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Texans urged to fill out disaster survey

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Texans are urged to fill out the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s State of Texas Assessment Tool to help state and emergency management officials identify damages that occurred during the recent winter storm.

FEMA has asked the state of Texas for additional information regarding the amount of damage in the counties that have yet to be declared, and TDEM will continue to present that information until all Texas counties that qualify for federal assistance receive the assistance they need.

Texans are also encouraged to pass this survey on to family, friends and organizations who live and operate in counties not currently declared for federal assistance. The survey can be found at www.TDEM.texas.gov/warm.

Texans who live in current disaster-declared counties should apply for disaster assistance at disasterassistance.gov.

COVID UPDATE: State to hold vaccination clinic in Clarendon March 5

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The state health department will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College next Friday, March 5; and local residents are asked to sign up now for an appointment.

Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, said the state will be bringing 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine and will administer the shots from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The primary purpose of the clinic is to give as many people as possible the first dose of the two-step vaccination. A second clinic will be held on April 6 to administer the second dose, Howard said.

However, if a person has already received the first round of the Moderna vaccine, they can get the second dose during the March 5 clinic. State officials request those needing the second dose schedule as late in the day as possible to allow the most people to get the first round of the vaccine.

Those wishing to receive the vaccination must pre-register online for a specific timeslot at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FA8A828A3FAC07-dshs4

The clinic is for people age 18 and older with priority given to residents in Phases 1A and 1B as explained at this link along with other important information: https://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/COVID-19-Clarendon-Vaccine-Clinic.pdf.

The state personnel will be staying over in Clarendon next Friday night and will hold another vaccination clinic in Memphis the next day, Howard said. If a local resident cannot make the Friday clinic in Clarendon, they might consider trying to go the Memphis site. No information is available on the Saturday clinic at this time.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infections seem to have subsided among Donley County residents this week, according to the Clarendon Family Medical Center.

As of Tuesday morning, the clinic had only one active case under its care.

Since the last update from the clinic on February 9, only two additional people have tested positive for the virus. This again does not include information on people who have may have tested at facilities outside the county.

Howard said the Clarendon Family Medical Center is also receiving more vaccine this week and will be administering those doses to people on the center’s waiting list in cooperation with the Associated Ambulance Authority, which is also helping the clinic administer antibody infusions for sick patients.

State asks Texans to report disaster damage

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Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) are encouraging Texans to complete the Self Reporting Damage Survey to help the state identify damages across Texas and help emergency management officials gain an understanding of damages that occurred during the recent winter weather. This data is also needed to provide information to FEMA and highlight the need for federal disaster assistance for individuals.

The voluntary survey, available in both English and Spanish, can be accessed by visiting: www.TDEM.texas.gov/warm. Reporting damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management is a voluntary activity, is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance agency, and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.

“I urge Texans to fill out the Self Reporting Damage Survey and provide crucial information on the winter weather impacts to their home or property,” said Governor Abbott. “The information gleaned from this survey will help our state identify the full impact of this winter weather and help emergency management better serve Texans.”

Courthouse suffers severe water damage

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The Jewel of the Plains suffered greatly last week when the artic storm caused a water leak that flooded parts of the Donley County Courthouse.

County Judge John Howard said it appears a fresh-air intake dampener failed to close properly allowing subzero air to enter one of the courthouse’s units, causing copper water lines in air coil to develop multiple leaks.

Ice flows down near the entrance of the Donley County Courthouse last week. Courtesy Photo

The leak in the unit in the 1890 building’s attic likely began Sunday night or early Monday morning February 14 or 15, the judge said. Due to a government holiday on the February 15, the damage was not discovered until Tuesday, February 16.

By that time, the leak had virtually destroyed the second floor office of the county attorney above the courthouse entrance, and water had leaked into the vault of the first floor judge’s office, flooded the main corridor on the ground floor and entered the basement.

Water was also leaking from the ceiling of the courthouse entry way, forming a giant icicle and creating an ice flow down the main steps to the building.

On the second floor, 130-year-old pine floors buckled between the county attorney’s office and the district courtroom, and water flowed down the main staircase, ruining the finish on the wooden treads.

Frost on the inside of some of the windows in the building was as thick as a centimeter in some places, Howard said.
County workers turned off the water supply to the faulty unit and got as much of the water as possible out of the building. Howard said CarpetTech of Amarillo was called in to extract more water and set up dehumidifiers.

An insurance adjuster inspected the damage last Friday, and Howard said the county will likely wait until warmer weather to replace the unit, which will remain out of service until then.

The county has water detectors set up in several locations, but this leak occurred in just such a way that it missed setting off those alarms.

Howard said the damage is bad but that it can and will be repaired, and he said he is grateful that the damage was not worse.

Methodist youth to host luncheon

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The public is invited to attend a rescheduled Valentine’s Day Lunch, February 28, hosted by the Clarendon First United Methodist Youth.

