News

A former Clarendon animal control officer was jailed Monday on a charge of Cruelty to Animals after a puppy was reportedly killed by her last week.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said 29-year-old Alexandra Armbrust turned herself in July 29 after a warrant for her arrest was issued that morning.

Armbrust was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Sarah Hatley with bond set at $10,000 for the third-degree felony. She was released on bond Monday.

Blackburn said according to his office’s investigation, the puppy was picked up last week by Armbrust and given to a local family. The sheriff said the puppy’s owners went to City Hall on July 25 and paid a fee to get their pet back. At that time, Armbrust allegedly returned to the family to whom she had given the puppy, shot the animal in the head, put it in a trash bag, and returned to City Hall to give it to the owners.

The sheriff said the family who had received the puppy from Armbrust also arrived at City Hall to report what had happened, and a sheriff’s deputy had to be called to calm the situation. The sheriff’s office began taking statements that day and continued the next day.

City Administrator Brian Barboza said Armbrust was fired Friday afternoon, July 26, following the incident on Thursday. He says the puppy, described on social media posts as a four-month-old chihuahua, was picked up July 23 and a picture of it was placed on the front of City Hall in accordance with city policy.

Barboza said he believed originally the dog had been put down Thursday morning because Armbrust had asked him that morning if it was okay to put down a dog because she wasn’t going to have time to take it to Pampa to be euthanized. But when the owners arrived at City Hall Thursday afternoon, he said Armbrust told different stories about whether the dog’s remains were in Pampa or Memphis.

When Armbrust was sent to get the dog, sometime before 2:30, Barboza said she apparently went to the home she had given the puppy to, shot it, and returned to City Hall. He said the family followed Armbrust back to City Hall and said she had shot the dog in front of their kids.

Barboza tells the Enterprise that city rules require a dog without identification to be held for three days before it can be euthanized on the fourth day.

“Her actions do not reflect was this city is about,” Barboza said.
Armbrust went to work for the city in mid-April and had just completed her basic animal control training and was scheduled to take euthanasia training this week.

Blackburn said the charge against Armbrust has a penalty of two to ten years imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine.

The Clarendon CISD Trustees extended the contract of Superintendent Jarod Bellar during their regular meeting July 16 and continued to fill out the faculty roster for the coming school year.

The board met behind closed doors before returning to open session and taking action on personnel matters.

Bellar’s performance was evaluated, and trustees voted to extend his contract by one year through June 30, 2028.

Trustees also voted to accept Bellar’s recommendations to offer contracts of employment to Kathy Duniven, Rebecca Diggs, and Isaac Semans for the coming school year.

Bellar told the Enterprise Tuesday the school has just one spot remaining – a junior high special education position – in order to have a full staff for the coming year.

Classes begin August 14 at Clarendon CISD.

In other business, Bellar reported on the school’s roofing project, the status of the Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) Grant, and the Lone Star Cup results.

The board voted to approve the Johnson and Sheldon, PLLC engagement letter to conduct the annual financial report.

Trustees also adopted resolutions authorizing certain individuals to possess firearms under Board Policy as discussed. More information on that will be reported in a future issue.

Clarendon officials confirmed a case of rabies inside the city limits this week.

City Administrator Brian Barboza said animal control picked up a racoon showing possible signs of rabies near the intersection of Seventh and Johns streets on July 15, the raccoon was taken to Clarendon Veterinary Hospital to be sent for testing. The positive test results for rabies were received on Monday, July 22.

Citizens are urged to get their pets vaccinated for rabies immediately, and everyone needs to stay away from any wild animals – skunks, raccoon, etc. State law requires animals to be vaccinated. Animals must be current on all vaccines; and since a case of rabies has been confirmed in the area, everyone should watch for signs of rabies.

For more information about rabies, visit Texas Department of State Health Services at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/notifiable-conditions/zoonosis-control/zoonosis-control-diseases-and-conditions/rabies.

Pantex is now the largest employer in the Texas Panhandle, according to an announcement released Tuesday by the nuclear weapons facility.

More than eight decades ago, during World War II, the Pantex Ordnance plant was a major contributor during the global conflict. At its height in January 1943, Pantex employed 5,254 full time employees. When WWII ended, Pantex closed its doors. Then in 1951 the Federal Government reclaimed the site, creating the cornerstone of the nuclear weapons complex.

Since 1975, Pantex has been the nation’s primary assembly, disassembly, retrofit, and modification center for nuclear weapons.
The total number of employees has changed throughout the decades. Ten years ago, it remained consistent with approximately 3,100 employees. That number has increased dramatically over the last few years as hundreds of new employees have been hired at Pantex.

“That growth is simply explained,” said Colby Yeary, Pantex Site Manager. “Our workload has increased and with that increase – the need to bring on hundreds of new Pantexans to meet production demands. It became obvious that our work force would have to grow to match the more than 70 percent increase in our work load. We’ve been hiring ever since and now at of the most recent count, Pantex has 4,626 employees.”

According to Pantex Field Office Manager, Jason Armstrong, “The economic impact of Pantex on our community – and the entire Panhandle – cannot be overstated. It’s something we’re very proud of. We rely on Pantexans daily to deliver our national security deterrent by combining their unique talents and abilities, driven by their deep sense of patriotism and dedication. What also cannot be overstated is the importance of Pantex. In light of today’s real-world geopolitical conditions, our responsibility to deliver on our mission to enable global security is absolutely vital. It’s the growing number of Pantexans who make that happen.”

According to Yeary, growth at Pantex will continue. “As we continue to move forward – we continue to grow in numbers and scope within the community. Later this year, we are going to house 300 employees in the city Amarillo to accommodate expansion and teleworking. We will continue with our modernization programs, including an increased workload and work force,” he said.