Year in review: Tucumcari goes to pot

In the first half of 2022, much of the talk and business activity in Tucumcari centered around legal pot coming to New Mexico.

First, the Tucumcari City Commission wrangled for weeks and finally settled on a $300 fee for a cannabis business license.

On April 1, recreational marijuana sales began in New Mexico. Only one business in Tucumcari was ready for that opening day, but others quickly opened in the weeks after that.

By late summer, the city repeatedly was beating its own record-sales months.

By the end of the year, eight cannabis businesses were operating in Tucumcari, with at least two more planned - mostly to take advantage of the Texas market where marijuana still is illegal.

Coronavirus also continued to affect the region, with record numbers of cases early in the year due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The disease also would kill almost 40 county residents by year's end.

Here are the significant stories in the first half of 2022 in the Quay County Sun, listed in chronological order by edition date.

An overview of the second half of 2022 will be in next week's edition.

Record numbers of COVID reported

Jan. 12 - In a sign of an Omicron variant surge, New Mexico experienced a record-high in the number of COVID-19 cases. The state's Department of Health reported 4,246 new cases in one day, beating the previous high from Nov. 19, 2020, by nearly 600.

COVID prompts remote classes, delays

Jan. 19 - A surge of COVID-19 cases in Quay County prompted three educational institutions to go to remote learning or delay classes. Four confirmed deaths from the virus also were reported.

City backs away from $400 cannabis fees

Jan. 19 - Tucumcari city commissioners backed away from a proposed $400 fee for cannabis business licenses. City Manager Mark Martinez recommended striking such a fee from the ordinance after a lawyer with the New Mexico Municipal League cited the possibility of lawsuits.

Dozen cannabis applications filed in city

Jan. 19 - More than a dozen cannabis business applications for the Tucumcari area had been filed with the city or state, with the legal recreational marijuana sales in New Mexico set to begin in April.

Mesalands repeals vaccination mandate

Jan. 26 - The Mesalands Community College board of trustees essentially repealed the college's new COVID-19 vaccination mandate in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision on the matter that forbid such requirements.

Logan coach inducted to Track Hall of Fame

Jan. 26 - Robert Young was honored for his 38 years in coaching - including 10 at Logan - with his induction into the New Mexico High School Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.

City adopts revised cannabis ordinance

Feb. 2 - The Tucumcari City Commission adopted a revised cannabis ordinance after an earlier version inadvertently disallowed sales of legal recreational marijuana in the city.

Duplantis buys Pow Wow restaurant

Feb. 9 - Local restaurateur Todd Duplantis purchases the Pow Wow Restaurant and Lizard Lounge in Tucumcari from the ownership group that had it for about 20 years.

Governor lifts statewide mask mandate

Feb. 16 - New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced she was ending the indoor mask mandate immediately.

Split commission adopts $300 cannabis fee

Feb. 16 - The Tucumcari City Commission split 3-2 in approving a resolution that sets a $300 fee for each cannabis license. Most commissioners favored a lower fee due to a lawyer who said the city might be vulnerable to lawsuits if fees were higher than other business licenses. Commissioners also said they were wary of creating an atmosphere of city government not being business-friendly.

Mesalands revives CDL program

Feb. 23 - For the first time in more than a decade, Mesalands Community College again began offering commercial driver's license certification and training courses for a variety of skill levels.

Rattler wins state title in wrestling

Feb. 23 - Tucumcari junior wrestler Xzander Garcia absolved a disappointing finish in the district meet by winning the Class 3A 170-pound state championship in convincing fashion.

Couple receives first cannabis license in city

March 2 - A couple from Texas was granted the first cannabis business license in Tucumcari. Jill and Kenneth Gregory of Whitesboro, Texas, were granted a retail cannabis license for Route 66 Buds LLC at 1808 S. First St. in Tucumcari. The business never opens.

People's Convoy stops in Tucumcari

March 2 - The miles-long People's Convoy made a one-hour stop in Tucumcari as the cross-country protest against coronavirus restrictions was en route to Washington, D.C. Big trucks and conventional vehicles, numbering in at least the hundreds, stretched two miles down Route 66 in two lanes.

Man flees after Tucumcari Mountain rescue

March 9 - A climber who became stranded on Tucumcari Mountain for several hours fled the scene after being rescued by firefighters, then was arrested in the city a short time later.

Closure of Logan bank

announced

March 9 - New Mexico Bank & Trust announced it would close its Logan branch in June, leaving the village without a bank for the first time in more than a century. The branch's closing would be delayed to mid-December.

Engineer gives options on hospital

April 6 - An engineer explained to county commissioners three options on dealing with an aging Dr. Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari - building a new facility, renovating it or using a hybrid of the two. Either way, it's going to cost at least $19 million and likely more.

Green day: Legal marijuana sales begin

April 6 - The era of legal recreational marijuana began April 1 in Tucumcari, but not without a few hiccups due to supply shortages and computer-system issues. Only one of an estimated eight retail cannabis businesses set up in Tucumcari were ready for business that morning.

Arch Hurley does not allocate water

April 20 - The Arch Hurley Conservancy District began its second straight growing season of not allocating water to its irrigation system due to drought. The lack of water would persist the rest of the year.

