News

There is hope for that broken appliance, torn sweater or bicycle that needs a repair. Don’t toss it. Bring it to the Repair Cafe (a program of the City of Amarillo Parks and Recreation Department – PARD) on September 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Warford Activity Center, located at 1330 N.W. 18th Ave. The free semiannual event is about building community while helping residents repair broken items. Whether it’s a lamp, a favorite sweater, or a small appliance, volunteer fixers will be on hand to work and repair it. Plus, participants get the chance to learn simple repair skills to fix items themselves in the future. Here are the details: Each family is welcome to bring one item for repair. If time allows, volunteers may be able to accommodate additional items. Residents must stay with their items during the repair process – this is a hands-on experience, and residents will be learning alongside volunteer fixers. “Repair Cafe isn’t a typical repair shop. It’s a fun, community-focused event centered on sustainability and sharing knowledge,” said PARD Senior Services Coordinator Kari Bachman. “It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and learn new skills.” No registration is required. For more information, contact Kari Bachman at (806) 678-8359. Also for more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at 806-378-5219 or by email at david.henry@amarillo.gov.

Repairs are underway to a sewer main that has resulted in an unauthorized discharge of 750,000 gallons of untreated wastewater located at a manhole immediately to the east of East Amarillo Creek between West Chaparral Road and East Chaparral Road. Wastewater has reached East Amarillo Creek and possibly flowing towards Thomspon Park Lake. Laboratory tests will be conducted for any possible levels of contamination. The City of Amarillo Water Utilities Department was notified of the unauthorized discharge at 11:30 a.m. Friday (September 11) and immediately dispatched personnel to the location. The crews were able to stop the unauthorized discharge at 3:25 p.m. Repair work is still needed and ongoing. As the wastewater has travelled into the waterway of East Amarillo Creek, it is advised that all recreational contact with the waterbody of Thompson Park Lake and East Amarillo Creek between West Chaparral Road and W Hastings Avenue be temporarily discontinued. Recreational contact includes activities such as wading, paddling, kayaking or fishing. Site remediation has begun and the repair location has been barricaded for public safety. Laboratory samples will be collected routinely following the completion of the repair to monitor any environmental impacts. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been notified of the spill and remediation efforts are being conducted by City of Amarillo Wastewater Collections personnel.

Thanks in large part to the Amarillo community and the response of several City of Amarillo (COA) partners, the city is lifting Stage 1 of the 2024 Drought Contingency Plan, effective today (Friday). Stage 1 consists of a voluntary outdoor watering schedule. COA has recovered to more than 80 percent capacity in its water storage reservoir after reaching a low of approximately 52 percent in August. The city entered Stage 1 of the plan on August 17. Stage 1 is implemented when demand or normal operating condition results in a drawdown of the reservoir to approximately 60 percent of capacity or when total daily water demand equals or exceeds approximately 70 percent of available water production capability for five consecutive days. “Residents and businesses responded when the city asked for voluntary conservation, and several organizations made meaningful operational changes to help reduce demand, and this helped lead to a significant recovery in water reservoir capacity,” said COA Assistant City Manager Donny Hooper. “This strong level of cooperation truly made a difference.” Amarillo is experiencing one of the hottest and driest summer seasons in recent memory. Amarillo has had more than 38 days with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and has received less than five inches of rainfall for the year. The recovery in water reservoir capacity was helped by city partners and city entities such as the Amarillo Independent School District, the Canyon Independent School District, Amarillo College, the COA Parks and Recreation Department and the staff at the city’s four municipal golf courses. In addition, the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) worked with COA to manage high regional water demand across the Texas Panhandle. The City of Lubbock also played a vital role in sharing portions of its CRMWA allocation with COA. “The strong levels of cooperation from CRMWA

Amarillo City Council has scheduled a special meeting for 11 a.m. Monday (September 14) in Room 3400 of city hall.  The public meeting is to discuss and consider the proposed tax rate for maintenance and operation and debt service for the proposed 2026/2027 City of Amarillo fiscal year budget.  The meeting will be livestreamed via the City of Amarillo YouTube channel at:  www.youtube.com/user/CityofAmarillo  For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at 806-378-5219 or by email at david.henry@amarillo.gov.

In the past year, more than 600 children are traveling safer in Amarillo thanks to a unique program operated by Amarillo Public Health (APH).  The Safe Kids/Healthy Amarillo Women program, part of APH, distributed 615 car seats (free of charge) from September 1, 2025, to August 31. The car seats benefit needy families and help parents protect children while traveling.  “It is a great honor knowing that we are helping parents and families keep their children safe,” said APH Program Manager Cindi Wynia, who has been in her current position for four years and with the City of Amarillo for more than 20 years.  “This program is a special way to provide a vital resource that helps keep our children safe and secure,” said APH Health Educator Planner Barbara Solano-Haile, who is approaching her fourth year in her current position.  The duo of Wynia and Solano-Haile run the Safe Kids/Healthy Amarillo Program, which is funded by grants from the Texas Department of State Health Services and provides an array of services/resources benefiting children.  Since 2022, the program has distributed 2,001 car seats. But that is just part of it.  The program also provides education to parents on how to install and maintain the car seats.  “People say car seats are rocket science, and I learned that they actually are,” Wynia said with a laugh.  Wynia and Solano-Haile have received national certification (Child Passenger Safety Technician). The process includes a four-day certification course (which includes timed installation of car seats). In March 2025, the pair were selected as 2025 National Child Passenger Safety Team of the Year, earning a trip to Long Beach, Calif.  “Every car seat is different, and we provide education that help parents with the installation,” said Solano-Haile.  “We watch the parents do the installation, and if they