Amarillo doesn't make national news often, but when we do, we make a great impression.

Most people from outside of Texas have heard of Dallas, sometimes Austin, and maybe Houston. Even if they have heard the song "Amarillo By Morning" or "Amarillo Sky," the city of Amarillo doesn't really register as a real place. We don't have a major university here and even our only landmark, Palo Duro Canyon, is more often associated with the city of Canyon rather than Amarillo (which is fitting).

So it's a big deal when Amarillo gets mentioned by a major news station, like CNN or Fox News.

However, it takes a lot for us to get that kind of attention.

Here are 5 times that Amarillo made headlines on a national level.

  • Angela Weiss
    Angela Weiss
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    1

    That Time Oprah Came To Visit

    CNN

    Oprah Winfrey was sued by a group of Texas cattle producers for her comments about Mad Cow Disease. Her court hearing was held in Amarillo, where she wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms. However, people trampled over each other to get a ticket to her show, which she filmed in Amarillo during the trial.

  • 2

    That Time Molly Schuyler Ate Three 72-oz Steaks

    CNN

    The Big Texan is known for its 72-oz steak eating competition. People travel from far and wide to tackle the hunk of meat. When Molly Schuyler, a tiny woman of 124 pounds, signed up for the challenge, people were skeptical. However, not only did Schuyler eat one steak, she ate THREE... in under 20 minutes. Schuyler won $5,000 and a spot in Guinness World Records.

  • The Woodlands
    The Woodlands
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    3

    That Time The Woodlands Wanted To Keep Sex Offenders Out

    Fox News

    The Woodlands subdivision in Amarillo wanted to prohibit sex offenders from living in their neighborhood, so they implemented a deed restriction on new developments in their area. The deed restricted homeowners from selling a house to a sex offender or someone who was going to live with a sex offender.

  • Associated Press
    Associated Press
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    4

    That Time Pantex Shut Down Because of Some Hunters

    Fox News

    In 2010, Pantex was put on lock down when some hunters were spotted in a field near the nuclear plant. However, after some investigation, they determined that the hunters did not pose a threat to the security of the plant.

  • News Channel 10
    News Channel 10
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    5

    That Time Amarillo Prison Had High Numbers of Sexual Assault

    Associated Press

    It was revealed in 2013 that the Clements Unit in Amarillo had the highest rate of sexual assault between staff and inmates in Texas. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics surveyed 92,000 and 8.1% had been pressured into sexual contact with a staff member at the prison. This unit also had the highest rate of sexual assault among men's-only prisons in Texas.

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