Study envisions 35-bed

mental health facility

April 20 - A company hired to perform a feasibility study on building a regional mental-health center in eastern New Mexico has envisioned a 35-bed facility that would cost between $15 million to $25 million. Initium Health's study involved the cities of Clovis and Portales, village of Fort Sumner and the counties of Quay, Curry, Roosevelt and De Baca.

More cannabis stores open locally

April 27 - The second and third recreational cannabis dispensaries opened in Tucumcari. Puff on 66 on East Tucumcari Boulevard opened its doors, and Downtown Dispensary on Second Street opened two days later.

TA Travel Center planned in 2023

April 27 - A TA Travel Center is planned in the second quarter of 2023 on South First Street near Interstate 40 in Tucumcari. TravelCenters of America stated it would contain 16 gasoline pumps, 10 truck diesel pumps, 200 truck parking spaces, 70 car parking spaces, 10 showers, a driver's lounge, laundry facilities, a truck scale and two "quick-serve" restaurants.

Tucumcari city manager steps down

April 27 - Tucumcari's city manager stepped down from his current position but will remain employed by the City of Tucumcari in his previous role as assistant city manager.

County imposes burn ban

April 27 - Days after wildfires burned tens of thousands of acres in northern New Mexico, Quay County Commissioners approved a burn ban for an indefinite period. County fire marshal Lucas Bugg said fire chiefs of the county's rural districts and municipalities were in favor of the ban.

Rockin' Route 66 cancel again

May 4 - The Rockin' Route 66 festival in Tucumcari, usually scheduled in late June, was canceled for a third straight year.

Crowds flock to Rawhide Days

May 4 - Despite a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, robust Tucumcari Rawhide Days crowds returned to the city to see the Texas longhorn cattle drive on Route 66 and view cowboy demonstrations, hear live music and eat vittles from chuckwagons at the fairgrounds.

Large grass fire threatens House

May 4 - A grass fire estimated at more than 5,000 acres burned to the edge of the southern Quay County village of House, causing residents to flee and prompting the school to postpone its prom.

Three Tucumcari athletes win state track titles

May 11 - Tucumcari athletes nabbed a total of three individual state championships at the NMAA Class 3A Track and Field Championships. Khobie Salvador won the boys discus throw, and Haisley Huffman won the girls long jump by the closest of margins. Delilah Acosta won the girls discus throw, beating her previous best effort by 16 feet.

Mesalands, former president settle lawsuit

May 18 - A whistleblower and retaliation lawsuit 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.

Logan's volleyball, track coach retires

May 18 - The Robert Young era came to an end for Logan High School's highly successful track and volleyball teams, as he is retiring from teaching and coaching at the end of the school year. His teams won a total of eight state titles at Logan.

Logan wins second straight baseball title

May 18 - Logan High School's baseball team won its second straight Class 1A title with an 11-4 victory over top-seeded Gateway Christian. The Longhorns scored six runs in the final inning to leave no doubt of the game's outcome.

Tucumcari wrestling coach retires

May 25 - Tucumcari High School's wrestling program reached the end of an era when coach Eddie Encinias submitted his retirement letter after 22 seasons and guiding nearly as many state champions during a New Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame career.

Graduation party argument sparks fatal shooting

June 1 - 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. Tyje Garrett, 42, shot and killed Michael Arellano, 46. Logan police took Garrett into custody without incident.

Tucumcari football coach steps down

June 1 - Tucumcari High School football coach Wayne Ferguson stepped down after 10 seasons. His record during that time was 26-71, including an 8-4 campaign in 2011. He said he'd return as track coach and athletic director in 2022-2023 but would retire after that.

Revival of Pinata Fiesta

successful

June 8 - A steady stream of people checked out the Pinata Fiesta in the Tucumcari Convention Center parking lot despite temperatures that reached 97 degrees. The fiesta served as a revival of the city's long-defunct Pinata Festival and successor of the New Mexico Music Showcase.

Former Logan teacher gets $175K settlement

June 15 - Former Logan Municipal Schools teacher and coach Rhyan Daugherty received a $175,000 payment during a settlement of his whistleblower and retaliation lawsuit against Logan superintendent Dennis Roch. The lawsuit first was filed in 2017 after Daugherty was not retained.

Tucumcari sees hottest day

June 15 - Tucumcari on June 11 recorded its hottest day in recorded history. The National Weather Service station at Tucumcari Municipal Airport recorded a high of 112 degrees that afternoon. That surpassed Tucumcari's previous all-time hottest day of 110 degrees in 2020.

Man gets 13 years for murder

June 15 - A Tucumcari man was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after a Quay County jury found him guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting of his friend that he claimed was accidental. Joshua Braziel, 31, had been charged after he shot Bryan Youman, 19, of Tucumcari in the head with a handgun in 2020 after asking him whether he wanted to die that day.

County takes steps to build new hospital

June 15 - The Quay County commission took several steps to building a new hospital to replace aging Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari, including unanimously approving a nearly $1 million design service fee with an Arizona architectural firm.

Mesalands bull rider finishes fourth at CNFR

June 22 - Andy Guzman of Mesalands Community College finished fourth in bull riding at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming. Guzman also was Rookie of the Year.

Work on ballfields project to begin

June 29 - Construction on a long-delayed ballfields redevelopment project will begin in earnest in late July after surveyors finally completed their work.