Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard confirmed Thursday morning that Cole Underwood, 29, has been arrested on charges of sexual assault of a child which is a second degree felony.

Sheriff Bouchard also noted their agency has been conducting the investigation and he is charged with having sexual intercourse with a Perryton High School student that is under the age of 17 years.

Perryton ISD Superintendent Greg Brown will be on with KXDJ's Chris Samples on Friday morning at 8:10 a.m.

In a release, Brown said, "On Sunday, April 21, 2024, the Perryton ISD administration received a report that an employee may have engaged in improper conduct involving a student. The district immediately initiated an internal investigation. On Monday, April 22, 2024, after learning additional information, the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave and the district informed the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office of the matter. A similar report was made to other authorities as required by law and district policy."

He added, "It is the district’s understanding that law enforcement’s investigation into this matter is ongoing. As always, the school administration will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and any other investigating agency to the fullest extent possible under the law."

Brown said Underwood resigned and is no longer associated with the district.

You can read the full release here.

Underwood is a 2013 Perryton High School graduate and was hired by Perryton in 2022. He was promoted to the head football coach and athletic director position for the 2023-2024 season.

Today, the final in our three-part series on the new crypto mine coming to Booker.

Through the process, we have learned that there are similar projects around the region. So, why here? Scott Brown of Limitless Energy Group, the company behind the Lipscomb County project, said it is all about the electricity.

“We work with the utilities, and we have become some of their best customers. Because we are purchasing large volumes of electricity, we are also able to curtail our operations when there is demand. So, when they need excess power, we are able to shut down,” Brown explained to KXDJ’s Chris Samples.

Limitless Energy is a conglomerate of Stadium Partners. They own 12 sites and have rights or access to another ten. “They vary in size and what is available in the region as far as electricity goes.”

You can hear more here.

The facility is expected to be in operating very soon.

photo by Michael Cuviello with the Amarillo Globe News

In today’s KXDJ “Did You Hear That?” segment with Chris Samples, more from his recent interview with Michael Martin Murphey.

Today, he discusses his longtime passion and love for Red River, New Mexico.

“Well, my connection to the Red River area is the same as anybody else’s connection in Texas. My parents got hot in the summer and wanted to go to the mountains to cool off. Texans are famous for invading the Rocky Mountains in the summertime. So, I was probably six or seven years old when I was fishing in the Red River up there, before they even paved the streets,” Murphey told Samples.

Click here to listen to more.

While the 2024 dates have not been announced yet, you can find out more about his Rocking 3M Chuckwagon shows in Red River here.

Murphey and Lyle Lovett teamed up for a recent wildfire benefit concert in Amarillo and raised more than $52,000 for the cause.

This time of year, if you get the moisture it normally comes hand-in-hand with severe weather.

Steve Hannah with the National Weather Service said with the situation that is possible Thursday, the best thing to do is hope the cap stays in place and storms do not develop along the dryline.

They do have have pretty high confidence that the dryline will set up along a line from Guymon going south to Borger and east of Amarillo. East of that will be where we see storms, IF they form.

If these thunderstorms form, they would become super cellular with the potential for all hazards, including very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Samuel Scoleri, NWS meteorologist said Thursday morning, "The key word today is going to be conditional. We do have the ingredients for everything but the biggest issue is the cap that keeps the moisture from becoming too unstable."

So, what would it take to break the cap? "You need a lifting mechanism. It could be anything from terrain, to a frontal system that creates a pocket of instability or even just daytime heating," Scoleri explained.



He added the bottom line is you run the risk of it becoming ugly if you want the rain.

Local elections will be held on Saturday, May 4 in Texas. We have a number of contested races around our listening area and will be hosting candidate forums for a few of them.

Our first forum will feature the six candidates vying for three spots on the Perryton ISD board. Candidates include incumbents Bryce Hale, Wes Beal and Chris Lingo as well as challengers Kevin Pshigoda, Nuno Rodriguez and Jeff Schollenbarger.

KXDJ’s Chris Samples moderated the forum and after giving the candidates time to share why they are running, he asked them about the good and bad when it comes to Perryton ISD, their thoughts on the bond, teacher retention, and more.

You can listen to the forum in its entirety at the link below.


Early voting will run Monday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 30. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

The Perryton City Council will have two different races on the May 4 ballot.

KXDJ’s Chris Samples hosted a candidate forum with the four candidates running to fill two regular terms. Those candidates include incumbents J Aston and Greg Good as well as challengers Erika Hernandez and Silvia Garcia.

Samples asked the candidates about their reason for running, how they feel the city has done with tornado recovery, and the plans for restoring downtown Perryton.

You can listen to the forum in its entirety below.




The other race is for two unexpired terms and those candidates include Brad Herring, Jesse Trejo, Oscar Hernandez and Brady Burdick.

