Amarillo, Potter County | featured news

Come rain or shine, tomorrow Americans go to the polls to cast their ballots for a new president, and here in Amarillo, for seven bond propositions that might determine the city’s future.
While a sunny day might not have any impact on the vote tally, there is some scientific data that hints Republicans might receive a wee advantage from a little rain.
So the only question remaining now is: Will Tuesday’s voters need an umbrella or a jacket? Or both?
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If all seven bond propositions pass, the tax increase for Jennifer and Dustin Chase would be about $410 a year, and the annual increase for Velinda Jackson Pacheco and Jerry Pacheco would be about $528. A story on A1 of Sunday’s Amarillo Globe-News contained incorrect information.

As the cliche goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But for U.S. Military veterans, that won’t be the case on Friday.
Bubba’s 33 will offer active, retired and former military personnel a free meal from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. on Nov. 11 as their way of saying thank you for their service.
The free lunch covers a Cheeseburger, Bubba’s Bacon Burger, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Salad, Chicken Tender Salad or 12-inch Pepperoni Pizza, plus a drink.

New car sales are down around the United States, and Amarillo is no exception.
Local dealers are selling 21 percent fewer new cars than they were at this time a year ago, according to vehicle registration data collected by Amarillo National Bank.
Across the nation, new auto sales have dropped 0.2 percent year-to-date, per data collected by Motor Intelligence. That includes the first three-month consecutive decline the market has seen since the recession.

A political action committee supporting all seven bond proposals for Amarillo’s capital improvement projects outspent a group that opposes the bonds by more than $63,000 — a 19:1 margin.
Campaign finance reports have been turned in for all fundraising and expenditures through Oct. 31.
Unite for Amarillo spent nearly $40,000 on advertising, $17,000 on surveys and more than $10,000 on consulting fees, according to its campaign finance report.

Fifty years ago, they looked the way nurses were supposed to — white dresses, white hose, white shoes, the signature little white pill box cap perched on top of beehive hair.
There were 12 of them, freshly minted graduates in November 1966 of the Northwest Texas Hospital School of Nursing. Soon, very soon, they would scatter, with three of them going to a place they never imagined.
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It’s true: Amarillo has one of the lowest city property tax rates when compared to its peer cities.
It’s also true that overall property taxes, which include the county and school district, are a little less competitive.
While Amarillo has a total tax rate that’s above Midland and Odessa, a 20-cent increase also would push it above Abilene, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Wichita Falls and Lubbock.
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Thousands stood beneath a balmy sky Saturday morning, gathering and lining up starting at 11th and S. Polk St., as well as patiently waiting along the parade route for Amarillo’s annual Veterans Day parade to begin.
“Thankfully God held off on the moisture to give us perfect parade weather,” said Gordon Milbach, the parade’s committee chair.
Local talent Ed Montana served as emcee as bands from Amarillo, Palo Duro and Caprock High Schools marched along the route.
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The surge of record and near-record registered voters in Randall and Potter Counties this year carried its momentum over into the early voting session, with both counties setting all-time highs for the number of early ballots cast.
Randall County’s 85,190 registered voters wrapped up Friday night with 43,371 early ballots cast. Not only is that 6,000 more than the previous record set in 2008, it’s a full 51 percent of the county’s registered voters and the highest percentage of early voters in Randall County election history.

Every year Liah Givens, 11, visits with Santa Clause. This year, she came for the cookies and to tell Santa that she wants white Adidas shoes with black stripes.
“My favorite thing about Christmas is the candy,” she said.
She said she makes peppermint candy with her mother and seven sisters and four brothers. The young girl also said that if all of her siblings aren’t there to see Santa, she’ll also tell St. Nick what they want, too.
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