Heal the City announces addition of Bowen

Heal the City Free Clinic announces the addition of Dr. Trey Bowen, the first on-staff physician in the organization’s history.

“While we have an amazing team of physicians who volunteer their time every single week and will continue to do so, Dr. Bowen will be our first full-time paid physician at Heal the City,” founder Dr. Alan Keister in a news release. “He will work alongside HTC Nurse Practitioners and medical staff to continue to provide excellent patient care to everyone who walks in our doors.”

Bowen received his undergrad at Texas A&M University, attended medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern, and is currently completing his internal medicine residency at the Yale-New Haven Hospital Primary Care Program in Connecticut. He will begin his career at Heal the City in the summer of 2023.

“I am grateful and eager to join a team that shares the love of Christ through such comprehensive and collaborative care, partnering with patients to promote their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being," Bowen said. “My family and I are so excited to return home, and I am honored by the opportunity to provide care to people in our own community.”

For more information, visit www.healthecityamarillo.com/

Texas Tech recognized for excellence in entrepreneurship

Texas Tech University continues to be listed among the best colleges and universities for entrepreneurs.

The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine announced its annual ranking of the Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurship studies for 2023, with Texas Tech ranked No. 12 in the country for undergraduate entrepreneurship education.

The publication also ranked Texas Tech No. 4 in the West regional undergraduate list, moving up two spots from last year’s ranking of No. 6.

The ranking results come after a comprehensive survey that posed over 60 questions and considered 40 data points about the programs, faculty, students and alumni from nearly 300 schools with entrepreneurship offerings. Information about the ranking methodology is posted on the Princeton Review’s website.

The survey effort pulled statistics from the Hub’s programs, courses offered at Texas Tech with an entrepreneurial focus and companies formed by Texas Tech alumni who graduated with entrepreneurial certifications.

Texas Tech offers entrepreneurial coursework across a wide variety of disciplines. The Jerry S. Rawls College of Business offers a bachelor's degree in management with a concentration in strategic entrepreneurship and innovation while the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering and the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts both offer certificate programs in entrepreneurship. All three colleges offer undergraduate minors. Additional courses in entrepreneurialism are offered through the Department of Hospitality & Retail Management in the College of Human Sciences, the Department of Plant and Soil Science in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources and the College of Media & Communication.

Tyson Foods to give more than 90,000 U.S. Hourly Team Members approximately $50 Million in year-end bonuses

Springdale, Ark. – – Tyson Foods is saying thank you once again to more than 90,000 hourly team members across the U.S. by giving them approximately $50 million in year-end bonuses for their efforts over the past year. For team members in the U.S., these bonuses range from $300 to $700, and will be distributed starting mid-December.

In addition to year-end bonuses, Tyson is offering flexible work schedules at some facilities, and new and expanded benefits, services and resources for all U.S. team members beginning in 2023. This includes new parental leave, additional mental health support and other health plan benefits to enhance our caring and inclusive culture. With average hourly pay of around $19, plus the value of medical, dental and vision insurance, vacation and other benefits, the average total compensation for hourly team members is approximately $24 an hour, or an annual average value of nearly $50,000. This does not include overtime, an option many team members choose, or other incentives.

“We’re extremely grateful for all of our team members in the hundreds of communities where we operate and we want to recognize our success together and say thank you,” said Donnie King, president and chief executive officer of Tyson Foods. “As we progress our efforts to be the most sought-after place to work, we continue to listen to our team members needs and invest in areas like childcare to provide a better quality of life for our team members.”

BLM, USFS issue 2nd call for nominations to fill 2 vacancies on National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

WASHINGON, D.C. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have released a second call for nominations to fill two vacancies on the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board for the positions that represent livestock management and wildlife management.

The National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board is comprised of nine members representing a range of interests who advise the BLM and USFS on the protection and management of wild horses and burros under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, as amended. Individuals qualify to serve on the Advisory Board based on their education, training, or experience that enables them to give informed and objective advice regarding the interest they represent. Board members typically serve three-year terms and meet 1-4 times annually.

Interested parties should submit an application packet that demonstrates their experience or knowledge of the area of their expertise and their commitment to collaborate in seeking solutions to resource management issues. Additional instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice published Dec. 8. Nominations must be received and post-marked no later than Jan. 23. For more information on the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, visit the BLM website at BLM.gov/WHB/AdvisoryBoard.

