Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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SAN JON — The superintendent of San Jon Municipal Schools received word Thursday that state officials had approved the first phase of designing a new school for the district. The New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority approved an award of $4.14 million to design a replacement for the current school facility. The award included a waiver of the district’s match, meaning San Jon schools won’t have to spend any of its money on a designer. Superintendent Alan Umholtz said during the board’s meeting Wednesday the PSFA had elevated San Jon...
Robert Moore Jr. has been working to restore several historic buildings in Tucumcari. With the help of his wife Heather and brother William Cooke, Moore is buying long-closed businesses in Tucumcari and trying to restore them to their former glory. "We want to better Tucumcari. We were tired of looking at rundown buildings," Moore said. "We wanted to make new jobs for people and make a change." He owns a plethora of properties in the community. He plans to reopen The Malt Shop, the Relax Inn (fo...
Measures to boost hospitals are among the top priorities for two area lawmakers when the New Mexico Legislature convenes for its 30-day session this week. On a related note, they also want funding for Quay County so it can build a new Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari. State Sen. Pat Woods (R-Broadview), whose 7th District encompasses Quay, Union and Curry counties, and state Rep. Jack Chatfield (R-Mosquero), whose 67th District includes territory in Quay, San Miguel, Curry, Union, Harding and Colfax counties, spoke on the phone last week...
In response to Jan. 8’s blizzard, Tucumcari’s city manager said she would obtain sand and salt, plus a salt spreader, to make streets more passable during future snowstorms. City manager Paula Chacon said in her report during a city commission meeting Friday she wanted to obtain a salt spreader that can be pulled behind a truck. Chacon said she also was talking to the New Mexico Department of Transportation about obtaining more material to spread on city streets during snowstorms. She said the agency spread salt on streets near Trigg Mem...
On this date ... 1974: Legislation aimed at lowering New Mexico’s speed limit to 55 mph appeared in the state legislature. The speed-limit bill, introduced in the House, was requested by Gov. Bruce King during his message to the legislature on the opening day of its session. King requested the bill to bring New Mexico into compliance with federal energy-conservation directives. The county was in the midst of an ongoing energy crunch, with widespread gasoline shortages. — New Mexico State Police confiscated more than 220 pounds of mar...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Blueberry muffin, spring cheese, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, cinnamon graham cracker, banana, apple juice, 1%, skim or strawberry milk; Lunch: Hot dog, buffalo chicken wrap, ranch potato wedges, seasoned peas, fresh broccoli, ranch dressing, fruit cocktail, 1%, skim, chocolate skim or strawberry skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Whole-grain doughnut ring, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, cinnamon graham cracker, mandarin oranges, orange juice, 1%, skim or strawberry milk; Lunch: Pepperoni pizza, ham and...
While reading through the Bible last year, I came across an “I am” statement by Jesus I hadn’t previously recognized as being one of his well-known statements (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7-14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1-5). But it struck me as one of the best “I am” statements, encompassing all those and more. I searched for “I am in the Bible,” finding a website (bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/I-Am-The-Lord) listing 62 Old Testament occurrences of “I am the Lord.” Space prevents me from listing all those or their references, but you can check the website for...
In a recent meeting about upcoming stories, the Pasatiempo editorial staff discussed ways to put Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the spotlight. Only a handful of New Mexico communities hold events tied to the holiday. Perhaps that’s not a surprise in a state whose population was 2.7% Black in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One could argue that the late civil rights leader should be celebrated regardless, but I’ve lived in enough states to understand that locally cherished celebrations often reflect the demographics. I’m sharing some...
Let’s talk about Claudine Gay, the first Black person and just the second woman to serve as Harvard University’s president, who resigned after months of turmoil. Many on the conservative right celebrated Gay’s resignation with delirious fanfare. Christopher Rufo, the far-right activist and charlatan, obnoxiously announced Gay’s exit by tweeting the word “SCALPED.” In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, he gleefully cited it as a case study in how conservatives can successfully manhandle left-wing institutions. Initially, it appeared that even after...
I heard there was another Republican presidential debate last week. I didn’t watch it. I’ve suffered enough, thanks. I don’t care how few political masochists tuned in to CNN Wednesday night to watch Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis engage in another meaningless debate. I don’t care who the big-shot media think “won” or “lost.” Twelve hours later, it already didn’t matter one bit. Everyone knows the ultimate winner was the same guy who won all the previous GOP debates and was appearing simultaneously Wednesday night at a town hall on Fox – Donald T...
Tucumcari’s girls basketball team surged to a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and repelled host Estancia’s comeback bid during a 44-35 victory Saturday in the finals of the BVC Tournament. Kyla Lopez scored 19 points to lead the Lady Rattlers. She earned Most Valuable Player honors in the tournament. Fellow Tucumcari players Caylee Benavidez (11 points), July Lafferty (12 points, 14 rebounds) and Kirksey Smith also earned all-tournament honors. Tucumcari improved its record to 12-1 with its ninth win in a row. The Lady Rattlers did...
