Potter County | featured news

Xcel Energy is making sure more than 100 apprentices are prepared, training them in a simulated world before going out into the real world to work as electrical field employees.
“Most of our training involves safety — keeping our employees safe, and of course the public. Simulators allow us to do things in the classroom that we couldn’t previously do before putting them on a piece of equipment,” said Mark Palacio, Xcel’s technical training supervisor.

SPUR — A cross at a city park has drawn challenges from an organization claiming its public location is unconstitutional.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation claims it is still awaiting a response from Spur’s city management about the display.
The foundation received a complaint about the cross, then sent a letter to City Hall asking officials to take it down or move it to a private location. The letter references various cases in which courts ruled crosses on public land violate the Establish Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

A homeless man recently released from jail and found dead in an alley behind a tire store in north Amarillo less than 24 hours later caused an online stir when false rumors circulated that he was turned away from area shelters.
Jamey Scott Johnson, 53, who was reported to be homeless, was found dead Thursday morning behind Peerless Tire Shop on Amarillo Boulevard by workers at the store. He was discovered after a frigid night that saw temperatures drop into the teens. Preliminary autopsy reports to determine a cause of death are not yet available.

Amarillo is home to 18 to 22 sports bars, depending on how one classifies such an establishment, and more and more are trying to carve out their place in what several bar managers call a large, athletically ambivalent city.
Bars range from international chains like Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings to local watering holes such as 7 Bar & Grill and The Burger Bar.
They tend to cluster in certain regions, especially in southwest Amarillo near West Interstate 40.
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Dallas Paetzold has not so much seized the day as she has — in this year she turned 50 — seized the year.
At a milestone marker in her life, she gave a big nod to spontaneous living, big dreams and the power of the now.
“I guess I’m blessed in a weird kind of way to learn early on that life is short,” she said.
“I just feel like I can run, and tomorrow, I may not be able to. So just enjoy today, and if someone wants to do something, it’s better to do it today,” she said.

Amarillo ISD’s superintendent recently spoke out against the implementation of a new system that will grade schools’ performance the same way students are, on an A-F scale.
In a district newsletter this week, Superintendent Dana West expressed concern about “oversimplified” grades being attached to schools and cautioned parents about buying into the ratings too quickly.
The system doesn’t go into effect until next school year, but the Texas Education Agency is revealing how it will work in stages through the month of December and into January.

After this week’s bone-chilling cold, holiday shoppers can look forward to a warmer weekend for those last minute trips to the stores.
There’s less than a 10 percent chance of precipitation this weekend, and temperatures will be warmer than the last few days with highs expected in the mid-60s from Saturday to Monday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Adrea Pearson of local clothing store Raffkind’s said that with all of the weather changes recently, business has been good for them.

This year, seven area Texas Department of Public Safety locations, in partnership with Jack Sisemore Traveland, will be the destinations for dropping off new, age-appropriate toys for children on behalf of Toys for Tots.
The goal this year is to fill a toy hauler at Sisemore Traveland, 4341 Canyon Drive, chock full of toys for this Christmas, and group organizers said they now need more help to reach that goal.
Toys should be unwrapped and in their original, unopened packaging. Toys for Tots will not distribute realistic weapons or gifts with food.

In hopes of creating a new family tradition, the Amarillo Symphony and Happy State Bank and Trust Co. will present “Happy Holiday Pops,” a concert that includes Christmas classics, sing-alongs, carols and a potential appearance by Santa Claus himself.
The concert will take place Saturday with performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts.
Conductor Jacomo Rafael Bairos said he hopes to unite the community through the “fellowship and spirit of festive, quality and fun holiday-inspired music.”

What’s the most important element of the holiday table? If one were to make a list, the people would likely come first, followed by the food. The table setting — the plates, glasses, flatware, napkins — may rank in a distant third place. After all, what good are nicely arranged forks and knives if there’s no turkey to carve up, or no family to use them?
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