Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Sorted by date Results 1358 - 1382 of 1717
Mesalands Community College’s vice president of student affairs reported a 20% increase in enrollment this fall from the previous year, reflecting the college’s more aggressive attempts to recruit students. Aaron Kennedy told the Mesalands board of trustees during its regular meeting Wednesday the enrollment boost was “a whole-campus effort.” Kennedy said one staff member recently was assigned as a registration support specialist, in addition to faculty helping prospective students. Asked after the meeting what else the college did to draw stud...
The number of beer breweries passed the 7,000 mark in the United States last year, well past the number before Prohibition nearly a century ago, and the number still is growing, reported the Brewers Association. However, eastern New Mexico, including Tucumcari, remains relatively untouched by the microbrewing craze. New Mexico Magazine in its August issue took a closer look the state's brewing industry. Its map showed 111 taprooms and 88 breweries. But the number of breweries in the eastern...
Five turnovers and other mental errors by the Rattlers paved the way to a 41-0 victory by Raton, spoiling Tucumcari's Homecoming game Friday at Rattler Stadium. Tucumcari coach Wayne Ferguson lamented his team's mistakes and lost opportunities. "I don't know how many fundamental mistakes we made tonight - dropping snaps, fumbling, throwing interceptions with people wide open for touchdowns," he said after the Rattlers fell to 1-3. If there was any comfort Ferguson could take from the game,...
A team roping event Saturday to benefit a Quay County teen seriously injured during a horse-riding accident drew 256 teams and generated nearly $40,000 to help cover her ongoing medical expenses. Jaree Elliott, one of the organizers for the Gracie Whitson Roping Event at the Quay County Fairgrounds rodeo arena in Tucumcari, said Sunday that revenue from entries, a silent auction and live auction organized by Rodney White, a San Jon FFA raffle, donations and a concessions stand run by the...
Respondents overwhelmingly supported proposals to fully or partially preserve the long-closed Conchas Lodge on the south side of Conchas Lake, according to findings from an open-records request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that manages the property. The corps in July invited participation in a public scoping, or submitting feedback, on the possible future of Conchas Lodge. It was built in 1942 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and has been managed by the corps and New Mexico State...
The county clerk and one commissioner during Monday’s Quay County Commission meeting discussed how new laws led to changes in the upcoming Nov. 5 nonpartisan local elections, prompting confusion from a few county residents. County Clerk Ellen White said no one sample ballot would be available because more than two-dozen election races in the county would produce about 50 different ballots. However, White said her office could print a sample ballot for each individual if he or she requested it. She said sample ballots also are generated at the N...
Shortly after All-American tight end Mike Barber was drafted by the Houston Oilers, coach Bum Phillips told him he'd have to study and know the team's playbook because talent alone wasn't enough to stay in the NFL. Decades later, Barber told dozens of area athletes at a packed Father's Forge church in Tucumcari on Sept. 3 the value of "living a life in bounds" and held up a Bible, proclaiming it God's playbook. "If you don't know his playbook, you can't get to heaven," he said. After a 10-year N...
A Tucumcari man faces a felony child-abuse charge after being accused of pulling a girl’s hair and punching a car window while the child was in the vehicle. Jeremie Oglesby, 37, was booked Thursday into the Quay County Detention Center on complaints of child abuse (first offense; placed in a dangerous situation), battery and battery against a household member. The child abuse count is a third-degree felony that can lead to six years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Both battery counts are misdemeanors. Tucumcari Police patrolman Nemie Salvador s...
San Jon Municipal Schools recently became the first school district in New Mexico certified under ALICE training that prepares employees and students in case an active shooter intrudes onto school grounds. The ALICE Training Institute, based in Ohio, issued the one-year certification Aug. 29 after employees and students received training that month. ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. San Jon Superintendent Janet Gladu stated in an email that ALICE protocols were discussed during an interactive community and...
The board of trustees for San Jon Municipal Schools during a 14-minute special meeting Sept. 3 approved issuing about $130,000 in educational bonds to help pay for technology improvements in the district. Superintendent Janet Gladu said in a telephone interview Wednesday about $100,000 of that will be used to update or purchase district computers, teacher computers, servers and teacher Promethean boards. About $30,000 will be used to pay for fees and other expenses for the bonds. Gladu said the bonds would not result in any changes in...
Hard-hitting Logan dominated Floyd 25-16, 25-14, 25-12 in the title match Saturday of the Tucumcari Invitational volleyball tournament at the Snake Pit. Karli Webb, who had 13 kills and four serving aces for Logan (7-0) during the championship, was named Most Valuable Player of the eight-team tournament. Lady Longhorn teammates Jordan Hines, Kyndall Ragland and Julianna Garcia were named to the all-tournament team. Grady-San Jon (3-5) finished fourth in the tournament after suffering losses to...
Tucumcari committed turnovers during its first three possessions, and that's all a stout Fort Sumner team needed in a 50-0 victory Friday night at Rattler Field in a football game shortened by the mercy rule. Tucumcari's lost possessions in the first quarter came on two fumbles and one tipped pass that was intercepted. Fort Sumner (2-1) converted two of those opportunities into touchdowns and 15-0 lead. "We'll take those turnovers any time," smiling Fort Sumner coach Brad Holland said after the...
Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board members extensively discussed an unexpectedly large decrease in motel-tax receipts in July and wondered whether it would develop into a long-term trend. Finance Director Rachelle Arias said during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday total motel-tax receipts in July were $55,701, which was a 16% drop from the $64,919 collected during the same month a year ago. The June collection period saw receipts of $64,823, down 2% from the $66,357 collected a year ago. For the fiscal year to date, Arias said c...
