Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The dominant story in Quay County and arguably the state during the first half of 2024 was the slaying of a locally based New Mexico State Police officer and the hunt for his killer. NMSP patrolman Justin Hare, 35, a Logan resident, was shot fatally on Interstate 40 west of Tucumcari on March 15 when he stopped to help the driver of a disabled vehicle. The driver shoved over the mortally wounded Hare, drove away in his squad car, then dumped him by the side of the road and crashed his vehicle a...
Weeks after a severe storm damaged Nara Visa's historic community center, its board discovered the building was underinsured and will have to raise additional funds to repair it. Making matters worse, heavy rainstorms in October and November led to more water damage in the building. The storm on Sept. 17 ripped off about one-third of the roof of the Nara Visa Community Center - formerly the Nara Visa School built in 1921 that was designated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983....
Noah, Camila, Mia and Liam were the top names given to newborns in New Mexico in 2024, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. The agency’s Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics released its provisional list of the top baby names of 2024 as of Dec. 18. Other trends in New Mexico baby names: — Eight each of the top 10 names for boys and girls have stayed on the top 10 for three consecutive years. — Levi and Oliver rejoined the boys’ list, replacing Josiah and Julian. Levi last appeared in 2021 and Oliver in 2022. — Aurora an...
Four players from Logan’s Class 1A runner-up volleyball team earned first-team or second-team all-state honors from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association. Meanwhile for Tucumcari, the Benavidez sisters each earned second-team all-state honors from the Lady Rattlers squad, which went deep into the Class 2A tournament. The coaches association announced the all-state picks for all enrollment classifications last week. For the Lady Longhorns,middle blocker Haylie Bidegan, junior outside hitter Desta Rose and sophomore defensive s...
Police were on the scene of a shooting Monday afternoon at the Quay County Family Health Center in Tucumcari. A suspect was in custody. Tucumcari Police Sgt. Lorenzo Emillio said a report about someone being shot first came in about 4 p.m. Monday. He said the victim was in stable condition and was being transported by ambulance to Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari. Emillio said the suspect was in custody. He did not identify the victim or the suspect. He said he wasn’t sure whether the s...
The Logan Municipal Schools board last week unanimously chose Ross Perschbacher of Amistad to be the district's interim superintendent through June. Perschbacher, a K-12 principal and athletic director at the Texline Independent School District in Texas since 2018, prevailed from two candidates considered for the position during the board's meeting on Dec. 16. The other candidate was Bonnie Lightfoot of Tucumcari, who was superintendent at House Municipal Schools from 2017 to 2023. She also has...
The former First National Bank of Tucumcari building, now a Wells Fargo, earlier this month received a special 50-year recognition award from the annual American Institute of Architects Albuquerque Design and Honor Awards. The building marked the 50th anniversary of its opening in September. Except for a Wells Fargo sign on its exterior, the bank at 302 S. First St. is largely unchanged in the past half-century. Gene Dyer, the bank's architect of record for the Dyer, McClernon Architects firm,...
It took a team effort for the Tucumcari boys basketball team to eke out a 52-51 win Saturday against Jal and take third place in the Citizens Bank Tournament in Texico. Jermy Jones went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and led the Rattlers with 14 points. Alijah Martinez made three 3-pointers, and Adan Diaz added a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter for seven points for Tucumcari. Eric Acosta also scored a key bucket in the final period. Luis Archuleta, named to the...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team finished a disappointing 1-2 at the Citizens Bank Tournament at Texico, including one that got away on Saturday. During the third-place game against Magdalena, the Lady Rattlers had a 10-point lead in the first half and a seven-point margin in the third period. The Steers whittled it down during regulation and eventually prevailed 58-54 in overtime. Tucumcari missed a bunch of scoring opportunities under the basket during the game and failed to convert six fre...
