Annual Polk Street Cruise set for Saturday

Annual Polk Street Cruise is this Saturday- starts at Region 16 building at 58th and Bell and heads downtown. There will be hundreds of classic cars and folks lining Polk. Be there or be square!


LINK: Panhandle Council of Car Clubs 

Polk Street Cruise 2009 photos

Robbery chase ends in crash at gas pump

CONNECT AMARILLO : AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The suspect from an early Monday morning robbery led police on a chase down Interstate 40, police said.

It ended when police said the driver ran into a gas pump at I-40 and Ross.

At about 7:25 a.m., police responded to a possible robbery at the Toot-N-Totum in the 2600 block of Amarillo Boulevard East. Police said a black male in his 30s wearing a blue shirt and denim shorts along with white tennis shoes had robbed the store.

He wandered around the store for a few minutes before taking money from the register, police said. He fled in a White Cadillac with a black top.

Police said a witness was able to obtain a possible tag number from the suspect vehicle. An unmarked officer then observed a vehicle with a similar tag number traveling south on Ridgemere.

The unmarked officer followed the car until a marked unit could initiate a traffic stop, police said.

Police said the driver refused to stop and a chase ensued toward I-40. It continued on I-40 westbound until the vehicle exited at the Ross-Osage exit.

The driver cut through a parking lot at the northeast corner of a gas station parking lot. He crashed into one of the gas pumps causing a fire, police said.

A fire started and the unidentified suspect was taken into custody. He was first transported to the hospital for evaluation but was then booked into the Potter County Jail for Robbery and Evading Arrest in a Motor Vehicle.

This incident remains under investigation and police said this robbery could be linked to the one at 1600 Amarillo Boulevard East from earlier in the morning.

HERE SCANNER AUDIO OF CHASE AT THIS LINK 

Amarillo doctor accused of killing Lubbock doctor

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — The family of Dr. Joseph Sonnier III had gathered in Louisiana for his funeral when they heard the news: Police had accused another doctor of paying to have him killed.

The doctor, Thomas Michael Dixon, was arrested this week and is accused of paying a business associate in bars of silver to kill Sonnier, who was dating Dixon's ex-girlfriend.

Family members who spoke with Sonnier in recent weeks say they knew an ex-boyfriend of Sonnier's girlfriend was causing the couple problems. The family's focus now, according to Sonnier's sons, is to pursue justice.

"Although there were many tears shed, there was also a sense of hope that our father's murder has been solved," Sonnier's two sons, Joseph IV and James, said in an email.

Dixon and the business associate, David Neal Shepard, are jailed on $10 million bail each.

Sonnier, 57, the chief pathologist for Covenant Health System in Lubbock, was found shot and stabbed July 11 inside his home in the West Texas city.

Five days later, police released an arrest warrant affidavit that accused Dixon — a well-known plastic surgeon in Amarillo, about 120 miles north of Lubbock — of paying Shepard three silver bars worth a total of $9,000. Shepard's roommate told police that Shepard had confessed to the crime after a suicide attempt.

Dixon has been described as having some sort of business relationship with Shepard, though Lubbock Police Capt. Jon Caspell said he didn't think Shepard was working in Dixon's medical practice. Police believe Sonnier and Dixon may have known each other separate from the woman, though family members believe the two doctors did not.

Joseph Sonnier IV, one of Sonnier's sons, said in an email that none of his family knew either Dixon or Shepard specifically.

Shepard told his roommate that he broke into Sonnier's home through a window and shot him several times with a gun Dixon had given him, the affidavit said.

An attorney for Dixon, Dan Hurley, has said the doctor will fight the "untrue" accusations. Police said Wednesday that Shepard did not yet have an attorney.

A former business partner of Dixon, Dr. Rouzbeh Kordestani, told the Amarillo Globe-News that Dixon could at times have trouble controlling his temper. But, Kordestani said, he didn't believe Dixon was violent.

"(Dixon has) had anger issues in the past where he's yelled at people, this and that, and . takes a couple of days and comes back, he's OK," the chief of surgery at Northwest Texas Healthcare System said of Dixon who also had been a friend. "But not like this."

