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Experience key to West Plains volleyball season
If there is one thing that excites West Plains head volleyball coach Kaitlyn Cornelius about the 2024 season, it's having eight returning starters and three explosive players on the front row. Three years into building her program, Cornelius has West Plains among the best in the state of Texas ... and ready to knock on the door of giving the school their first-ever trip to the Class 4A State Tournament. In 2023, West Plains came within two matches of playing for a berth in the state tournament, falling to Stephenville in the Region I-4A Semifinals. "We are going to have a strong team this year," Cornelius said with the return of senior outside hitter Piper Patterson and junior middle blockers Aaniyah Kitchen and Kynzie Ward.
WT hires new Dean for Fine Arts and Humanities
The former dean of an Oregon university has been named dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities at West Texas A&M University. Dr. Dan Peterson, previously the dean of the College of Health, Arts and Sciences at Oregon Institute of Technology, began his duties June 20 at WT. “Fine arts and humanities should be right at a university’s core, and I see so many opportunities here,” Peterson said. “The nurturing of high-demand skills in creativity, innovation, and interaction for all WT students through this college is tremendous.” “The Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities has an outstanding reputation of educating and graduating students who bring beauty and culture to the Panhandle, and from here the world,” said WT President Walter V. Wendler. “Dr. Peterson’s experience in teaching, research and service is an important and exciting addition to the College.”
Country Club Road drainage system gets green light
The five-story high tall, eroded hill on U.S. 87 north of Canyon that connects to West Country Club Road, caused by the flooding last June, will soon have repairs started thanks to permission from owners and some good engineering provided by U.S. Army Civil Engineers and the Randall County Road & Bridge Department. The tall hill took out a major part of the road and was washed away. It has been closed for approximately a year mostly due to procuring easements. During the recent Randall County Commissioners meeting, there was a green light approval to the Randall County Road & Bridge Department to begin the process of procuring contractors for the job. According to Randall County Commissioner Dr. Bob Robinson, the 50-foot hill is located west of the Happy State Bank Stadium near Cottonwood Glen Drive.
WT alum makes major gift to support women's golf program
Self-described super-fans of West Texas A&M University women’s athletics have established two new endowments that will provide both support and scholarship dollars for two teams. Rick and Carole Couch have made a gift of $50,000 and a planned gift of $175,000 to establish the Rick and Carole Couch Lady Buff Golf Program Fund, which will enhance player development and help finance trips to tournaments. An additional $175,000 planned gift will create the Couch Volleyball Scholarship Endowment, which provide a minimum $1,000 annual scholarship. Though the gift will support two of WT’s acclaimed women’s sports, the golf team in particular is closest to the Couchs’ heart.
Average WT debt drops 23 percent
The average debt for West Texas A&M University graduates has dropped 23 percent over the past seven years, according to a new study. The debt load also is significantly lower than national and statewide averages. The average debt load for 2023 graduates was $20,655 among students who took out loans, according to data compiled by WT’s Office of Student Financial Services for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Accountability System. That’s down significantly from an average of $26,908 for 2016 graduates. According to Forbes, the average student loan debt is $28,950 nationwide and $32,295 in Texas.
Boots & Badges kicks off Canyon Library Summer Reading program
Boots and Badges battled it out on the Canyon Area Library parking lot June 5 at the first event of the summer reading program. Canyon firefighters and police officers were good sports to compete against one another in games, according to program coordinator Lizzy Beckett. "It was exciting," Canyon Area Library Director Carlene Harguess said. "We are excited the police and firemen support the library. They always draw big crowds. The community loves to come out. We are excited about the rest of our summer programs." In the first competition, teams had a relay to carry the most library books to the table at the end of the course. Dropped books didn't count, and the police outdid the firemen, 42-39.
Newton tabbed WT Employee of the Year
An administrative assistant with "a heart for others" was named West Texas A&M University Employee of the Year during a special celebration. Amy Newton, a five-year WT veteran and senior administrative associate in the Department of Agricultural Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, won a cash prize, free parking for a year and more during WT's All-Staff Service Awards June 25 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. "I'm very humbled," Newton said. "It's such an honor to be recognized for my work and for caring about my department." Newton was voted Employee of the Year by faculty and fellow staff members amid a field of 11 other employees of the month.
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the Plainview Daily Herald is published in the nation's largest cotton-growing region and on the edge of the nation's heaviest concentration of cattle-feeding and beef-packing operations. The Plainview Daily Herald's site, My Plainview, covers news, sports, entertainment and community interest for the Plainview Texas area
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