Amarillo Globe-News (Amarillo, TX) articles from August 2007

Amarillo Globe-News (Amarillo, TX) archives from August 2007

Public input sought on transit route.
August 1, 2007

Hospital eyes care for poor people.
August 1, 2007

Kenworth rolls out no-idle fuel-saving technology.
August 1, 2007

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 1, 2007

City gives green light to red-light camera pact.
August 1, 2007

Taxicab drivers lobby for fare increase.
August 1, 2007

Construction firm pays fine.
August 2, 2007

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 2, 2007

West Texas A & M University to offer pharmacy tech course.
August 2, 2007

Wind energy making strides in area.
August 3, 2007

Happy Bancshares finds success in stocks.
August 4, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 4--Happy Bancshares finished July with an extra $4 million. "We started offering $20 million in stock in early May," said J. Pat Hickman, CEO and chairman of Happy State Bank, which is owned by Happy...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 4, 2007... Aug. 4--Perry G. Williams has been elected to the board of directors of Happy State Bank and its holding company, Happy Bancshares Inc. Williams grew up in Amarillo and is a graduate of Amarillo High School. Following high school, he...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, farm briefs column.(Column)
August 5, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 5--ALFALFA PROGRAM: Texas A & M University and New Mexico State University will host an alfalfa production workshop Thursday in Farwell. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. at the Farwell Community Center, 207 Ninth...

Robots advance surgery techniques.
August 5, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 5--It sounds like something from a science-fiction novel: A machine helping a doctor operate on a human patient. But supporters of the technology praise it and call robotic-assisted surgery the greatest...

Mark on your resume: Tattoos, piercings could affect job chances.
August 5, 2007... Byline: Nicole King Aug. 5--That tiny heart on your shoulder may not keep you from getting a job, but that giant dragon down your arm could. A July survey by Vault.com made some interesting discoveries about how people feel about...

Carpenter turns hobby into new metalworking shop.
August 7, 2007... Byline: Jim McBride Aug. 7--Jorge Quintanilla has a knack for working with metal and wood. Now, he's turning his skills into a family-owned business. A few years ago, Quintanilla began building pergolas -- decorative wooden garden...

Northwest Texas Healthcare System's Women's and Children's center has new look.
August 8, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 8--In years past, a resident of Amarillo's northeast neighborhoods had to travel as far as 10 miles to attempt to qualify for the city's indigent health-care program. The commute is now a little easier. ...

Workshop to offer tips to help businesses cope with disasters.
August 8, 2007... Byline: Sean Thomas Aug. 8--A tornado hits Amarillo and half of your office is destroyed. Half your workforce is out taking care of their own lives. How do you continue operations? A two-day free workshop sponsored by the city of...

Researchers demonstrate new solutions for ag waste to become fuel.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 9--There's manure, and then there's better manure. "We talk about agriculture being from field to fork. I think we'll be talking about field to fuel tank." Mark Hussey, director of the Texas Agricultural...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 9, 2007... Aug. 9--Eck Spahich, of Century 21 Best Realty of Borger, has been inducted into the Centurion Honor Society by the Century 21 Real Estate Corporation. To achieve this honor, Spahich had to earn the Centurion Producer Award for five...

Makeover slated for restaurant property.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 10--A visible corner at West Interstate 40 and Wolflin Avenue in Amarillo could get a makeover if a property sale goes through. A private buyer has the 1.2-acre property -- home to a vacant Western...

Globe-News employees named to new positions.
August 12, 2007... Byline: Brad Newman Aug. 12--Two Amarillo Globe-News employees have been promoted to other newspapers within Morris Publishing Group, the newspaper division of Morris Communications Co. LLC. Steven Metzinger, former online director at...

Families struggle with rising nursing home costs.
August 12, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 12--Shirley Stockstill's 103-year-old mother had to move from her nursing home this spring. Where she was staying, Conner House in Canyon, no longer accepted Medicaid, and the family had to pony up almost...

