Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The Quay County Commission on Monday elected District 1 Commissioner Robert Lopez as its chairman for the next year while a new commissioner served in his first meeting in the role. With no discussion, District 2 Commissioner Jerri Rush nominated Lopez as chairman, and new District 3 Commissioner Brian Fortner seconded it before the vote. Rush and Lopez each were elected as commissioners two years ago. Lopez also previously served as a county commissioner from 2005 to 2012. Rush was named...
A healthcare planner presented to the Quay County Commission a "90% finished" design of a new Dr. Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari that's expected to approach $30 million. Mike Williams, a principal and senior healthcare planner at Stantec Engineering that was hired for nearly $1 million to design the hospital, said the new design accounts for a 41,000-square-foot building that includes the addition of a procedure room and remodeling an existing 3,500-square-foot physical therapy buil...
A new Quay County sheriff, a new commissioner and other county officials were sworn into office during a brief ceremony last Tuesday in the county commission chambers. The first to take the oath of office from County Clerk Ellen White was sheriff-elect Dennis Garcia, who won his Republican primary in June and was unopposed during the November general election. He replaces previous Republican sheriff Russell Shafer, who was term-limited and takes over Garcia's previous position as undersheriff....
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Quay County last week jumped to 17 last week, compared to three reported during the previous week. According to the COVID Act Now website, the county’s rate of new cases also jumped to 181.8 cases per 100,000 people last week, compared to 84.8 per 100,000 during the previous week. The website, however, kept the county at “low” risk of community spread of the disease, as it did with all neighboring counties. The only spot in New Mexico that saw an elevated risk of spread was the northwest part...
When you read the Psalms, right away you see David calling to God for rescue from his enemies. They have surrounded him and are threatening his life. This starts in Psalm 2. David cries out to God. I don’t see him taking the time to light a candle or even get to his favorite prayer spot. Right where he is, he’s dropping to his knees, hands reaching toward heaven. When he speaks, it’s not in some measured and gentlemanly King James formality. He’s screaming. He hurts his throat. “Lord, how many are my foes!” (Psalm 3:1) In these psalms, the...
On this date ... 1973: Tucumcari and the surrounding region were thawing out from a winter blast that left motorists stranded for several hours until state police removed a westbound roadblock onto Interstate 40. The storm dumped about three inches of snow, compounding already icy streets and highways. About 40 to 50 vehicles stayed at the National Guard Armory in Tucumcari until roads were reopened in the afternoon. Some decided to stay all night and leave the next morning. The armory opened its doors when it became clear the city’s motels d...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Sausage breakfast pizza, assorted cereal, graham crackers, apple juice, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Chef salad, chicken nuggets, breadstick, garlic mashed potatoes, country gravy, fresh broccoli, ranch dressing, red grapes, skim, chocolate skim, 1% of strawberry milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Sausage and cheese breakfast burrito, Cocoa Puffs cereal bar, fresh banana, apple juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwich, pepperoni pizza, garden salad, baby car...
CLOVIS — An anti-abortion ordinance designed to keep abortion clinics from setting up shop in Clovis will become the city’s newest ordinance with a 7-0 vote of approval at Thursday’s regular session of the city commission. District 2 Commissioner Lauren Rowley abstained from the vote. “I still think we need to wait until after the legislative session,” Rowley said of her abstention after the meeting. The proposed ordinance was tabled the first time it came up for a vote in November. An attempt to un-table the matter failed at a December...
Those who want more details and wish to ask questions about a proposed new hospital in Tucumcari can attend this week’s Quay County Health Council meeting. According to a news release from the council, county manager Daniel Zamora and county mapping technician Dana Leonard will make a presentation about the proposed $20 million-plus hospital during the health council’s meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. County officials are seeking a new hospital to replace the nearly 60-year-old Dr. Daniel C. Trigg Memorial Hospital, which has reached the end of...
NEWKIRK — To the applause of nearly two dozen family, friends and neighbors, Newkirk Volunteer Fire Department Chief Robert Hall and Assistant Chief Chris Booth did the ribbon-cutting honors on Dec. 29 to officially open the Pablo Aragon Fire Station. The $580,000 project was funded by a New Mexico Fire Marshal’s grant and a loan from New Mexico Finance Authority. Additionally, with help from the county, the Newkirk VFD was awarded a grant from the state Forestry Division for wildlands firefighting equipment. Work to build the new fire sta...
To “Man up” means to “demonstrate toughness or courage when faced with a difficult situation.” That’s precisely what men need to do. Face up to a changing world and redefine what it is to be a man. In his recent book “Of Boys and Men,” Brookings Institution scholar Richard V. Reeves details how American men face a crisis of enormous proportions. The evidence is abundant. Three of every four who die of suicide or drug overdoses are men. Men face a widening gap in higher education and a diminishing portion of the labor market. Women now con...
