Traffic patterns on Fulton Drive will be temporarily adjusted today as part of the new addition to the Ridgecrest development. Fulton Drive will be temporarily closed between Holiday Drive and Harmony Street. Eastbound traffic will be detoured at Holiday Drive, and westbound traffic will be detoured southbound at Harmony Street. The temporary closure will allow crews to permanently repair sections of the roadway where temporary trenches were installed for a new water main serving the development. Fulton Drive is expected to reopen by Friday (February 27). The temporary traffic adjustment is intended to safely route vehicles around the construction zone while minimizing public disruption. Motorists are encouraged to follow all posted signage and exercise caution when traveling through the area.

The City of Amarillo (COA) has named Omolola (“Lola”) Ogunremi as chief financial officer (CFO). Ogunremi was announced Tuesday as CFO during the regular meeting of city council. Her tentative start date is early April. “Following a competitive and thorough search that included a wide array of exceptional candidates, we are pleased to announce Lola Ogunremi as chief financial officer for the City of Amarillo,” said COA City Manager Grayson Path. “This is a vitally important position for the city. Lola has a strong and extensive professional background that fulfills the requirements of having deep expertise in municipal finance, long‑range financial planning, debt management and the ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to elected officials, staff and the public. We are excited to welcome Lola Ogunremi to Amarillo.” Ogunremi, Ph.D., comes to Amarillo from Bowie, Md., where she served as assistant finance director, overseeing the city’s annual operating and capital budget. She has more than 18 years of experience in financial management, business consulting, economic research and accounting. Ogunremi holds a Ph.D. in economics from Howard University, an MBA in computer information systems from Baruch College and a BS in accounting from Brooklyn College. She is also a licensed certified public accountant. As chief financial officer for COA, Ogunremi will oversee a city budget of approximately $557 million and a full-service organization of more than 2,500 employees. The CFO leads the Finance Department in promoting and maintaining excellence and efficiency in accounting, budgeting and reporting functions.

Repairs are underway related to an unauthorized discharge of 100,000 gallons of treated wastewater. The discharge is in a non-residential area approximately one-half mile south of the Harrington Power Generation facility and one-half mile west of Lakeside Drive. No public or private drinking water sources have been identified within one-half mile of the spill location. The discharge is not identified as an environmental hazard as the water has been through the full treatment process and has been adequately disinfected. The discharge was identified on Monday (February 23) at 9:45 a.m. and the pumps supplying the water were shut off immediately stopping the flow of treated wastewater. The repairs to the line are ongoing and expected to be complete in the next 48 hours. The cause of the unauthorized discharge was a broken air relief valve. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been notified of the spill and repair efforts are being conducted by City of Amarillo Wastewater collections personnel.

The City of Amarillo’s Comanche Trail Golf Complex will be closed to the public on Thursday (February 26) due to a scheduled electrical upgrade by Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy will be upgrading power supplies to the clubhouse and to the new Tomahawk pump station. The work will require a temporary shutdown of electrical service to the facility to safely complete the improvements. The golf course is scheduled to reopen on Friday (February 27) – weather permitting. Golfers may book tee times at Ross Rogers Golf Complex by calling 806-378-3086 or visiting www.playgolfamarillo.com/ For more information contact City of Amarillo General Manager of Golf Operations George Priolo by email at George.Priolo@amarillo.gov