Mall, cotton industry in joint venture for back-to-school promotion.
August 14, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 14--Consumers might cotton to the latest promotion at Westgate Mall. Westgate Mall and Cotton Incorporated, cotton industry marketing and research firm, have teamed for a back-to-school promotion to run...

Shop offers coffee, smoking to relax.
August 14, 2007... Byline: Jim McBride Aug. 14--For some, a nice, hot cup of coffee and a smoke are just relaxing. At Namaste, a coffee and hookah bar at 907 S. Madison St., customers can take in a bit of both. "We do mocha frappuccinos, lattes,...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 14, 2007... Aug. 14--Mason S. Rogers has recently earned his architectural license from the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners. He received his master's degree in architecture from the Catholic University of America in Washington in 2003. While...

Animal-health firm to bring operations to Clovis.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 15--CLOVIS, N.M. -- Some things just go together, and an international company is hoping milk and yeast will mix in Eastern New Mexico and the Panhandle. Alltech, an animal-health company with a presence in 85...

United Supermarket in Amarillo, Texas, to open health clinic.
August 15, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 15--Customers of the United Supermarket at 5807 S.W. 45th Ave. will soon be able to visit a health clinic and buy milk at the same time. The Lubbock-based grocery chain announced Tuesday it will partner with...

Expanding health providers serve Amarillo's north side.
August 15, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 15--It's easy to find a nail salon or check-cashing store in the neighborhood around Amarillo Boulevard between Mirror Street and Martin Road. There's a wealth of businesses that cater to Asian and Hispanic...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 15, 2007... Aug. 15--Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has added Lori West as a new home mortgage consultant and promoted Sam McCause to retail sales supervisor. West joins the Amarillo team with 22 years in the banking industry. Most recently, she spent...

Students stock up.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Brenda Bernet Aug. 15--Thousands of parents are expected to show up for KidsFest, a community event that provides free school supplies and immunizations. The event will help reduce the back-to-school costs for parents like Roxann...

Randall accepts lower tax rate.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Nicole King Aug. 15--Taxes in Randall County are going to be a little lower next year. Randall County commissioners voted Tuesday to accept the proposed budget and to set a proposed tax rate of .34957 per $100 in value. If...

Tossed trash costly.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Nicole King Aug. 15--What may seem like an easy way to get rid of junk, may end up costing more than you think. Officials said illegal dumping takes time and resources away from more vital tasks. "It's a real problem,"...

Celanese to become coal plant.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 16--The Celanese plant, a fixture near Pampa since 1952, will become a coal-fired power plant. The company announced Wednesday it is selling its plant to the Australian investment firm Babcock & Brown. ...

'Texas' bids farewell; long-running show to close up for year.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Brad Newman Aug. 16--The musical drama "Texas" will close its summerlong season on Saturday in Palo Duro Canyon's Pioneer Amphitheater. Attendance at this year's show is expected to be more than in 2006. "We are well...

Advances in technology give more freedom to oxygen users.
August 16, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 16--When Vance Collamore started in the oxygen-supply business nearly 18 years ago, patient machines weighed nearly 100 pounds and oxygen was stored in thick steel tanks. Even today many patients who need...

Panda shifts employees to its parent company.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 16--Panda Ethanol is going on the defensive to keep from getting hurt by the current credit crunch. The company, building a 115 million-gallon ethanol plant near Hereford, announced Wednesday it is moving some...

Nominees for Amarillo chamber's Top Small Business Award announced.
August 16, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 16--Nominees for this year's Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Top Small Business Award will present themselves to chamber members and other area businesses in a reception tonight. The 17 nominees for the annual...

Australians acquire mall.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 17--An Australian firm continues to enlarge its Texas Panhandle footprint. Babcock & Brown, which Wednesday announced its purchase of the Celanese plant near Pampa, also has acquired Gregory Greenfield &...