A total of 34 candidates went to the Quay County Clerk's Office on Aug. 27 to officially file as candidates for November's local nonpartisan elections. Three of four open positions for Tucumcari City Commission will be contested on the Nov. 5 ballot, as well two of three positions each for the Logan and House school districts. Tommy Snapp, who's challenging incumbent Tucumcari City Commission District 1 incumbent Ralph Moya, was the first to file at County Clerk Ellen White's office at 9:08...
The new executive director of the Tucumcari MainStreet program wants to put the Christmas season on the city’s tourism radar. Connie Loveland, who took over the MainStreet post in June, announced last week a multipronged and coordinated effort called “A Very Merry Tucumcari” to make the city more of a holiday destination. First, Loveland said she wants to revive MainStreet’s Christmas Lamplighter initiative that began in 2015 but was set aside. The Lamplighter program seeks to put commercial Christmas decorations on lampposts along Tucumca...
LOGAN - Defending Class 1A volleyball champion Logan cruised through its season-opening Lady Longhorn Volleyball Tournament, including a 25-18, 25-15, 25-10 win in the final Saturday against district foe Grady/San Jon. Tucumcari went 2-1 in the tournament to take the consolation title. Logan didn't lose a game during its three matches Thursday and Saturday. It knocked off Springer 25-7, 25-9, 25-9 during the opening round, then dispatched of Kim, Colorado, 25-11, 25-21, 25-12 in the semifinal....
SAN JON - Lake Arthur scored on its first 11 possessions during a 77-32 victory over a shorthanded San Jon/Grady team Friday afternoon during the Coyotes' season opener in six-man football. The Coyotes showed firepower on offense, but their inability to stop the Panthers doomed them. Lake Arthur (1-1) took a 28-6 lead in the first quarter and held a 65-26 advantage at halftime. "We've got to work on defense," San Jon/Grady coach Adrian Jones said after the game. "That just wasn't good enough. I...
Tucumcari High School all-state girls basketball player Ashley Shipley, who will be entering her senior year with the Lady Rattlers this fall, verbally committed last week to play basketball next season at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Shipley said she visited the campus northeast of Dallas on Aug. 26 and committed to going there a day later. "I felt comfortable there, and it seemed like it was a great fit for me," she said Friday. "I made up my mind that's where I wanted to be. They had...
The Quay County Commission without discussion Monday approved its county infrastructure and capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2021 to 2025. The plan serves as a wish list for when the New Mexico Legislature awards money for capital-outlay projects. Though the county can list items for the next five fiscal years, the summary details projects only for 2021 and 2022. Each item also is ranked by priority. Two changes occurred since the commission's public hearing Aug. 12 about the proposed...
Mesalands Community College’s president told his board of trustees Aug. 20 he is looking at establishing a golf team by the new year. “We want to have a team by January,” college President John Groesbeck said after the meeting when asked about a timetable. The Mesalands golf team would play during the spring. Groesbeck said Mesalands would compete at a club-team level in the Southwest region that includes schools from Arizona and southern Colorado. He said it would play in a minimum of three tournaments and can compete as a guest team at NCAA-...
The Tucumcari school board on Aug. 19 gave its superintendent a one-year contract extension with a 6% pay raise after delaying its decision during its May meeting. The board, without discussion from members, unanimously approved the pact with Aaron McKinney after a 20-minute closed session, including about five minutes with him. His contract now will expire July 1, 2022. He will be paid $120,428 a year. McKinney has been the district’s superintendent for 13 years. The extension was retroactive to July 1. Business manager Leola Patterson q...
Escalante quarterback Brendan Giles torched Tucumcari's defense for six passing touchdowns and 223 yards during a 40-14 victory during a storm-delayed season-opening game Friday at Rattler Field. Worse yet for the Rattlers, coach Wayne Ferguson's fears about injuries to his thin ranks of skill players came true - for one game, at least. Running back Robbie Hartmann provided most of the highlights for the Rattlers with two touchdowns. He returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score in the third...
Tucumcari vs. Santa Rosa was expected to be a battle between two evenly-matched volleyball teams, and it didn't disappoint. But it was the Lady Lions who prevailed in crunch time during their 21-25, 25-15, 29-27, 26-24 victory at the Snake Pit in the Lady Rattlers' season opener. The match Saturday didn't prove decisively which team was better. Two of the games went beyond the usual 25 points, and only four points decided another. Santa Rosa coach Kevin Ortiz said he was pleased with his team's...
Someone burglarized the city of Tucumcari’s bulk-water dispenser for the second time in a month, but the machine remained open for customers. Gary Cooper of the city’s water department reported the break-in at the dispenser at Third and Main streets on Wednesday morning. The burglary occurred between the morning of Aug. 20 and Wednesday. According to a report by Tucumcari Police Sgt. Shaun Slate, someone had broken into the northeast corner of the structure, separating the wall from the building about 12 inches and damaging a brick footer. “Co...
The animal that brought the highest bid Saturday night during the Junior Livestock Sale - the traditional highlight of the Quay County Fair - wasn't even listed on the auction bill. After all 47 listed animals had been sold, auctioneer Tony Johnson announced a lamb donated by Dowell Show Lambs of Tucumcari and shown by Hallie Garnett of Logan would be sold and proceeds given to Norton teen Gracie Whitson, who was seriously injured last month in a horse-riding accident and still is recovering in...