Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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SAN JON — The San Jon Municipal Schools board last week approved its fiscal-year 2023 budget that projects $3.2 million in revenue and a healthy cash balance of $382,000. Bryan Runyan, owner of K12 Accounting of Albuquerque hired earlier this year to be the district’s business manager, went over the budget with board members during their May 21 meeting. The district is required to submit its budget to the state by June 4. Runyan observed San Jon’s cash balance had steadily increased since 2018. He said many school districts depleted their...
A divided Tucumcari Public Schools board barely approved the renewal of a contract with the district’s cafeteria food-service management company during a special meeting Friday. Approval of the contract was slated during the board’s regular meeting on May 16, but board members voted to table a decision until they saw an evaluation sheet of the current company and two other bidders. That sheet wasn’t made available in the board’s information packet at the time. On Friday, board members Matthew Pacheco and Bo Wallace voted to renew the K12 by...
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Quay County continued to grow last week, and a website that tracks infection rates raised the region’s risk level for the disease. New Mexico also saw sharp increases in case numbers and hospitalizations. Nineteen confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in Quay County last week. That compares to seven the previous week. Less than a month ago, the county went for two straight weeks without any cases reported. The total number of cases in the county since the pandemic began in spring 2020 rose to 2,032. The b...
An official from New Mexico MainStreet provided a glimmer of hope that funding could be found to bring the long-closed Princess Theatre in Tucumcari up to code. That prospect came up when representatives from the city and the Tucumcari and New Mexico MainStreet organizations held a work session on May 23 to discuss an update and renewal of a contract with the Tucumcari entity, state organization and the city. The Princess came up when Eduardo Martinez, organizational development specialist at New Mexico MainStreet, and Daniel Gutierrez,...
The Jackalope Coffee Haus and Smoothie Bar debuted in downtown Tucumcari in late May - the first of at least three such shops that will open in the coming weeks after the city saw no operating coffee shops for years. Owner Annie McCauley held a soft opening on May 21 for Jackalope at 211 S. Second St. in the Masonic Lodge building, six doors from her Blanco Creek Boutiques she opened in late 2020. Jackalope's hours are from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m....
Genesis Garden Homestead on Saturday morning hosted a showcase of locally produced food and other products - the first of what will be monthly events at the north Tucumcari farm. Sally Baker, co-owner of Genesis Garden with her husband Darrell, and several other co-organizers invited about a dozen vendors to the farm with the hope of informing more Tucumcari residents about what is locally available even before the Tucumcari Farmers Market opens in July, "We've got so much more than Tucumcari re...
A longstanding whistleblower and retaliation lawsuit by a former Logan Municipal Schools teacher and coach against the district’s superintendent recently was dismissed after a settlement was reached, the ex-teacher’s lawyer said. District Judge Donna Mowrer of Portales on April 25 dismissed Rhyan Daugherty’s lawsuit against Logan superintendent Dennis Roch with prejudice, which means the ruling is final and the suit cannot be refiled. The original judge in the case, Albert Mitchell Jr., recused himself. Daugherty’s attorney, Warren Frost o...
The Logan FFA chapter recently held its first banquet - its 74th - after two years of being unable to meet due to COVID-19 restrictions and announced new officers. The chapter's new officers for the 2022-2023 school year are Natalie Bongers, president; Justin Johnson, vice president; Mona Teaschner, secretary; Kyleigh Phillips, reporter; April Lansdell, sentinel; and Greyson Bollinger, treasurer. The banquet also recognized chapter members who earned their Discovery, Greenhand, chapter and...
Eight Quay County residents graduated from Eastern New Mexico University during spring commencement on May 14. These locals received degrees: • Chantyl Lujan of Logan • Bridget Richardson of Tucumcari • Amanda Hammer of Tucumcari • Brittany Pulcini of Tucumcari • Brook Ciemny of Nara Visa • Evelyn Carreon Reyes of Tucumcari • Tara Larson of Tucumcari • Emily Priddy of Tucumcari The ceremony at Greyhound Arena was the first in-person graduation since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. The commencement address was given by 2022 ENMU gr...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from May 23 to May 26: • Charles Camerino, 32, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Joshua Aaron Oglesby, 41, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Shannon Spencer, 45, Fort Sumner, probation violation and felony contempt of court. • John Clayton Martinez, 46, Tucumcari, felony contempt of court. • Anthony Muniz, 55, Tucumcari, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug). • Jaime Angel Rivas, 23, Tucumcari, intentional child abuse (no death or great bodily harm), aggr...
Natalie Gillard, vice president of academic affairs and a longtime official at Mesalands Community College, retired just before the college’s board of trustees meeting on May 17. A glum Jim Streetman, chairman of the board, announced Gillard’s retirement after an executive session that lasted about 90 minutes. According to the meeting agenda, the closed session was to discuss personnel matters, litigation and real estate; it included the board, college President Gregory Busch, Chief of Staff Duane Brooks and lead auditor Marty Mathisen. “Sh...
An argument during a graduation party apparently prompted one Tucumcari man to fatally shoot another in the middle of Quay Road 63 on Tucumcari’s west side on Saturday night. Tyje Garrett, 42, shot and killed Michael Arellano, 46, in the 4000 block of Quay Road 63 about 9 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release from New Mexico State Police and information from Quay County Sheriff Russell Shafer. Arellano was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the Office of Medical Examiner. Logan police about an hour later took Garrett i...
A growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases were reported in Quay County and New Mexico last week — signs the pandemic isn’t over. Seven confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in Quay County last week. That compares to three the previous week. The region went for two straight weeks without any cases in early May. The total number of cases in the county since the pandemic began in spring 2020 rose to 2,013. The breakdown of COVID-19 cases by ZIP code in Quay County through Friday was 1,548 in Tucumcari, 282 in Logan, 94 in San Jon, 34 in Hou...
The Tucumcari Public Schools board of education discussed anti-bullying efforts with officials, and the board’s president also asked for a work session to talk about possible revisions to the dress code. The board during its May 16 meeting took no action on those subjects, but an anti-bullying discussion had been added to its agenda after two board members requested it, superintendent Aaron McKinney said. Board members quizzed McKinney, elementary school principal Tonya Hodges, middle school principal Lendall Borden and high school principal Ni...
On this date ... 1972: A New Mexico State Police spokesman said he was advised by the family of Quay County special deputy Travis Haynes he still was in intensive care at a Lubbock hospital after two men abducted him, shot him in the head and left him behind a telephone building in Taiban. Haynes, the spokesman said, was showing slow improvement. He could hear, has talked some and has remembered some. The two suspects were being detained in the Quay County Jail. Haynes died of his injuries in 1984. • Dr. Howard E. Melton, professor of education...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Monday — Memorial Day ceremony. VFW Post 2528 will hold a short Memorial Day remembrance at Tucumcari Memorial Park cemetery at 11 a.m. • May 31 — GROW Session #1 - Resume Express Workshop. Get Ready for Opportunities to Work (GROW) with Mesalands Community College’s career counselor, Patricia Crook. It’s important to know recruiters spend an average of 7.4 seconds scanning a resume before they decide on the next step. In this Express 30 minute workshop via Google Meet, the session...
The Tucumcari Senior Center and Logan Senior Center also offer grab-and-go meals to those who qualify. Those interested should call the Tucumcari facility at 575-461-2307 or the Logan facility at 575-487-2287 for more information. Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Lasagna, tossed salad, green beans, French bread, fruit cocktail. Thursday — Barbecued chicken, steamed rice, spinach, carrots, cornbread, mandarin oranges. Friday — Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli, beets, pears. Monday — Closed for Memorial Day. Tuesday — Chicken f...
The Quay County Commission on Monday approved a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2023 that lists $10.7 million in revenue and $16.7 million in expenditures. County finance director Cheryl Simpson explained the high number for expenditures is for projects — including a multimillion-dollar low-water bridge on old Route 66 between Endee and San Jon — that received funding the previous fiscal year but won’t be finished until the next fiscal year. Simpson said the payroll is anticipated to be $4.2 million for 82 positions, which includes elect...
The Quay County Health Council will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and other events on June 4 for its new walking trails at Five Mile Park in recognition of National Trails Day. The ceremony begins at 8 a.m. It will include a scavenger hunt for children, and all participants will receive a prize. Door prizes will be offered to adults, and the Tucumcari Disc Golf Club will give a demonstration of the sport. Health Council coordinator Brenda Bishop said the trails consist of a mostly level half-mile loop, a slightly harder half-mile loop with a f...
A Tucumcari man accused of murder will go to trial in early June after lawyers for both sides met Friday during an online hearing to iron out details. Joshua Braziel’s jury trial is scheduled to begin on June 6 in the Quay County Courthouse and go for five days. Braziel, now 31, is charged with first-degree murder and felony possession of methamphetamine after he was accused of fatally shooting Bryan Youman, 19, of Tucumcari in the head with a handgun on Sept. 4, 2020. Braziel has said the shooting was accidental. During the hearing Friday, d...
House Municipal Schools staff member Teresa Hampton recently received a 2022 Excellence in Student Achievement Award. The award, sponsored by the New Mexico School Boards Association, are presented to those selected “who have played an important role in improving student achievement in their school district,” according to a news release from the association. A total of 68 school boards participated in the program, and 242 people were selected for the award....
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from May 17 to May 19: — Eugene A. Gonzales, 57, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Terance Luckett, 51, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — John Kupel, 49, no address listed, aggravated battery against a household member (deadly weapon). — Ignacio George Armijo Jr., 63, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Ernest L. Arguello, 71, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Terance Luckett, 51, Tucumcari, contempt of court. These individuals were released from the Quay County Detention Center from...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from May 16 to May 22: Monday — 1:18 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 700 block of West Sunset Avenue, Tucumcari. — 10:13 a.m.: Theft in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. — 10:39 a.m.: Reckless driving in 3400 block of East Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 11:43 a.m.: Theft in 200 block of West McGee Avenue, Tucumcari. — 2:26 p.m.: Trespassing in 2600 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. — 8:08 p.m.: Disturbance in 1600 block of East Tucumcari B...
A whistleblower and retaliation lawsuit filed by the former president of Mesalands Community College after he was fired two years ago was dismissed after both parties filed a motion to do so. Ninth Judicial District Judge David Reeb of Clovis on May 5 granted a joint motion to dismiss John Groesbeck’s lawsuit with prejudice, which means the suit cannot be refiled at a later date. The New Mexico Supreme Court appointed Reeb to the case after 10th Judicial District Judge Albert Mitchell Jr. of Tucumcari recused himself. Andrea Mora, a legal a...
The Tucumcari City Commission vote 4-1 to approve most Lodgers Tax Advisory Board funding recommendations for festivals and tourism entities, except it stripped $25,000 from Rockin’ Route 66 and reallocated it. Commissioner Ralph Moya, irked by Rockin’ Route 66’s virtual concert in Georgia in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, insisted on removing the $25,000 recommended by City Manager Mark Martinez and moving the funds to miscellaneous funding. (The lodgers tax board had recommended only $20,000 for Rockin’ Route 66.) Those miscellaneous fund...