Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Quay County is almost certain to remain in the red zone when the New Mexico Department of Health evaluates its coronavirus caseload Wednesday. The state checks each county’s per-capita caseload and test-positivity rate every two weeks to see whether they can be allowed to partially reopen their economies. Through Sunday, Quay County had recorded 53 cases of COVID-19 since Nov. 30. New Mexico Human Services Secretary David Scrase showed a graphic during a briefing Thursday that indicates Quay County can tolerate only 10 cases within a two-week p...
The New Mexico Department of Health on Saturday reported two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Quay County, both in the Tucumcari ZIP code. Both cases were men — one age 40 to 49 and the other age 70 to 79. Quay County continues to see an elevated but declining rate of COVID-19 cases in December, with 71 so far. A total of 140 cases were reported in the county in November. The total number of cases in the county rose to 319, with six deaths. A total of 127 people in the county have been deemed by the state as recovered from the virus. The l...
The New Mexico Department of Health on Thursday reported two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Quay County, both in the Tucumcari ZIP code. Both cases were men — one age 20 to 29 and the other age 30 to 39. Quay County continues to see an elevated but declining rate of COVID-19 cases in December, with 68 so far. A total of 140 cases were reported in the county in November. The total number of cases in the county rose to 316, with six deaths. A total of 121 people in the county have been deemed by the state as recovered from the virus. The l...
The New Mexico Department of Health on Wednesday reported the sixth death from coronavirus in Quay County. The latest casualty was a woman in her 70s who was hospitalized, according to an email from the agency. Identities of those killed or infected by COVID-19 are not identified by the agency. Three coronavirus deaths also were reported in the county in November. Two newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported Wednesday in the county, both in the Tucumcari ZIP code. One was a man age 30 to 39; the other was a man age 70 to 79. Quay County...
The state of New Mexico on Wednesday morning amended its emergency public health order to accommodate slightly increased capacity inside essential retail spaces as cold weather grips much of the state. The changes in the graduated green-to-red of coronavirus risk spread for each county state that essential retail spaces: — May operate at 50% of maximum occupancy in green-zone counties; — May operate at 33% of maximum occupancy in yellow-zone counties; — May operate at 25% of maximum occupancy in red-zone counties. Previously, essential retai...
The New Mexico Department of Health on Sunday reported five confirmed cases of coronavirus in Quay County. Four of the cases were reported in the Tucumcari ZIP code, with one in the Logan ZIP code. Three females and two males were infected in the county. The breakdown by age is two age 10 to 19, one age 40 to 49, one age 60 to 69 and one age 70 to 79. On Monday, one case was reported in the Tucumcari ZIP code in a girl age 10 to 19. Quay County continues to see an elevated rate of COVID-19 cases in December, with 63 so far. A total of 140...
A Quay County government official launched her own suicide-prevention campaign after learning of a spike of deaths by suicide in the area - including a friend's - and recalling her own memories of contemplating suicide years ago. County Assessor Janie Hoffman said she became motivated to begin her "Make the Call" campaign after "a very close friend" died by suicide. She subsequently found out about eight such deaths in the county in recent months. After beginning the campaign in early November,...
The New Mexico Department of Health issued new public health orders Thursday that include a temporary delay on non-essential surgeries because the COVID-19 pandemic is straining the state’s hospitals. The orders came two days after state health officials said during a webinar that hospitals likely would begin rationing health care before the end of the month. Human Service Secretary David Scrase said earlier in the week New Mexico’s hospitals contained a more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients, and hospital bed availability was “a very dynamic situat...
About $5 million in coronavirus relief funds from last month’s New Mexico Legislature special session recently were distributed to five major food banks, including the Clovis-based Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico. Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico is affiliated with food agencies based in Tucumcari, House, Logan, Nara Visa, Grady and San Jon. The funds were distributed equitably last week to the five major food banks that support all 33 counties and tribal communities through an existing hunger relief network: • Road Runner Food Bank in Alb...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Friday — Tucumcari Rebranding Launch. The City of Tucumcari will unveil on its Facebook page its redesigned logo that considers the community’s history, culture and people. • April 16-18 — Spay and neuter clinic. A clinic to spay and neuter pets will be sponsored by Quay County Paws and Claws Animal Rescue. More details will come later. To submit items for the calendar, call (575) 461-1952 or email: [email protected]...
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. Area schools are going to online teaching temporarily during the pandemic; one should call to make arrangements for deliveries or pick-up. Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Whole-grain egg sausage breakfast burrito, orange juice, applesauce cup, milk; Lunch: H...
On this date ... 1970: New Mexico State Police recovered two stolen vehicles and arrested four people from Chicago about 17 miles west of Tucumcari on U.S. 66. The vehicles had been stolen from Gary, Indiana, and Victoria, Kansas. State police also arrested two juvenile suspects near the Guadalupe County line on Interstate 40 involved in car thefts. • Barbara Bollinger of Kansas City, Missouri, had her faith in humanity restored. She had left her purse containing $65 and other valuables at a Tucumcari service station and didn’t know it was miss...
