News

Thursday, March 11 •CMS Track Meet @Wildcat Stadium •Lady Cat Softball @River Road Tournament (Day 1/3) Friday, March 12 •CHS Track Meet @Wildcat Stadium •Lady Cat Softball @River Road Tournament (Day 2/3) Saturday, March 13 •Lady Cat Softball @River Road Tournament (Day 3/3) Friday, March 19 •CHS Track Meet @Perryton Monday, March 22 •Wildcat & Lady Cat District Golf @ Ross Rogers Tuesday, March 23 •Wildcat & Lady Cat Varsity Tennis @ Amarillo Masters, Rebel Tennis Center •CMS Track Meet @Childress •Lady Cat Softball vs. Dalhart, 4:30- 5:30 PM Thursday, March 25 •Wildcat & Lady Cat JV Tennis @ Amarillo, Rebel Tennis Center •CHS Track Meet @Childress Saturday, March 27 •Lady Cat Softball @Bushland, 12-4 PM.

Burn ban enacted Facing the prospect of red-flag warnings in the first half of the week, Hemphill County commissioners authorized Judge George Briant to enact a countywide outdoor burn ban during their Monday, March 8 meeting. “With forecasted weather, and as dry as we are,” said Commissioner Curt McPherson, “it might be a good idea to consider a ban.

Hemphill County Hospital CEO Christy Francis announced this week that visitors to the hospital and clinic will still be required to wear masks and to be screened when entering. Gov. Abbott announced last week that he would rescind the statewide mask mandate that had been in place since July 2020, and allow businesses to operate at full capacity.

AMARILLO—The Mary E. Bivins Foundation has awarded High Plains Public Radio (HPPR) a $20,000 grant. The Bivins Foundation’s grant will allow HPPR to repair the transmission system of KTOT- FM 89.5-Spearman-Perryton, restoring it to 100% power and its full northeast Texas Panhandle coverage area. KTOT is one of HPPR’s five stations that serve residents of the Texas Panhandle. KTOT, KJJP-FM 105.7-Amarillo, KTXP-FM 91.5-Bushland, KTOT-FM, and KTDH-FM 89.3-Dalhart broadcast a mix of news, public affairs, music, and cultural programming and FM 94.9-Amarillo broadcasts news and publicaffairs programming 24 hours a day (see schedule at www.hppr.org/schedule/week/ hppr). “We’re very grateful to the Foundation’s support,” said HPPR Executive Director Will Murphy. “Costs to operate five stations in Texas and the other 13 station across the High Plains are extremely high. So, when major repairs are required, we need the help of our foundation supporters.” The Mary E. Bivins Foundation was founded in 1949 “to improve and enrich the quality of life in the 26-county Texas Panhandle through our ability to provide short-term rehabilitation, long-term services and support for the elderly and their families, to educate ministers to preach the Christian religion and to share resources with partners addressing critical community needs.” HPPR has been providing public-radio service for 40 years, starting in 1980 with the launch of its first station in southwest Kansas. Over the years, HPPR has grown to provide service to nearly 300 communities in 80 counties across four states in the High Plains region through an interconnected network of 12 FM stations and six FM translators.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. House on Wednesday passed a massive spending bill, intended to offset the health and economic damage inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, that will send direct payments to millions of Texans and billions of dollars in aid for state and local governments and schools.

Political fallout from winter storm continues As Texans across the state continue to deal with the damage from the mid-February winter storm, so does the political fallout in Austin. So far, seven of the 16 board members of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas have resigned.