Hansford County Sheriff Bob Mahaffee Podcast
***The opinions of this podcast and guest are not the opinion of the High Plains Observer *** Hansford County Sheriff Bob Mahaffee interview with Hutchinson County Podcaster Jason Richardson April 30 This interview can be heard HERE | ||
Small Town Business Week April 28-May 3
Every year since 1963 the President of the United States of America has proclaimed National Small Town Business Week. This year it falls during the week of April 28 through May 3rd. The week is set aside to recognize the contributions of small business owners. According to the Secretary of State, Jeffrey Bullock, small businesses contribute money into their communities in the amount of approximately $12 billion in wages annually. Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's, said "When you support small businesses you're supporting a dream." Small town communities have some of the most unique businesses on the market. These local businesses are the root of their community and rely on the support of local shoppers, surrounding area shoppers, and travelers passing through to get to their desired destination. Shoppers may see homemade crafts, unique antiques, patented t-shirts, and lots of other decor in these locally owned businesses. Some of these unique gifts cannot be found in larger department stores. Spearman, Texas is one of the small towns with some very unique locally owned businesses within the community. Several surrounding community small businesses had to shut their doors when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. Spearman was able to sustain all of their small businesses which was a blessing to the local residents. The Spearman Chamber of Commerce and the Spearman Economic Development Corporation hope you will visit the locally owned businesses in town this week to offer your support and appreciation for their existence. If you are a social media individual and post regularly on a certain media platform, please use #SmallBusinessWeek when posting about supporting small businesses. Spearman is a blessed community to have some very unique small businesses whose owners made the decision to call Spearman home. The Spearman Chamber of Commerce and the Spearman EDC want to extend a heartfelt "Thank You" to those businesses! We are glad you are here! Happy Shopping! #SmallBusinessWeek | ||
Hansford County Rifle Team Prepare For Competition
The Hansford County 4H Rifle Team is working hard preparing for their 1st upcoming shooting competition to be held May 10th and 11th in Amarillo. The rifle team has been practicing for about 4 months for their first ever Long Rifle Competition. "Dustin Borden of Gruver has trained and certified in order to coach the team. He has put in many hours and his hard work is paying off, as these kids are progressing well," said Jackson. This team has traveled to Amarillo and learned a few pointers from 4H teams that have shot long rifle for multiple years. "This is a new event to Hansford County 4H and the team is still learning." Equipment is not the best at this time because they are gathering as they go. "We hope to gain sponsorship as our communities see how hard these kids are working and the passion and knowledge they are gaining!" The team includes: Kimber Jackson Sean Chinn Blain Slough Eastin Borden Briggs Borden | ||
Western Bank Breaks Ground On 17,000 Square Foot Facility In South Lubbock | ||
Plans Underway For Next All School Reunion To Be Held in June 2025
SHS All School 2025 Reunion We're beginning to update the site for the 2025 reunion so y'all come back to see plans, register or update your information, contact old friends, let us know about classmates, pay your dues, etc. Reunion date will be the Saturday of June 2025 Heritage Day Celebration (TBD) If you have forgotten your password from 2021, just click the Reset on the login page and follow the steps. If you've forgotten your UserName or what email you used in 2021, just email SpearmanHSReunion@gmail.com and we'll get you set back up. | ||
City of Spearman Member of Texas Water Utilities Association
In a recent Spearman City Council meeting, Gus Vargus was due to attend a Texas Water Utilities meeting in Canadian. "I travel with a team from Spearman to attend monthly meetings," said Vargus. "Formed in the Texas Panhandle, we have made it easy for members to attend monthly meetings," said Vickie Long, "we meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month." Members earn two hours of credit toward their certification on water or wastewater or both if they hold both. In order to qualify for the credit, the meetings must include peer-to-peer time and an educational program related to water and the wastewater industry and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will award licensing credit to members attending each meeting. The Panhandle Region includes:
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES ASSOCIATION | ||
Ruben on the Road Features Old Hansford Pie Society | ||
Spearman Volunteer Fire Department Respond to Accident On HWY 15 West
Late last night your volunteers were awakened by their pagers for a report of a vehicle accident. West of town they found a single vehicle accident with no extracation required. Firefighters rendered the vehicle safe and provided traffic control while awaiting TxDOT and the tow truck. | ||
Spearman Mayor Tobe Shields Speaks to KXDJ 'S Chris Samples | ||
Spearman Community Fund Awards 2024 Grants
