Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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TUCUMCARI — He was always joking. He had the kindest heart. He was a legend around Quay County. The tributes to Thomas Garcia could fill a newspaper. The longtime senior writer for the Quay County Sun died Saturday afternoon following a brief illness. His legacy, according to dozens of friends, will be his sense of humor, dedication to community, and friendly disposition. "He took his job seriously. But he was the office joker, no doubt," said Veronica Montano, a co-worker who's known Garcia h...
CLOVIS - Lonnie Allsup first became interested in retail grocery sales when he was 10 years old in his hometown of Morton, Texas. "He used to stand on a box to stock and bag. Allsup liked the fast part of the grocery store business and taking care of the customer," reads the Eastern New Mexico High Plains History book published in 1979. The passion continued for the rest of his life, his name linked to hundreds of Allsup's convenience stores across Texas and New Mexico. Allsup died Sunday at his...
CLOVIS — The teenage boy accused in the deadly shooting at Clovis’ public library had been in trouble at school, had recently contemplated suicide and had “anxiety attacks” that resulted in his going home from church on Sunday morning, his pastors said. Nathaniel Jouett was arrested without incident after police said he opened fire a little after 4 p.m. Monday in the library, killing two people and injuring four more. Pastors at Clovis’ Living Word Church of God said the shooting stunned them because they thought Jouett was making positive...
CLOVIS - "Run!," he yelled. "Why aren't you running? I'm shooting at you! Run!" Lisa Baird said she was maybe 20 feet from the young man shouting the words as he opened fire in the Clovis-Carver Public Library on Monday afternoon, killing two people and leaving four more injured. Police declined to name the suspect, but said there was only one and he was handcuffed as police led him away from the scene soon after they arrived. Friends identified the teenager photographed in police custody as...
PORTALES - One child died, another is in critical condition and two Portales daycare workers have been arrested for leaving the children in a hot vehicle for about 90 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. Sandi Taylor, 31, and her mother Mary E. Taylor, 67, are charged with child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and child abuse resulting in death, police officials said. Both are being held the Roosevelt County Detention Center on Wednesday awaiting a bond hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday....
PORTALES - Maliyah Jones was only 22 months old, but she'd already developed an irresistible personality. "She was the sweetest, happiest, brightest little girl," said Janet Bradley, the toddler's cousin. "She was very talkative for her age, very smart, she remembered you, just so sweet." Maliyah died Tuesday after police said she was left in a hot vehicle for about 90 minutes by a daycare worker. A second child, whose name has not been released, was in critical condition Wednesday morning in a...
CLOVIS - When Gevion Lewis stepped to the plate, the crowds would go quiet. "Everybody in the stands knew ... he would put on a show," said Alex Fernandez, whose son was Gevion's teammate on the Clovis Crush softball team. "He would hit home runs like it was nothing. It's not common for a 12-year-old to hit home runs. Out of the park home runs. He had a natural swing. Everybody loved to watch him play." There was a lot to love about Gevion, friends said on Monday as they mourned his passing. The...
CLOVIS - First responders involved in the July 4 rescue of a boy found in the pond at Hillcrest Park have been advised to seek medical treatment, Clovis City Manager Tom Phelps said on Monday. "A form of cholera bacteria was found in the pond," Phelps said. "As a precautionary matter and based on physician recommendations, our personnel who were involved in the water rescue have been advised to start taking a doctor recommended course of antibiotics." The Centers for Disease Control website...
“(M)ake it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands ...” — 1 Thessalonians 4:11 What if you were minding your own business ... and then your neighbor did something that poisoned the water hole, caused cancer in those driving down Interstate 40, or was responsible for babies being born with three heads? That would be your fault, right? Because you can’t just mind your own business when those around you might be doing dangerous stuff, or planning to do stuff that might be dangerous some da...
TUCUMCARI - Keith Hayes just wants to be left alone. After all, he's not bothering anybody. He understands some people view his property as unkempt and unsightly, but when you're in the concrete and trucking business for 30-something years, stuff piles up. He made sure he opened Hayes Trucking and Concrete in an area zoned for heavy industrial work. At 74 and retired since December, he can't miraculously transform the rusty old trucks and trailers he built a life with into a serene garden spot overnight. And so he's fighting city hall, which...
Jenelle Hansen remembers spinning out on an icy bridge near Edgewood, about eight or nine years ago. When the excitement was over, she found herself facing the wrong way, just off a busy highway, with cars and trucks whizzing past “way too fast.” Stuck on the shoulder, unable to get back on the road, she called for a tow truck. When the man arrived, he pulled her 200-300 feet to where her Ford Ranger could regain traction. Moments later, she noted the tow-truck driver was on his way to another call. Hansen has gained a deeper respect for the...
Tim Ashley seems to be closing in on a Curry County Commission seat. Officials say Ashley is leading Paul D. Barnes, 1,660 votes to 1,540, with about 200 votes to be counted. Debbie Spriggs will be the county's new treasurer and Rose Riley will be the county clerk. - • • Fox News is projecting President Obama has won Ohio. Commentator Brit Hume says it's over; Obama will win re-election. - • • Early vote totals are in for Curry County and the County Commission race looks like a dead heat. Republican Tim Ashley leads Democrat Paul D. Barnes,...
Clovis Media Inc. Editor David Stevens writes about regional history on his blog at: www.highplainsyesterdays.com Here are some recent posts: Jeff Bingaman of yesteryear: U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, 68, likely made his last official trip to eastern New Mexico on Aug. 6. Three things you might not know about the retiring senator who grew up in Silver City: - He first voted in a presidential election in 1968. opting for Democrat Hubert Humphrey over Richard Nixon. - An honor student at Silver City High School, he was president of the New Mexico...
Aly Marques' life has been more difficult than most. The former Forrest resident (2003-2010) had her first heart surgery to repair a leaky valve when she was 9 days old, said her great aunt, Laurie Haskell. In 2003, when she was 7, she was living with her father in Killeen, Texas, when he committed suicide. In January 2010, she was a passenger in a car that collided with a snow plow and left her with a broken collarbone and wrist. In March, she passed out at her Clovis home and was rushed to the hospital emergency room, where it was learned...
Tucumcari has seen more than its share of travelers, thanks mostly to historic Route 66. Sometimes the strangers leave strange stories behind. That was the case when a confused, unemployed trumpet player passed through 50 years ago this month. B. William Kittler, 29, left his California home late on May 22, 1962, with his girlfriend, Judy Sell. They were en route to Kittler's former home in Bismarck, N.D., when they stopped for gas and cigarettes in Tucumcari. Sell said she was driving when they left town, headed for Texas, and Kittler was...
The longest game in professional baseball history has a Tucumcari connection. His name is Mark Corey. The marathon, which began 31 years ago today -- on April 18, 1981 -- lasted 33 innings. Corey was 1-for-5 with a run scored before leaving the game with an injured hand. It took more than eight hours and three days before the Pawtucket Red Sox beat the Rochester Red Wings, 3-2. Corey, born in Tucumcari to a community native, was an early hero. His seventh-inning run gave Rochester a 1-0 lead. But the Sox' Chico Walker scored on a sacrifice fly...