Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
On this date ...
1974: Tucumcari High School basketball and baseball coach Dan King was fired, the Tucumcari News learned.
Superintendent Horace Wood said: “The administration has decided to reassign King to the classroom, which means we are going to relieve him of his coaching duties.”
“The Board of Education and the school administration hopes to upgrade the quality of the program, and we feel we can probably do this better with another individual,” he added.
An angry King expressed shock and disappointment.
“I don’t mind getting fired for not getting the job done,” he said, “but I do mind getting fired for the reasons they gave me.”
King said among the reasons he was fired was not playing everybody on the team, not practicing enough and not enough enthusiasm.
— Four-year-old Charlie Lanzarin of Tucumcari died from his injuries at Trigg Memorial Hospital three hours after being hit by a car at Aber and College streets.
— Three area men were charged by the district attorney in the fatal shooting of Benjamin Sandoval after an argument. Simon Aragon, Pablo Montoya and Bobby Vigil were being held on $10,000 bond.
— Tucumcari Police Detective Jack Elam dusted for fingerprints after a break-in was reported at the Sands Dorsey Drug store. A large amount of drugs was taken. Intruders apparently entered through the roof, leaving a hole in the ceiling of an upstairs office.
— Mike McCabe of Lake Tahoe, California, became the new manager of the Pow Wow Motel, owned by New World Inns of Minneapolis.
— An opinion poll favored by more than a 2-to-1 margin an earlier starting time for school in the 1974-1975 year. Nearly 500 people wanted a school day from 8:20 a.m. to 3 p.m., compared to fewer than 200 wanting a 9:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule.
— The Odeon Theatre was screening “Walking Tall,” with Joe Don Baker portraying Sheriff Buford Pusser. The theater also was showing “The Legend of Hell House” as a late show Friday and Saturday.