The Amarillo Pioneer

17/09/2026

Grayson Path may soon be leaving city hall.

Amarillo City Manager Grayson Path may soon be leaving his role, according to a recently released city council agenda. The council is expected to begin their meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd, with a closed-door discussion of Path’s employment. Following this, the council will convene in open ses

21/08/2026

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is in the Pioneer this week with a new op-ed about fairness for American consumers and producers.

Op-Ed by Sid Miller, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture The Trump Administration is considering tariffs on beer imported from Mexico. As Texas Agriculture Commissioner and a lifelong farmer and rancher, I support policies that restore fairness and protect American producers from unfair foreign comp

06/08/2026

The Amarillo landfill is set to have new hours as the community recovers from the Stinky Fire.

By Nick Self The City of Amarillo is moving to a consistent year-round schedule for public access at the municipal landfill, a change that takes effect August 17 and comes in the wake of the May fire that originated at the facility and destroyed dozens of homes. Beginning August 17, the landfill

05/08/2026

“I think the plan is to ask a forensic auditor if we need a forensic audit,” Simpson observed. “That’s like asking a car salesman, ‘Do I need a new car?’”

Amarillo City Councilman Les Simpson participated in a radio interview on KGNC on Tuesday, where he expressed his position on a proposed forensic audit for the City of Amarillo. In an interview on “Making Sense With Michael J” on KGNC, Simpson said he would support a forensic audit, but still be...

05/08/2026

In a case pending before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, prosecutors are hoping to limit Texans’ rights to exercise self defense when a defendant “provoked the difficulty.”

Depending on how Texas’ highest criminal court rules, this case could have incredible impacts on self defense law going forward.

By Nick Self A case now pending before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has the potential to reshape how self-defense claims are evaluated across the state, particularly in situations where prosecutors argue that a defendant “provoked the difficulty.” The dispute centers on Israel Ballester I...

05/08/2026

Collectively, local governments in Potter and Randall Counties have more than $1.2 billion in debt on their ledgers.

So, who’s the biggest debtor among the local government entities? Find out here.

By Nick Self Figures released by the Texas Bond Review Board for the 2025-2026 fiscal year show the combined principal debt carried by local governments in the Amarillo area exceeds $1.27 billion, with total payments including interest approaching $1.78 billion if all obligations are paid on their

21/07/2026

Who’s excited to park in the new lot?

By Anthony Gable Those reporting to jury duty in Potter County are getting some good news, as the parking lot across the street from the new district courts building is now open for business. The parking lot located between Fillmore and Pierce Streets officially opened to the public last week. As

12/06/2026

Texas Republicans will have a new state party chair for the next two years, as delegates in Houston voted to oust Chairman Abraham George after a single term in office. As of the most recent report, George won the support of two senate district caucuses versus 20 for his challenger.

Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George has conceded his loss in his attempt to be reelected as chair at the party’s convention in Houston. The concession came as several caucuses were still voting, but early indications were that he would be defeated by Texas Republican Party Vice Chair Dr...

29/05/2026

Tonight’s Oklahoma Governor debate just wrapped up. Topics addressed by the candidates tonight included water security, artificial intelligence, taxes, state spending, public corruption, and tribal relations.

We’ll have a full write up this evening.

Pictured from left: Gentner Drummond, Chip Keating, Charles McCall, and Mike Mazzei.

28/05/2026

The Amarillo Pioneer is excited to be on-site tonight in Lawton, Oklahoma to cover the 2026 Oklahoma Republican Governor’s Debate, hosted by Non Doc Media.

The four candidates in tonight’s debate are Gentner Drummond, Chip Keating, Mike Mazzei, and Charles McCall.

We will have a full write up of the debate tonight on our website.