The Amarillo Tribune

13/12/2024

Potter County Commissioners are getting guidance from citizens about alleviating issues at the Potter County Detention Center. The eleven Jail Expansion Committee members—including five Potter County citizens— gave their first recommendations to the Commissioners Court on Monday. Committee member Wendi Swope said the committee was unanimous in feeling that something is needed to expand the jail and address its issues.

“Right now, we recommend that the court consider allocating funds to provide renderings and a cost analysis for a 288-bed expansion of the Potter County Jail,” Swope said.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/13/potter-county-commissioners-consider-how-to-alleviate-jail-issues/

12/12/2024

BSA launched its new High-Risk OB Flight Team with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon. With this addition to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Transport Team, the team will be able to transport high-risk obstetric patients across the Tri-State region, including those with preeclampsia, preterm labor, postpartum hemorrhage, and more.

12/12/2024

Thousands of Potter and Randall County residents chose not to vote on items across the ballot in the Nov. 5 election. Still, the participation rate was particularly low for Propositions D and E, with a high of 14% of voters in Potter County choosing not to take a stance on Prop E.

“It’s quite possible here that some folks decided ‘I’m going to vote no on these, and I’m not really sure about these last two, so I’m just going to skip it,’” Dr. David Rausch, West Texas A&M University’s Teel Bivins professor of political science said.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/12/going-over-the-unders-many-amarillo-voters-skip-down-ballot-props/

11/12/2024

During a 45-minute discussion at Tuesday’s Amarillo City Council meeting, the council considered establishing formal protocols around their use of George Hyde of Hyde Kelley LLP. In July, Mayor Cole Stanley said the council hired Hyde Kelley LLP, a Texas-based law firm out of Austin, to give the council a second opinion on the proposed Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance.

Since then, Hyde has been tapped to offer legal advice on several other issues for the council, including public information requests, charter amendments, the AEDC and the legalities of erecting a monument of the Ten Commandments at the new City Hall. Stanley said the council initially budgeted $95,000 for the procurement and use of Hyde, then budgeted $250,000 for contracting with Hyde or outside legal counsel for the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/11/amarillo-city-council-considers-protocols-around-use-of-outside-counsel/

11/12/2024

The Amarillo City Council met for its last regular meeting of the year on Tuesday. The public comment section lasted around 40 minutes and was mostly dominated by citizens speaking against a monument to the Ten Commandments that the current sitting council members are considering donating to be installed at the new City Hall.

As we previously reported, Councilmember Place 4 Les Simpson asked to consult with the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending religious freedom, before the council took action on the monument. Simpson told the Amarillo Tribune after the meeting that the council wasn’t able to meet with the Institute in an executive session before Tuesday’s meeting but that they should be able to meet with them ahead of the next regular meeting on Jan. 14, 2025.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/11/highlights-from-final-regular-city-council-meeting-of-the-year/

11/12/2024

The finalists in Amarillo College’s presidential search participated in separate open forums to discuss their visions for the college with the community. Dr. Frank Sobey presented on Monday, and Dr. Jamelle J. Conner presented on Tuesday. Both forums began with a 20-minute presentation from the finalist, followed by a question and answer session.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/11/highlights-from-the-ac-presidential-finalists-forums/

11/12/2024

The Amarillo Code Blue Warming station was activated for the first time Tuesday night. It provides a safe place for unhoused people and their pets to go on nights when Amarillo is experiencing extreme cold weather. Volunteers offer rides to the shelter, and community members can text 806-414-2243 with a location and description of a person they think might need help, and a volunteer will check on that person.

However, the local non-profit that organizes the Code Blue Warming Station needs funding for facility renovations and to offer those services to the local unhoused population through the upcoming winter season.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/10/code-blue-warming-station-organization-seeks-funding-to-meet-community-need/

09/12/2024

Defendants CBS Broadcasting Inc. and CBS Interactive Inc. filed two motions Friday to dismiss the $10 billion lawsuit filed against them last month by President-Elect Donald Trump, claiming the venue is improper. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, presided over by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.

The lawsuit concerns an interview with then-Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris aired by the CBS program “60 Minutes” and alleges CBS engaged in “unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to (a) confuse, deceive, and mislead the public, and (b) attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party as the heated 2024 Presidential Election – which President Trump is leading – approaches its conclusion …”

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/09/cbs-files-two-claims-to-dismiss-trumps-10-billion-lawsuit/

09/12/2024

According to the Salvation Army, its Angel Tree program provides Christmas gifts for children ages zero to 12 across the nation. Locally, according to Major Andrea Ellis, Corps Officer for the Salvation Army of Amarillo, the organization also provides Angel Tree Tags for teenagers to receive gift cards throughout the program each holiday season.

