Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Editor's note: The following is a review of the last six months of 2019 for Quay County. A report from January through June was published in the Jan. 1 Quay County Sun. A refusal by state commissioners to issue a horse-racing license and an apparent murder-suicide at a restaurant dominated the news in Tucumcari and Quay County in the second half of 2019. A lengthy effort by Tucumcari, plus other bidders in Clovis and Lordsburg, to land a coveted sixth license to build a horse-racing facility...
The man who shot and killed a manager of a Tucumcari restaurant last month apologized to customers after the attack and said no harm would come to them before he fatally turned the gun on himself in the parking lot. Two friends of the assailant said he found out earlier that day his girlfriend had been “cheating” on him with the manager and was going to drive to the restaurant to confront him. The friends spent 30 minutes trying to persuade him to “not do anything stupid” and took away his vehicle keys, but he called another friend who picked...
The man who nearly three years ago bought a section of Tucumcari Mountain said he's resistant to efforts to revitalize the fading big "T" on the mesa's north face but remains open to a one-day effort to do so by a professional contractor. Ronald Mueller, who said he purchased the road-access portion of the mesa in February 2017, gave his side of the story during a recent phone interview on why he tightened access to Tucumcari Mountain. "We did it because of damage to personal property and...
• Saturday — Open Mic Night. Have you dreamed of entertaining? Now is your chance. Whatever your talent is, you’re invited to share it starting at 6 p.m. All ages welcome. To sign up, call (575) 461-9908 or visit us at the Gallery Etc. 201 S. Second St., Tucumcari. • Jan. 18 — Viva Las Tucumcari. The Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce banquet from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. offers plenty of fun and plenty to win between games, a prize raffle and a silent auction. The event also will introduce the first-ever Taste of Tucumcari. Check back for more inf...
New Mexico’s sweeping new law allowing expungement of criminal records in a plethora of cases has been described as “one of the broadest record-closing authorities in the nation.” Indeed, the statute goes too far in the kinds of cases in which history can be erased. Records that have always been public. Records used by landlords, employers, parents, child-care center operators and many others who have a legitimate reason to do a background check. And questions abound about exactly what happens in a range of cases from domestic abuse, to drivi...
Young people have been dismissing us older folks over the past year by sneering “OK boomer” at us. Kids these days. They don’t even learn grammar. The right way to phrase that sneer is “OK, boomer.” It means, “keep on lecturing, old timer or Baby Boomer, even though I’m not listening because you don’t know what you’re talking about.” I think any older person can turn that around by becoming an “OK boomer” without the comma, a boomer who is OK to be around, even if he or she is slow and tires easily. We can do that by correcting our memories...
Waiting for Republicans to wake up Michael Reagan’s column, “Dems lowering bar on impeachment,” reveals that he believes in facts the same as most Senate Republicans. He blames the “liberal media” for slobbering over the Democrats and urging them on. You would never guess that the only thing he believes in is Fox News and conservative views approved by conservative think tanks. The impeachment is based on facts and presented by the House of Representatives as established by the Constitution. It is the responsibility of the Senate to hold court...
With its starting center in foul trouble and Logan commanding a height advantage, the Tucumcari girls basketball team looked like it was in big trouble the first half. However, the Lady Rattlers literally wore down their foes during a surprisingly lopsided 64-40 victory Saturday at the Snake Pit. Tucumcari improved to 6-2 and avenged its loss to the Lady Longhorns last season. Logan, ranked second in Class 1A by MaxPreps.com, fell to 9-3. Logan coach Glynna Strand blamed fatigue for her team's l...
Logan erased a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit with an 18-2 run during its 70-60 boys basketball victory at Tucumcari's home opener Saturday. Longhorns coach Kyle Griffiths blamed a lack of defense for his team falling behind and good defense for its big rally. "We got some big defensive stops and picked up our intensity late," he said. "It all started on the defensive end, where we were able to get some easy buckets. Earlier, we got lazy defensively and let them get some easy shots." Logan,...
The Grady/San Jon boys basketball team fell behind 32-9 in the first quarter and never recovered during an 82-68 loss Saturday at Springer. The Bronchos (5-4) trailed 52-25 at halftime during their first game after Christmas break. “They made just about everything they shot,” Grady/San Jon coach Jonathan Langan said of Springer. They outscored the Red Devils (9-2), ranked No. 3 in Class 1A by MaxPreps.com, 43-30 in the second half, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Chisum Rush led the Bronchos with 30 points. Isaiah Mitchell added 16 points, and C...
The Grady/San Jon girls basketball team’s comeback bid after falling behind early fell short during a 41-40 loss Friday at Springer during the team’s first game after Christmas break. Teryn Foote scored 29 points for the Lady Bronchos, who fell to 5-4. “We practiced well the last few days but struggled tonight,” Grady/San Jon coach Alicia Rush said. “We had several chances at the end to win but had too many turnovers and missed opportunities. We are still learning to win and to compete every night.” Springer improved to 3-6. Logan 69, Santa R...
