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Early voting underway in General and local elections.

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Donley County Clerk Fay Vargas said turnout was brisk for the first day of voting, and Tax Assessor / Collector Linda Crump said last week that 349 new voters had registered for this year’s elections.

In addition to the presidential, congressional, and other offices on the general ballot, the Clarendon College District, the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District, and the City of Howardwick are also holding elections this year.

Local voters will select the successor for Crump’s position as the County Tax Assessor / Collector. Crump is retiring at the end of the year. Seeking her job are Republican Kristy Christopher and Democrat Tony Dale, and Deedra Keen is running as a write-in candidate.

Also of local interest is the race to be the next person to serve in the US House of Representatives for Texas District 13 when Congressman Mac Thornberry retires in January. On the ballot are Republican Ronny Jackson, Democrat Gus Trujillo, and Libertarian Jack B. Westbrook.

Three seats are up on the Clarendon College Board of Regents, and incumbents Darlene Spier and Carey Wann are on the ballot along with Guy Ellis, Chris Matthews, and Debbie Thompson.

Clarendon CISD’s Board of Trustees has two positions available this year. Incumbent Reneé Mott is seeking re-election, and Kyle Davis and Chrisi Tucek are also running.

Howardwick has six people running for three city council seats. Aldermen Mary Grady and Marietta Baird are seeking re-election, and other candidates are Shelly Chavira, Terry Barnes, Jeremy Kindle, and Jada Murray.

Early ballots can be cast at the Donley County Courthouse Annex for the General Election as well as the college and school elections, during regular business hours through October 30. Howardwick ballots must be cast at Howardwick City Hall.

Voters also still have until October 23 to request an absentee ballot. Voters who choose to return those ballots in person to the clerk’s office must bring an official ID and can only bring their own ballot and not a spouse’s or other person’s ballot with them.

The General Election will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

COVID antibody tests available at health fair

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The Donley County Health Fair will offer several free health care screenings, including a COVID-19 antibody test, this Thursday, October 15, but there will be no information booths this year in an effort to keep folks safe during the pandemic.

Organizers met Monday morning to finalize plans for the event and say people can still come inside for the screenings at Clarendon College’s Bairfield Activity Center or they can have the option having the tests done in a drive-by style in their car.

“We will be able to have the tests available outside,” said Darla Franks of the Donley County AgriLife Extension Office.

The screenings will be available from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Franks said.

Blood tests offered will include PSA, A1C, Lipids, Glucose, and COVID-19 antibodies.

“They will need to be fasting for eight hours to take the blood tests,” Franks said.

Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, especially encourages everyone to take the blood test to check for the COVID-19 antibodies.

“I want as many people as possible to get tested,” Howard said. “It’s free, and it will tell if you’ve had the COVID-19 virus.”

Free flu shots will also be available for those wanting one.

Masks and temperature checks will be required to attend the fair.

This year’s health fair is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Clarendon Family Medical Center, Mike’s Pharmacy, and the Donley County Hospital District.

CC hosting Stampede rodeo this week

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It’s time to saddle up and get ready for a fun ride as the Clarendon College Stampede welcomes more than 500 contestants to its NIRA rodeo this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 15-17.

With contestants from 16 colleges and universities in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association involved, qualifying events will be held all day with nightly performances being held at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Tickets for evening performance are $5 in advance from Clarendon College and the Clarendon Visitor Center and will be $10 at the gate.
All activities will be held under the roof of the CC Livestock & Equine Center.

Activities will include bull riding, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and more.

Clarendon College officials are excited to be hosting the NIRA rodeo, which is held here every four years.

Rodeo coach Bret Franks and nearly the entire staff at Clarendon College have been working for weeks to make sure the event comes off without a hitch.
Local and area sponsors have also lined up to support what promises to be one of the most exciting rodeos the town has seen since the Stampede last hit Clarendon in 2016.

Under Franks’ leadership, Clarendon College has reached new levels of success with the most notable being the national bronc riding championship won by Wyatt Casper in 2015 followed by Riggin Smith’s national saddle bronc championship in 2019.

Additionally, the CC men’s rodeo team took third place overall at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.
With the Stampede, CC looks forward putting on a successful rodeo in front of local supporters.

For more information about the Stampede, call Clarendon College at 874-3571.

Broncos get the best of the Cyclones

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Despite lower rushing yards by the Broncos, Clarendon still managed to get a 14-8 win over the Cyclones in Memphis on Friday night. The win put the Broncos at 6-1 overall and 1-0 in District play.

“It was not a pretty win, but it was a win,” head coach Clint Conkin said. “We only had 186 rushing yards.”

Jordan Herndon scored the two touchdowns for the Broncos and carried the ball 10 times for 35 total yards. Sophomore Sylvester Ballard rushed for 85 yards with nine carries on the night, and Lamarcus Peniger carried three times and averaged a little over 10 yards each run for 32 total yards. Jmaury Davis and Aaron Roys got in on the action as well with 16 and 18 yards respectively.

“We had several guys making tackles on defense,” Conkin said.

