Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Larry Wallin, a manager for the Village of Logan for more than two decades, died Saturday from complications of cancer. He was 67. His obituary stated he died surrounded by his family. His funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Logan High School gymnasium, with lunch to follow in the school's cafeteria. Warren Frost, who served for many years as the village's attorney, said Wallin was "instrumental in making Logan what it is today." "Almost everything positive that's been going on here...
An unexpectedly large inaugural Independence Day Parade in Tucumcari on Thursday had organizers already looking ahead to improving or tweaking the event for next year and beyond. Bobby Hockaday, one of the parade's organizers, said after the event he had hoped to draw 15 entries. He had kept expectations modest because the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce had only two months to prepare and it also being Tucumcari's first July 4 parade in recent memory. Hockaday said signups for the para...
The Tucumcari Farmers Market has a new manager as it opens for the season at 10 a.m. Saturday in Wailes Park. Market manager Jonna Stanger said she has 15 to 17 vendors lined up, though they won’t be present all at once due to varying growing conditions. Stanger said among the offerings Saturday will be locally raised beef, garlic, beans, sourdough bread, strawberry jam, cookies, soaps and candles. She acknowledged some produce vendors are struggling with damage from hail and grasshoppers. “So while we may have lower than hoped-for off...
The Quay County Commission on Monday approved an Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan that puts replacement of the courthouse’s windows and climate-control systems high on its priority list. The plan, which serves as a guide to the state legislature for capital outlay funding, still has $30 million to build a new Trigg Memorial Hospital as the top item. The county is due to receive $10 million in state funding for the hospital project later this year, and county manager Daniel Zamora is applying for an additional $20 million in funds from t...
On this date ... 1974: The Tucumcari News published a long list of questions from residents regarding a hotly debated annexation of Highway 18 (aka First Street) and Interstate 40, with answers from Mayor J.E. Saltz and two city commissioners. Saltz said the city needed to annex the land to benefit from sales, gasoline, lodgers and cigarette taxes, plus other revenue. Saltz, in response to a question about his residency, also said he had been a legal resident of Tucumcari since 1970. — Police arrested a man from Juarez, Mexico, on suspicion o...
Saturday — “Cross of Iron” book signing. Author Nick Pappas will give a presentation and sign copies of his book at 2 p.m. He also will be joined by Frank Turner, founder of the Tucumcari Railroad Museum, in the renovated east room of the Tucumcari Railroad Depot. Pappas’ book goes into the history of two coal-mining disasters in Dawson, New Mexico. The rail line from Dawson once connected to Tucumcari. July 26-27 — Quay County 4-H Rodeo. This competition at the Quay County Fairgrounds for senior, junior and novice rodeo athletes draws fro...
Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, chuckwagon corn, roll with margarine, fruit cocktail. Thursday — Barbecued pork sandwich, carrots, sweet potato fries, banana and strawberries. Friday — Chicken fajita, pinto beans, tossed salad with dressing, tortilla, rice pudding with cinnamon. Monday — Hot dog, baked beans, zucchini and tomatoes. Tuesday — Smothered bean burrito, Spanish rice, Brussels sprouts, tossed salad with dressing, apricots. Logan Senior Center Wednesday — Chicken breast with mush gravy, mash...
Evangelical Christians might be scandalized to realize how strongly the God of the Bible comes down on the side of festivals, parties, and days off. They know what tithing is, but they’ve never seen the rule saying that a third of the tithe was meant to save up for the feasts. Basically, one facet of tithing was to build up your vacation fund. It gets worse, though. God comes right out and encourages the (moderate) enjoyment of wine and other strong drink during those festivals. Jesus would not be a good Southern Baptist. There were initially t...
The New Mexico Finance Authority is seeking contractors in Quay County and several adjacent counties to provide home rehabilitation services for the agency’s Home Improvement Program. The MFA is accepting Requests for Qualifications for prospective contractors. Up to $5 million in funding is available to rehabilitate homes throughout the state. MFA offers direct home rehabilitation services through its new Home Improvement Program in eight counties that do not have a service provider for its HOME Rehabilitation Program, including Quay, G...
