Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 21706
The Tucumcari City Commission last Tuesday chose Clayton Thorne as its newest District 4 representative from three who applied, including a former commissioner. Before the vote, Mayor Mike Cherry said the three were "really good candidates." The others were former District 4 commissioner Christopher Arias and Krishana Sandoval, a manager at Rocky Mountain Cannabis. After a lengthy silence when Cherry called for a motion for a District 4 representative, Commissioner CJ Oglesby nominated Thorne....
The Democratic incumbent chairman of the Quay County Commission is seeking re-election as the representative of District 1, but he faces opposition from a Republican counterpart whose wife previously served on the commission. Robert Lopez, 60, a farmer, is running for his second consecutive term on the commission. Lopez also served on the commission from 2004 to 2012 before he was term-limited. Dallas Dowell, 69, a rancher and a retiree from NuStar Energy, is running on the GOP ticket after being unopposed in the primary election. His wife, Sue...
A District 2 candidate for Quay County Commission is advocating turning part of Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari into a drug rehabilitation center — to the skepticism of officials and his incumbent opponent. David Holman, a Libertarian candidate who lives in Tucumcari, is running against incumbent Republican Jerri Rush of Forrest for the position. In a Facebook post on his candidate page, Holman wrote last month: “Turning 1/3 of the beds at Trigg into a contract rehab center would bring in enough revenue to upgrade the rest of the hos...
The Tucumcari City Commission last Tuesday approved hiring Gray Digital Media of Amarillo to be the city’s tourism marketing arm through June 2025. The company, affiliated with News Channel 10 in Amarillo, will present its contract to the commission at a later date. It would be paid $58,582.50 for the nine-month duration of the contract. Officials from Gray Digital Media earlier proposed the marketing plan to the city’s Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, which recommended approval to the commission. John Echols, media executive of the company, sho...
The story is told of a tight-rope walker 100 years ago. He amazed crowds by working high above the ground, without a net. He displayed superhuman dexterity. He would go across the chasm of certain death, perched on a single, thin cable. He went forward and backward. He used a large pole for balance and then went without it. He’d cross on a unicycle, then on a unicycle while juggling. The crowds were delighted. He certainly seemed to have that high wire mastered. At one point, he pushed a wheelbarrow across and back, to thunderous applause. U...
An Albuquerque man remained at large more than a week after he was accused of shooting a man and carjacking another in Tucumcari. Alex Joe Patrick Gutierrez, 24, was wanted on charges of first-degree kidnapping, attempted first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Quay County Crime Stoppers has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to Gutierrez's arrest. Those with information should call (575) 461-3507. Callers can remain anonymous. Tucumcari P...
A Tucumcari man who shot another man at the Quay Apartments in December and found with dozens of fentanyl pills will go to prison for about four years after he was sentenced last week as part of a plea agreement. George J. Olguin Sr., 62, pleaded guilty in August to trafficking of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony. According to court documents, Olguin possessed about 100 fentanyl pills at the time of his arrest. Other charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, receiving stolen property and...
The Quay County Public Health Office is offering seasonal influenza shots at its facility and in parts of the county this month. The health office at 310 S. Second St. in Tucumcari will begin walk-in clinic days for flu shots beginning on Oct. 8. The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Fridays. Patients also can call for flu-shot appointments at (575) 461-2610. The health office also is offering these community flu-shot events: — Oct. 2 at Mesalands Community College from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p....
On this date ... 1974: The members of the Community Alliance for Progress and Growth during a meeting at the Tucumcari Recreation Center said they would work to defeat an Oct. 15 recall election against five city commissioners after they earlier asked all of them to resign. Three commissioners had agreed to resign if all five did it together. However, King Aitken and Johnny Crespin refused. With that, the alliance said it wanted to vote down the recall. Stephen Bowen, who chaired the meeting, said a successful recall would damage Tucumcari’s r...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Blueberry and yogurt parfait, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, cinnamon graham cracker, banana, apple juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk; Lunch: Homestyle macaroni and cheese, turkey and cheese stacker, seasoned corn, fresh broccoli, garden side salad, fruit cocktail, 1%, skim, chocolate skim or strawberry skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Whole-grain donut ring, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, cinnamon graham cracker, fresh pear, orange juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk; Lunch: Pepperoni piz...
Oct. 11-12 — Mesalands Community College Rodeo. Sessions both days begin at 6 p.m. at the Quay County Fairgrounds arena. Admission for adults is $10, teens $5 and children age 12 and younger are admitted free. Oct. 19 — Altrusa International of Tucumcari 47th annual Boo Bash fundraiser. This year’s event, which will be held virtually on the organization’s Facebook page at 6 p.m., will feature a reverse-drawing grand prize of $15,000. Tickets are $100 and are available from Altrusa members. Oct. 26 — TucumScary Halloween Block Party. Second St...
An Arizona man was sentenced to almost two years in jail after he caused a nearly five-hour standoff with police in the middle of a busy Tucumcari corridor in February. District Judge Benjamin Cross last week sentenced Edwin R. Corrales, 40, of Glendale, Arizona, to a total of one year, 11 months and 28 days in the New Mexico Department of Corrections after a plea deal, according to court documents. Corrales had pleaded guilty to resisting, evading or obstructing an officer (refusal to stop), resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and...
