rick Husband that was waiting to get on SH 70.

The driver, who was not identified by DPS due to his age, was issued three citations – Failure to Yield Resulting in Collision Causing Bodily Injury, Turning When Unsafe, and No Driver’s License.

Barkley said three people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency personnel were called to the accident about 5:47 p.m., and the Rick Husband entrance to Howardwick was closed during the response. Those responding were the City of Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department, Associated Ambulance Authority, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce named its first holiday winner this week and will hold its second Small Town Christmas drawing this Friday at noon as holiday shopping promotions continue.

Mary Shields was the first winner of $100 in Chamber Christmas Cash last week.

The third annual “Shop Small” promotion from the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will put a grand total of $550 in Chamber Christmas Cash in the hands of lucky winners who shop with local merchants this season.

Sign-ups are continuing for drawings that will be held for $100 each Friday on December 13 and 20. To enter, shoppers will fill out an entry at local participating merchants. Entries stay in the hopper each week, so those who enter will have multiple chances of winning.

Those merchants participating are: Amanda’s Country Soaps, Broken Road Liquor, Brollier’s Auto Parts, Clarendon Outpost, Cornell’s Country Store, Country Bloomers Flowers, Courtney D’Costa Scentsy, Every Nook & Cranny, Floatin’ T, Floyd’s Automotive, Henson’s, Garrison’s, J&W Lumber, Lowe’s Family Center, Monroe’s Peach Ranch, Mulkey Theatre, Mike’s Pharmacy, Ramblin’ Ranch Boutique, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, Whistle Stop, and Wicked Fast Attire.

The Chamber will also hold a bonus drawing for $250 in Chamber Christmas Cash on December 20. Sign-up for the bonus drawing will be at the Clarendon Visitor Center. Shoppers can bring their receipts and receive one entry for every $25 spent at participating merchants.

Several downtown merchants are also staying open for Late Night Shopping on Thursdays, December 12 and 19, until 8 p.m. Downtown merchants staying open late and holding sign-ups for Late Night drawings are Henson’s, Stocking Ice Cream Parlor, Every Nook & Cranny, Rambling Ranch Boutique, and Saye’s Flying A Tack Store.

Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong. Support the businesses who support your town!

Ashtola, Texas, is now home to a world champion after last week’s cutting horse competition in Fort Worth.

RJ Sanny Squared finished out her career by scoring 229 points in the first go at the National Cutting Horse Association World Finals on November 23 and then continued to perform over the next three rounds on November 24, 28 and 30 to secure the title.

The mare is owned by Johnny, Janet, and Shannon Cooper of Ashtola.

Riden by her trainer, Christian Miller, RJ Sanny Squared compted in 105 shows this year, earning more than $133,000.

Janet Cooper said hundreds of horses compete throughout the nation and only the top 15 make it to the NCHA’s world finals. RJ Sanny Squared is seven years old and has been trained by Miller since she was two.

“She’s been spectacular,” Cooper said. “For us to win a world championship is simply awesome. Now she’ll be coming home in December to retire at the top.”

The Cooper family has been raising cutting horses for about ten years now in Ashtola. Their Rockin’ J Quarter Horses business, however, has been in operation for 30 years now.

RJ Sanny Squared not only is a world champion, but she has also been named to the Mare Hall of Fame and has a lifetime earnings of more than $250,000.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will hold its first Small Town Christmas drawing this Friday at noon as holiday shopping promotions continue.

The third annual “Shop Small” promotion from the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will put a grand total of $550 in Chamber Christmas Cash in the hands of lucky winners who shop with local merchants.

Sign-ups at participating merchants began last week, for Chamber Cash drawings that will be held for $100 each Friday on December 6, 13, and 20.

To enter, shoppers will fill out an entry at local participating merchants.

Enter as many times as you shop locally, so shop often. Entries stay in the hopper each week, so those who enter will have multiple chances of winning.

