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  • Pandemic ponderings

    Ron Warnick, QCS Senior Writer|Mar 29, 2023

    Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's public health order regarding coronavirus is scheduled to expire after Friday, more than three years after the pandemic started. "While we're still seeing COVID cases, our preparedness and collaborative work have helped turn a once-in-a-century public health emergency into a manageable situation," she said earlier this month while also urging elderly and immunocompromised people to get vaccinated or their booster shots. COVID-19 killed 70 residents of Quay County...

  • City meeting delayed due to lack of quorum

    Staff report|Mar 29, 2023

    The Tucumcari City Commission postponed its work session and regular meeting last week after it failed to have a quorum. The work session was rescheduled to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 30, with the regular meeting at 6 p.m., both at city hall. Mayor Ralph Moya and Commissioner Paul Villanueva attended the sessions last Thursday, but commissioners Mike Cherry and Christopher Arias were absent. Arias was in Dallas for job training, and Cherry was recuperating at home following an traffic accident in southern New Mexico the previous weekend. Moya said...

  • Calendar - March 29

    Mar 29, 2023

    • Saturday — Easter egg hunt at Dunn Park, Tucumcari. This free event from 10 to noon will be for children from kindergarten through fifth grade only. The Pure Elegance Car Club and Tucumcari Disc Golf Club are organizing it. • April 22 — Tucumcari Rotary Club’s Surf and Turf Dinner. The event includes a dinner at the Tucumcari Elks Lodge from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and a dance featuring Limited Edition. Tickets are $40 and are available at go.rallyup.com/trsurfandturf. Proceeds will benefit the Rotary Club’s scholarship and youth leadership...

  • Pages past - March 29

    Mar 29, 2023

    On this date ... 1972: Tucumcari city fathers had a rude awakening when they learned the sewer project on the city’s west end was not funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as originally thought. The project was declared eligible for federal-state participation, and an EPA office in Dallas concurred with that assessment after several phone calls and letters. During construction, the mayor requested another $116,413 for the project. The city received a letter back from the EPA saying no funds were available. — The March of Dimes Wal...

  • Menus - March 29

    Mar 29, 2023

    Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: French toast sticks, syrup cup, assorted cereal, graham crackers, applesauce, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich, spaghetti and meat sauce, garlic breadstick, seasoned green beans, garden salad, ranch dressing, banana, skim, chocolate skim, 1% or strawberry milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Sausage breakfast pizza, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, fresh mixed fruit, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Ham and egg chef salad, pepperoni pizza, garden sal...

  • County manager praised for efforts to fund hospital

    Ron Warnick, QCS Senior Writer|Mar 29, 2023

    A Tucumcari resident during the public comment portion of Monday’s Quay County Commission meeting praised county manager Daniel Zamora’s efforts to find funding to build a new Dr. Daniel C. Trigg Memorial Hospital. The county learned earlier this month the New Mexico Legislature did not fulfill its request for up to $30 million to build a new hospital. During the commission’s previous meeting, it approved a request of $32.2 million in federal funds for the project. Joe Szaloy, a licensed physical therapist at the hospital, said the current 60-y...

  • Curry County fairgrounds hosting pesticide disposals

    Staff report|Mar 29, 2023

    The New Mexico Department of Agriculture will host a pesticide disposal event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 5 at the Curry County Fairgrounds parking lot, located at Fair Grounds Road in Clovis. This will be the first of three pesticide disposal events to be held throughout the state this year. This event is free and is available to all New Mexico-based businesses and the general public with a need to dispose of unwanted pesticides. All forms of pesticides will be accepted, including, but not limited to, pesticide rinsate and treated seeds. NMDA...

  • Bakery opens along Tucumcari's Route 66

    Staff report|Mar 29, 2023

    About nine months after Carlson Coffee Co. began offering coffee and baked goods in downtown Tucumcari, its co-owners opened a bakery along the city's Route 66 corridor. The Goodies Go Last bakery opened March 20 in the former Cornerstone's First Edition restaurant building at 711 E. Route 66 Blvd., which Michael and Christy Carlson purchased from previous owner Todd Duplantis. Michael Carlson was asked Thursday what prompted him and his wife to buy the building and launch a bakery business....

  • Police blotter - March 29

    Mar 29, 2023

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from March 20 to March 26: Monday — 12:26 a.m.: Found property in 900 block of North Second Street, Tucumcari. — 1:06 a.m.: Trespassing in 1100 block of South Fourth Street, Tucumcari. — 4:29 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 2500 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. — 7:54 a.m.: Vandalism in 700 block of North Second Street, Tucumcari. — 12:17 p.m.: Reckless driving at milepost 321, Interstate 40, Tucumcari. — 4:06 p.m.: Vehicle theft at South Fifth and W...

