Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield unexpectedly announced her immediate resignation, citing health reasons, at the end of Thursday night’s city commission meeting. Litchfield, 76, who represents District 3, had served on the city commission for eight years and was its mayor for six consecutive years. Litchfield’s announcement came during commissioner comments just before adjournment. Because each commissioner goes by order of rank, she was the last to speak. After complementing recent holiday events, Litchfield began to read from a pre...
An Albuquerque district judge indicated during a hearing last week she would grant an appeal by Coronado Partners to contest the New Mexico Racing Commission’s rejection of an application to build a horse-racing track and casino in Tucumcari. District Judge Nancy Franchini said during a telephone hearing Dec. 13 she was dissatisfied with the arguments of the commission’s lawyer, Richard Bustamante, to dismiss Coronado Partners’ initial lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. “I think it’s a valid appeal,” Franchini said. Franc...
LOGAN - At noon Friday, one teller locked the front door while another taped a piece of paper on its glass, stating the New Mexico Bank & Trust branch was closed. With that, the village of Logan was without a bank for the first time in more than a century. New Mexico Bank & Trust announced in March it would close its Logan branch in June. It rescheduled the closing to mid-December after local entities passed resolutions, asking the banking chain more time to attract another banking tenant....
SAN JON — Members of the San Jon Municipal Schools board heard from its bond adviser how a new, $28 million school could be built with relatively low amounts of district funds but require a four-year property tax increase. While a part of the superintendent’s report, the proposal wasn’t on the board’s agenda as an action item during its Dec. 12 meeting, nor did members in attendance definitively voice whether they supported or opposed it. Superintendent Alan Umholtz said the school’s buildings were built as early as the 1970s and as recently as...
This Sunday is Christmas (in case you missed that). Although you’ve probably heard or read the accounts of Jesus’ birth multiple times recently, read them again because you might learn something new with each reading (Matthew 1:1-25; Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-20; Matthew 2:1-23; Galatians 4:4; John 1:1-18). You’ll certainly be encouraged by the hope that the reason for the season brings. Learning about hope and having that hope leads to rejoicing on many fronts. When the angels shared the good news of Jesus’ birth with the shepherds, both the angels...
The Mesalands Community College board of trustees approved a $2 million endowment and another $700,000 for supplemental faculty salaries and equipment — both for its forthcoming nursing program. Blanca Pauliukevicius, the college’s chief financial officer and senior executive director of business services, said during the board’s Dec. 13 meeting the $2 million endowment recently had been deposited in one of Mesalands’ bank accounts. She said she was consulting with the state’s Higher Education Department on how to invest the money. Earnings...
The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors appointed an interim municipal board member after a second applicant for the position unexpectedly dropped out of consideration. The board chose Jason Box, farm manager at the Rex E. Kirksey Agriculture Science Center in Tucumcari, after two closed executive sessions totaling about 40 minutes to interview him and the other candidate, Justin “Slik” Knapp, during its Dec. 13 meeting. After board members interviewed Box and Knapp for about 30 minutes, board President Robert Lopez said he app...
On this date ... 1972: Tucumcari Student Council members were conducting a one-day, safe-holiday roadblock on Tucumcari Boulevard. Motorists were invited to stop inside the Tucumcari Information Center and have coffee and other refreshments before a long trip ahead of them. Motorists were wished a safe and happy holiday by students and police officers that assisted them. • The Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce elected new officers: president Bob Balch, first vice president Delton Wilson and second vice president Phil Hamlett. • The Fir...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Mini bagels with strawberry cream cheese, assorted cereal, graham crackers, apple juice, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwich, teriyaki chicken, brown rice, baby carrots, Asian vegetable blend, banana, skim, 1%, chocolate skim or strawberry milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Assorted cereal, graham crackers, apple, apple juice, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, garden salad, carrot sticks, ranch dressing, jalapenos, fresh mix...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Jan. 7 — Basic dog obedience lessons. Tucumcari MainStreet is hosting a six-week course on how to train a dog. Classes will meet each Saturday at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. from Jan. 7 to Feb. 11 at the Tucumcari Railroad Museum. You can learn how to troubleshoot common behavior issues, teach basic commands, get exercise and improve your relationship with your dog. Cost is $50 for the full six-week course, with proceeds going to Paws & Claws Animal Rescue and the railroad museum. Enr...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Dec. 12 to Dec. 16: — Brian Nyameigo Mokaga, 31, McKinney, Texas, warrant from other counties or states. — Douglas C. Batson, 20, Logan, battery against a household member, false imprisonment and possession of alcoholic beverages by a minor. — Edward Lopez, 58, Tucumcari, aggravated driving while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or any drug (0.16 or above) and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. — Charles Camerino, 32, Tucumcari, felony contemp...
Incoming president of Northern New Mexico College, outgoing Attorney General Hector Balderas, will be paid more than his three predecessors. His incoming salary has been set by the college’s board of regents at $232,500. Both interim president Dr. Barbara Medina and her predecessor, Richard Bailey, were paid $180,000 a year. Balderas has a 3 1/2 -year contract. The almost 30% increase in the salary seems excessive for someone who has never operated an institution of higher learning. Balderas has no record of work in academia. What he lacks in e...
