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AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the Amarillo Police Department released information regarding a shooting that occurred in east Amarillo Monday afternoon.
According to a news release from the department, officers made a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 1200 block of North Hill Street around 2:06 p.m. Monday. As the traffic stop was conducted, the driver took out a gun. An officer then fired a shot, hitting the driver.
Officials from the department said the driver died in the incident. The release also said no officers were injured during the incident. Amarillo Police are continuing to investigate the incident. | 2022-04-25T21:50:50Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 dead after traffic stop in east Amarillo Monday | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-traffic-stop-in-east-amarillo-monday/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-traffic-stop-in-east-amarillo-monday/ |
SKELLYTOWN, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The City of Skellytown has issued a boil water notice due to equipment malfunction.
According to the city, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the City of Skellytown public water system to notify its customers to boil their water prior to consumption to a vigorous boil for two minutes or purchase bottled water or water from another suitable source for drinking water or human consumption.
Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions said the city.
When the boil water notice is no longer in effect the city said it will issue a notice to its customers. | 2022-04-25T21:51:02Z | www.myhighplains.com | Skellytown issues boil water notice | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/skellytown-issues-boil-water-notice/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/skellytown-issues-boil-water-notice/ |
The Amarillo Symphony to host 52nd Greater Southwest Music Festival
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) —The Amarillo Symphony announced that over 10,000 students will perform in the Greater Southwest Music Festival.
Thursday through Saturday, April 28-30 the Amarillo Symphony is hosting the Greater Southwest Music Festival which will be held in the Amarillo Civic Center, the Globe-News Center, and at Amarillo College’s Washington St. campus.
“The Greater Southwest Music Festival has provided a beacon of excellence, inspiration, and encouragement for three generations of young performing musicians throughout the Texas Panhandle and parts of New Mexico and Oklahoma.” Said Dan Hanson, President of the GSWMF Committee.
Over those 3 days, The Amarillo Symphony said students will perform in concert settings with large bands, choirs, and orchestras; as well, through the Solo & Ensemble category, students get to compete and perform as vocal or instrumental soloists and in student-led chamber ensembles.
“By participating in the Greater Southwest Music Festival, students get the opportunity to perform side-by-side with their peers in a large ensemble, or as a solo performer focusing on the specific skills for their instrument or voice.” Said Irma-Esther Borup, Amarillo Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement Director.
The Amarillo Symphony said viewing performances are free to the public with no tickets necessary, ensembles will be performing from 8:00 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. each day of the festival. Full schedules of each performance can be found at amarillosymphony.org in the Education Greater Southwest Music Festival tab. | 2022-04-26T02:51:44Z | www.myhighplains.com | The Amarillo Symphony to host 52nd Greater Southwest Music Festival | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/the-amarillo-symphony-welcomes-students-to-the-52nd-annual-greater-southwest-music-festival/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/the-amarillo-symphony-welcomes-students-to-the-52nd-annual-greater-southwest-music-festival/ |
Heart Of The High Plains: Children’s Miracle Network Amarillo Chapter
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — For Lindsey Kinard, Director of the Children’s Miracle Network Amarillo Chapter, the mission is personal.
“I have a little boy, his name is Brecken, he’s 10. He was born with a congenital abnormality of his intestines,” Kinard said. “At three months old, he had emergency surgery and we spent a month in PEDI ICU.”
A few years later, another health issue popped up.
“When he was three, he was diagnosed with an illness called scalded staff skin syndrome,” she continued. “That’s when we realized he has some immune system issues.” Brecken is a trooper, and keeps pushing in spite of plenty treatments.
“I do breathing treatments,” he told us. “I have asthma, I do bloodwork a lot.”
Those experiences helped Kinard get a front seat perspective of what CMN families deal with.
“I know first hand what it’s like to talk to those families that find themselves in a crisis situation that they’re not expecting or maybe they can’t afford,” she emphasized.
Every one them, feeding right in to the network’s purpose.
“Our mission is to improve the quality of healthcare for children here in the Texas Panhandle,” she told KAMR.
In addition to the Panhandle, CMN serves a few counties in Oklahoma, New Mexico and one county in Kansas.
“We help anyone. People who have insurance, people that do not have insurance, we help middle class families, we help families that fall below that,” Kinard added.
To do all of this, non-profits like CMN need donations, and plenty of them.
“All the funds that CMN raises stays in the area. CMN is a national non-profit, but we’re a local chapter of that, and all funds stay local,” she noted.
As for her son Brecken, he’s doing alright.
“There’s a lot of kids, and they can be my friends,” he said.
The ability to help other families, “to be able to just be a ray of light, is a blessing that has affected my life, “Kinard emphasized. So, I know first hand, how it can impact the families we serve.”
Up next for CMN is the Homerun Derby on Friday, May 13th. For more information, click here. | 2022-04-26T14:25:51Z | www.myhighplains.com | Heart Of The High Plains: Children’s Miracle Network Amarillo Chapter | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/heart-of-the-high-plains/heart-of-the-high-plains-childrens-miracle-network-amarillo-chapter/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/heart-of-the-high-plains/heart-of-the-high-plains-childrens-miracle-network-amarillo-chapter/ |
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to an announcement from West Texas A&M University, a former athlete who played “at a time when women had to hustle not only in their sport but also for resources to play” will give almost $2 million towards scholarships for student-athletes and assistance for each of the university’s women’s athletics teams.
WT said that the donor is Judy Fugate, an Amarillo resident who played badminton and bowled for the school during the 1960s and 1970s. She’s set up the Judy Fugate Lady Buff Scholarship endowment, a $1.85 million gift to the One West fundraising campaign that will help ensure that top women athletes will receive annual scholarships.
Because this is the endowment’s first year, said WT, at least one athlete in every women’s sport at the University will receive a scholarship.
Further, WT said that the money will create the J. Fugate Fund for Lady Buffs Athletics, which will aim to provide program support for every women’s team.
“WT gave me the education to make a comfortable living and have a good life,” Fugate said, “I hope that, by endowing a scholarship, we can help young women who may not be as fortunate.”
As described by WT, Fugate competed during a time before Title IX was established to guarantee equal access and quality in athletic programs at federally funded educational institutions. During that time, Fugate and her teammates had to buy their own t-shirts to use as team uniforms, carpool with one another or their coach to games, and play on whichever team their coach could find due to an absence of an athletic conference for women’s sports.
“Judy, I can only imagine the challenges that you and many other Lady Buffs faced in order to compete,” said Dyke Rogers, co-chair of the One West campaign, “Thank you for your dedication and perseverance not only then, but now as you set an example for others to follow through your generous philanthropy.”
The gift from Fugate pushed the total amount raised in the One West campaign close to $110 million, according to the University. The campaign has a five-year goal of $125 million and went public in September 2021.
via WTAMU Facebook | 2022-04-26T16:40:51Z | www.myhighplains.com | WT alumna gives $1.8 million for women’s athletic scholarships, program support | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wt-alumna-gives-1-8-million-for-womens-athletic-scholarships-program-support/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wt-alumna-gives-1-8-million-for-womens-athletic-scholarships-program-support/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Xcel Energy announced that it is rebuilding an electronic transmission line in northern Carson County, south of Borger. Officials from the company said the line serves an important role in transporting water to the region’s cities and powering oil field activities.
“We’ve invested a lot of money expanding our transmission system over the past decade, but it’s equally as important to upgrade existing lines and substations that were put into service decades ago,” said David Hudson, president, Xcel Energy – Texas. “We have long been a partner in the development of energy-related industries in the Borger area and see opportunities for continued growth in that area.”
via Xcel Energy
According to Xcel, the Carson County project involves dismantling a 69-kilovolt line that runs almost 28 miles, from western Gray County through the Roxana oilfields and to the Hutchinson County Interchange. During the rebuild, the line will be made with steel poles and higher-grade conductor wire that Xcel said will boost the power delivery capabilities of the line. Much of the current line dates back to the 1960s.
Alongside oilfield customers, Xcel said the Roxana line supports the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, which delivers water from Lake Meredith and underground sources to thousands in its 11 member cities.
As these lines move electricity at high voltages into towns, cities, and industrial areas, Xcel said that expanding the region’s transmission system has been a top priority. The company said that it has invested more than $3 billion in capacity and reliability upgrades through its Power for the Plains initiative. | 2022-04-26T16:40:57Z | www.myhighplains.com | Xcel Energy rebuilding Carson County power line | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/xcel-energy-rebuilding-carson-county-power-line/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/xcel-energy-rebuilding-carson-county-power-line/ |
BORGER, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials from the city of Borger, as well as the Hutchinson County Office of Emergency Management, released information regarding an incident at the Borger Complex Tuesday afternoon.
According to a post made on the city’s Facebook page, officials said the Borger Complex experienced unit upsets associated with maintenance activities within the refinery. The complex also experienced controlled flaring onsite, the post said.
The incident caused nonessential personnel to be evacuated from the site, the post read. The refinery’s emergency shutdown systems functioned as they were designed, officials stressed, while all appropriate regulatory notifications were made.
Personnel from the Borger Complex were dispatched off-site to monitor air quality in the area, the post read. Data has indicated that there was no off-site impact. The cause of the incident continues to be under investigation. | 2022-04-26T22:32:26Z | www.myhighplains.com | Personnel evacuated after incident at Borger Complex Tuesday | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/personnel-evacuated-after-incident-at-borger-complex-tuesday/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/personnel-evacuated-after-incident-at-borger-complex-tuesday/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Bart Reagor is asking Amarillo Federal Court officials to extend his release period as his case continues the appeals process through the U.S. Fifth Court of Appeals, according to documents filed earlier this month.
According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, Reagor’s team officially filed an appeal in March after being found guilty of making false statements to a bank in October 2021. Reagor was sentenced to 168 months, or 14 years, in federal prison after he was convicted of intentionally using $1,766,277.77 out of a $10 million capital loan from the International Bank of Commerce (IBC) for personal gain after officials told the bank that it was solely to be used for the growth of the Reagor-Dykes Auto Group. A jury found Reagor not guilty on two counts of bank fraud.
The court documents, filed on April 22 by Reagor’s legal team, outline the reasons why they believe Reagor should continue his release through the appeal process, stressing their belief of why their appeal helps Reagor “meet the standard for such a release.” This includes the team claiming that Reagor continues to not be a flight risk, claiming that Reagor continues to not be a danger to himself and officials continuing to claim that there is no reason that the appeal is solely for the purposes of delaying the sentence.
The documents also outline Reagor’s health problems and his treatment regimen for treating Parkinson’s disease. Officials said that Reagor has been in treatment for Parkinson’s disease since May 2020.
“Allowing his release for the extra several months would allow him not to interrupt his current, complicated treatment regimen until it is certain that he will have to serve this sentence, something that will be known after the appeal is determined,” the documents read. “The consequences of an improper treatment regimen are very concerning. He will obviously have to deal with those consequences if his case is affirmed.”
In a declaration accompanying the motion, Reagor spoke about the treatment for his health issues, detailing the daily and weekly processes and how it would be impacted if he goes to prison and is ultimately released if Reagor’s legal team wins the appeal.
Reagor said the treatment regimen he is on now “cannot possibly be maintained inside a federal prison… unless it is followed or replaced by a treatment regimen that can be followed in the prison setting.” If this occurs, the symptoms have the chance to progress faster, which Reagor stressed could result in “a serious deterioration of (his) health and (could) possibly (shorten his) life expectancy.”
“I know I have to face the music of the sentence this Court has given me if the Judgment and sentence are affirmed on appeal. I only ask this Court to defer my surrender date so that if the case is reversed, I will not have been inside prison for long enough that the treatment regimen… will have been disturbed,” Reagor said in the documents. “Obviously, I will have to deal with that problem if my case is affirmed but given the fact that the appeal is proceeding quickly… I am not asking for a lengthy delay of my surrender date and I will certainly surrender whenever this Court tells me to surrender.”
Officials with Reagor’s legal team reached out to the prosecution to see if they would consent to the motion. According to the documents, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office “(do) not consent” to the motion for continued release pending appeal.
As of Tuesday, Reagor is required to self-surrender to federal prison before 2 p.m. May 9 to “whichever facility is designated for him by the Bureau of Prisons.” Amarillo Federal Court officials previously recommended that Reagor serve his term at the Federal Medical Center facility in Fort Worth with his ongoing medical issues. However, no designation has been sent to Reagor, according to his legal team. | 2022-04-26T22:32:32Z | www.myhighplains.com | Reagor’s team requests to extend release period during appeals process | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/reagors-team-requests-to-extend-release-period-during-appeals-process/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/reagors-team-requests-to-extend-release-period-during-appeals-process/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) –The Stagecoach Festival is coming up April 29th to May 1st. Below are some highlights from the event and how you can watch some of it from the comfort of your home.
This year YouTube and Goldenvoice have partnered up for an exclusive, first time live stream of the famed Stagecoach festival on YouTube’s global platform.
2022 marks YouTube’s 10th year partnering with Goldenvoice to stream some of their most coveted music festivals like Coachella and now Stagecoach.
The three-day festival will stream live for free on Stagecoach’s Official YouTube Channel from April 29 through May 1.
On the ground, fans can expect performances from over 50 of the biggest country music artists today, most of whom will appear on the festival livestream.
Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice’s Vice President of Talent, has been responsible for booking and producing the highly-anticipated festival.
Ali Rivera, YouTube’s Director of Live Music and West Coast Artist Relations, has been the driving force in developing and leading efforts for Stagecoach on YouTube.
Both executives are dedicated to bringing the magic of Stagecoach to a global audience, and they are here today to tell us more. | 2022-04-26T22:32:44Z | www.myhighplains.com | Stagecoach Festival Offering Fun in Las Vegas/Virtually on YouTube | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/stagecoach-festival-offering-fun-in-las-vegas-virtually-on-youtube/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/stagecoach-festival-offering-fun-in-las-vegas-virtually-on-youtube/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Two republican candidates are headed into a runoff race on Tuesday, May 24 for the position of 47th District Court Judge.
That court includes Potter, Randall, and Armstrong Counties.
In the March 1, 2022 primary election, local lawyers Dee Johnson and Joe Marr Wilson received 45% and 35% of the vote, respectively, taking them to a runoff.
No Democrats were running for that spot in the primary.
MyHighPlains.com spoke with both candidates on Tuesday, less than a month before election day in the runoff.
Joe Marr Wilson said he has been practicing law for the past 33 years, which he believes makes him the most qualified for the job.
“I’ve practiced mainly family and criminal law and a small amount of probate and civil law,” he said. “District Courts, while they can hear a whole lot of different things, these days they only hear pretty much criminal and family law cases. That’s what they spend 95% of their time doing.”
Marr Wilson said he is board certified by the State of Texas in criminal and family law and has represented more than 6,500 clients in those types of cases.
“My relationship with the prosecutors, law enforcement, and other lawyers, that would be litigating those family law cases, and criminal cases, I believe is excellent,” he said. “And I believe it would go a long way toward efficiently moving the court and really giving people the type of justice they deserve in this court.”
Joe Marr Wilson said his philosophy, if elected, would be to give lawyers with large caseloads room to work and represent their clients while still moving the justice system along.
“You need to be able to balance those things and give people a considered judgment, exercise compassion when compassion is needed, exercise toughness when toughness as needed,” he continued. “And then with family law cases to try to help people get to a position they can go on with their life after they’ve had, you know, a very serious, legal sort of hiatus in their life with regard to divorce custody, things of that nature.”
When asked why he thought he would be the right person to preside over the court, Joe Marr Wilson said, “I think this what this court needs someone that knows how to deal with family and criminal matters, because that’s what it’s going to do, nine-tenths of the time.”
He continued, “I have that experience and that expertise. My opponent just simply does not has never tried a family or criminal law case as far as I know, and would be a fine judge in a civil court somewhere but that’s not what this court is going to do.”
Click here to visit Joe Marr Wilson’s campaign website.
Given the chance to respond, his opponent Dee Johnson said, “This is a court of general jurisdiction. There are over 400 civil cases pending in this court, so civil litigation experience matters a lot. But I also do have experience in family and criminal law.”
Johnson said she has 32 years of experience as a lawyer who has tried cases all over the Texas Panhandle.
“I’m a true conservative who believes in enforcing the law as written not legislating from the bench and applying the law neutrally to everyone with no favoritism towards anyone,” said Johnson.
If elected, Johnson said she would work to clear the backlog of cases in the court.
“I would like to have scheduling orders in place. I would like to have extensive pretrial hearings before our jury arrives so that we can frame those issues for trial and we know what’s coming,” said Johnson. “I also would like to point out that about 10% of the cases that are filed actually proceed to trial. The other 90% just need somebody who has energy and strong management skills to get those things pushed through the system. And I have very strong management skills.”
Johnson encouraged voters to do their research before heading to the polls because it is an important election that will affect many people.
“I believe that character and integrity matter a great deal. I think they matter more than experience even,” Johnson added. “So, I think that when voters are looking at us at candidates, they need to be sure that we have the values that they want in a judge and they need to be sure that we have the character and integrity to be trusted with a position that will affect more than 250,000 people.”
Click here to visit Dee Johnson’s campaign website.
Election day is Tuesday, May 24 and early voting is from May 16 through May 20.
