Esperanza Santiago, Miss Friona 2020, would like to invite everyone to the 15th Annual Cheeseburger Festival & Cook-Off this Saturday at Reeve Lake. She will be at the festival to present the trophy and $1000 prize to the winning cooking team. Cheeseburgers will be served from 11:30am to 2:30pm.
All Parmer County retired school employees are invited to an ice cream supper to welcome new retirees. The event will take place on Thursday, July 22, at 6:00 p.m. at the Union Congregational Church, 1601 North Euclid in Friona. Guests are welcome.
Don't miss the first in-person meeting of Parmer County Retired Teachers and School Personnel since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
PCRTSP local dues are $15 and state TRTA dues are $35. Dues and contact information can be mailed to Sue Wells at 2600 Highway 214, Friona, Texas, 79035.
The Parmer County Commissioners Court met in regular session on Monday, June 28, 2021 at 10 a.m. in the County Courtroom of the Parmer County Courthouse in Farwell, Texas. The meeting began with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag and Texas Flag.
There were no public comments. Minutes from the June 28th meeting were read and approved. Commissioners approved the payment of the accounts payables as presented by County Treasurer Sharon May. The Treasurer's payroll report was also approved.
Commissioners voted to sell the used surplus generator that had been set aside for the Courthouse. Instead of costing around $13,000 to install, the new estimate was $50,000 after the addition of a transformer. The plan is to sell it on a website that specializes in selling government equipment.
Friona Mayor Ricky White and City Manager Lee Davila presented cost estimates to the court regarding Friona EMS operations. Commissioners were asked to consider a possible increase in financial assistance to the Friona EMS in the future. Parmer County currently provides $20,000 per year to the Friona EMS. The new amount would be approximately $40,489.40 per year which is based on the 35% of the calls that come from the county. The item was tabled.
Judge Ellis stated that clarification has still not been forthcoming from either federal or state officials concerning how Rescue America relief money can be spent. The Court would like to address a number of needs but cannot do so until regulations & guidelines are put forward. Commissioners will begin work on next year's budget on July 25th.
Commissioners voted to allow the City of Farwell to have use of the Courthouse lawn for the annual Bordertown Days celebration which will be held this year on Saturday, July 31st.
Approval was given to extend the current Covid-19 Administrative Leave Policy. The policy is reviewed and voted on each quarter.
Approval was also given for a water line under Country Road R approximately 100' west of Highway 214.
The Court also discussed upcoming changes to the voting precincts as a result of the 2020 Census. County Clerk Susie Spring said she is interested in "county-wide voting" because it is hard to find poll workers for all the smaller precincts. This item was discussion only and no action was taken.
Sheriff Randy Geries announced that "National Night Out" would return this year. The county-wide is scheduled for Tuesday, October 5th. Sheriff Geries also reported that he was currently housing 24 inmates in the Parmer County Law Enforcement Center. He also discussed the possibility of purchasing a water softener system for the jail. The "hard water" has caused a lot of problems as well as expenses. No action was taken. A new Body Camera/In-Car Camera/Taser system was also discussed. The package deal would include full-service & maintenance and cloud back-up servers. The cost would be $30,000 per year for ten years. No action was taken.
The next scheduled Commissioners Court meeting is Monday, July 26th.
All meetings are open to the public. The Commissioner's Court reserves the right to go into Executive Session at any time. The agenda may be found on the Parmer County website. Information in this article is only a summary. Any questions concerning specific actions should be directed to the Commissioners Court.
The Friona City Council met in regular session on Monday, June 14, 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. A public hearing was opened to receive comments from citizens regarding the 2020 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. There were no public comments. Public Works Director Salvador Garcia told the Council that the City of Friona passed all tests with no negative results.
Roddy Berend and Andy Montana were appointed to two-year terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Both are returning members. The other members of the P&Z Commission are Fred Cook, Mayra Olmos, and Danny Campbell.
Mayor Ricky White and City Manager Lee Davila provided a briefing on the presentation they gave Parmer County Commissioners concerning a possible increase in county funding for the Friona EMS. The county currently budgets $20,000 per year for the Friona EMS. The hope is to raise that amount to $40,489.40 per year to help cover costs related to EMS service for county residents which is approximately 35% of Friona EMS calls.
Minutes of the June 14, 2021 meeting were reviewed and approved. The Accounts Payable for June 2021 and the Financial Statement for May 2021 were also approved.
