Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Members of the Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board conceded Wednesday the ambitious proposal to spell "Tucumcari" in lights across the face of Tucumcari Mountain was dead, in spite of the plan having not been officially presented to the city commission. Board secretary Al Patel presented his plan during the board's February meeting to expand the current lighted "T" on the mesa to spell all nine letters of "Tucumcari." The board had unanimously recommended spending $5,000 in motel-tax funds on...
Quay County vaulted into the turquoise zone – the best achievable – in COVID-19 risk assessment Wednesday, which means bars and entertainment venues can reopen at limited capacity for the first time in many months. To be in the turquoise zone, a county must meet both benchmarks for COVID-19 risk, or be the green zone, for two consecutive two-week assessment periods. Quay County landed in the green zone during the Feb. 9 to Feb. 22 period. In the most recent assessment from Feb. 23 to March 8, Quay County recorded 4.3 daily coronavirus cas...
Tucumcari's city manager said he is exploring the idea of hiring an outside manager for the Tucumcari Convention Center to draw more events there and lower costs for the city. City Manager Mark Martinez also detailed some other possible improvements to the facility during his report to the Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board at its meeting Wednesday. Motel taxes are used for the convention center's upkeep, and the facility's refinanced debt will be paid off by June. Martinez said a hired...
One of the producers of the "Bands of Enchantment" music television series announced two of the acts that will perform when filming begins in Tucumcari next week. Elkhorn Entertainment president executive producer Tyson Chavez said during a telephone interview Thursday that The Texas Gentlemen and Max Gomez will be among the performers during initial production that begins next week through March 26. Chavez said he likely would announce more music acts that will come to Tucumcari later this...
The single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine made its arrival last week in Quay County, giving health providers another weapon to end the pandemic. Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari received 250 doses of the vaccine last week and promptly administered some of that, said Vickie Gutierrez, administrator and chief nurse executive. The hospital, which also uses the Pfizer and Moderna versions of the vaccine, administered 170 shots last week. Gutierrez said the hospital expects to administer 85 doses this week, “but this could change.” “Mo...
Should Christians be involved in politics? It’s a trick question, since politics always involves us. However disinterested you are in politics, politics is very interested in you. If you find that concept aggravating, I’m totally on your side. My preference would be to never give one more thought to anything that happens in Washington or Santa Fe. The real question is not whether to be involved, but how? I spent a lot of time doing it wrong. And, by “wrong” I mean ineffectively. When Bible-belie...
Noting insurance issues, Quay County manager Richard Primrose expressed skepticism Monday over a proposal from Runway Bay at Ute Lake developers to have the county apply for a federal $100,000 grant to acquire airplane refueling equipment for the site. However, Primrose and Runway Bay principal Sid Strebeck expressed optimism they and county attorney Warren Frost could meet to come up with an alternative for the grant. Its application must be submitted by March 31. Runway Bay at Ute Lake project manager Windsor Lacewell said the development on...
On this date ... 1971: King Aitken, president of the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, estimated 20,000 people came through Tucumcari in December. That calculation came from a total of 4,771 cars counted on Interstate 40 during the month. Multiplied by four people per vehicle, Aitken came up with 20,000. “If we can prolong the stay for a small portion of those 20,000 people for either the overnight or days, the chance that our friendly town will so sell itself that some of those folks may eventually move to stay,” he said. • Andy...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • April 16-18 — Spay and neuter clinic. A low-cost clinic to spay and neuter pets is being sponsored by Quay County Paws and Claws Animal Rescue. The cost for each surgery will be $40. Payment is due when applications are submitted. Applications are available at Best Care Pharmacy, Logan Subway, Tucumcari Subway and the shelter’s website at pawsandclawsanimalrescueofquaycounty.com. The application and payment must be received by mail by April 10 to: Paws and Claws, P.O. Box 143,...
The Tucumcari Senior Center and Logan Senior Center remain closed to the public indefinitely but will deliver meals to those who qualify. Those interested in meal deliveries should call the Tucumcari facility at 461-2307 and the Logan facility at 487-2287 for more information. Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Grape-filled crescent roll, fresh apple, apple juice; Lunch: Cheese pizza, garden salad, fat-free ranch dressing, fresh orange, chocolate skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Chocolate chip ultimate breakfast round, fresh pear, ora...
Don’t blow it, Texas. The eyes of the nation are on the Lone Star State these next few months after its governor, Greg Abbott, lifted mandates on face coverings and restrictions on how many people can enter businesses and other facilities. We’re about to find out if individual responsibility might gain credibility as an option in a land where government control grows bigger every day. It’s important to note what Abbott actually did when he made his announcement to “open up Texas,” starting Wednesday. Liberal media and some Democrats would hav...
When I look in the mirror, I do not do a jig. A thin face with wrinkles, a nose that’s too big. Ears that stick out like a wind-powered rig If I couldn’t laugh, I’d wind up in the brig. If Theo “Seuss” Geisel drew me, it is sure, The likeness would be its own caricature On an elephant ride in Kuala Lumpur. If it helped a kid read, it’s a pain I’d endure I looked in the paper and learned of the news. It wasn’t a good thing. It gave me the blues I learned that the world was now changing its views Of that dearly beloved. That muse, Dr. Seuss...
A crisis is a terrible thing to create. This, nonetheless, is what President Joe Biden has done at the southern border. His rhetoric during the campaign suggesting an openhanded approach to migrants coming to the U.S., and his early moves to undo Donald Trump’s border policies are creating a migrant surge that risks running out of control. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas says the situation isn’t a crisis, but “a challenge” — an “acute” and “stressful” challenge with some “urgency,” but merely a challenge all the same. Conside...
Defending Class 2A runner-up Texico and its skill players proved too much for Tucumcari's football team during the Rattlers' season-opening 49-14 loss Friday night at Rattler Stadium - the first high-school sports event in Tucumcari in almost a year because of COVID-19 restrictions. The Wolverines scored the game's first 43 points and racked up more than 400 yards of offense. Though he played less than a half before leaving with an elbow injury, Texico quarterback Gabe Dickerman led the charge...
The Tucumcari volleyball squad ended its opening week with a 14-25, 16-25, 19-25 loss at its home debut Saturday afternoon against Clayton, but it came with an unexpected bonus - a good-sized audience to watch the match. Sports teams learned Thursday evening the state's Public Education Department and New Mexico Activities Association would allow spectators at most games if their counties' COVID-19 risk levels were low enough. Schools throughout the state for weeks had planned empty gymnasiums...
LOGAN - Grady's volleyball team had grabbed the momentum by winning Game Three, held a six-point lead in a Game Four of the match and seemingly had host and longtime arch-rival Logan on the ropes during both teams' season openers. That is, until Kambry Burns began serving the ball for the Lady Longhorns. Burns fueled a 9-0 scoring run during that game with four aces and made numerous other key plays during the match in Logan's 24-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-21 victory on March 2. Burns also notched a...
Logan lost its season-opening road game Friday night against eight-man football rival Melrose. Worse yet, the Longhorns lost two starters for probably at least one game because of injuries. The defending state champion and host Buffaloes scored 26 unanswered points en route to the 48-12 victory. Logan quarterback Wyatt Wright and running back Jordan Evans suffered concussions and were taken to a Clovis hospital. Both will have to sit out at least 10 days due to the New Mexico Activities...
The Albuquerque-based Pizza 9 restaurant chain is undertaking an aggressive expansion of its market in New Mexico, and it has Tucumcari on its radar. Tucumcari City Manager Mark Martinez mentioned during a city commission meeting Feb. 25 that Pizza 9 was looking for a franchisee to open a site in Tucumcari. Jeffrey Candelaria, Pizza 9’s franchise development director, during a phone interview Thursday pointed to a Feb. 24 company news release that announced the company was extending franchise opportunities to markets in Artesia, Bernalillo, C...
Two Tucumcari children who ran away from their foster home and disappeared six weeks ago were found “safe and sound,” the Tucumcari Police Department reported. The department announced in an updated post Sunday afternoon on its Facebook page that Angelique French, 15, and Braxton French, 11, were found after an anonymous tip led officers to their location. Tucumcari Police Deputy Chief Peter Rivera stated in an email Monday the children were found in Tucumcari, and no one was arrested. He said an investigation is ongoing. The department sta...
Just one Quay County coronavirus case was reported in the past week, fueling optimism the county will vault into the turquoise zone — the highest available — when assessments are announced Wednesday by the state. Through Sunday, just five cases have been reported in the county since Feb. 22. The county can tolerate up to 10 cases within a two-week assessment period and still be under the benchmark of 8 daily cases per 100,000 people. The estimated test-positivity rate in Quay County was 1.7% since Feb. 22, well under the benchmark of 5%. Cou...
As farmers begin to plant crops, the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center at New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture remind producers of the seriousness of the state’s drought situation. New Mexico’s drought intensity levels remain at severe, extreme or exceptional, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor. New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte encouraged agricultural producers in the state to use various resources available. “New Mexico ag producers are the heart...
Those at risk from suicide should put together a safety plan they can quickly consult and likely prevent their untimely demise, a psychiatrist said Thursday in a videoconference with members of the Quay County Health Council. Dr. Avi Kriechman, who works for the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition and the University of New Mexico’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, made those and other suggestions during a “Suicide Prevention: Enhancing Safety” presentation. The health council has made suicide prevention a higher priority. Q...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from March 1 to March 7: Monday • 1:39 a.m.: Noise complaint in 100 block of North Sixth Street, Tucumcari. • 10:12 a.m.: Arrest warrant in 100 block of West Center Street, Tucumcari. • 12:47 p.m.: Property damage in 500 block of North Seventh Street, Tucumcari. • 4:32 p.m.: Property damage in 100 block of Eighth Street, Logan. • 9:40 p.m.: Accident with injuries in 33000 block of Interstate 40, Tucumcari. Tuesday • 2:28 a.m.: Brush fire at milepost 338, Inters...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from March 1 to March 8: • Amber Rae Lucero, 20, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • James Warren Martin, 33, San Antonio, Texas, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug). • Ezekiel Arthur Gutierrez, 43, Tucumcari, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass (posted). • Aaron Keith Martinez, 20, Tucumcari, larceny (firearm). • Dominick Michael Ortiz, 26, Tucumcari, contempt of court, criminal...