Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Ute Lake State Park in Logan will reopen Wednesday on a limited basis for day-use recreation after being closed for two weeks when several employees showed signs of coronavirus. According to a news release Tuesday from New Mexico State Parks, the Logan Park area of the park would be open Wednesday, which includes the McFarland boat ramp, marina and marina boat ramp. “Other areas of the park would remain closed for the near future as the park manages in line with the public health order with reduced staff,” stated public information officer Sus...
TUCUMCARI - A Tucumcari man, presented with DNA evidence, recently confessed to setting a fire in 2012 that killed more than 70 animals at a local veterinarian clinic. However, the man has not been charged with any crime regarding the fire because the statute of limitations expired on the case more than two years ago. District Attorney Timothy Rose said he's "never had a case where I've been this aggravated that we were unable to seek justice" because of the rule of law. "It's a shame that case...
The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday confirmed two new cases of coronavirus in Quay County, bringing the county's total to 60 since the pandemic began. The latest cases were one woman and one man. One was in the Logan ZIP code, and the other was in Tucumcari. The age breakdowns of the latest cases are age 40 to 49 and age 80 to 89. Logan has seen 22 confirmed cases in 10 days, raising its total to 26 since the pandemic began. Outbreaks prompted a delay in the start of classes at Logan Municipal Schools until after Labor Day and the...
The New Mexico Department of Health on Thursday confirmed seven new cases of corornavirus in Quay County, including five in Logan. That was a record one-day total in the county, bringing the overall total to 58. The latest cases were four women and three men. The age breakdowns of the latest cases are one person age 80 to 89, two age 70 to 79, two age 60 to 69 and two age 50 to 59. Logan has seen 21 confirmed cases in nine days, raising its total to 25 since the pandemic began. The other two cases Thursday were in the Tucumcari ZIP code. This...
A fire with explosions on Tuesday afternoon rocked an asphalt plant at Versatile Construction Co. on Tucumcari's north side. Tucumcari city commissioner Chris Arias stated on social media he'd talked to acting city manager Mark Martinez, who told him there were no injuries. He also said firefighters were beginning to approach the blaze to extinguish it. Quay County Emergency Management texted out alerts, urging residents to avoid the area of Maple and Campbell avenues because of a “large i...
Ute Lake State Park in Logan will remain closed through Aug. 25 after several employees there tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release from the state Saturday afternoon. The park closed Wednesday after several park employees showed coronavirus-like symptoms. “On Tuesday, August 11th, during routine screening some employees reported a high temperature and were immediately sent home,” stated Susan Torres, public information officer with the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. “The Park was closed out o...
The Quay County 4-H/FFA Expo scheduled to begin last week in Tucumcari was postponed after a fair board member tested positive for COVID-19, and it remained uncertain whether it would be held during its rescheduled dates of Friday and Saturday this week. Fair board Chairman Justin Knight said during a telephone interview last week about 15 members of the board were possibly exposed during an Aug. 3 meeting at the Quay County Fairgrounds. He declined to identify the afflicted person. Lucas Bugg,...
The New Mexico Department of Health reported last week fraudulent exemption cards are being distributed to the public that assert the holder is exempt from wearing a facemask despite public health orders requiring it. These cards falsely purport to be issued by agency and the U.S. Department of Justice. Anyone fraudulently creating and/or using these cards could result in being charged with a fourth-degree felony. The card, prominently displaying both the Department of Health and U.S. Department of Justice logos, claims denial of the...
Logan became an apparent hotspot of COVID-19 after Ute Lake State Park closed because of cases there last week and the school district delayed the opening of classes because of a case there, as well. The New Mexico Department of Health on Sunday reported four more confirmed cases of coronavirus in Quay County, all in Logan. The village experienced 15 cases in five days. No cases were reported in the county Monday. Ute Lake State Park in Logan has remained closed since Wednesday after several workers there showed coronavirus-like symptoms and...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • 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. For more, go to naravisacowboygathering.com • Sept. 26 — Altrusa International COVID Cash Drawing. This year’s reverse raffle will be conducted via a Facebook live event. Tickets are $100 for the chance to take home the grand prize of $15,000. Additional cash prizes will be awarded throughout the eveni...
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. One area school will use a hybrid model of online and in-person teaching for elementary grades. Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Bean burrito, Spanish rice, beets, fruit cocktail. Thursday — Meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower with cheese, dinner...
On this date ... 1970: The Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce discussed fencing around the Fountain of Tranquility at Damon Kvols Park. Officials said tourists had asked “embarrassing” questions about the fence around the fountain, such as whether it was a snake pit. They said the answer — fencing was erected to keep adults and children from “molesting” the fountain — also was embarrassing. Another official said of the fountain: “It looks like hell!” The chamber decided to sent a letter to the Tucumcari City Commission, requesting remo...
New Mexico’s governor and director of state personnel urged residents to fill a U.S. census form before a Sept. 30 deadline or the state potentially could lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding for a decade. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during a Thursday briefing just 53.6% had submitted their data to the U.S. Census, ranking last of the 50 states. Pamela Coleman, director of state personnel, said residents should fill out the form online by going to 2020census.gov or calling (844) 330-2020 within the next six weeks. The U.S. C...
