News

It has become an Amarillo tradition – and it is back. The City of Amarillo’s Every Drop Counts Calendar Contest, which illustrates the importance of water and water conservation through the artwork of students, has returned. Through the years, Every Drop Counts has featured the creativity of students from kindergarten through 12th grade in a popular calendar format with the theme emphasizing the area’s most vital resource – water. A total of 13 winners will be selected for the 2027 calendar. The deadline to submit artwork is May 31. Participants are eligible for prizes, including a $1,000 gift card and exclusive merchandise. For entry rules and requirements and to submit an entry, go to: www.amarillo.gov/every-drop-counts/

More animals in Amarillo, primarily dogs and cats, are returning home to their owners or finding new homes thanks to efforts led by the City of Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare Department (AAMW.) AAMW Director Victoria Medley had good news not only for the members of city council Tuesday during their regular meeting, but also for the entire Amarillo community. Medley detailed improved animal welfare numbers in several key categories, including the number of lost animals returned to their owners over the past three years and the number of animal adoptions. The numbers: “These numbers represent progress in AAMW’s efforts to care for the animals in our community and help the owners of these animals – our residents,” Medley said. “Our vaccination and microchip programs have been outstanding in the past three years. We have worked with local and national partners to help make these programs successful, and these program have definitely had a positive impact.” AAMW provided 914 microchips in 2025 during microchip/vaccination clinics. Medley also emphasized the importance of the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine. “I cannot say enough about what the Texas Tech vet school has brought to our community,” Medley said. “Their participation in surgeries at AAMW has meant so much, both in terms of medical capacity to helping relieve the cost of these surgeries to taxpayers.” Councilmember Les Simpson applauded the efforts on behalf of public safety. “Animal welfare is an important issue. Obviously, we want to take care of animals the best way we can in our community,” said Simpson, who also serves on the AAMW Advisory Board. “This is also an important public safety issue. These numbers represent wins for the Amarillo community, not only in terms of taking care of animals and getting them back to their owners but also in

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.