AT&T Internet Air, Vegan Chef Challenge winners among this week's business news

AT&T introduces new internet option in Amarillo

This week, AT&T in Amarillo has launched AT&T Internet Air, its new fixed wireless home internet service.

The home Wi-Fi, delivered over the AT&T wireless network, has been set up to provide more Americans with a seamless connectivity experience, according to a news release.

AT&T Internet Air ensures that consumers across the country can enjoy robust and dependable internet service. With an easy-to-follow, five-step self-install process, AT&T Internet Air can be up and running in less than 15 minutes, a company announcement says. All it takes to set it up is a smartphone camera and a QR code; for more information, visit https://about.att.com/pages/internet-air .

Winners announced for the 2024 Amarillo Vegan Chef Challenge

​​The month-long Amarillo Vegan Chef Challenge has wrapped up and the winning chefs have been presented awards, according to a news release. More than 100 people voted for various chefs and dishes, as well as “super voters” — diners who ate at three or more Vegan Chef Challenge restaurants during July. Voters were vegan, vegetarian, and meat-eaters, the release says.

The top five winners are Feed Me, Indian Oven, 575 Pizzeria, Blue Crane Bakery and Yellow City Street Food.

Former chef Alex Bury points out, “If a group of friends is planning a dinner out on the town, and one of them is vegan, the entire group will skip a restaurant without good vegan options.” The challenge social media pages will be running year-round, featuring more Vegan Chef Challenges in the region and celebrating the new vegan dishes from restaurants in the Amarillo area, online at @VeganChefChallengeSW . The website for Amarillo Vegan Chef Challenge can be found veganchefchallenge.org/Amarillo .

Other awards include:

• Best Sandwich: Feed Me
• Best Tacos: Sunday's Kitchen
• Best Vegan Wings: That Weird Place
• Best Burger: Yellow City Street Food
• Best Buffet: Indian Oven
• Customer Favorite: Blue Crane Bakery
• Best Pizza: 575 Pizzeria
• Best Nachos: FAV's

The Vegan Chef Challenge invites diners to explore a plant-based diet by signing up for the free 10 Weeks to Vegan program. To learn more, please visit www.10weeks.org.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards $220,000 to Texas groups

GOODLETTSVILLE, TENN. – On Aug. 22, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) announced the award of more than $220,000 youth literacy grants to Texas nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. The funds are part of more than $4 million recently awarded across the country for recipients to use the funds to purchase books, technology, equipment or materials to help extend a brighter future for K-12 students.

“We understand investing in youth literacy means investing in the future of students and our collective communities,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Through these grants, we hope to enhance the programs’ efforts to foster students’ critical thinking skills, creativity and confidence so they can unlock their potential and achieve their dreams.”

Texas recipients include Lubbock - Communities In Schools Of The South Plains: $4,000; Marfa - Marfa Education Foundation Inc.: $4,000; Midland - Quanah Parker Elementary: $4,000; Odessa - Ector County Isd Education Foundation, Inc.: $4,000; Odessa - University Of Texas Permian Basin: $3,500 and Shallowater - Shallowater ISD: $4,000.

A comprehensive list of grant recipients may be found online at www.dgliteracy.org. The Texas grants are expected to positively impact the lives of more than 25,000 individuals in the state.

Applications for the 2025 Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant cycle will be available at www.dgliteracy.org in January 2025. These grants aim to support schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center in implementing new literacy initiatives or expanding existing ones. Grant applications may be found online at http://www.dgliteracy.org.

To shine an additional light on literacy, the DGLF is also currently hosting its fifth annual Yellow Glasses Project through Sept. 8 (or while supplies last). Customers can purchase yellow sunglasses at Dollar General stores for $2 each, and all proceeds benefit the Foundation.

US Department of Labor’s Job Corps Program celebrates 60th anniversary

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor hosted four center directors and four student leaders from the Texas Job Corps campuses among the 245 attendees from more than 120 campuses nationwide last week for the third annual Job Corps Leadership Summit. The event marked the culmination of the program’s yearlong 60th anniversary celebration.

“Since its inception, Job Corps’ mission has been, and continues to be, changing lives through good jobs,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor José Javier Rodríguez. “The 60th anniversary is a significant milestone to honor the past and look forward to the next 60 years of creating opportunities and career paths for young adults across the country.”

During the summit, held in Washington, D.C., from Aug. 13–15, student leaders from the centers met with government officials, developed their leadership skills and toured the nation’s capital.

Established as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Economic Opportunity Act on Aug. 20, 1964, Job Corps has since expanded to include more than 120 centers, including campuses in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Texas is home to four Job Corps campuses: David L. Carrasco (in El Paso), Gary (in San Marcos), Laredo and North Texas (in McKinney). Since 1964, the program has trained and educated more than 3 million individuals.

Center announces new round of grants for women-owned startups

DENTON — StartHER, an acclaimed grant program of TWU’s Center for Women Entrepreneurs that offers financial support to women-owned businesses in Texas, is marking its sixth year.

The center, a program of the university’s Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership, will begin accepting applications for its latest round of grants on Sept. 3. The center will award 10 grants, each valued at $5,000.

Since its inception, the grant program has awarded $500,000 in grants to 115 women-owned businesses. StartHER grants have supported and empowered women entrepreneurs across Texas to realize their business dreams, a release says. The grants provide financial support for various business needs, including purchasing equipment, technology, inventory, and property improvements. The grants do not cover wages, salaries or sales tax.

Awardees must submit a business plan, spend three hours with a business advisor, and complete a virtual, small-business training course that covers essential topics such as business plan development, marketing, legal matters, and financial management. To apply for the StartHER grant, businesses must submit a completed online application by 5 p.m. Oct. 4. For more information, FAQs, and the application process, visit the website at twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/starther/. Inquiries related to the grants can be directed to CWEgrants@twu.edu.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: AT&T Internet Air, Vegan Chef Challenge winners among this week's business news