The Longhorns couldn't pull off a comeback victory from a double-digit deficit twice in two days. The top-seeded and previously unbeaten Logan basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a brief lead, only to lose 57-56 in the final seconds to No. 2-seeded Melrose in the championship game Saturday of the 66th Plateau-EPAC Tournament at Melrose. Logan (14-1), which rallied from a similar deficit to defeat Texico in the semifinals Friday, suffered its first loss...
Melrose held the Logan girls basketball team scoreless in the final four minutes, enabling the Lady Buffs to notch a 44-43 comeback victory Saturday in the finals of the 66th annual Plateau-EPAC Tournament at Melrose. The Lady Longhorns led by as much as 12 and still held a 43-36 advantage with 4:09 left after Camryn Cantrell made a free throw. Melrose senior guard Graci Odom scored six of her team-high 18 points in the final four minutes, including the eventual game-winner on a slashing move...
Despite her team's recent struggles and not meeting her own lofty expectations, former Tucumcari High School girls basketball star Ashley Shipley holds no regrets in playing what may be her final season at Eastern New Mexico University. The Greyhounds (5-9) had been a seven-game losing streak under first-year coach Blake Huber until a 65-61 victory Saturday over Midwestern State. Shipley, a senior, attributed several things to the recent skid during a telephone interview last week. "We have a...
Tucumcari sophomore wrestler Fernando Ureste captured the 133-pound championship at the 19-team Sammy Vivian Invitational tournament Saturday at Socorro. Ureste won all four of his bouts, including a pin on Alan Dominguez of Tierra Encantada in the final. Tucumcari coach Tim Clark said Ureste’s big moment was an upset win over Sevastian Madrid of Capital in the semifinal. “Fernando was down throughout, and he ended up turning the kid and pinning him,” Clark said. “I think he was kinda surprised: ‘What? That wasn’t supposed to happen.’” U...
New Mexico lawmakers love to say they keep busy during legislative sessions "doing the people's work." The New Mexican asked 33 people, one from each county, what they want to see the Legislature prioritize during the 30-day session that began Tuesday. Here are some of the responses: Pat Lyons, Curry County Former state senator (1993-2002) and Public Regulation Commission member Pat Lyons is running 500 head of cattle on a farm and ranch outside Clovis and is enjoying the "retired but still working" life. Watching the state Legislature as an...
A multiagency police operation in Quay County last week netted nine arrests in Tucumcari, including several at the Quay Apartments. In a social media post, Sheriff Dennis Garcia said his office conducted Impact Operation Number One on Jan. 10-11 in conjunction with New Mexico State Police and New Mexico Probation and Parole. Garcia said Tucumcari Public Schools was notified “for precautionary measures” during the Quay Apartments operation. He said schools near the apartments went into a “teach in place” mode. “We didn’t want to get in a situat...
A gunman shot at a Tucumcari residence on Saturday, prompting the local Crime Stoppers organization to offer a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. According to a news release from Quay County Crime Stoppers, someone fired at a home at 11:40 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of South Second Street, “causing damage and endangered the residents inside.” Crime Stoppers offered up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved. Those with information should call Quay County Crime Sto...
A former Tucumcari city commission candidate avoided jail time after pleading guilty to a charge of assault (attempted battery) stemming from a dispute with his former landlord. Tommy Snapp, 52, in a plea agreement, on Wednesday was given a suspended 182-day jail sentence, with credit for one day of jail time served, plus 181 days of unsupervised probation, according to online court documents. A total of $73 in fees or fines was lowered to zero because of Snapp’s one day in the county jail. Assault (attempted battery) is a petty misdemeanor t...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Jan. 9 to Jan. 11: — Francisco Galvan, 50, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Fred A. Chavez, 61, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Paul A. Hare, 30, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Jason Rogers, 50, Conchas, negligent use of a deadly weapon (unsafe handling), negligent use of a deadly weapon (intoxication) and tampering with evidence (misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor). These individuals were released from the Quay County Detention Center from Jan. 9 to Jan. 11: — Francisco...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Jan. 8 to Jan. 14: Monday — 8:15 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 700 block of West Sunset Avenue, Tucumcari. — 8:17 a.m.: Accident at milepost 15, Highway 39, Logan. — 12:41 p.m.: Accident at South Second Street and East Washington Avenue, Tucumcari. — 12:43 p.m.: Accident at milepost 347, U.S. 54, Nara Visa. — 12:54 p.m.: Accident in 100 block of West Exit 338, Interstate 40, Tucumcari. — 1 p.m.: Accident in 1800 block of West Exit 356, San Jon. — 1:41...