A Tucumcari woman has been summoned to magistrate court after being accused of running an illegal gambling site on Facebook. Annamarie J. Crespin, 49, was charged last month with gambling, commercial gambling, permitting premises to be used for gambling and racketeering (evidence of unlawful use of premises). The racketeering count is a second-degree felony that could lead up to nine years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The commercial gambling count is a fourth-degree felony that could lead up to 18 months in prison and up to a $5,000...
Other than the presidential election and a super-tight congressional race down south, it’s a fairly tame general election in New Mexico. It could have been a more consequential year, with a mid-term, term-limited governor struggling to keep her party in lockstep on issues like crime containment and school calendars — while every seat in both the state House and Senate are up for election. Currently the New Mexico Senate is run by the Democrats, who command a 27-15 supermajority. All 42 Senate seats are up for election this year, but only 14...
When new Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham fired her first education secretary, Karen Trujillo, in July 2019 after just six months on the job, I thought it was a rash decision. But to be fair, I was biased. Like many people in Las Cruces, I knew Karen a little bit, and liked her. Still, the governor’s explanation seemed weak. “It is absolutely imperative that we genuinely transform public education in this state,” she said. “We must identify a vibrant and ambitious new leader for the Public Education Department as soon as we can.” “She just didn’t ha...
Are you better off than you were four years ago? That simple question to America’s voters was coined in 1980 by my father when he debated Jimmy Carter on TV. Part of my father’s closing statement, it probably won the night for him. Since then, it’s become a question that has been asked to voters in some form or another in every televised presidential debate. My father followed it up with several other rhetorical questions that are just as relevant today as they were 44 years ago: “Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it...
If drag-racing events are coming to Tucumcari in 2025 and 2026, it won't be on Route 66. Assistant city manager Renee Hayoz said during the city commission meeting last Tuesday the New Mexico Department of Transportation rejected a proposal to hold drag-racing events on the city's Route 66, patterned after the Kingman Route 66 Drags in Kingman, Arizona. Hayoz said NMDOT, which holds jurisdiction over the city's Route 66 corridor, "shot us down" on the idea. The agency cited liability and safety...
A nearly two-week break for the Tucumcari volleyball team couldn't come fast enough after a 25-10, 25-15, 25-14 home loss Friday to No. 2-ranked Legacy Academy. After a 7-1 start, the Lady Rattlers have struggled to a 2-3 record after one of its best hitters and fielders, senior July Lafferty, suffered a sprained ankle during the Mora match. THS coach Dana Benavidez said a back-row player - she didn't say who - also was absent from Friday's match and her top hitter from last season, sophomore...
Joe Bailey, a longtime Moriarty coach who earned multiple Hall of Fame honors and began his career at Tucumcari, died on Sept. 20 due to cancer complications. He was 65. Bailey spent more than 40 years teaching and coaching in New Mexico. He was inducted into the New Mexico Cross Country & Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor and the Moriarty High Athletics Hall of Fame. He began his coaching career in 1981 at Tucumcari...
Logan stayed undefeated in six-man football by rolling over district foe Floyd 52-0 in a road game on Friday. The Longhorns (6-0) led 46-0 at halftime and ended the game by the mercy rule midway through the third quarter. Logan, ranked No. 1 in the New Mexico’s six-man division, remained atop its district with a 4-0 mark. Floyd fell to 1-4 overall and 0-4 in district play. Logan coach Dwayne Roberts said he played his starters for only two series against the overmatched Broncos. “It was a good game to get a lot of kids some playing tim...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Sept. 16 to Sept. 29: Sept. 16 — 4:43 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 1700 block of East Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 7:13 a.m.: Theft in 700 block of West Campbell Avenue, Tucumcari. — 8:12 a.m.: Accident in 2600 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. — 8:14 a.m.: Trespassing in 1300 block of South Fifth Street, Tucumcari. — 8:39 a.m.: Fireworks in 400 block of East Main Street, Tucumcari. — 8:56 a.m.: Weapons offense in 600 block of North First...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27: — Charles E. Franks, 77, Albuquerque, driving while license suspended or revoked and impeding traffic. — Raymond Jerry Pacheco, 61, Tucumcari, charge not listed. — Jesus Andrew Sena, 39, Logan, aggravated battery (deadly weapon), aggravated battery (great bodily harm), two counts of aggravated assault (deadly weapon) and criminal damage to property (under $1,000). — Johnny Wilson, 27, Albuquerque, probation violation pick-up order. — Geovanni...
An Albuquerque man is accused of shooting another man and committing a carjacking in Tucumcari, and he remained at large two days after the attack. According to a news release Sunday from New Mexico State Police, the shooter was identified as Alex Gutierrez, 24. An arrest warrant was issued for Gutierrez on charges of first-degree attempted murder, kidnapping and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. As of midday Monday, he still had not been apprehended. About 12:20 p.m. Satu...