The 3rd Quarter Financial Statement (April 2021-June 2021) was also reviewed and approved. Davila told the Council that following a loan payment in February, the City of Friona would be debt free.
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.
Don't forget to go to Reeve Lake on Saturday, July 17th for Friona's 15th Annual Cheeseburger Festival and Cook-off to enjoy the food, music, vendor booths, and to have fun! A wristband will be $10 and is good for a burger (whole or 4 quarter pieces), chips, and a Frisbee. Burgers will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission is free.
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St. Teresa's Catholic Church will host a Vacation Bible School from Monday, July 19th through Friday, July 23rd at the Parish Hall. Students grade K through 8th are eligible to attend. The VBS will run from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each evening.
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The 6th Annual Friona Kidz Building Camp will be from Tuesday, July 20th through Saturday, July 24th at the Boy Scout Hut at 603 W. 15th. The camp will run from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each evening. There is a sleepover Friday night with breakfast following Saturday morning. The camp is open for kids ages 5-12.
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The SDW performances will be on Friday, July 16th and Saturday, July 17th at the Junior High Auditorium. For more information about the showtimes and ticket prices, go to page 8.
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The Friona Volunteer Fire Department will conduct a 50 for 50 Gun Raffle this year with the drawing scheduled for September 11, 2021. Tickets for the raffle are currently on sale for $50 each and can be purchased from Friona Firemen, 4-Way Pump, CHS, or Property Associates Realtors. You can also call 806-265-7268 to purchase tickets. For more information about the rules or the prizes visit www.frionafire.com.
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Friona Youth Sports will have tryouts for 5th and 6th grade boys football on Thursday, July 22nd. The team will travel to the Dimmitt league to compete. Contact Jesus Tafoya 806-670-4185 or Gerald Padilla 806-290-0173 for more information.
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Friona Youth Sports will have basketball training nights for both boys and girls on July 19th and July 26th. Grades 1st through 4th will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Grades 5th through 12th will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Each session will cost $10.
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There will be a free basketball camp with Mia Castaneda from Wednesday, July 21st through Friday, July 23rd at the Friona Junior High gym. The schedule is as follows: 3rd-5th grade from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 6th-8th grade from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and 9th-12th grade from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Registration for the camp can be found online at www.frionayouthsports.org.
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If you are interested in a booth at the Castro County Fair/Harvest Days On Saturday, August 28th, 2021 in Dimmitt, Texas please contract Cathy Nelson at 806-869-7550. The fair will be held on the courthouse square at the corner of Hwy 385 & 86. We cannot furnish electricity, awnings, tables or chairs. You must bring your own. Booths are $30 for 10x12 and $40 For double size.
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Parmer County jurors that will be reporting for duty for both July 20 and July 27 will meet at the
Farwell Community Center
207 9th Street, Farwell, Texas
We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to the large number of jurors that have been summoned, we will be processing potential jurors at the Farwell Community Center in advance of trial.
If you have any questions, please contact the Parmer County Sheriff's Office at (806) 481-3303.
It seems like that for the past year the Covid-19 pandemic has blotted out the sun. For those battling cancer, it has not. Just like Covid, everyone is touched by cancer. It can be personal or a family member or friend battling the illness. You either have cancer yourself or know someone who does. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine.
The Parmer County Cancer Coalition was founded in 2010. This year marks their 11th year of operation. Board Chairman Greg Lewellen said that since 2010, the organization has given out 201 grants totaling $102,100 to cancer survivors in Parmer County. "We average about 20 grants a year and we annually contribute a percentage of our money raised to the American Cancer Society."
He continued, "Our Board has allocated 15% of the yearly revenue to be given to the ACS this year. They have also approved raising the grant amount from $500 to $1,000 this year."
The PCCC is also looking forward to having a "Pink Out" Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October this year at all county home football and volleyball games. A Survivor Dinner will also be scheduled for November. Unfortunately, both were scaled back or cancelled last year because of Covid-19 pandemic.
An application form to receive a grant can be found here.
Members of the Parmer County Cancer Coalition Board of Directors are: Greg Lewellen, Chairman (Friona); JoDonna Terry, Vice-Chair (Lazbuddie); Jamie Lewellen (Friona); Rhonda Wilkins (Friona); Mike Prather (Bovina); Tracy Ellis (Friona); Randy Geries (Farwell); Martha Rodriguez (Friona); Magali Moralez (Friona); and Leander Davila (Friona).