The Broncos have time to rest as they are open this week. They will take on Wellington at home on October 23. Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m.

Owls win WT cross-country meet

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The Hedley Owls cross country team placed first again, running at the WT Lanthrop Memorial meet last weekend.

The Hedley Owls cross-country team placed first and at the WT Landthrop Memorial meet last weekend.Courtesy Photo/ Cindy Lambert

Joshua Booth led the Hedley team, placing second overall with a time of 20:07.6. Jordan Upton was third at 20:13.1, and Tyler Harper was fifth at 21:25.2.

Hayden Alston came in seventh with a time of 21:50.5 followed by Iziak Weatherread in eighth place at 21:50.8 and Astin McAllister in 11th place at 22:28.1.

Cara Lambert led the Lady Owls in third place with a time of 15:31.6, and Emma Lambert came in seventh with a time of 17:24.5.

BREAKING NEWS: CCISD class in quarantine

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Clarendon fourth graders have been quarantined at home today after an individual who had been in contact with those students tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, according CCISD Superintendent Jarod Bellar.

The superintendent said he was informed about the positive test late Thursday afternoon, October 8, and decided to quarantine that grade level to be safe.

“We wanted to be pro-active and see if anyone developed symptoms over the long weekend,” Bellar told the Enterprise.

CCISD students will be out of class next Monday for a scheduled holiday, and Bellar said the school says anyone not exhibiting symptoms on Tuesday is welcome to return to class.

CCISD personnel disinfected areas of the elementary school Thursday evening and again Friday morning, Bellar said.

There are 25 students enrolled in Clarendon’s fourth grade.

Zach Williams to perform live at Sandell Drive-In

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“God can handle 2020.”

That’s the message that Zach Williams hopes music lovers will come away with after seeing him and Big Daddy Weave, performs live on stage at Clarendon’s Sandell Drive-In this Friday night, October 9.

Zach Williams

The concert will be the latest of the critically acclaimed Drive-In Theater Tour series, produced by Awakening Events. Tickets are available at driveintheatertour.com and are sold by the car load (up to 6 people per car) at $100 per car.

A multiple Grammy Award-winner, Williams told the Enterprise last week that he is excited about Friday’s performance and very happy to be on the drive-in tour with Big Daddy Weave.

“It’s the perfect time of year, and we’re having a great time together with several performances close to capacity,” Williams said, who is the singer/songwriter know for such hits as “Fear is a Liar” and “Chain Breaker.”

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down many performers this year, and Williams was no different. He was five shows into a 40-date concert tour when things came to a sudden halt.

“When it first happened, I felt so worthless,” Williams said, noting that he even talked about possibly finding a new line of work.

He usually performs 100 to 120 shows a year, but had only played six shows from Thanksgiving until the pandemic hit. It was a test of faith, he says.

“The enemy would like to creep in,” he said. “But we know the enemy is defeated. It’s like God saying, ‘Do you really not think I can handle 2020?’ God is in every season and aspect of life.”

Williams said he’s talked to Mike Weaver of Big Daddy Weave about this very thing.

“You’re seeing riots and all this stuff right now, but you’re also seeing people praying together in the streets,” Williams said. “We can be a part of something big in all this.”

Williams and Big Daddy Weave have performed in 14 drive-in theatres this year with another 16 to go. He says it’s been a great experience and a chance to play a lot of towns that ordinarily wouldn’t get to have concerts like this, and for Williams himself it was a first.

“I’m 42 years old, and I had never been to a drive-in theatre before this tour,” he said. “We had the remains of an old drive-in my hometown, but it was closed.”

Williams’ connection to Big Daddy Weave extends beyond this tour and is much more personal.

Williams grew up in Bono, Arkansas, a town of about 1,000 people. He only got into music after a basketball injury sidelined him in college, and he picked up his roommate’s guitar. Soon, he said, he had chord charts up on the wall and was teaching himself how to play. He took a poetry class and fell in love with writing music.

As his rock and roll music career started to take off, his wife surprised him in 2012 as he was leaving home for a tour in Europe. He had gotten into a bad lifestyle like so many musicians do; but if he didn’t change his ways, she didn’t think she could stay when he came home.

While touring in Spain, someone on a bus played “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave.

“It blew me away,” Williams said.

When he returned home, he and his wife found a church and started attending. Soon he was working in the church, and playing music, which led to a new music career. And the first band to take him on tour? Big Daddy Weave.

“It’s great playing with those guys,” Williams said. “And we’ll even be doing some songs together on stage Friday.”
Williams hopes everyone gets something out of Friday’s concert.

“If it’s one thing, it’s that everything is going to be alright,” he said. “If you believe, then you already know it’s going to be alright and know what your future is.”

For more information, visit the Sandell’s Facebook page.

Early voting starts on next Tuesday

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Early voting in the 2020 elections begins next Tuesday, October 13, and local officials are already seeing a lot of interest from the voters.

Donley County Tax Assessor Collector Linda Crump reports that 349 new registered voters have been added to the rolls locally for a total of 2,325 people who are eligible to cast ballots.