About 12 years ago, when I was at the Las Vegas Optic, we worked up a special section on the seven-county region of Northeast New Mexico. Not surprisingly, our lead story was about water. At the time, Las Vegas was facing some serious drought conditions that had slowed the Gallinas River to little more than a trickle, leaving the city — which gets nearly all its water from the Gallinas — with only a couple months of water in reserve. City officials at that time said the reservoirs were only 68% full and sinking. Also around that time, I got...
For the past five decades or longer, the state Legislature has been planning for what we will do when the oil runs out. We’ve set up permanent funds to ensure we’ll be able to keep our schools open and provide other essential services, tucking away money that is not needed now. We haven’t planned nearly as well for the depletion of an even more precious resource — water. The state didn’t even have a water plan until 1987, and the one drafted that year led more to regional competition than conservation. Many of the plans submitted to the Inter...
The latest edition of Kids Count provides more devastating news about New Mexico and the condition of our children. The report, created by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (a center/left non-profit that works nationwide) analyzes and ranks all 50 states based on 16 variables relating to childhood outcomes. Surprising absolutely no one, New Mexico was once again at 50th. I analyzed the report and counted seven variables that improved, seven that got worse, and two that stayed the same relative to last year’s report. Based on this it is hard to p...
The Quay County Fair has moved up its 4-H and FFA rabbit and poultry shows to Aug. 1 due to concerns about avian influenza in the region. The Quay County Extension Service announced the change last Tuesday. Erin Smith, family consumer science and 4-H agent at the extension office, said the fair board decided last Monday to move up the poultry and rabbit shows by about a week. The remainder of livestock shows will be during the fair’s usual schedule of Aug. 7-10. “This is a precaution to insure no possible cross contamination with other spe...
Despite New Mexico residents spending more money to run climate-control systems to counter a typically hot summer, a recent report shows the Land of Enchantment having the lowest energy costs of all 50 states. WalletHub reported New Mexico residents’ average monthly energy bill was $376, which was $24 cheaper than the lowest-cost runner-up, Arizona. The report accounts for costs for electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil. Breaking down the numbers from WalletHub, New Mexico’s average monthly electricity cost was $103, sec...
Dacian Montoya, a senior at Logan High School, will compete in bull riding later this month at the 76th annual National High School Finals Rodeo after finishing second in that event in the state championships. The NHSFR on July 14-20 in Rock Springs, Wyoming, features more than 1,700 contestants from 44 states, five Canadian provinces, Australia, Mexico and New Zealand. Montoya, who lives in Tucumcari, earned a position on the New Mexico bull riding contingent after finishing second at the state...
Jordan’s Way will conduct a fundraiser on July 18 at Paws & Claws Animal Rescue of Quay County as part of its third 50-state tour. The public is invited to the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 18 at the Tucumcari shelter at 6427 Quay Road AI, also known as Airport Road. The event will include challenges and games. It also will be broadcast live on the Facebook page of Paws & Claws Animal Rescue of Quay County. Kris Rotonda founded Jordan’s Way after his favorite dog, Jordan, died. Jordan had spent the first 3 1/2 years of her life in a she...
Two men were reported missing in the region last week. New Mexico State Police issued a Silver Alert for Carmel Cresenciano Jasper, 76, who last was seen May 30 at the Circle K convenience store on South First Street near Interstate 40 in Tucumcari. Jasper, listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, last was seen wearing a red jacket, blue jeans and a green shirt with "Team Jasper" on it. Authorities issue a Silver Alert for an endangered person who has been confirmed as missing, who is 50 years and...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from July 1 to July 7: — Pete John Apodaca, 46, Tucumcari, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer (arrest) and intentional child abuse (no death or great bodily harm). — Tehron Lampkin, 21, Tucumcari, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug). — Leon Robert Holbrook, 49, Tucumcari, contempt of court. These individuals were released from the Quay county Detention Center from June 28 to July 5: — Nathan J. Lucero, 28, Tucumcari, transfer to another...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from July 1 to July 7: July 1 — 9:14 a.m.: Child abuse in 400 block of South Second Street, Tucumcari. — 9:25 a.m.: Code enforcement in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. — 12:37 p.m.: Accident in 6700 block of Highway 209, Tucumcari. — 12:38 p.m.: Civil dispute in 400 block of South Sixth Street, Tucumcari. — 4:18 p.m.: Civil dispute in 1100 block of East Turner Avenue, Tucumcari. — 4:26 p.m.: Reckless driving in 600 block of Gallegos Street, Log...