This runoff election is separate from the May 7 special election, which will include four Amarillo ISD bond proposals for voters in the district. | 2022-04-27T00:18:01Z | www.myhighplains.com | 47th District Court Judge candidates talk qualifications ahead of runoff election | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/47th-district-court-judge-candidates-talk-qualifications-ahead-of-runoff-election/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/47th-district-court-judge-candidates-talk-qualifications-ahead-of-runoff-election/ |
Amarillo VA bringing awareness to military sexual trauma
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Amarillo VA Health Care System announced it is hosting an event aimed at bringing awareness of sexual assault and awareness to military sexual trauma (MST).
“Chalk the Walk” will be hosted by the Amarillo VA on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of building 33 for Veterans to write or draw supportive messages for survivors of sexual assault and to bring awareness to MST.
The VA said it offers free counseling and treatment for Veterans and former service members for mental and physical health conditions related to MST. The VA said Veterans do not need to have reported the MST experience at the time or have documentation of it to receive care and may be eligible to receive those services even if they do not qualify for other VA care. | 2022-04-27T00:18:07Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo VA bringing awareness to military sexual trauma | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-va-bringing-awareness-to-military-sexual-trauma/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-va-bringing-awareness-to-military-sexual-trauma/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — A Randall County man was found guilty of “Assault Causes Bodily Injury-Family Violence” after a trial that began Monday, according to a Facebook post from the Randall County District Attorney, Robert Love.
According to the Randall County DA, Christopher Herrera was found guilty of “Assault Causes Bodily Injury – Family Violence” on Tuesday from an incident that happened in September of 2018.
In September 2018, Herrera was involved in an incident of domestic violence, according to the district attorney. After Herrera was found guilty, he and the state agreed to a punishment of a year of probation with the requirement that he have no contact with the victim involved and attend the Batterers Intervention & Prevention Protocol.
CHRISTOPHER HERRERA FOUND GUILTY OF ASSAULT CAUSES BODILY INJURY – FAMILY VIOLENCE – via the Randall County District Attorney | 2022-04-27T00:18:19Z | www.myhighplains.com | Randall County man found guilty on charges related to family violence | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/randall-county-man-found-guilty-on-charges-related-to-family-violence/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/randall-county-man-found-guilty-on-charges-related-to-family-violence/ |
U.S. Department of Commerce invests $1 million to support Guymon infrastructure
WASHINGTON (KAMR/KCIT) — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce is investing in the City of Guymon’s infrastructure and business growth.
The Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding $1 million to expand and improve the wastewater system at the city’s industrial park.
“President Biden is committed to supporting communities across the country as they work to Build a Better America,” said Raimondo. “This EDA investment in the city of Guymon will support new and existing business growth, creating a more diverse, robust regional economy.”
The department said the money will support the expansion of existing buildings and attract new ones. The EDA said the investment is expected to create 60 new jobs and generate $100 million in private investment. | 2022-04-27T03:42:41Z | www.myhighplains.com | U.S. Department of Commerce invests $1 million to support Guymon infrastructure | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/oklahoma/u-s-department-of-commerce-invests-1-million-to-support-guymon-infrastructure/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/oklahoma/u-s-department-of-commerce-invests-1-million-to-support-guymon-infrastructure/ |
These are questions that seem to linger over and over as restrictions lessen and mask-wearing becomes optional.
After two years of research, debates, vaccines, and several variants, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with PBS News Hour, that the U.S. is out of the pandemic phase.
According to USA Facts, over 200 million people, 60 percent of the U.S population, have been vaccinated.
“I think it’s still time to focus on where we can improve things with vaccinations, and keep our eye on things,” McNeal said. “There is still a slight uptick in cases across the country.
Dr. Fauci came up with his conclusion of the pandemic was over after assessing the effects of vaccinations.
He said in a statement, “When you combine the number of people who’ve been infected and those who are vaccinated, you have a rather substantial proportion of the United States population that has some degree of immunity that’s residual.”
“Certainly viruses can be difficult to predict, I don’t know that anyone person has all the answers on this,” McNeal said. | 2022-04-27T22:49:23Z | www.myhighplains.com | Is the U.S out of the pandemic phase? | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/life-health/health/coronavirus/is-the-u-s-out-of-the-pandemic-phase/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/life-health/health/coronavirus/is-the-u-s-out-of-the-pandemic-phase/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with Amarillo College announced Wednesday that the college has once again been short-listed for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence award. This comes after the college was awarded Aspen’s Rising Star award and honored as one of the top five community colleges across the nation in May 2021.
According to a news release from the college, the Aspen Institute announced 25 semifinalists for the award, consisting of community colleges throughout the country. The winner of the prize, which is given to a community college every two years, will receive $1 million.
The prize honors colleges throughout the United States with outstanding performance in five areas, including teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success and equitable outcomes for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.
“The Aspen Institute has its finger on the collective pulse of our nation’s community colleges like no other authority, anywhere, and to be listed among the semifinalists for next year’s award is gratifying in the extreme,” AC President Russell Lowery-Hart said in the release. “It’s a feeling that doesn’t get old, that once again humbles us and at the same time puts wind in our sails.”
According to the release, the committee from the Aspen Institute will review interviews with the college’s leadership teams and narrow down the semifinalists to 10 finalists, which is expected to be announced in June. Officials from the institute will conduct multi-day site visits to the finalists, announcing the top five and the Aspen Prize winner in the spring of 2023.
Other colleges announced as a semifinalist for the 2023 Aspen Prize include San Jacinto College, LaGuardia Community College and Southwestern Community College. | 2022-04-27T22:49:35Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo College named semifinalist for 2023 Aspen Prize | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-named-semifinalist-for-2023-aspen-prize/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-named-semifinalist-for-2023-aspen-prize/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with Amarillo College recently announced a new certificate program will soon be offered as part of the college’s academic options, pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
According to a news release from the college, Amarillo College’s Board of Regents approved the new Banking and Finance Certificate during Tuesday’s meeting. If the program is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the certificate program will be offered at the college in the fall.
The college’s new Banking and Finance Certificate consists of five courses, all credit hours of which can be applied toward an A.A.S. degree in Business Technology. The college partnered with area banks, including Amarillo National Bank, FirstBank Southwest, First United Bank and Happy State Bank. Courses include Financial Literacy, Principles of Bank Operations and Advanced Spreadsheets.
“The classes selected for the certificate were largely decided by our banking partners,” Lynne Kenney, instructor of computer information systems at the college, said in the release. “They wanted a diversity of classes in keeping with the skillsets they’re seeking.”
According to the release, the partner banks will offer job interviews to students who complete the certificate at a bank location with job openings.
“There are a lot of different roles in the banking industry, not only tellers and loan officers, but in areas like human resources and cybersecurity and accounting and marketing, and this certificate can be a launching pad for all that and more,” Rashmi Pillai, the Business Technology program coordinator for Amarillo College, said in the release. “Students who complete the certificate will not only be ready for entry-level positions, they will get a job interview if any of our partner banks have openings, and they can work part time if they choose to continue their education. We’re very excited about it.” | 2022-04-27T22:49:41Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo College offers new banking, finance certificate | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-offers-new-banking-finance-certificate/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-offers-new-banking-finance-certificate/ |
TURKEY, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The 50th Annual Bob Wills Day celebration will be a three-night affair starting Thursday, April 28 ending on Saturday, April 30 said officials of the Bob Willis Organization (BWO).
Event organizers from BWO said everyone is welcome, and there will be a different dance each night held at the Bob Wills Center. For every dance, guests will be given a new stapled ticket at the door of that night’s dance.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets will be $30.
Asleep at the Wheel at 7:30 p.m.
Billy Mata & the Texas Tradition at 9:30 p.m.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets will be $30.
Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts at 5:30 p.m.
Jake Hooker and the Outsiders at 9 p.m.
The South Plains College Western Swing Band 6 p.m.
Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys at 9 p.m.
Arts and crafts vendors will be on display in front of the Old School and inside classrooms. Food vendors & concessions will also be available in the Bob Wills Museum from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.
For more information on the 50th annual Bob Willis celebration, visit here. | 2022-04-27T22:49:54Z | www.myhighplains.com | 50th Annual Bob Willis Day celebration | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/hall-county/50th-annual-bob-willis-day-celebration/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/hall-county/50th-annual-bob-willis-day-celebration/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KMAR/KCIT) — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports Chelsea Ward, 27, of Louisville, Kentucky, was arrested on April 24 in Oldham County on drug charges.
Officers said they seized more than 11 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and an estimated 100 grams of suspected fentanyl pills after, a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper stopped Ward in Oldham County.
According to DPS, at around 5:30 p.m. a Trooper stopped a 2021 Honda Accord traveling east on I-40 near Vega for a traffic violation. The drugs were allegedly being transported from Yuma, Arizona to Louisville, Kentucky.
Officers report that Ward was arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and was transported and booked into the Randall County Jail.
DPS Special Agents and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were contacted and will now be investigating the case. | 2022-04-27T22:50:06Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 arrested, 11 pounds of meth found after a traffic stop in Oldham County | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/oldham-county/1-arrested-11-pounds-of-meth-found-after-a-traffic-stop-in-oldham-county/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/oldham-county/1-arrested-11-pounds-of-meth-found-after-a-traffic-stop-in-oldham-county/ |
Old Forester Master Taster Makes Mint Julep in Honor of Kentucky Derby
This segment is sponsored by Old Forester Distillery.
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) –It’s the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, which is coming up the first weekend of May.
The Kentucky Derby has a lot of traditions including the big hats, and the Mint Julep drink. Click here for details on Old Forester and the recipe for the drink.
Jackie Zykan, Master Taster of Old Forester
Jackie Zykan bartended her way through college in St. Louis, MO while studying biology and chemistry, however her career path changed once relocating to Louisville. Once in Kentucky, she returned to bartending as a means of getting to know the good folks of Louisville. She worked her way up to a beverage director position with a multi-concept restaurant group based in Louisville. As someone who is one to say yes to every opportunity that comes her way, Jackie grew a name for herself among the bourbon brands by picking up shaker-for-hire work as much as she could. The opportunity of being the Master Taster of Old Forester combines the best of both worlds, both bar and science. | 2022-04-27T22:50:30Z | www.myhighplains.com | Old Forester Master Taster Makes Mint Julep in Honor of Kentucky Derby | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/old-forester-master-taster-makes-mint-julep-in-honor-of-kentucky-derby/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/old-forester-master-taster-makes-mint-julep-in-honor-of-kentucky-derby/ |
Thousands of Students Participating in Greater Southwest Musical Festival
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) –On Thursday through Saturday, April 28 – 30 the Amarillo Symphony will welcome over 10,000 students to perform in the Greater Southwest Music Festival.
Founded in the Texas panhandle and hosted in downtown Amarillo, TX, the Greater Southwest Music Festival has been a longstanding pillar of the music community throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Emerging from the pandemic, the Amarillo Symphony is honored to continue the tradition of immersing directors and students in performance and networking opportunities where they can receive feedback from seasoned, prominent educators and adjudicators.
“The Greater Southwest Music Festival has provided a beacon of excellence, inspiration, and encouragement for three generations of young performing musicians throughout the Texas Panhandle and parts of New Mexico and Oklahoma.” Said Dan Hanson, President of the GSWMF Committee. “Since 1971, school concert bands, orchestras, choirs, jazz ensembles, show choirs, and soloists have enjoyed the competition, the camaraderie, and the opportunity to perform at this well-known and treasured music festival. The economic and arts impact for the Amarillo area is significant with several thousand eager musicians and their directors participating every year.”
Over the 3-day Festival, students perform in concert settings with large bands, choirs, and orchestras; as well, through the Solo & Ensemble category, students get to compete and perform as vocal or instrumental soloists and in student-led chamber ensembles.
“By participating in the Greater Southwest Music Festival, students get the opportunity to perform side-by-side with their peers in a large ensemble, or as a solo performer focusing on the specific skills for their instrument or voice.” Said Irma-Esther Borup, Amarillo Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement Director. “These invaluable experiences of performance and camaraderie influence student musicians through grade-school and beyond.”
Greater Southwest Music Festival will be held in the Amarillo Civic Center, the Globe -News Center and at Amarillo College (Washington St. campus). Viewing performances are free to the public with no tickets necessary, ensembles will be performing from 8:00am – 5:40pm each day of the festival.
Full schedules of each performance can be found at amarillosymphony.org in the Education > Greater Southwest Music Festival tab. | 2022-04-27T22:50:42Z | www.myhighplains.com | Thousands of Students Participating in Greater Southwest Musical Festival | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/thousands-of-students-participating-in-greater-southwest-musical-festival/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/thousands-of-students-participating-in-greater-southwest-musical-festival/ |
CLOVIS, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — The Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce announced the city of Clovis will be holding its first Founder’s Day in honor of the city’s 115th birthday on May 1.
The Clovis Action Team is organizing the first Founder’s Day celebration from May 1 to May 8 and is inviting the community to celebrate the city.
On Friday, the Clovis Action team said Mayor Mike Morris will issue a proclamation officially announcing May 1 as Clovis Founder’s Day. The public will be able to watch the official announcement on Facebook and throughout the week, the community is encouraged to wear items that display the Clovis logo. Clovis merchandise is available for purchase online or at a variety of local stores.
The organization also said that it is running a Founder’s Day Coloring Contest for kids in grades preschool through 12th. The contest goes through May 8 and more information can be found here. Winners will be awarded for numerous age categories and the winning designs will be publicly displayed and featured on limited edition postcards.
More on Founders Day can be found here.
Image via City of Clovis Facebook page. | 2022-04-28T03:09:23Z | www.myhighplains.com | Clovis celebrating first Founder’s Day | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/clovis-celebrating-first-founders-day/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/clovis-celebrating-first-founders-day/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Homes in Potter and Randall Counties are now worth more, according to the latest appraisals being sent out by the Potter-Randall Appraisal District. So, how do property owners fight the hike?
As MyHighPlains.com reported on Monday, PRAD said property values are up by 25% on average in Potter and Randall Counties, based on market values as of January 1, 2022.
“We’re looking at what the values should be based on what the market is doing and we’re just following what’s actually happening in the market. We’re not determining those values that are out there in the marketplace,” said Jeffrey Dagley, PRAD’s chief appraiser.
For Lige Murray, a property owner in Canyon, the appraisal notice came as a shock.
“My appraised value went up 50% from last year’s value, and it was a little more than I was expecting,” Murray said at the PRAD office on Wednesday. “I know, real estate has been going great guns. I understand that, but I’m not selling my house so I’m not cashing in on all this. So, you know, it’s worth me going through the steps to make sure everything is right on the tax rolls.”
Dagley said there are options for possibly lowering a property’s appraisal value, especially for those concerned about the potential property tax burden.
“If they feel like that value is too high, based on what’s actually going on in the market, or their particular property, they can file a protest,” said Dagley. “Once we go through that process, the protests can be resolved informally, we can do that, or can go to the Appraisal Review Board hearing to resolve the protest.”
Dagley said once the petition process is done, PRAD will certify an appraisal roll, sending it to the taxing entities where the process will begin to determine taxes on properties.
“If someone does want to file a protest, we’d encourage them to do that on our website. On the notice at the top right, there’s a website,” said Dagley. “It gives the online portal. It has an E-file pin there that the property owner can go to that website, they can file their protests online. It really just streamlines the process for us and we can communicate back and forth through that portal.”
For Murray, it was worth it to visit PRAD and see what his options were.
“They did suggest I submit a protest. They were very helpful. They walked me through completing the form, said in a couple of weeks, I’ll have a hearing date,” Murray said. “So, one step at a time.”
For those who might be hesitant to file a protest, in fear their new appraisals could increase further, Dagley said, “We’re not going to raise your value if you protest. We’re going to leave it where it’s at.” | 2022-04-28T03:09:41Z | www.myhighplains.com | How to protest PRAD property appraisals after 25% average increase | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/how-to-protest-prad-property-appraisals-after-25-average-increase/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/how-to-protest-prad-property-appraisals-after-25-average-increase/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to officials with the organizations, the Amarillo Area Foundation and Meadows Mental Health Institute are expected to announce a new initiative Thursday at an 11 a.m. event.
The event information released by the organizations said that the announcement will be made at the Amarillo Area Foundation center on Fillmore Street, and involve officials describing an “exciting mental health initiative that has the potential to change the way mental health is addressed in the Texas Panhandle.”
Officials noted that further information on the program would be made available at the event. | 2022-04-28T13:50:15Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo Area Foundation hosts mental health initiative announcement | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-area-foundation-hosts-mental-health-initiative-announcement/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-area-foundation-hosts-mental-health-initiative-announcement/ |
AMARILLO, Texas(KAMR/KCIT) — The United Family announced that a donation of more than 50,000 pounds of apples will be made across Texas and New Mexico to various organization, with the High Plains Food Bank set to receive 4,800 pounds of apples at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.
According to The United Family news release, “this donation marks a continuing commitment by United Supermarkets and Market Street as original partners of the Take a Bite Out of Hunger program,” sponsored by FirstFruits Marketing of Washington.
The program, The United Family detailed, was create by FirstFruits to help feed those in need while bringing attention to food insecurities in the United States. | 2022-04-28T13:50:27Z | www.myhighplains.com | The United Family to donate 4,800 apples to High Plains Food Bank | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/the-united-family-to-donate-4800-apples-to-high-plains-food-bank/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/the-united-family-to-donate-4800-apples-to-high-plains-food-bank/ |
A very humid and muggy start to the day. Temps this morning in the 50s and 60s with dewpoints in the 50s. When you combine these elements, they give us high humidity and muggy conditions. The fire threat returns to Panhandle for the next two days. There is either critical or elevated fire for this afternoon. A Fire Weather Warning in effect at noon until 8 p.m. There will be some breezy conditions throughout the day with the gusts between 25-30 mph. Highs for today will be in the 90s. A warning for Friday will also be in effect.
