News

TxDOT contractors placed orange safety cones at the busy intersection of Main and Second streets on Monday, and have been working all week to repair structural flaws in sidewalks by adding expansion joints and altering the slope on handicapped ramps on all four corners. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the week. While downtown business owners and their customers will miss the sound of jackhammers and concrete saws that they have enjoyed for several days, the repairs should make their travels to and fro a bit safer in the future. PHOTO BY LAURIE EZZELL BROWN

AMARILLO—The Xcel Energy Foundation has awarded $370,000 to 50 nonprofit organizations and educational institutions that are focused on community-building initiatives in Xcel Energy’s Texas-New Mexico service area.

AUSTIN—No parent should ever receive the kind of devastating news that two Bryan police officers delivered to Pam Todaro one early Saturday morning. At 6:45 a.m. on August 9, 2014 they appeared on her doorstep to tell her that her 25-year-old son had been killed in a drunk driving crash.

Her son Dillon was driving home from a fish fry and died instantly when his truck ran off the road hitting a brick mailbox and concrete pole. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.16, twice the legal limit.

PAMPA—A former Canadian resident is dead and another man is in custody after an early morning homicide in Pampa. At 2:55 am on Saturday, August 14, the Pampa Police Department was dispatched to the 600 block of N.

Saturday’s Canadian Community Center Totally ‘80s Birthday Block Party was part of the CCC’s yearlong 40th birthday celebration... but more importantly, said CCC Director Ike Julian, “It was just a way to say, ‘We love you, Canadian.’” The Canadian Community Center survives off of the generosity of the people of Canadian, and this is just our way to express our gratitude for the community’s support, Julian said. As part of Saturday’s event, Armadillo Ink printed “totally awesome ‘80s t-shirts,” which they provided free for all the kids. Attendees— many of whom showed up in totally ‘80s dress—enjoyed an evening eating free hot dogs and snow cones provided by CCC, perusing the goodies donated by supporters to the Bake Sale, playing in bounce houses, and competing in street soccer and a Hula-Hoop contest won by Tucker Landry. The Canadian River Beach Club hosted the popular Diving for Dollars event, in which kids dive for coins tossed into a swimming pool. Mandy Flowers, Laurie Brown, Scott and Christy Francis, and David Strickland each won the Diving for Dollars drawing and donated their proceeds to the CCC. In addition, Sawyer Landry hosted a belly-flop contest in conjunction with free admission to the Canadian municipal swimming pool.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that he would send cities, counties, transit systems, and special-purpose taxing districts $1.07 billion in local sales tax allocations for August, 17.4 percent more than in August 2020.

This week’s COVID testing update from the Hemphill County Hospital District reflects not only a dramatic rethinking of what information the public wants and needs, but also an acknowledgement that there is a distinct dividing line between pre-delta numbers, and today’s numbers. The Emergency Operations Center is now providing 14-day testing results, the hospital reported yesterday, and has determined that there is little interest in the total number of tests performed by their lab, or in the number of pending or negative tests.

“We are in a bad, bad situation,” Dr. Tony Cook reported late yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, in a call to The Canadian Record.