Those merchants participating are: Amanda’s Country Soaps, Broken Road Liquor, Broiller’s Auto Parts, Clarendon Outpost, Cornell’s Country Store, Country Bloomers Flowers, Courtney D’Costa Scentsy, Every Nook & Cranny, Floatin’ T, Floyd’s Automotive, Henson’s, Garrison’s, J&W Lumber, Lowe’s Family Center, Monroe’s Peach Ranch, Mulkey Theatre, Mike’s Pharmancy, Ramblin’ Ranch Boutique, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, Whistle Stop, and Wicked Fast Attire.

The Chamber will also hold a bonus drawing for $250 in Chamber Christmas Cash on December 20. Sign-up for the bonus drawing will be held starting December 2 at the Clarendon Visitor Center. Shoppers can bring their receipts and receive one entry for every $25 spent at the participating merchants.

Several downtown merchants are also making plans to stay open for Late Night Shopping on Thursdays, December 5, 12, and 19, until 8 p.m. Merchants who have indicated they are staying open late this Thursday night are Henson’s, Stocking Ice Cream Parlor, Every Nook & Cranny, Rambling Ranch Boutique, and Saye’s.

Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong. Support the businesses who support your town!

From shopping to carroling to carriage rides, there will be lots of activities in Clarendon for Small Business Saturday and the new Small Town Christmas celebration on November 30.

Several local merchants will be open throughout the day with special savings to help shoppers get a jump start on their Christmas buying. Check out the Enterprise’s Holiday Gift Guide and ClarendonTX.com/Christmas for details on local merchant promotions. Merchants planning to be open for Small Business Saturday at press time were Amanda’s Country Soaps, Broken Road Liqour, Clarendon Outpost, Cornell’s Country Store, Courtney D’Costa Scentsy, Every Nook & Cranny, Floatin’ T, Henson’s, Garrison’s, Lowe’s Family Center, Monroe’s Peach Ranch, Mulkey Theatre, Rambling Ranch Boutique, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, and Whistle Stop.

Small Town Christmas festivities will begin at 4 p.m. with the 200 block of Kearney Street being closed off to traffic and vendors and booths being set up in the holiday spirit.

Registration for a Christmas Scavenger Hunt will begin at the Courthouse at 3 p.m. with the hunt beginning at 4:00.

The walking hunt will consist of ten teams of four – first come, first serve – with at least one team member being high school age or older.

A knowledge of local history will be helpful, and cell phone will be needed for selfies. Chamber Christmas Cash will be awarded to the winning teams.

Santa’s Playhouse will open at 321 Kearney, across from the Aquatic Center, with crafts and games for kids. The playhouse will continue through 8 p.m.

At 5 p.m., Santa Claus will be on the Courthouse Square where there will be live music on the courthouse steps and hot chocolate provided by the Clarendon Lions Club.

The courthouse lighting will be held at 6 p.m. in accordance with tradition, and then the fun will shift back to Kearney Street.

Food vendors will be set up on Third Street, and live music and caroling will continue throughout the evening until 9 p.m.
Carriage rides will be available, and s’mores stations will be set up on Kearney Street.

Merchant booths will be set up on Kearney Street and/or in the Donley County State Bank parking lot between the Masonic Lodge Hall and the Crossties Ministry Center. In the event of bad weather, those booths will be moved inside those buildings.

The Chamber of Commerce booth will also have for sale the official 2024 Small Town Christmas sweatshirt. Those shirts will also be available in the Visitor Center next week.

Small Town Christmas is being organized by a group of volunteer elves and supported with promotional efforts through the Chamber of Commerce and the Clarendon EDC. Volunteers have been busy preparing decorations and cleaning windows.

Clarendon High School’s Hunter Caison is bound for state after CHS participated in the 2A Regional Congressional Debate meet in Amarillo November 5.

Also participating were Zane Cruse, Ronan Howard, and Kennedy Halsey. Caison, a sophomore, won the 2A Regional Congressional Debate championship.

With the win, Hunter secured his spot at the UIL State Congressional Debate meet which will be held on January 7-8, 2025 on the University of Texas campus. Sophomore Zane Cruise placed tenth in the meet.