Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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More than a dozen cannabis business applications for the Tucumcari area have been filed with the city or state so far as the legal sale of recreational marijuana in New Mexico is set to begin as soon as early spring. Through an open-records request, the Quay County Sun received copies of six commercial cannabis business applications filed with the City of Tucumcari. More cannabis applications in the Tucumcari area also are listed on the website of the Cannabis Control Division of the New Mexico...
Tucumcari city commissioners during a work session and the first reading of a revised cannabis ordinance on Thursday backed away from a proposed $400 fee for cannabis business licenses. City Manager Mark Martinez recommended striking the $400 fee from the ordinance after a lawyer with the New Mexico Municipal League discouraged it during an earlier meeting, citing the possibility of discrimination lawsuits. A cannabis license applicant also indicated she would sue if the fee were enacted. Martinez said commissioners can set fees by a resolution...
A new surge of COVID-19 cases last week in Quay County prompted three educational institutions to go to remote learning or delay classes. Four confirmed deaths from the virus also were reported. According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the latest deaths in the county were: • A woman in her 80s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. • A woman in her 100s who was a resident of the Autumn Blessings assisted living facility in Logan. • A man in his 60s who was hospi...
Two local lawmakers began the New Mexico Legislature’s 30-day session this week with state coffers awash with money — and not just from a record-high $8.4 billion budget due to oil and gas revenue. State Sen. Pat Woods (R-Broadview), whose District 7 encompasses parts of Quay, Curry and Union counties, said in a telephone interview Thursday that lawmakers have to account for federal coronavirus relief money for future spending, as well. With some federal funds still unspent from a special session in December, he said the legislature will hav...
When two of our grandsons spent a few days with us recently, we asked them whether they liked spinach. Both emphatically replied, “Yes!” While helping my wife with dinner by preparing the spinach, I started singing a version of the Popeye song I learned while young. Here goes: “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man, I live in a garbage can. I eat all the worms and spit out the germs, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.” The grandsons got a kick out of that, and it got me thinking about this article and verses I could make up based on my thoughts. Then, I decided t...
Conchas Lake saw no improvement in water levels in December, dimming hopes the Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors would allocate water to farmers in the early spring. District manager Franklin McCasland said during the board’s Jan. 11 meeting the lake saw just 159 acre-feet of inflow in December with 1,457 acre-feet of evaporation and other losses. The lake’s levels that morning stood at 4,161.4 feet — slightly over a foot higher than one year ago, when the district decided not to allocate water during growing season due to pe...
Eight Quay County students graduated from Eastern New Mexico University at the end of the fall 2021 semester. According to a news release from the university, these area students received degrees on Dec. 11 during an in-person commencement ceremony at Greyhound Arena in Portales: • Melissa Alvarez of San Jon • Nicholas Andrada of Tucumcari • Rachel Dudley of Logan • Jaree Elliott of Grady • Samantha Ford of Tucumcari • Cheyenne Lattin of Tucumcari • Desirae Pacheco of Tucumcari • Samantha Stephenson of Tucumcari ENMU is a state institution tha...
On this date ... 1972: Bill Rouse of Glenrio returned home after a brush with death due to apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. Rouse was taken by car to San Jon, where he was met by state police officer Arnold Olsen. Rouse told Olsen he couldn’t breathe and fell unconscious. Olsen said he felt no pulse and began giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. “I sure felt pleased when after a time the man gasped and started breathing,” Olsen recalled. Olsen worked with Rouse until an ambulance took him to Tucumcari to a hospital. The officer passe...
The Tucumcari Senior Center and Logan Senior Center also offer grab-and-go meals to those who qualify. Those interested should call the Tucumcari facility at 575-461-2307 or the Logan facility at 575-487-2287 for more information. Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Pancake sausage on a stick, fresh pear, orange juice, skim or 1% milk; Lunch: Italian wrap, hot dog, peas and carrots, grape tomatoes, fresh mixed fruit, skim, 1% or chocolate skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Chocolate chocolate ship muffin, string cheese, fresh apple, app...
Recommendations from the Biden administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seem to change weekly regarding coronavirus precautions. Americans are justifiably confused and are at risk of tuning out. For a Democratic administration struggling to create the appearance of command authority during an ongoing national crisis, the mixed messaging feeds the Republican narrative that Democrats are incompetent. Americans should, first of all, remember the pandemic response under the previous administration. President Donald Trump...
There’s almost no one more dangerous than a driver who refuses to yield because they have the right-of-way. I’ve known people who got into accidents because the other person was supposed to move over or slow down, and didn’t, and they weren’t going to let the other guy “win.” When two drivers of this sort encounter one another, have your camera recording. Personally, I think it’s more important to avoid an accident than to be “in the right.” I’ve tried to teach my kids that their safety is always their responsibility. Responsibility isn’t fun....
Sometimes politicians govern. Sometimes they campaign. Most of the time, it’s hard to tell the difference. Take, for example, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s legislative agenda for this year’s 30-day session. It’s ambitious and aggressive, and just in time for her re-election bid. In her first three years in office, Lujan Grisham has accomplished a lot, thanks to her party’s domination of both legislative chambers and a growing surplus in state revenues. This combination of power and money gives her the ability to push a big agenda in...
