Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Mesalands Community College has a new president. The college's board of trustees announced Friday afternoon after a brief executive session via videoconference it voted unanimously to offer educational consultant Gregory Todd Busch of Tucson, Arizona, a contract. Busch begins his duties May 1 and will work remotely for the first few weeks. Details of Busch's contract will be finalized later. Board Chairman Jim Streetman read from a prepared statement: "We feel Dr. Greg Busch's educational...
A man was taken into custody after being accused of shooting another man with a shotgun after an altercation Saturday night in a south Tucumcari neighborhood. According to Tucumcari Police Chief David Lathrom, two neighbors in the 1100 block of South Second Street became involved in an altercation in the front yard and street about 8 p.m. One man went back into his home, came back outside and discharged a shotgun in the other man’s direction. Several people who live in the neighborhood said t...
The Quay County Commission on Monday approved a lease agreement with Tucumcari Rawhide Days so the festival can use the fairgrounds for the 2022 festival, which plans a Texas Longhorn show in addition to its other western-themed activities. The meeting also was the first attended by new county manager Daniel Zamora, who took over after longtime manager Richard Primrose retired in mid-April. Primrose sat quietly in the audience gallery during Monday's meeting. Karen Alarcon, a chairwoman for the...
It appears Tucumcari High School’s graduation ceremony tentatively will occur at 11 a.m. May 21 at Rattler Stadium — if weather permits. Discussions over graduation took up a chunk of the school board’s regular meeting April 19. Last year’s graduation took place drive-up style in front of the high school because of COVID-19 restrictions. Each graduate was dropped off in front of the stage by his or her family’s vehicle shortly before receiving a diploma. During her monthly report, high school principal Nicole Bright-Lesly said Quay County’s...
The Tucumcari City Commission likely will set up a task force to get ahead of the state’s developing legalized recreational cannabis regulatory structure as it prepares to capitalize on the recent legalization of recreational cannabis. While the commission made no decisions during a public work session before Thursday’s regular commission meeting, the task force idea seemed to resonate among all commissioners who participated in the wide-ranging discussion on how the city can capitalize on a potential legal marijuana industry in New Mex...
For over a year, Americans have been advised to “stay safe” from COVID-19 by following recommendations and requirements to prevent the spread, including contracting the disease themselves. Now we have the vaccines, and my wife and I have been fully vaccinated for well over a month. So, we can now enjoy all the benefits, based on CDC guidelines, although the anticipated benefits are losing luster as more information is gained. For example, as we now understand it, the COVID-19 shot may only reduce the most severe effects of the disease that req...
On this date ... 1971: New Mexico authorities arrested two suspects in the early morning killing of an Amarillo service station attendant during a robbery. Earl Mabry Jr., 25, of Mount Dora, Florida, and Sylvester Lorenzo Randolph, 26, no address known, were detained near the Texas-New Mexico state line. Mabry was wounded in the arm and leg during a shootout with J’s Service Station attendant Leroy F. Thompson, 51, during the apparent heist at the station’s counter. Thompson was shot four times with a .38-caliber handgun later found in the fro...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Sept. 25 — Fired Up Festival. A variety of booths, live entertainment and a fireworks show are on tap at the Historic Railroad Depot Plaza area of downtown Tucumcari. More details about the festival will be announced later. • Sept. 25 — Wheels on Fire 100. Cyclists take on 50-mile, 100-kilometer and 100-mile courses along Route 66, Highway 469 and Highway 209 in Quay County. Two of the races include cash and prizes. Register at www.bikereg.com/wheels-on-fire-100. To submit items f...
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: Ultimate breakfast round, applesauce cup, 100% apple juice, skim milk or 1% milk; Lunch: Bean and cheese burrito, picante sauce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, fat-free ranch dressing, fresh mixed fruit, skim milk, chocolate skim milk...
The Mesalands Community College board of trustees approved a purchase requisition of 300 Chromebook computers and sleeves that will be given to students as part of a pilot program this summer. Larry Wickham, the college’s institutional technology director, said during the board’s regular April 20 meeting the total purchase of $70,146 would be part of a future 1-to-1 program where all Mesalands students would receive the computers. Wickham said the Chromebooks would be returned at the end of the summer and reissued to new students. He said tho...
The settlement between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former campaign spokesman James Hallinan, who accused her of inappropriate conduct during a campaign meeting, is right out of the informal PR manual on how to deal with potential fallout from a sordid allegation. First, say the claim is absolutely without merit, even scurrilous and defamatory. Then, open up a checkbook and pay the person making the allegations, with details shrouded in confidentiality. Finally, say the settlement was made only to avoid “the continuing distraction and signif...
Tucumcari city commissioners are acting wisely by preparing to keep up with, and as much as possible, ahead of developments as New Mexico sets up its framework for a new recreational marijuana industry. It’s going to happen, they say, no matter what personal attitudes are toward cannabis use for fun, so let’s make sure it’s done right. If it is done and done right, they see Tucumcari as a potential cannabis boom town. The city is located 40 miles from the Texas border, making it convenient for Texas consumers of marijuana products to pick...
