News

New Canadian residents and new business owners Marjorie Miller and Richard Loch visited here last week with Canadian/Hemphill County Economic Development Council board members. The couple is preparing to open The Canadian Business Hub—an enterprise that will provide a multitude of services to residents and businesses here, ranging from shipping, mailing, printing, and copying services to digital services, such as state fingerprinting, TSA pre-check signups, and expedited passport services.

It was all business at the courthouse Monday morning, as commissioners efficiently chipped away at a loaded agenda, adopting an updated burn ban, approving $5,000 in funding for repairs to the baseball/softball complex, accepting bids for the annual sealcoating project, and reviewing property insurance-coverage appraisals.

Spencer and Lacy Hanes An account has been set up at Canadian InterBank for the benefit of Spencer and Lacy Hanes, whose fourth baby was born in Amarillo last Monday and flown that night to a hospital in Dallas/Fort Worth, where he underwent surgery at Cook Children’s Medical Center. They will be there for at least a couple of weeks, if not longer.

An early-morning fire last Sunday in rural Hemphill County destroyed a hay barn and the livestock that were inside, sheltering from below-freezing temperatures. It was a tragic reminder that fire will always be a threat here in the droughtprone Texas Panhandle—one made even more dramatic because it occurred on the fifth anniversary of the terrible wildfires of March 6, 2017, a date whose significance few in this community need any help remembering.

City of Canadian crews shed new light this week on the Sunset Park basketball court, installing Goalrilla LED Basektball Hoop lights to provide illumination for nighttime sports fans. The new wired-in lighting was completed by an electrician Wednesday morning. City Manager Joe Jarosek reported the news in typical fashion, announcing in a text message to The Record at 8:04 am yesterday, “Light fixture is installed. Electrician is completing the wiring. The wiring should be completed shortly (no pun intended).” We offer this correction: Joe Jarosek’s puns are always intended—they are just not always that good. The news, however, was good. “We’ll leave the light on for you,” Jarosek promised, adding, “until curfew.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOE JAROSEK

A petition is circulating in Canadian calling for a local option liquor election. At last report, petition organizer Shila Wyatt was about 30 signatures short of the 282 needed to get the issue on the ballot in the Nov. 8 election.

The Coffee Memorial Blood Center will host its next Canadian Community Blood Drive here on Thursday, March 17, from 12 noon to 6 pm, in the Church of Christ Fellowship Hall. A photo ID is required of all donors, who must be at least 17 years old to donate. Donors who are 16 may still donate if they have a signed parental consent form. To save time, donors are invited to complete their questionnaire online (day of drive only) using Donor Express at www.thegiftoflife.org. To make your lifesaving appointment, please go to yourbloodinstitute.org or call 806.331.8833.