Latest news with #AmarilloCollege
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
AC honors fallen captain with $10K gift to Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial
Amarillo College has made a contribution to a memorial project in downtown Amarillo in honor of a police officer who died in the line of duty 40 years ago Friday. The college is honoring the memory of fallen Amarillo Police Captain Frank Clements with a $10,000 gift to the Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial. Cpt. Clements, who had served with the Amarillo College Police Department for 11 years, suffered a fatal heart attack on May 16th, 1985, while directing traffic at a busy intersection on campus. Area law enforcement agencies and the Amarillo Police Department, along with community members, gathered May 15 for the annual Law Enforcement Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony at Llano Cemetery. Clements was mentioned during the roll call portion of the ceremony, as part of the tribute paid to local fallen heroes. 'Captain Frank Clements served Amarillo College dutifully and honorably,' said Chris Sharp, AC vice president of business affairs. 'He protected the citizens of Amarillo, AC students, faculty, and staff. This is a distinctively fitting tribute to him and his family at the Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial.' Clements will be enshrined on the Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial, along with first responders from 45 area agencies who have lost their lives in service to the region, according to a news release from the nonprofit Friends of AJ Swope, the organization working on the memorial project. According to the nonprofit, the memorial is entering its last stages of fundraising to break ground and begin construction this year at the site, located at 11th and Polk. The fundraising goal was previously reported to be $1.5 million. The structure is being designed to honor law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency services personnel from the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Along with the physical site, an accompanying website will tell the story of each first responder. 'We are so very grateful for the gift from Amarillo College in honor of Captain Clements, which will assist in making the Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial a reality,' says Todd Beckum, president of Friends of AJ Swope and a former Amarillo police officer. 'This Memorial is extremely important as no lasting tribute for all area first responders currently exists in our region.' In August 2022, the Amarillo City Council approved a $1-a-year lease in downtown Amarillo for the memorial at a location that has been a small city park since 1970, according to Globe-News archives. The memorial's concept has included a terraced, black granite monument with a water feature and lighting, with the names of fallen first responders engraved on raised panels. For more specifics about the Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial, visit , including a list of those to be initially memorialized and concept designs. According to the website, the list currently includes more than 100 law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and emergency transport members. In addition, donations to the project can be made on the website or by contacting Friends of AJ Swope at (806) 353-2911. More information about the nonprofit can be found at . This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: In Clements' memory, Amarillo College donates $10,000 to memorial
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Early voting for May 3 Amarillo election set to begin
Early voting for the May 3 municipal election in Amarillo and public safety bond election in Canyon will take place April 22 through April 29. Races on the ballot include Amarillo mayor and city council, as well as boards for Amarillo College and various school districts and specific villages. The last day to receive an application for ballot by mail is April 22; applications must be received by the 11th day before Election Day. For more details including sample ballots, contact Potter County Elections (806-379-2299) or Randall County Elections (806-468-5510) or visit their websites: Potter County: Randall County: The following early voting locations will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 through April 25 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 28 and 29. POTTER COUNTY (main location) Santa Fe Building, First Floor, Ticket Office - 900 S. Polk St. Casey Carpet One, Main Entrance, 3500 I-40 West Frontage Rd. Cornerstone Outreach, Fellowship Room, 1111 N. Buchanan St. Northwest Branch Amarillo Public Library, Meeting Room, 6100 SW 9th Ave. Tri-State Fairgrounds, Arched Gate No. 1, 3301 SE 10th Ave. RANDALL COUNTY (main location) Randall County Election Administration Office, 1604 5th Ave., Canyon Randall County Annex, 4320 S. Western Southwest Branch Public Library, 6801 SW 45th Ave. Comanche Trail Church of Christ, 2700 E. 34th Randall County Justice Center, 2309 Russell Long Blvd., Canyon To vote in-person, you must present one of these valid forms of photo ID: Texas driver's license (DPS issued) Texas election identification certificate (DPS issued) Texas personal ID card (DPS issued) Texas handgun license (DPS issued) U.S. military photo ID U.S. citizenship certificate with photo U.S. passport (book or card) If your ID expired within the last four years, it is still acceptable for voting. If you are 70 or older, you can use your ID regardless of its expiration date. If you do not have one of these forms of ID, you can still vote with a secondary form of identification (e.g., utility bill, bank statement) and must sign a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration" form explaining why you couldn't obtain a photo ID. If you cannot reasonably obtain one of the acceptable forms of photo ID, you can still vote by presenting a secondary form of ID (e.g., utility bill, bank statement) and completing a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration" form. If you're a person with special needs, a person of your choice or an election worker can assist you at the polls, but that person cannot be your employer, your union officer, or someone who represents your employer or union. If you're physically unable to enter the polling location, you can vote curbside. Contact your county elections office to arrange curbside voting