Tucumcari MainStreet learned last week it earned a $400,000 grant from the state’s MainStreet program and New Mexico Economic Development Department for the Great Blocks revitalization project in downtown Tucumcari. “Tucumcari MainStreet is grateful to receive New Mexico MainStreet capital outlay funding for our Great Blocks on MainStreet project, and we’re excited to continue work on this project which is reinvigorating our downtown district,” Tucumcari MainStreet Executive Director Connie Loveland stated in a news release. New Mexico MainStr...
SAN JON — The San Jon school board last week officially swore into office a new member who won his election in November but is soliciting letters of interest to fill a second open seat. Board President Frank Gibson administered the oath of office to new member Jeremy Wade Allen during the board’s regular meeting Jan. 10. Allen initially ran for the Position 4 seat against incumbent Pam Slater, but she officially withdrew from the race shortly after the filing period in August. That left Allen unopposed. Superintendent Janet Gladu adm...
The superintendent of Logan Municipal Schools during a school board meeting last week reported significantly lower failure rates among its students compared to a year ago. Superintendent Dennis Roch said during the board’s Jan. 10 meeting, which was streamed live on the internet, that 15% of Logan’s middle school students were failing at least one class. He deemed that number as “still too high” but was considerably better than the 34% failure rate one year ago. Roch said in the high school, 6.8% of its students were failing at least one cla...
The Logan school district plans to request $1 million in capital outlay funds from the New Mexico Legislature to install artificial turf on the football field and a catchment drainage system there. Superintendent Dennis Roch and athletic director Billy Burns outlined the proposal during the school board’s regular meeting Jan. 10, which was streamed on the internet. The legislature’s 30-day session began this week. Burns showed a preliminary report from a prospective bidder, South Carolina-based Sprinturf, and he said two other contractors may...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team grabbed an early lead at East Mountain and kept building on it during a 49-22 victory on Jan. 11. Tucumcari led 18-10 at halftime and effectively seized control with a 14-3 run in the third quarter. Alexus Lafferty scored 21 points to lead the Lady Rattlers, and Caylee Benavidez added 17. “Overall, we played a good game on both ends of the floor,” Tucumcari coach Patrick Benavidez said. “We have struggled putting up points coming out of the half, so the girls really wanted to make that their best quart...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team went 1-2 and finished sixth at the 15th annual Lions Classic tournament at Santa Rosa, including a 55-45 loss Saturday to Santa Fe Prep in the Rattlers' tourney finale. Santa Fe Prep grabbed a 29-20 lead by intermission and made it stand up. "We had a tough time matching up with them with their size," Tucumcari coach John Span said. "I thought it was a winnable game. We got ourselves down a little bit and battled back. Free throws was another big key to the gam...
The Tucumcari wrestling team’s scheduled dual meet Saturday at Fort Wingate was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak there. Instead, the Rattlers will face previously scheduled district foes of Fort Wingate and (Shiprock) Northwest during a meet Thursday at West Las Vegas, Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias said. On Saturday, Tucumcari will travel to Bernalillo to face district foe West Las Vegas and at least one other non-district opponent there. “I’m hoping it’s Socorro so we can see how we match up,” Encinias said....
The Clovis Christian boys basketball team jumped out to big early lead against Logan and cruised to a 74-58 victory Saturday in the district opener for both teams. The Eagles (10-2) surged to a 22-6 lead in the first quarter against the visiting Longhorns (4-10), which never recovered. Logan coach Kyle Griffiths said his team was hampered by several players in foul trouble. “Clovis Christian is very good,” he said. “They play hard and have some guards that can really shoot it.” Park Strong led the Longhorns with 12 points, while Kaeden Stoner...
Fresh off its EPAC tournament title, the Logan girls basketball team continued racking up wins last week. The latest was a hard-fought 39-31 victory Saturday over Magdalena at the Mountaineer Invitational in Reserve. Kyra Conway and Reese Goldston each scored 12 points to lead the Lady Longhorns. “We didn’t play very well, but we muddled through it,” Logan coach Glynna Strand said. Conway also was picked for the event’s all-tournament team and earned the Pride, Hustle and Heart award. Reserve was scheduled to hold a full tournament last we...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16: Monday • 1:27 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 4200 block of Quay Road 66, Tucumcari. • 7:39 a.m.: Fraud in 500 block of South Second Street, Tucumcari. • 10:19 a.m.: Fraud in 300 block of South Third Street, Tucumcari. • 6:18 p.m.: Threat in 200 block of Moon Street, Logan. • 8:41 p.m.: Suicide attempt in 400 block of West High Street, Tucumcari. Tuesday • 8:11 a.m.: Arrest in 300 block of South Third Street, Tucumcari. • 9:55 a.m.: Frau...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Jan. 10 to Jan. 13: • Bobbie Warfield, 44, Santa Rosa, probation violation. • Jeanne Marie Benavidez, 39, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Amanda N. Garcia, 35, Tucumcari, two counts of contempt of court. • Sheri Peterson, 49, Menifee, California, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug), possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of bringing contraband into jail. • Terry Reck, 64, Tucumcari, contempt of court. These individuals were released...