The two met while completing residency programs at the University of Oklahoma in the early 2000s. In 2004 they set up a practice in Amarillo, though by two years later their friendship and partnership had "soured," and the business relationship ended.

"I haven't spoken to Mike since 2006, even though I'm the chief of surgery and he's in my department," he told the newspaper. "It's ridiculous. We would pass each other in the hallway and we would just look away. The split was that harsh."

Kordestani didn't return messages left by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sonnier's family remembered him at his Monday funeral as a caring doctor, loving son and avid dancer who traveled to events across the country. Joseph Sonnier IV said his father's dance instructors attended the funeral and, at his request, performed a waltz as a tribute.

Joseph and James Sonnier's mother, Becky Gallegos, died two years ago in a suspected marital dispute with her then-husband, Juan Gallegos. Juan Gallegos turned the gun on himself and later died in a hospital. Joseph and James Sonnier, in their email, said both of their parents died "under equally tragic, yet totally unrelated circumstances."

"We have supreme confidence in the Lubbock law enforcement system and know that justice will be served," they said in their email.

___

Merchant reported from Dallas.

Foreign buyers eyeing the Osprey ...

(Reuters) - Several countries are competing to become the first foreign buyer of the U.S. military's V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, which flies like a plane but takes off and lands like a helicopter, according to the Marine Corps colonel who runs the program. Colonel Greg Masiello said officials from more than 12 countries, including eight air chiefs, got demonstration flights at the Farnborough International Airshow this week, as well as at the Royal International Air Tattoo, a huge military airshow in England last weekend. "We're ready, and the language that we're hearing from several of the customers is that they're ready and they're vying to be ... the first. That's not a bad position to be in," Masiello told Reuters in an interview as a Marine Corps version of the plane flew overhead. He said a first foreign purchase could be announced within the next year. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Japan are among countries interested in buying the V-22, or Osprey, built by Boeing Co and Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter unit, Boeing officials told reporters earlier this week. Canada has also been mentioned as a possible buyer. Scott Donnelly, chief executive of Textron, told Reuters on Tuesday that Israel and the United Arab Emirates were the countries most often named as early buyers. Boeing and Bell have been trying to drum up foreign interest in the aircraft for years. But potential buyers have been waiting to see how the plane did in combat, as well as because of its relatively high purchase and use prices -- both of which are dropping. Washington is increasingly looking to foreign military sales to keep the cost of weapons systems from rising as the Pentagon cuts its own orders to strip $487 billion from its planned defense budgets over the next decade. In the case of the V-22 Osprey, Washington hopes foreign orders will keep the production line running past 2018. News of heightened interest in the V-22 comes amid reports of the plane's use in combat as the fleet approaches 150,000 flight hours and continued improvement in its readiness rate, Masiello said. Recent tests also proved the plane could be used on an aircraft carrier and underscored its ability to travel over 2,600 miles round-trip to carry out a simulated rescue. But there are also negatives, including two crashes this year and concerns raised by Japanese officials in Okinawa, who are concerned about the plane's use off their island. Compared with a helicopter, the plane is relatively expensive at about $67 million a copy. But it has far greater payload capabilities and much longer range. Masiello said his office was also pitching the plane for use by the Navy when it completes an analysis on how to replace its current fleet of C-2 aircraft, which are used to ferry supplies to aircraft carriers. The V22 attracted a great deal of interest at the Dubai air show last November and has turned out to be darling of this year's Farnborough air show as well. Masiello said Boeing and Bell would produce 39 V-22s this year and a peak of about 42 next year before tapering off production in subsequent years. That means foreign orders could easily be incorporated into the production plan. "All our indications are that this isn't chatter. There are serious talks and negotiations" with potential foreign buyers, Masiello said, adding that the possible orders would be for eight to 12 planes. Boeing, Bell and the Marines have also begun negotiating a second five-year, multibillion dollar deal for 98 copies of the plane, down from 174 planes in a first, $11 billion order. Masiello said the Pentagon had received the companies' offer. But he declined to give any pricing details, except to say that it included a pledge to ensure at least 10 percent in savings in the multi-year agreement versus a single-year deal. (Additional reporting by Paul Ingrassia; Editing by Dan Grebler)

AEDC makes deal with Bell to build Relentless plant in Amarillo

Amarillo.com: The Amarillo Economic Development Corp. board today approved a $4 million investment in a new facility to build Bell’s 525 Relentless helicopter, a project expected to create 100 jobs, officials said. Bell also will pump $22 million into the project, officials said, and construction on the 249,000 square foot facility is expected to begin later this year. The 16-seat aircraft, which will be built in Amarillo, will feature five rotor blades and room for two flight crew members. Bell CEO and President John L. Garrison said earlier this year the 525 Relentless is the world’s first super-medium transport copter, which was designed for the oil and gas business, search and rescue operations and emergency medical service transport.