Rain chances look to return for Sunday. There is a greater chance for S/SE storms to develop but could all change as we get closer to the weekend. As of today, that is the area favored. Temps will fall into the 70s for the weekend as well. | 2022-04-28T13:51:53Z | www.myhighplains.com | Fire weather returns this afternoon | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/weather-headlines/forecast/fire-weather-returns-this-afternoon/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/weather-headlines/forecast/fire-weather-returns-this-afternoon/ |
Amarillo Museum of Art to host Panhandle Student Art Show
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the Amarillo Museum of Art released information regarding the upcoming Texas Panhandle Student Art Show, which is set to begin Friday at the museum, located at 2200 S. Van Buren St. on the Washington Street campus of Amarillo College.
According to a news release from the museum, the Texas Panhandle Student Art Show serves as the end-of-year student art exhibition, recognizing student artists throughout the area and giving them the chance to present art to the community.
Officials with the Amarillo Museum of Art said in the release that the exhibition consists of two parts, including art from students in grades K-12 as well as artwork portfolios from high school seniors. Eligible art will be judged by Amarillo College art professors for a number of awards, including the Best-of-Show Portfolio Award and Education Credit Union Georgia O’Keeffe Excellence in Art & Creativity Awards. Scholarships will also be awarded to eligible students.
The Texas Panhandle Student Art Show is scheduled to run through May 13. For more information, visit the museum’s website. | 2022-04-28T17:26:27Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo Museum of Art to host Panhandle Student Art Show | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/entertainment-news/amarillo-museum-of-art-to-host-panhandle-student-art-show/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/entertainment-news/amarillo-museum-of-art-to-host-panhandle-student-art-show/ |
Area sees potential for increased fire weather Thursday, Friday
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — According to area officials, the Amarillo area, along with the surrounding Texas Panhandle region, along with the surrounding areas of eastern New Mexico and the Oklahoma Panhandle, will have the potential for increased fire weather Thursday and Friday.
According to information from the Amarillo office of the National Weather Service, fire weather conditions are expected to continue Thursday through the majority of New Mexico as well as the western Texas Panhandle.
Officials from the Texas A&M Forest Service said Thursday that the forecast dictates that there will be high winds and low relative humidity in both the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, causing elevated fire conditions on Thursday and Friday. A lightning storm that traveled east along the Canadian River could also lead to an elevated initial response.
Because of the increased risk, officials with the Texas A&M Forest Service said they will continue to staff their offices in Amarillo, Childress and Lubbock. Officials also plan to have a task force based out of Canadian to have a quicker response in that area. Aviation resources are expected to be stationed in both Childress and Abilene.
Officials from the Randall County Fire Department said that Randall County is under a Red Flag Warning Thursday afternoon.
“Elevated to critical fire weather today for the western Texas Panhandle from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight,” the post reads. “Tomorrow will be more of the same, but will include the entire Texas Panhandle. Do not perform any outdoor activities that create sparks without having a spotter and appropriate extinguisher.”
‘Spinning Spurs’ fire in Oldham County; 746 acres, 100% contained
According to reports from the Oklahoma Forestry Services organization, Cimarron County, located in the western Oklahoma Panhandle, is under a Red Flag warning Thursday. More portions of the state are expected to be under a Red Flag Warning Friday.
According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, the majority of the area continues to be under a burn ban, including Potter and Randall Counties. | 2022-04-28T17:26:45Z | www.myhighplains.com | Area sees potential for increased fire weather Thursday, Friday | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/area-sees-potential-for-increased-fire-weather-thursday-friday/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/area-sees-potential-for-increased-fire-weather-thursday-friday/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Katie Quackenbush, the woman accused of shooting a homeless man on Music Row in 2017, has been found guilty of reckless endangerment.
Quackenbush had been accused of shooting Gerald Melton twice after an argument about loud music coming from her SUV and exhaust fumes.
Quackenbush took the stand Tuesday and claimed the shooting was an act of self-defense.
On Wednesday, the jury found Quackenbush guilty of reckless endangerment. She had been charged with attempted first-degree murder, but was not convicted.
When the verdict was read, Quackenbush could be seen sobbing in the courtroom. | 2022-04-28T17:26:51Z | www.myhighplains.com | Katie Quackenbush found guilty of reckless endangerment in 2017 shooting of homeless man | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/katie-quackenbush-found-guilty-of-reckless-endangerment-in-2017-shooting-of-homeless-man/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/katie-quackenbush-found-guilty-of-reckless-endangerment-in-2017-shooting-of-homeless-man/ |
CLOVIS, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — The Clovis Police Department announced on social media that open testing for new police officers will be available on Friday, May 6.
via Clovis Police Department’s Facebook page
The testing, according to Clovis PD, will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Clovis Community College track located at 417 Schepps Blvd. in Clovis. Clovis PD added that new recruits start at $19.16/hour. | 2022-04-28T20:35:06Z | www.myhighplains.com | Clovis PD looking for new recruits, wages starting at $19.16/hour | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/curry-county/clovis-pd-looking-for-new-recruits-wages-starting-at-19-16-hour/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/curry-county/clovis-pd-looking-for-new-recruits-wages-starting-at-19-16-hour/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — After hearing from both Bart Reagor’s legal team as well as the prosecution regarding a motion for Reagor’s continued release during the appeal process, Amarillo Federal Court officials ultimately denied the motion, keeping the original timeline set during Reagor’s sentencing hearing.
According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, Reagor’s legal team filed an appeal to the U.S. Fifth Court of Appeals in March after being found guilty of making false statements to a bank in October 2021. Reagor was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of intentionally using $1,766,277.77 out of a $10 million capital loan from the International Bank of Commerce for personal use after officials told the bank that it was solely to be used for the growth of the Reagor-Dykes Auto Group. That same jury found Reagor not guilty on two counts of bank fraud.
Reagor’s legal team previously argued the reasoning behind why they think Reagor should remain released throughout the appeal process, saying that some pieces of evidence as well as the initial trial timeline were questionable. Officials also said that Reagor continues to not be a flight risk and cited his ongoing medical issues, including Parkinson’s disease.
In a response to Reagor’s legal team, officials from the prosecution argued their belief that the argument which will be presented by Reagor’s team throughout the appeal is a “substantial question that overcomes being detained” during the appeal process. They also state that Reagor’s team has not demonstrated that the Federal Bureau of Prisons is not able to help Reagor with his ongoing medical conditions.
According to court documents filed Wednesday in Amarillo Federal Court, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, the United States District Judge who was the judge throughout the entire case, agreed with the government, stating that the evidence presented during the trial is sufficient for a “rational jury to conclude that (Reagor) was guilty of making a false statement to a federally-insured bank beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Regarding Reagor’s medical situation, Kacsmaryk said in the court documents that “wide latitude” was granted so Reagor’s legal team can request recommendations for medical care as well as facility placement.
With the motion being denied, Reagor is required to self-surrender to federal prison before 2 p.m. May 9 to “whichever facility is designated for him by the Bureau of Prisons,” according to previous reports. Amarillo Federal Court officials previously recommended that Reagor serve his term at the Federal Medical Center facility in Fort Worth with his ongoing medical issues. | 2022-04-28T20:35:18Z | www.myhighplains.com | Reagor’s release motion denied by Amarillo Federal Court judge | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/reagors-release-motion-denied-by-amarillo-federal-court-judge/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/reagors-release-motion-denied-by-amarillo-federal-court-judge/ |
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — A West Texas A&M University sophomore took home the top prize at WT’s 28th annual Student Research Conference earlier this month for her work on the origins of Palo Duro Canyon State Park, officials with WT announced.
Anna Bonnet, a sophomore agriculture media and communications major from Kenedy, won the award on April 7 for her oral presentation “The Civilian Conservation Corps: How Palo Duro Canyon Became a State Park,” WT detailed.
“I really wanted to go in-depth into why Palo Duro Canyon was named a state park instead of a national one,” Bonnet said. “Because so much of the land had already been privatized and held valuable resources like water, farmers and ranchers were reluctant to sell it to the federal government. However, the state of Texas did purchase more than 18,000 acres of canyon land from Chicago real estate agent Fred Emory, which then became a state park.”
WT explained that Bonnet’s research also examined the Civilian Conservation Corps’ role in developing the park as a publicly accessible destination with trails, bridges, buildings and the main road down to the canyon floor.
WT released the full list of this year’s Student Research Conference on the university’s website.
Photo of winner, Anna Bonnet courtesy of WT. | 2022-04-28T20:35:30Z | www.myhighplains.com | WT student takes research award for history of Palo Duro Canyon | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wt-student-takes-research-award-for-history-of-palo-duro-canyon/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wt-student-takes-research-award-for-history-of-palo-duro-canyon/ |
Interestingly, the only job respondents didn’t undervalue was scooping up dog poop. Americans were willing to pay $21 for someone else to clean up after their pup, compared to the $20 that the service usually costs. Overall, 78 percent of Americans say they’ve done a dirty chore themselves in order to save money.
When it comes to household chores, it’s the women who are more likely to get their hands dirty. Half of women say they do gross chores weekly, compared to just 40 percent of men. People who own their own homes are also more likely to get knee-deep in filth (47%) than renters (40%).
As for the little tips that ease the burden of doing chores, two in three respondents recommend cleaning as you go, so there’s less of a mess to take care of each time. Half the poll also plans ahead or breaks the work up into chunks. | 2022-04-28T20:35:55Z | www.myhighplains.com | Generation la-Z? 1 in 3 young adults never clean up their dog’s poop! | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/national/generation-la-z-1-in-3-young-adults-never-clean-up-their-dogs-poop/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/national/generation-la-z-1-in-3-young-adults-never-clean-up-their-dogs-poop/ |
WASHINGTON D.C. (KAMR/KCIT) — Joshua Munn, one of the members of the Munn family from Borger who was shown to have entered the U.S. Capitol unlawfully during the Capitol Attack on Jan. 6, 2021, has officially pleaded guilty to his involvement in the incident.
According to court documents, Munn pled guilty in the District of Columbia’s U.S. District Court to one count of “Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building,” during a remote plea agreement hearing hosting Thursday.
According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, Joshua Munn, along with Kristi Munn, Thomas “Tom” Munn, Dawn Munn and Kayli Munn, were shown through evidence from the FBI to have been inside the U.S. Capitol during the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, traveling from Borger to Washington D.C. This included posts and messages on Facebook as well as various videos and photos.
Borger family talks plea negotiations for alleged Jan. 6 involvement
Joshua Munn is expected to appear in-person for a sentencing hearing at 9:30 a.m. August 18. Until then, Joshua Munn will be out on personal recognizance, according to court documents.
Kristi, Thomas Dawn and Kayli Munn have until 12 p.m. on May 9 to let the court know whether any outstanding plea offers will have expired by May 13. If so, court documents said each of the parties are required to provide court officials with three proposed trial dates and a proposed motions schedule so officials can set a trial schedule at a hearing on May 13. | 2022-04-28T20:36:43Z | www.myhighplains.com | Joshua Munn pleads guilty to involvement in Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Attack | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/joshua-munn-pleads-guilty-to-involvement-in-jan-6-2021-capitol-attack/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/joshua-munn-pleads-guilty-to-involvement-in-jan-6-2021-capitol-attack/ |
Salmanzadeh to stand trial June 6 in Amarillo Federal Court
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas released information regarding the upcoming trial for Erfan Salmanzadeh, the person suspected of causing an explosion at a home in southwest Amarillo in July 2021.
According to court documents released Monday, Salmanzandeh’s trial is expected to begin at 9 a.m. June 6 in Amarillo Federal Court. The documents listed numerous dates for both the prosecution as well as for Salmanzadeh’s defense to follow.
This comes after Salmanzadeh recently pleaded not guilty after being federally charged with one count of possession of a destructive device in late July 2021. Salmanzadeh was also charged by the state with possession of components of explosives.
According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, first responders responded to a reported explosion at a home in the 3600 block of Lenwood Drive on July 2021, leading to 14 homes being evacuated. At the scene, officials found numerous explosive materials as well as an improvised explosive device, allegedly being linked to Salmanzadeh.
According to previous court documents, Salmanzadeh was ordered to be discharged from the facility he was hospitalized in and is “remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal until the time of trial.” This comes after he was found competent to stand trial after Amarillo Federal Court officials called a competency hearing prior to the proceedings. | 2022-04-28T23:26:08Z | www.myhighplains.com | Salmanzadeh to stand trial June 6 in Amarillo Federal Court | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/salmanzadeh-to-stand-trial-june-6-in-amarillo-federal-court/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/salmanzadeh-to-stand-trial-june-6-in-amarillo-federal-court/ |
by: Jackie Kingston
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is help available for you in our community and beyond. Call 911 or Family Support Services Domestic Violence Hotline, available 24 hours a day, 806-374-5433. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
If you think you are being stalked, call 911. This safety plan is also available from the Stalking Prevention Awareness Resource Center.
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) —Because of how domestic violence crimes are reported, the most recent data are from several years ago and show that the number of domestic violence homicides is low.
But local law enforcement and victim advocates who respond to domestic violence calls, right now, say they are seeing those cases more and more, and are implementing new tools to track those cases and get victims help.
In Texas, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence, 228 people were killed by their intimate partner in 2020.
In Amarillo the number of domestic violence incidents that end in homicide fluctuates.
“Unfortunately, a lot of our homicides here in Amarillo are domestic violence-related,” said Sgt. Carla Burr with the Amarillo Police Department.
Family Support Services Advocacy Director, Michelle Shields agrees, “Amarillo has kind of had an ebb and flow with domestic violence,” she said. “Probably six, seven years ago, we were leading the state and domestic violence homicides. And then we started to take some action as a community. And we saw that decrease, but we have seen the lethality starting to kind of creep up again, on the homicides.”
On April 1, 2022, law enforcement agencies adopted a new lethality assessment tool connecting high-risk victims with FSS advocates, within minutes.
“They have the victim answer questions, and then it determines whether that victim is in like immediate danger of further violence. And if so, then they make sure that victim knows, here are all the resources out there, like a shelter, counseling, all the different agencies in our community, all of this for you. So that you can prevent or so we can all do our best to keep you from being abused again, because it’s an immediate, you know, issue that could happen,” Sgt. Burr said.
Shields says this hands-on engagement with victims, has proven to save lives, “The thing that is really different is that we know that the greatest protective factor is a survivor having access to services immediately. And so that officer explaining to them that they need to be getting safety and services is another way of linking them to us. And there’s a trusting communication that’s happening that’s telling them that law enforcement believes we’re going to be able to help them.”
Shields says this tool may help identify other illegal behaviors, as well,
“With stalking, I think even victim services may have always been like on the back seat burner, to the person experiencing physical violence. But I think this information that we’re having we received and I think the screening tool that we have available, validates it in a really different way.”
Shields hopes the new lethality assessment will work to give law enforcement and prosecutors more information about the domestic violence calls so that stalking can be prosecuted more often.
Stalking crimes are even more difficult to quantify than domestic violence because often, that crime is combined with other domestic violence charges so it isn’t reported on its own, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. This new assessment tool takes note of those stalking behaviors, specifically.
“It’s able to compile like all of these acts of stalking, you know, the driving by the house multiple times like all the text messaging, we see that in intimate partner violence, we see it in sexual violence all the time. I mean, that’s a tactic that really wears down our victims. And so I do think that there’s room for us to do better as a community, when it comes to stalking and to see the fear and the damage it can cause,” Shields said.
Sgt. Burr said stalking and domestic violence incidents can happen to anyone–Any race, gender, and socioeconomic standing.
“A lot of really intelligent, smart, successful people get into relationships with people in their life, then they’re in an abusive relationship. And they’re like, I can’t tell anybody this is happening to me, because they’re gonna go, what the heck? What were you thinking?” Sgt. Burr said.
Shields says being ashamed of the circumstance is often a barrier that keeps victims from reaching out for help.
“I have worked with incredibly strong, powerful women who are helping build programs to empower women and to have safe lives, that are experiencing abuse in their own home and being dragged down the hallway by their hair at night,” Shields said.
Both Shields and Sgt. Burr said while law enforcement, perpetrators, and victims have roles in lowering the domestic violence rate, our community has to step up, too.
“That’s the other thing is people aren’t well, it’s not in my business until it happens to me. But you know, that’s not true. I mean, as a community, we should be looking out for each other” Sgt. Burr said.
If not speaking up to law enforcement, saying something about inappropriate behavior you may have seen can help the victim, too.
“One of the greatest things you can do is sometimes just sit with someone in their hurt and their pain, and validate that,” Shields said, “When someone expresses something to that you, just sitting with them, and hearing that, and validating it can really give somebody strength to maybe make a change in their life and create some safety.”
Sgt. Burr said a major indicator of future violence is threatening violence by hitting walls or throwing furniture, and if your intimate partner is doing that… It is time to get help.
If you’re concerned that you might be in an abusive relationship, there is help for you here in our community. | 2022-04-29T01:01:33Z | www.myhighplains.com | Tracking Domestic Violence in Amarillo | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/tracking-domestic-violence-in-amarillo/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/tracking-domestic-violence-in-amarillo/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The City of Amarillo said it has seen an increase in its taxable values as appraisal values for properties in Potter and Randall Counties rise.
