AMARILLO

A drive toward optimization and hospital consolidation has left the state with less capacity per capita.

Traces of Texas’ Throwback Thursday: Cowboys on Turkey Track RanchThe iconic Turkey Track Ranch located just north of Amarillo recently went up for sale. The ranch was established in 1878 when Richard E. McNalty arrived in the Texas Panhandle from Colorado with a herd of cattle bearing a brand he called Turkey Track. The land was also the site of the First Battle of Adobe Walls in 1864 and the Second Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874. For the low, low price of $200 million, you can purchase 80,000 acres of pure Texas to gallivant around on. This photo, taken on the Turkey Track Ranch by noted cowboy photographer Erwin E. Smith in 1906, shows cowboys crossing the Wichita River.

With a new boutique hotel and a vibrant arts community, this Panhandle city invites you to stay awhile.

A look at the 2021-22 schedule for the Corpus Christi IceRays, who are returning to action this season.

The multifaceted musician, former city-council candidate, and documentary star returns with an album of pristine guitar and gentle self-reflection. The multifaceted musician, former city council candidate, and documentary star returns with an album of pristine guitar and gentle self-reflection.

AMARILLO (AP) — A man was fatally shot by Amarillo, Texas, police after opening fire on officers who approached him while looking for a different man on felony drug charges, police said Saturday. [San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

A man was fatally shot by police after opening fire on officers who approached him.

Local health officials are trying to boost vaccinations in this Panhandle city and its surrounding counties, which rank near the bottom of the state’s population centers in the percentage of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The IceRays announced a 60-game schedule for the 2021-22 season, with the home opener scheduled for Sept. 24 at the American Bank Center.

Amarillo police said a mother and child that were reported missing Sunday were found.

The 2021 Corpus Christi Hooks schedule.

In the third part of our spring day drives series, we’re heading to the Texas High Plains and places like Lubbock, Amarillo, and Earth.

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Sunday in Orlando. A Pentagon report found that he made sexual comments and violated an alcohol policy while he was the White House physician. Credit: REUTERS/Joe SkipperDuring his time working as the top White House physician, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, berated employees, made sexual comments about a female subordinate, and violated the policy for drinking alcohol on a presidential trip, according to a report from the Department of Defense inspector general obtained by CNN. "Three years ago I was the subject of a political hit job because I stood with President Trump,” Jackson said in a written statement. Jackson represents the congressional district that includes most of the Panhandle and parts of northern Texas such as Wichita Falls, where Gov.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday voided rulings from lower courts that upheld a ban on most abortions in Texas early in the coronavirus pandemic. The high court vacated two rulings from the lower U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that sided with Texas GOP officials arguing that Gov. The executive order ended over the summer, allowing abortions in the state to resume, but Planned Parenthood has said leaving the lower court rulings on the books would set harmful legal precedent for abortion rights advocates. Disclosure: Planned Parenthood has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Texas is experiencing a second surge of coronavirus hospitalizations, up more than 75% since the beginning of October. On Oct. 28, there were more than 5,600 people with COVID-19 in Texas hospitals, a patient volume not seen since August, when the state experienced a crush of patients that pushed some South Texas hospitals to their limit. But the consequences of Texas’ burgeoning “fall wave” of the coronavirus pandemic extend hundreds of miles beyond those far-flung cities. Fewer than half of the state’s rural hospitals perform surgeries or deliver babies, said John Henderson, chief executive of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. The 18-bed hospital is grappling with its own influx of COVID-19 patients.

Over the four months of Texas course of the coronavirus, early hot spots Amarillo among them have been eclipsed by new regions in crisis now, South Texas. That behavior, particularly among young people, may be responsible for dozens of new hot spots that will be more difficult to eradicate. Those 123 "red zone" counties are home to some 23 million Texans the vast majority of the state's population. Typically, rural and community hospitals transfer patients to urban hospitals for acute care. Two weeks ago, there were just seven positive COVID-19 patients in the Amarillo hospital; by this week, that had more than tripled to 24.