Wiener National races in Amarillo this weekend!

CONECTAMARILLO: This weekend Amarillo will find out who has the fastest wiener dog in town. Dachshunds will race to the finish in the 17th annual Wiener National, Amarillo Regionals, at the Sox Stadium. The winner will get $250 and a trip to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, CA for the 2012 Wiener National Finals. In the past, dozens of "hot dogs" have dashed across a 50-foot track to the finish line. Any Dachshund is eligible to participate and registration is free. Sign up for the race begins July 7, at 9:00 am and preliminary races start at 9:30 am. The final race will held at 7 pm sometime during the

Canyon, Texas 4th of July Parade photos

Click to enlarge:

Check back often as we add photos throughout the holiday! (C) Steve Douglass

Jet Blue pilot not guilty - insane.

AMARILLO -- The Federal District Court in Amarillo has found Clayton Osbon not guilty only by reason of insanity. 

Court documents say that evidence based upon the psychological evaluation and testimony of Dr. Robert Johnson, the Osbon was suffering from a severe metal disease or defect that impaired his ability to appreciate the nature, quality, or wrongfulness of his behavior at the time. 

If Osbon was found guilty, he could have been put in prison for up to 20 years and a fine not to exceed $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

Amarillo area 4th of July events slated

Amarillo Globe News:  After a drought-ravaged 2011, fireworks are back in a big way this Fourth of July.

The centerpiece of area celebrations is AGN Media 2012 July 4th Fireworks Festival, the largest annual event in the Texas Panhandle and an Amarillo fixture since 1954.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. at John S. Stiff Memorial Park, 45th Avenue and Bell Street.

This year’s event features food vendors, children’s rides and a concert by Beyond Country, A.J. Swope & The Last Train Home and Casey Berry. Bell Helicopter will be flying in a civilian helicopter and giving Amarillo citizens a chance to meet pilots of the V-22 Osprey. The Amarillo National Bank hot air balloon also will be on location.

The celebration peaks with a custom-designed fireworks show at dark produced by Western Enterprises and featuring a live performance by Amarillo Symphony.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring fireworks back to the Fourth of July,” said AGN Media publisher Les Simpson. “Last year’s laser show was our best option, but there’s nothing that says July 4 better than a community fireworks show.”

On-site parking is provided in the north side of the park along 45th Avenue. Cost is $3, and all proceeds raised benefit AMBUCS.

“This is the largest annual event for our community and we appreciate the City of Amarillo and our sponsors for helping with the annual Fireworks Festival,” Simpson said.

Other celebrations in the metro area include:Amarillo Zoo will kick off Fourth of July festivities Saturday with “Red, White and Zoo,” which includes activities, live music and patriotic animal activities at the zoo inside Thompson Park, Northeast 24th Avenue and Dumas Drive.

At 1 p.m., the zoo’s male African lion, Solomon, attempts to break the 89-second record for eating a 72-ounce The Big Texan Steak Ranch steak. Humans can get in on the eating fun, too, with three pie-eating contests at 1:45 p.m. (for 10- to 12-year-olds), 2:15 p.m. (for 13- to 17-year-olds) and 2:45 p.m. (for ages 18 and older). Other activities include face painting, a hula hoop contest, a scavenger hunt, live music by Andy Chase Cundiff, exhibits by the Amarillo police and fire departments and an endless hot dog buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Regular zoo admission fees apply — $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and $1 for children ages 3 to 12. The hot dog lunch costs an additional $6. For information, call             806-381-7911       or visitwww.amarillozoo.org.