Sadie Bruhn’s 3-pointer with 2:46 remaining capped a 14-4 fourth-quarter run by the Logan girls basketball team during a 49-48 comeback victory Saturday at Santa Rosa. The Lady Longhorns trailed by 10 points in the third quarter and still were down 39-35 to start the final period. Logan toughened its defense during the fourth quarter, and Bruhn’s late trey gave it a decisive 49-43 lead. The Lady Lions made a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin. “Santa Rosa played well. So did we,” Logan coach Dustin Robertson said. “It was a fun game,...
The Logan boys basketball team remained undefeated after a 71-51 road victory Saturday at Santa Rosa. The Longhorns (7-0) broke open the game with an 18-5 second quarter run to grab a 35-16 lead at the half. “We really set the tone on the defensive end,” Logan coach Kyle Griffiths said. “We were extremely active and did a great job disrupting their offense. I also felt like we handled their press very well throughout the game, which led to easy baskets for us. “Santa Rosa is a tough place to play, so I was proud of how we came prepared.” Mason...
Tucumcari High School wrestler Josh Pacheco, competing at 152 pounds, won all six of his matches at the Hiroshi Memorial Battle for Honor tournament Friday at Gallup. Pacheco, who hasn’t lost a bout this season, defeated five opponents by pin less than two minutes into the match. His sixth victory was by forfeit. Teammates Fernando Ureste, at 139 pounds, and Josiah Sanchez, at 145, won all four of the matches they competed in Friday. THS coach Tim Clark said Ureste looked “really good” against tough competition from New Mexico and Arizo...
A Tucumcari man will spend nearly five years in prison for his role in a local man’s fatal mauling by a pack of dogs last year. San Miguel County District Judge Abigail Aragon on Dec. 2 sentenced Kristopher Jaquarias Morris, 29, to six years in prison with credit for 134 days served in the Quay County Detention Center after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of prohibited acts (dangerous dog; death of a person). Aragon classified the conviction as a violent felony, which means Morris must serve 85% of his sentence. Minus credit for his incarc...
The board for Logan Municipal Schools will have two candidates to consider for interim superintendent, including a former superintendent of House Municipal Schools. The candidates are former House superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot of Tucumcari and former Texline principal Ross Perschbacher of Amistad. Candidates were required to apply before noon Dec. 5. Lightfoot was superintendent at House in southern Quay County from 2017 to 2023. In March 2023, the House school board placed Lightfoot on paid administrative leave. Parents there said that was...
Tucumcari MainStreet has received a $1.7 million grant from the New Mexico Economic Development Department and New Mexico MainStreet for Phase 2 of construction on the Great Blocks on MainStreet project. Connie Loveland, executive director of Tucumcari MainStreet, said the grant would be used to create new sidewalks, light poles and landscaping on Main Street between First and Second Streets. Loveland said she was excited to receive the full $1.7 million her organization requested. “We didn’t expect to get quite that much. It was a pleasant sur...
The Logan boys basketball team breezed to the championship of the J.P. Stone Tournament in Dora with three victories, including a 72-29 blasting of Roy-Mosquero on Saturday in the final. The Longhorns (3-0) jumped to a 15-1 lead against the Blue and led 46-8 at halftime. Logan’s superior size — namely 6-foot-7 Hayden Bruhn and 6-foot-5 Mason Wallin — made Roy-Mosquero change its shots near the basket, hampering its offense. Bruhn scored 28 points to lead the Longhorns, including a dunk in the second quarter. Wallin added 17 points. Jace Jacks...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team captured the consolation bracket title with a 59-36 victory Saturday over Cottonwood Classical Prep at the West Las Vegas Brian Gallegos Memorial tournament. Luis Archuleta scored 36 points to lead the Rattlers (2-1), whose only loss during the tourney was a 59-53 decision to Thoreau in the opening round Thursday. Archuleta and Daymion Urioste each were named to the all-tournament team for THS. Tucumcari, leading only 25-22 at intermission, seized control with a 34-14 second half. Jermy Jones added eight...