So let me get this straight. According to the president, according to the Democrats, and according to the liberal media, half my country is racist, my political party is racist and I’m a racist. That’s the message they’ve all been telling me in the wake of the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis cop charged with killing George Floyd. They say because I’m white, I’m an accomplice in George Floyd’s death. They say because I’m white, I’m guilty for creating a systemically racist country that deliberately keeps blacks in p...
With more than a dozen confirmed cases of coronavirus in Logan in less than 10 days, it appears Quay County will be hard-pressed to stay in the turquoise zone when COVID-19 risk assessments are announced May 5. Since the previous assessment April 19 through Friday, Quay County has recorded eight confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to New Mexico Department of Health records. The county can tolerate up only to 10 cases during a two-week period and still stay under the threshold of eight daily cases per 100,000 people. Quay County also has an...
Quay County stayed in the turquoise zone during the latest two-week COVID-19 risk assessment announced Wednesday, but by a much less comfortable margin. The county recorded 6.8 daily cases per 100,000 people during the April 6 to April 19 period, compared to 2.6 daily cases during the previous two-week period. The maximum allowed is 8 daily cases per 100,000 people. Quay County’s test positivity rate also rose to 4.32% during the latest assessment, compared to 2.31% during the previous one. The maximum benchmark allowed is 5%. It marked the s...
Federal health officials on Friday recommended lifting the temporary halt on the use of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department on Thursday also announced that during the week of May 3 to May 8, children age 16 and older will be given priority for appointments on the state’s COVID-19 vaccine registration system, vaccineNM.org. Federal officials recommended a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine April 13 after six cases of a rare blood clot in patients with low pla...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team earned its first victory of the abbreviated season with a 38-36 district decision against East Mountain on Saturday. Alexus Lafferty scored 18 points to lead the Rattlers, and Caylee Benavidez scored six. “All but one player scored in this game, it was good to see others help with the scoring,” Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said. “This was the first game we pressed. Having practice time to work on things helped.” Hittson also credited Sariah Mardo and Mireya Estrada for making crucial steals and rebounds late...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team still was searching for its elusive first victory of the season after a 61-57 district loss Saturday to East Mountain. The Rattlers (0-10) fell behind 36-21 in the first half, and their second-half rally fell short. “Turnovers and free throw hurt us,” Tucumcari coach John Span said. “We missed more free throws than we lost by.” Tucumcari went 11-for-18 from the foul line. Andrew Henderson-Clark led the Rattlers with 21 points, and Dominick Jasper added 13. Beckett Dunleavy led East Mountain (2-4) with 18 poin...
SAN JON - After a slow start, the Grady boys basketball team's transition game came alive in a big way during a 59-19 district win Thursday over winless host San Jon. The Bronchos (2-6) led just 7-4 after one quarter but erupted for 24 points in the second period to take a 31-9 lead by intermission. Grady continually pushed the ball rapidly up the floor and kept finding easy shots for teammates against a young and inexperienced Coyotes team. Grady coach Jonathan Langan was happy to his team's...
SAN JON - Grady showed what one highly skilled player could do for a girls basketball team when the other squad lacks the same. Grady senior center Teryn Foote scored 19 points, including three 3-point shots, during a 39-27 district victory Thursday over a San Jon team still searching for its first victory of the abbreviated season. San Jon started strong, leading 8- 5 after one quarter and 11-5 early in the second period. Grady coach Alicia Rush admitted her team, which improved to 3-5...
Tucumcari High School softball coach CJ Oglesby admits he was ready to quit entirely when his promising team's season and other spring sports were canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But when practices began for his young and inexperienced squad in early April, much of the heartache from that lost season melted away. "I admit I was iffy after that season because I put so much heart into those girls," Oglesby said before practice last week. "To see it go down like that was...
The Tucumcari wrestling team opened its season belatedly Thursday but with a big triumph — three dual-meet victories over district opponents. The Rattlers defeated St. Michael’s 36-24, downed Newcomb 42-30 and defeated Pecos 42-15. Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias wasn’t completely satisfied, though. “We did all right,” he said. “My expectations are a lot more than a lot of people’s. We’ve got a lot of improvement to do. I think we can be a lot better than we are. We have to get guys into different weight classes.” Encinias was reluctant to sing...
The Tucumcari baseball team looked OK in the early in its season-opening game last week. Then the dam broke in the fourth inning. West Las Vegas erupted for 17 runs during that frame en route to a 23-3 victory April 20 at Tucumcari that was shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule. The Rattlers went through three pitchers in that inning - starter Johnathan Blea and relievers Joey Dysart and Luiso Molinas. The prolonged fourth featured a slew of singles, walks, a hit batter and a couple...
An Arizona man was detained in the county jail last week after being accused of engaging in a chase with law enforcement at speeds of over 100 mph on Interstate 40 in Quay County. Bryan Scott Kalember, 38, of Peoria, Arizona, was charged with aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), driving while under the influence of drugs, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding 36 mph and over and failure to maintain traffic lane. The fleeing and drug possession charges each...
New Mexico Gas Co., which supplies the city of Tucumcari, last week filed an application with the state’s Public Regulation Commission a proposal to recover natural gas costs associated with dramatic gas price increases seen during a winter storm in February. If passed by the regulators, it would mean an average 10% monthly increase to customers’ bills. The company stated it seeks to minimize the monthly impact to customers’ bills by spreading the recovery of these costs through the end of December 2023 — a longer period than would normall...