You can now view the Miss Friona Scholarship Pageant here. The pageant was produced and recorded by: (l-r) Chamber President Cindy Moreno, City Manager Lee Davila; Chamber Treasurer Crystal Moroney, 2020 Miss Friona Esperanza Santiago, Chamber EVP Chris Alexander, and Chamber VP Yvette Willams.
Maintenance Director Javier Rangel clears the snow from the Emergency Entrance driveway at Parmer Medical Center on Tuesday.
What started out as a Valentine's Day Arctic blast turned into a Presidents Day disaster as the entire state of Texas was hit with record low temperatures, high winds, ice, and snow. The double holiday polar express sent temps south of zero as it raced south to the Gulf of Mexico. Teeth were left chattering from Dalhart to Brownsville. Snow fell in the High Plains and on Galveston beach. Every part of the state was affected by the instant ice age. Wind turbines and solar panels were frozen and the intense cold even froze the natural gas fields in the Permian Basin which led to power shortages and left millions of Texans without power and the lucky ones with controlled outages. Mother Nature gave Texas the cold shoulder.
Local Conditions
Weather observer John Gurley reported that Friona received a total of 6.5 inches of snowfall Sunday and Monday. The snow translated into .34 inches of moisture. The low temperature of -13.2 degrees and was recorded Monday morning. Due to the potential for rolling blackouts, and in an effort to work with local utilities in controlling electrical usage, Friona ISD was closed Tuesday and Wednesday and all in-person and remote classes were cancelled.
Governor's Response
On Tuesday, Governor Abbott declared the reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) an emergency item for the current legislative session. The Governor is calling on the legislature to investigate ERCOT and ensure Texans never again experience power outages on the scale they have seen over the past several days.
"The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours," said Governor Abbott. "Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This is unacceptable. Reviewing the preparations and decisions by ERCOT is an emergency item so we can get a full picture of what caused this problem and find long-term solutions. I thank my partners in the House and Senate for acting quickly on this challenge, and I will work with them to enhance Texas' electric grid and ensure that our state never experiences power outages like this again."
The Fallout
Initial reports listed 10 deaths attributed to the storm. The number is sure to rise as power is restored and first responders and volunteers are able to go door-to-door and conduct welfare checks on their neighbors. Some parts of the state were without power for 3-4 days in extremely dangerous conditions.
Even in the Lower Rio Grande Valley the temperature dove down to 21 degrees and put citrus crops in danger. The grapefruit crop was about 50% harvested when the cold front hit. The late season Valencia orange crop harvest has yet to begin. Texas is the third largest citrus-producing state behind California and Florida.
Unfortunately, everything will soon become more expensive as a result of what is sure to be a multi-billion dollar disaster. Everything is bigger in Texas. Even the bad stuff.
The Friona Noon Lions Club will put out flags on Monday, February 22nd to celebrate a belated Presidents Day. Last Monday morning's -13 degree temperature would have been a little brisk even for Old Glory. Luckily, Monday will be George Washington's birthday so what better way to celebrate than with the first president of our Country.
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Look for Parmer County Babe Ruth Baseball League registration forms at school beginning this week. Online registration is also available on their Facebook page. You can select No Pay & still pay by check or cash in person. Deadline is March 5th!
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You can now view the Miss Friona Scholarship Pageant on the Friona Star Newspaper Facebook page.
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The FHS Senior Steak Dinner is Sunday, March 7th in the Jr. High Cafeteria (limited seating) and curbside in the west parking lot from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $17.00 for all ages and can be purchased from any 2021 Senior. Proceeds will help fund the Alcohol/Drug Free Graduation Celebration Party.
