Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Tucumcari’s municipal judge is resigning this week less than a year after he won a contested November election for the post. Christopher Maestas, 78, last week submitted a letter of resignation, effective July 22. Maestas stated in his letter he decided to step down “after careful consideration” due to health, physical and mental conditions. He stated it was a privilege to have served in the position. “I’m not very healthy,” Maestas said in a phone interview Friday. “I’m going to have to get someone to take it over. I’m pretty old. I hop...
San Jon Municipal Schools has a new superintendent coming from Clayton who has a lengthy administrative history at school districts in Texas. San Jon school board president Frank Gibson said Monday that Alan Umholtz, 62, on Aug. 1 officially will replace Janet Gladu, who departed from the San Jon district last month after four years to take a similar position in La Harpe, Illinois, so she could be closer to her children and grandchildren in that state. Gladu previously was a superintendent at a district in western Illinois. The San Jon board...
Quay County continued to see elevated case numbers of COVID-19, with another 33 cases and three deaths confirmed by the state last week. That compares to the 28 cases and no deaths during the previous week. Last week’s infection totals were the highest since early June, when the county saw a brief spike of 43 cases in one week. The COVID Act Now website last week also raised Quay County’s risk level from “low” to “moderate” for spread of the disease. The total number of coronavirus cases in the county since the pandemic began in spring 2020...
Two city officials during a work session Thursday for the fiscal-year 2023 budget outlined plans to give substantial raises to employees to lessen the city’s competitive disadvantage with other municipalities. However, the city also is facing possible deficits in two funds because of large-ticket items, despite robust tax revenue overall. Acting City Manager Mark Martinez, noting some city employees are paid barely above the minimum wage, proposed step increases of 38 cents an hour for each year of service. The current minimum wage is $11.50 a...
My last article earlier this month ended with a statement that being a doorkeeper in the Lord’s house was a great area of service for new Christians of almost any age because anyone can do the courtesy of holding the door open for anyone else (Psalm 84:10-12). Although that is a good place to start, I realized being a doorkeeper means a lot more than opening and closing doors for people at church. The house of the Lord in Old Testament times, also called the Tabernacle or Temple, took a bunch of Levites, members of the priestly tribe, to s...
The Tucumcari chapter of Altrusa International announced its annual scholarships given to one student from each of the school districts and one community college in Quay County. Each of the students received a $600 scholarship to attend a college or trade school of their choice. If they do not enroll, the scholarship will be given to an alternate. The scholarship winners and their alternates by school: • House High School: Avery Cavett, with Ross Lee as an alternate; • Logan High School: Rilee Nials, with Reece Goldston as an alternate; • S...
The Logan Municipal Schools board of education last week approved a new, two-year contract with its superintendent. Dennis Roch’s pact runs through June 30, 2024, with an annual salary of $125,000, he stated in an email. That is a raise of nearly $12,000. The board’s decision to award him a new contract was unanimous, he said. “I am very grateful for the board’s continuing support and for the opportunity to keep serving the students and families of Logan,” Roch stated in the email. “I’m pleased to serve alongside a talented faculty and s...
On this date ... 1972: A severe storm hit the Logan and Ute Lake areas. At least eight boats on the lake were sunk, and 20 to 25 boats were damaged in the north dock area. The dock also sustained damage, including its workshop. Winds blew off the roofs of several dock buildings. Food and supplies at the dock store were damaged when high winds swept water into the structure. R.G. Pierce, owner of the dock, estimated the dock sustained up to $6,000 in damage and up to $9,000 in damage to boats. Potter Boat Storage also reported damage to 15 to...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • July 29-30 — Quay County 4-H Rodeo. Events start each day at 5 p.m. at the Quay County Fairgrounds arena in Tucumcari. Concessions will be available. • July 30 — Down at the Depot. This event will feature live music, food trucks and arts and crafts booths in the Tucumcari Historic Railroad Depot near Second and Main streets. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. • Aug. 4-7 — Tucumcari Rattler Reunion. This annual event for all Rattler alumni primarily will take place at the Tucumcari Conventi...
The Tucumcari Senior Center and Logan Senior Center also offer grab-and-go meals to those who qualify. Those interested should call the Tucumcari facility at 575-461-2307 or the Logan facility at 575-487-2287 for more information. Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Curried chicken, egg noodles, Brussels sprouts, spinach salad with ranch dressing, dinner roll, banana pudding. Thursday — Roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots, whole-wheat roll with margarine, honeydew. Friday — Chicken Parmesan, linguine, cauliflower, garden salad with ranch...
