This Week

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce recognized Janet Carter with the 2022 Saints’ Roost Award for her lifetime of service and commitment to the community during the annual Chamber Awards Banquet last Thursday, February 23.

Man of the Year honors went to Keith Floyd, and Anndria Newhouse was named the Woman of the Year.

Mike’s Pharmacy was named the Business of the Year, and, in a new category, the Donley County Courthouse Lighting Committee was named the Volunteer Organization of the Year.
The Saints’ Roost Award is the highest honor given annually by the Chamber to recognize a lifetime of volunteering and community service.

Carter was recognized for a lifetime of passionate service to the kids of our community. She and her late husband, Steve Carter, started working with Ted Shaller’s children’s ministry at the Methodist Church more than 20 years ago before eventually founding Christ Kids Ministry and dedicated themselves to helping kids in need. Together than ran the summer food program, delivering 100 or more meals to children in Clarendon five days a week. Over time, she helped the ministry as it established the first community free Thanksgiving lunch in 2008 and started the Christmas Angel Tree project. She was also active with her husband in supporting Troop 433 of the Boy Scouts of America. After her husband passed away in 2019, she has continued to lead the ministry, which served 90 lunches five days a week last summer and helped 85 kids on the Angel Tree

The Man of the Year for 2022 was Keith Floyd, who has volunteered for many causes, including Little Dribblers, Cub Scouts, the Chamber Kids Parade, the Bread of Life food ministry, and the senior citizens center. He’s also a loyal volunteer for the Christ Kids, which led to his involvement with the annual community Thanksgiving lunch. This past year, when it looked like that service might not happen, he stepped up and helped ensure it continued. He also led the start of a new tradition – a Christmas Eve lunch for the community.

Anndria Newhouse was named Woman of the Year for working tirelessly to help with many activities throughout the community. In addition to being a faithful helper in her church, she delivers Meals on Wheels, helps at the senior center, helped organize the Senior Thang fundraiser, and leads service projects with the Lions Club. This past year, in her role as president of the Pony Parents organization, she saw a need and led fundraising efforts that have culminated in the upcoming construction of a new playground that will serve our elementary children with hours of outdoor fun.

The Chamber of Commerce named Mike’s Pharmacy as the Business of the Year. Mike’s has been serving Donley County for 44 years after being founded by Mike Butts inside Gibson’s Discount Store before eventually moving across the highway to its present location in the mid-1980s. Following Mike’s retirement in 2013, Clarendon native Mark Land purchased the business, kept the name, and hired Brandon Frausto as the chief pharmacist. In 2022, the community faced a challenge when the Outpost Pharmacy closed after 40 plus years in business. Brandon and his team worked hard and made the transition very smooth and simple for Outpost customers to transfer their accounts and prescriptions to Mike’s Pharmacy, going above and beyond to serve their new customers with ease, caring, and friendliness.

The new Volunteer Organization of the Year was presented to the Donley County Courthouse Lighting Committee. For nine years this group has taken time out of their weekends to labor on the Courthouse lawn and decorate it for Christmas. Each year requires many hours of work, but the work pays off on Thanksgiving weekend when the 1890 Courthouse grounds is lit with thousands of lights and the community gathers to sing carols and officially start the Christmas season. The program is led by Denise Bertrand, but she will be the first to tell you that it is a group effort that involves people from all over town as well as college students.

The Chamber also recognized outstanding youth from Clarendon and Hedley.

Makenna Shadle is the Young Woman of the Year from Clarendon. She has been a class officer, a member of NHS and a Student Council officer. She plays basketball for the Lady Broncos and is a team captain. She has received All-District recognition and the CHS Fighting Heart Award. She is a member of the First Baptist Church youth group and has been a lifeguard at the Clarendon Aquatic Center. She is actively involved with Christ’s Kids Outreach Ministry. She has prepared and delivered meals for the Summer Lunch Program and participated in the school supply hand out and the Angel Tree project.

The Young Man of the Year from Clarendon is Tyler Harper. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is involved in stock shows and livestock judging through 4-H and FFA. He advanced to the Regional Cross-Country meet in 2019 and 2020. He and his varsity basketball team won the UIL 2A State Championship in 2022. He and the varsity baseball team made it to the Regional Quarterfinals in 2022. Tyler enjoys helping others, especially if it pertains to ranching, welding, and mechanics. He has helped with cemetery clean-up, courthouse lighting, serving veterans, canned food drives, toy drives, and the Senior Citizens Center. He is currently taking dual-credit classes with Clarendon College and will obtain an Associates in Science degree shortly after graduating high school. He will be attending Texas State Technical College in the fall to pursue a degree in Wind Energy Technology.

Josh Booth is the Young Man of the Year from Hedley. He has participated in track, tennis, football, basketball, cross country and One act play all four years of high school. He has made regionals in cross country all four years and made the state meet once. He has been selected to the academic all-state teams in football and cross country this year. He was district champ back-to-back years in the 1600 meter. While playing basketball he was named MVP of his district in 2022 and has been named all district in the 4 years he has played. He has been a member of the Hedley National Honor Society and president for 2 years. He volunteers his time to help the younger classes of his school.