Laura Storrs, the City’s assistant city manager and chief financial officer, said the City received its estimated taxable values from the Potter-Randall Appraisal District earlier this week.
Storrs said they receive the values in total within city limits.
“What we received was an increase in those taxable values from what the taxable values were in the prior year,” said Storrs on Thursday. “What that means—and at this point, it’s just an estimate for us—that gives time for, if there’s residence or commercial properties that want to work with PRAD on the values, whatever that may look like, our final certified values will not come until July 25 from PRAD.”
According to Storrs, as values increase, it produces more money for taxing entities.
“It works kind of like a seesaw. So, as values go up, you actually need less tax rate to produce the same money,” she said. “The vice versa is true. As your values go down, you need a greater tax rate in order to produce the same amount of money. So with greater values, the same tax rate would produce more money.”
When asked whether the City would adjust its tax rate, Storrs said, “It’s too soon to tell at this point. State law has changed over the last couple of years. Senate Bill two came out and it lowered the amount that a governing body can increase a tax rate, or increase the tax revenue from a tax rate. It used to be at an 8% amount over the prior year. Now, that is lowered to a 3.5% increase in tax revenue for maintenance and operations over the prior year.”
She continued, “If we hit that 3.5% cap, our city council will have to make a decision. They will have to say, ‘Okay, we either want to make it be whatever the cap is, or we would have to,’ they would have to call an election and go to an election.’ Early estimates indicate that we could potentially reach that cap without any change in the current tax rate.”
Storrs said the City has not started its budget workshops with the city council, which will occur in the summer. She said they will know more at that point.
She said property tax revenue goes into the City’s general fund.
“Our general fund funds the majority of our public services, from things like police, fire, streets, traffic, libraries, parks, and so on,” Storrs added. “So, it’s the bulk of our services that we provide out in the community.”
However, she said the City is dealing with inflation in its daily operations.
“Anytime we receive additional money, that helps to cover some of the increased costs that we’re incurring, just to do the normal day in, day out operations that we provide.” | 2022-04-29T01:05:46Z | www.myhighplains.com | City of Amarillo sees increase in taxable values as property appraisals rise | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/top-stories/city-of-amarillo-sees-increase-in-taxable-values-as-property-appraisals-rise/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/top-stories/city-of-amarillo-sees-increase-in-taxable-values-as-property-appraisals-rise/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Amarillo Fire Department responded to the 1000 block of Nelson Street Friday morning after a fire was reported on a property.
According to MyHighPlains.com crew from the scene, the emergency response to the fire led to Nelson Street being blocked off from traffic.
The fire was reported by officials to be extinguished before 8:30 a.m. and further noted that the house on the property was empty.
More information will be released as it becomes available, according to officials, but the investigation into the fire was reported to still be in progress. | 2022-04-29T14:40:26Z | www.myhighplains.com | Nelson Street closes Friday morning during fire response | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/nelson-street-closes-friday-morning-during-fire-response/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/nelson-street-closes-friday-morning-during-fire-response/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Amarillo Zoo will have multiple events throughout the month of May.
They will be giving guided zoo tours on Saturday, May 7, where you can explore the zoo and hear stories of some of the famous Animal Ambassadors. You can learn about the origins of the zoo and take a look behind the scenes. Tickets are $10 per person, including regular admission. You can buy your tickets on the Amarillo Zoo website.
Every Saturday beginning on May 14 and running through August 13, the zoo will be hosting Safari Saturdays. They will have a Safari show at 11 a.m. with some of their education staff and you can meet some of the animal ambassadors up close. They will also have Keeper Chats and Animal Enrichments at 1 p.m. You can follow their Facebook and Instagram to see the full schedule.
And don’t forget about Endangered Species Day. The Zoo will be celebrating on May 21 with all kinds of ways to learn more about critically endangered animals. Learn more about the harms of the illegal pet trade and meet a few animals that were saved from that industry. They will feature the Bengal Tiger and talk about how the world’s largest cat species is getting closer to extinction. You can also see the black-footed ferret, Filly, and learn more about the amazing comeback of the Prairie Bandit. | 2022-04-29T14:41:03Z | www.myhighplains.com | The Amarillo Zoo introduces Maple the Pancake Tortoise | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/today-in-amarillo/the-amarillo-zoo-introduces-maple-the-pancake-tortoise/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/today-in-amarillo/the-amarillo-zoo-introduces-maple-the-pancake-tortoise/ |
ARMSTRONG COUNTY, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), one person was killed and another was airlifted after a Friday morning crash on US 287, around seven miles west of Claude.
Officials described that the accident happened at around 7 a.m. Friday and involved one vehicle. While one person was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash, another was airlifted to a hospital by Life Star services.
While DPS officials said that US 287 around the area of the crash was closed at the time, it was open once again by around 9 a.m. While the investigation is, officials said that further information would be released as it becomes available.
This fatal crash follows another on US 287 in Armstrong County earlier this week, that killed five people. | 2022-04-29T17:12:15Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 dead, 1 airlifted after Friday morning US 287 crash | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/armstrong-county/1-dead-1-airlifted-after-friday-morning-us-287-crash/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/armstrong-county/1-dead-1-airlifted-after-friday-morning-us-287-crash/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Earlier this week, White House Health Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the country is coming out of the pandemic phase of COVID-19.
With the country exiting the pandemic phase and entering an endemic phase, many health experts are breathing a little easier now.
“The first word I would think of is relieved,” said Scott Milton, M.D, FACP, Regional Medical Director for the Department of State Health Services. “This is a good thing.”
You might be asking yourself, ‘What’s the difference between a pandemic and an endemic?’.
“A pandemic is obviously what we’ve seen the last two years, which is uncontrolled spread of a virus across multiple communities, or countries,” said Dr. Brian Weis, Chief Medical Officer at Northwest Texas Healthcare System.
“When you’re talking about endemic, you’re talking about now a certain area where you find an outbreak, a geographic area limited to certain communities or to a certain time of year, so there’s a seasonality to endemics,” he said.
Dr. Weis added that a good example of seasonal endemics are influenza and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) for kids.
The phasing down of covid-19 will have an effect in a few areas, from a medical standpoint, “is there a seasonality to it? We really have to have a way of detecting when it hits us, so there’s a surveillance mechanism,” Dr. Weis said. “Once you do detect it, you have to be able to care for people that get sick with it.”
Dr. Weis told KAMR that plans for isolation, protection of staff, medications, would need to be implemented.
Then there’s the different ways of re-assessing resources due to changes in demand.
“We have vaccination teams that have assisted the state for this period of time, and because sheer number of vaccination has gone down remarkably, we won’t need those contracted teams,” said Dr. Milton.
Despite the devastation and tragedy surrounding the pandemic the last two years, both Dr. Weis and Dr. Milton say they’re proud of how the medical community and humanity has responded.
“That’s the way science works, it starts usually with a small bit of knowledge, and then it grows over time and you’re able to apply that, and that’s what I’m most proud of,” Dr. Milton emphasized.
“We’ve also seen some spectacular science, we’ve seen some spectacular humanity and the goodness of humanity, and the spirit of community,” Dr. Weis said. | 2022-04-29T17:12:21Z | www.myhighplains.com | COVID-19 moves into endemic phase, what’s the difference? | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/covid-19-moves-into-endemic-phase-whats-the-difference/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/covid-19-moves-into-endemic-phase-whats-the-difference/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Texas Panhandle War Memorial is set to host a candlelight vigil in support of the people of Ukraine from 7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4 at the Veterans Memorial Park, located at 4111 S. Georgia.
According to the Texas Panhandle War Memorial, opera singer Eric Barry will perform and Karolina Exposito, an Amarillo resident and native of Poland, will share her story about a recent trip she took to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees who fled to Poland.
In addition, the War Memorial detailed that Glenda Moore from Kind House Ukraine Bakery of Amarillo will speak about her non-profit and will provide treats. All donations made for the treats will go directly to “help the orphans and those who live in the war zone of Ukraine.”
The Texas Panhandle War Memorial asked attendees to bring cards of encouragement to send to the Ukrainian people along with a candle to light, or a flashlight, as the sun begins to set during the vigil.
For more information on the vigil visit the Texas Panhandle War Memorial website.
via Texas Panhandle War Memorial Facebook | 2022-04-29T17:12:27Z | www.myhighplains.com | Texas Panhandle War Memorial to host vigil for Ukraine | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/texas-panhandle-war-memorial-to-host-vigil-for-ukraine/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/texas-panhandle-war-memorial-to-host-vigil-for-ukraine/ |
Sam Johnson, a former CEO of a healthcare company, says he and his family were subjects of online harassment after a video of the confrontation started circulating in April 2021.
Cellphone video was taken April 24, 2021, captured Dalton Stevens, a then-senior at Franklin High School, being ridiculed by a man later identified as Johnson — seen saying “you look like an idiot” to Stevens. | 2022-04-29T23:43:29Z | www.myhighplains.com | TN man who confronted boy in prom dress suing Kathy Griffin over viral video of incident | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/national/tn-man-who-confronted-boy-in-prom-dress-suing-kathy-griffin-over-viral-video-of-incident/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/national/tn-man-who-confronted-boy-in-prom-dress-suing-kathy-griffin-over-viral-video-of-incident/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — If you’ve never been axe throwing, this might be the perfect opportunity.
JNC Axe Pit is offering people 15 minutes of free axe throwing on May 2nd from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bring closed-toed shoes, some friends, and a great attitude. Along with the 15 minutes of free throwing, you can check out their location and keep it in mind when planning out future birthday, business, bachelor/bachelorette parties and more. | 2022-04-29T23:44:00Z | www.myhighplains.com | JNC Axe Pit Offering Free Fun on May 2nd | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/jnc-axe-pit-offering-free-fun-on-may-2nd/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/jnc-axe-pit-offering-free-fun-on-may-2nd/ |
“One Day of Victory” Benefitting 24 Hours in the Canyon
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — 24 Hours in the Canyon provide great resources for those battling cancer. On April 30th you have the chance to help them out while getting lunch or dinner.
“One Day of Victory” is taking place at both 575 Pizzeria locations from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.. On that day 575 Pizzeria is giving back 20% of their proceeds to 24 Hours in the Canyon.
Along with that, Access Community Credit Union is also matching donations up to $10,000. Someone will also win a free two-topping large pizza every week for 14 weeks. You can sign up for that from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hillside location. | 2022-04-29T23:44:06Z | www.myhighplains.com | “One Day of Victory” Benefitting 24 Hours in the Canyon | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/one-day-of-victory-benefitting-24-hours-in-the-canyon/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/one-day-of-victory-benefitting-24-hours-in-the-canyon/ |
Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center celebrates Military Appreciation Month
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials from the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center invite us to celebrate Military Appreciation Month in May. The war memorial invited the community to celebrate vents will be held in the Texas Panhandle War Memorial museum Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 1 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The War Memorial events include:
May 4 The War Memorial will host a Vigil for Ukraine in our Veterans Park at 7:30 p.m.
May 6 is Military Spouse Day. This is a day to honor the spouses of our military members and thank them for the sacrifices they endure for their military spouses.
May 21 is Armed Forces Day. The flag is flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset.
June 4 the War Memorial will host a car show from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
May 30 Memorial Day the War Memorial will hold its traditional Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m.
Congress designated May as Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to allow the public to show their appreciation for the present and past service members. Military Appreciation Month is typically celebrated by parades, festivals, and shopping discounts for military personnel and veterans.
For more information about The Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center events, visit here. | 2022-04-30T01:37:34Z | www.myhighplains.com | Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center celebrates Military Appreciation Month | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/texas-panhandle-war-memorial-center-celebrates-military-appreciation-month/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/texas-panhandle-war-memorial-center-celebrates-military-appreciation-month/ |
Today will start out with lows in the cool 40’s. As the day unfolds, a sunny sky is expected with north winds of 5 to 20 mph. Temperatures look to hover in the comfortable 70’s and low 80’s this afternoon. Amarillo should top out close to 75. No rain is expected, but could return for tomorrow, May 1. Scattered showers and thunderstorms look possible with some marginally severe weather. Pockets of hail, high winds, lightning, and heavy rain will be the main hazards. Temperatures will continue in the 70’s and low 80’s. The 80’s should continue on Monday and Tuesday, followed by return to the 70’s for Wednesday, with additional thunderstorms. | 2022-04-30T13:17:59Z | www.myhighplains.com | Weekend Weather Outlook | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/weather-headlines/forecast/weekend-weather-outlook-59/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/weather-headlines/forecast/weekend-weather-outlook-59/ |
Kind House Ukraine Bakery holds Run Your Bun for Ukraine
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Runners and walkers from all across the High Plains came out to support Kind House Ukraine Bakery’s Run Your Buns for Ukraine.
John Stiff Memorial Park was the place to be Saturday morning as over 200 runners and walkers came out to help raise funds for the country of Ukraine.
“It’s so overwhelming to see everybody here. I know that it is going to be a beautiful day, so I know we are expecting between 200 and 300 people here, so it’s going to be a great wonderful time,” said Glenda Moore, owner of Kind House Ukraine Bakery.
Moore said people as far as Chicago signed up to run in the race.
She added they raised over $30,000 in sponsorships for the event.
Also at the event, the bakery had shirts for sale and 600 cinnamon rolls for those who came out.
Moore said Kind House has been doing all it can to support Ukraine since 2013.
“We watched the first war that came about in 2014 and when that happened and just the way the Ukrainian people standing up for what they believe in, standing up for their rights,” said Moore.
Deborah Ozuah, one of the participants in Saturday’s run said this event shows that the Ukrainian people are not alone.
“They should know people are standing behind them and that they are not ignored and that we see. I feel the injustice of it all. It’s 2022 and other countries should not be going in and trying to take over other countries at this point,” said Ozuah.
Moore said she wants people to take away a sense of love and generosity from this event.
“I hope people come today and they see people loving each other and giving to each other and giving to other people, people they have never met, people they may never meet. Just from their heart. I just pray we come together as a community and learn what freedom is and learn what it is to love and give to one another,” said Moore.
On Monday, the bakery will be shipping off medical supplies which have been collected from two area doctors. Those supplies will be shipped to two hospitals in the areas of Kyiv and Niko.
If you were not able to make it out to the race Saturday morning, Moore said that you can get some treats from the Kind House website as well as donate. | 2022-04-30T22:17:21Z | www.myhighplains.com | Kind House Ukraine Bakery holds Run Your Bun for Ukraine | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/kind-house-ukraine-bakery-holds-run-your-bun-for-ukraine/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/kind-house-ukraine-bakery-holds-run-your-bun-for-ukraine/ |
BEAVER COUNTY, Okla. (KAMR/KCIT) – One person is dead after a wreck in Beaver County.
It happened just before 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 1 on US-270, about three miles east of Gate.
According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), Benny Joe Slobko, 59, of Wichita, Kansas, failed to negotiate a curve in the road. OHP said Slobko drove off the road and hit a delineator and then drove into the barrow ditch, causing the vehicle to roll.
OHP said Slobko was pinned for about two hours before being extracted by the Laverne Fire Department.
Slobko died at the scene from his injuries. | 2022-05-01T17:18:37Z | www.myhighplains.com | Kansas man dead after Beaver County wreck | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/beaver-county/kansas-man-dead-after-beaver-county-wreck/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/beaver-county/kansas-man-dead-after-beaver-county-wreck/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — As severe weather rolls into the area Sunday night and as severe weather season continues, how prepared are you?
“By now, I hope you have your plan in place because we are in our traditional severe weather season and now coming up to the crux of our tornado season, it actually peaks during memorial day weekend,” said Chief Meteorologist John Harris.
John said folks on the High Plains need to be ready to go and have a plan in place if severe weather hits the area. He said if a tornado is to touchdown, your family needs to have a safe place to shelter.
“If you have a cellar or basement, of course, that’s the safest place to be. If you are out of time, then basically go to the center of that house or apartment into a bathroom and protect yourself with pillows, blankets, towels, put on heavy winter coats, bicycle helmets if you have it, and hunker down,” said Harris.
John added to make sure you have a safety kit with you when you take shelter that includes water and non-perishable foods.
“Have that as your safety kit, along with the flashlight, the batteries, the cellphone, we used to say transistor radio, which was a radio with batteries, and then have that safety kit ready to go,” said Harris.
He said the first line of defense inside your home should be your electric devices like TV, radio, or cellphones.
“The tornado sirens are meant to be heard outdoors and not indoors, so you don’t want to use that as your first line of defense. The sirens are meant to be heard if you are at Hodgetown watching a baseball game or walking out in the park to get back in,” said Harris.
John also reminds people to not go out and chase tornados or get a video of the tornado and severe weather.
“It’s not smart. You may get into a situation where you can’t get out of it where you were protected, along the same lines as if you left your house to get away from a tornado. What I would just worry about is protecting yourself. That is the main thing,” said Harris.
John also reminds people to have their cell phones fully charged and ready to go in case of a severe weather situation. He added you can also get the KAMR Local Four weather app and set it to your location for up-to-date weather info. | 2022-05-01T23:10:17Z | www.myhighplains.com | Weathering the Storm: Tips to keep you safe as severe weather strikes | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/weathering-the-storm-tips-to-keep-you-safe-as-severe-weather-strikes/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/weathering-the-storm-tips-to-keep-you-safe-as-severe-weather-strikes/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Amarillo Crime Stoppers is asking for help finding a 2012 black Chevrolet Silverado for this week’s “Stolen Auto Day,” reported stolen on Thursday, April 28.
