Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Despite an 8 percent increase in visitors to Ute Lake near Logan over the Memorial Day weekend, state and local officials are concerned about misconceptions surrounding the Ute Water Project, and their potential impact on recreational visits to the lake. The total number of people who visited Ute Lake State Park during the holiday weekend was a little more than 19,000, said Jim Winchester, public information director New Mexico State Parks. The numbers recorded are about 1,400 more than the 17,600 visitors in 2012. "The numbers reported may hav...
Tenth District Prosecuting Attorney Tim Rose said he is ready to start the trial of Tony Day, the Tucumcari youth accused of killing his adoptive mother and stepsister on Nov. 26. Rose said he is pressing for a September trial. "We're ready now," Rose said. The defense, however, continues to ask for more time. In recent court records, Jeffrey Buckels, the public defender representing Day, said the defense may not be ready for trial until January. Court records indicate that Rose and Buckels have been consulting with Judge Albert Mitchell on a... Full story
Quay County's 5.3-percent unemployment rate for April, the lowest reading recorded in nearly four years, is likely due to the addition of 20 part-tme jobs at the new Kodiak Produce facility in Tucumcari, preparation for the tourist season, and some new highway construction projects on Interstate 40 in the county, state and local sources agree. Tracy Shaleen, an economist with the state Department of Workforce Solutions, said Quay's employment pattern this year mirrors the pattern across the state. April is one of the lowest unemployment... Full story
The first draft of the county's fiscal 2014 budget shows an expectation of very little change from the fiscal 2013 budget, according to County Manager Richard Primrose. QCS Photo: Steve Hansen Quay roads 64 and AI are the only two in the county that are fully paved, County Manager Richard Primrose says. Quay Road 64 was paved last year with federal block grant funds. Quay Road AI is where Tucumcari Airport is located. Primrose presented the budget to the Quay County Board of Commissioners on May 28. The proposed budget calls for about $8...
Tucumcari schools will be operating with about $400,000 less for the 2013-2014 school year, according to budget documents. The decrease in revenues represents about 3 percent of 2012-2013 revenues that totaled $13.7 million. The amount of revenues budgeted for 2013-2014 is about $13.3 million. The total revenue is expected to decline even as operational revenues, most from state tax funds under the State Equalization Guarantee, are expected to increase to about $8.8 million from $8.5 million in 2012-2013. That's an increase of about $316,000 do... Full story
As you all may know the source of many of my columns are the animals, people and events going on in my life. It has been a few weeks since I have written a column and I can assure you it is not from a lack of events, cast or settings. In fact this past weekend was chock-full of events and good times. Some I can't talk about because the names have been changed to protect the innocent. For those who might not know, that was a Dragnet segue. The office lizard has found his way back inside after we had him removed so we could spray for spiders and...
Since I was a kid, I seem to have been drawn to places with names that no one seems to understand. Europeans have butchered some of the original Native American names of these places beyond recognition, and the meanings of these names have been lost, too. Take Chicago. No one really knows what "Chicago" means. Theories range from "cattail" to "skunk." I once lived close to Chicago on the Indiana side the Calumet Region, which hangs off of the extreme southeast corner of Chi-town. "Calumet" means "peace pipe." The region was probably called...
Living in one's home area provides much pleasure because we can see friends from all comers and in between. For instance, a couple of Saturdays ago, while having lunch at Del's, I had the privilege of seeing friends from Nara Visa to Hassell and points in between. Although one meeting came about because of a death, just visiting with those friends for a few minutes stirred more memories than the mind could absorb until much later. One man in that group told me long ago that he had met me first when I was just two weeks old and had come home fro...
The Mesalands Community College board on Friday approved hiring an investigation firm to conduct background checks on candidates for president of the college. On the recommendation of Jim Streetman, trustee and presidential screening committee chairman, the board hired Albuquerque-based Rick Foley Investigations LLC to conduct background and credit history checks on all applicants. Streetman said the committee plans to present a list of candidate finalists during the board's June 11 regular meeting, after a review of the investigator's...
