Amarillo | featured news

Quick history lesson: There was a little-known proposition on the statewide ballot in November 2009, something called the Texas National Research University Fund Amendment.
It basically transferred about $500 million from the higher education fund into a research fund to help seven public schools in the state in their quest to join The University of Texas and Texas A&M University to achieve coveted Tier I status.
The amendment was almost a rubber stamp deal backed by former Lt. Gov. William Hobby, who looked at it as a win for the state. It easily passed.

Figgy pudding: It could be delicious. Who knows? After all, it’s immortalized in Christmas canon via song.
Then again, you know about the English and their food. As for Americans, oh do we love our Christmas food, our traditional high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar delights.
Pies, cakes, cookies, ham, fowl, snacks and other edibles.
That’s a Christmas tradition — recipes handed down and exchanged through the years along with a gift membership to a health club in the new year.

Amarillo today isn’t the same city it was when 73-year-old Iris Lawrence was growing up. The North Heights resident said she came of age during a time when racism was unbridled and black women like her were being jailed for staging walk-ins at the old Paramount Theater after being denied entrance.
“Because we did the work,” because this generation doesn’t have to, Lawrence said minorities and women aren’t as politically and socially active as they once were.
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MONDAY
Potter County Commissioners’ Court: 9 a.m. Potter County Courthouse, 500 S. Fillmore St. Commissioners will discuss insurance regarding the Amarillo Tri-State Exposition Center; the Axon body camera contract; proposed sub-leasing of Potter County Memorial Stadium to San Jacinto Christian Academy; and the proposed termination of Southern Independent Baseball League’s stadium lease.
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Biz briefs for Sunday, Dec. 11
Schrader Real Estate and Auction Co.
Massive land parcel for sale in Hartley County
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For what could be the last time in her life, Janet Pruyn is moving. Pruyn, 80, spent the week figuring out how she would move 1,700 square feet of possessions into a 1,100-square foot apartment at Continental Retirement Center.
Items like chairs, refrigerators and chests were passed along to her children and grandchildren, but bedroom and living room furniture will come with her to Continental.
“I want to take everything,” Pruyn said. “I was excited about (the move) at first, but now I’m a little nervous … it’s the unknown, a little bit.”

Biz seen for Sunday, December 11
Kelly Galloway
Coon Memorial Hospital — Dalhart
Galloway, who has been a nurse for 14 years in nearly every nursing role, is now COO of Coon Memorial Hospital. She headed up its new ER project and this year was one of the 2016 Panhandle Great 25 Nurses.
Lenna Richardson
First United Bank
Richardson, an assistant vice president and operations manager, will celebrate her eighth anniversary with First United Bank on Dec. 15.

Note: All petitions have been verified to be voluntary.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Cynthia Lorraine Greer, aka Cynthia Lorraine Halsted, Canyon. Chapter 7 nonbusiness/consumer.
Franklin Howell Jr., aka Frank Howell, J.F. Howell Jr., John Franklin Howell Jr., and Ross Lynn Howell, aka Rosslyn Howell, Ross Lynn Spradling Howell, Lynn Howell, Amarillo. Chapter 7 nonbusiness/consumer.
Margie H. McAlister, aka Margie LaVonne McAlister, Amarillo. Chapter 13 nonbusiness/consumer.

West Texas A&M University Walter Wendler announced a planned five-month tour of the upper-26 counties of the Texas Panhandle.
The “Your Community, Your University” tour starts Jan. 5 with a stop in Booker, according to a Friday news release that listed the first month of stops.
The tour is set to cover more than 60 cities and marks the “first effort in recent history” by a WT president to visit all Texas Panhandle counties, the news release said.

Cheerleaders from four area high schools rode complimentary buses down to Abilene on Friday to support the cheerleaders and students at Iraan High.
An Iraan booster was killed and seven cheerleaders injured last week when their bus was in a crash while returning home from a football game.
To show their support for the injured students, cheerleaders from Tascosa High, Randall High, Caprock High and Bushland High piled into a King’s Highway bus on Friday and headed south.