Serving the High Plains

Articles written by Ron Warnick - Staff


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  • New page turned

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jun 17, 2020

    The Tucumcari Public Library reopened June 9 for the first time in almost three months after being shut down by the coronavirus. Those who showed up found a different-looking library inside. Library director Linda Gonzales noted the library's bookshelves in the adult section were moved to the north part of the facility, giving the appearance of more space for chairs and tables and more flexibility for future events. "If we need a program, all we have to do is move things this way," Gonzales said...

  • San Jon plans July graduation

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jun 17, 2020

    The San Jon Municipal Schools board of trustees set a graduation time of 6 p.m. July 11 at the high-school gym with a maximum of 25 people allowed for each of its three graduates to comply with an anticipated state public-gatherings limit of 100. Superintendent Janet Gladu said during the board’s June 8 meeting the district would enforce social distancing of six feet of space between chairs and in the bleachers during the ceremony. Protective masks also would be required. The school’s seniors had held out holding a graduation ceremony for wee...

  • Lawmakers eye quick special session

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jun 17, 2020

    A state senator whose district encompasses much of Quay County said spending cuts to address a state budget deficit won’t be too difficult during this week’s legislative special session, but he fears tax increases might be likely within the next two fiscal years to address that shortfall. State Sen. Pat Woods (R-Broadview) said he doesn’t expect too much acrimony from lawmakers when they meet Thursday at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe to tackle an estimated $2.4 billion loss of revenue over two years caused by plunging oil and gas prices, plus...

  • Returning to play

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jun 17, 2020

    The athletic director at Logan High School detailed the restart of athletic practices in the coming weeks as outlined by the New Mexico Activities Association. Athletic director Billy Burns gave a report about those plans during the Logan Municipal Schools board of education's regular meeting June 8 at the Nara Visa Community Center. The NMAA's eight-page "Guidance for Return to Play" indicates the state is in the midst of Phase One in prep sports emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. It...

  • Man jailed on sex charges

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jun 17, 2020

    Police jailed a Tucumcari man after he was accused of sexually assaulting a Colorado woman visiting a friend in the city. Jorge Cosme, 38, is charged with three counts of criminal sexual penetration by force or coercion, a third-degree felony that could lead up to three years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine. Cosme’s name also was listed as George Cosme in booking records. Magistrate Judge Timothy O’Quinn on June 8 found probable cause in the case and ordered Cosme held without bond. According to a complaint filed by Tucumcari Police Det...

  • Weeklong fire burns near Mosquero

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jun 17, 2020

    A weeklong wildfire that burned almost 23,000 acres and briefly threatened the village of Mosquero was brought under control by Sunday. Mosquero Mayor Victor Vigil said Sunday afternoon the fire was "pretty well out," and dozens of firefighters who'd battled the blazed the blaze for a week were heading back home. Vigil said he saw no evidence of smoke in the area Sunday, and state forestry officials were keeping an eye on it for flare-ups. A New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural...

  • Problems at U.S. 54 crossroad proving tricky

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Mar 25, 2020

    A closer examination of the much-discussed U.S. 54 and Airport Road intersection northeast of Tucumcari reveals it to be multifaceted problem because of usual and unexpected traffic volume, design quirks and other factors. Quay County Commissioner Sue Dowell repeatedly has brought up constituents’ concerns about U.S. 54. The commission during its regular meeting Friday may consider passing a resolution asking state or federal authorities to make safety improvements on the highway. A Quay C...

  • Staying distant

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Mar 25, 2020

    Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday instructed New Mexicans to stay home if they didn't work in essential fields and dropped the maximum number of people in public gatherings from 10 to five in an effort to slow the coronavirus pandemic. Lujan Grisham, citing her legal authority as governor, said she would suspend the operations of non-essential businesses effective Tuesday morning. The full list of essential businesses is at the state Department of Health's website at cv.n...

  • Police report: Shooter apologized to restaurant customers

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Jan 1, 2020

    TUCUMCARI - The man who shot and killed a manager of a Tucumcari restaurant last month apologized to customers after the attack and said no harm would come to them before he fatally turned the gun on himself in the parking lot. Two friends of the assailant said he found out earlier that day his girlfriend had been "cheating" on him with the manager and was going to drive to the restaurant to confront him. The friends spent 30 minutes trying to persuade him to "not do anything stupid" and took...

  • Logan repeats as Class 1A champion by upsetting Melrose

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Nov 13, 2019

    RIO RANCHO – Logan stunned top-seeded and previously unbeaten Melrose 25-16, 25-20, 25-20 in the Class 1A volleyball championship Saturday after the Lady Buffaloes mostly dominated the Lady Longhorns this season. Melrose was hoping to notch its seventh volleyball championship and its first undefeated season since 1983. Instead, a jubilant Logan squad delivered a three-peat in state championships to its coach, Robert Young, at the Santa Ana Star Center, including a title victory over Melrose l...

  • Neon restoration effort includes documentary screening

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Oct 2, 2019

    A fundraiser to restore the Odeon Theatre's neon lighting has an upcoming Route 66 documentary screening and a streaming channel promoting the city. "Almost Ghosts," a full-length documentary from Spain about "three men who fought to maintain their essence when the highways and interstate roads began to displace the old Mother Road," will screen at the Odeon at 7 p.m. Oct. 17. Doors open that night at 6 p.m. for "Dinner at the Odeon," where pizza-by-the-slice will be sold in addition to the thea...

  • Pigskin Preview: Rattlers hope to avoid injury bug

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Aug 21, 2019

    “I think we will be a decent ballclub if we can stay healthy.” Tucumcari head coach Wayne Ferguson’s thumbnail assessment of his team matches others in the region. Simply put, coaches in Quay County and beyond are struggling to get enough athletes out for football. Ferguson has 31 players on his varsity roster, but he’s seen fewer than 20 show up for practices so far. Because of his lack of skilled players, he felt forced to cancel a scrimmage last week against the Clovis junior varsity because...

  • Logan mayor reaches plea deal

    Ron Warnick - Staff|Jul 31, 2019

    The mayor of Logan was fined $800, given a suspended 90-day jail sentence and put on unsupervised probation for illegally working and bidding as an electrical contractor without a license during a plea deal Tuesday afternoon in Tucumcari magistrate court. David Babb, 63, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor violations of the Construction Industries Licensing Act — one for working as a contractor without a license and the other for bidding as a contractor without a license. He was charged in May after the state of New Mexico filed a criminal c...

  • RaciNO: Racing commission won't award new license

    Ron Warnick - Staff Writer|Jul 31, 2019

    The New Mexico Racing Commission issued a big "no" on awarding a sixth racing license — not just to Tucumcari, but to everyone else who'd applied for one. A principal member of an investment group that wants to build a “racino” in Tucumcari said he’d appeal to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to intervene to have the commission reconsider. The commission announced during its first regular meeting in more than two months Thursday it would not approve a sixth license. Applicants from Tucumcari, Clovis and Lordsburg had been jockeying for one for mor...

  • Presbyterian reports patient database breach

    Ron Warnick - Staff writer|Jul 31, 2019

    About 183,000 patients and health-plan members for Albuquerque-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services may have been affected by database breach in early May that came to light Thursday. Presbyterian Healthcare operates nine hospitals, including Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari and Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis, plus a statewide health plan and a medical group. According to a news release Friday from Presbyterian, “unauthorized access was gained through a deceptive email to some of Presbyterian’s workforce members sometime aro...