QCS photo: Steven Hansen Carolyn Birch of Tucumcari wheels boxes into place for loading. Blueberries, corn, mangoes, bananas and other fruits and vegetables bound for destinations in the Midwest and Southeast are stopping in Tucumcari twice a week to change trucks at a rate of 10,000 to 15,000 cases a day at the new Kodiak Produce distribution center, Plant Manager John Perry said. The Tucumcari distribution center for Kodiak, a Phoenix-based produce distributor with about $10 million in annual revenues, is operating in earnest and has been... Full story
Nials Payson Nials will celebrate his sixth birthday on Thursday. Payson is the son of Dustin and Relissa Nials. He is the grandson of Ray and Jo Ann Nials and Robin and Aleta Smith. He is the great grandson of Leona Smith. Payson has two sisters: Rilee and Lilly. Payson loves to ride his horse "Choppo," play with trains and cars, and play T-ball. He also recently graduated from kindergarten at Logan. Payson will celebrate with friends at a pool party held at his Aunt Moo Moo's house. — Submitted by Relissa Nials...
Colossal Coaster World community vacation Bible school will be held 8:30-11:30 a.m., on June 10-14 at the San Jon First Baptist Church.... Full story
Yearout Matt Yearout and Julie Payton exchanged wedding vows on April 28 at the Dresser Mansion in Tulsa, Okla. The bride is the daughter of Marion Payton of Tucumcari and the late Allen Payton. Parents of the groom are the late John and Suzanne Yearout, former Tucumcari residents. Julie earned a bachelors degree in chemistry from the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla. She is employed as a senior quality engineer by NORDAM, an areospace firm in Tulsa, Okla. Matt is self-employed at Cable Cloaking Inc. Following a honeymoon to the Bahamas, the...
Tucumcari High School's athletes received recognition and awards at THS's annual Athletic Banquet, sponsored by the Rattler Boosters organization. Members of boys and girls football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, cross-country, track and field, and golf teams were called up to receive certificates and prizes. As usual, however, the Athlete of the Year and Academic Athlete of the Year awards capped the evening at the Tucumcari Convention Center. Male Athlete of the Year Luke Smith was also the academic athlete of the year. Smith played on...
The Tucumcari Softball Association 2013 will start its season June 18. The entry fee is $350 per team. For more information, please contact one of the following: Donnie 403-7215, Hallie 461-2764 or 815-0050, Charlotte 461-7973 or 815-9892. Checks should be payable to Tucumcari Softball Association. Bids are now being taken for the concession stand. There is also a men and women's pick-up softball league on Friday nights beginning June 21. More information is available by calling C.J. (575) 373-5693; Donnie, 403-7215; Hallie, 461-2764 or...
Quay County 4-H-ers recently competed in county 4-H contests showing what they have learned during the year. Novice and Junior 4-H-ers earned the opportunity to go on to district 4-H contests in Portales and Senior 4-Hers will compete in Las Cruces in July. Novice 4-Hers are 9-11 years old, Junior 4-Hers are 12-13, and Seniors are 14-19. The 2013 county winners: Novice Presentations 1. Gares Lopez – Cleaning a Rifle 1. Jenna Lopez – Caring for Dog Clippers Novice Favorite Food Sho 1. Dyson Clark Novice Clothing Revue 1. Adrienne Stone – Popov...
It's hard to believe that we've just blown past another Memorial Day! — Tempus fugit! — Time flies! But since the past decade's years clicked by like stripes on a runway, I shouldn't be surprised at the rate time fugits. My wife and I set out plants on Memorial Day. We figure that even though it was just a few days ago that we had a freeze at night followed by 94 degrees the next day, the hot temps will likely now win the battle and Jack Frost will be burned into surrender for a few months. But around here, at least for the last few years, the... Full story
"Happiness is worth a lot to me," a good friend, colleague, and mentor of mine once told his boss as he made a decision that would lead to his leaving the company. "Well, so what? Isn't happiness worth a lot to everybody?" his boss replied. "No," my friend replied truthfully and I think with unusual wisdom, "it is not--not to everybody." I've thought of that exchange often. My friend's words may mean more when I tell you that he is very motivated and one of the best businessmen I know. I haven't conducted any polls, scientific or otherwise, to... Full story