Texas, Amarillo | featured news

With “Amen” formed on her mouth, Louise Blackmore sat prayerful in an otherwise hollow pew at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Her head of ringlets tilted back with the utterance of agreement, contouring her dark complexion with light from the ceiling.
Robert Westmoreland gently draped his arm around his girlfriend, Latasha Vinson, while they listened to the word preached by Elder Terrance Ford.
Their one-year-old son, Zaelyn, was tucked into his car seat on the pew, his eyes wide and pacifier bobbing between his plump cheeks.

West Texas A&M University donors and Buffalo Club members Bob and Mary Stewart are living the ultimate sports fan’s fantasy.
Proud supporters of Buffs’ and Lady Buffs athletics, for years now the Stewarts have shown their love for the school by consistently not missing a home game, traveling away to road games and hosting team dinners.
But on Monday the Stewarts took it a step further: They gave the WT Athletic Department a gift of $1 million dollars to establish The Bob and Mary Stewart Athletics Scholarship Endowment.

A nine-month conversation about how best to deal with disadvantaged Amarillo neighborhoods began to take better shape Monday evening.
More than $2.6 million recently approved in a street bond proposition will fund the way for preliminary planning to address many of the city’s aging areas, while millions more from the proposition will fund the projects behind such initiatives, starting with the North Heights community.
“It all started from a conversation,” said Potter County Precinct Two Commissioner Mercy Murguia.

The majority of the City of Amarillo offices will be closed both Thursday and Friday according to a city news release Monday.
City offices and facilities, including all public libraries, municipal court, public health, and Amarillo Animal Management & Welfare buildings will be closed all day Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving, The offices will reopen on Monday morning.
Tuesday night’s city council meeting will be held as planned, but the Nov. 29 meeting after Thanksgiving has been cancelled.
There will also be no garbage collection on Thursday.

The Amarillo Police Department is searching for a man who robbed a gaming parlor at gunpoint late Sunday night on Amarillo Boulevard.
According to APD, officers were dispatched at 10:44 p.m. to the 1700 block of Amarillo Blvd. on an aggravated robbery call after a man entered the business, sat down at a gaming machine, then after playing for a short time pulled out a gun and pointed it at an employee.
The suspect demanded money and was given an undisclosed amount before leaving the scene.

Live music, casino games and the opportunity to give a blessing to children and families who may be in need of a little extra love this holiday season will be offered at the 4th annual Northside Toy Drive Black Tie Affair on Dec. 9.
“I saw a need in the community and I felt it was my responsibility to do as much as I can to give back,” said Elton Bradley, the event’s organizer.
Bradley decided to act upon the communty’s need in 2013. Since that inaugural year, the number of children and families served through the Northside Toy Drive has increased every year.

LUBBOCK — Alejandra Mosqueda asked Armani’s roommate if he could leave for a few minutes so that she could talk to the 12-year-old alone.
There were certain questions she wanted to ask the foster child: Was he getting enough sleep? Enough food? Did he feel safe?
She also wanted to make sure he trusted her. So, she talked to him like she would a younger brother.
“We want to make them feel comfortable so they feel safe to tell us anything,” said Mosqueda, a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services conservatorship worker in Lubbock.

Some Sabra Dipping Co. hummus products made before Nov. 8, 2016 are being recalled over Listeria contamination concerns after discovering Listeria at one of the company’s manufacturing plants.
The recall includes products distributed to retail outlets, food service accounts and supermarket in the United States and Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Saturday.
Consumers should throw away products with a “Best Before” date up through Jan. 23, 2017, the FDA said. The code and “Best Before” date can both be found on on the lid of each package.

This year seven 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 chock full of toys for this Christmas.
Toys should be unwrapped and in their original, unopened packaging. Toys for Tots will not distribute realistic weapons or gifts with food.
Jack Sisemore Traveland is located at 4341 Canyon Dr, Amarillo.

Amarillo was already home to the lowest gas prices of any Texas metropolitan area, but now drivers are going to receive a Thanksgiving treat: prices have dropped five cents across the state just before one of the U.S.’s most-travelled holidays.
Gas averages $1.83 per gallon in Amarillo and can be bought for as little as $1.72. That pales in comparison to Dallas, the most expensive region in the state ($1.97 per gallon) as well as the American national average ($2.15 per gallon).