Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The Quay County Commission on Monday approved a preliminary budget of $15.08 million for the upcoming fiscal year that includes $1-an-hour pay increases for county employees. The budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year must be submitted to the state by June 1, and the county commission will approve a final budget by July. The previous year’s preliminary budget was $16.16 million. Finance Director Cheryl Simpson said “I feel comfortable” with the proposed budget. The pay increases, she said, rewards employees who continued to work at the court...
Gregory Todd Busch presided over his first regular meeting of the Mesalands Community College board of trustees on May 18, less than three weeks after he took over as president of the institution. The meeting was held by videoconference as they have for more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Busch still was in Arizona during the meeting, and he said from the time he was offered a contract in late April he would do his work for Mesalands remotely for several weeks. Busch said he and his wife, Mary Beth Busch, were moving to...
A crowd estimated at more than 900 people gathered at Rattler Stadium on Friday morning to see 43 Tucumcari High School students walk across a temporary stage to receive their diplomas. It had been more than 15 years since THS held a graduation ceremony at its football field. Because COVID-19 restrictions allowed 75% capacity at the spacious stadium versus 33% in the Snake Pit gymnasium, school officials took a gamble that good weather would prevail and allow more friends and family to attend...
Quay County would have tumbled from the turquoise to the red zone if state COVID-19 risk assessments had occurred in the county in mid-May, New Mexico Human Services Secretary David Scrase said Wednesday during a state health briefing. Quay County avoided the additional restrictions from such a rating because counties that landed in the turquoise zone in late April are evaluated just monthly instead of every two weeks. Almost all New Mexico counties landed in the turquoise zone by early May. Scrase’s report may be a harbinger of tighter h...
On this date ... 1971: “Breath of Life,” a 10-minute film dealing with the art of life-saving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, was screened during the Noon Lions Club meeting at the Ramada Inn in Tucumcari. The showing was sponsored by the American Heart Association. • Photographs of 23 graduating Logan High School seniors were displayed in the pages of the newspaper. • The Odeon Theatre was screening the Oscar-winning “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” starring Katharine Ross, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The film was advertised:...
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 or the Logan facility at 487-2287 for more information. Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, cabbage, whole-wheat roll, pineapple chunks. Thursday — Chicken pot pie, green beans with mushrooms, dinner roll, fruit. Friday — Sweet and sour pork, steamed rice, carrots, whole-wheat bread, manda...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • June 18 — Fired Up Friday. An Open Mic Night will be held for poets and entertainers. Food trucks will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until the food runs out. Tucumcari Historic Railroad Plaza at Second and Main streets. • July 16 — Fired Up Friday. The Quay County Health Council will host a chalk art contest. Food trucks will operated from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until the food runs out. Tucumcari Historic Railroad Plaza at Second and Main streets. • Aug. 5-7 — Rattler Reunion. Th...
There's an adage in journalism: "When dog bites man, that's not news. When man bites dog, that's news." When a report came over that a local man had fatally stabbed a dog in self-defense, that saying came to mind. Though the adage is a humorous way to describe newsworthiness, this was no laughing matter. The incident left a dog dead, traumatized at least a couple of children and left hard feelings in a northeast Tucumcari neighborhood. The incident involved Isaac Pacheco Jr. and his 2-year-old...
Well, school’s out, and next Monday is Memorial Day, which often is associated with the beginning of the summer vacation season. First, congratulations graduates! The junior and senior years of high school and college are usually the toughest, but you stuck it out despite the pandemic that brought about traumatic changes in your educational process. Congratulations even more so to those who completed two-year associates of arts or sciences degrees, about three-fourths of which would have taken place during the pandemic. For all of you, your f...
“Wake-up call” is perhaps one of the most over-used phrases in the English language. And one of the most ignored. The recent shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline because of hackers, apparently a criminal gang working out of Russia, is a case in point. The pipeline stretches from Texas to New Jersey and transports half the fuel consumed on the East Coast. When the pipeline was shut down, panic buying ensued with long lines and gas shortages. Hundreds of stations ran out of fuel. The company that operates the pipeline paid roughly $5 million to the...
Yes, a special commission should be to set up to probe what happened before and during the Jan. 6 attempt by rioters supporting former President Donald Trump to usurp the proper functioning of the U.S. Congress. Yes, a special commission should be appointed to determine whether federal crimes were committed before or during the riots that have occurred in major U.S. cities in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and other African Americans at the hands of police. But not the same panel and not at the same time. The incidents are not related....
Most of the country has seen video of the tragic death of Ma’Khia Bryant. She’s the 16-year-old girl from Columbus, Ohio, who was shot four times on April 20 by a police officer as she was about to stab another young woman with a kitchen knife. Many people blame the cop for Ma’Khia’s death. Many people blame Ma’Khia’s parents or Ma’Khia herself. But you know what really killed her? Foster care. That’s the failed system that turned her into a raging young woman with a knife in her hand. Foster care in our country has been a scandalous fail...
The producers behind the "Bands of Enchantment" music television series that was shot in Tucumcari on Friday announced dates when episodes will air on New Mexico and Texas PBS stations. Here are the stations that will air Elkhorn Entertainment's first eight episodes: • KENW-TV, which reaches into Tucumcari and other southeastern New Mexico cities, will air episodes at 10:30 p.m. on Mondays starting June 14 and 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays starting June 19. • KACV-TV, which beams into the Texas and...