Local McDonald's to receive a face-lift.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 17--A McDemolition should soon be in store for a Ross Street franchise. A closed sign now greets patrons heading for the McDonald's at Ross and East Interstate 40. Franchise owners Jill and Hassan...

Tax abatements for renewable energy projects on the table.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 17--Counties and other taxing entities are considering abatements for a handful of projects, several of which involve renewable energy. On Tuesday, the Palo Duro River Authority passed an abatement for Sunray...

TxDOT to begin work on I-27 next week.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Sean Thomas Aug. 17--Motorists traveling Interstate 27 can expect delays and lane closures starting Wednesday. The Texas Department of Transportation will begin work on Interstate 27 on Wednesday for the next two months. ...

McBride named business editor.
August 19, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 19--Name a position in the newsroom of the Amarillo Globe-News and chances are Jim McBride has done the job. In his 21 years at the paper, he's covered courts, business, and Randall and Potter counties. He...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, farm briefs column.(Column)
August 19, 2007... Aug. 19--PLENTY OF SORGHUM: U.S. Department of Agriculture crop estimates for 2007 put sorghum production at 474,961,000 bushels, up 71 percent from last year. Average yield is estimated at 70.9 bushels per acre, up 27 percent from last year....

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 19, 2007... Aug. 19--Todd M. Selmon, Samuel G. Saied, Darren G. Fincher and Daren L. Depew of Modern Woodmen of America have recently been recognized as members in the Million Dollar Round Table for 2007. Selmon, Saied and Fincher are from Amarillo....

Ospreys off to Iraq.
August 20, 2007... Byline: Jim McBride Aug. 20--The "Thunder Chickens" and the first combat-ready V-22 squadron face their first combat test in September when the new warbirds and their pilots head to war-torn Iraq. But behind the scenes, Osprey pilots,...

Jerky flies into space.
August 21, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 21--When some products get launched, they really get launched. A pound and a half of Peppered Plus Mesquite Jerky, a product of Norlander's Original Foods Inc., blasted into space Aug. 8 aboard the Space...

New trial ordered in lawsuit.
August 21, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 21--In a case that is more than a decade old, it's back to the starting line. According to documents filed Wednesday, 181st District Judge John Board ordered a new trial in a civil suit pitting cattle feeders...

WT students move in.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Brad Newman Aug. 22--Ciara Monk was all smiles on Wednesday as she unpacked armful after armful of belongings from her car and trekked to her new dorm room. "I'm extremely excited," said Monk, a freshman at West Texas A&M...

Helium plant auction nears close.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Jim McBride Aug. 22--The auctioneer's gavel could come down soon on the sale of the Amarillo Helium Plant. Last year, the General Services Administration declared the Amarillo Helium Plant property as surplus government...

Funding cuts distress colleges.
August 23, 2007... Aug. 23--One year from now, area community colleges could be facing extreme funding shortages unless the state returns some much-needed money recently slashed by the governor. In June, Gov. Rick Perry vetoed $154 million in health insurance...

Teachers get tech booster.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Brenda Bernet Aug. 23--Taking notes in history class goes well beyond an outline projected from a transparency or written on a chalkboard. New interactive whiteboards are giving their teachers more than one way to give class...

Permits down, but construction still hot.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 24--Construction spending in Amarillo through July lagged 27.5 percent behind the dollars spent in the same period of 2006. But those numbers don't give a full picture of today's construction market here,...

Former arcade bought Winning bid set at $710K.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 24--Dallas property investors bid $710,000 Thursday to buy a Potter County property, lock, stock and peep-show booths. An associate of John Coil, a Dallas property flipper, made the winning bid and paid a...

United Way kicks off campaign.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Bruce Beck Aug. 24--The United Way of Amarillo & Canyon expects high-fives for the next few months as its annual campaign kicked off Thursday with a goal of raising $5 million to help the most vulnerable members of the community....

