Amarillo area Our Town briefs for the week of July 31

Amarillo League of Women Voters holding voter registration events

The Amarillo League of Women Voters will be registering voters for the November general election, starting this month and continuing through the voter registration deadline of Oct. 11. The League will be on hand Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6-7, at Ama-Con, the Amarillo Public Library’s pop culture convention, at the Amarillo Civic Center.

The group will next be holding registration on Aug. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Amarillo Community Market at 1000 Polk St. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, members will be on hand at all Palace Coffee locations for National Voters Registration Day.

There will be many more opportunities to register to vote in September, as well. If your organization, business, nonprofit, or church, is interested in having the Amarillo League of Women Voters, register your employees or members, please contact them at amarillolwv@gmail.com or 806-337-2148.

Texas Panhandle War Memorial hosts monthly seminar with former mayor, Vietnam veteran Paul Harpole on Aug. 6

The first Saturday of each month, the Texas Panhandle War Memorial hosts a one-hour lecture/seminar on topics related to military history. These lecture/seminars, which are free and open to the public, are held at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center, 4111 S. Georgia, at 1:30 p.m.

Snacks are available for the attendees. The lecture/seminar series is made possible by a grant from the Mary E. Bivins Foundation.

Their next lecture/seminar will be on Saturday, Aug. at 1:30 p.m. with former Amarillo mayor Paul Harpole, who will talk about his experience in Vietnam as the flight Crew Chief on an unarmed medical evacuation or Dustoff helicopter from July 1969 until January 1971. Harpole flew more than 475 combat missions in Vietnam. He was awarded the Army Commendation medal, 18 Air medals, and one Air medal with a V for Valor. After his two tours in Vietnam Paul was the general manager of John Chandler Ford and later became a partner in the business. After the sale of John Chandler Ford, Paul was the owner of Paul Harpole Motors, LLC until his retirement. He was elected mayor of Amarillo for three terms, after serving as a commissioner for one term.

Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for veterans; adults are $5, children and students $2. For more information, call 806-350-8387, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at www.TexasPanhandleWarMemorial.com .

Randall County burn ban extended through November

On Tuesday, the Randall County Commissioner’s Court extended a county-wide burn ban Order. This order will prohibit any and all outdoor burning of trash, debris and brush in the unincorporated areas of the county for 90 days from the date of adoption of this order, from Aug. 6 until Nov. 4, unless the restrictions are terminated earlier by the Commissioner’s Court based on a determination that the circumstances that require the order no longer exist, according to a news release.

BBQ grills and smokers are still allowed to be used during the burn bans, as they are exempt from this order. This order does not prohibit outdoor burning activities related to public health and safety that are authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for firefighter training; public utility, natural gas pipeline, or mining operations; planting or harvesting of agriculture crops; or that are conducted by a prescribed burn manager certified under Section 153.048, Natural Resources Code, and meet the standards of Section 153.047, Natural Resources Code.

Violating this order is considered a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. If you have any questions about the burn ban, please contact the Randall County Fire Department at 806-477-1750.

Borger Regional Communications Center to host National Night Out on Aug. 2

Borger Regional Communications Center, also known as Borger Central Dispatch, is set to host the second annual “National Night Out” in downtown Borger, Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. First responders from all over the county will be there in hopes to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.

The event is family friendly, and communities from all over are welcome to attend. There will be live music, games, food, and fun.

TTUHSC receives funds from the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium

Federal funds have been made available to states under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. The 87th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 8 during the Third Special Session to allocate these funds. The Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium (TCMHCC) will receive $113,082,887 to improve mental health care, expand services and increase the mental health workforce. Of those funds, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) will receive approximately $32 million, according to a news release.

“Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has been a leader in innovative models to expand access for child and adolescent mental health care,” said TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., “We’re grateful for the opportunity afforded through these funds to further expand the work we’re doing collaboratively with community partners across the state to better serve the mental health care needs of this vulnerable population.”

According to the TCMHCC website, the consortium was created by the 86th Texas Legislature to leverage the expertise and capacity of the health-related institutions of higher education to address urgent mental health challenges and improve the mental health care system in this state for children and adolescents. For more information about these initiatives at TTUHSC, visit www.ttuhsc.edu/catr/default.aspx.

Panhandle Rides is a new resident resource tool to find free rides within the Texas Panhandle

Panhandle Rides is a transit collaborative between the City of Amarillo and Panhandle Community Services, which provides rides to citizens in the upper Texas Panhandle 26 counties. Riders can use these services for Amarillo fixed routes, free rides to COVID testing, antibody treatment, and vaccination clinics, in addition to rides to medical or other appointments in outlying areas. Senior citizens who need rides to doctor’s appointments or other important events can even schedule a curb-to-curb ride within the upper 26 Texas panhandle counties.

Panhandle Rides has announced it has launched its new website, where residents can find rides to nearly anywhere they want to go within the top 26 Texas panhandle counties. This valuable tool is powered by PROMPT (The Panhandle Regional Organization to Maximize Public Transportation), Panhandle Rides brings together two regional transportation agencies (Panhandle Community Services and Amarillo City Transit) to increase mobility options within the top 26 counties and 63 cities in the Texas Panhandle.

Transportation includes fixed routes, demand service, and rides for ADA riders needing additional mobility assistance. To schedule a ride, visit PanhandleRides.com at least 24 hours in advance. Trips can be booked up to 30 days in advance.

Dunkin’ of Amarillo, Coffee Memorial Blood Center team up to encourage blood donations

Local blood donors are in for a sweet treat this August: Dunkin’ of Amarillo is teaming up with Coffee Memorial Blood Center to provide 3,000 vouchers to Coffee Memorial Blood Center donors in the region during August. To thank donors who help refuel the blood supply throughout August, presenting donors will receive a voucher for a free Medium Hot or Iced Coffee and a free Classic Donut, redeemable at participating Dunkin’ restaurants in the Amarillo area, while supplies last. Vouchers are not redeemable for cash.

Coffee Memorial continues to experience a blood shortage and need more units to get through the end of summer – all blood types are needed, especially O-. Right now, Coffee Memorial needs to collect 125 blood donations each day to take care of patients of the Texas & Oklahoma Panhandle.

Donors who give now will help stock the shelves for the rest of the summer season. Schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets by calling 806-331-8833 or you can visit yourbloodinstitute.org

ABC 7, Roasters hosting Stuff the Bus to provide school supplies to kids

ABC 7 and Roasters Coffee and Tea Company will be collecting school supplies for Region 16 and Amarillo ISD during the annual Stuff the Bus drive. Donations will be accepted from Aug. 1-5 at the ABC 7 studio and at the four Roasters Coffee and Tea Company sites located on Georgia Street, Bell Street, Soncy Road and Lowes Lane.

Donations will be accepted from Aug. 1-5 at the ABC 7 studio and at the four Roasters Coffee and Tea Company sites located on Georgia Street, Bell Street, Soncy Road and Lowes Lane.Accepted school supplies:For TeachersDry erase markersConstruction PaperChart PaperCard StockPens/PencilsClorox WipesBindersKleenex

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for the week of July 31