“This year, we’re helping approximately 890 children off of the Angel Tree program and then an additional 200 teenagers,” Ellis said.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/09/the-angels-behind-the-angel-trees/

06/12/2024

In the late 90s, Dylan Summers was in his last year with the Army and under pressure to reenlist. He’d met some wrestlers during his service and had gotten some training, and while he’d never been in a match, he’d made up his mind – he didn’t care what wrestling had to offer; it had to be better than the army.

“So then, you find yourself committed to this plan, so I just stuck with it,” Summers said while sitting at a table in the dimly lit Wrestleplex, where the black walls offset murals of Dory Jr. and Terry Funk. “That’s the condensed version.”

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/06/necro-butcher-works-to-revive-amarillos-once-thriving-wrestling-legacy/

06/12/2024

For three years now, the Christmas Heart Project has been providing visits with Santa in a calm space for individuals with conditions that may impact their ability to take a photo with Santa in a loud, crowded environment. The project’s events aim to minimize sensory overload and provide a safe space for everyone.

The Christmas Heart Project began after Santa Chrys realized that visits with Santa were less accessible for individuals on the autism spectrum and people with certain disabilities.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/06/santa-chrys-and-the-christmas-heart-project/

05/12/2024

The Amarillo Area Foundation’s Panhandle Gives campaign wrapped up at the end of Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, after nine days of enhanced charitable giving to support diverse nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle, with its highest amount raised to date. Over 7,000 donors made over 11,000 gifts, with an average donation amount of $977, for a grand total of over $11.5 million raised for the 238 participating organizations in 26 counties.

“We all know it’s important to give where we live, and I’m so proud of every one of those organizations. You continue to just do more and more and more,” AAF Interim President and CEO Keralee Clay said. “And our donors – I don’t care what anyone says. We live in the most compassionate and giving community.”

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/05/panhandle-gives-campaign-sees-its-highest-amount-raised-yet/

05/12/2024

05/12/2024

The next City of Amarillo municipal election is set for May 3, 2025 and all five council seats (mayor and four council members) are up for election. Those interested in candidacy can get candidate packets from Room 303 at City Hall starting Dec. 15; these packets contain important election information for candidates, including expectations and required forms. City Secretary Stephanie Coggins said that this year, the packets will also be available online at the City of Amarillo website.

“Anyone that is eligible to run in the election can apply for a place on the ballot. All four council members all serve at large, so it doesn’t matter what part of Amarillo they live in. They can apply for any of those positions, one through four, or the mayor position,” Coggins said.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/05/important-dates-for-may-election-candidate-packets-available-soon/

05/12/2024

The Potter and Randall County Sheriff's Offices are now accepting residents’ packages by mail as a “preventative” measure against porch piracy.

Potter County Sheriff Brian Thomas said those who want to utilize this service would still pay for their package online but change the address in the delivery instructions to the sheriff's office of their choice. Thomas said that although they do not deliver packages, individuals can pick up their packages at any time during their regular business hours or can schedule a time to pick up the packages by calling their office.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/05/rcso-and-pcso-offer-a-deterrent-to-porch-pirates-this-holiday-season/

04/12/2024

At its Tuesday meeting, the Amarillo Independent School District board of trustees named eight schools—including six elementary schools and two 6th grade campuses—on its consolidation watchlist.

As we previously reported, to address declined enrollment, AISD is considering consolidating one or multiple campuses. During the meeting, AISD reported that it takes an annual “snapshot” of enrollment rates on the last day of the month in October. Utilizing this year’s snapshots, the district placed the schools with enrollment rates equal to or under 300 students on a “watchlist.”

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/04/aisd-announces-watchlist/

04/12/2024

The Amarillo Zoo will host Zoo Lights Before Christmas on Dec. 6, 7, 13 and 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Area high school choirs will perform on the 6, 7 and 13, Amarillo Zoo Curator Berkeley Hilliard said, and the festivities photo opportunities with Santa Paws and costumed characters handing out candy around the Christmas-lit zoo.

Hilliard said that this is the first Zoo Lights Before Christmas in years. “We had it back in 2019 and then there was a shift in management, and so we just haven’t been able to pick it back up due to COVID and all of that. So we’re happy that this year, that we have the staff to be able to cover what we need to do to get that event up and running,” Hilliard said.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2024/12/04/twas-the-lights-before-christmas-and-all-through-the-zoo-many-creatures-were-stirring-like-rally-and-roux/

04/12/2024

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