A Clovis motorcyclist died in a one-vehicle accident May 12 on Highway 469 south of San Jon. According to a news release Monday from the Quay County Sheriff Russell Shafer, the accident occurred between mile markers 14 and 15 on the highway, at the descent from the caprock. The report didn’t identify the motorcycle’s driver. A worker at Muffley Funeral Home in Clovis confirmed the victim was Jared McDaniel, 25, of Clovis. A sheriff’s deputy reported the wreckage and driver were in the northbound lanes. The driver was bleeding from the head and...
Quay County’s full vaccination numbers against coronavirus continued to creep up last week, but about 20 percentage points behind the statewide pace. According to state Department of Health data, Quay County had 34.3% of its eligible residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 through Friday, which was 1.7% higher from the previous week. However, that was well behind the statewide proportion of 53.4% through Friday. State officials have said they would lift the red-to-turquoise COVID-19 risk framework once the state hits 60% full vaccination. T...
The Nyoka Marimba Band at Tucumcari Elementary School recently held its first public performances in more than a year after being sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. The band, directed by music teacher Andrew Kesten, gave a livestream performance from its music room on April 30 after in-person classes resumed at the school district during the early spring. Its first live performance was May 14 at Adele Ilfeld Auditorium at New Mexico Highland University in Las Vegas that parents and family...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from May 17 to May 23: Monday • 9:53 a.m.: Arrest at South Sixth Street and West Gamble Avenue, Tucumcari. • 11:08 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 2600 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. • 11:56 a.m.: Arrest warrant at South Second Street and East Evans Avenue, Tucumcari. • 2:39 p.m.: Search warrant in 900 block of East Harmon Avenue, Tucumcari. • 5:28 p.m.: Threat in 500 block of East Main Street, Tucumcari. Tuesday • 7:34 a.m.: Downed lines in 8200 blo...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from May 17 to May 23: • Charles Camerino, 31, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Daniel Edward Lott, 55, Tucumcari, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal damage to property (over $1,000). • Benny Sisneros, 56, Santa Rosa, assault upon a police officer and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer (arrest). • Abrina Trujillo, 20, Tucumcari, contempt of court, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug) and warrant from other counties or states....
Tucumcari 220-pound senior wrestler Dyson Clark stunned the defending heavyweight champion from St. Michael’s to capture the District 1-3A title Wednesday and earn an automatic berth to this week’s state tournament at Rio Rancho. Freshman Isiah Garcia at 113 pounds, junior Charles Prieto at 132 and sophomore Xzander Garcia at 182 each finished second for Tucumcari during the district tournament at Robertson High School in Las Vegas. Each earned a berth to the state tournament. The Class 3A boys state championships will be one day only, on Thurs...
LOGAN - Quickly filling out to midseason form, Logan boys and girls track teams each won titles at their 12-team meet Saturday. The meet also included teams from Tucumcari, San Jon, Roy, Mosquero, Clovis Christian, Des Moines, Elida, Dora, Melrose, Santa Rosa and Texico. Final team scores weren't available, but Logan coach Robert Young confirmed both his squads prevailed in total points - powered mostly by the girls winning the 400, 800 and 1,600-meter relays and the boys sweeping the 400, 800,...
The Tucumcari High School boys golf team finished third of three teams but showed vast improvement during its only home meet this season May 17 at Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course. Clovis Christian won the meet easily with a 308 score, while Portales finished second with a 360. Tucumcari scored a 489. "My kids continue to improve," Tucumcari coach Donnie Garcia said. "We improved by 48 strokes today (as a team)." Garcia added his two girl competitors "did good for their first tournament." Andrew...
Logan’s Kaden Riggs was named to the Class 1A boys basketball all-state team last week. Riggs, a senior, averaged 14.8 points and 9.5 rebound per game for the Longhorns (4-2). Other first-team Class 1A boys picks were Isaiah Zunic of Evangel Christian, Burney Kane and Clay Norman of Fort Sumner, Joren Mirabal of Magdalena and Devon Bailey, Trace Jackson and Tate Sorgen of Melrose. Logan senior Dante Sanchez (19.5 points per game) made the Class 1A boys second team, as did Clovis Christian’s Cater Teune, Elida’s Teagan Burton and Rylan Creig...
The Logan baseball team continued its early-season dominance with a lopsided doubleheader sweep Friday at Clayton, including another no-hitter. The Longhorns (5-0) blanked the Yellow Jackets 15-0 in the first game and drubbed them 28-0 in the second. In the opener, Logan starting pitcher Gabe Milakovich struck out seven and walked only one in five inning during his no-hitter. The Longhorns, leading 7-0, won the game by the 10-run rule with an eight-run fifth inning. Logan had just seven hits but also clogged the basepaths by drawing eight...
Little went right for Tucumcari, including the weather, during a 34-0 loss May 17 at Santa Rosa. The start of the game was delayed for about an hour because of a storm system rolling through the region. Once play began, Tucumcari coach Dennis Dysart said his starting pitcher, Johnathan Blea, “had a horrible time with the mound and the mud.” “Santa Rosa played flawless ball, and we didn’t,” he added. Santa Rosa scored 13 runs in the first inning and 10 runs each in the second and fourth innings. Khobie Salvador had both hits, which were sing...
Tucumcari proved to be no match for a highly touted Robertson team and its starting pitcher, Taylor Quintana, during a 33-0 loss May 18 at Robertson. Quintana, an eighth-grader, threw a no-hitter with just one walk in three innings and blasted two home runs. “Their pitcher was one of the best I’ve seen,” Tucumcari coach CJ Oglesby said. “This girl has a bright future.” Robertson improved to 7-0 overall. A game scheduled for Saturday at Raton was canceled due to increment weather....