Amarillo area community news, state updates of note

APL student art contest underway for library mural

The Amarillo Public Library is working with Blank Space Murals to hold a student art contest leading to a mural on the front of the Downtown Library. The contest theme is "Learn, Create, Inspire!" Three distinct but coordinating designs illustrating the theme will be chosen for the library’s mural and installed across three of the second-story brick panels on the front of the Downtown Library facing 4th Avenue, according to the library.

Winners receive a cash prize of $500 per winning entry and get to see their artwork turned into a mural on the Downtown Library. The entry deadline has been extended to July 15. Finalists will be announced at AMA-CON on Aug. 5.

For more information, visit the mural page on the library's website.

WT’s McNair Scholars cohort announced for 2023-24

CANYON — Fifteen West Texas A&M University students will join one of the University’s most prestigious academic programs in the fall.

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program, at WT prepares underrepresented, low-income and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities. In 2022, the program won a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, providing $275,000 in annual funding for five years. The program has been offered at WT since 1999. In that time, 260 McNair Scholars have earned their bachelor’s degrees, and another 152 have earned graduate or professional degrees.

“Our new cohort of McNair Scholars boasts a higher number of STEM majors than in previous years, indicating WT's commitment to expanding these majors among diverse populations and attracting them to attend,” said Victoria Salas, director.

Fifteen are in the fall 2022 cohort, listed with their current research project:

• Yadhira “Yaya” Avalos, a junior biology / pre-med major from Hereford: “Ethical Issues with Social Media in Health Care: A Literature Review”;

• Raquel Chavez, a senior physical therapy major from Los Lunas, New Mexico: “Comparative Analysis of Muscle Characteristics Among Long Jumpers, 100 Meter Sprinters, and 1500 Meter Distance Runners”;

• Castina Dobbins, a senior accounting and finance major from Amarillo: “The Financial Hardship on Lives that Face Cancer”;

• Stephanie Espinoza, a senior English major from Hart: “Defining Space Through Chicano Literature (La Llorona)”;

• Annali Flores, a senior biology/pre-med major from Booker: “Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus Aureus and their Effect on Antibiotic Sensitivity”;

• Wendy “Nayeli” Galvan, a senior biochemistry/pre-med major from Booker: “Synthesis and Characterization of Epoxidized Limonene”;

• Joeziv “Joe” Hernandez, a junior social sciences education major from Amarillo: “Mexican-American Conflict After World War II”;

• Samuel Isaac, a junior animal science/pre-vet major from Rocksprings: “Investigating Multi-Decadal Patterns of Changing Temperature and Their Effects on the Growing Season Length in the Texas Panhandle”;

• Marty Kacsh, a senior animal science/pre-vet major from Evergreen, Colorado: “Electrocardiographs and Lactate Levels in Blood on Competitive School Horses to Show Loss of Fitness from Show Season to Off Season”;

• JoLina Lopez, a junior digital journalism major from Abernathy: “Improving Hispanic Serving Institutions: A Research Proposal to Promote Success for Hispanic Students”;

• Alejandro Mata, a senior political science major from Hereford: “Code Switching in Collegiate Forensics”;

• Kara Ramirez, a senior biology/pre-vet major from Andrews: “Epidemiological Study of the Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance of Ticks within the Texas Panhandle”;

• Nadia Reyna, a sophomore health science major from San Antonio: “Patterns of Surgical Care and Additional Treatments for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Post COVID-19”;

• Veronica Torres, a junior digital communication and media from Littlefield: “The K-pop Industry and Gender Discrimination Toward Female K-pop Idols”; and

• Michelle Truong, a junior biology/psychology major from Houston: “The Effect of Childhood Trauma on the Brain.”

McNair was one of six crewmembers who died Jan. 28, 1986, when the Challenger exploded shortly after launching at Cape Canaveral, Fla. After his death, Congress named a research program in his honor — the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program. It is designed to prepare underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities. McNair — who, in addition to his work as a physicist, also was a talented musician and decorated martial arts champion and instructor — was the second African American to fly in space.

