News

COVID-19 is surging in Donley County with 37 active cases reported Tuesday, up from 20 just last Wednesday, and almost 70 percent of Donley County residents are not vaccinated.

Officials with the Clarendon Family Medical Center say the active cases are mostly all unvaccinated patients, and local health officials urge everyone to protect themselves.

Clinic spokesperson Marsha Bruce says CFMC provides medical treatment for COVID-19 positive patients, and she said the earlier a patient comes in, the better.

“Early treatment by day five is super important, and we don’t just tell them to take vitamins,” Bruce said.

The clinic has now confirmed 40 positive cases of COVID-19 for the month of September as of Tuesday morning, 48 percent more cases than were confirmed in the entire month of August. July had nine cases, June had four, and May had none.

“It is rising geometrically at this point,” County Judge John Howard, MD, said Tuesday.

It is important also to realize, that numbers reported by the clinic only include people who are tested at the clinic. Other local residents who are COVID positive but tested in Amarillo or another nearby community are not included in the report. In other words, the actual number of COVID positives is likely higher than is officially known.

Last week, Howard said almost all new cases are people who are unvaccinated, and some have had COVID before.

“If you are unvaccinated, you are at risk of contracting the disease, spreading the disease, and, under the right circumstances, winding up in the hospital,” Howard said.

Vaccination rates among people age 65 and over are actually good in Donley County, Howard said, but the rate is still pretty low for those 12 to 65.

Howard urges everyone to protect themselves from the virus, which he says can help people keep from catching and spreading the virus.

“My recommendation is that everyone get the vaccine,” Howard said. “It is readily available and free.”

The Moderna vaccine is available at no charge at the local clinic for everyone ages 18 and over. The Pfizer vaccine is available in Amarillo for children ages 12 and over.

According to the Texas Tribune this week, 30.2 percent of Donley County residents are vaccinated. That represents a total of 1,010 people, up from 989 as of August 31.

The Donley County Extension Service will hold its annual Crops Tour on Wednesday, September 22, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Various cotton seed reps will be on tour as well as Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Specialists. The tour will conclude with lunch being served at the Donley County Activity Center. There will be three CEU’s offered to attendees.

For more information, contact agent Leonard Haynes at 806-874-2141 or 806-282-7680.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce is looking for businesses and organizations to participate in its downtown Halloween Event on October 30. Those interested in being a vendor, sponsoring a booth, or participating in the trunk-or-treat are asked to contact the Clarendon Visitor Center at 806-874-2421 or at chamber@clarendonTX.com. The Visitor Center at the Mulkey Theatre is open from 10:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday.

Donley County Commissioners approved a $3.49 million budget for fiscal year 2022 during a called meeting on August 24.

Public hearings on the budget as well as the tax rate supporting it were held the same day prior to the approval.
The budget for the coming fiscal year is an increase of $394,999 over the 2021 budget, and Donley County Judge John Howard said the bulk of that increase of $250,000 for work on the 1890 Courthouse. County officials hope grant funds and insurance money will cover part of that figure.

“We can’t spend money that is not in the budget, so we have that figure in there in anticipation of getting additional funding,” Judge Howard said. “We like to pay as we go, and we do have some money set aside in the Courthouse Preservation Fund.”

The approved budget calls for transferring $125,000 out of the Courthouse Preservation Fund.

The courthouse was badly damaged when a waterline broke during a winter storm in February, and insurance is expected to cover a portion of that restoration work.

The county also hopes to get additional state funds through the Texas Historical Commission to address spalling on some of the sandstone on the exterior of the courthouse.

Howard said the new budget also includes a raise for county employees of 2.5 percent, totaling about $60,000 overall. Health insurance costs for the county are expected to increase by about seven percent as well.

“We’re trying to prepare for inflation and protect the gains we’ve made in county salaries,” Howard said.

On the revenue side, the county budget will be supported by an ad valorem tax rate of $0.612776 per $100 valuation, which is about 1.6 cents less than the current rate. Donley County will also receive $200,000 in the fifth of ten payments from the wind farm in the northern part of the county.

The budget carries over $285,000 in funds from the current year, and the remainder of revenues come from fines, fees, and service charges.

A grant to pay for a highway safety officer in the sheriff’s office has expired and no longer provides funds for that officer. The new budget covers the entire cost for that position, which the county says pays for itself.

Fiscal year 2022 will begin October 1, 2021, for Donley County.