if necessary. Amarillo Mayor Misty Collier Cole Stanley (Incumbent) Luke Johnson Marek Jason Herrick Amarillo City Council Place 1 Tim Reid Patrick Miller Sherie Wood Wendy Flores Place 2 Don Tipps (incumbent, unopposed) Place 3 Tom Scherlen (Incumbent) David Prescott Nune Perez Place 4 Les Simpson (Incumbent) Sylvia Elaine Stephens Leif Kertis Amarillo ISD Doyle Corder Jr. Don Powell Thomas Werner Tom Warren II Michael Garcia David Nance Kayla Mendez Bushland ISD Justin Adams Nicki Junell Regan Hall James Gillenwaters Travis Lawler River Road ISD Michael James Melinda Powell Nikki Forrest Danielle Coleman Liz Ferris Ryan Lawson Amarillo College Board of Regents Paul Proffer David Woodburn Johnny Mize Mary Bralley Jason Foglesong Other elections: Village of Pallisades, Village of Lake Tanglewood, Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District The Canyon City Commission's $14 million public safety bond measure is set for the May 3 election. The Police Department would receive $4.9 million, or 35% of the bond. This includes such projects as renovation of 1401 4th Ave. for $4.5 million and construction of a new animal shelter for $400,000. The Fire Department would receive $8.85 million, or 63% of the bond. The funds would go toward the Fire Station 1 remodel for $4.2 million, new training classroom and bays for $1.7 million, annex addition for physical training space for $750,000, renovation of command staff offices in City Hall for $600,000, a fire engine truck for $1 million and a training burn house for $600,000. City Hall would receive $250,000, or 2% of the bond for renovations to former police station space. As previously reported, City Manager Joe Price estimated that the bond, if approved, would cost the average homeowner $200 to $300 per year, and improvements to the city's Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating could offset some of those costs through reduced insurance premiums. In addition, the Amarillo League of Women Voters will present its second nonpartisan candidate forum on April 22 with the candidates for the Amarillo College Board of Regents and Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees. Refreshments begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed by the candidate forum at 6 p.m. The event takes place at the Virgil Patterson Auditorium inside Happy State Bank at 7th & Taylor in Amarillo. Attendees will be able to interact with the candidates, hear their responses to questions, and pick up a copy of the League's 2025 Nonpartisan Voters Guide. Those attending in person must enter the Virgil Patterson Auditorium through the Happy State Bank parking garage, where there is ample covered parking. For those unable to attend, it will be streamed on but not broadcast on the air. The event is sponsored by League of Women Voters of Amarillo & Elevate Amarillo. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Early voting primer for May 3 election taking place April 22-29
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Icy roads lead to crashes, school closings in Texas Panhandle Wednesday
This story has been updated with additional information. Several school districts in the Texas Panhandle were closed Wednesday due to icy road conditions, and authorities were warning people to stay off the roads after responding to numerous accidents due to hazardous travel. Amarillo College (AC) said its Hereford campus is closing at 1 p.m. Wednesday due to weather. AC said its Amarillo campuses will continue to observe standard operating hours at this time. In addition, West Texas A&M University (WT) in Canyon and the Harrington Academic Hall in Amarillo will be closing at 2 p.m. Wednesday, and students should check with faculty regarding course alternatives. WT said campus status for Thursday, Feb. 13 will be communicated by 6 a.m.; further updates will be shared via email, the WT home page, WT social media and the Safe Zone app and texts. "Due to the icy road conditions, DPS is responding to multiple vehicle crashes across the district, most of which have occurred on I-40 in every county," Sgt. Cindy Barkley with the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a 9:30 a.m. update, advising people to stay home if possible. Those who must travel are urged to take it slow and allow plenty of room between them and the vehicle in front of theirs. "Don't use your cruise control or brake suddenly. Be patient and give yourself ample time to get where you are going. Drive safely. Drive smart." The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Amarillo office reported that in Hartley County, both directions of US 54, just west of FM 767 to the New Mexico state line, were closed around 10 a.m. Wednesday due to multiple semi-truck crashes, and crews were working to clear the scene. Travelers were asked to avoid the area. A Winter Weather Advisory for most of the region remains in effect until noon, with mixed precipitation including possibly additional snow accumulations up to a half inch for the northern Texas Panhandle and the entire Oklahoma Panhandle, as well as additional ice accumulations from a trace up to a few hundredths of an inch. The National Weather Service Amarillo said in an update posted on Facebook that "Freezing drizzle continues this morning across the combined Panhandles, and temperatures continue to drop. This will make ice build up even easier on untreated roads, especially on bridges!" In addition to the slick roads Wednesday morning, NWS Amarillo noted that cold temperatures and wind chills were a concern, with highs expected in the 20s to low 30s. The map showed multiple roadways in the region impacted by patches of ice and snow. School districts were either closed or in the process of cancelling classes Wednesday due to the deteroriating weather conditions. Those who were closed include: Amarillo College campus in Dumas Booker ISD Dalhart ISD Darrouzett ISD Dumas ISD Follett ISD Fort Elliott CISD - "Students picked up on buses will be delivered home." Gruver ISD Hartley ISD Highland Park ISD Plemons-Stinnett-Phillips ISD Pringle-Morse CISD Shamrock ISD Spearman ISD Sunray ISD Wellington ISD Other schools were running on two-hour delays. The Student Council Conference in Amarillo at the Civic Center was cancelled due to icy travel conditions. This is a developing story; more information will be added as it becomes available. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Schools close due to hazardous icy conditions in Texas Panhandle