The Logan girls basketball team made it to the finals Saturday of the J.P. Stone Tournament at Dora, only to find a perennially tough Roy-Mosquero squad standing in its way. The Lady Blue used a 16-1 scoring run in the first and second periods to seize control over the Lady Longhorns during a 58-39 victory. Logan had trailed 11-10 late in the first period when Roy-Mosquero began its big run. The Lady Blue led 36-21 at halftime. Logan never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way. Desta Rose led the Lady Longhorns (2-1) with 12 points....
The Tucumcari girls basketball squad stormed to a 56-21 victory Saturday over Academy for Technology and the Classics to secure a fifth-place finish and consolation bracket title at the West Las Vegas Brian Gallegos Memorial tournament. The Lady Rattlers (2-1) jumped out to an 18-4 lead after one quarter, 35-13 at halftime and 53-14 after three quarters. Caylee Benavidez scored 24 points to lead the Lady Rattlers, while younger sister Cambree added 10 points. Kyla Lopez totaled 11 points and 11 rebounds. “We had a strong first two quarters, a...
Tucumcari wrestler Josh Pacheco won all five his matches during a rugged season-opening Tom Torres Duals on Saturday at Los Lunas. The Rattlers squad won two of five dual matches during the 14-team event. In early pool play, Tucumcari lost to Atrisco Heritage 58-12 and was edged by Organ Mountain 35-34. In seeded matches, Tucumcari downed Sandia 36-33, swamped Bernalillo 60-17 and lost to Valencia 48-30 to secure second place in its bracket. Former Tucumcari wrestling coach Eddie Encinias came out of semi-retirement to guide the boys squad...
Logan Municipal Schools probably will know by mid-December who will be its interim superintendent to replace the departing Dennis Roch. The district’s board during a special meeting on Nov. 26 voted to accept applications for candidates for interim superintendent through noon Dec. 5. Board President Toby Willis said during the meeting that top candidates likely would be interviewed on Dec. 9, and the board “hopefully” would approve an interim superintendent on Dec. 16. The board tabled action on a timeline for hiring a permanent super...
A house fire in Tucumcari on Friday night rendered three adults homeless and killed two dogs. Firefighters were called to a home at 416 S. Fourth St. shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, according to dispatcher logs. Flames were seen pouring through the home's roof. The fire was brought under control in about an hour. No one was home at the time the fire was reported, though two dogs inside died in the blaze. No other injuries were reported. The home was owned by Virginia Martinez. Her brother Victor...
A Tucumcari man was jailed on embezzlement charges after being accused of stealing more than $1,000 in cigarettes from a store where he worked. Willie M. Thomas Jr., 39, was arrested on Nov. 27 after being charged with three counts of embezzlement (over $250 but not more than $500). All are misdemeanor counts that could lead up to six months in jail or a $500 fine. According to an affidavit filed by Tucumcari Police patrolman Ryan Vaughan, officers were summoned on Nov. 26 to the Family Dollar store to investigate an employee accused of stealin...
Three key components of Tucumcari's potent passing attack each earned first-team all-district honors. Junior quarterback Nick Goen, junior wide receiver Luis Archuleta and junior running back Daymion Urioste each earned top honors in District 2 of Class 2A. Goen completed 95 of 179 passes for 1,464 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Archuleta caught 42 passes for 767 yards - an average of 18.2 yards per catch - for 14 touchdowns. Urioste caught 41 passes for 846 yards - an average of...
A late surge by Maxwell girls basketball team give it a 31-23 victory over visiting San Jon on Saturday. The Maxwell boys squad blasted San Jon 96-11 later that day. They were season-opening games for both teams. In the girls matchup, Maxwell clinged an 18-15 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Lady Bears gave themselves breathing room with a 13-8 run in the fourth quarter, securing the win. “The girls did very well,” San Jon coach Gib Donovan said. “We have a lot to work on this coming week, but I think we made an excellent showi...