The Donley County Clerk’s office also reports increased interest in absentee ballots and says October 23 is the last day to request an absentee ballot.

The clerk’s office says people who plan vote absentee need to expect to get multiple ballots since there are local elections being held in addition to the General Election. Clarendon College, Clarendon CISD, and the City of Howardwick are all holding local board elections at the same time.

CC rodeo team back in action, hosting Stampede Oct. 15-17

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The Clarendon College Rodeo team is glad to be back in the arena and spent the last two weekends competing at Sul Ross and Vernon College rodeos and are preparing to host the quadrennial Stampede rodeo here next week, October 15, 16, and 17.

There are 25 members this year.

Keene Justesen

In Alpine, the team earned enough points to end up 4th in the rodeo. Individual results for the rodeo in the Bareback riding follow: Cole Franks scored 77 points for 2nd place in the long round and 82 points in the short round finishing 2nd in the average while Ricky Williams, from Decatur, Ala., was 71 points in the long round and 79 in the short round and 5th in the average.

Clarendon College had six saddle bronc riders qualify for the Top 10 short round. Brody Wells, Powell, Wyoming, scored 77 for 3rd in the long round, 77 in the short round, and 3rd in the average. Cole Franks was 74 in the long and 70 in the short go for 4th in the average. Brodie Roessler of Fairview, Alberta, scored 67 in the long and 72 in the short for 5th in the average while Cauy Pennington from Kiowa, Colo., scored a 72 in the long go but failed to make the whistle in the short round. Danny Cassidy of Meridian scored 71, and Trey Elshere from Quinn, South Dakota, was 69 in the long go, and both were bucked off in the short round.

This past weekend in Vernon, the team finished 2nd and had both bareback riders and seven of the ten saddle bronc riders qualify for the championship round on Saturday night.

In the bareback riding, Ricky Williams scored 68 in the long go and 59 in the short go for 6th in the average while Cole Franks was 75 in the long go but failed to make the eight seconds in the short go. In the saddle bronc riding long round, Cash Wilson from Wall, South Dakota, placed first with his 80.5 ride; Keene Justesen, St. Cloud, Florida, was 2nd with a 75; Caleb Newell of Vernon, was 3rd with 70 points; Cole Franks was 5th with a 69; Brody Wells was 68 points for 6th place; Cauy Pennington was 7th with a 67 score and Gaige Langmaid from Clarence, Iowa, took the 10th with a 58.

The horses had the upper hand in the short round with only three cowboys making a qualified ride. Keene Justesen and Cash Wilson were the only Clarendon bronc riders to make a qualified ride in the short round and finished first and second respectively. Clarendon College men’s team is currently in third place in the Southwest region behind Tarleton State University and Southwest Texas Junior College.

Clarendon College will host the next rodeo on Oct. 15-17 with performances at 7:00 so come out and support the Bulldogs. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $5 at the Clarendon Visitor Center or Clarendon College or can be purchased at the gate for $10.

Clarendon Lions celebrate 98th anniversary

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The Clarendon Lions Club held its 98th anniversary Charter Banquet last Saturday night, October 3, and presented awards during the evening as the culmination of Lions Day in the city.

Honorees at the 98th annual Clarendon Lions Club Charter Banquet.

Boss Lion Landon Lambert presented Lion Scarlet Estlack with the Past President’s Award, and Lion John Howard was recognized as the Lion of the Year for his service to the community as its doctor and county judge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aubrey Jaramillo was formally crowned as the club’s Sweetheart for the current year.

District Governor Henry Wyckoff spoke about the plans for growth in Lionism in the Texas Panhandle and also recognized Lion Ashlee Estlack for ten years of service and Lion Chuck Robertson for 15 years of service.

The Boss Lion announced a new membership drive as the club gets ready for its centennial celebration in 2022. Lambert said he wants to see the club attract 22 new members by 2022.

Those attending this year’s banquet were DG Wyckoff, First Vice District Governor Jerry Whatley and his partner in service Lion Cheryl Whatley, Second Vice District Governor Roger Estlack and his partner in service Lion Ashlee Estlack and their children Benjamin and Elaina, Boss Lion Landon Lambert, Lion Scarlet Estlack and Lion Russell Estlack and their sons Nathan and Daniel, Lion Chuck Robertson and wife Amanda, Lion Jacob Fangman, Lion John Howard, Lion Pam Hill and guest Robert Wallace, Sweetheart Aubrey Jaramillo with Mandy Jaramillo and Grady Garrett, and Lion Donnie Carroll, Boss Lion of the Memphis Lions Club.

Earlier in the day Saturday, more than 30 Lions from all over the Panhandle assembled at the Mulkey Theatre for the District 2-T1 fall cabinet meeting. The meeting began with donuts and coffee at 8:30 and concluded with a luncheon. Mayor Sandy Skelton welcomed the Lions and read a proclamation declaring October 3 as Lions International Centennial Celebration Day in Clarendon.

Following the cabinet meeting, the Clarendon Lions Club held its eighth annual Chance Mark Jones 5K Roar & Run.

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