I’ve realized most people don’t understand freedom of speech. Not even experts. Having freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can force anyone to listen. It doesn’t mean you’ll escape consequences of your words. It doesn’t mean anyone -- other than government -- is obligated to let you speak. Of course, I believe corporations are an arm of government due to the cozy arrangements they share. Government puts pressure -- with implied threats of retaliation -- on corporations to ban speech government doesn’t want allowed. This violates the First Amendm...
Every year about this time I get to be Santa’s editor helper. I clean up letters that children in Santa Rosa, Vaughn and Anton Chico write to him, for publication in my newspaper’s Letters to Santa special section, which is a big deal around here. Actually, I do very little editing, because a misspelled word here and there is somehow “cute” when a kid does it. More than anything, I format their letters for the purpose of “flow” and “readability,” which is something a paginator understands and readers appreciate even if they don’t notice. I...
Quay County will miss McCasland This month marked the last Quay County Commission meeting for Chairman Franklin McCasland, who has served on the commission for 16 of the last 20 years. He is term limited and could not run again. I have had the pleasure of working with Franklin over the past several years as county attorney. Over the last 35 years I have worked with many city and county commissioners in both Quay and Curry counties and I can say unequivocally that Franklin has been a model public servant. He has consistently looked out for the...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team notched two more wins last week, improving to 6-1 and landing in the top 10 of the Class 3A rankings. The Lady Rattlers were ranked eighth in 3A in the Dec. 13 coaches poll, with Robertson - Tucumcari's only loss - in the top spot. Tucumcari showed it could do fine without its head coach for a game. Patrick Benavidez was out sick, and the Lady Rattlers still cruised to a 55-23 non-district victory over East Mountain last Tuesday at the Snake Pit. Alexus...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team finished a disappointing 1-2 during the Citizens Bank Classic tournament at Texico but salvaged the weekend with a 56-45 win Saturday over Tatum. The finale ended a grueling week for the Rattlers (4-5), who played five games in six days and won two. Against Tatum, Kamren Apodaca led the Rattlers with 21 points. Julian Griego and Curtis Gonzales each scored 10. The Rattlers raced to a 31-17 lead at halftime. “I thought that was a good win for us,” Tucumcari coach John Span said. “Tatum is a veteran ballc...
Nicholas Romero's second-place finish in the 121-pound weight class paced the Tucumcari boys wrestling team to a tie for sixth in the 14-team Rattler Invite tournament on Saturday. In the Lady Rattler Invite on Friday, Tucumcari crowned two champions with MiKayla Klinger in the 152-165-pound weight class and Sarah Vallejo at 120-126. The Lady Rattlers also edged four other squads for the team title. Romero, a freshman, notched three victories Saturday before being pinned in the second period by...
Logan inside linebacker Park Strong and defensive end Brock Burns each earned first-team honors when all-state selections in eight-man football were announced over the weekend by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association. That wasn't the only honor for Strong and Burns. Strong, a senior, also was a second-team pick as a running back and as a placekicker. Burns, a junior, was a second-team selection as a punter, as well. Other Longhorn players to receive all-state recognition were: - Izaiah Kneitz, second-team slot and second-team...
The Logan boys basketball team won its sixth straight with a dominating 88-53 non-district victory Saturday over visiting Des Moines. The Longhorns (8-1) “came out on fire” in the first quarter, said coach Kyle Griffiths, storming to a 30-point lead. “We were able to sustain the lead throughout the game against a very talented Des Moines team,” he said. “This was our best overall performance of the season. The guys keep improving every night.” Kaeden Stoner led Logan with 26 points, and Brock Burns added 23. Logan was ranked seventh in...
Desta Rose scored 19 points to power the Logan girls basketball team to a 67-35 non-district victory Saturday over visiting Des Moines. Camryn Cantrell added 15 points for the Lady Longhorns, and Hailee Robertson had 14. Logan coach Dustin Robertson said the game featured “two very different halves.” “We played hard in first half and looked good,” he said. “Second half, I thought our defensive intensity wasn’t what it should be. We got the win, though.” The Lady Longhorns improved to 7-2 and were ranked seventh in the latest Class 1A coac...
The Tucumcari High School STEM team recently received another honor, this time during the New Mexico Governor's STEM Challenge. The Tucumcari students developed an autonomous environmental monitoring robot. "It is able to monitor air quality, temperature, and humidity," team mentor Tommy Evans said. "More specifically, it can alert individuals through email and/or text to changes and also alert to the presence of poison gases, natural gas, propane, etc. They used a microcontroller called Raspber...
The total number of new COVID-19 cases in Quay County last week declined to 10 on Friday, compared to 15 during the previous week. The state of New Mexico also was seeing significant decreases in new confirmed cases of the virus. According to the COVID Act Now website, Quay County’s rate of new cases fell to 121.1 cases per 100,000 people last week, compared to 193.9 the previous week. The website kept the county at “low” risk of community spread of the disease. The website also on Friday dropped the state of New Mexico to “low” risk of spread...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Dec. 12 to Dec. 18: Monday — 7:59 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 500 block of South Second Street, Tucumcari. — 8:10 a.m.: Threat in 1300 block of South Monroe Street, Tucumcari. — 8:54 a.m.: Theft in 500 block of South Adams Street, Tucumcari. — 1:10 p.m.: Theft in 300 block of South Third Street, Tucumcari. — 1:20 p.m.: Theft in 3400 block of East Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 2:13 p.m.: Trespassing in 600 block of West Railroad Avenue, Tucumcari....