Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The acting interim president of Mesalands Community College told Quay County commissioners on Monday the financially distressed college has reduced its request of emergency state money from $3.7 million to $2 million, though he warned of “hard decisions” ahead even if it is granted. Allen Moss was appointed to as acting president in February after current president Gregg Busch left town in the wake of no-confidence votes from staff and faculty. Busch, citing complications from COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease, took a medical leave of absen...
The chairman of the Mesalands Community College board of trustees stepped down today after serving for 31 years as a member. Jim Streetman stated in his March 1 resignation letter to acting Mesalands President Allen Moss that he was retiring and that he also was resigning from the college’s foundation, effective immediately. “I have determined that as a result of the current financial challenges facing Mesalands it is in the Colleges (sic) best interest to have new leadership on the board,” he wrote. Streetman stated he served on the board when...
Though Mesalands Community College remains cash-strapped, its executive staff and new acting president during a Feb. 21 board of trustees meeting sounded a more optimistic tone than during a testy meeting the previous week. Mesalands earlier that day was authorized to receive $763,000 in state funds to reimplement its Jenzabar program and other moves so it can provide more complete financial statements, acting president Allen Moss said. Moss’ appointment as acting president the previous week was met with dismay primarily from the executive s...
About 20 people braved blustery winds Sunday afternoon to view a tree-planting in memory of a Tucumcari man slain by a pack of dogs several weeks ago. Meanwhile, the city's newest animal control officer during a city commission meeting Thursday explained how he was trying to address stray-dog problems. He also attended a dog-safety seminar Saturday at the Tucumcari Railroad Museum. On Gamble Avenue at a spot about 100 yards east of where Stanley Hartt, 64, died on South 11th Street on Feb. 1...
The Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday approved actions to fix a construction mistake at the landfill that will cost the city no additional funds. A previous change order for a new cell at the landfill due to an engineer’s error on the location of a liner had caused consternation at the commission’s previous meeting, especially from Commissioner Mike Cherry. He had insisted the engineer should cough up the money to remedy the mistake. Cherry essentially got his wish. The commission first approved a change order in the project with CBKN Dir...
My last article was about Valentine’s Day in regard to maintaining our love for God by showing others his love for us all (John 3:16; 13:34-35). I also love the season of twitterpation that follows Valentine’s Day during the onset of spring. I’m not referring to the date of the spring equinox — March 20 — but rather the greening up as grasses start growing and trees sprout leaves. I recall when I moved to Tucumcari from central Kentucky in December 1996 that I came from green to brown. I was depressed until about March 1, when I looked to...
Grief is a sneaky beast. There I was, scrolling through social media mostly minding my own business, when it hit. It started out innocently enough. I was knee-deep in fancy chocolate blends and extracts. Google seems to think I have a baking problem, and regularly throws things of interest my way. This time it was a cookbook. A triple layer chocolate something or other flashed on the screen, topped with the title, “50 Things to Bake Before You Die.” Challenge accepted, I thought. And then I immediately thought of my dad, who lived by the “tw...
A bond adviser for Tucumcari Public Schools recommended a two-mill levy renewal election in November, plus issuing an education technology note this year, to access more money for the district and ensure area property tax rates remain stable. The school board during its Feb. 20 meeting didn’t take action on the proposal. That likely would happen at a meeting in April. Regina Gaysina, director of the municipal finance department at RBC Capital Markets in Albuquerque, said she recommended the school district call a two-mill election for about $...
On this date ... 1973: Tucumcari officials learned the Baca-Goodman House at Third and Aber streets in Tucumcari was placed on the New Mexico Historical Register, with a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Benito Baca built the home in 1905 and later sold it to the Pioneer Goodman family. The home had been slated for demolition by the an urban development project until encountering local opposition. City commissioner John Crespin and U.S. bicentennial board member Frances Olsen led the campaign for the designation. The...
• March 5 — Little League field cleanup day. Show your support for Quay County Little League players by lending a hand and helping clean up the field to get it ready for the upcoming season. Times for the cleanup will be noon on both days. The field is off South 14th Street in Tucumcari. • April 1 — Easter egg hunt at Dunn Park, Tucumcari. This free event from 10 to noon will be for children from kindergarten through fifth grade only. The Pure Elegance Car Club and Tucumcari Disc Golf Club are organizing it. The clubs are asking for donations,...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Bacon and cheese frittata cup, toast, assorted cereal, graham crackers, fresh strawberries, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Ham and egg chef salad, teriyaki chicken, brown rice, California blend vegetables, fresh broccoli, mandarin oranges, skim, chocolate skim, 1% or strawberry milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Sausage and egg muffinwich, assorted cereal, graham crackers, orange juice, apple juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich, cheeseburger, french fri...
The father of a Tucumcari teen killed in a one-vehicle accident in January filed a petition that sets up a possible wrongful-death lawsuit involving the case. Steven Gloms, father of 15-year-old Jayden Gloms, on Feb. 21 filed a petition in Quay County District Court to appoint him as a personal representative of the estate of his deceased minor son “for the purposes of instituting a wrongful death action,” it states. The petition states Gloms died on Jan. 24 “as a result of acts and omissions supporting a cause of action pursuant to the Wrong...
Two COVID-19 cases were reported in Quay County last week, indicating the disease remained at a low ebb in February. That compared to one case the previous week, three cases two weeks ago and six cases three weeks ago. That brought the total number of coronavirus cases in Quay County since the pandemic began in spring 2020 to 2,555 by Friday. According to the COVID Act Now website that tracks the disease, the county’s rate of new cases rose somewhat but were at a still-low level of 28.3 cases per 100,000 people last week. That compared to 18.2...
