Amarillo area business news and developments for Jan. 22, 2023

Cingery to host all-day 'Box-Office Binge' for Elite members

Cinergy Entertainment will be hosting its first-ever unlimited movie day, “Box-Office Binge”, on Saturday, Jan. 28 at all of its locations, including Amarillo, Copperas Cove, Grandbury, Marble Falls, Midland, Odessa, Charlotte, Tulsa and Wheeling.

During the "Box-Office Binge," Cinergy is offering its Elite Rewards Members a $15 movie ticket at their local Cinergy to enjoy a full day of unlimited movies in all formats, during all showtimes - a true Box Office Binge! Additionally, guests will also receive unlimited free popcorn all day.

Becoming an Elite Rewards Member is free of charge. To register, go to https://www.cinergy.com/signup and enjoy instant perks including “Box Office Binge”.

AT&T's HACEMOS Scholarship accepting applications for 2023-24 academic year

HACEMOS, AT&T’s Hispanic/Latino employee group, is now accepting applications for its 2023-24 HACEMOS Scholarship Program. Aimed at supporting the next generation of Hispanic leaders, the HACEMOS Scholarship Program awards scholarships of $1,500 to two-year college students and $2,500 to four-year college students, a news release says.

Eligibility criteria for applicants include:

• Be of Hispanic heritage or be a dependent* child of an active HACEMOS member and age 25 and under as of the application deadline.

• High school seniors or graduates who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or any other U.S. territory for the entire 2022-23 academic year.

• Students who are already enrolled may apply.

• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester in coursework leading to a degree.

• Have a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent).

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is March 2 at 3 p.m. CST.

The HACEMOS Scholarship Program is made possible through fundraising events that include golf tournaments, auctions and 5k runs with the support of AT&T employees and community partners. The program has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships since 1998. For more information about HACEMOS Scholarship and how to apply, visit www.HACEMOS.org.

Texas A&M AgriLife faculty, staff, students earn Vice Chancellor’s Awards

Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence honors were presented to Texas A&M AgriLife faculty, staff and graduate students from across the state at the Texas A&M AgriLife Connect ceremonies held Jan. 12 on the Texas A&M University campus, with several local members receiving honors.

Lizabeth Gresham, AgriLife Extension family and community health agent for Potter County, was presented the County Agent Award. Gresham is full of energy and passion for creating positive impacts in the communities she serves. She thrives at building relations with local agencies and partners, identifies learning opportunities for residents of all ages, and works tirelessly to prepare and deliver programs to meet the needs of those she serves. Throughout her career with AgriLife Extension, Lizabeth has implemented and been recognized for her programming efforts at the local, district, state and national levels. In addition to all the contributions she has made through youth and adult programming, positive impacts among diverse and limited-resource residents, and the community partnerships formed and nurtured, she has established herself as a leader within AgriLife Extension, in Potter County and across the state.

Johnny Bible, farm research service manager at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Bushland, received the Special Services Award. The Bushland station has research programs in plant breeding, plant physiology, plant pathology, entomology and animal sciences, as well as AgriLife Extension agronomy trials. In addition, the Bushland station has experimental fields situated on about 300 acres at four different locations with 10 separate wells. Bible assists each program in field operations of various crops. He is responsible for making sure that the experimental fields are irrigated when needed without interruption. With a degree in mechanized agriculture, he can fix problems on the spot. In fact, a major irrigation pipe burst this summer, threatening to affect several ongoing experiments. Thanks to Bible’s expertise and dedication, the pipe was fixed without major consequences.

Shannon Baker, senior research associate at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Amarillo, received the Technical and Programmatic Staff Award. A key member of the wheat breeding program in Amarillo, Baker performs every task in the pipeline: cross-pollinating plants in the greenhouse, maintaining seed, planting, harvesting, taking field notes, supervising technical staff, importing and exporting seed, managing data, selecting advancements and leading unmanned aerial systems as a licensed drone operator. Managing the large dataset generated by the breeding program is another part of Baker’s role within the wheat program. She also works very closely with AgriLife Extension agronomists coordinating the Uniform Variety Trials. She excels in direct communication and collaboration with others. Thus, she is the “go-to person” for coordinating multidisciplinary trials with the wheat genetics, crop physiology and agronomy programs at Amarillo, as well as the statewide small grains research and AgriLife Extension teams.