Texas HHSC notes important steps in renewing Medicaid for older adults, people with disabilities

Older adults and people with disabilities who are on Medicaid (and their authorized representatives) should be on the lookout for important notices from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) about their Medicaid renewal.

Renewal packets are being sent out in phases. Renewal notices are being mailed in a yellow envelope with “Action Required” printed in red. People who opted to go paperless will receive a notice through their Your Texas Benefits account.

If you received a renewal packet, it’s important that you fill out and return the packet to HHSC so you don’t lose coverage or have a gap in coverage. Contact HHSC as soon as possible to report any changes, such as contact information or household changes, and make sure your address is updated to continue receiving all official HHSC notices.

If you need support completing or submitting your renewal notice, call 2-1-1 or visit a local HHSC office or community partner. To find one, visit the Your Texas Benefits website and click on Find an Office, or call 2-1-1 and choose option 2 after picking a language.

If you didn’t receive a renewal packet, you can still check your renewal status by logging into Your Texas Benefits or calling 2-1-1 and choosing option 2.

Once you turn in your renewal packet, HHSC will review your application and may ask for missing information. People who remain eligible will receive a notice from HHSC stating your Medicaid benefits are renewed. If you’re no longer eligible, HHSC will determine if there are other HHSC health care programs available to you.

Watch out for potential scams. HHSC will never charge you or ask for money to help you apply for Medicaid. Confirm you’re talking to an HHSC representative before discussing financial information.

The best way to stay updated on benefits, including Medicaid, is to create an account on the Your Texas Benefits website. You can view your account information, update your contact information, submit a renewal and respond to requests from HHSC through the portal. You can also sign up for text and email alerts and reminders to stay informed about your renewal. Learn more on the HHSC End of Continuous Medicaid Coverage webpage.

TxDOT seeks public input on $100B plan for projects across the state

As the Texas population continues to boom, TxDOT is drafting a record-breaking 10-year transportation plan and now the public is invited to weigh in on the projects proposed in their communities.

To help guide transportation projects over the next decade, TxDOT is seeking public input on the draft 2024 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), the state’s 10-year transportation plan. The draft 2024 UTP totals $100 billion, which is $15 billion more than the 2023 plan. The increase primarily comes from growth in revenues from Proposition 1 (passed in the 2015 legislative session) generated by oil and gas severance fees dedicated to highway improvements.

The public is invited to learn about the UTP and participate in a virtual public hearing on July 25 at 2 p.m. The public may join the meeting and hearing by phone or online via TxDOT Public Involvement.

The draft 2024 UTP public comment period began Friday, July 7, 2023, and ends Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at 4 p.m. (CDT). There are multiple ways to comment throughout the process, and they can all be found on the Public Involvement section of TxDOT.gov, along with recordings and presentations from each meeting and hearing.

United Supermarkets teams up with local law enforcement for ‘Cops 4 Kids’ initiative

Once again, United Supermarkets will team up with local law enforcement agencies across Texas for the ‘Cops 4 Kids’ initiative throughout the summer and year.

The ‘Cops 4 Kids’ initiative, which began four years ago, was initially developed to promote positive interactions between children and police officers. United Supermarkets supplies local law enforcement officers with coupons for a free coke or Icee at United Express locations. The police officers then hand them out while they are in the community.

To find out more about Cops 4 Kids, follow along on United Supermarkets’ Facebook page.

Sanitary sewer overflow contained July 3 at Osage

A sanitary sewer overflow from a mechanical failure was contained earlier this week.

The lift station at 5601 S. Osage sustained a mechanical failure resulting in the overflow from a manhole, the city reported. A total of 850,000 gallons of untreated wastewater was released. The event was resolved at 9 a.m. Monday, July 3. Clean-up activities included vacuum removal of excess untreated wastewater and application of HTH to clean remaining residual wastewater.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was notified and is working with the city to minimize environmental impacts.

For more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager David Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for July 9, 2023