Donations will be accepted, and social distancing and wearing of masks will be practiced. There are two times available for lunch. The times are noon and 1:00 p.m. To sign up, visit firstumcclarendontx.org.

All youth (grades 6th-12th) are welcome to participate. If interested in going to Ceta Canyon, youth should meet with the youth group on February 27 at 2 p.m. for further details.

Extension to host ag conference

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The Southeast Texas Panhandle Ag Conference will be held Wednesday, March 3, in Clarendon at the Donley County Activity Center.

Registration will be from 8:00 to 8:30 and the program immediately following.

This year’s speakers will include Dr. John Robinson, state cotton economist; Dr. Pete Dotray, Extension weed specialist; Kati Lewis, soil specialist; Murillo Maeda, cotton agronomist and DeDe Jones, risk management specialist.

Lunch will be provided by Bertie Fannie’s of Memphis. Four CEUs will be offered and those that want to participate in the Auxin meeting following the main program will also receive required certification and an additional one CEU laws and regulations hour.

The cost will be $10.

Those interested are asked to RSVP to the Donley County Extension Office at 806-874-2141. Social distancing and proper COVID-19 precautions will be expected.

Vargas retires as county clerk

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Donley County Clerk Fay Vargas has announced her retirement after more than 30 years of service.

Vargas told the Enterprise that her health was the main reason she chose to retire. Her resignation becomes effective February 28.

“The time was just right with my health,” Vargas said. “With this COVID, I’ve managed to avoid it, but I’ve decided it’s time.”

Vargas said the county is also going to be getting new voting equipment this year and the Legislature is meeting and will likely make changes to election laws, so those were also factors influencing her.

“I’m looking forward to my only responsibility to be to go vote,” she said. “I encourage everyone to get out and vote. I appreciate every voter who helped keep me in office, and I thank them for their support.”

Vargas succeeded P.C. Messer as the county and district clerk and has served in that role for 34 years and two months. In all that time, she said she’s only had three people run against her for the job.

Vargas was the county’s only Democrat in office. When she first ran, Democrats held every elected office at the county level. Since then, those other offices have either been won by Republicans or the office holders have switched parties.

Donley County Commissioners will meet this Friday to name someone to fill Vargas’ position. Her term expires in 2022.

City names Floyd to vacant council seat

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The Clarendon City Council appointed Terri Floyd to fill the vacant term formerly held by her son, Nathan Floyd, during its meeting last Thursday, February 18.

Floyd is a local business owner and has previously served several years on the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation board.

The unexpired term Floyd was appointed to expires in May, and she has already filed to run for the position on this spring’s city ballot.

In other city news last week, the council met with Linda Lewis via Zoom to discuss code issues at the old Neece house at Sixth and Bugbee.

Lewis told aldermen she will have the dilapidated garage torn down within about three months and also said a roofer was coming to look at what needs to be done on the house.

Aldermen also approved a $1,000 donation to the Meals on Wheels program at the Donley County Senior Citizens.
Aldermen considered engineering firms for a Downtown Revitalization Grant application and selected OJD Engineering for that work.

An agreement was approved with Consolidated Nuclear Security, which operates Pantex, for a lightning location protection system station at the Smiley Johnson Municipal Airport. Pantex will pay the city $3,800 for the station being there from 2001 through 2020 and will then pay the city $1,000 per year for the next five years.

Broncos ranked No. 2 in state

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Great defense wins games on the basketball court and solid free throw shooting helps in a pinch. The Broncos used the two in their favor as they won the Bi-District round over Sanford Fritch in Pampa last week at 87-47.

2021 Bi-District Champions

Four players landed in double figures at the end of the game, and the team finished at 73 percent from the bonus line.

The Broncos, ranked number two in the state, earned their spot against the Eagles by going undefeated in District play and winning the District Championship. Their solid offense and quickness on both ends of the court allowed the Broncos to take a commanding lead in the game and never look back. They were able to execute well enough that they built a 30-point lead at the break that hindered everything Fritch tried on the court.

Donovan Thompson and Sylvester Ballard both finished with 19 points in the game. Thompson hit two three-pointers, and Ballard was perfect from the bonus line. Jmaury Davis was unstoppable and ended with 18 points that included two for two from the free throw line. Cayden D’Costa added 11 points to the scoreboard with four two-pointers and one three.

Lamarcus Peniger jumped into action with nine, Lyric Smith put in four, and Jordan Herndon had two. Anthony Ceniceros hit one three-pointer and Jaxan McAnear helped with two.

As the Enterprise went to press, the Broncos were preparing to play Farwell for the Area title Tuesday night in Vega. Check Facebook.com/TheEnterprise for game results.  UPDATE: The Broncos defeated Farwell Tuesday and will play Floydada in Canyon on Friday at 6 p.m.. Tickets are $5 and must be purchased in advance at the Clarendon school administration building. No tickets will be sold at the door, and no passes will be accepted.

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