The first Saturday of each month, the Texas Panhandle War Memorial hosts a one-hour lecture/seminar on topics related to military history. These lecture/seminars are free and open to the public and are held at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center, 4111 S. Georgia, at 1:30 p.m. Snacks are available for the attendees. The lecture/seminar series is made possible by a grant from the Mary E. Bivins Foundation.

The next lecture/seminar on Saturday, Sept. 3, will be presented by Katie Paul, historian at the Pantex Plant. Paul will talk about the history of the Pantex Plant, from its beginnings in 1942 during World War II, through the Cold War and PostCold War. Admission to the seminar is free.

Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for veterans; adults are $5, children and students $2. For more information, call 806-350-8387, follow them on Facebook and/or visit their website, www.TexasPanhandleWarMemorial.com .

CANYON — An acting troupe formed in Italy will use clowning techniques to tackle some serious issues in the season opening performance for West Texas A&M University Theatre.

Women from Mars, featuring Echo Sunyata Sibley, WT assistant professor of theater, will give a public performance of “Silent Reflections” at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in the Branding Iron Theatre inside WT’s Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex in Canyon. Tickets are $10.

The troupe, which also includes actors/co-founders Francesca Chilcote and Dory Sibley, was formed in 2013 to explore the struggles of women in different stages of life. “Silent Reflections” uses black-and-white aesthetics of silent films in the costumes and set design; the actors will be mute, but the videos and score, much of which was recorded in Italy, will help drive the action.

WT Theatre students will design sound, compose original music, create new graphics, design lighting and do dramaturgical research for the remounted show. Students include B Herring, a sophomore design & technology and acting major from Lubbock; Caleb Martinez, a senior musical theater major from Seagraves; Christian Howard-Loomis, a senior theater performance major from Lubbock; and Josh McDowell, a senior technical theater major from Tulia.

Women from Mars will lead a clowning workshop from 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 21 in Fine Arts Complex Room 175. They also will host a panel discussion of gender issues with WT’s Gender Studies program at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 23 in Mary Moody Northen Hall Room 189.

CANYON — Classes at West Texas A&M begin Aug. 22, and WT’s Start Strong initiative, now in its second year, offers both new and returning students multiple ways to make new friends and develop a sense of belonging at WT, said Amber Black, assistant vice president for student success and engagement.

“Students who have strong social connections on campus are more likely to persist and graduate from college,” Black said. “Last year was our testing grounds for Start Strong and other retention measures, and early indicators show our freshmen retention rate is much improved.”

The schedule, which can be found at wtamu.edu/startstrong, includes activities for both new and returning students. Start Strong Week 1 will run Aug. 21 to 27. Campus greeters will be located in various locations across campus on Aug. 22 and 23, the first two days of classes. Other activities will include the Join the Herd 2.0 organization fair, a free lunch and snow cones, athletics events and more. The First Friday Festival, which will run 7:15 a.m. to 1 a.m. Aug. 26, will feature food trucks, a pool party, cornhole, a dance and a screening of “Jurassic World Dominion” in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

Start Strong Week 2 will run Aug. 28 to Sept. 3. Activities will include a Welcome Back BBQ in the Dining Hall, a F1RSTGEN Bash for first-generation students, athletics events, the Diversity Student Organization Fair and more, culminating in WT Football’s season-opening game against Western Colorado University at 7 p.m. Sept. 3 in Bain Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. Start Strong Week 3 will run Sept. 5 to 10 and will include a demonstration of the campus’ Bird scooters and helmet decorating party, a Labor Day hike in Palo Duro Canyon, athletics events and more.

The Amarillo League of Women Voters will be registering voters for the November general election, starting this month and continuing through the voter registration deadline of Oct. 11. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, members will be on hand at all Palace Coffee locations for National Voters Registration Day.

There will be many more opportunities to register to vote in September, as well. If your organization, business, nonprofit, or church, is interested in having the Amarillo League of Women Voters, register your employees or members, please contact them at amarillolwv@gmail.com or 806-337-2148.

The city of Amarillo's Animal Management and Welfare department is running a "Clear the Shelters" adoption special through the month of August, to help as many animals as possible find their "furever" homes.

Adoption cost is $25 for dogs and $5 for cats, and the fee includes spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchips. To schedule an appointment, visit amw.amarillo.gov or call 806-378-9032.

Panhandle Rides is a transit collaborative between the City of Amarillo and Panhandle Community Services, which provides rides to citizens in the upper Texas Panhandle 26 counties. Riders can use these services for Amarillo fixed routes, free rides to COVID testing, antibody treatment, and vaccination clinics, in addition to rides to medical or other appointments in outlying areas. Senior citizens who need rides to doctor’s appointments or other important events can even schedule a curb-to-curb ride within the upper 26 Texas panhandle counties.

Panhandle Rides has announced it has launched its new website, where residents can find rides to nearly anywhere they want to go within the top 26 Texas panhandle counties. This valuable tool is powered by PROMPT (The Panhandle Regional Organization to Maximize Public Transportation), Panhandle Rides brings together two regional transportation agencies (Panhandle Community Services and Amarillo City Transit) to increase mobility options within the top 26 counties and 63 cities in the Texas Panhandle.

Transportation includes fixed routes, demand service, and rides for ADA riders needing additional mobility assistance. To schedule a ride, visit PanhandleRides.com at least 24 hours in advance. Trips can be booked up to 30 days in advance.

Local blood donors are in for a sweet treat this August: Dunkin’ of Amarillo is teaming up with Coffee Memorial Blood Center to provide 3,000 vouchers to Coffee Memorial Blood Center donors in the region during August. To thank donors who help refuel the blood supply throughout August, presenting donors will receive a voucher for a free Medium Hot or Iced Coffee and a free Classic Donut, redeemable at participating Dunkin’ restaurants in the Amarillo area, while supplies last. Vouchers are not redeemable for cash.

Coffee Memorial continues to experience a blood shortage and need more units to get through the end of summer – all blood types are needed, especially O-. Right now, Coffee Memorial needs to collect 125 blood donations each day to take care of patients of the Texas & Oklahoma Panhandle.

Donors who give now will help stock the shelves for the rest of the summer season. Schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets by calling 806-331-8833 or you can visit yourbloodinstitute.org