Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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An official with the state’s Higher Education Department said the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and Office of State Auditor are investigating claims the former president of Mesalands Community College made against the Tucumcari institution. David Mathews, general counsel for the HED, stated in an email Thursday that former Mesalands president John Groesbeck contacted his agency shortly after his firing by the college this spring. “Staff immediately reported his allegations to the Office of the State Auditor (OSA),” Mathews wrote....
A confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported Sunday in Quay County by the state’s Department of Health, bringing the total to 32 since the pandemic began. It was the first confirmed case in the county in a week. After previously recording 24 cases in 20 days, the latest gap between cases was a sign that perhaps the spread of the disease was slowing in the region. No rapid response referrals to COVID-19 cases in employees of businesses or entities in Quay County have occurred since July 24. A total of five referrals occurred during the month. A...
New Mexico's governor on Thursday extended current health restrictions through August with the hope coronavirus cases will fall and allow students to return to schools after Labor Day and the lessening of some business restrictions that month. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also said during a livestreamed briefing the state likely would issue new guidelines Friday or Monday for nursing homes that would allow family visitations under certain conditions. Residents of those homes have been under lockdown since March because of their high vulnerabilit...
New Mexico's governor announced Thursday the delay of in-person classes at public schools through Labor Day because of a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said schools would resort entirely to online teaching when the year begins in mid-August until at least Sept. 8 — the first day in-person classes are scheduled to resume. After Labor Day, she said the goal was to have schools phase in a hybrid model of in-person and online classes. She said in-person classes would begin first with kindergarten t...
A case that will be heard before the New Mexico Supreme Court this week pits a state government that cites rising cases of coronavirus for restricting the operation of restaurants versus a sector that alleges the state's action will cost more jobs and prompt more businesses to close. The New Mexico Restaurant Association and seven restaurants stated in court filings the state's restrictions have cost tens of thousands of jobs and closed more than 200 restaurants. The state maintains indoor...
The topics of prison and police reform are hot items, nationally. Lots of people are giving their opinions, whether solicited or not; but, no one is asking if the Bible gives us any guidance about these things. For the record, it does. As a bit of background, remember that the Mosaic law regarding the kings in Israel (found in Deuteronomy 17) kept the ruler on a tight leash. He was not allowed to veer from the commandments, to the left or the right. He couldn’t make it up as he went. If God did not tell him to do a thing, then it wasn’t all...
Special immunization clinics will be held statewide through Aug. 15 for those 18 years old and younger as part of the “Got Shots?” campaign. The New Mexico Department of Health, the New Mexico Immunization Coalition, the New Mexico Primary Care Association and healthcare providers are helping parents prepare children to go back to school. In Tucumcari, the Department of Health office is at 310 S. Second St. One should call (575) 461-2610 to make an appointment for child immunizations. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, children are required to be...
On this date ... 1970: State Sen.. Odis Echols (D-Clovis) envisioned a future toll highway that connected Santa Rosa, Clovis, Lubbock and Dallas. He said he would introduce legislation to create a nonprofit turnpike authority in New Mexico. The toll road, however, never came to fruition. • A fire destroyed the Doraeen Brissey farmhouse off Norton Road. A flight service man at Tucumcari Regional Airport spotted the blaze and reported it to dispatchers, but the six-room structure was fully engulfed by flames when firefighters arrived. O...
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 Senior Center Wednesday — Ham salad sandwich with cheese, lettuce and tomato, potato chips, pickle spear, fruit. Thursday — Turkey pasta casserole, broccoli, dinner roll with margarine, sliced fruit, carrot cake. Friday — Meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, Calif...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Aug. 12-15 — Quay County Expo. Young exhibitors from across the county and beyond will gather to show livestock. The carnival was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Stay tuned at https://quayextension.nmsu.edu/quay-county-fair.html as more details become available. Quay County fairgrounds, Tucumcari. • Sept. 25-27 — Nara Visa Cowboy Gathering. Hear cowboy poetry and songs in the Nara Visa Community Center. Activities also include a chuckwagon steak dinner, cowboy church and more...
Tucumcari Public Schools board members last week discussed the upcoming school year that would have included a hybrid approach of in-person and online teaching in response to the coronavirus pandemic, plus an online-only option. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s order days later rendered parts of that plan at least temporarily moot. She said the state’s public schools must use online learning only (with a few exceptions) through at least Labor Day because of rising COVID-19 cases in the state. Superintendent Aaron McKinney said during a phone int...
The Quay County Commission on Monday somewhat reluctantly but unanimously approved a resolution to adopt a $15.747 million budget for fiscal year 2021 — an increase of nearly 17% from the previous year’s budget. County Finance Director Cheryl Simpson the budget’s increase mainly comes from capital improvement projects such as a new $3.2 million bridge on old Route 66 east of San Jon, road work and new firetrucks for a few rural departments. State money would cover much of those projects. The previous year’s budget totaled $13.475 million...
New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act makes clear the public is entitled to the greatest amount of information possible about its government and guarantees everyone access to public records. The law, commonly known as IPRA, has become a key tool not only for journalists but for citizens, allowing them to access records such as police reports and 911 tapes, government contracts and emails of public-sector employees. Its transparency is a key mechanism for keeping government accountable. But it is not without safeguards. Law e...
As of Friday, Albuquerque, without even having to ask, was supposed to get “help” from about 25 federal law enforcement officials in combating its admittedly major crime problem. Albuquerque is the largest city in the state I happen to live in, so I feel that, like my roughly 2 million fellow New Mexicans, I have a stake in this situation. While I do not fear a storm-trooper invasion like the one imposed on Portland, Oregon, I still feel President Donald Trump has directed an unwanted and unneeded intrusion on state and local authority. Tru...
Build Back Better. Build Back Better. Build Back Better. Try saying Joe Biden’s clunky campaign slogan three times fast without gagging — or laughing. Biden is obviously cognitively impaired, he’s morphed into a Bernie Sanders lefty and he’s been making wrong decisions about race and foreign policy for half a century in Washington. Yet his boosters and protectors in the liberal media would have us believe that if he’s elected president America’s serious problems will miraculously disappear. The COVID-19 pandemic will vanish overnight....
The Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday approved a $25 million final budget for fiscal year 2021 that began July 1 and extends to June 30, 2021, and includes a deficit of $631,945. Documents show the budget calls for revenues of $24,725,932 in revenue and $25,357,877 in expenditures, leaving the deficit of $631,945. City Finance Director Rachelle Arias told the commission a $447,892 deficit in the city’s general fund budget accounts for most of the total deficit. Despite the budget deficit, however, end-of-year results show the general f...
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is accepting grant applications for its Healthy Soil Program, which was created in the 2019 Healthy Soil Act. The act's purpose is to promote and support farming and ranching systems and other forms of land management that increase soil organic matter, aggregate stability, microbiology and water retention to improve the soil health, yield and profitability. New Mexico farmers and ranchers interested in applying must do so by 5 p.m. Aug. 31 through an...
The Pasadena Playboys will be making two stops in Tucumcari, including at the Motel Safari on Saturday night, during their "American Motel Tour." The California retro-country duo will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Motel Safari via livestream on their Facebook page at facebook.com/thepasadenaplayboys. Singer/songwriter and frequent collaborator Caitlin Eadie will join them on the tour. On the return home, they will perform Aug. 14 at Tucumcari's Blue Swallow Motel. They noted the shows in...
Craig Currell, a member of the Mesalands Community College board of trustees and a former operator of Currell Lumber Co. that constructed numerous buildings in Tucumcari, died Saturday after an extended illness. He was 76. Currell had been re-elected in November to a six-year term on the board of trustees but had missed its last few meetings because of his illness. He also served on the college's foundation as vice chairman. He also was director of the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum until his...
The Mesalands Community College board of trustees on July 21 discussed a revised reopening plan, though parts were rendered at least temporarily moot after the governor ordered colleges and universities to start the fall with online learning. Acting college president Natalie Gillard said the plan was submitted the previous day to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for review. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an order two days later to require online learning at higher education institutions except for “clinicals, practicum or f...
Quay County added another confirmed coronavirus case Sunday, bringing the total to 31 since the pandemic began. No new cases were reported Monday. The number of total cases in the county June 29 was six — a more than fivefold increase in one month. The New Mexico Department of Health reported on its website the latest case was a male age 10 to 19 in the Tucumcari ZIP code. The number of cases in Tucumcari rose to 26, with three in Logan and two in San Jon. Logan and San Jon each reported new cases Saturday. Four of the cases in Quay County h...
New Mexico’s COVID-19 rapid-response teams this month were referred five times to Quay County to deal with cases at businesses and entities, most recently a travel center. According to a database maintained by New Mexico Environment Department, teams were referred this month to coronavirus cases at Tucumcari EMS/Fire Rescue, City of Tucumcari, Community Homecare, Pacheco’s Trucking and Love’s Travel Center. The database states the most recent case was at Love’s Travel Center, on Friday. One employee there tested positive for the disease...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from July 19 to July 26: July 19 • 5:04 a.m.: Noise complaint in 400 block of East Oak Avenue, San Jon. • 6:47 a.m.: Suicide attempt in 600 block of East Hancock Avenue, Tucumcari. • 10:25 a.m.: Property damage in 400 block of South Jackson Street, Tucumcari. • 12:07 p.m.: Noise complaint in 800 block of West Hancock • 12:14 p.m.: Found property in 2000 block of South Mountain Road, Tucumcari. • 4:06 p.m.: Breaking and entering in 800 block of East Laughlin Av...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from July 20 to July 27: • Kara Mia Toilett, 31, Tucumcari, driving under the influence of liquor (impaired; first offense). • Dylan Joseph Camacho, 25, homeless, charge not listed. • Tina Molina, 24, Tucumcari, criminal damage to property (over $1,000). • Christopher Jerald Thomas, 47, Tucumcari, battery against a household member. • Alexander Jesus Page, 32, Tucumcari, possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon, tampering with evidence (capital crime or first-...