The Mesalands Community College board of trustees last week authorized its chairman to pursue a plan for a presidential search and have conversations to fill a vacant trustee position. Trustees during a special meeting Aug. 11 unanimously voted to authorize Jim Streetman to meet with other college employees to discuss the search for a new president to replace John Groesbeck, who was fired in April. Streetman also is seeking someone to partially fill the term of Craig Currell, who died last month after an extended illness. The actions came...
For years the Supreme Court has resisted calls to let the public outside the courtroom listen in on its oral arguments. But live audio streams finally became a reality in May when the coronavirus pandemic forced the justices to hold two weeks’ worth of arguments in telephone conference calls. The justices’ decision to livestream those arguments was a dramatic departure from their usual practice of posting the recordings on the court’s website at the end of the week, when public interest and news coverage have ebbed. The experiment was a succe...
Warning: The following is not true. I make my point at the end: Call me R, not Q as in QAnon, just R. Welcome to my anonymous “dark web” site. The evidence for this story has been buried in a place more secret than Jimmy Hoffa’s grave, so don’t even try to find it. I was a soldier in the New York Mafia in the 1970s and 1980s. I knew Henry Hill of the “Goodfellas” movie and Tommy Desimone, the real name of the character in “Goodfellas” played by Joe Pesci. There was only one non-Italian in history who ever became a made guy, an actual Mafia memb...
It’s the opening of fire season in California. But the biggest threat to the people of the state right now is Gov. Gavin Newsom and his shifting rules about closing businesses and schools to fight the coronavirus. Until last week, things were starting to look up out here, pandemic-wise. Los Angeles County, where I live, has been the worst hit county in the state, by far, with 5,112 of its 10,813 COVID-19 deaths. As in every other state between here and Boston, the already very sick and the very old accounted for most of the deaths. About 75 p...
Well, school has started back, sort of, but on a limited basis because of COVID-19 restrictions. Normally, we’d be encouraged to watch out for the school kids who’d be walking to school or waiting for the bus on busy roads (I know; they’ve played in the streets all summer). I can recall teaching my children how and where to cross streets and even walk safely and courteously on the sidewalk (some people this day and time act like they don’t even know how to walk down the sidewalk). That teaching was based on an old car-insurance commerc...
The superintendent San Jon Municipal Schools last week presented a new policy for student attendance borne out of the coronavirus pandemic and a transition to online learning. Superintendent Janet Gladu said the Attendance for Success Act and an accompanying supplemental policy were to be implemented during the 2021-2022 school year, but the New Mexico Public Education Department enacted it this year. The act states school attendance data must be reported to the PED. “Students are expected to attend in-person or remote instructional p...
The scheduled start of classes Monday at Logan Municipal Schools officially was delayed Sunday night after a staff member tested positive last week for COVID-19, two other staff members showed symptoms of the disease, and many others were exposed. The school board during a special meeting Sunday night via the Zoom videoconference platform voted unanimously to delay the start of school to Sept. 8. Adding two Fridays each month to the fall semester would make up most of the lost instructional days. Another week would be added to the spring...
The Knights of Columbus-St. Anne’s Council 6937 officially will go inactive next week and its hall sold this month partly because of financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one of the council’s officers and a district deputy expressed optimism the Tucumcari organization would resurface in the coming months after a reorganization. The Tucumcari council posted an announcement Thursday on social media, announcing “with a heavy heart and hopeful wishes” the council has gone into inactive status. It cited the council...
The Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday delayed action on hiring a new city manager and whether the city will be a part of unknown current or pending litigation. The commissioners voted unanimously on the measure to hire a city manager and whether to pursue action related to mitigation. Both matters were discussed in a private session before the commission’s regular meeting Thursday. Commissioners voted to delay action to obtain more information on both matters. On July 31, the commission met in a private session to interview two c...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Aug. 10 to Aug. 16: • Angelo F. Galvan, 24, Tucumcari, trespassing. • Francisco Galvan, 46, Tucumcari, driving while license suspended or revoked. • Juan Manuel Marruerda-Reyes, 29, Las Vegas, Nevada, disorderly conduct and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. • Francisco Galvan, 46, Tucumcari, driving while license suspended or revoked. • Mark Douglus Padilla, 45, Tucumcari, contempt of court. These individuals were released from the Quay County Detention...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Aug. 10 to Aug. 16: Monday • 12:17 p.m.: Property damage in 100 block of U.S. 54, Logan. • 12:31 p.m.: Threat in 2400 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. • 2:31 p.m.: Unattended death in 4000 block of Quay Road 64.8, Tucumcari. • 6:27 p.m.: Accident with property damage at milepost 315, U.S. 54, Tucumcari. • 8:42 p.m.: Breaking and entering in 500 block of West Turner Avenue, Tucumcari. • 9:36 p.m.: Threat in 4200 block of Zuni Avenue, Tucumcari....
The New Mexico Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed one case of corornavirus in the Logan ZIP code. The latest case was a man age 70 to 79, according to the DOH website. Logan has seen 16 confirmed cases in seven days, raising its total to 20 since the pandemic began. Outbreaks prompted a delay in the start of classes at Logan Municipal Schools for three weeks and the closure of Ute Lake State Park through Aug. 25. The total in the county since the pandemic began rose to 51. Twenty-nine cases have been reported in Tucumcari, 20 in Logan...