A 50% increase in K-12 English language arts and math achievement by the 2025-26 school year might seem aspirational, until you realize where New Mexico is starting from. At last count, prepandemic, just one in five N.M. students was proficient in math and one in three proficient in reading. If those numbers were still accurate — doubtful with the learning loss remote education inflicted — reaching these goals would mean just one in three students will be able to do math and only half will be able to read at grade level. But especially giv...
No one really understands anyone else, so it’s no surprise that non-libertarians don’t understand libertarians. When I first started writing on the topic of libertarianism, I ran across a blog post written by a self-proclaimed “progressive” who explained why all libertarians were racists and should be hated and mocked. I commented, pointing out a host of reasons this wasn’t true. He seemed to imagine everyone he didn’t like could be clumped under the term “libertarian.” Most of the beliefs he attributed to libertarians were not libertarian beli...
Now that a 27-year-old man’s confession has substantiated a doctor’s story that a 10-year-old girl was raped, got pregnant and had to go out of state to get an abortion, you’d have a heart of stone not to feel for the girl. And if you insist that she should carry her pregnancy full term, you’re more than heartless, you’re being cruel. I say this because it sickens me when children are victimized as this young girl has been, first by a man who reportedly raped her at least twice, then by an Ohio law that prohibits abortions after six weeks. Cons...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from July 4 to July 17: July 4 — 12:17 a.m.: Fight in 400 block of Cheyenne Road, Logan. — 7:56 a.m.: Trespassing in 600 block of East Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 10:45 a.m.: Threat in Logan Park boat vault, Logan. — 12:59 p.m.: Arrest in 1000 block of East Heman Avenue, Tucumcari. — 2:01 p.m.: Theft in 600 block of South Seventh Street, Tucumcari. — 2:19 p.m.: Vandalism at South Fourth and West Aber streets, Tucumcari. — 2:34 p.m.: Brush fire in 1100...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from July 8 to July 17: — Pedro Borquez, 60, Tucumcari, violation of restraining order prohibiting domestic violence. — Manuel Nelson Ramirez, 32, Logan, contempt of court and charge not listed. — Ann Borgia, 46, Chester, Connecticut, burglary of a vehicle. — Jaqueline Romero, 25, Tucumcari, unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon and aggravated assault (deadly weapon). — Francisco Galvan, 48, Tucumcari, two counts of contempt of court. — Jose Barrzos, 31, Santa Fe, two counts...
SILVER CITY - On the morning of July 14, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish officers worked with area law enforcement agencies to capture and relocate a bear that wandered into the northern part of town. About 8:30 a.m., a resident spotted a bear in their backyard and called Central Dispatch to report the animal. Silver City Police Chief Freddie Portillo said Central Dispatch sent out several of his officers as well as animal control to confirm the sighting and try to contain the animal befo...
The Quay County Commission last week unveiled its annual draft of infrastructure and capital improvement plan, with reconstruction of Quay Road 63 near Tucumcari its top priority. The plan essentially is a wish list sent to the New Mexico Legislature to help lawmakers decide where to allocate annual capital improvement funds. The commission held a public hearing on the list during its regular meeting July 11. It likely will approve the final list during its next meeting July 25. Several projects, especially high-dollar items such as roads, are...
A high-ranking Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office official and three other first responders battling a small wildfire in northern New Mexico were all killed when the helicopter they were in crashed Saturday evening in a remote area south of Las Vegas. A sheriff's office spokeswoman said the crew had been "providing bucket drops and other air logistics needs to fire crews on the ground" prior to the crash. The BCSO helicopter - dubbed Metro 2 - crashed about 7:20 p.m., spokeswoman Jayme Fuller st...
A Tucumcari man pleaded no contest to three charges in an incident a year ago where a city police officer was captured on video picking up and slamming the suspect to the ground as he resisted arrest after a traffic stop. The officer later was cleared of wrongdoing after an internal review. Pete Apodaca, 44, pleaded no contest earlier this month to charges of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, driving while license revoked and no proof of insurance, all misdemeanors. Counts of battery upon a police officer, failure to register a...