Amarillo area Our Town briefs

Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center to open for Saturdays

"Thanks to our great volunteer staff, the War Memorial will be open on Saturdays beginning in February," a news announcement from the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center says. "Our Saturday hours will be 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come by and see our exhibits, including the Medal of Honor, USS Arizona, USS Indianapolis, and artifacts from WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Afghanistan. Spend some time in our high-tech Education Center and learn about 11 wars the US has been involved in from the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan." The memorial is located at 4111 S. Georgia. For more information, call (806) 350-8387.

McDonald’s announces new charity to benefit from community promotion

A new charity has been selected from this year's McDonald’s Gives Back Days, a popular promotion that allows the public to easily support local non-profit organizations, according to a news release. On Tuesday, Jan. 25, a portion of all sales at participating McDonald’s locations in Amarillo and Canyon will go toward benefiting the Amarillo Wesley Community Center (AWCC).

The AWCC is a neighborhood center that provides educational, recreational, and spiritual activities for children, youth, and adults of all backgrounds.

“The Wesley Community Center’s mission is to maximize individual potential and community empowerment,” explains McDonald’s Director of Marketing Brandon Clavel. “Through our Gives Back promotion, McDonald’s is also focusing on community empowerment, so we felt this was a perfect fit.”

McDonald’s Gives Back Day was created in March 2020, during the onset of the pandemic, to help Panhandle area charities that may be seeing a decline in donations due to COVID-19 and other factors. So far, more than $35,000 has been donated to the Ronald McDonald House of Amarillo, Faith City Mission of Amarillo, the Court Appointed Special Advocates Program, Opportunity School, the Downtown Women’s Center, and the Turn Center of Amarillo.

League of Women Voters to hold registration events

The Amarillo League of Women Voters will conduct voter registration at the following locations on Saturday, Jan. 29, ahead of the Jan. 31 deadline for the upcoming Primary Election in March:

10 a.m.-2 p.m., United Supermarkets, 1501 East Amarillo Blvd.

Noon – 4 p.m., Amigo’s Store on I-40 near Grand.

“The last day to register to vote in this primary election is Jan. 31st, and that is coming up soon,” Jamie Cowart, Voter Services Director said. “Early voting begins on Feb. 14th and ends on the 25th,” she added. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is February 18.

The phone numbers for the Elections Administrators are:

Potter County – 806-379-2299

Randall County – 806-468-5510

Amarillo Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week - forgery suspect

Amarillo Crime Stoppers is asking for help identifying a forgery suspect in this week’s, “Crime of the Week.” In December 2021, an unknown individual was seen passing a forged check at a local bank. The suspect was driving a Chevrolet with unknown Colorado tags.

Those who may have information about this crime or the suspect are asked to call Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400. You can also submit your anonymous tip at amapolice.org or by using the P3 Tips App. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could earn a reward up to $1,000.

Amarillo Crime Stoppers Fugitive of the Week - Andrew Rodriguez

Amarillo Crime Stoppers "Fugitive of the Week" is Andrew Marcos Rodriguez, a Hispanic male, 22, 5' 7" tall, 180 lbs., with brown eyes and brown hair. Rodriguez is wanted by the Randall County Sheriff's Office on charges for aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Those with information are asked to call Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400. You can also submit a tip online at amapolice.org or by using the P3 tips app. If your anonymous tip leads to his arrest you could earn a reward of $300.00. Remember to "Say It Here" with Amarillo Crime Stoppers.

AFD to host Civil Service exam in February

On Saturday, Feb. 26, the Amarillo Fire Department will host a Civil Service exam for entrance into the new AFD Fire Academy, which will begin in the spring.

According to a news release, this written exam will be a 100% general aptitude test, including math, reading comprehension, and mechanical questions. In addition, the top scorers of the exam will be asked to schedule and pass a Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), an oral interview, a background check, physical and drug screen.

The exam will take place at the Civic Center, 400 S. Buchanan - South Exhibit Hall, Entrance #1 or #2, at 9 a.m. Deadline to register is Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 11:59 p.m.

The starting salary is $46,068.

Three voluntary prep sessions will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5. The sessions intend to assist the candidate in preparation for the highly competitive exam. The same content will be presented in each session, lasting 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Space is limited to 50 participants per session. To guarantee your spot, sign up online at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C4AA9AD2CABFB6-amarillo.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old but no older than 35 (at the date of hire) to test. A high school diploma or equivalent and a valid Class C Texas driver's license are required. Candidates who have honorably served in the United States Armed Forces, scoring a 70% or above, will receive five additional points on their final grade.

Go to the City of Amarillo Applicant Portal for more information at http://careers.amarillo.gov or contact the Human Resources Office at 806-378-4294.

WT AmeriCorps Program, Canyon nonprofit team up to encourage reading in Panhandle

Elementary students around the Texas Panhandle got the gift of reading and learned about the value of service thanks to a partnership between West Texas A&M University’s AmeriCorps program and a Canyon-based nonprofit.

Members of WT’s Rural Resilience and Opportunity on the High Plains AmeriCorps program visited students in Canyon, Dalhart, Friona and Hereford over the course of a week as a part of the program’s Service Day program. They partnered with The Leader Readers Network, founded by former WT staffer Chris McGilvery in 2012 and based in Canyon since 2019.

AmeriCorps members delivered books to and read to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students at Lakeview Elementary School in Canyon on Jan. 14. Members also delivered books to Dalhart Intermediary School on Jan. 19 and Friona Primary School and Hereford West Central Elementary School on Jan. 21.

Through AmeriCorps, Leaders Readers Network is donating about books to every student at Friona Primary and Dalhart Intermediary, about 300 books in all. The complete MLK Day service project resulted in a donation of more than 750 books, including many bilingual books.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs