Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Mesalands Community College likely will offer classes this fall revolving around the care of several wild horses from Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. Paul Leonard, farrier science faculty member, and Manny Encinias, animal sciences faculty member, gave an update during the board of trustees meeting March 16 about the college’s efforts in launching a wild horse program so the animals eventually can be adopted out. Fees to adopt the horses currently are $125. Mesalands officials first revealed the possibility of a partnership w...
LOGAN - The Longhorns showed what they could do when two of their skill players aren't injured. Logan quarterback Wyatt Wright, sidelined for a game after a concussion during a season-opening loss to Melrose, went 8-of-12 passing for 134 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another score during a 42-0 win Saturday afternoon against a young and inexperienced Menaul team in eight-man football. Jordan Evans, who also was sidelined for one game after a concussion against Melrose, caught five...
SAN JON - Fort Sumner's volleyball squad made sure Thursday that San Jon remained in the bottom of the district standings, but both teams' records are deceiving. The Foxes prevailed 25-15, 25-13, 25-15 over a young Coyotes team to improve to a respectable 5-3 record overall but just 1-3 in District 6. That's because Fort Sumner's district is widely acknowledged as the toughest small-school schedule in the state. District 6 traditionally sends three and sometimes four teams to the state tournamen...
Quay County vaulted into the turquoise zone - the highest achievable rank - in the state's COVID-19 risk assessments last week, which meant bars and large entertainment venues could reopen for the first time a year. One that reopened was the Tristar Inn Xpress tavern, which on Wednesday afternoon welcomed its first customers indoors since March 18, 2020. Mike Awais, owner and operator of the establishment and its adjoining motel, was asked Thursday what he felt when he heard the news Wednesday a...
In recent days, Tucumcari's historic railroad depot has been converted into a television studio and production center for the forthcoming "Bands of Enchantment" television music series that begins shooting this week. Ken C. Peterson, the show's creator and Elkhorn Entertainment's executive producer and vice president of development, on Friday showed the transformation of the depot's interior. The depot's east wing, which serves as the main performing space for music acts, was packed with...
One phrase in new COVID-19 guidelines — “to the greatest extent possible” — is one significant signal that New Mexico education officials are loosening constraints on school districts to allow the return of in-person learning, including Tucumcari this week. Education Secretary Ryan Stewart announced last week all public schools in the state could fully reopen their campuses by April 5. The state is phasing out hybrid-learning models that combine in-person and remote learning in favor of full-time classroom teaching. Students who use remote...
One favorable thing the Rattlers could take away Saturday was one solid scoring drive. Little else went right for the Tucumcari football team during a 42-7 loss to Albuquerque Academy in what could be the Rattlers' last home game during this abbreviated season. The Chargers' passing game, led by quarterback AJ Rivera, amassed more than 300 yards and four touchdowns against the Rattlers' overmatched secondary. Tucumcari coach Wayne Ferguson had a bad feeling about his squad before kickoff. "I...
The Tucumcari volleyball team’s first week of district play was not ideal. The Lady Rattlers suffered losses to Dexter and New Mexico Military Institute during the opening week of their District 4 schedule last week. Tucumcari fell to 1-4 overall. Tucumcari totaled only 13 kills during its district-opening match against Dexter on March 9 at the Snake Pit, which was indicative of the Lady Rattlers’ erratic offense. Tucumcari coach Dana Benavidez said her squad has to be more consistent in executing its passes, sets and hits. “We’ve got to put...
LOGAN - An injury-depleted Longhorns team proved to be no match in a 50-0 loss Friday night that showed Fort Sumner to be a probable contender for a state title in its first season of eight-man football. Logan (0-2) totaled just 21 yards of offense during a game that ended midway through the third quarter due to the mercy rule. The visiting Foxes (2-0) stormed to a 30-0 lead by the end of the first period. The Longhorns already were shorthanded before kickoff because quarterback Wyatt Wright...
Logan school board members and superintendent Dennis Roch last week talked about the imminent return of almost all students to in-person classes that was announced earlier that day by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Education Secretary Ryan Stewart announced all public schools in the state could fully reopen campuses April 5 with the goal of having teachers vaccinated for COVID-19 by that time. The state is phasing out hybrid-learning models that combine in-person and remote learning in favor of full-time classroom instruction. Stud...
Members of the Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board conceded Wednesday the ambitious proposal to spell "Tucumcari" in lights across the face of Tucumcari Mountain was dead, in spite of the plan having not been officially presented to the city commission. Board secretary Al Patel presented his plan during the board's February meeting to expand the current lighted "T" on the mesa to spell all nine letters of "Tucumcari." The board had unanimously recommended spending $5,000 in motel-tax funds on...
Tucumcari's city manager said he is exploring the idea of hiring an outside manager for the Tucumcari Convention Center to draw more events there and lower costs for the city. City Manager Mark Martinez also detailed some other possible improvements to the facility during his report to the Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board at its meeting Wednesday. Motel taxes are used for the convention center's upkeep, and the facility's refinanced debt will be paid off by June. Martinez said a hired...