AUSTIN, Texas The University Interscholastic League (UIL) has released standings for the Lone Star Cup through March 13, 2020. Due to the cancellation of UIL spring events, the Lone Star Cup will not be awarded for the 2019-20 school year. As a result, many activities that earn points toward the UIL Lone Star Cup were not completed. The UIL Lone Star Cup recognizes the top high school in each UIL conference based on overall team achievement in sanctioned academic, athletic and music championships. Below are the Top 25 UIL Lone Star Cup standings for the 2019-20 school year.

AUSTIN, Texas The University Interscholastic League (UIL) has released standings for the Lone Star Cup through March 13, 2020. Due to the cancellation of UIL spring events, the Lone Star Cup will not be awarded for the 2019-20 school year. As a result, many activities that earn points toward the UIL Lone Star Cup were not completed. The UIL Lone Star Cup recognizes the top high school in each UIL conference based on overall team achievement in sanctioned academic, athletic and music championships. Below are the Top 25 UIL Lone Star Cup standings for the 2019-20 school year.

For the second day in a row, data released on Tuesday by the Texas Department of State Health Services shows a record number of hospitalizations due to the new coronavirus. Eddie Gaspar/The Texas TribuneFor the second day in a row, Texas has reported a record number of patients hospitalized with the new coronavirus, a metric Gov. Data released Tuesday by the Texas Department of State Health Services shows 2,056 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 1,935 the day before. The hospitalization figures and the total number of new infections have trended upward since about late May. Experts have said theres a lag between when changes in people's behaviors, like more social interaction, are reflected in coronavirus case data.

Megan Hicks for The Texas TribuneWhat you need to know Monday:No consensus on whether El Paso is ready to reopenGov. Greg Abbott had given El Paso County and the Amarillo area two of the state's biggest recent COVID-19 hot spots a temporary reprieve from implementing Texas' next phase of reopening. While Abbott said the Amarillo area had "turned a corner," the picture in the El Paso area wasn't as clear. El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, on the other hand, said the situation in El Paso is more manageable now. Texas reported 1,949 more cases of the new coronavirus Sunday the highest increase since the state began reporting coronavirus case counts.

Greg Abbott touted it as an example of what can be accomplished when state and federal resources are brought to bear on the pandemic. In Moore County, located north of Amarillo, workers at a JBS slaughterhouse tested positive in large numbers for the coronavirus. "Amarillo has gone through the challenge of facing all three of those hot spots overlapping," Abbott said. Amarillo is home to a Tyson Foods beef plant where all of its more than 3,500 employees were tested after a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the area. "Part of our strategy is to enable people to get back to work while co-existing with COVID-19."

Roughly three weeks after state and federal teams descended on the Panhandle to address the explosion of new coronavirus cases tied to local meatpacking plants, Gov. Local officials and leaders are expected to join Abbott in Amarillo for the update. The state recorded more than 700 new cases of coronavirus on May 16 after targeted testing at meatpacking plants in the area. The state's "surge response teams," which include health officials, emergency response workers and the National Guard, aimed to provide more personal protective equipment and testing supplies, and they worked with local officials to put in place additional standards to contain the outbreak. Watch Wednesday's news conference live starting at 2 p.m. Central time, courtesy of KXAS-TV.

(CNN) Mayor Ginger Nelson thought her year would be defined by a punch-in-the-gut cancer diagnosis in January. Now the mayor of Amarillo, Texas, is battling a rare form of blood cancer while coordinating her city's response to Covid-19, cases of which spiked in recent weeks at a local food plant. That empathy, combined with her no-nonsense leadership style, is coming into play as she tries to manage a Covid-19 surge in her city right now. We've been hit hard, and we needed those resources, and they're still coming to us." The Amarillo mayor credits her family, especially her husband, and her faith for helping her get by.

HOUSTON A Texas family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Tyson Foods Inc. after a woman suffered a work-related injury, contracted COVID-19 and died. A number of employees at Tysons Amarillo facility, where Gay was employed, had contracted COVID-19. After working with a knee injury, Gay fell ill and experienced difficulty breathing. According to the release, at least 4,500 Tyson employees have contracted COVID-19, and at least 18 have died. A grossly disproportionate number of Tyson employees have contracted COVID-19, and have died when compared to the general population, according to the release.