According to Crime Stoppers, the car was stolen from the 900 block of S. Austin. It should display Texas License, RBT-9764, and the last six of the VIN are 139928. | 2022-05-02T15:24:03Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo Crime Stoppers ‘Stolen Auto Day’ – 2012 Chevy Silverado | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-crime-stoppers-stolen-auto-day-2012-chevy-silverado/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-crime-stoppers-stolen-auto-day-2012-chevy-silverado/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Many people from Amarillo have concerns about the recent increase in property tax appraisals. We had The Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee for Amarillo Association of Realtors (AAR), Debbie Walker come on Today in Amarillo on Monday to give us a deeper understanding of what is going on.
According to Walker, the property taxes we pay to the city, county, school, and other taxing entities are actually determined by each entity’s annual budget. If the budgets go up, taxes go up. If budgets go down, taxes would go down. The appraisals we received recently determine what portion of the budget we will pay.
Walker said, if the value of all the property inside the city limits of Amarillo was worth $100 and the annual budget for the city is $1, the tax rate for the city would be 1% of the value of your property. If the property values went up and now all the property is in the city is worth $200 and the budget is still $1, the tax rate lowers to 0.5%. That is the situation that a lot of Amarillo residents are in right now.
Walker stated, taxing entities can approve a budget increase up to 3.5% from the previous year without voter approval, but anything above that amount would need to have voter approval.
If you are looking to protest your appraisal, you can do so until May 23 and you can find the instructions on the tax appraisal sent to you.
You are also encouraged to double-check your tax exemptions and notify the appraisal district if you believe they are eligible for Homestead, age, disability, or any other exemptions.
You can contact any member of the Amarillo Association of Realtors or visit knowyourtaxes.org for more information. You can also read some of our continuing coverage of this issue over here and get a look at the propositions proposing to lower property taxes for some Texans here. | 2022-05-02T15:25:10Z | www.myhighplains.com | The Amarillo Association of Realtors speaks with us about Property Tax Appraisals | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/today-in-amarillo/the-amarillo-association-of-realtors-speaks-with-us-about-property-tax-appraisals/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/today-in-amarillo/the-amarillo-association-of-realtors-speaks-with-us-about-property-tax-appraisals/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — For Frames Of Love co-owner Carol Mckinney, the project is personal.
“I lost a child when he was 10,” McKinney said. “Actually Shannon was the photographer who took pictures of my kids, a week before we lost a son.”
Those pictures of her son Graham, have provided a lifetime of sweet memories for McKinney and her family.
“It’s been 20 years for us, and we still have those pictures everywhere,” she said. “It’s just so awesome to be able to look back and think about him, and talk about those memories we had with him.”
The mission of Frames Of Love is more than just capturing photos, it’s about capturing hearts, at the toughest point in a family’s life.
“To serve families that have lost a baby, to get pictures of their little baby,” McKinney emphasized. “So that they’ll have something to treasure.”
Frames Of Love started by way of humble beginnings.
“It was born in carol’s home in December 2012”, said Co-owner Shannon DeFord.
They took their first call in January 2013.
“Oh my God! It was terrifying!,” DeFord said laughing. “The sweat was just dripping down our back.”
But, in the midst of uncertainty, DeFord and McKinney kept believing and kept pushing.
Heart Of The High Plains: Turn Center of Amarillo
“We weren’t totally sure what we were doing, but we knew God had laid this on our hearts and we were ready to go forward,” DeFord emphasized.
McKinney says the lesson she can teach others through her son Graham, is that someone understands what they’re going through.
“Even though it doesn’t feel like you’re going to be ok right now,” she said emphatically. “I promise with some time and the Lord’s healing in your heart, you’re going to be ok.”
For more information on Frames Of Love, including services and how you can donate, click here. | 2022-05-02T18:22:06Z | www.myhighplains.com | Heart Of The High Plains: Frames Of Love | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/heart-of-the-high-plains/heart-of-the-high-plains-frames-of-love/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/heart-of-the-high-plains/heart-of-the-high-plains-frames-of-love/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Amarillo College announced that it will host a “Women in Industry” event on its East Campus Tuesday, aimed at offering information to women who want to learn about technical-career opportunities.
From 10:30 a.m. to noon, Amarillo College said that participants will have a chance to get their hands dirty and to tour locations dedicated to careers in machining, instrumentation, aviation, welding, public service, and diesel and automotive technology.
Lunch will be provided, according to the college, and the event will also feature a panel discussion including representatives from local industry partners. | 2022-05-02T18:22:12Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo College hosts ‘Women in Industry’ tours, panel | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-hosts-women-in-industry-tours-panel/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-hosts-women-in-industry-tours-panel/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Amarillo Police Department said that it is investigating an early morning Monday robbery that happened at a gas station in the 2100 block of South Western.
According to police, officers responded to the gas station on an armed robbery call at around 7:11 a.m. Monday. Described by police, a man entered the store and went behind the checkout counter, where he pointed a gun at the clerk and grabbed items before leaving out the door.
No injuries were reported during the incident, according to police, but the suspect is still at large.
Police described the suspect in the robbery as a man wearing a ball cap with a red bill, a black hooded sweatshirt, a black mask, black pants, and black shoes.
Anyone with information on the incident was asked to call the Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 274-4400. Tips can also be given anonymously online at www.amapolice.org or on the Amarillo Crime Stoppers P3 mobile app. | 2022-05-02T18:22:18Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo police searching for armed robbery suspect | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-police-searching-for-armed-robbery-suspect-2/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-police-searching-for-armed-robbery-suspect-2/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Amarillo Crime Stoppers have asked the community for help identifying an assault suspect after an April 15 incident.
According to Crime Stoppers, on Friday, April 15, an unknown man assaulted a store clerk at a convenience store in the 1400 block of Amarillo Boulevard E. The suspect was seen leaving the scene of the incident in a maroon Jeep Commander.
Anyone with information on the incident or the suspect was asked to call the Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by using the P3 Tips App. If your tip leads to an arrest, Crime Stoppers said you could earn a reward of up to $1,000.
“Say It Here” with Amarillo Crime Stoppers. | 2022-05-02T18:22:30Z | www.myhighplains.com | Crime Stoppers searching for convenience store assault suspect | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/crime-stoppers-searching-for-convenience-store-assault-suspect/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/crime-stoppers-searching-for-convenience-store-assault-suspect/ |
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — West Texas A&M University students are set to cross the stage during three commencement ceremonies on May 7 in the First United Bank Center, according to officials with WT.
WT will see nearly 1,600 students graduate this spring semester, and officials released the following schedule of events:
9:00 a.m. ceremony: Students from the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business;
12:30 p.m. ceremony: Students from the College of Engineering and the College of Nursing and Health Science;
4:00 p.m. ceremony: Students from the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences and the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities.
Doors will open to the public an hour before each ceremony begins, with WT adding that seating is open on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the ceremonies.
Each ceremony, officials said, is expected to last up to two hours, and guests can meet their graduates outside of the center. In addition, parking will be available at the center, with overflow parking available behind the Agriculture Sciences Complex and behind Virgil Henson Activities Center.
WT explained that graduates should arrive one hour before their ceremony is scheduled to begin and check in with their college. Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Engineering and Education and Social Services students will enter the north door of the center. Business, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Fine Arts and Humanities students will enter the south door.
A livestream will be available HERE. | 2022-05-02T18:22:36Z | www.myhighplains.com | WT sets commencement ceremonies for May 7 | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wt-sets-commencement-ceremonies-for-may-7/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wt-sets-commencement-ceremonies-for-may-7/ |
OSBI investigating shooting death after police standoff in Hooker
HOOKER, Okla. (KAMR/KCIT) — The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reports that it is currently investigating the death of a man after a standoff with the Hooker Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, according to a post on the OSBI’s Facebook page.
According to the OSBI, The Hooker Police Department tried to stop a vehicle being driven by Scott Osborn, 47 at around 7 p.m. in Hooker.
Police said that Osborn led police on a short chase that ended at the intersection of Jefferson St and Panhandle St. Police continue to say that Osborn got out of his vehicle with a gun and a standoff began that lasted almost three hours.
The OSBI’s post states that Osborn did not comply with instructions to put down his gun after negotiations with officers eventually pointed his weapon at police and shots were fired.
The post states that Osborn was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Hooker Police Department, Texas County Sheriff’s Office, District One District Attorney’s Task Force, and Goodwell Police Department were all on the scene at the time of the standoff. The OSBI said the investigation is still ongoing. | 2022-05-02T20:58:41Z | www.myhighplains.com | OSBI investigating shooting death after police standoff in Hooker | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/oklahoma/osbi-investigating-shooting-death-after-police-standoff-in-hooker/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/oklahoma/osbi-investigating-shooting-death-after-police-standoff-in-hooker/ |
WASHINGTON (KAMR/KCIT) — Representative Ronny Jackson (TX-13) responded on Monday to a letter that he received from the January 6 Committee.
The letter from the “Select Committee” investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol asked that Jackson cooperate in the investigation and detailed that members of the “Oath Keepers,” including its leader Stewart Rhodes, exchanged messages asking members of the organization to provide security assistance to Jackson. The Committee explained that one organization message said that Jackson had “critical data to protect.”
In addition, the letter explained that members of the organization plotted the “violent overthrow of the United States and allegedly staged weapons at a location near Washington D.C. for that purpose.”
U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson under investigation by House Ethics Committee
In the letter, the Committee detailed that in the hours before the Jan. 6 attack, Jackson posted a photo of himself at the Ellipse rally and tweeted, “American Patriots have your Back Mr. President! We will FIGHT for YOU and we will fight OUR country!!”
Jackson “recognized the need to barricade the doors of the House Chamber, and participated in that effort,” the released letter stated, with the Committee possessing the video that showed how close the rioters were to breaching the House Chamber at that specific point.
The following is the full statement from Jackson in response to the letter:
The Committee further asked to meet with Jackson on May 9. The Select Committee’s letter can be found here. | 2022-05-02T20:58:47Z | www.myhighplains.com | Rep. Ronny Jackson responds to receiving January 6 Committee letter | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas-politics/rep-ronny-jackson-responds-to-receiving-january-6-committee-letter/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas-politics/rep-ronny-jackson-responds-to-receiving-january-6-committee-letter/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Integrating learning, independence, and development is the goal of Advo Companies.
“Our goal is to take care of adults with special needs,” said Hope to Opportunities Foundation VP of Development Jeremy Bradford.
Advo Companies and Hope to Opportunities Foundation are non-profits that run vocational training, day habitation, and homes for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.
“We’ve been taking what I call the Forgotten crowd, everybody knows our guys when they’re in high school and elementary school, but when it’s time to go off to college, they kind of fall through the cracks,” said Bradford, adding the organization is there to pull them through the cracks.
“We work with a number of business partners and accounts,” said Bradford. “They ship, work to our office here, our guys in the back in the warehouse, do certain jobs, whatever it may be for that specific, specific company. And from there, they earn a paycheck. But they’re also doing jobs for the community on-site here.”
A new way they are looking to further their mission is through an employment center and park, known as Hope Village.
“We’re going to have a shopping center that’s going to have a t-shirt embroidery shop, custom framing shop, a coffee, tea and catering business that our guys will come over from the current workshop,” said Bradford.
All of this to help provide new skills.
“We want to bring them in, get them trained, give them all the different types of training they want,” said Bradford, “but teach them those customer interaction skills. So that then they can go out to the community be part of that.”
Hope Village will also feature two storefronts that outside businesses can rent.
“The hope is maybe they could hire one of our guys to help run something in their business, whether it’s just office cleanup, or if it’s actually customer interaction,” added Bradford.
Bradford said he hopes the people see the service they are providing for those with special needs in the community.
“I know there’s people out there that don’t have a special needs friend or child but have a big heart for our kind of individuals. They will be more than happy to kind of see what we’re doing, and that’s the main goal for me really, is to get out there spread the word of who we are what we do,” said Bradford.
The ground was broken on Hope Village the week of April 4.
To learn more about Advo Companies, Hope Village, and how you can help, click here. | 2022-05-02T23:21:54Z | www.myhighplains.com | Advo Companies furthering mission with Hope Village | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/heart-of-the-high-plains/advo-companies-furthering-mission-with-hope-village/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/heart-of-the-high-plains/advo-companies-furthering-mission-with-hope-village/ |
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla (KAMR/KCIT) — Our sister station in Oklahoma City (KFOR) reports that the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for parts of Oklahoma.
At around 3:47 p.m. the Watong area was told to take tornado precautions and at 3:29 p.m. Fairview was under a Tornado Warning this Warning includes Alfalfa and Major counties until 4:15 p.m. The tornado watch will be in effect until 10:00 p.m. | 2022-05-02T23:22:13Z | www.myhighplains.com | A Tornado Watch has been issued for much of Oklahoma | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/oklahoma/watch-live-a-tornado-watch-has-been-issued-for-much-of-oklahoma/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/oklahoma/watch-live-a-tornado-watch-has-been-issued-for-much-of-oklahoma/ |
Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrate tourism week
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week.
The ACVB said tourism has a big impact on the local economy, so they want to encourage residents to get out and experience the city from a visitor’s point of view.
The intention is to help locals learn more about the city, they can present it to visitors when they come through.
“So tourism in Amarillo is incredibly important. Most locals don’t realize just how much of an impact it has. In 2021, we saw $947.3 million in economic impact in our city. So, we’re really trying to use National Travel and Tourism week as a way to get locals out,” said Hope Stoke, Director of Marketing for the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau. | 2022-05-03T03:34:59Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrate tourism week | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-convention-and-visitors-bureau-celebrate-tourism-week/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-convention-and-visitors-bureau-celebrate-tourism-week/ |
HEREFORD, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Sunday night, severe weather rolled into the High Plains, causing damage to several communities around the area. Those communities are now dealing with the damage left behind by large hail and high wind that came with the storms including, Hereford.
“Damage wise, it’s going to be a significant dollar amount because of the wind. We’ve had some big hail storms before, but this wind did the damages and added to the problem,” said Hereford Assistant City Manager Dean Turney.
According to Turney, the hail ranged from the size of golf balls to baseballs.
Turney said both the Hereford Municipal Airport and Hereford Aquatic Center saw serious damage.
“The high winds caused the Aquatic Center dome that we have over the pool to collapse. It was ripped and it collapsed into the pool. The airport had significant wind damage. We had one hanger blown completely into the air and over two other hangers and then we have several other hangers that significant damage from the wind,” said Turney.
Cayden Finch, airport manager at the Hereford Municipal Airport said they saw wind gusts of 80 to 90 miles per hour at the airport.
The manager of Hereford Aquatic Center, Amy Adams said that it will be weeks before the center can open as they need to assess the damage.
She added the dome is used so the center can be a full-time facility.
“In 2012, this was a new dome and I don’t know what it cost then. I have been working here since 2014, but with the cost of everything going up and just finding the materials and getting another one built, who knows it’s up in the air. It’s a major question mark. It could possibly be repaired, we will definitely check into repairing it,” said Adams.
The First United Methodist Church was also picking up the pieces as the hail damaged and nearly broke out every window in the education building of the church which houses the church’s library, fellowship hall, kitchen, as well as youth center.
Chairman of the Trustees at First United Methodist Church, Roy Carlson said they are currently boarding up all the windows that are busted out and the building will be in limited use for the time being.
“We are just thankful for all of this volunteer help we have and church members. We are thankful we found somebody with a high forklift to help board it up,” said Carlson.
Finch added that debris has been cleared from the Hereford Municipal Airport’s runway and taxiway and that the airport is currently operational.
Amarillo Weather Radar
Turney said roofers and others companies are already in town ready to help people in need of repairs. He added those companies must have a permit with the City of Hereford. | 2022-05-03T03:35:05Z | www.myhighplains.com | City of Hereford picking up the pieces after severe weather | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/city-of-hereford-picking-up-the-pieces-after-severe-weather/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/city-of-hereford-picking-up-the-pieces-after-severe-weather/ |
BEAVER COUNTY, Okla. (KAMR/KCIT) – According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, one person died after a three-vehicle crash occurred one mile south of Balko in Beaver County Monday evening
According to a news release from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the crash happened at around 6:30 p.m. on Monday on OK-3/Hollow N1300. A 2015 GMC DNL, driven by 62-year-old Brenda Rose Meyer of Balko, was making a left turn onto Hollow N1300 from US 270. A 2021 Ram 3500 struck the GMC DNL from behind, causing the GMC to go into ongoing traffic. A 2005 Freighliner Truck then struck the GMC DNL.
Meyer was reported to have died at the scene, the release said. The driver of the 2021 Ram 3500, identified as a 22-year-old Balko resident, was taken to the hospital with injuries. He was treated and released. The driver of the 2005 Freightliner was identified as a 47-year-old from Edinburg, Texas.
The cause of the incident continues to be under investigation, according to officials. | 2022-05-03T17:15:41Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 dead after three-vehicle crash near Balko Monday | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-three-vehicle-crash-near-balko-monday/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-three-vehicle-crash-near-balko-monday/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the Amarillo SPCA recently released information regarding the upcoming Mission Muttfest event, giving people the chance to donate to the Amarillo SPCA organization.
