Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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A $10 million allocation to help build a new Tucumcari hospital made it through the New Mexico Legislature as it concluded its 30-day session Thursday, plus more than $2 million in capital outlay projects throughout Quay County. All projects are subject to a possible line-item veto from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham through March 6. Kimberly Legant, a principal with Hull Consulting of Albuquerque, which is Quay County government’s lobbyist, said the $10 million in funding “for the construction of a hospital in Tucumcari-Quay County” was inser...
SAN JON — The superintendent of San Jon Municipal Schools said he recently learned the state waived a local match requirement to design a new school, saving the district more than $1.2 million. Superintendent Alan Umholtz said during the school board’s meeting last Wednesday the New Mexico Public Schools Capital Outlay Council board approved an award of $4.14 million to pay for a design for a new school at San Jon. The action included the waiver of a 31% local match, or more than $1.28 million, from the district. Umholtz said he ant...
A felony suspect who barricaded himself in a van in the middle of the busy South First Street corridor in Tucumcari after a low-speed chase Friday was apprehended by police nearly five hours later. After two flash grenades detonated near the suspect's van had no apparent effect, a New Mexico State Police robot rolled up to the vehicle and held a canister containing a teargas variant into its driver's side window. The suspect crawled out of the window, where he was grabbed and detained by a slew...
The Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board unanimously approved a recommendation to amend the city’s contract with the chamber of commerce that would give a part-time worker more hours at the visitors center through June. The recommendation goes on to the city commission, which can amend, approve or reject it at a future meeting. Kristine Olsen, representing the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, told the board during its Feb. 14 meeting the chamber’s existing contract allows $1,000 a month, or 15 hours a week, for a part-time worker to...
Psalm 51:8 - “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.” Whatever you think of the Harry Potter books, the author created a creepy monster called a Dementor. It was meant to be the personification of clinical depression. Dementors are invisible, heartless, and relentless in their desire to suck all the joy and happiness out of a person. One victim said the monster’s effect was to make her feel like she’d never be cheerful again. Live long enough and you’ll come to a place where you fear death less than you fear...
The Tucumcari Senior Center will hold a meeting on Feb. 27 to let people enroll in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The senior center will hold its enrollment from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that day. The program gives participants fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey from local farmers markets, farm stores or farm roadside stands. Participants can also receive healthful recipes and receive food-health awareness tips. People who are non-native Americans age 60 and over, Native Americans age 55 and older and senior...
On this date ... 1974: Another tape from the Symbionese Liberation Army was delivered to the parents of Patricia Hearst, reporters were told at the Hearsts’ home in Hillsborough, California. A reporter acting as a liaison between the family and media said the tape, received by the Rev. Cecil Williams, did not contain the voice of the 20-year-old kidnapped heiress. Williams telephoned Hearst’s father, newspaper publisher Randolph A. Hearst, and played the tape for him. The tape contained a ransom demand of $4 million. Patricia Hearst later was f...
• March 2 — Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration. This event by the Tucumcari Public Library to celebrate the children’s book author will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Quay County Fairgrounds. It will include door prizes, prizes for children who create the best birthday card and a scavenger hunt. For more information, call the library at (575) 461-0295. • March 23 — Second annual Chess Tournament. Preliminary rounds will be in the east room of the Tucumcari Railroad Museum, with the finals in Jackalope Coffee Haus. Beginner, intermedi...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Blueberry and yogurt parfait, assorted cereal, graham crackers, banana, apple juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk; Lunch: Corndog, ham and egg chef salad, tater tots, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, ranch dressing, mandarin oranges, 1%, skim, chocolate skim or strawberry skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Cherry frudel, assorted cereal, graham crackers, fruit cocktail, orange juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk. Lunch: Pepperoni pizza, ham and cheese sandwich, baby carrots, garden side salad, ranch...
As Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, told the floor as debate over this year’s budget wrapped up: “You’re not a poor state. Quit telling other people you’re a poor state.” He’s right. New Mexico is not poor. But what about the people of New Mexico? Among the citizens poverty remains high. According to World Population Review, New Mexico has the third-highest poverty rate in the US. Crime remains troubling and the education system is in dire straits. The state of New Mexico -- meaning the government itself -- has had massive surpluses in recent ye...
From the Duchess of Sussex and actress Meghan Markle to former Harvard President Claudine Gay to Vice President Kamala Harris, Black women have been the target of severe attacks in recent months. The most recent example are the distasteful comments made by Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas toward his colleague, Democrat Cori Bush of Missouri. Nehls, an acid-tongued conservative, took it upon his shamelessly arrogant self to refer to representative Bush as “loud” and “mouthy.” Nehls also referred to Bush’s husband, a man who served as a memb...
Pay too much attention to the goings-on in Congress and you’d think our nation is broken. But focus your attention closer to home and you’ll see an altogether different picture. Take the New Mexico Legislature as an example. It just went through a whirlwind 30-day session and got plenty done, and not just for the special interests. The people of our state, both left and right, might actually benefit from our lawmakers’ recent actions. Altogether, 72 bills were passed and now await Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature to become law. That co...
Three Tucumcari High School boy wrestlers earned medals at the at the Region 2 championships Saturday at Belen, all advancing to this weekend's state meet at Rio Rancho. Antonio Gonzales (27-5), a senior in the 172-pound weight class, advanced to the finals at the 19-team meet, losing only to Highland's Amiri Mumba by a 8-0 major decision. Josh Pacheco (34-9), a junior, finished third in the 145-pound division. He lost an 8-4 decision in the semifinals to Academy's Zac Fernandez but prevailed...