Texas reported 1,801 more cases of the new coronavirus Saturday, the highest one-day total since the pandemic began. New cases of coronavirus each dayNew cases of coronavirus each day (Texas Tribune)Potter County reported 618 new cases on Saturday bringing its total to 2,080, while neighboring Randall County reported 116 new cases for a total of 593. Moore County, which has the highest rate of cases per 1,000 residents in Texas, added 4 new cases on Saturday. In total, the three counties accounted for 738 of the new cases reported on Saturday. Harris County has reported the most cases, 9,050, followed by Dallas County, which has reported 7,036 cases.

More than 700 new coronavirus cases were reported in the Amarillo region Saturday, as results from targeted testing at meatpacking plants came in. The Texas Panhandle, where a workforce of Hispanics and immigrants power several meatpacking plants, is home to the highest rates of infection in the state. Potter County reported 618 new cases on Saturday bringing its total to 2,080, while Randall County reported 116 new cases for a total of 593. In total, the three counties accounted for 738 of the 1,801 new cases reported on Saturday. Across the country, the coronavirus has spread easily in meatpacking plants, where workers typically stand shoulder to shoulder on fast-moving butchering lines.

Your first time in Canyon, you’ll be forgiven for wondering where this Panhandle community of about 15,000 gets its name. He moved into Palo Duro Canyon Estates, a small residential development overlooking the canyon south of State Highway 217. Keep an eye on the clock, though, because you’ll want to return to Doves Rest and the canyon rim by sunset. Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle. At the state park, an $8 entrance fee gives access to gorgeous picnic areas and about 50 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

Our ongoing series "Texas Trips," helps you discover what to do, and where to eat and stay in these places. If you want to stay the night, there is a lively nightlife and plenty to do at the Big Texan Steak Ranch. Cadillac RanchIf you happen to be driving through Amarillo, you won't be able to miss Cadillac Ranch. According to Atlas Obscura, "Cadillac Ranch, built in 1974, is the product of the eccentric helium millionaire Stanley Marsh 3. They offer music, happy hour events, prime time concerts and late night events Wednesdays through Saturdays.

BUSHLAND, Texas -- A school district in the Texas Panhandle will begin drug testing students as young as 12 years old who are interested in playing sports or participating in other extracurricular offerings.The Bushland Independent School District, near Amarillo, says students in grades seven through 12 will be tested beginning with the resumption of classes next month. They must pass the drug test before they're approved for extracurricular activities.The testing also applies for students who want to park on school property. They must pass an additional drug test before they can participate in activities again.Students must sign a consent form before they're eligible to participate in any extracurricular activities such as football, band or chess.You can read the full drug testing policy in its entirety by going to the Bushland ISD website and clicking the "District Information" link at the top of the page. The full letter to students and their parents, along with the consent form, can be found here Bushland ISD Superintendent Chris Wigington told KVII the district does not have a drug problem but the school board wants to be "proactive" and ensure that students "have a drug-free environment. "He notes that administrators don't want to hurt a student's academic standing so there will be no suspensions for a positive test result.

BUSHLAND, Texas (KTRK) -- One Texas school district is going beyond posters and guest speakers to get students to say no to drugs. It's going to test all of them.Bushland ISD, near Amarillo, says students in 7th through 12 grade will be tested beginning this upcoming school year.Students must sign a consent form and pass a drug test to participate in any extracurricular activity like football, band or chess.A positive test would bar the student from extracurricular activities, along with parking on school premises or taking part in social events.

Two BNSF freight trains collided head-on Tuesday. The locomotives driving the two trains caught fire, sending huge plumes of black smoke over Panhandle, Texas outside of Amarillo. Kris Van Cleave has more.

Freezing temperatures wreak havoc in the South Frigid weather have caused many to take extra precautions. In Amarillo, Texas frozen freeways led to a multi-truck pileup. Anna Werner and Adriana Diaz report.