On Thursday, April 25, 2024, the Spearman Community Fund held their annual luncheon and award ceremony at the Annex Building on Main Street. Eric Cudd welcomed those attending. Jackie Pearson reported that the fund began with money allocated by the Amarillo Area Foundation in 2012 and the first grants were given in 2015 to Big Brothers Big Sisters and Snack Pak 4 Kids. Since then, there have been grants awarded every year and the current balance is approximately $600,000.00. "When is the best time to plant a tree?" asked Jackie, "TODAY! and this fund will be going long after many of us are gone because like a tree, the fund will grow and grow and grow." To see a list of the 2024 recipients click (more) | ||
Hutchinson County Podcast Features Spearman Chamber and EDC Director Bonnie Thompson April 25
***the opinions of the host of this podcast and his guests are their own and not the opinion of the High Plains Observer *** Podcast by Jason Richardson Listen to the most recent episode of my podcasts: Interview with Bonnie Thompson of Spearman Chamber of Commerce and EDC | ||
Spearman ISD Above and Beyond Award
By Khristi Ramon Brace Scroggs is the Director of Transportation. “Brace has modernized our transportation by adding a system that helps to manage every detail of the vehicles. He has worked diligently on preventative maintenance with our fleet,” shared Superintendent, Dan Gist. “The vehicles are clean, fueled, and ready to go when an employee takes one out. What sets Brace apart is his customer service. He will go above and beyond by bringing a vehicle to the campus, so it is ready for the employee. The communication between the transportation department and staff is ongoing. The state requirements can be daunting, and Brace manages all of the required paperwork that has to be reported to the state,” added Dan Gist. Congratulations on a well-deserved award!  The transition has been smooth. The background knowledge that Sally brings to the classroom is doing the health science department good!” added James Layman. Congratulations on going above and beyond and making a difference in the lives of students. | ||
Hansford County 4-H Junior and Intermediate Livestock Judging Teams Complete Spring Season
The Hansford County 4-H Junior and Intermediate Livestock Judging teams have completed their spring season. The Intermediate team members are Brox Reid, Mallary Allen, Jett Pittman, Hayden Shieldknight, Cambryn Born, Addison Blevins, Madison Moore, Brenlye Buchanan, Sloan Stedje, Cameron Moore, and Kimber Jackson. The Junior team members are Kreede Kight, Brilynn Renner, Logan Shieldknight, Graham Baker, Hoke Hawkins, Gus Jimenez, Molly Allen, Serenitie Bedell, and Zeke Harkey. The two teams actually compete together up until District, where they break them into two age divisions.
 Their first contest was March 23 at Clarendon. The team finished as the 2nd place team overall. They placed 2nd in swine and 3rd in both cattle and sheep. Individually, Hayden had a great day and placed 2nd high overall. She placed 2nd in sheep, 3rd in swine, and 7th in cattle. Cambryn won the sheep division on the way to being named 19th high individual. Kreede placed 23rd overall. Kimber earned 10th in sheep and Sloan placed 10th in cattle. Next they competed at The Journey competition March 30th in Guymon. (more) | ||
Hansford County 4-H Senior Livestock Judging Team Conted News
The Hansford County 4-H Senior Livestock Judging team just finished up an intense 30 days that included competing in 8 contests in Texas and Oklahoma. The 5 students making up the team are Kip Pittman, Kinley Shieldknight, Spencer Aborn, Alayna Schneider, and Aubree Sharp. The first contest of this stretch was held in Clarendon on March 23. Due to scheduling conflicts and having a couple of team members missing, the coaches persuaded Mallary Allen to move up from the junior team and compete with the high schoolers. (more) | ||
Spearman Communications Major Named WTAMU Man of the Year
West Texas A&M announced Filiberto Avila, WTAMU’s student body president, won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Program award and will conduct research and work as an English teaching assistant in Spain. According to WT officials, Yadhira “Yaya” Avalos, a junior biology and pre-med major from Hereford, and Filiberto Avila, a senior digital media and communication major from Spearman, were honored for Woman and Man of the Year awards among several students at the year-end All-University Honors Ceremony. To read the full article click HERE | ||
Cinco de Mayo Celebration May 5
Mark your calendars!! Sunday, May 5th is our Cinco de Mayo Celebration on Main Street! To see forms click (more) | ||
Early Voting To Begin Monday April 22---Election May 4
General Election Saturday May 4 Vote @ City Hall On your ballot City of Spearman Mayor: Mayor Tobe Shields City of Spearman Alderman: Vote 2 Don Schroeder ( I ) Manny Mendoza Mark Murray Bobby Snider Spearman ISD School Board: Vote @ Spearman High School -- 403 E 11th Early 8-5 May 4 7-7 Vote 2 Karla Flowers Brenda Ferguson Shawn Moore Abby Pipkin Special Term: Vote 1 Zaira Gonzalez Jay Tracy City of Gruver will not hold an election Gruver ISD School Board Early voting April 22-May 1--8am until 3pm @ GHS Business Office Regular election May 4--7 until 7 in GJH Library Vote 2 Johnnie Williams (I) Chad Grimes Miles Messer | ||
City of Spearman Alderman Schroeder and Candidate Snider Interview
City of Spearman Council Incumbent Don Schroeder and Candidate Bobby Snider speak with KXDJ's Chris Samples about the upcoming City of Spearman Council Election to be held May 4 to listen click HERE | ||
Practices Have Changed Regarding Old Wind Turbines