  • Jail log - March 29

    Mar 29, 2023

    These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from March 21 to March 26: — Jesenya Olivas, 20, Portales, contempt of court. — Rodney Hodges, 47, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Christopher L. Kasavich, 42, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Marcus Barnes, 48, Dallas, aggravated driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug (0.16 or above), resisting, evading or obstructing an officer (refusal to stop), open drink container and failure to maintain traffic lane. — Nicholas Anthony Baucon, 37, Los Angeles,...

  • Area to get $1.8 million in capital outlay

    Staff report|Mar 22, 2023

    Quay County entities are in line to receive $1.84 million in capital-outlay allocations from the just-completed session of the New Mexico Legislature, including more than $1 million to the City of Tucumcari that includes some street repairs and renovations to the long-closed Princess Theatre. What was notable was what the county didn’t receive — namely, up to $30 million to build a new Dr. Daniel C. Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari. The county didn’t go empty-handed. It is due to receive state allocations for EMS radio improvements and r...

  • Mesalands president Busch resigns

    Staff report|Mar 22, 2023

    Embattled Mesalands Community College President Gregory Busch last week submitted a formal resignation letter, effective March 10. Busch’s three-page resignation letter, which stated it was sent from Tucson, Arizona, was received March 14 through his attorney, stated Mesalands director of communications Josh McVey in a news release. The Mesalands board of trustees accepted Busch’s resignation after a one-hour closed executive session Thursday. They also voted to make acting president Allen Moss as college’s the interim president. (See other...

  • MCC approves Moss as interim president

    Ron Warnick, QCS Senior Writer|Mar 22, 2023

    The Mesalands Community College board of trustees on Thursday approved making Allen Moss the college's interim president, effective immediately, during the board's first in-person meeting in three years. Moss, formerly executive director of corrections and dual enrollment at the college, was appointed ass acting president in mid-February after the previous president, Gregory Busch, left town following no-confidence votes by the executive team, faculty senate and staff senate. The board didn't...

  • Quay County's mapper hired as assessor

    Ron Warnick, QCS Senior Writer|Mar 22, 2023

    Quay County commissioners apparently couldn’t resist the prospect of a 2-for-1 situation in hiring an assessor. Commissioners on March 13 unanimously chose the county’s geographic information system mapper, Dana Leonard, as its next assessor. They interviewed five candidates for the position. Leonard, interviewed in his office the day after he was hired, said he would continue to hold down his mapping duties when he takes over the assessor position in June. Leonard noted Daniel Zamora previously held his spot and as emergency manager bef...

  • Earlier start set for next school year at Logan

    Staff report|Mar 22, 2023

    The Logan Municipal School board approved a calendar for the 2023-2024 school year that’s largely the same as in previous years but complies with an expanded-instruction bill expected to become law. Superintendent Dennis Roch said during the board’s March 13 meeting the bill compels districts to expand its number of instruction hours per school year. He said under Logan’s existing schedule, that would put the school year past Memorial Day — a “non-starter” among the district’s staff and faculty. Roch said in the elementary school, much...

  • Pages past - March 22

    Mar 22, 2023

    On this date ... 1972: Firefighters were called to extinguish a blaze in the east wing of the Sheraton Inn motel in Tucumcari. The fire, believed to be electrical in origin, started in a utility room and spread to the attic. Water and smoke damage was reported in the utility room and adjacent rooms. A resident said he heard an explosion and saw the flames. About the same time, an Air Force couple traveling in the area saw the flames, made a U-turn and went to the motel to report the fire. — Ken Rasmussen, dean of the Eastern New Mexico Universi...

  • Calendar - March 22

    Mar 22, 2023

    • Saturday — Fish fry for Tucumcari STEM Club. This 6:30 p.m. event at the Tucumcari Elks Lodge will help defray the team’s travel expenses for the MIT robotics competition in Boston. The $14 plates include Cajun catfish and all the fixings. • April 1 — Easter egg hunt at Dunn Park, Tucumcari. This free event from 10 to noon will be for children from kindergarten through fifth grade only. The Pure Elegance Car Club and Tucumcari Disc Golf Club are organizing it. The clubs are asking for donations, with a $500 goal, to help put on the hunt. • Ap...