Hold on to your hats, Bible readers: There's a huge sense in which the physical boundaries of the biblical Promised Land are not important. Now, in one sense, they mattered greatly because they were the measure of God's faithfulness to his people, to his own promises. At a definite point in the history of Israel, they could see from the writings what God had said he would give them, and then look around at the boundaries of the land they were standing in, and say, “Yep. God did exactly what h...
Hunter Biden has told the world he’s just learned his “tax affairs” are under investigation by Delaware’s U.S. attorney. The burden is now on his father, President-elect Joe Biden, to ensure the nation that his attorney general and federal prosecutors will follow the evidence wherever it leads. First, to dispense with the pro-Trump conspiracy theories predictably choking the internet: No, there was no deep state plot to boost Biden by withholding potentially explosive information during campaign season. Rather, the Justice Department made go...
I used to think lawyers had to have above-average intelligence and more than their share of common sense. Now, I see an army of attorneys spouting mindless conspiracy theories and ignoring mountains of evidence to the contrary as they file more than 50 doomed lawsuits in an attempt to overturn an election their client, President Donald Trump, lost fair and square last month. Lawyers have never had the reputation for operating ethically, although most attorneys I know do conduct their affairs with honor. The cynic in me, and I assume in...
I thought I was going to escape the madness of the L.A. Lockdown. I thought if I rented a small weekend getaway house in a rural part of the state two hours north, my family and I could eat outdoors at a restaurant again, or at least leave our basement without a note from our tyrannical governor. But I thought wrong. I didn’t count on Gavin Newsom’s latest lockdown edict. Two weeks ago life in empty and beautiful Santa Ynez Valley — where my father had his ranch and I’ve been visiting since 1974 — was about as normal and civilized as you could...
The New Mexico Department of Health and the Public Education Department on Friday announced a delay in the return to in-person learning to Jan. 18 after the winter break to help mitigate a possible post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases and minimize the risk of exposure. Details include: • No in-person learning will be permitted during the weeks of Jan. 4 and Jan. 11. • Schools previously in the hybrid model may return to those schedules the week of Jan. 18. In addition, those operating small-group instruction in the remote stance may begin wel...
Monday's meeting of the Quay County Commission proved to be the finale for commissioners Sue Dowell and Mike Cherry, who had served in their posts since 2012. Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland gave each a plaque of appreciation for their service to the county shortly after the meeting began. Dowell and Cherry both were term-limited and couldn't run for re-election. "It was an honor to serve with you," he said, and invited both to attend future meetings. Dowell, who served in District 1 in...
The owner of the fire-damaged Loretta's Burrito Hut in Tucumcari anticipates repairs will be completed on the Route 66 restaurant next month. In the meantime, Loretta Muller purchased a new trailer that allows her to serve her Mexican dishes in the west parking lot of her restaurant at 321 E. Route 66 Blvd. Loretta's began taking to-go and delivery orders Wednesday from her temporary new digs. "We needed to go back to work," Muller said during a telephone interview Thursday. "I have employees...
Quay County manager Richard Primrose said Monday the commission received a certificate of appreciation from the New Mexico Department of Health regarding last month’s National Rural Health Day that was revoked by request of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office three days later. Several people in the gallery gasped or laughed with astonishment about the revocation, including incoming District II commissioner Jerri Rush, who will take office next month. “That’s priceless,” county Chairman Franklin McCasland said sarcastically. Lujan Grisham’s...
New Mexico lawmakers in Congress announced last week 18 companies in New Mexico, including several in the eastern part of the state, won nearly $165 million from the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction to improve internet broadband access. The utilities received the funding for a 10-year period to provide broadband access in 64,170 locations in New Mexico. A breakdown of the funding: • 4-Corners Consortium New Mexico: $2,598,030 • AMG Technology Investment Group New Mexico LLC: $75,554 • CCO Hol...
Like most New Mexicans, the state chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association recognizes the holidays should be filled with sharing, laughter and memories. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic adds a layer of stress, disappointment, sadness and a heightened risk for spreading the virus, especially for older adults who tend to have underlying health conditions. For the families of the 43,000 New Mexicans living with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s important to realize a person living with Alzheimer’s may feel a sense of loss during the holidays because...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Dec. 7 to Dec. 13: Monday • 1:14 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 900 block of West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. • 1:17 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 1300 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. • 10:09 a.m.: Accident in 1900 block of South Mountain Road, Tucumcari. • 11:38 a.m.: Lost property in the 100 block of U.S. 54, Logan. • 2:43 p.m.: Theft in 200 block of North U.S. 54, Logan. • 3:24 p.m.: Theft in 800 block of East Tucumcari Boulevard,...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Dec. 8 to Dec. 12: • David Canas-Flores, 32, no address listed, warrant from other counties or states. • Adelina M. Lopez, 19, Santa Rosa, disorderly conduct, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, battery upon a peace officer and criminal damage to property (under $1,000). • Johnathan James Martinez, 27, Tucumcari, parole violation. • Sammy Ingram, 55, Tucumcari, two counts of public nuisance. • Francisco Galvan, 46, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Pamela Clark, 58...