$33M in projects to begin soon at university health sciences center.
August 24, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 24--Patients, students and faculty of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo should get accustomed to construction at its Coulter Street campus. The school officials have started or...

Nuke plant licensing is a slow process.
August 25, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 25--Twenty-eight nuclear power plants currently are proposed, but plans will have to stay on the drawing board for a while as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission works through its new licensing process. ...

Refractive eye surgery soars.
August 26, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 26--LASIK eye surgery involves cutting a small flap in a patient's cornea, the clear front of the eye. Doctors fold the flap back and use a laser to reshape the stroma, the mid-section of the cornea. When...

West Texas A&M University, Amarillo College kick off fall classes.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Brad Newman Aug. 28--Elizabeth Hopkins stood fourth in line at the West Texas A&M University bookstore at 9:42 a.m. Monday -- 18 minutes until her first college class, introduction to theater. "I'm a little nervous, but I think...

Researchers test new ethanol-making crops.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Kevin Welch Aug. 28--Researchers are growing what they hope are powerful crops at Bushland. Many are actually crops local farmers are familiar with, but because the goal of making power through products such as ethanol are...

Pizza Hut set to get state OK for alcohol permit.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Nicole King Aug. 28--The Pizza Hut restaurant in Canyon is set to get a special-use permit to sell alcohol... no thanks to the City Commission. First, the five-member commission Monday failed to pass a measure to approve the...

Commission: No metal walls for mini-storage.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 28--The developer of a mini-storage facility at 5300 S. Coulter St. must finish the project in concrete block, rather than being allowed to switch to metal exterior walls. The Amarillo Planning and Zoning...

Company to run red-light system.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Sean Thomas Aug. 29--Amarillo is now married to the idea of red light cameras. But exactly how many will be spawned and where they will nest still is unknown. Amarillo city commissioners approved a contract with American...

Airport meeting set.(Conference news)
August 29, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 29--A regional public meeting of the Texas Department of Transportation's Aviation Division is planned to convene today in Amarillo. The meeting will run from 9 to 11 a.m. at the TxDOT Amarillo District...

College wants $68.3 million through bond issue.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Brad Newman Aug. 29--Amarillo College campuses are on the threshold of significant change. AC will construct new academic halls and overhaul existing buildings on all four Amarillo campuses if voters approve a $68.3 million...

Randall County health plan costs to increase Oct. 1.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Nicole King Aug. 29--Randall County employees are going to see a small increase in their monthly health premiums, but county officials are offering to help. Randall County Commissioners approved Tuesday changes in the employee...

Amarillo.com to drop registration requirement.
August 29, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 29--Visitors to amarillo.com will soon find one fewer step between them and the Web site's news. The Amarillo Globe-News' Web site will be dropping its registration requirement effective Thursday. Users...

CISD picks construction firm for two elementary schools, Randall addition.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Brenda Bernet Aug. 29--Trustees for the Canyon Independent School District selected Western Builders as their top choice for managing construction of two elementary schools in the district and an addition at Randall High School....

Small-business alliance formed.
August 29, 2007... Byline: David Pittman Aug. 29--The Panhandle should receive nearly $300,000 during the next three years to create a resource hub for small-business owners and developers. Leaders of entrepreneur resource organizations and U.S. Rep. Mac...

Men's Wearhouse opens.
August 30, 2007... Byline: Karen Smith Welch Aug. 30--Men's Wearhouse has opened its new Amarillo location in The Shoppes on the Parkway, 121 Westgate Parkway. Customers primarily know the Men's Wearhouse chain for its business clothing, but the stores...

Amarillo Globe-News, Texas, people in the news column.(Column)
August 30, 2007... Aug. 30--Dr. Suhasini Nadesan, specializing in medical oncology, hematology and geriatric oncology, has joined the cancer care team at Texas Oncology-Amarillo. Nadesan specializes in the treatment and care of patients with breast cancer....