A district title is there for the taking for the Tucumcari girls basketball team. After a 57-13 drubbing of Dexter at the Lady Rattlers' home gym on Friday and a 12-point victory over Ruidoso earlier in the week, Tucumcari stands alone in first place in the standings with a 4-0 mark. The Lady Rattlers can secure the district title this week with wins at New Mexico Military Institute on Tuesday and a home game against Ruidoso on Friday. "We're in the driver's seat," THS coach Patrick Benavidez...
Tucumcari High School’s head football coach has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Tucumcari Public Schools interim superintendent Dave Johnson said that coach Tarik Emback was placed on leave after being notified of an allegation in January that Johnson would not specify. Johnson said the investigation should be wrapped up “in a few weeks.” He did not give specifics on the allegation because it is a personnel matter, though he said he might give more information later. Quay County Sheri...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team wasn’t going to let Dexter’s CJ Granados ruin its night again. Granados, a freshman strong forward, almost single-handedly in the final minute of play led his team to a 67-66 comeback win over the Rattlers on Feb. 2. On Friday at Rattler Gymnasium, Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson assigned junior forward Julian Griego to shadow Granados, who also drew a double-team defense near the paint. “We changed up our defense just because of No. 10,” Hittson said. “Julian...
The Logan girls basketball team vaulted into sole possession of first place in the district with a 52-46 comeback victory Saturday over visiting Fort Sumner, the previous frontrunner. The Lady Longhorns twice trailed the Vixens early in the fourth quarter, then put together an 11-3 scoring run to take a decisive 49-42 lead with less than two minutes left. Desta Rose, who led Logan with 23 points, and Hailee Robertson each made late free throws to preserve the victory. With its sixth straight win, Logan improved to 18-7 overall and 4-1 in...
The Fort Sumner boys basketball team captured a regular-season district title Saturday with a 79-76 comeback victory at Logan in a clash of two highly ranked squads. With the Foxes trailing 76-75 with less than a minute left, senior guard Joaquin Segura scored a driving bucket with 20 seconds left, then made two free throws with four seconds remaining. A final play set up by the Longhorns gave senior guard Brock Burns a good look at what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer just before the buzzer, but his shot bounced off the rim. Logan...
Contrary to rumors, the Arch Hurley Conservancy District board last week did not allocate water for the upcoming spring season. A water allocation wasn’t even on the board’s agenda for its regular Feb. 13 meeting. Board member Larry Perkins said he’d received three phone calls from people hearing the board would allocate water during the meeting. He surmised it was a misunderstanding regarding a photo on social media of the district replacing a radial gate. Last summer, the district allocated water to farmers through its canals for the first...
A Harding County man filed a complaint for damages against a truck driver, a trucking firm and its insurer over injuries he suffered in an accident near Logan in 2021, alleging the trucker was incompetent. The plaintiff, Nathan Eggart, asserts that Iowa-based CRST International shouldn’t have employed driver William Llewellyn of North Carolina, citing his previous traffic violations. Eggart filed the lawsuit in district court in Tucumcari on Feb. 9 against Llewellyn, CRST and Ace American Insurance. The Roybal-Mack & Cordova law film in A...
The Tucumcari-based TableTop Cooperative recently learned it will receive a nearly $25,000 grant to buy a walk-in cooler and other equipment so it can set up a food hub in the region. The New Mexico Economic Development Department last week announced a total of 21 Healthy Food Financing Awards worth $950,000 to help increase food security in the state and in underserved communities. The state agency stated the TableTop food hub “will enhance processing and storage capabilities, facilitating improved community food access and fostering a...
Members of the Princess Theatre Task Force said Thursday they likely would use new capital outlay funds for facade improvements and renovating the offices of the long-closed venue. The organization met shortly after the New Mexico Legislature ended its 30-day session. The city-owned downtown theater on Main Street is due to receive $135,000 in new capital outlay funds if it survives a line-item veto from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The original capital outlay request was $1.5 million. City manager Paula Chacon said if the Princess’ front offic...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Feb. 12 to Feb. 15: — Jason Roberts, 35, Tucumcari, battery against a household member and criminal damage to property of a household member (under $1,000). — Victor L. Rivera, 54, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Gabriel Anthony Perez, 25, Tucumcari, two counts of contempt of court. — Robert Jennings, 65, Tucumcari, driving under the influence of liquor (impaired; second offense). — Michael Paul Chacon, 45, San Jon, trafficking controlled substances (distribu...
The Logan Municipal Schools board last week approved a five-year facilities master plan that details about $2.03 million in priorities, including security improvements. Paul Aguilar of Consolidated School Support Services went over the 61-page plan with the board during its Feb. 12 meeting. It was written after input from teachers, district staff and community members. The approved plan, which serves as a guide for the school district to obtain capital outlay and other funding through 2029, was sent to the New Mexico Public School Facilities...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Feb. 12 to Feb. 18: Feb. 12 — 1:41 a.m.: Noise complaint in 1700 block of South Monroe Street, Tucumcari. — 6:45 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 700 block of West Sunset Avenue, Tucumcari. — 7:07 a.m.: Trespassing in 200 block of U.S. 54, Logan. — 11:26 a.m.: Arrest warrant at South Fourth Street and West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 2:22 p.m.: Theft at unlisted block of Montoya. — 6:29 p.m.: Brush fire in 6400 block of Quay Road AL4, Tucumcari....