The Ranchers Leasing Workshop Team earned the Team Collaboration Award. Team members include Department of Agricultural Economics personnel Tiffany Lashmet, J.D., associate professor and AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo; Greg Kaase, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural economist and risk management specialist, and Emmy Kiphen, program specialist, both of Bryan-College Station; and Lacrecia Garza, administrative associate, Amarillo.

The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project was named the recipient of the Partnership Award. The partnership is a combination of efforts of Brent Auvermann, Ph.D., professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center director, and Vinícius Gouvêa, Ph.D., AgriLife Research beef nutritionist and assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science, both in Amarillo; Glenn Duff, professor of animal science and superintendent, New Mexico State University Clayton Livestock Research Center; Jean Steiner, senior science coordinator, New Mexico State University Department of Animal and Range Sciences; Sheri Spiegal, Ph.D., range management specialist, and Rick Estell, Ph.D., lead scientist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Other entities involved in the partnership include the USDA-ARS Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, Mandan, North Dakota; Texas A&M University; West Texas A&M University, Canyon; Utah State University, Logan, Utah; Evergreen Ranching and Livestock LLC, Custer, South Dakota; and Rancho Corte Madera Inc., San Diego, California.

For more information, visit https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2023/01/12/faculty-staff-honored-with-texas-am-agrilife-vice-chancellors-awards/ .

AARP Texas accepting 2023 Community Challenge Grant applications

AUSTIN — AARP Texas invites local eligible organizations and governments across the country to apply for the 2023 AARP Community Challenge grant program, now through March 15 at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long-term by improving public spaces, transportation, housing, civic engagement, diversity and inclusion, and more. Now in its seventh year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for all residents, especially those age 50 and older.

In 2023, the AARP Community Challenge is accepting applications across three different grant opportunities, two of which are new this year. All projects must be consistent with AARP’s mission to serve the needs of people 50 and older along with other eligibility criteria. AARP will prioritize proposals that are inclusive, address disparities, and directly engage volunteers age 50 and older.

The Community Challenge is open to eligible nonprofit organizations and government entities. Other types of organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Grants can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to tens of thousands for larger projects.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern, March 15. All projects must be completed by Nov. 30, 2023. To submit an application and view past grantees, visit www.AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.

Oklahoma Panhandle State RN to BSN program earns top rankings

Oklahoma Panhandle State University has been recognized as one of the Best Colleges for Nursing in Oklahoma by a number of data-based outlets. According to a news release, the rankings are based on information compiled from the National Center for Education Statistics and other sources. Things like tuition costs, accreditation, and the program's reputation are all considered.

Niche put OPSU on the map at #9 as the 2023 Best College for Nursing in Oklahoma. RN to MSN online rankings show OPSU as #2 Most affordable RN to BSN Program online in Oklahoma. Intelligent and University HQ ranked Panhandle State for being in the Top 50 Most Affordable RN to BSN nursing programs in the country.

Webinar on retirement benefit basics for military caregivers set Jan. 31

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and OneOp will present the webinar “Retirement Benefit Basics: The DoD Survivor Benefit Plan” on Jan. 31. The webinar, which will be from 10-11:30 a.m., is free but advance registration is needed at https://tx.ag/Jan31OneOp. Once registered, participants will receive an email with instructions and a meeting link.

The webinar will prepare military caregivers with a further understanding of the Department of Defense Survivor Benefit Plan, SBP, and the Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan, RCSPB. OneOp, formerly the Military Families Learning Network, is a virtual professional development platform for providers who serve military families.

The webinar speakers are Patricia Cruz, SBP program manager, Army Survivor Benefits Plan, U.S. Army; and Mark Overberg, deputy director, Army Retirement Services, Office of the Deputy Chief of State, U.S. Army.

According to a news release, the webinar has been approved for 1.5 continuing education credits for the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education for Accredited Financial Counselors and the Center for Financial Certifications for Certified Personal Finance Counselors. The program has been submitted for Case Manager Certification for approval to provide board certified case managers with 1.5 clock hours. The Patient Advocate Certification Board has preapproved the program to provide continuing education credit to Board Certified Patient Advocates. The course has been approved for a total of 1.5 continuing education contact hours.

Certificates of attendance are available for providers interested in documenting their training activities.

Email contact@oneop.org for addition information or for technical support.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area business news and developments for Jan. 22, 2023