He also made regionals 3 out of his 4 years in UIL events. He is taking dual credit classes from Clarendon College and will graduate with 28 hours of classes and will be 2 hours shy of completing his freshman year of college. In his spare time, he works at Monroe’s Peach Ranch and stays in the gym as much as possible.

Savannah Trent was the Young Woman of the Year from Hedley. She is a senior and member of the NHS. She is a captain for the basketball team and runs track and cross country. She played tennis her junior year, getting fourth place in girls doubles at district. She has been a cheerleader and was the captain this year as well.

She was a part of the one act play and advancing to regionals each year in UIL. She is a member of the FFA and was crowned homecoming queen this year. She has been taking dual credit classes for the last three years through Clarendon College. As member of the NHS, she has helped with many events including food and toy drives.

This year’s Chamber banquet followed a 1950s “Sock Hop” theme with many in attendance dressing the part and was catered by Great Western Dining. Approximately 175 people attended the event, which was held in the Bairfield Activity Center.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by the band “Geezers Gone Wild” of Amarillo and Borger.
Tables were sponsored by the City of Clarendon, Clarendon College, The Clarendon Enterprise, Donley County Courthouse, Donley County Senior Citizens, Herring Bank, Phelps Plumbing, Pilgrim Bank, Saints’ Roost Museum, Shelton & Shelton Law Offices, and Tony Clemishire.

Chamber President Ashlee Estlack named the City of Clarendon as having the Best Dressed Table during the banquet.

Alderman Eulaine McIntosh decorated the table complete with a recreation of the Old Gym with opening doors and a Sock Hop going on inside. Characters from Grease and some local faces could be seen in the table decorations also.

This year’s corporate sponsors were Best Western Red River Inn; The Clarendon Enterprise; Greenbelt Electric Cooperative; Greenbelt Water Authority; GreenLight Gas; Robertson Funeral Directors; Nutrien Ag Solutions; Liberty Electric, Plumbing, & Construction; Lowe’s Family Center; and Budweiser.

A Donley County jury convicted Darren Ray Gunnels for the third-degree felony offense of evading arrest in a motor vehicle in last Wednesday, February 22, in district court.

After hearing that the State filed a notice of enhancement in the punishment phase to increase the punishment to a second degree felony, the jury sentenced Gunnels to 20 years, the maximum available punishment, in the Texas Department of Justice, Institutional Division.

District Attorney Luke Inman, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuted the case for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

Gunnels, 45 from Clarendon, was arrested by Donley County Sheriff’s Deputy Wesley Christopher on August 12, 2022. Gunnels was originally indicted on October 3, 2022, for three felony counts.

“Gunnels has been a degenerate burden on our community for 25 years,” said Caudle. “This is his ninth felony conviction and will be his fourth trip to prison. I can only hope that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles will keep him locked up for the full 20 years this time, because we don’t want him back.”

The State called three witnesses in its case in chief, including Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn and Deputy Wesley Christopher.

Christopher testified to the Gunnels’ vehicle pursuit and Gunnels jumping from the vehicle illegally parked in the middle of the road through the passenger window.

Christopher said there were multiple turns and blown stop signs while Gunnels was accelerating away from his unit, according to testimony.

“Our unsuspecting children are not looking both ways across the street every time like we would hope for, looking for vehicles taking erratic turns and speeding down residential streets,” said Inman. “This defendant’s actions were just as dangerous as the perpetrators that drive over 100 miles per hour down 287. They all have to be stopped and arrested before they injure our loved ones.”

Blackburn informed the jury that, contrary to Gunnels’ assertion at the time of his arrest, the syringe found in Gunnels pocket was not for the treatment of a medical condition such as diabetes.

“I can’t even count the number of times a defendant has claimed he is a diabetic in hopes that would explain away his possession of a syringe,” said Caudle. “I guess methamphetamine degrades critical-thinking ability so much that the subject actually thinks law enforcement will believe it.”

After all the evidence, Gunnels was convicted of the evading offense and acquitted on two other charges before the evading took place.

Juries get to hear the testimony and see the evidence presented at trial and make an informed decision from there, according to Inman.

“We appreciate all of [the jury’s] hard work and attention during the trial,” said Inman. “When we get the same type of punishment we are asking for in these evading cases from a jury it makes us and law enforcement feel like we are looking out for everyone’s best interest.”

The enhanced second-degree felony, which Gunnels was convicted for, had a maximum of 20 years.

The Office of US Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13) announced upcoming mobile office hours in Panhandle hosted by congressional staff.

The mobile office will be held in the Panhandle City Council Chambers on Wednesday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1 Main Street in Panhandle.

Constituents are invited to attend if help is needed with a federal agency or to learn more about the services a congressional office can provide. If a constituent would like assistance with a federal agency case, please bring all supporting documentation.

No appointment is necessary. Additional questions should be directed to Congressman Jackson’s Amarillo office at (806) 641-5600.