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Top 100 - The Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year. Part of that celebration is a recognition of the 100 greatest basketball coaches in Texas history. Among the first 10 that were honored was F.G. Crofford. Coach Crofford coached at Sunray, Whiteface, Petit, Claude, Friona, Gruver, and Spearman. His 32-year career record was 721-326 and he won a state championship in 1962 at Claude. He was inducted into the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
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Agriculture Exports Set Record - U.S. agriculture exports totaled $15.91 billion in December, setting a new record for the month and marking the first time that the value of U.S. agriculture exports has topped $15 billion three months in a row. The prior monthly record was $15.82 billion that was set in December 2013. The December total was up from $15.48 billion in November. USDA forecasts U.S. agricultural exports at $152 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2021 against imports of $137 billion, for a surplus of $15 billion. Three months into FY 2021, exports already total over 30% of the forecast for the entire FY. Source: National Sorghum Producers
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National Battery Day is Thursday - While battery manufacturing for everyday personal use developed in the last 50-60 years, archaeologists found evidence of a device that may have been used to electroplate gold onto silver, much like a battery would. In 1936, during the construction of a new railway near Baghdad, a Parthian tomb was found. Archaeologist Wilhelm Konig found a clay jar containing a copper cylinder encasing an iron rod. Konig suggested the find to be approximately 2,000 years old.
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The COVID-19 VACCINE IS FREE!!! It is available to anyone 16 years old and older.
To request a place on the list for a vaccine, please call (806) 240-1562 or (806) 240-1761 (Para Espanol llame a este numero de telefono).
You will need to give your name, date of birth, and a phone number so workers can let you know when your vaccine is scheduled. If the line is busy, leave a voicemail message and someone will call you back to confirm your information and answer any questions you might have
Because the vaccines are by appointment only, you will not have to stand in long lines. Thank you for your patience and thank you for supporting all the staff at PMC throughout this pandemic.
The Friona City Council met in regular session on Monday, February 8, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 619 Main in Friona, Texas. The meeting began with a roll call, an invocation, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
There were no public comments. Mayor Ricky White presented Jim Taylor a "Key to the City" in recognition of his 32 years of service as Fire Chief of the Friona Volunteer Fire Department. Mayor White also read a proclamation thanking Jim for his dedication to public safety and protecting the community.
Bryers Paving of Amarillo, Texas was awarded the contract for the 2021 Sealcoat Project which includes the City of Friona and the City of Bovina.
Approval was given for an interlocal agreement with Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) for application assistance regarding the 2021 Downtown Revitalization Program.
Brandt company of Carrolton, Texas was awarded the contract for Engineering Services, if needed, relating to the application for 2021 Downtown Revitalization Program grants.
Approval was given for the order to call for a city officers' election and notice of election to be held on May 1, 2021. The mayor was also given approval to sign a joint election agreement with the Friona Independent School District.
Gayla Fullerton, CPA presented the audit report for fiscal year October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. The Council was informed that it was "clean audit" and that the city had a net position increase of $295,159.00 over last year. The audit was performed by Fullerton & Associates PLLC of Abilene, Texas.
Bids were reviewed for the lease of S/2 of Section 29, Township 1 North, Range 4 East owned by the City of Friona. Wade Schueler of Friona was awarded the lease.
Bids were reviewed for the lease of Tract One: a 139.57 acre tract; and Tract Two: a 144.16 acre tract owned by the City of Friona. Wade Schueler of Friona was awarded the lease.
Minutes of the January 11, 2021 were reviewed and approved. The Accounts Payable for January 2021 and the Financial Statement for January 2021 were also approved.
The Council approved the transfer of funds from interest & sinking to the pool bank account in order to make the February 2021 bond payment of $237,640 to the Bank of New York. City Manager Lee Davila informed the Council that next February will be the final payment and that the City of Friona will become "debt free".
Approval was given to amend the Friona Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4, "Business Regulations" to allow for the regulation of "Garage Sales" by the city. Regulations will include; permits, fees, allowances & limitations, hours of operation, effective date, penalties, a repealer, a savings clause, and a provision for publication.
The Council discussed an ordinance that would set forth rules, regulations, and requirements related to the prohibition of parking large vehicles on city streets. The item was tabled until the next meeting to allow for a 2nd reading of the proposed ordinance.
The Council approved the writing and transmission of a Letter of Recommendation to the Parmer County Commissioner's Court regarding the Parmer County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 office.
All meetings are open to the public. The City Council reserves the right to go into Executive session at any time. Visit cityoffriona.com to find agendas and minutes from previous meetings. Information in this article is only a summary. Any questions concerning specific actions should be directed to the City Council.