One year into Russia’s assault on Ukraine, a few things are clear. Ukraine remains highly motivated, punching well above its weight against a far bigger and more experienced foe. The Russian military, meanwhile, has underperformed to nearly the same degree, though it continues to muster bodies and ammunition to throw at the front. It is also clear that the U.S. role has been essential in giving Ukraine a fighting chance. Thanks to a successful American campaign to become the indispensable nation, we are the only ones capable of leading that c...
Here we are. Another year, another February and another Black History Month in the books. Every year, for 28 days (29 in leap years), we are rightly introduced to and reminded of the innumerable contributions Black people have made to this nation. Corporations make bold and brazen acknowledgments, educational institutions salute Black history, and churches sponsor dinners representing a culinary smorgasbord undeniably definitive of recipes that originated in the African diaspora. All of this is good. Black people have a complex and vibrant hist...
Donald Trump and a lot of cameras flew into East Palestine, Ohio, last Wednesday. Yes, it was a typical Trump photo op. Yes, they were his MAGA people. The mostly white working-class town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border has nearly 5,000 souls and about 70 percent of them voted for him in 2020. But Trump did something for the people of the polluted town on that Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg had not yet done – he showed up and showed them he cared. Whatever you think about his style and personal flaws, Trump did a good thing by forcing the Biden a...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team earned a No. 5 seed in the Class 3A tournament and will host 12th-seeded Cuba in the first round Friday. Logan earned an ninth-seed for the Class 1A tournament and will travel to eighth-seeded Springer for its first-round game Friday. Playoff pairings were announced by the New Mexico Activities Association on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Rattlers (19-6), which recently finished their district schedule unbeaten, will play the Lady Rams (16-14) at 6 p.m. Friday at Rattler Gymnasium, aka The Snake Pit. The winner...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team earned a surprise berth in the Class 3A tournament, but its first-round game Saturday night is no picnic — a trip to Santa Fe to face top-seeded St. Michael’s. Logan earned an eighth-seed in the Class 1A tournament and will host ninth-seeded Legacy Academy on Saturday. Playoff pairings were announced by the New Mexico Activities Association on Sunday afternoon. The 16th-seeded Rattlers (9-16) had been on the bubble for a postseason slot and were ranked 17th most recently by MaxPreps.com. Tucumcari coach Joh...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team left no doubt Friday which was the top team in its district. The top-seeded Lady Rattlers took an early double-digit lead and never trailed in their 59-33 home victory over second-seeded Ruidoso in the championship game of the District 3A-4 tournament. Tucumcari's triumph followed a perfect 6-0 record in district play during the regular season. The Lady Rattlers earned a No. 5 seed in the Class 3A tournament and will host 12th-seeded Cuba on Friday. (See...
One bad quarter by the Tucumcari boys basketball team was all that host Ruidoso needed to secure a 57-45 victory on Saturday and a District 3A-4 tournament title. The Rattlers played well in the first period, getting points from all five starters and holding a 13-12 lead against the top-seeded Warriors. But Tucumcari (9-16) scored only one field goal during the second quarter. Meanwhile, Ruidoso (15-9) scored 16 to give it a 28-15 lead at intermission. The Warriors never trailed by double...
The Logan girls basketball team fell to second-seeded Fort Sumner 53-46 in the semifinal of the District A-6 Tournament on Wednesday. The Vixens stormed to a 10-0 lead early and never trailed, though the Lady Longhorns tightened it to a one-point game early in the second half. Lady Longhorns coach Dustin Robertson said his team didn’t lose due to a lack of effort. “Energy, talking and effort were all great again,” he said. “We just didn’t hit the shots like we have the previous few games. No doubt Fort Sumner’s defense had a little something t...
The Logan boys basketball team fell in the semifinals of the district tournament with a 66-51 loss Thursday at second-seeded Melrose. The Longhorns trailed just 26-23 at halftime, but an 8-1 run to start the third period gave the Buffaloes a double-digit lead. Melrose never trailed after that. “We didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball,” Logan coach Kyle Griffiths said. “Was a close game at halftime but struggle to score late.” Mason Wallin led the Longhorns with 14 points, and Brock Burns added 13. Logan, seeded third in the tourn...
A Tucumcari radio disc jockey soon will walk 66 miles on old Route 66 in the Tucumcari area to help raise funds for a local animal shelter. Jose Almeida, better known as DJ Lalo at KTNM and KQAY in Tucumcari, will walk a total of 22 miles east and back from the radio station on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Paws and Claws Animal Rescue of Quay County. Almeida said he’ll walk 11 miles east on the south Interstate 40 frontage road that is old Route 66, then double back to town each day. He said he hasn’t been walking a lot in preparation, but...
Tucumcari MainStreet has been selected to participated in a new small business resiliency audit and resources pilot program. In partnership with Main Street America and New Mexico MainStreet, Tucumcari MainStreet will create new tools to assist small business owners and identifying and responding to challenges, according to a news release from New Mexico MainStreet. Over the next four to six months, Tucumcari MainStreet will engage five small business owners and entrepreneurs through assessments, on-site focus groups and interviews exploring...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Feb. 17 to Feb. 22: — Justin L. French, 32, Tucumcari, charge not listed. — Bernie Ruben Chacon, 65, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Joshua Paul Hyslop, 38, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Stephine Talarico, 28, no address listed, contempt of court. — Francine M. Galvan, 24, Tucumcari, two counts of contempt of court. — Johnson Ray, 47, Albuquerque, unlawful use of highways, failure to give immediate notice of accidents, leaving the scene of an accident (property d...