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This Week

Lady Broncos earn big wins in Childress

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The Clarendon Lady Broncos are off to a great start with another big win last week, beating Vega 83-40. Shown here: Tandie Cummins drives around a Vega player toward the goal. Courtesy Photo / Adelita Elam

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos have been able to blow through teams so far this season and earning big wins.

Clarendon is currently ranked #8 in the TABC state rankings. Their latest wins came over the weekend as they participated in the Childress Tournament where they had four wins. They are 10-1 on the season.

Earlier in the week, the ladies traveled to Vega and demolished the Lady Longhorns 83-40. Four players finished in double figures with sophomore Berkley Moore leading the way with 14 points. Hayden Elam put in 13 that included going five for six from the bonus line, and Kenidee Hayes and Graci Smith put in 12 points each.

The Lady Broncos jumped on Vega early on and were able to set the rhythm of the game in their favor. The Longhorns struggled against Clarendon’s strong defense, and the Lady Broncos were able to capitalize on Vega’s mistakes and turnovers.
Presley Smith was able to put in nine points and Kate Shaw had eight. Courtlyn Conkin added seven, and Tandie and Kennadie Cummins helped with four each.

The Lady Broncos took on Vernon in the first round of the Round Robin Tournament in Childress and defeated them 50-41. The ladies nailed six three-pointers in the game and were 18 for 28 from the bonus line. Kashlyn Conkin had the hot hand from the arc and posted four big shots to help her team and lead the way with 12 points. Clarendon had Vernon down 11 points after three quarters and stayed solid the last eight minutes for the win. Moore, Elam, and Shaw added eight points each on the scoreboard.

Elk City was their second opponent, and they earned the victory in overtime at 50-47. The ladies showed their strength in the overtime period after leading until the fourth quarter. The ladies have been steady from the free throw line but fell off a bit and only converted at 58 percent in the high-fouling game. However; they were able to convert the shots when it counted. Hayes finished with 12 and Moore put in 11.

The ladies took on Floydada in the next round and defeated them 36-31 with a strong finish. The Lady Broncos trailed throughout until the final eight minutes. They were able to stay focused and hustled until the end to get the win. Moore led with 11, and K. Conkin and Shaw added six points each in the win.

They faced off against Hermleigh in the final game and won by 20 points at 53-33. Once again Moore led the way with 12 and G. Smith added 12 points of her own from the inside position.

The ladies performed well the entire game and got off to a great start early. They were able to show their dominance to the Lady Cardinals and held them away from the goal. Hermleigh was able to outscore the Lady Broncos in the final quarter of play, but it was too little too late for the Lady Cardinals.

P. Smith and K. Cummins put in five points each and K. Conkin and K. Cummins added four apiece. Elam connected with a three-pointer, and C. Conkin, Jayla Woodard, T. Cummins, and Shaw helped with two points each. The ladies shot 50 percent from the bonus line.

Pantex marks milestone for major project

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Pantex Site Manager Colby Yeary welcoming the audience. Pantex Photo / Michael Schumacher

Pantexans and partners from across the National Security Enterprise gathered last week to celebrate the production halfway completion mark of the B61-12 Life Extension Program and W88 Alt 370.

This milestone marks a significant accomplishment for Pantex, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), partners in the Nuclear Security Enterprise, the United States, and its allies.

Having both programs reach the halfway point at the same time is a unique achievement.

“It took every one of you doing your part, working together with those thousands of others to achieve the common goal of modernizing these two weapons systems in order to continue to provide the nation with a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent,” said Dr. Rich Tighe, president and chief executive officer of CNS.

The B61-12 and W88 are strategically important weapons in our nation’s nuclear deterrent. The work done on these programs is critical to our nation’s defense plans for many years to come.

“The B61 gravity bomb is deployed by the US Air Force on multiple platforms and has been in service more than 50 years, making it the oldest, most versatile weapon in the US stockpile,” said Carlos Alvarado, deputy field office manager for the NNSA Production Office. He continued, “The W88 first entered the stockpile in the late 1980s. The W88 Alt 370 includes numerous updates to address aging concerns and enhance nuclear safety.”

Modernization of these weapons is vital to the mission.

“Working on such complex programs can be daunting, but the nation is better off as a result of your diligence and dedication. The work done at Pantex is in support of our national security strategy,” said John Evans, NNSA assistant deputy administrator for stockpile management.

The work on these two programs has not stopped. Reaching the 50 percent completion milestone is an accomplishment worth celebrating.