Early voting will run Monday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 30. In Perryton, you will early vote for the Perryton ISD board race at the administration office. For the city council races, you will early vote at City Hall at 417 S. Amherst. On election day, all precincts for both races will vote at Perryton High School.

The Perryton City Council will have two different contested races on the ballot on Saturday, May 4. One race will be to fill two unexpired terms that were vacated by Shirley Howard and Shae Cunningham.

The candidates in that race, Jesse Trejo, Brady Burdick, Brad Herring and Oscar Hernandez, joined KXDJ’s Chris Samples for a candidate forum on April 4.

Samples asked the men about why they were running, what their take was on the steps the city has taken thus far regarding tornado recovery, and more.

You can listen to the forum in its entirety below.



The other contested race is for two regular terms. Candidates in that race include incumbents J Aston and Greg Good as well as challengers Silvia Garcia and Erika Hernandez.

Early voting will run Monday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 30. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

Early voting is underway in our May 4 local elections.

Contested races for our area include:
Perryton
Perryton ISD – Three positions available - Wes Beal (I), Chris Lingo (I), Bryce Hale (I), Kevin Pshigoda, Nuno Rodriguez, Jeff Schollenbarger

City Council
Two regular terms - J Aston (I), Greg Good (I), Erika Hernandez & Silvia Garcia
Two unexpired terms – Brad Herring, Brady Burdick, Oscar Hernandez, Jesse Trejo

Spearman
City of Spearman
Two aldermen – Don Schroeder (I), Bobby Snider, Manuel (Manny) Mendoza, Mark Murray

Spearman ISD
Two regular terms – Abigail Pipkin, Brenda Ferguson, Karla Flowers, Shawn Moore
One unexpired term – Jay Tracy, Zaira Gonzalez

Gruver
Gruver ISD
Two open positions - Johnnie Williams (I), Chad Grimes, Miles Messer

Canadian
Canadian ISD
Two positions - Cody Culwell (I), Jessica Cowden, Meredith Yarnold, Heath Hayden

Bond Election
Proposition A: $18 million to fund upcoming capital projects, facilities repairs and supplies: Refresh of the district's heating, ventilation and air conditions; replacement of aging buses and vehicles; safety and security measures; facility updates; classroom, fine arts and extracurricular equipment

Proposition B: $2 million for technology equipment and infrastructure: laptops, tablets, network equipment, and other technology infrastructure related items.

Follett
Follett ISD
Two positions - Andrew Copeland (I), Ben Gribble (I), Catherine Davis, Zach Wynn, Rebekah Bell

Darrouzett
Darrouzett ISD
Two positions - Kelly Wheatley (I), Greg Long, Billy Rose

Booker
Booker ISD
Unexpired term - Place 5 – Victor Silva (I), Cesar Compean

In Perryton, you will early vote for the PISD board race at the administration office. For the city council races, you will early vote at City Hall at 417 S. Amherst. On election day, all precincts for both races will vote at Perryton High School.

Early voting runs through Tuesday, April 30.

National Rankings have been finalized for the season and INKS Gym in Perryton is proud to announce that Cheer Xtreme Elektra is ranked 2nd in the Nation.

After receiving a full paid bid, Elektra competed at Lake Tahoe Super Nationals over the weekend and brought home the National Title for their Division.

Elektra will head to Orlando for The Open National Championship at the end of April, where they will compete against qualifying teams from across the Nation.

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You can also click here for the most recent information. —

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The Perryton Ranger soccer team brought home a gold ball Tuesday after beating Mineral Wells 3-2 in their bi-district match.

It is the second year in UIL competition for the Rangers and their first playoff win.

They will now take on El Paso Austin on Thursday, March 28 at 4 p.m. at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland. You you can listen to the game on 98.3 KXDJ, with the TuneIn Radio app, or online at kxdjradio.com. —

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The Texas legislative committee that will investigate the deadly wildfires from February has set their hearings for next week.

Texas State Rep. Ken King of Canadian will chair the committee and hearings will be held in Pampa beginning Tuesday, April 2.

Hearings will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the MK Brown Heritage Room.

The committee is set to hear testimony regarding:
-factors contributing to the wildfires;
-allocation of resources to and effectiveness of wildfire disaster preparedness and response; and
-coordination between local, state, and federal governmental entities with regard to wildfire prevention, disaster preparedness, and response.

Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until
the hearing is adjourned by clicking
here. —

PERRYTON, TEXAS – April is National Child Abuse Prevention
Month, and CASA of the High Plains is raising awareness of the need for more dedicated members of the
community to step up and become CASA volunteers, and help end child abuse and
neglect, through supporting children and their families.

CASA volunteers, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, are
everyday people from all walks of life who are recruited and specially trained
to advocate for children in foster care and provide a consistent, reliable
adult presence for them during a difficult time in their life.

