Dateline: September 7, 2006

Sheriff cracks down on under age drivers

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Several Clarendon High School students were surprised last week when local sheriff’s deputies began issuing warnings for unlicensed drivers.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the crack down came after his office received several complaints from citizens about students parking illegally and blocking driveways.

Unlicensed CHS students cannot park on school grounds and so have been parking on side roads near the campus. Blackburn said that this has gone on for years but the number of complaints has never been so high.

“Some of the complaints have come from people near the school,” he said, “and some feel like if their kid has to wait to drive, everyone else’s kid should also.”

Students can obtain a driver’s license at age 16, and some students may qualify for a hardship license at age 15, Blackburn said.

“We will try to extend the courtesy of issuing warnings; but after a warning, we will issue citations,” the sheriff said.

Blackburn also said his office will issue no warnings for lack of liability insurance. Those violations will be ticketed.