According to a news release from the organization, Mission Muttfest 2022 will occur at 12 p.m. on May 15 at the Starlight Ranch Event Center, located at 1415 Sunrise Drive. Officials said this is the 28th year of the event that aims to benefit the organization, which has been in the Amarillo area for more than 34 years.
Mission Muttfest will give attendees the chance to shop with pet-related vendors and bid in the silent auction. The release also said that participants, as well as their pets, will be able to participate in canine contests. Officials said all proceeds will benefit the Amarillo SPCA and its mission of caring and sheltering both cats and dogs.
According to the release, the Amarillo SPCA is a nonprofit aimed at finding the perfect homes for their shelter animals. Currently, the organization said that 100 dogs and puppies, as well as 40 cats and kittens, are being cared for. | 2022-05-03T17:15:47Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo SPCA to host 28th Mission Muttfest fundraiser | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-spca-to-host-28th-muttfest-fundraiser/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-spca-to-host-28th-muttfest-fundraiser/ |
West Texas A&M establishes two new professorships after donation
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with West Texas A&M University announced Tuesday that two new professorships were established after a donation to the university.
According to a news release from the university, West Texas A&M established the Bill Piehl Professorship of Education and Social Sciences as well as the Plug Piehl Professorship in Agriculture. This comes after Helen Piehl gave the university $250,000 in honor of her daughters.
Mikyung Shin, an assistant professor of special education, was named to the Bill Piehl Professorship, and Dr. Mallory Vestal, associate professor of agricultural business and economics, was named to the Plug Piehl Professorship.
“We appreciate how the Piehl family continues to support and advance West Texas A&M University. Drs. Vestal and Shin are outstanding faculty members and great choices to steward the student engagement and program advancement intended with establishing these professorships,” Neil Terry, the university’s provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, said in the release.
According to the release, the Bill Piehl Professorship will be given in honor of Puff Niegos, an Amarillo resident who university officials said was “instrumental” in the founding of the university’s Center for Learning Disabilities. The Plug Piehl Professorship will be given, when appropriate, to a female agriculture faculty member. | 2022-05-03T21:15:19Z | www.myhighplains.com | West Texas A&M establishes two new professorships after donation | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/west-texas-am-establishes-two-new-professorships-after-donation/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/west-texas-am-establishes-two-new-professorships-after-donation/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced Tuesday that officials with the Clements Unit recently hosted a Fallen Officer Memorial Ceremony.
According to a post made on social media, correctional officers, as well as staff with the unit, hosted the ceremony “in honor and remembrance of their fellow men and women in gray whose end of watch came too soon.”
According to the post, the event recently hosted at the Clements Unit was part of National Correctional Officers Week. The events lead up to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Fallen Officer Memorial ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Huntsville. | 2022-05-03T22:18:33Z | www.myhighplains.com | Clements Unit hosts Fallen Officer Memorial Ceremony | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/clements-unit-hosts-fallen-officer-memorial-ceremony/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/clements-unit-hosts-fallen-officer-memorial-ceremony/ |
DUMAS, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Dumas Police Department reports that officers are currently investigating two incidents that recently occurred in the area. This included the death of a 56-year-old woman as well as a car chase involving the person who the department suspects is connected to her death Tuesday afternoon.
According to police, officers were called to a home in the 700 block of 3rd Place on Tuesday, at around 1 a.m., on a dead person. When police arrived, officers said they found a 56-year-old woman dead.
At around that same time, police said that officers were chasing a vehicle that ended in Stinnett when the vehicle crashed and the 31-year-old driver was ejected from the vehicle.
Police said the driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and was alleged to be involved with the death of the 56-year-old woman.
Police said the Texas Rangers and the Moore County’s Sheriff’s Office are assisting with the ongoing investigation into both incidents. | 2022-05-03T22:18:39Z | www.myhighplains.com | Dumas Police investigating death of 56-year-old woman | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/dumas-police-investigating-death-of-56-year-old-woman/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/dumas-police-investigating-death-of-56-year-old-woman/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Tuesday evening, people here on the High Plains gathered in downtown Amarillo to protest the Supreme Court’s draft decision on overturning Roe V. Wade and to support women’s health.
This protest joined others across the nation at courthouses, city halls, and town squares.
Both men and women showed up in downtown Amarillo, in front of representative Ronny Jackson’s office in various shades of green to protest that draft decision.
Jami Lyons, a local activist, and organizer of the protest said the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned is like a punch in the gut.
“To have our entire country set back 50 years, it just blows my mind. What will follow after this is birth control, what can follow after this. The same logic that they are trying to use here can be used to advocate to ban all contraception, all across the board,” said Lyons.
Lyons said women are not equal until they can make decisions about their health.
“I will not be equal until I also have the right to pick my own healthcare. That’s it. I deserve those rights. My twelve-year-old deserves those rights. Like all the women behind you deserve those rights,” added Lyons.
Winston Curtis, a retired preacher said Roe v. Wade is a slippery slope both morally and legally.
“I believe when it comes to the question of life and the principles of life, I agree with our founding fathers. That every person is entitled to fundamental constitutional liberties. Where Roe has been so slippery and so wrong is the origin of life and the beginning of life, and I see that as something that needs to be corrected.”
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the decision on abortion rights will fall back to the states. Curtis added this is the primary place where it should have been, to begin with.
“Every state needs to take a good thorough look and educational driven look at if they want to support such a thing in their state. I live in Texas and I think texas right now is primed to be a pro-life state,” said Curtis.
We also heard from soon-to-be State Senator Kevin Sparks on the Supreme Court’s draft decision, who told us in a statement:
“The leaking of the SCOTUS document is detrimental to our system of checks and balances as it endangers the integrity of the Supreme Court. The worry is that it will create a new precedent of leaks from the court, potentially subjecting them to the undue influence of outspoken opinion.”
Lyons added if anyone wants to make sure their voices are heard on this matter, all they have to do is call their senators or representatives. | 2022-05-04T02:31:53Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo Women’s March against SCOTUS Roe v. Wade draft decision in downtown Amarillo | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-womens-march-against-scotus-roe-v-wade-draft-decision-in-downtown-amarillo/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-womens-march-against-scotus-roe-v-wade-draft-decision-in-downtown-amarillo/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Voters in Amarillo ISD will decide on four separate bond propositions on Saturday in the May 7 special election, with a total price tag of $285.9 million if all are approved.
The largest chunk of funding would come from Prop. A, which would cost $180.6 million. It includes replacing Austin Middle School, which would cost $65.7 million, as well as funds for improvements at schools throughout the district.
David Nance, the Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees president, said the process to get these bonds in front of voters started last summer.
“Last September, October, we noticed some damage underneath the foundation of Austin Middle School,” said Nance. “So the Facilities Committee looked at it, whether we needed to replace it or repair it. And the Facilities Committee recommended that we go ahead and replace it.”
Nance said the cost to repair the school would have been $25 million but it would come with disruptions for students for two to three years.
City of Amarillo sees increase in taxable values as property appraisals rise
“We’d have to move in a tremendous amount of portables to continue to educate our children here,” said Nance.
While AISD said the school is safe for students, Nance said some sections are closed off to them.
“They have parts of it that are roped off because they simply can’t access it. Because it’s not safe if they do,” said Carmen Fenton, the co-chair for the Amarillo Kids First PAC. “We have to rebuild that school. I think that’s—that has to happen.”
Fenton said voters should support Prop. A, which has been their main message.
“I think a good community has to continually invest in their schools and that’s an investment I’m willing to make,” she said.
Prop. A also includes increased safety at elementary and middle schools, as well as tech upgrades throughout the district.
“We will create secure environments for our middle schools. We will have perimeter fencing for a lot of our elementary schools. Right now we’re adjacent to a lot of city parks, a lot of public streets and highways, things that nature,” said Nance.
AISD would also add fund arts facilities to high schools and middle schools with funds from Prop. A.
But there is plenty of opposition, including James Schenck, who is against all four bonds.
Click here to see information from Save Amarillo PAC, which is also against the bonds.
“The amount of the school bond is way too much. They need to, we need to vote them all four down and we need to let them go back to the drawing board and bring us more reasonable bond proposals that help take care of some of these hot buttons, these hotspots,” Schenck said.
Schenck said he would have preferred a cheaper option, especially for Austin Middle School.
“What they’re trying to get you to do with that bond is is a pretty large amount of things that need to be brought at different times, not all at once,” said Schenck.
When asked what AISD will do if Prop. A fails, Nance said, “We would just have to go back to the drawing board and see, see what else we’ve got to do as far as addressing these needs, but Austin Middle School’s an immediate need.”
If voters approve Prop. A, AISD said property taxes for the average home in AISD, valued at $165,000, would increase by $8.54 a month or $102.48 a year. | 2022-05-04T02:32:23Z | www.myhighplains.com | Voters for and against Amarillo ISD’s bond Prop. A at $180.6 million | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/voters-for-and-against-amarillo-isds-bond-prop-a-at-180-6-million/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/voters-for-and-against-amarillo-isds-bond-prop-a-at-180-6-million/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — While the Supreme Court’s draft decision on overturning Roe V. Wade is not final, many are already weighing the potential effects if it is handed down.
Dr. Christopher Macaulay, an assistant professor of political science at West Texas A&M University, said the ruling would effectively defer all abortion policies to the states.
“Once it’s officially handed down, Texas will likely very quickly make abortion illegal in most, if not all cases,” said Macaulay. “I don’t know exactly what the fine print is going to be on that. But if one is considering that as a service, be aware that that is likely to be removed as an option very soon.”
Amarillo lawyer Ryan Brown, who is a partner at Blackburn & Brown, said the ruling would mean possible changes to other cases based on precedent.
“I think it’s dangerous for a lot of reasons. Not just on the abortion issue, but as far as rights as a whole,” said Brown.
He said he is concerned about what the SCOTUS ruling could mean for other judicially created laws.
“No matter what side of this line you fall on with abortion, it’s still an erosion of individual rights. Women in many states, a lot of them immediately after Roe is overturned, will no longer have the same rights they had before,” said Brown. “And that same logic that’s in that draft opinion, you know, this deeply rooted in the nation’s history and traditions test can be used to take away rights, important to all of us.”
He continued, “The requirement that police read Miranda warnings before they can get confessions out of people. You know, the rule that evidence has to be excluded, which is obtained illegally by the government searches of cell phones and people all the way, you know, to something that’s more important to conservatives. Maybe qualified immunity of police officers, that’s also judicially created…So I think this is a way to strip away individual rights if you think about it in broader terms besides just pro-life or pro-choice.”
Macaulay pointed to precedents for the right to privacy.
“They definitely left the door open to potentially revisiting the right to privacy as a whole and I would be curious as to whether the court stops entirely at abortion,” Macaulay said. “On a legal level, I would say birth control and maybe private, consensual sexual acts would be the two things that would sort of be back on the radar.”
Both Brown and Macaulay said they were somewhat shocked by the court’s draft decision, especially overturning decades of SCOTUS precedent.
“If this split in the in the court’s, you know, voting and the language sticks, that’s going to overturn 50 years of Supreme Court precedent on this particular issue,” said Brown. “But that same logic is troubling to me because of the impact it can have on other rights that are not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.”
He continued, “That’s really what this opinion cuts to is, if it’s not specifically enumerated in the Constitution, as far as rights, then it has to be deeply rooted in the country’s history and traditions. And if it’s not, then states can pretty much do as they wish with it.”
Macaulay said, “The court has hinted at maybe slowly eroding the right to abortion that previous rulings had found was a constitutional right. But this is very maximalist, right. This is completely removing Roe v. Wade. In a way, it’s not super shocking, in that we have probably the most conservative court we’ve had in about 100 years.”
While some Democrats have suggested killing the filibuster in an attempt to codify the law, Macaulay said it is unlikely.
“I don’t think with the current Senate, you could do it,” Macaulay added. “But this could shake up the electoral calculus for the elections this November, and maybe make that a little bit more of a possibility, say in the second half of Joe Biden’s first term.” | 2022-05-04T02:32:29Z | www.myhighplains.com | WT poli-sci professor, Amarillo lawyer on Roe v. Wade SCOTUS draft decision | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/wt-poli-sci-professor-amarillo-lawyer-on-roe-v-wade-scotus-draft-decision/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/wt-poli-sci-professor-amarillo-lawyer-on-roe-v-wade-scotus-draft-decision/ |
BORGER, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) on Wednesday morning, a warrant has been issued for a man known to have previously lived in both Borger and Fritch.
TDCJ said that parolee Clay Anthony Nieshe is wanted by officials for “failure to comply with his supervision.” He was noted as having been released after serving time for multiple convictions. Further, the TDCJ release noted that Nieshe is considered “armed and dangerous.”
via the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Anyone who has seen Nieshe or has information on his location was asked to call the TDCJ at 1-866-680-6667. | 2022-05-04T15:09:52Z | www.myhighplains.com | Previous Borger, Fritch resident wanted by Texas Department of Criminal Justice | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/hutchinson-county/previous-borger-fritch-resident-wanted-by-texas-department-of-criminal-justice/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/hutchinson-county/previous-borger-fritch-resident-wanted-by-texas-department-of-criminal-justice/ |
DIMMITT, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety releases information on a Tuesday afternoon fatal crash that occurred in Castro County, around six miles north of Dimmitt.
According to a news release from the Texas DPS, a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 was driving north on US 385 in a construction work zone around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday. The vehicle, driven by 75-year-old James Baker of Dimmitt, was approaching stopped traffic.
Three vehicles, including a 2012 Ford Expedition, a 2006 Lincoln Mark LT, and a 2022 Kenworth Truck tractor towing a semi-trailer, were stopped at a temporary stop sign in the northbound lane. Officials said that the Silverado failed to control speed and struck the Expedition, which struck the Lincoln vehicle. The Silverado continued down the roadway and struck the semi-trailer, spinning around and coming to rest in the east ditch facing west.
Officials said in the release that Baker was transported to a Hereford hospital with serious injuries. Baker later died from the injuries sustained in the incident. The other drivers, identified as a 39-year-old from Dimmitt, a 48-year-old from Hereford, and a 22-year-old from Happy, were not injured in the incident.
Officials said that the crash remains under investigation by troopers with the Texas Highway Patrol. | 2022-05-04T18:05:37Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 dead after Tuesday afternoon crash in Castro County | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-tuesday-afternoon-crash-in-castro-county/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-tuesday-afternoon-crash-in-castro-county/ |
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to officials from West Texas A&M University (WT), Amarillo native Dr. Russell F. Miller was hired to fill the professorship that was endowed in February that intends to focus on improving virtual education.
While Miller is new to WT, according to the university, he has 16 years of experience working in K-12 schooling. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and will soon take on the role of the first Lanna and Bob Hatton Professor of Education.
The professorship was established, noted WT, following the Hattons’ $125,000 gift.
“I am honored to join with Lanna and Bob Hatton in pursuit of further research surrounding the ever changing climate of digital instructional practices,” Miller said. “The generous funding provided by the Hattons will provide me with the ability to further investigate digital instruction and the repercussions for students in both K-12 educational settings and in higher education. This research has the potential to impact our community in a positive and practical manner by providing resources for educators and improved awareness of best practices in the online environment.”
WT said that education has long been one of its cornerstones since being founded as a teachers’ college in 1910. Currently, WT said that around 73% of educators in the Panhandle region have at least one degree from the university.
via WTAMU | 2022-05-04T18:05:43Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo educator to fill WT Hatton professorship position | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-educator-to-fill-wt-hatton-professorship-position/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-educator-to-fill-wt-hatton-professorship-position/ |
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with West Texas A&M University announced Wednesday that the university will be honoring the namesake of two of its colleges during the 9 a.m. commencement ceremony on May 7.
According to a news release from the university, Paul Engler will be presented with an honorary doctorate in both business administration and agriculture from the university’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. The commencement ceremony will be at 9 a.m. on May 7 in the First United Bank Center on the university’s Canyon campus.
According to the release, Engler and the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation announced that it would donate $1 million a year for at least 80 years to the university for the two colleges, what university officials say is the biggest gift in its history.
“Paul Engler’s life and career have had wide-reaching impact across Texas and the world, including—in a truly significant way—here at WT,” West Texas A&M University President Walter V. Wendler said in the release. “He embodies true Panhandle values of authenticity, hard work and a commitment to community, and he’s not afraid to take risks and step out as a leader. He has truly changed the trajectory of WT, and I am pleased that we are recognizing his impact with this well-deserved honorary degree.”
Engler founded the Hereford Feedyard in 1960, the release said, with Cactus Feeders becoming the largest cattle-feeding company in the world under Engler’s leadership. The release said Engler has been inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame and the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame.
The release said that honorary degrees give the university the chance to “recognize excellence in the fields of public affairs, the sciences, humanities and the arts, scholarship and education, business and philanthropy and social services with significant and lasting contributions to (the) community.”
In the release, Engler called the honorary degree “the finest and most meaningful I have been blessed to receive.”
The other commencement ceremonies will be at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on May 7. University officials said in the release that each ceremony will be live-streamed on the university’s website. | 2022-05-04T18:05:55Z | www.myhighplains.com | Engler to receive two honorary doctorates from WTAMU | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/engler-to-receive-two-honorary-doctorates-from-wtamu/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/engler-to-receive-two-honorary-doctorates-from-wtamu/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials from the Amarillo Public Health Department (APHD) announced they will open a new location on May 16, located at 850 Martin Rd.