Many Western states have declared they will achieve all-renewable electrical goals in just two decades. Call me naïve, but haven’t energy experts predicted that wind, sun and other alternative energy sources aren’t up to the job? Alice Jackson, former CEO of Xcel Energy’s Colorado operation, was blunt at a renewable energy conference in February 2020: “We can reliably run our grid with up to 70% renewables. Add batteries to the mix and that number goes up to just 72%.” Grid experts now say that Jackson’s number is 80%, but still, how will tha...
The last time the New Mexico State University Board of Regents set out to pick a new leader, after having unceremoniously ridded themselves of Garrey Carruthers, they had a hard time picking between the two finalists for the job. And so they hired both of them. At a combined salary of almost $1 million. Let’s hope there’s a clear frontrunner this time. The decision in 2018 to hire both Dan Arvizu, at a yearly salary of $500,000, and John Floros, at $450,000, came as a complete surprise to NMSU faculty, staff and students. Carruthers had bee...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team scored 30 unanswered points to turn what had been a close contest into a 60-36 blowout of host Estancia in the title game Saturday of the BVC Tournament. Tucumcari guard Alexus Lafferty was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and teammates Caylee Benavidez, Cambree Benavidez and Kyla Lopez each were named to the all-tournament team. The Lady Rattlers started the title game with a 9-0 run but saw the Lady Bears rally to within 17-12 early in the second quarter. Tucumcari then held Estancia s...
The top-seeded Fort Sumner boys basketball team stormed to a 17-point lead in the first quarter and cruised to an 81-54 victory Saturday over third-seeded Logan in the title game of the Plateau EPAC Tournament at Texico. The Foxes, ranked second in Class 1A by MaxPreps.com, grabbed a 31-14 lead after one period and was in control by halftime with a 49-22 advantage. Fort Sumner, led by Clay Norman's 23 points, drained 13 shots from 3-point range. "When they're shooting like that, they're hard to...
Robertson remains the top-ranked boys basketball team in New Mexico’s Class 3A, and it played like it during a 90-58 non-district victory Thursday over visiting Tucumcari. Curtis Gonzales and Kamren Apodaca led the Rattlers (4-7) with 21 points each. “We had our moments where we looked good; we just weren’t consistent,” Tucumcari coach John Span said of the game. “Thing is, (Robertson) is like a machine. They shot the ball well, and they just pressure, pressure, pressure you. That’s why they’re No. 1. “My kids played hard; I was pleased wit...
The Tucumcari boys wrestling team, showing little rust after the Christmas break, won four of five dual meets during the Pinto Duals event Saturday at Moriarty. The Rattlers defeated Sandia 48-24, downed Gallup 51-24, defeated Albuquerque 54-18 and conquered Shiprock 54-17. Tucumcari’s only loss on the weekend was a 42-36 decision against host Moriarty. Tucumcari coach Tim Clark said if two of his wrestlers — Nate Romero and Billy Otero — hadn’t been injured or sick, his squad might have pulled out a victory against Moriarty, as well. Despite...
The top-seeded Melrose girls basketball team captured its first Plateau EPAC Tournament title since 2015 with a resounding 69-36 victory Saturday over third-seeded Logan at Texico. The Lady Buffs, using a relentless press defense, took a double-digit lead in the first quarter and stormed to a 43-14 advantage by halftime. "We didn't handle the pressure well right from the tipoff," Logan coach Dustin Robertson said. "Second quarter, it just snowballed on us because we could not hit shots. We had...
SANTA ROSA - A head-on collision just outside Vaughn resulted in five human and at least 10 canine injuries early Jan. 3, and a van-load of Chihuahuas and other mixed miniature dogs at Santa Rosa's animal shelter last that morning. According to Ray Wilson, public information officer for New Mexico State Police, the wreck occurred about 12:45 p.m. Jan. 3 when a 2000 Chevrolet Astro van driven by Missael Rodelo, 40, of El Paso, Texas, was going south on U.S. 54 about two miles northeast of Vaughn...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Dec. 30 to Jan. 6: — Toby Jarmillo, 66, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Joseph Marcus White, 24, Ruidoso, contempt of court. — Kristopher Jaquarias Morris, 27, Tucumcari, two counts of contempt of court. — Orlando Anthony Martinez, 56, Tucumcari, contempt of court and larceny ($500 or less). — Wilford Sanchez, 28, no address listed, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and concealing identity. — Fatima Rivas, 45, Tucumcari, larceny (over $250 but not more than $500...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Jan. 2 to Jan. 8: Monday — 5:52 a.m.: Accident at Highway 209 and Quay Road 43, Tucumcari. — 12:15 p.m.: Disturbance in 1600 block of South Rock Island Street, Tucumcari. — 1 p.m.: Threat in 1200 block of South Fourth Street, Tucumcari. — 6:53 p.m.: Domestic disturbance in 1600 block of South Monroe Street, Tucumcari. Tuesday — 1:02 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 1300 block of East Rankin Avenue, Tucumcari. — 8:52 a.m.: Property damage in 700 block of We...