Good morning, Amarillo.

The Amarillo VA Health Care System will host its 18th annual Welcome Home Veterans event on Nov.

1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Civic Center North Exhibit Hall—featuring free food, an interactive resource fair, and family fun for all veterans and their families.

Amarillo restaurants including Big Jim's Pizza Co., Malcolm's Ice Cream & Food Temptations, and 80/20 have stepped up to feed families as SNAP benefits may be delayed if the shutdown continues.

Big Jim's Pizza Co.—providing a slice of pizza and fruit daily for kids 15 and under—leads the effort while local eateries offer discounted meals and community groups add support.

Faith City Mission in Amarillo is expecting more families needing help during the shutdown—more locals are already joining them for meals.

Heidi Keathley said the nonprofit serves three hot meals a day, six days a week and invites those not affected to donate.

Keralee Clay was named president and CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation on Oct.

20 after serving as interim since Nov. 2024—she aims to strengthen nonprofits and expand regional partnerships across 26 counties. She added that her group will help nonprofits facing funding delays from a recent federal shutdown as the foundation readies its annual Panhandle Gives campaign later this month—her new role builds on a legacy of steady local support.

West Texas A&M University’s Harrington String Quartet will open its season with a concert — New Threads in an Old Tapestry — at 7:30 p.m. on Nov.

7 at The Church in Austin Park in Amarillo. The show will feature works by Beethoven, Shostakovich and a new piece by Caroline Shaw to honor new violist Brenton Caldwell, with season tickets at $50 and individual tickets at $20.

Amarillo will welcome Silver Bell on November 9 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the Lights, Boots, and Route 66 event; the 53-foot red fir from Nevada will offer family activities, a tree giveaway of 500 trees and photo opportunities—an attraction on its journey to Washington, D.C.

The Amarillo Little Theatre will present the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime from Nov.

6 through 16 at the Allen Shankels Mainstage at 2019 Civic Circle—this production, based on a 1975 novel set in early 1900s America, features a new 25-piece orchestra and local talent with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and it is rated 16 and older.

Nurses in the Panhandle and across the country now have a local choice to earn accredited continuing education credits through WTAMU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, which offers webinars, workshops + symposiums to meet required training.

A workshop with Dr. Richard and Bonney Schaub is scheduled for today to help nurses in rural areas advance their skills.

TxDOT warned pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers, ditch phones, and cross only at designated spots—after reporting 773 pedestrian deaths last year and noting that October is the deadliest month for walkers.

Amarillo City Council is weighing a proposal to lease the zoo to the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center—in a move that may shift the zoo to a nonprofit to boost funding and improve animal care.

The plan, which could add a coffee shop and larger gift shop and include staff changes, will be discussed at the council meeting on Nov. 18.

The City of Amarillo’s Business Improvement Grant program returns Monday—expanding to include a piece of Route 66—and offers businesses matching grants up to 50 percent with a maximum match of twenty thousand dollars for projects costing at least forty thousand dollars.

Eligible property owners in select neighborhoods can apply until Dec. 11 and awards will be announced by the end of the year.

RED HAT ENTERPRISE LINUX SYSTEMS ADMIN I Training

November 3-7 — Amarillo College — $2250 — Comprehensive training course for aspiring Linux system administrators.

Hiring Red, White & You Job Fair

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. — Workforce Solutions Panhandle Child Care Services — Free entry — A job fair supporting veterans and the general public with multiple employer opportunities.

Ragtime Musical Performance

7:30-9 p.m. — Amarillo Little Theatre — Cost info unavailable — Experience a sweeping musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel at the dawn of the 20th Century.

Ragtime Musical Performance

7:30-9 p.m. — Amarillo Little Theatre — Ticket prices vary — Experience the gripping storytelling of three families chasing the American Dream in this musical adaptation.

WRCA After Party with Jake Hooker & The Outsiders

1-2:30 p.m. — Amarillo National Center — Free entry — Celebrate the spirit of the rodeo with music and community vibes.

RHCSA Exam Preparation Training

Nov 17-21 — Amarillo College — $2250 — Rapid training to fill gaps in Linux system administration knowledge for RHCSA certification.

Discovery Fridays

9 a.m.–4 p.m. — Don Harrington Discovery Center — Check website for pricing — Engage kids in hands-on science labs and exciting demonstrations for a day of fun discovery.