“An accomplishment such as this is only possible through teamwork and cooperation of everyone involved,” said Colby Yeary, Pantex site manager.

Former Hedley city secretary facing felony charge

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Former Hedley City Secretary Kim Gossman was arrested Tuesday afternoon, December 5, and charged with a third-degree felony for Theft by a Public Servant.

Gossman, age 56, from Clarendon was indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on Monday following an investigation that began in January. Justice of the Peace Sarah Hatley arraigned Gossman Tuesday afternoon and set her bond at $25,000. She remained in the Donley County Jail at press time late Tuesday afternoon.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said this charge of Theft by a Public Servant is for an amount over $2,500 but less than $30,000. Blackburn also said that investigations into Gossman are still ongoing and that other indictments could be expected.
Gossman resigned from her city position on January 19 amid an investigation into allegations of misappropriation of city funds. On January 9, Hedley’s auditor first alerted then Mayor Carrie Butler of “discrepancies” in Gossman’s salary discovered during the city’s fiscal year 2022 audit, covering July 2021 through June 2022.

Following her resignation from the city, the Enterprise reported the investigation had widened to include Gossman’s work at the Hedley Community Development Corporation, the local housing authority.

Butler later told the Enterprise she knew of at least $50,000 missing. A forensic auditor was brought in by the city in March, and the city borrowed $75,000 against a bond insurance policy for operation funds.

Clarendon receives grant to revitalize second downtown block

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New sidewalks and streetlamps are on the horizon for another block of Kearney Street after the City of Clarendon was notified Monday that it’s Texas Department of Agriculture Downtown Revitalization grant application has been approved.

The same program that revitalized the 100 block of Kearney will now carry over into the 200 block, improving accessibility, pedestrian safety, and overall appearance in that section of downtown.

More details on the new grant will be reported soon. Construction on the 200 block project is still several months away, following the bidding process and other necessary steps under the grant.

Meanwhile, the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation funded parking striping in the 100 block, which was completed last week, and the CEDC and Clarendon Chamber of Commerce are working together to get holiday decorations for the new lights installed in that section. Garland was installed on the posts Wednesday, and banners are expected next week.

New handrailing for the 100 block project and some other finishing touches for the lamp posts are expected soon also.

Shop Small campaign continues

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Another lucky shopper will win $100 in Christmas Cash this Friday when the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce holds the second drawing as part of its second annual “Shop Small Big Christmas” promotion.

Jamie Shelley

Jamie Shelley was the lucky winner of $100 in Christmas Cash last Friday.

Sign-ups at participating merchants will continue through Dec-ember 21. The Chamber will give away a total of $550 this season with $100 drawings on December 1, 8, and 15; and a big $250 giveaway on December 22.

Participating merchants included Amanda’s Country Soaps, Brake Time, Broken Road Liquor, Cornell’s Country Store, Country Bloomer’s Flowers & Gifts, Courtney D’Costa – Scentsy Consultant, Every Nook & Cranny, Henson’s, J&W Lumber, Lashes by Holly, Lowe’s Family Center, Mulkey Theatre, Mike’s Pharmacy, Monroe’s Peach Ranch, Rambling Ranch Boutique, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, Saye’s Flying A Tack, Whistle-Stop, and Wicked Fast Attire.

Additional Chamber members who wish to participate can call Chamber President Ashlee Estlack at 806-662-4687.

To enter, shoppers will fill out an entry at the participating merchants. The Chamber will gather them up each week and hold the drawings live on the Chamber’s Facebook. Enter as many times as you shop locally, so shop often. Entries stay in the hopper each week.

Several businesses are also planning to be open for Late Night Shopping on December 14 and 21 this year. Most of the participating businesses will be open until at least 7:30 p.m., including Every Nook & Cranny, Henson’s, Rambling Ranch, Saye’s Flying A Tack, and Whistle Stop. Corrective Aesthetics will also be open late but only on December 21 until 7 p.m.

Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong.

Visit the Chamber’s Facebook page or ClarendonTX.com/Christmas for more information.

Donley AgriLife to host production seminar

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The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the AgriLife Crop Production and Protection Seminar Dec. 21 in Donley County and in locations all across the Panhandle and South Plains.

The speakers will be virtual, but AgriLife Extension county agents in almost every county of the agency’s District 1, headquartered in Amarillo, and District 2, headquartered in Lubbock, will host an in-person event for producers to attend, said Danny Nusser, AgriLife Extension program leader for the North Region.

Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the Donley County Activity Center on State Highway 70 north of Clarendon. The cost to attend here is $40, and lunch will be provided. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m.

“We want to make sure everyone across the region has the same opportunity to hear these speakers and obtain the same CEUs,” Nusser said.

He said they will utilize the Microsoft Teams platform to bring all the speakers together from across the state, without having to make anyone travel any further than their home county.

Five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units – one general, two integrated pest management, one drift and one laws and regulations – will be offered at each location.

The following topics and speakers are on the agenda:

  • Know your Pesticide Laws and Regulations – Comprehensive look at the pesticide laws and regulations, EPA updates, and licensing/certification guidelines, Dr. Don Renchie presenting.
  • Weed control mishaps and how to manage success? Potential issues related to herbicide or management failures in controlling weed pests. (resistance, management decisions, timing, herbicide selection, application, equipment, and mother nature), Dr. Peter Dotray presenting.
  • Reducing risk of off target drift, off label decisions, and updates on new regulations affecting pesticide availability, Dr. Scott Nolte presenting
  • Available tools for management of brush and weed problems in pastures, Dr. Morgan Treadwell presenting.
  • Unlocking the genetic potential of corn/sorghum hybrids? How to protect your investment and select technologies that not only optimize yield but mitigate risk from issues such as weed, disease, drought, and insects, Dr. Jourdan Bell and Dr. Kevin Heflin presenting.

The program will also feature updates from commodity partners.

Texas Success Center honors Clarendon College

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Clarendon College representatives stand with the award the CC received in Houston from the Texas Success Center. Courtesy Photo

Clarendon College is one of eight community colleges to be recognized last week by the 2023 Talent Strong Texas Pathways Awards.

The Texas Success Center honored the colleges’ exemplary work for their success in the implementation and scaling of the state’s research-based guided pathways strategy, Talent Strong Texas Pathways. Awardees were celebrated in Houston, Texas at the November Talent Strong Texas Pathways Institute: Mapping Pathways to Student Post-Completion Goals, with 500 attendees representing 48 colleges statewide.

Five colleges were recipients of the Recognition of Scaling Excellence (ROSE) award, including North Central Texas College, Coastal Bend College, Victoria College, Clarendon College, and Galveston College. Outstanding among their peers, these colleges have dramatically scaled the essential practices associated with the strategy, resulting in a dramatically improved student experience at their campus.

Clarendon College was selected as a recipient of the 2023 ROSE award in Recognition of Scaling Excellence in Pillar 3, Keeping Students on Their Pathway. In 2021 and 2023, the Texas Success Center administered a Scale of Adoption Assessment (SOAA) process to better understand how Texas colleges are scaling reform efforts to serve a broader group of students. As such, the SOAA provides a snapshot of systems change activities that have occurred at the institutional level over the past two years. Since 2021, CC has demonstrated the highest growth rate among Texas community colleges for the essential practices relating to Pillar 3, Keeping Students on Their Pathway.

CC has made great strides scaling practices to keep students working towards their credential completion goals. Today, all students at Clarendon College work with an advisor, receiving personal attention to stay on their program pathway. Since the majority of students live on campus, CC is able to ensure that students have their needs met to succeed in their educational aspirations.

The Texas Success Center is proud to spotlight Clarendon College’s commitment to support student success with robust retention strategies that help students build momentum as they progress along their learning journey.

Three additional colleges received the Texas Success Center’s most prestigious awards.

Panola College received the “Rising Star” ROSE award. The college stands out among its peers for the tremendous strides that have been achieved over the past two years. The college demonstrated the most growth in scaling the essential practices of the strategy across four foundational pillars that lead to transformational change.

Paris Junior College received the “Exemplar” ROSE award. The college stands out among its peers for being the first Texas community college in the state to have achieved the institutional goal to scale the essential practices of the strategy across four foundational pillars that lead to transformational change.

Temple College received the Recognition of Dedication to Educational Outcomes (RODEO) award. The college was selected based on a series of factors: CEO leadership and support of the guided pathways work at their campus; institutional commitment to contribute to the learning network of Texas colleges; and demonstration of remarkable success and growth in key early momentum metrics that research has shown best positions students for future credential completion and transfer.

Broncos fall to Sunray in state quarterfinal game

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The Clarendon Broncos’ amazing season came to a heart-breaking halt Friday night at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon with a 6-67 loss to Sunray in the State Semi-Quarterfinal game. Coach Aaron Wampler told his players how proud he was of them after the game and reminded them they had earned four gold footballs that will stay at CHS forever. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos’ 2023 football season ended last week at the hands of the Sunray Bobcats in the State Quarter-Final game played in Canyon.

