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Wednesday, December 21, 2016 Volume 118, Number 50 8 Pages $1.00 www.HerefordBRAND.com
days 'till Christmas
Make Newspapers Great Again
City settlement approval eases power rate increases By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor While Xcel customers in Hereford will be seeing an increase in their power bills during the coming months, the bump will not be nearly as steep as the company was planning. The Hereford City Commission approved a resolution dur-
ing Monday’s regular meeting for a settlement agreement between Xcel parent company Southwestern Public Service (SPS) and the Alliance of Xcel Municipalities (AXM). Hereford is one of almost 30 cities in AXM, and commission approval was needed to move for-
HANNA
ward with a settlement that slashed more than half of SPS’s proposed rate increase. “We aren’t completely pleased with the settlement, but it was the best we could get,” Hereford City Manager Rick Hanna said. “The settlement amount was based on
what AXM research showed the state PUC (Public Utility Commission) would approve.” SPS originally requested a $71.9 million rate increase for its AXM affiliates. AXM balked, forcing negotiations – which, if no settlement was reached, would have forced a decisive hearing before the PUC. The settlement lowered the
overall increase to $35 million, which amounts to a 7 percent bump in rates. With most of that 7 percent increase is consumed by fuel costs, Hanna said the settlement will allow the rate hike to be negligible for most customers. “As rate increases go, this is PLEASE SEE CITY | 3
Holiday police event beats the rap... uh, wrap By Chris Aguilar BRAND Staff Writer An overflow group of excited youngsters joined officers from Hereford Police Department (HPD) early Saturday for the first Shop with a Cop holiday event. Co-hosted by HPD and Wal-Mart, the day began at the local store with donuts and juice as participants mingled with family and officers. Half of the HPD force took part in the event – including officers who had just ended 8-hour shifts and three office workers – while the other was on duty. Officers were partnered up with a child, handed a $50 Wal-Mart gift card valued at $50 and were let loose to roam the aisles searching for the perfect Christmas gift. Whether purchases were made for a loved one or themselves, the young shoppers’ lit up like a Christmas tree. “The kids had a really great time, but I think us cops enjoyed the morning more,” said HPD officer Zack Cole-
BRAND/Chris Aguilar
Above, Hereford Police Chief Brent Harrison assists 5-year-old Amaya McLaughlin in selecting a Christmas gift, while, left Gracey Garza, 8, leads HPD Officer Daniel Garcia through the maze of aisles at Wal-Mart during Saturday’s Shop with a Cop.
PLEASE SEE SHOP | 3
Tierra Blanca readers shine like stars
By Chris Aguilar BRAND Staff Writer
Season preview?
BRAND/John Carson
Despite the calendar showing the season changing on Wednesday, Hereford received a visit from Old Man Winter over the weekend temperatures plummeted to highs in the mid-20s.
Students were given the opportunity to shine during the Dec. 12 called meeting of the Hereford Independent School District (HISD) Board of Trustees. Teachers from Tierra Blanca Elementary School (TBES) shared how their classes are using some friendly competition to pass reading goals. “We’ve always worked really hard to push our students to read,” TBES principal Hortencia Mendez said. “In the past, we found that students would lose interest in reading throughout the school year. “We had to find a way to keep that passion going.” Looking for different ways to keep the love of reading alive, school officials believe they found it in a friendly challenge called the “Million-word Reading
Program.” The program’s ultimate goal is to have students read a total of 1 million words by the end of the school year. “Of course, reaching that goal comes with great reward,” Mendez said. TBES librarian Marietta Flood added that studies show children who read a million words cover an entire year of reading growth. “Whether it’s three months, six months or one year, a million words is about how many words the brain needs to hear to make that growth.” Flood said In the 2015-16 school year, TBES had 24 students achieve the million-word goal with one student reading well over two million words. Those students then earned a trip to Barnes and Noble in Amarillo, where they were awarded gift PLEASE SEE READ | 8
BRAND/Chris Aguilar
Aurely Rodriguez, a kindergartener at Tierra Blanca Elementary School, searches for the just right tome.
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