“Our volunteers’ first priority is to keep families together
whenever safe and possible,” said Alissha Jefferis, executive director of CASA
of the High Plains. “Foster care is only a temporary solution to the problems
at hand. We need to create long term support networks that work to care for
families, make reunification a possibility, and help break the cycle for the
next generation.”

CASA volunteers are assigned to one child or sibling group
to advocate for their best interest in court, in school and in other settings.
They get to know the child and everyone involved in their life, such as their parents
and other family members, foster parents, therapists, caseworkers and teachers,
in order to develop a realistic picture of the child’s unique situation. They
engage those important to the child and family in order to build a network of
support around them, so that the family has access to support and resources
after the case ends. They make recommendations to the judge overseeing the
child’s case, with the goal of ensuring that the child is safe and the family
has the resources, support and healthy relationships needed to heal.

Locally, CASA of the High Plains served 86 children in the
foster care system in Donley, Gray, Hansford, Hemphill, Lipscomb, Ochiltree,
Roberts, and Wheeler Counties in 2023, which means there are still 11 children
who need someone to advocate for them. This April, consider stepping up to make
a difference by becoming a CASA volunteer.

“There is always a need for more CASA volunteers,” said Jefferis.
“By becoming a volunteer, you can take your efforts beyond just awareness, and do your part to help support children and
families in crisis right here in our community.”  

When reunification is not a possibility for the children
they serve, CASA volunteers work to find others that can provide a positive,
healthy and loving environment. These can include relatives, friends or other
adults that are important in the child’s life—keeping a child connected to
their home community.

“We at CASA of the High Plains
always hope for the day when CASA, foster care and a national month dedicated
to child abuse prevention are no longer needed because all children are growing
up safe, secure and supported with their families,” said Jefferis. “Until then,
we will continue to seek more members of the community to join our growing
movement so that we can provide a CASA volunteer for every child who needs
one.”

CASA of the High Plains would
like to extend our gratitude to the City of Perryton, Mayor Kerry Symons and
City Council for signing a proclamation declaring April, Child Abuse Prevention
Month in Booker and for their support for CASA of the High Plains.

 

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. If you see
abuse, report it to 1 (800) 252-5400 or go to www.txabusehotline.org. If a child’s
life is in danger, call 911. For more information on CASA, visit www.BecomeaCASA.org or www.casahp.org 806-669-7638.

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Perryton, TEXAS- March 7, 2024 - Interstate Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Pam Chisum to Market President in Perryton.

Pam embodies servant leadership. For 32 years she has dedicated her time to serving customers, staff, and the community of Perryton. In 2022, she was honored as Perryton Citizen of the Year, reflecting her outstanding leadership and involvement in various community organizations throughout her career. She is also a devoted member of the Perryton community, serving as the Director of the Perryton Rodeo Association and Co-chairman of the Wheatheart Celebration Council, as well as serving as a member of the Panhandle Profession Women and Community Worship Center.

Please join us in congratulating Pam on this well-deserved promotion! Pam, your hard work, dedication, and passion really do inspire all of us. Thank you for the genuine, caring way you serve others. Here's to many more years ahead!

Danny Skarda, Chairman & CEO, acknowledged Pam's commitment, stating, "Pam’s spirit for the community has always been commendable. She continues to exceed customer expectations in terms of service. We are very proud that Pam is on our TEAM!”

To contact Pam Chisum call (806) 435-4071 or email at [email protected]

Interstate Bank has been a leader in the banking industry for the last 60 plus years in the Texas Panhandle with locations in Perryton and Amarillo. We bring local to life, offering all your banking needs close to home. We offer personal/business bank accounts, personal/commercial loans, savings accounts, ACH cash management, and more.

For more information on Interstate Bank, visit https://www.isbtexas.bank/.
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Michael Crain, a former state investigator, joined KXDJ's Chris Samples for installment number nine in their series on the Tom Brown case recently.

Crain has been looking closely at the case out of Canadian and he agrees with all of the investigators from the state of Texas on down that believe Tom committed suicide and there was a coverup. He has now taken the steps to become a licensed private investigator as well.

He has found many inconsistencies in the story from the family as well as statements made by the private investigator they hired, Philip Klein of Klein Investigations and Consulting.

In this episode, Crain shares more from Klein and his multiple versions of parts of the case as well as information he received from Trace Sargent, the handler for the cadaver dog that was used in the case.

Listen to Episode 9 below.



If you are interested in listening to previous episodes, they are all linked below.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

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There was one arrest on Friday, July 17. Luis Morales, 30, was arrested on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance - bond forfeiture.

Saturday, July 18, there was one arrest. Sara Marie Maxwell, 38, was arrested for evading arrest/detention with a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. —