✉ Canyon’s Independence Day Celebration opens with a Lions Club pancake breakfast at Cole Community Center on the downtown square. The vendor fair, featuring about 150 booths, runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the downtown square, followed by a parade down Fourth Avenue at 10:30 a.m. The Party in the Park begins at 6 p.m. at Connor Park, 1900 12th Ave., with Vic Fontana & The Automatics at 8 p.m. and fireworks at 9:50 p.m. For information, call            806-655-7815      .

✉ The “Texas” musical drama will host an extended fireworks and dancing waters finale at four shows beginning Wednesday as part of its USA Independence Celebration. Regular admission rates apply. For information, call             806-655-2181       or visit www
.texas-show.com.

Regional towns also will celebrate the holiday with some long-standing traditions.

✉ The 135th Saints’ Roost Celebration kicks off Wednesday in Clarendon. The Donley County Courthouse Square plays host to a crafts fair at 9 a.m., a kids’ bicycle parade at 10 a.m. and the Shriner’s barbecue lunch at 11 a.m. The Western Parade kicks off at 2 p.m. A junior ranch rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m., with a dance featuring Trevor Leeper kicking off at 9 p.m.

Festivities continue July 6 and 7 with the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association’s Ranch Rodeo at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Dances begin at 9 p.m. nightly with Chris Clerihew & The West Coast Turnarounds on July 6 and The Buster Bledsoe Band, Tommy Gallagher and Brimstone on July 7. For information, call             806-874-2421      .

✉ Canadian hosts its 124th annual 4th of July Celebration beginning Friday with a Texas Cowboys Rodeo Association rodeo performance at 7 p.m. in the Canadian Rodeo Arena. A dance featuring Cody Jinks and The Josh Abbott Band begins at 9 p.m. in the Jones Pavilion.

Rodeo action continues Saturday with the fifth annual Ranch Rodeo at 7 p.m., followed by a dance featuring Cody Jinks and Trent Willmon in the Jones Pavillion. The Ranch Rodeo continues at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The celebration culminates on Wednesday with a day full of activities, kicking off at 10 a.m. with a parade starting at Gazebo Park. Three lunch parties will be held: A hot dog lunch at Lowe’s Pay ’N Save, a lunch at Canadian Volunteer Fire Department and the Old Timers’ Barbecue Lunch at Canadian Elementary School.

Canadian River Art, 312 Main St., and the Citadelle Art Foundation will hold special hours. The day also includes a watermelon feast at 5:30 p.m., the 18th annual duck race at 6 p.m. and a TCRA rodeo performance at 7 p.m.

Admission prices vary for different events. For information, call             806-323-6234      .

✉ Dumas pops its fireworks on Tuesday with a watch party at McDade Park. The world championship mud volleyball tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the park. Other July 4th events run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., including live entertainment and a ceremony honoring veterans at 4 p.m. For information, call             806-935-2123      .

✉ July 4th celebrations also launch a day early in Wheeler. A Cajun Boil dinner begins at 6 p.m. at Wheeler City Park, Seventh and Grove streets, followed by a dance featuring Matt Martindale.

The July 4th parade kicks off at 9 a.m., and events at the park, including washer tossing, horseshoe competitions, food booths and more, begin at 10 a.m. Fireworks begin at dusk.

Admission prices vary. For information, call             806-334-3039      .

✉ Pampa celebrates its centennial fireworks celebration at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Recreation Park, Texas Highway 60 east of Pampa. The party includes free hot dogs, birthday cookies and ice cream. For information, call             806-669-5750      .

✉ Perryton’s Lake Fryer celebrates the Fourth with activities beginning at 7 a.m., including kids’ games, barbecue, contests and tournaments, with a fireworks show at dusk. For information, call             806-435-4559      .

✉ The Channing Fire Department’s annual fireworks show and hamburger feed kick off at 6 p.m. Wednesday at North and Main streets in Channing.

✉ A pair of parties kick off Wednesday in Hereford. The Freedom Celebration includes a parade, food booths and activities in Dameron Park, Main Street and Park Avenue. Then, on July 7, the Crimestoppers Summer Bash at Aquatic Center Park, 15th Street and Avenue C, includes a motorcycle and car show and evening fireworks. Admission to both parties is free. For information, call             806-364-3333      .