According to an APHD press release, the new building is a remodeled clinical facility and will help them with their health needs due to more physical space. APHD said they have outgrown their current location at 1000 Martin Road.
“Additional space was our main need,” Stoughton said. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our team
was out of space. With the addition of staff (some related to COVID and some not), the new
building is critical.”
The move to a remodeled building includes several changes :
The new building will consist of 17,061 square feet compared to the old building with 11,632 square feet.
The renovation of an existing building saves money. The new building cost about $120 per square foot for renovation. The construction of a new building would have been double that amount per square foot.
No city funds were used for the $1.9 million renovation project. APHD utilized funding from a state-administered program, which was approved by Amarillo City Council.
APHD will keep the building at 1000 Martin Road for non-clinical services.
Close 40 APHD employees will office in the new building.
There will be 24 patient rooms, including a nurses’ station and laboratory space.
via City of Amarillo Department of Public Health Facebook | 2022-05-04T20:40:38Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo Public Health Department will open a new location | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-public-health-department-will-open-a-new-location/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-public-health-department-will-open-a-new-location/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the city of Amarillo’s Parks and Recreation Department will host a groundbreaking for improvements to one of its parks at 12 p.m. Thursday.
According to a news release from the city of Amarillo, officials will be at Benton Park at 12 p.m. Thursday, located at the intersection of SE 16th Ave. and Vernon St., for the groundbreaking. Officials said Benton Park will be one of the first parks within the city to receive “a major infrastructure upgrade” from funds distributed to the city from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Officials said the Benton Park Improvement Project is a $149,969.76 renovation funded by the ARPA funds. The release said this will include a new playground area, including a swing set and a merry-go-round, along with a resurfaced parking lot for the park.
“This project will significantly improve the amenities at Benton Park,” Michael Kashuba, the city’s director of parks and recreation, said in the release. “People coming to the park with children will enjoy the new playground, which will improve the overall atmosphere of the park. We are excited to get this project going for the Amarillo community.”
Officials expect the installation of new playground equipment at the park to begin early next week.
via City of Amarillo Parks & Rec Facebook page | 2022-05-04T20:40:50Z | www.myhighplains.com | City of Amarillo to host groundbreaking for Benton Park improvements | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/city-of-amarillo-to-host-groundbreaking-for-benton-park-improvements/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/city-of-amarillo-to-host-groundbreaking-for-benton-park-improvements/ |
The annual series provides professional development opportunities through half-day conferences, keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking. Each summit focuses on the three components of leadership – serving, empowering, and mentoring.
The summit featured powerful women in the community, such as the Waco police chief, the executive director of Creative Waco, and the Executive Vice President of Extraco Banks.
“Celebrating those leaders is just an example of how we can support the growth, not only of the women here today but of future leaders,” Market President Philip Patterson said. | 2022-05-04T20:41:40Z | www.myhighplains.com | Waco women are ‘Empowering Through Mentoring’ | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas/waco-women-are-empowering-through-mentoring/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas/waco-women-are-empowering-through-mentoring/ |
WACO, Texas (FOX 44)- Mother’s Day is this weekend and local independently-owned businesses are overflowing with customers after the pandemic slowed them down for the past two years.
Gift baskets, t-shirts, picture frames, and flowers are just a few of the items you can get to make those last-minute Mother’s Day gifts special.
Owner Sharon Jackson says this family-owned business has been around for 15 years, and there is nothing they don’t have in the store.
“We have vests, t-shirts, socks, gift baskets, and floral arrangements you can mix and match. We have jewelry, you can custom design, whatever you like,” Jackson said.
Jackson says the pandemic helped businesses thrive because people began to shop locally.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize Sunday is Mother’s Day!,” Jackson said. “It’s always the second Sunday and this year there is only a week in between because the first fell on Sunday. This is the earliest mother’s day will ever be. I think people are going to be caught off guard, and I have a feeling we are going to be rocking.”
“My husband proposed to me in Paris, and in Paris, there are tons of flower shops that have a pick by stem bouquet process,” Benitez said.
“Without my parents, as you probably know, you just can’t do it without them,” Jackson said.
Divine Design will be open Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and closed on Mother’s Day. | 2022-05-04T23:04:50Z | www.myhighplains.com | Local businesses ready to help with Mother’s Day gifts | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas/local-businesses-ready-to-help-with-mothers-day-gifts/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas/local-businesses-ready-to-help-with-mothers-day-gifts/ |
Amarillo sees impact of last quarter’s shrunken U.S. Economy
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The United States’ economy shrank last quarter for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
Matt Ramsey, the senior vice president and senior investment officer at Amarillo National Bank, said the Texas Panhandle is not immune to the effects of inflation. However, the area has seen a small benefit.
“The Amarillo economy is actually pretty strong. Inflation hurts, but as I said, we do benefit from that slightly because of our nature for agricultural business and energy,” said Ramsey. “That being said, our unemployment rate is 2.7% versus the national level, which is 3.6%. So we have a strong employment backdrop, and that’s helping the consumer along.”
Ramsey added Amarillo is seeing an increase in tourism and spending money in the area, which helps the local economy.
Ramsey said inflation is kind of new to everyone. He said it has been 40 years since people has seen this type of inflation, so it is something people are trying to get their minds around.
“We’re going to have to get used to separating things out from are these price increases due to inflation, or do they do to increase profits or, or what’s the mix here? So it’s going to be it’s going to be something that we’re going to have to get used to,” said Ramsey.
Because of the ongoing inflation, the Federal Reserve made the decision to raise its benchmark short-term interest rate Wednesday. According to reports by the Associated Press, the Fed raised it to a range of 0.75% to 1%, the largest increase since 2000.
Officials expect the Fed to likely follow the move with the fastest pace of hikes in 30 years, which could impact residents of the Texas Panhandle.
“The consumer will struggle with higher energy and food prices, and there will be a need for them to watch the budget and make sure that they’re spending things dilute spending their money deliberately,” Ramsey said. | 2022-05-05T01:14:37Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo sees impact of last quarter’s shrunken U.S. Economy | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/business/economy/amarillo-sees-impact-of-last-quarters-shrunken-u-s-economy/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/business/economy/amarillo-sees-impact-of-last-quarters-shrunken-u-s-economy/ |
Amarillo ISD honors Hamlet teacher with Life Changer of the Year award
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — On Wednesday, officials from the Amarillo Independent School District honored Kami Collins, a teacher from Hamlet Elementary, with the Life Changer of the Year Award.
Amarillo ISD officials reported in a news release that Collins was named the national Life Changer of the Year award winner during a surprise ceremony at a Hamlet staff meeting Wednesday afternoon. According to the district, Collins was selected as one of 18 winners out of 850 nominations of K-12 school employees from across the country.
Officials from the district said she will receive a $3,000 prize, which will be awarded as a $1,500 individual prize and a $1,500 donation to a nonprofit of her choice.
“I understand how it feels to live paycheck to paycheck, but for some kids, that is a luxury. I want my students to see the value of education,” Collins said in the release. As often as I can, I share my story, hopes, and dreams so my students know they, too, can achieve greatness with their education.”
For more information on the Life Changer of the Year Award, visit here. | 2022-05-05T01:14:49Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo ISD honors Hamlet teacher with Life Changer of the Year award | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-isd-honors-hamlet-teacher-with-life-changer-of-the-year-award/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-isd-honors-hamlet-teacher-with-life-changer-of-the-year-award/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — In addition to Prop. A, a $180.6 million bond to replace Austin Middle School and make other improvements to schools in Amarillo ISD, there are also three other props on Saturday’s ballot.
Voters in Amarillo ISD will also see Props. B, C, and D on the May 7 ballot, which are all separate.
While the district says these upgrades are needed, some taxpayers, including a PAC against the bonds, are speaking out about potential property tax increases.
Prop. B at $19 million, would pay for renovations at Dick Bivins Stadium, which opened in 1950 and was last renovated in the early 2000s.
“There’s some sand up underneath them that is coming down through the bottom and which is causing the bleachers themselves to bow just a little bit,” said AISD Athletic Director, Brad Thiessen. “And by doing that, it’s given us some issues with cracking, and being able to keep the bleacher rows intact.”
Thiessen said they would reconstruct the stands and remove the bottom rows.
“By doing that, we’d be able to add two lanes to the track,” he continued. “We can’t host anything above a six-team district and then we would never be able to host an area major regional meet with a six-lane track.”
Noah Dawson, the treasurer for the Save Amarillo PAC, is against the proposed bonds.
“There are issues with Dick Bivins Stadium right now, I’m not denying that, but it’s, really I don’t think something that needs to be a priority for the school district at this point,” said Dawson. “Especially because there are so many other issues that the district is facing.”
Prop. C would allow the district to build a natatorium for AISD swimming and diving teams to practice and compete.
“We’re limited to about 100 kids right now and if we had the natatorium which, with with the diving area, and possible water polo area, then we would be able to probably increase those numbers,” Thiessen said. “Lubbock has 600 in their swimming program. I think we would be able to grow ours to something like that as well.”
The cost for the natatorium would be $38.8 million. Right now, the teams use lanes at a pool not owned by the district.
“You’re competing against people that have that facility and so when you don’t have that facility, you’re already putting your kids at a disadvantage,” Thiessen added.
Finally, Prop. D at $48 million would be used to build multi-purpose indoor activity facilities at all four high schools.
Amarillo ISD Board President David Nance said the facilities would be beneficial for students.
“This would give us an opportunity to practice during those inclement weather days and give them an opportunity to practice indoors,” said Nance. “And again, from a fine arts facility, from an athletic standpoint, I think this would allow them to expand their practice times during those days.”
But Dawson said he wishes these props were in front of more voters in a November election, especially with a hefty price tag.
“It’s just a bad deal. For current taxpayers, it’s a bad deal,” said Dawson. “For the kids that are currently in school, I think that the kids that are currently in school deserve better than a project that was put together so quickly, that has so many, frankly, extraneous add-ons.”
If all four bonds pass, AISD said the monthly property tax increase would be $13.54 per month or $162.48 yearly. That is based on the average home in AISD, valued at $165,000. | 2022-05-05T03:20:49Z | www.myhighplains.com | Inside Amarillo ISD bond propositions B, C, and D on May 7th ballot | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/top-stories/inside-amarillo-isd-bond-propositions-b-c-and-d-on-may-7th-ballot/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/top-stories/inside-amarillo-isd-bond-propositions-b-c-and-d-on-may-7th-ballot/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — As the Supreme Court stands poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the debate continues on abortion rights in the Texas Panhandle.
As MyHighPlains.com has previously reported, if SCOTUS hands down its majority draft opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion rights ruling, Texas and several other states are set to quickly make abortion illegal.
“This is a matter of of individual rights. It’s something that America has usually been protective of and in this case, four and perhaps five members of the Supreme Court are going to take away women’s right to choose and their right to reproductive freedom,” said Claudia Stravato, who ran Planned Parenthood in Amarillo for 11 years.
Stravato said during that time, she saw many young girls impregnated through rape and incest, as well as families who could not take care of their kids, or women who never wanted children, who all needed access to safe, legal abortions.
“Nobody, in my opinion, who has any compassion would want a child to have a baby and go through delivery,” said Stravato. “So, I think that the opponents lack compassion. I think they also lack an appreciation for individual freedom, particularly reproductive freedom. A woman should have the right to determine when and if she wants to become a mother.”
Stravato said she believes abortion should not be illegal based on the religious beliefs of others.
“I respect their belief that they do not believe in abortion. They should respect my belief that I do,” she added. “We can’t run this country on a a specific group’s religious beliefs. That is un-American.”
Hope Choice Pregnancy Centers and Mentoring Programs, a pro-life, Christian non-profit, has been a part of Amarillo since 1988.
“Regardless of what happens federally with the law, there are still going to be women who find themselves pregnant who are in difficult, sometimes dangerous, very overwhelming situations,” said Candy Gibbs, Hope Choice’s executive director. “The law is not going to impact our mission, which is to help them with that environment that is causing them to feel like abortion is their only way out.”
Gibbs said they provide free pregnancy tests, free ultrasounds, and practical help to women once they have their babies. However, they do not provide abortion services or referrals.
“Our hope is that we would be able to provide them support, resources, and help so that they can choose to have their babies,” said Gibbs.
For Gibbs, helping those facing difficult situations with pregnancy is a personal calling.
“I did choose to have an abortion as a senior in high school and that decision has shaped my life,” Gibbs added. “And now it is my privilege and honor to be able to come alongside women in difficult situations to help them be able to choose life for their babies and a positive choice for themselves as well.”
Gibbs said Hope Choice also provides a class for women who have experienced abortion and are having a hard time dealing with it emotionally.
“That is also free to anyone that wants to attend that and literally thousands of women over the last two decades have attended this class,” she said. “And it can be very life changing and helpful, if there is emotional ramifications associated with someone’s abortion. | 2022-05-05T03:20:55Z | www.myhighplains.com | Local reactions to SCOTUS draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/top-stories/local-reactions-to-scotus-draft-opinion-on-overturning-roe-v-wade/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/top-stories/local-reactions-to-scotus-draft-opinion-on-overturning-roe-v-wade/ |
Amarillo College awarded $100K workplace safety course grant
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to officials with Amarillo College, the Texas Mutual Insurance Company will present a $100K grant check in support of the college’s Safety and Environmental Technology program, intended to provide workplace safety courses for community employers, workers, and the general public.
Officials with Amarillo College noted that this will be the seventh year in a row that Texas Mutual Insurance Company has awarded it with a grant for workplace safety courses.
The presentation was scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. and is expected to be held at the Amarillo College Washington Street campus in the Ware Student Commons Building, according to the event announcement. | 2022-05-05T14:05:38Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo College awarded $100K workplace safety course grant | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-awarded-100k-workplace-safety-course-grant/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-awarded-100k-workplace-safety-course-grant/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – In the wake of 2,318 Texas motorcyclists reported to be seriously injured last year, and 519 motorcycle rider fatalities, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said it is observing National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May.
Part of its focus for the month, said the department, is reminding drivers to be extra vigilant around motorcycle riders and to give them extra space and consideration on Texas roadways.
The Amarillo District of TxDOT reported 141 motorcycle traffic crashes in 2021. Those crashes resulted in the deaths of 10 motorcyclists and the serious injury of 59. Within the city limits of Amarillo, according to TxDOT, six motorcyclists died and 29 were seriously injured throughout a total of 88 crashes.
In total, TxDOT said that 2021 saw an increase of 7% in the deaths of motorcyclists in crashes. Even though motorcycles make up less than 2% of Texas vehicles, officials said that they accounted for 12% of the total 2021 fatalities.
In an effort to recognize National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and support its annual “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign, TxDOT offered a list of tips for drivers to protect motorcyclists and prevent crashes:
TxDOT noted that the “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign continues to be a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, its social media and word-of-mouth effort aiming to encourage drivers to make safer choices behind the wheel.
via the Texas Department of Transportation | 2022-05-05T15:42:17Z | www.myhighplains.com | TxDOT offers tips for motorcycle road safety | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/txdot-offers-tips-for-motorcycle-road-safety/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/txdot-offers-tips-for-motorcycle-road-safety/ |
CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with West Texas A&M University announced on Thursday a new professorship in education at the university, which will memorialize former WT instructor and alumna, Myrna Raffkind.
WT detailed, that the Myrna Raffkind Professorship of Global Education was established after a $125,000 gift from private donors in memory of Raffkind, a community activist and educator who died in 2017.
Raffkind, according to officials, was a Tulsa native who was married for more than 50 years and earned master’s degrees in psychology and sociology at WT. Raffkind was also an instructor in both disciplines from 1985 to 1998 and was named instructor emerita in 2009.
Dr. Eddie Henderson, dean of WT’s Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, added that Raffkind “had a passion for diversity, inclusion and equity.”
Officials added that the endowment will support the Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences’ Go Global initiative, which was established by Henderson and Dr. Angela Spaulding, vice president for research and compliance and dean of the Graduate School.
Go Global, officials said, connects graduate and undergraduate course content with the development of cultural knowledge and cross-cultural understanding. The initiative also allows students to learn in an international setting.
Officials said that Raffkind supported multiple organizations in the Amarillo community including Los Barrios de Amarillo, Coalition for the Homeless, and Family Support Services. In addition, Raffkind was named Amarillo Globe-News Woman of the Year in 2010, and won the Amarillo Women’s Network Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Association of Social Workers’ Public Citizen of the Year. | 2022-05-05T15:42:23Z | www.myhighplains.com | WT’s new professorship to honor late instructor | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wts-new-professorship-to-honor-late-instructor/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/wts-new-professorship-to-honor-late-instructor/ |
Misty Mercado, Chief of Media Operations at CAFB, told us it’s going to help shape the future of the U.S. military.
Bell Amarillo & Cannon AFB partnership benefits community & the world
“This is the first time that airmen have gotten to be in a maintenance hangar side by side with a partner to shape what the entire military V-22 platform is going to look like,” she said.