  • Menus - March 22

    Mar 22, 2023

    Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Closed for spring break. Thursday — Closed for spring break. Monday — Breakfast: Cinni mini, assorted cereal, graham crackers, fresh apple, orange juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich, corndog, tater tots, peas, baby carrots, fresh mixed fruit, skim, chocolate skim, 1% or strawberry milk. Tuesday — Breakfast: Cinnamon ultimate breakfast round, graham crackers, Lucky Charms, fresh orange, apple juice, skim, 1% or strawberry milk; Lunch: Ham and egg chef salad, beef taco, pinto b...

  • House superintendent put on paid leave

    Steve Hansen, The Staff of The News|Mar 22, 2023

    HOUSE - House Muncipal Schools Superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot was placed on paid administrative leave last Tuesday by the school board. Parents said the move was in response to the handling of an alleged threat made by a student, but school board members would not confirm. The unanimous vote to place Lightfoot on paid leave followed a 2 1/2-hour executive session. Lightfoot left the board's meeting room with board members but was not with them when they returned to the meeting room from the...

  • Arch Hurley board votes to not allocate water

    Ron Warnick, QCS Senior Writer|Mar 22, 2023

    The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors voted last week to not allocate water into its irrigation canals for now but remained hopeful they might do so after rainier weather this spring. Board Chairman Robert Lopez said during the March 14 meeting the water-allocation vote was a formality for crop-insurance purposes, though a lack of water had been apparent for months. District manager Franklin McCasland reported Conchas Lake’s water elevation that morning was 4,162.4 feet, which was 0.2 feet lower than the previous month. The d...

  • State grant will help TPS write facilities master plan

    Ron Warnick, QCS Senior Writer|Mar 22, 2023

    The Tucumcari Public Schools board last week accepted a state grant of up to $34,303.96 to help the district form a five-year facilities master plan. The district’s share of the plan would be $28,066.88, with the total cost to not exceed $62,370.84, according to a letter from the New Mexico Public School Capital Outlay Council. During the board’s March 13 meeting, superintendent Aaron McKinney said having a five-year plan in place is required for the district to receive capital-outlay money and other funds. McKinney also said the plan also hel...

  • Tucumcari man files suit over body-slam arrest

    Staff report|Mar 22, 2023

    A Tucumcari man filed a lawsuit against the city, police department and two officers over his being body-slammed during a 2021 arrest that was captured by a bystander’s video. Pete Apodaca filed a complaint for damages on March 6 in Tucumcari district court. The defendants are the City of Tucumcari, Tucumcari Police Department, former TPD corporal Herman Martinez and officer Justin Garcia. Margie Rutledge of the Harrison, Hart & Davis law firm in Albuquerque filed the seven-page suit on Apodaca’s behalf, and it demands a jury trial. Acc...

  • County's new COVID-19 cases total one

    Staff report|Mar 22, 2023

    Just one confirmed case of coronavirus was reported in Quay County last week, down from three during the previous week. Last week’s sole case brought the total number of coronavirus cases in Quay County since the pandemic began to 2,565. Quay County has reported weekly single-digit numbers of COVID-19 for much of the winter. According to the COVID Act Now website that tracks the disease, the county’s rate of new cases dropped to a low level of 36.4 cases per 100,000 people. That compared to 84.8 the previous week. Quay County’s risk of commu...

  • Dog-attack suspect arrested on unrelated case

    Staff report|Mar 22, 2023

    One of the suspects in a fatal dog-attack case in Tucumcari landed back in jail last week on an unrelated case in Curry County. Kristopher Jaquarias Morris, 27, of Tucumcari, was booked into the Quay County Detention Center last Monday after Curry County Magistrate Judge Stephen Whittington on Feb. 14 issued a bench warrant for his arrest. According to online court documents, Morris failed to pay almost $500 in fines related to charges of failing to register a vehicle and failing to secure a transfer of registration. Morris was transported...

  • Police blotter - March 22

    Mar 22, 2023

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from March 13 to March 19: Monday — 6:14 a.m.: Trespassing at U.S. 54 and Quay Road K, Logan. — 8:22 a.m.: Arrest warrant in 300 block of South Third Street, Tucumcari. — 8:58 a.m.: Arrest warrant in 200 block of West High Street, Tucumcari. — 9:14 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 1300 block of South Adams Street, Tucumcari. — 10:02 a.m.: Arrest warrant at South Fourth Street and West Hancock Avenue, Tucumcari. — 12:29 p.m.: Breaking and entering in 500 block o...

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