The loss was painful for the Broncos as they have played with a lot of heart this season. They were able to adjust positions when players were injured, and everyone stepped up their game to keep their winning streak alive.

The Broncos struggled against a good Sunray team and did not execute the way they have since their winning streak began on September 15. Sunray, who is currently ranked 10th in the 2A Region II standings proved to be too much for the Broncos, who are a much better team than the score revealed.

Senior quarterback/running back Lyric Smith played the first half and was able to hit fellow senior Easton Frausto for six in the second period of play. Smith racked up 64 rushing yards before receiving a leg injury that took him out of the game. Frausto stepped in to finish the game at the QB spot and did a good job for the Broncos.

However; the Bobcats were able to score at will and finished with big numbers in the game, 6-67 over the Broncos.
The Broncos will miss this year’s seniors as they have played a crucial role in the Broncos’ successes this season and those previous. Lyric Smith, Easton Frausto, Anthony Ceniceros, Jared Musick, Waite Dushay, Jaxan McAnear, Harrison Howard, Reagan Wade, Riley Wade, Colton Benson, and Tyler Tuttle. Senior cheerleaders are Morgan Johnston and Emma Roys, and senior band members are Jacob Murillo, Cutter Seay, and Tyler Tuttle.

As much as the seniors will be missed, the underclassmen are ready to step up and follow in their footsteps.

Lady Broncos win Miami Championship

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By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Lady Broncos breezed to the Championship in Miami last weekend. They were able to defeat Claude in the final game.
The girls took on Sunray in the first round and defeated them by 40 points at 70-30. It was never a contest as the Lady Broncos were able to play strong defense and controlled the tempo of the game. Post player and newcomer Kate Shaw led the way with 19 points and hit seven of seven free throws. Kashlyn Conkin hit three three-pointers and a two-pointer to finish with 11 points, and Berkley Moore added nine.

They faced Follett in the next round and earned the easy win at 64-13. It was never a contest as the Lady Broncos held them to only single digits in the first half. Shaw was the leading scorer again with 16 points and stayed perfect from the bonus line hitting all four of her free shots. Graci Smith added 10, Tandie Cummins put in nine, and Kennadie Cummins added eight.

The next game with Wildorado was a blowout as the ladies won 63-5. The scoring was spread among the players with K. Cummins and G. Smith leading the way with eight. Moore finished with seven and Courtlyn Conkin, T. Cummins, K. Conkin, Shaw, and Kenidee Hayes had six points each.

The win over Wildorado set up the game with Claude. The ladies took control early and coasted to a 59-22 win. The Lady Broncos stepped out early and played solid defense to hold the Lady Mustangs to only two points in the first half. Moore and K. Conkin added nine apiece and Shaw helped with seven. G. Smith put in six, Presley Smith, T. Cummins and K. Cummins added five, C. Conkin and Hayden Elam helped with four each, Hayes put in three, and Kinslee Hatley helped with three.

Earlier in the week, the ladies hosted Groom and finished strong at 69-23. They were able to score at will against the Lady Tigers and were able to make good stops on defense. Hayes led with 15, Shaw had 12, and Elam put in 10.

The Lady Broncos will play in the Childress Tournament December 7-9 and will travel to Nazareth on December 12.

Gladys Marie Gorder

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Gladys Marie Gorder, 83, of Hooker, Okla., formerly of Clarendon, died Sunday, December 3, 2023, in Spearman, Texas.

Gladys Marie Gorder

Memorial services will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 5, 2023, in Robertson Funeral Directors Saints’ Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Rev. Jim Fox, officiating.

Cremation and arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Gladys was born March 17, 1940, in Bismarck, North Dakota, to Roy and Stella Williams Greig. She married Jon Gorder on January 15, 1971, in Ellendale, North Dakota. She was a loving, humble, and wonderful wife. She was also a most wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother, and loving friend. She deeply loved the Lord and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Howardwick.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, on November 14, 2015.

Survivors include 4 sons, Jack Blocker and Tim Blocker both of Tennessee, Chris Gorder of Louisiana, and Kelby Kilber of Texas; 3 daughters, Tina McClellan and Kandy Hammer both of Oklahoma, and Penny McVay of Louisiana; 17 grandchildren; 34 great grandchildren; and 2 great great grandchildren.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com

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