AC-130J ride-along: Meet the members of the 17th Special Ops Squadron
“Based on the success that we see in the air force, particularly with Col. Ball’s squadron and his partnering maintenance squadron, that will help shape the future for the other services,” Mercado said. | 2022-05-05T17:39:20Z | www.myhighplains.com | Cannon Air Force Base & Bell Amarillo CV-22 partnership shaping future U.S. military ops | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/cannon-air-force-base-bell-amarillo-cv-22-partnership-shaping-future-u-s-military-ops/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/cannon-air-force-base-bell-amarillo-cv-22-partnership-shaping-future-u-s-military-ops/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials from Amarillo College released information regarding its 2022 Commencement Ceremonies at Hodgetown later this month.
According to a news release from the college, there will be two ceremonies on May 13 at Hodgetown, located at 715 S Buchanan St in downtown Amarillo. The first ceremony will be at 3 p.m. and will be of students graduating from the college’s health services, industry and public services career communities. The second ceremony is scheduled at 7 p.m. and will consist of students graduating from the business, CIS, creative arts, education, liberal arts, STEM and general studies career communities.
The college reports that 1,194 total students will be eligible to participate in the college’s spring commencement ceremony. According to the release, this consists of 912 spring graduates as well as 282 students who anticipate completing their courses during the summer.
A student from the college participating in the commencement ceremony will speak during the ceremony. At the 3 p.m. ceremony, students will hear from Anthony Diller, a respiratory care major, and at the 7 p.m. ceremony, students will hear from Osyris “Odie” Padilla, an education major who was accepted into Texas Tech University’s TechTeach program.
According to the release, if inclement weather cancels any of the ceremonies, officials said the ceremonies are scheduled to occur at the same time on May 14 at Hodgetown. For more information about Amarillo College, visit the college’s website. | 2022-05-05T20:55:08Z | www.myhighplains.com | Amarillo College to host spring commencement ceremonies | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-to-host-spring-commencement-ceremonies/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/amarillo-college-to-host-spring-commencement-ceremonies/ |
Oklahoma officials still searching for cold case culprit
BOISE CITY, Okla. (KAMR/KCIT) – 37 years later, Oklahoma state officials are still searching for answers related to the death of James Bourk.
On May 5, 1984, left his home around 4 to 4:30 a.m. to go to work. According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), he was later found stabbed to death on the floor of the Bourk Hardware Store in Boise City, Oklahoma.
“A suspect was developed through a crime stopper call,” said the OSBI in a social media post about the cold case, “but that person never revealed their identity.”
via the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
OSBI officials asked anyone with information on Bourk’s cold case to call the department at 800-522-8017 or contact officials through email at tips@osbi.ok.gov. | 2022-05-05T20:55:14Z | www.myhighplains.com | Oklahoma officials still searching for cold case culprit | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/cimarron-county/oklahoma-officials-still-searching-for-cold-case-culprit/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/cimarron-county/oklahoma-officials-still-searching-for-cold-case-culprit/ |
SWISHER COUNTY, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Swisher Electric Cooperative currently has crews attempting to restore power to the northwest area of the system.
According to Swisher Electric Cooperative, its system currently has an outage in the northwest area with five substations currently affected.
The company has not released a timeframe for when it expects to have power restored to the area. | 2022-05-05T23:47:36Z | www.myhighplains.com | Swisher Electric Cooperative responding to power outages | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/swisher-county/swisher-electric-cooperative-responding-to-power-outages/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/swisher-county/swisher-electric-cooperative-responding-to-power-outages/ |
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center names new School of Pharmacy Dean
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center announced Thursday that a new dean has been named for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy in Amarillo.
According to a news release from the university, Grace Kuo, Ph.D., Pharm.D. was named the school’s dean on Thursday. Kuo currently serves as professor of pharmacy practice and public health at Oregon State University and is a founding faculty member of the Halicioğlu Data Science Institute at the University of California San Diego. Kuo will start in the position on May 16.
“We are very excited about the appointment of Dr. Kuo to lead our Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy,” TTUHSC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Darrin D’Agostino, D.O., said in the release. “Her extensive experience in all areas of pharmacy practice, research and professional education will help galvanize our future growth – building off of the strong foundation and national reputation the school has developed. Dr. Kuo brings balance, steadfast focus and data-driven decision making to all that she does.”
According to the release, Kuo studied at the University of California at Los Angeles and received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Oregon State University College of Pharmacy. She also has a master’s and Doctor of Philosophy in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.
Kuo’s clinical and translational research background is in medication safety, pharmacist-physician collaboration as well as education research, according to the release. Kuo is the third dean for the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.
“I’m excited to be joining the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center team,” Kuo said in the release. “It’s a distinct honor for me to work with Provost D’Agostino, university leaders and the School of Pharmacy team to lead the school to the next phase of strategic transformation.” | 2022-05-05T23:47:42Z | www.myhighplains.com | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center names new School of Pharmacy Dean | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/texas-tech-university-health-sciences-center-names-new-school-of-pharmacy-dean/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/texas-tech-university-health-sciences-center-names-new-school-of-pharmacy-dean/ |
CLOVIS, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials from the Clovis Police Department released information on a Thursday morning crash involving a motorcycle that left one man dead.
According to a news release, officers from the department, along with personnel from the Clovis Fire/EMS responded to the intersection of 7th Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard around 8:35 a.m. Thursday on a motor vehicle crash. Officials found that the incident involved a GMC Yukon and a motorcycle.
When officers arrived, officers located the driver of the motorcycle, identified as 18-year-old Alex Casanova, on the ground in front of the Yukon. Casanova was transported to an area hospital and later died of his injuries.
Officials said the Clovis Police Department Major Crash Team is investigating the incident. | 2022-05-05T23:47:48Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 dead after Thursday morning crash in Clovis | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/1-dead-after-thursday-morning-crash-in-clovis/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/1-dead-after-thursday-morning-crash-in-clovis/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — It’s a good time for you, family and your pet. Mission: Muttfest is a free event but donations are going to the Amarillo SPCA.
The event is taking place May 15th from noon to 5 p.m. at the Starlight Ranch Event Center. Click here for more information. | 2022-05-05T23:48:12Z | www.myhighplains.com | Mission: Muttfest Giving Back to Amarillo SPCA | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/mission-muttfest-giving-back-to-amarillo-spca/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/studio-4/mission-muttfest-giving-back-to-amarillo-spca/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The biological mother of two young children who were kidnapped from Missouri and found safely in Amarillo has been arrested and taken to the Potter County Detention Center.
Sheriff Mark Dobbs from Butler County, Missouri, said this was all the result of an ongoing investigation that began on March 28.
Dobbs said the mother of the two young children, Kayla Heins, had a warrant for two counts of parental kidnapping after she fled the state without consent or custody after the children were supposed to be relinquished to state custody.
The two children had been reported missing through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as well as Missouri State Police.
He said another man, Rashad Karim Abdul (APD said he uses variations of this name, changing the order as well), was also involved.
“It was a case where the parent wasn’t able to have the children and the children had been removed from our custody or, were being attempted to be removed from her custody because of the fact that she didn’t properly care for him in the past,” Sheriff Dobbs said on Thursday. “Obviously, it was a danger to the children and them. Being in her custody was not a good situation.”
Dobbs said it was a tough cause because it did not meet all the criteria for an Amber Alert, which limited some of the attention it got from the public.
“Thankfully for the help of the folks down there in Texas, we were able to get this brought to a conclusion,” said Dobbs.
The Amarillo Police Department said there was also an active protective order against Abdul for Heins.
APD said Abdul also has a prior history of child abuse against one of the children and Rashad was not supposed to be around them.
Sgt. Carla Burr, APD’s public information officer, said they were notified of the case on Wednesday afternoon around 3 o’clock.
She said they were alerted that they had been spotted at the Walmart at I-40 and Grand in Amarillo on April 26, sharing photos of them there and asking the public for help.
“Knowing that the two children, the baby had health risks that were life-threatening, and the young boy was in danger potentially from the male because of past abuse, the priority was locating those children as soon as possible to confirm that they were alive and okay,” said Sgt. Burr. “And hopefully not in any physical harm or, or danger, and then get them medical treatment, if needed.”
She said they were all found Wednesday night at a home in Amarillo. APD sent an alert saying the kidnappers were taken into custody and the children were found safely at 10:16 p.m.
“The children were taken and given, you know, checked out medically,” Sgt. Burr added. “And then they are currently in the custody of the state of Missouri…to release them to guardians and get them back to where they need to be and in a safe place.”
Sheriff Dobbs said it was thanks to fast work from law enforcement in Texas, including APD detectives.
“Officers in Texas had been assisting us by tracking the individuals by their EBT card, by their public assistance card, and its use. So that’s how they were able to be captured,” said Dobbs. “Apparently, there was some pretty diligent work done by the detectives down there, and we certainly appreciate that.”
Sgt. Burr said APD detectives immediately employed all the tools at their disposal once they were on the case, giving all available information to the public.
She said if you see something, say something because it could save a life. In this case, she said many calls from the community helped lead them to ultimately finding the children.
“These two children, they were genuinely in danger,” she said. “We appreciate that our citizens rose to the occasion and were on the lookout and the ones that were able to give us help, or at least give us a place to start.”
While APD said both kidnappers were taken into custody on Wednesday evening, MyHighPlains.com reached out to the Potter and Randall County Jails. Abdul was not listed as being in custody at either facility. | 2022-05-06T02:21:33Z | www.myhighplains.com | APD, Missouri sheriff share kidnapping details after children found safe | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/potter-county/apd-missouri-sheriff-share-kidnapping-details-after-children-found-safe/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/potter-county/apd-missouri-sheriff-share-kidnapping-details-after-children-found-safe/ |
New chief judge taking over in New Mexico’s Ninth Judicial District
CURRY COUNTY, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — The Ninth Judicial District Court announced today that the Honorable Judge Donna Mowrer will take over the chief judge duties from the Honorable Judge Drew Tatum, beginning on May 15 said a press release from the Ninth Judicial District Court Curry & Roosevelt Counties.
“It has been my greatest honor to represent our district as Chief Judge. We, as a team, have accomplished many feats, and, we as a team, have endured and overcome many obstacles and too many tragedies,” said Judge Tatum.
Judge Tatum served as Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial District since July 2013.
Judge Mowrer was appointed to the bench in August 2011 and assumed the position on Sept. 2, 2011. She currently handles criminal, domestic, delinquency, civil and abuse, and neglect proceedings. Judge Mowrer was the first woman appointed and elected as a District Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial District said the press release.
“It is an honor to be elected to serve as Chief Judge for the Ninth Judicial District. Judge Drew Tatum has done an outstanding job over the past nine years, and especially through the pandemic. We have absolutely the best judges in this District, both at the Magistrate and District Court levels, and I look forward to working with them all,” said Judge Mowrer.
A ceremonial investiture of Judge Mowrer as Chief Judge will take place Friday, May 6, at 1:30 p.m. at the Curry County Courthouse.
Judge Mowrer is a 1987 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University and graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2001.
Before assuming the bench, Judge Mowrer was a Deputy District Attorney for the Ninth Judicial District. She was a Juvenile Probation/Parole Supervisor with the Children, Youth, and Families Department before going to law school. | 2022-05-06T02:21:51Z | www.myhighplains.com | New chief judge taking over in New Mexico’s Ninth Judicial District | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/new-chief-judge-taking-over-in-new-mexicos-ninth-judicial-district/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/new-chief-judge-taking-over-in-new-mexicos-ninth-judicial-district/ |
CLOVIS, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — The Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis is discussing new OB/GYN services that will be provided at the hospital to compensate for the loss of the Women’s Medical Center.
“You know we are sad to see Women’s Medical Center go away. You know, Dr. Cross started Women’s Medical Center in the 80’s so you know 35 years ago, that has been an institution in Clovis and just a tremendous resource assett to this community,” said Mike Morris, Mayor of Clovis.
A hospital administrator said the PRMC has retained the services of five OB/GYN doctors and the public can now call to schedule appointments with the new team. | 2022-05-06T04:49:23Z | www.myhighplains.com | Plains Regional Medical Center discusses new OB/GYN services | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/curry-county/plains-regional-medical-center-discusses-new-ob-gyn-services/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/curry-county/plains-regional-medical-center-discusses-new-ob-gyn-services/ |
DALHART, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to the City of Dalhart Police Department, at least one person was taken into custody in connection to an April 27 incident at Kella Hill Park.
Linda Dehoyos of Dalhart was arrested and booked into the Dallam/Hartley County Jail, said officials, on a charge of child endangerment. Another suspect, a minor, is also being charged in the case; however, police did not say whether or not they were in custody.
The police department said that videos of the incident were posted to social media and became “crucial evidence” in the case. Officials also thanked the citizens that took the time to call, cooperate, and provide evidence that was needed to pursue the case.
“This is absolute proof of what can be accomplished if Law Enforcement and the great citizens of this community work together,” said the department in a social media post.
Officials also thanked the Dallam County Sheriff’s Office for assisting with the incident. | 2022-05-06T15:12:09Z | www.myhighplains.com | 1 arrested, charged with child endangerment after Kella Hill Park incident | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/dallam-county/1-arrested-charged-with-child-endangerment-after-kella-hill-park-incident/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/dallam-county/1-arrested-charged-with-child-endangerment-after-kella-hill-park-incident/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – We are well into peak allergy season here in the Texas Panhandle. Here is what you need to know about pollen this spring, and what you can do to combat against allergies.
According to Dr. Saadeh, an Allergist and Immunologist at Allergy A.R.T.S in Amarillo, allergy season is now because of the trees, weeds, and different types of grasses that like to spring up from May, June, and July.
To prevent and treat allergies, Dr. Saadeh tells us three important steps to take:
Continue to wear a mask. Their use extends beyond COVID prevention. They can also stop pollens from entering your mouth and nose.
Consider over the counter medication. But always consult with your primary care physician before you use them if possible.
Consult with an allergist if your symptoms are not well controlled with medication. | 2022-05-06T15:12:15Z | www.myhighplains.com | How allergies could be affecting you | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/how-allergies-could-be-affecting-you/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/how-allergies-could-be-affecting-you/ |
Youth Advisory Committee holds Los Graduados screening
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Youth Advisory Committee of Family Support Services announced that it will host a screening of the documentary “Los Graduados” on Friday at the Eastridge Mission Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free to the public, and the department noted that the event is best suited for youth in grades 6-12 and their parents.
According to the committee, the event is aimed at bringing awareness to the importance of high school graduation even in the midst of hard situations. The film “Los Graduados” or “The Graduates” was described as a documentary exploring pressing, current issues in education from the perspectives of six minority adolescents.
The screening of the film will be followed by a panel discussion with local professionals, said the committee’s announcement, to highlight questions submitted by both the committee and other local youth. The professionals on the panel are expected to include a local middle school teacher, a local high school teacher, and a local law enforcement representative who works with the liaison officers within the schools. The event is also expected to include refreshments, raffles, and prizes.
As described on the Family Support Services website, the Youth Advisory Committee is made up of youth between 8th and 12th grades focused on leadership, advocacy, and action. | 2022-05-06T15:12:21Z | www.myhighplains.com | Youth Advisory Committee holds Los Graduados screening | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/youth-advisory-committee-holds-los-graduados-screening/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/youth-advisory-committee-holds-los-graduados-screening/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Amarillo Zoo will have multiple events throughout the month of May.
They will be giving guided zoo tours this Saturday, May 7, where you can explore the zoo and hear stories of some of the famous Animal Ambassadors. You can learn about the origins of the zoo and take a look behind the scenes. Tickets are $10 per person, including regular admission. You can buy your tickets on the Amarillo Zoo website.
Every Saturday beginning on May 14 and running through August 13, the zoo will be hosting Safari Saturdays. They will have a Safari show at 11 a.m. with some of their education staff and you can meet some of the animal ambassadors up close. They will also have Keeper Chats and Animal Enrichments at 1 p.m. You can follow their Facebook and Instagram to see the full schedule.
And don’t forget about Endangered Species Day. The Zoo will be celebrating on May 21 with all kinds of ways to learn more about critically endangered animals. Learn more about the harms of the illegal pet trade and meet a few animals that were saved from that industry. They will feature the Bengal Tiger and talk about how the world’s largest cat species is getting closer to extinction. You can also see the black-footed ferret, Filly, and learn more about the amazing comeback of the Prairie Bandit.
And this summer, you can get wild at the Amarillo Zoo with their Summer Camps. Children 6-12 years old can sign up for one of the themed camps. Discover the food animals love to eat at Good Grub from June 6 to 10. Explore the Amazon Rainforest at Rainforest Adventures from June 20 to 24. Meet the Zoo’s flying animal ambassadors in Mighty Wings from June 27 to July 1. Get in touch with your inner scientist with Animals in S.T.E.A.M. from July 11th to 15th. And discover various ecosystems with Eco-explorers from August 1st to 5th. | 2022-05-06T15:13:29Z | www.myhighplains.com | Check out Boo from the Zoo in Amarillo | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/today-in-amarillo/check-out-boo-from-the-zoo-in-amarillo/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/today-in-amarillo/check-out-boo-from-the-zoo-in-amarillo/ |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Amarillo Police Department reported that traffic is blocked in all directions at 34th Avenue and Lipscomb due to a crash.
APD detailed that responders are at the scene of the two-vehicle accident where at least one person was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. | 2022-05-06T19:26:42Z | www.myhighplains.com | Traffic blocked at 34th and Lipscomb due to crash | KAMR - MyHighPlains.com | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/traffic-blocked-at-34th-and-lipscomb-due-to-crash/ | https://www.myhighplains.com/news/local-news/traffic-blocked-at-34th-and-lipscomb-due-to-crash/ |
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