Texas Beef Council releases program successes in new annual report

During board meetings in late November, the Texas Beef Council (TBC) approved and released evaluations of its fiscal year 2022 programs. This information is now available in TBC’s annual report titled “Building Beef-Loving Communities.” The report gives Texas beef producers the opportunity to see how their Beef Checkoff dollars were used to drive beef demand over the last year.

From taking viewers on a journey “beyond the pit” with a new season of the popular streaming series BBQuest, to reaching over 750 doctors offices with the latest research about beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle, TBC aims to bring Texans together over a shared love of beef.

Visit TexasBeefCheckoff.com/Annual-Reports to access the entire Annual Report that includes more Beef Checkoff funded results across all programs.

Crop production, protection seminar set Dec. 20 in Panhandle, South Plains

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the AgriLife Extension Crop Production and Protection Seminar Dec. 20 at locations across the Panhandle and South Plains.

The speakers will be virtual, but AgriLife Extension county agents in almost every county of the agency’s District 1, headquartered in Amarillo, and District 2, headquartered in Lubbock, will host an in-person event for producers to attend, said Danny Nusser, AgriLife Extension program leader for the North Region.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. at each location. The fees and lunch arrangements will vary from location to location. A complete list of the 38 in-person locations and contacts for more information is available at https://tx.ag/NorthRegionDec20.

Interstate Bank Market President Mike Blasingame retiring

Interstate Bank has announced the retirement of Market President Mike Blasingame. He has served the bank for 20 years and has held the positions of Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Commercial and Ag Lender, Chief Lending Officer, and most recently Market President as well as a member of the banks Board of Directors.

Blasingame is a Perryton native and has played a vital role in the day-to-day operations of the bank, according to a news release. He will be retiring effective December 31, 2022.

“We congratulate Mike on his career and the many lasting relationships that he has developed over the years. Mike has been part of the management team that continues to guide the direction of the bank. Chairman and CEO Danny Skarda stated, his knowledge and leadership made him a valuable member of our executive team.”

Interstate Bank has been a leader in the banking industry for the last 60 plus years in the Texas Panhandle with locations in Perryton and Amarillo, offering personal/business bank accounts, personal/commercial loans, savings accounts, ACH cash management, mortgage loans, and more. For more information on Interstate Bank, visit https://www.isbtexas.bank/.

2023 farm bill discussions relate to money

Changes in the new farm bill will mostly be about money. That was the message Joe Outlaw, Ph.D., Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University co-director in the Department of Agricultural Economics of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Bryan-College Station, delivered recently during the annual Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show.

Outlaw, speaking about the farm bill, said a lot of action is happening in Washington with different proposals and discussions on the table. However, in the end, it will boil down to what money is available. The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden earlier this year extended the Affordable Care Act, as well as added funding to existing agricultural conservation programs familiar to producers. The biggest component of the farm bill, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, is expected to increase the cost from $663.8 billion to $1.1 trillion and account for over 80% of the funding.

SNAP, however, has nothing to do with the agriculture portion of the farm bill, Outlaw said. Proponents of minimizing government spending need to know that “if you cut all of the agriculture spending, you wouldn’t make much of an impact on overall government spending,” he said. “But without more money dedicated to agriculture, we can’t make programs better for the farmers.”

Utility billing now accepting water service payments

The City of Amarillo Utility Billing Department is now accepting payments for utility services. A software upgrade by Tyler Technologies that caused a delay in water service payment capability has been resolved.

“We are so grateful for the patience and understanding of our customers during this software upgrade,” said city Utility Billing Manager Jennifer Gonzalez. “To accommodate our customers we are offering a grace period where no penalties or late fees will be accessed until Jan. 3.”

The payment process for customers paying by phone or in-person is available and has not changed. Customers with preexisting online accounts will need to re-register their online portal accounts. Instructions to log in can be found at billing.amarillo.gov. In addition, the following should be noted:

• Late fees were waived during the software upgrade and will be reinstated starting Jan. 3, 2023 for outstanding balances.

• Auto-draft payment process will resume immediately.

• Previous online portal users must re-register.

• Reoccurring credit card and draft payments will still be linked to accounts. No action is required.

• Customers will be informed of possible interruption of service for nonpayment starting Dec. 20 that may occur in the new calendar year.

• No late fees were assessed during the software upgrade.

For billing questions, contact Utility Billing at (806) 378-3030. For water maintenance issues, call (806) 378-6824.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo business in brief