One of the producers of the "Bands of Enchantment" music television series announced two of the acts that will perform when filming begins in Tucumcari next week. Elkhorn Entertainment president executive producer Tyson Chavez said during a telephone interview Thursday that The Texas Gentlemen and Max Gomez will be among the performers during initial production that begins next week through March 26. Chavez said he likely would announce more music acts that will come to Tucumcari later this...
Noting insurance issues, Quay County manager Richard Primrose expressed skepticism Monday over a proposal from Runway Bay at Ute Lake developers to have the county apply for a federal $100,000 grant to acquire airplane refueling equipment for the site. However, Primrose and Runway Bay principal Sid Strebeck expressed optimism they and county attorney Warren Frost could meet to come up with an alternative for the grant. Its application must be submitted by March 31. Runway Bay at Ute Lake project manager Windsor Lacewell said the development on...
Defending Class 2A runner-up Texico and its skill players proved too much for Tucumcari's football team during the Rattlers' season-opening 49-14 loss Friday night at Rattler Stadium - the first high-school sports event in Tucumcari in almost a year because of COVID-19 restrictions. The Wolverines scored the game's first 43 points and racked up more than 400 yards of offense. Though he played less than a half before leaving with an elbow injury, Texico quarterback Gabe Dickerman led the charge...
The Tucumcari volleyball squad ended its opening week with a 14-25, 16-25, 19-25 loss at its home debut Saturday afternoon against Clayton, but it came with an unexpected bonus - a good-sized audience to watch the match. Sports teams learned Thursday evening the state's Public Education Department and New Mexico Activities Association would allow spectators at most games if their counties' COVID-19 risk levels were low enough. Schools throughout the state for weeks had planned empty gymnasiums...
LOGAN - Grady's volleyball team had grabbed the momentum by winning Game Three, held a six-point lead in a Game Four of the match and seemingly had host and longtime arch-rival Logan on the ropes during both teams' season openers. That is, until Kambry Burns began serving the ball for the Lady Longhorns. Burns fueled a 9-0 scoring run during that game with four aces and made numerous other key plays during the match in Logan's 24-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-21 victory on March 2. Burns also notched a...
Quay County Emergency Manager Daniel Zamora on Monday afternoon accepted an offer to become the county's new manager later this month. Zamora, who's been in his current position for three years, was among about a half-dozen candidates interviewed Monday by commissioners during a three-hour executive session Monday after the commission's regular agenda. Zamora would begin his new position on March 15, giving him time to be trained under retiring county manager Richard Primrose before he departs...
New Mexico last week moved past the 500,000 mark in the number of people who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose as supplies reportedly continued to trend upward. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also said during a briefing Thursday that President Joe Biden told governors earlier in the day he was “very optimistic” all Americans would be vaccinated for the disease by May. On a local level, C. Renee Hayoz, administrator for Quay County Family Health Center in Tucumcari, said she had requested 500 doses of vaccine for this week. If...
Quay County improved from the yellow to green zone in COVID-19 assessments last week, and the governor's office also announced a loosening of health regulations that allow many movie theaters across the state to reopen. Don't expect to see the Odeon Theatre - Quay County's only surviving movie venue - to open for at least a few more months, however. The Odeon has been closed since March 15, 2020, because of the pandemic. Christy Dominguez, general manager and co-owner of the Odeon with husband...
If you see a man walking around Tucumcari carrying a cardboard sign, chances are good he's a former motorcycle gang member who now is pastor at First Christian Church. The clincher is if the sign reads: "May I Pray 4 You." Stephen Mason, 56, previously from San Juan, Texas, said he often takes the sign with him in the morning or afternoon while walking in the church's neighborhood. It's led to conversations, with a couple of conversions to Jesus Christ and baptisms. Mason also has opened his...
Tucumcari and Logan's varsity football teams finally learned about their shortened-season schedules Thursday, with a possible fifth or postseason game to be determined later. Tucumcari's cross country teams also learned about their finalized schedule last week. Fans will not be allowed at games because of a statewide ban on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, many football and volleyball games will be broadcast live at the NHFS Network at nfhsnetwork.com, which offers...
Area suppliers of natural gas or propane said they anticipate price increases for customers in the wake of severely cold weather that strained supplies and sparked widespread power outages, but they weren’t prepared to say how much those hikes would be. Natural gas suppliers across the country are warning of spikes after frigid conditions constrained supplies and caused the spot market for gas spiral wildly upward. In one case, the city of Grove, Oklahoma, was forced to buy natural gas Wednesday at $622 per dekatherm when its supply nearly r...
When Xcel Energy announced rolling blackouts were possible last week, some residents assumed the company's backup power plant on Tucumcari's north side - designed to alleviate local outages - would have picked up the slack if they occurred. They would have assumed incorrectly. Instead, an approximately 45-minute citywide blackout occurred Tuesday morning in an effort to lessen the strain on Xcel's power grid and other utility networks, especially in Texas. About 3,500 customers in Tucumcari...
Quay County commissioners on Monday seemed receptive Monday to a proposal to pay about $24,000 to provide emergency air ambulance service for every household in the county. Commissioners didn’t act on the proposition from Ryan Smith of Rico Aviation but openly discussed paying for the service after the county begins budget discussions for the next fiscal year in April. The proposal from Phoenix-based PHI Air Medical and Rico, based in Amarillo, would offer special-rate memberships for every household in Quay County and surround counties. The m...