One of the concerns about wind farms that we hear the most is what happens to the old, eventually broken-down turbines. Anna Richey is with Apex Energy, a company that is currently working to bring a new wind farm to Hansford, Hutchinson and Sherman Counties. She explained, “There is a commitment that we make that when it is done, we remove them, so no one is going to be stuck looking at these non-spinning turbines. The industry is evolving so fast. When I started in this area just a handful of years ago, there weren’t recycling places for these turbines. There was nowhere for them to go domestically. Now, there are places all over the place and I think there are about five in Texas alone.” She noted that she knew there were a couple of negative stories regarding a couple of the older projects in Hansford County and said that is definitely not the norm. Listen to more from her and KXDJ’s Chris Samples here. As far as the financial benefit to those counties, she added, “We are talking about 30 years of millions of dollars to the schools and the counties. These are lucrative projects for communities and that’s what we want.” Richey said the project is in the very early stages as they continue to work with landowners and get agreements signed. | ||
Gruver Main Street Improvements
 The City of Gruver recently received a grant that will provide funding for a downtown Main Street revitalization project. Improvements will include solar streetlamps, sidewalks with handicap accessibility, new metal benches and more. G&G Construction Dumas is the contractor for the project. The project is also funded by local citizens and the Gruver Chamber of Commerce.  | ||
Guymon Pioneer Day Rodeo May 3, 4, and 5
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City of Spearman Hosts Texas Municpal League Quarterly Meeting
The City of Spearman hosted the Quarterly Texas Municipal League meeting in Amarillo on Thursday, April 18 in Amarillo.
Region I was represented by many communities in the Texas Panhandle.
As host, Spearman provided the meal, table decor and door prizes which were generously donated by
216 Main
Brickstreet Grill
Gordon's Fountain
Hansford Golf Club
Headlight Inn B&B
Horse Creek Boutique
Lyric Cinema SportZone
Photos of the event can be seen on the High Plains Observer Facebook page A wrap around photo show was presented highlighting all the past and recent projects the city has accomplished and are still accomplishing To view click HERE | ||
Spearman City Park Updates Discussed In City Council Meeting April 16
After the regular agenda items were addressed, several of the items included were discussion and action on the city parks. *City Manager Justin Parker reported that the Holton Park was in full swing with irrigation system working, park equipment purchased with city funds along with donations from First National Bank and the Holton Family. The new equipment is ready to install. The discussion was to add a gazebo to the park and preliminary bids were reviewed. Parker will come back to the council next meeting after council is able to explore what type of shade construction would work best in the area. *Purchase of Aquasol Controller for Spearman Swimming Pool was discussed and passed. Gus Vargus reported that the seasonal pool work was underway and hoped to have it open mid-May. Jennifer Ooley will manage the pool. *Manager Parker explained information about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Local Park Grant Program opening May 1, and expressed a desire to prepare an application for this grant with the help of PRPC. Spearman is very fortunate to have the high-quality parks in our city and Parker noted we have 40 acres of parks in our community. Other items discussed and/or passed were: *Contract with Hansford County for Assessment and Collection of City's Taxes *Resolution No. 3-24 for council to authorize participation in TxDOT for improvement program to conduct an obstruction survey at Samuel B. Cornelious Airport *Public Hearing--Annexation *Annexation of 9.237 Acres of Land per Ordinance No. 966 *City lease with Hansford County Golf Club pending insurance clarification Spearman will be the host city at the Texas Municipal League Quarterly Meeting to be held April 18 in Amarillo. | ||
Stationmaster's House Museum Creates T's From Hand Drawn Art
 Dr. Mike Ralston, President of the Stationmaster's House Museum Board, presents t-shirt design to the board In the past year of renovation and reorganization of the museum, a pen and ink drawing was discovered tucked away for safe keeping. The artist is John Millican of Perryton. His daughter Anna recognized her father's art and reached out to museum board member Gina Gillispie. Gillispie was able to speak with Millican about the history of the drawing. He was commissioned by his mother in law, Wanda Reed, who was serving on the Hansford County Historical Commission. John created the piece of art from photographs of the most important elements on the Stationmaster's House Museum grounds, including the house, caboose, sign and windmill, putting them all together in a unique portrayal. The final rendering was then used to create cards sold to benefit the museum. Millican first drew his art and then going over it with a black ink pen, taking him about a week to complete. Millican also paints in acrylic and has even dabbled in sculpture. "Art is very comforting," said John, "focusing on it is great for your mental health." John is now nearing his 71st birthday and growing up in the ghost town of Silver (EAST of Colorado City) he understands the value of history and volunteering in a small town.  "It was my pleasure in 2002 to draw the Stationmaster's House Museum and now to see my art come back for a 2nd life of benefitting it." | ||
Hansford County Sheriff Office Joins in Regional Investigation--UPDATE--MOTIONS FILED
UPDATE: MOTIONS FILED
 To see motions and further documentation and original story on this tragic case that occurred so close to our area Click (more) | ||