Tucumcari’s wrestling team finished fifth Saturday at the 11-team Al Salazar Memorial Invitational at St. Michael’s in Santa Fe, disappointing the squad’s coach somewhat. Rattlers coach Eddie Encinias said most of his top wrestlers did as expected, but he wanted more from his second-tier grapplers. “I think we should have performed better as a team,” he said. “The top four or five guys are doing their jobs. The rest of the guys need to step up. It’s going to be tough at district if things don’t change. They’re not where they should be.” Joe M...
Two volleyball players from Tucumcari and Logan each were selected to the Northeast Small-School Volleyball Regional Team by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association. Outside hitters Jasmine Jones of Tucumcari and Karli Webb of Logan were named to the team, as were middle blockers Jordan Hines of Logan and Aaliyah Brown of Tucumcari. Logan won its third straight state title in Class 1A, and Tucumcari earned its first berth in the state tournament in 30 years. Players from Robertson, St. Michael’s, Penasco, Cimarron, Pecos and Monte del S...
The Branding Iron Restaurant served its last meals Sunday evening at the Quality Inn hotel in Tucumcari after more than a half-century there. The closing of the dinner-only restaurant 3716 E. Tucumcari Blvd. left five workers without jobs. Sally Maestas, general manager of the hotel, said she received word Dec. 30 the Quality Inn's owner, HK Hospitality LLC of the Houston area, would shut down the restaurant. “It was the owner's decision,” Maestas said during a phone interview Friday. “It's usually slow this season, and the overhead got to be...
Area firefighters battled a blaze Friday morning that gutted a Tucumcari home but left no injuries. Tucumcari’s fire chief also announced the previous day another house fire that occurred last month has been deemed as suspicious, and he requested information from residents for the investigation. According to records by the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center, the fire Friday at 2311 S. Second St. was reported at 6:06 a.m. Tucumcari and Logan firefighters remained at the scene...
“No more let sin and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground!” — verse from the hymn “Joy to the World” Quay County is infested with goatheads and sandburs that are moved around on tires and people’s shoes. However, very safe and effective herbicides are available to kill weeds as they germinate or after they emerge aboveground if the label is followed. So there are preventive and curative measures to stop the spread of weeds, including goatheads and sandburs. The ground has been weed-infested since Adam first sinned (Genesis 3:17-18). G...
On this date ... 1970: San Jon was ranked third in Class AA in the latest UPI high-school basketball poll of sportswriters and coaches. Causey took the No. 1 spot in the classification. West Las Vegas was ranked No. 1 in AAA, as was Hobbs in AAAA. • Lloyd’s Shoe Store in Tucumcari advertised women’s boots for $2, nylon hose for $1 for two pairs, children’s cowboy boots for $5, boys hunting boots for $6 and women’s canvas shoes for $2. • The Odeon Theatre in Tucumcari was screening the latest Elvis Presley film, “Change of Habit,” co-st...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Egg sausage breakfast burrito, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, salsa, cinnamon graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Teriyaki chicken, ham and cheese hoagie, brown rice, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, fruit, juice, milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Pancake sausage on a stick, ultimate breakfast round, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Cheeseburger, French fries, green leaf lettuce, fresh tomatoes, dill pickle chip, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, fruit, juice, milk. Monday — No information available. Tuesday — No informa...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Dec. 30 to Jan. 5: Monday • 8:03 a.m.: Vandalism in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. • 10:05 a.m.: Noise complaint in 800 block of West Hancock Avenue., Tucumcari. • 10:33 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 500 block of South Monroe Street, Tucumcari. • 10:36 a.m.: Arrest warrant in 400 block of North Fourth Street, Tucumcari. • 10:45 a.m.: Theft in 6300 block of Quay Road Aj, Tucumcari. • 12:01 p.m.: Traffic accident with damage at High and First s...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Jan. 1 to Jan. 5: • Timothy Lloyd Clem, 29, Amarillo, two counts of contempt of court. • Clayton James Martinez, 23, Tucumcari, warrant from other counties or states and probation violation. • Derald McVae, 54, Tucumcari, battery upon a peace officer, disorderly conduct and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. • Karen Viree, 51, Canal Winchester, Ohio, aggravated driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug (refusal) and failure to maintai...
A Tucumcari native was Albuquerque's first homicide victim of 2020, according to the victim's uncle. Vicente Christopher Romero-Lopez, 23, of the Albuquerque area died about 2 a.m. New Year's Day in the driveway of a townhouse after he was shot to death. A second man a short time later was dropped off at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque with a gunshot wound but was expected to survive. Albuquerque police are investigating the homicide. Jerry Joe Lopez of Tucumcari said Albuquerque police...