Communities across the Texas Panhandle are addressing public safety, infrastructure, and resource management challenges. From changes in local law enforcement to major street improvements and drought-related water restrictions, local officials are taking steps to address long-term needs.
Memphis to Disband Police Department
The Memphis City Council voted Monday to close the Memphis Police Department effective Sept. 30, following a special meeting and public hearing. Beginning Oct. 1, law enforcement services will be provided by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, which already assists the city through an existing agreement. City leaders first discussed expanding the partnership in April amid staffing shortages within the department. The arrangement is expected to cost the city $6,250 per month. Texas law does not require municipalities to operate their own police departments, and some smaller communities rely on county sheriff’s offices for law enforcement services.
Dumas Enacts Stage 3 Water Restrictions
The City of Dumas has implemented Stage 3 Severe Water Storage Conditions Rules effective Tuesday due to ongoing drought conditions and increased demand on the municipal water system. Under the restrictions, irrigation is limited to Sundays and Thursdays for even-numbered addresses and Saturdays and Wednesdays for odd-numbered addresses. Watering is only permitted within 30 minutes before sunset or 30 minutes after sunrise. The rules also prohibit golf course irrigation unless alternative water sources are used and end the use of city water from fire hydrants for construction purposes. Officials are urging residents to conserve water to help protect the community’s water supply.
Two Arrested Following Amarillo Pursuit
Amarillo police arrested two people after a vehicle pursuit ended in a crash Thursday afternoon. Officers attempted to stop a black 2004 Saturn Vue around 12:15 p.m., but the driver fled before crashing into a tree in the 400 block of South Fannin Street. The driver, identified as 48-year-old Antonio Rocky Bustos, ran from the scene but was later located and arrested after being transported to a hospital for evaluation. Bustos faces multiple charges, including drug manufacturing or delivery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, evading arrest, and resisting arrest. Passenger April Alamillo Moreno, 35, was also arrested on an outstanding felony warrant from Deaf Smith County.
Amarillo Approves $4.4 Million Street Project
The Amarillo City Council has approved more than $4.4 million in street maintenance projects covering over five miles of major roadways across the city. The 2026-27 mill-and-overlay program will resurface portions of S. Coulter Street, Parkside Drive, Wolflin Avenue, S. Taylor Street, S. Fillmore Street, N. Pierce Street, and N. Buchanan Street. The work involves removing the top inch of asphalt and replacing it with new pavement to improve driving conditions and extend the life of the streets. Mayor Cole Stanley said the city is working to catch up on needed road maintenance using funds already included in the budget. The project is funded through street bond funds and will not require a tax increase.
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