Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The Tucumcari City Commission unanimously adopted a revised cannabis ordinance after an earlier version inadvertently disallowed sales of legal recreational marijuana in the city. The second and final reading of the ordinance occurred Thursday after an earlier work session where commissioners edited language that clarified rules or eliminated redundancies or contradictions. A required hearing before the final vote drew no comments from the public. The important revisions occurred during another work session weeks ago after consultations with...
Quay County and New Mexico last week each showed tentative signs of a drop-off in the number of coronavirus cases. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Quay County last week was 67, including seven on Friday, compared to 89 cases the previous week and 104 the week before that. Also, no deaths were reported in the county for the first time in several weeks. The death toll in Quay County stood at 37 since the pandemic began in spring 2020. More than three-quarters of the county’s deaths have occurred since late May, mostly during a s...
A recent report by the University of New Mexico weighed in on ways to improve faltering voter confidence after surveying the attitudes and concerns of residents after the turbulent 2020 general election. Quay County's clerk, a veteran of about 20 years of local elections, also provided several suggestions for the state's election agency and lawmakers. The UNM's Department of Political Science and Secretary of State presented a report last week on the 2020 election. Lonna Rae Atkeson and Wendy...
Quay County ranks poorly in New Mexico with child poverty and child food insecurity but grades well with low poverty rates for senior citizens and access to high-speed broadband internet. Those are some of the takeaways from the New Mexico Human Services Department’s Data Book, published last month. The 476-page publication summarizes social, economic and health statistics from a variety of sources, with even more granular data sorted by county. Quay County often ranked in the middle of many trends and criteria compared to the state average, b...
The date for today’s Quay County Sun is Feb. 2. I like to and actually need to get an early start on my articles as it sometimes it takes me the full two weeks between deadlines to write them. So, when I started this article, the 10-day weather forecast predicted snow for today, which means our local equivalent of a groundhog didn’t see his shadow and go back into hiding. I can recall when weather predictions were, at best, seven-day forecasts, and the reliability declined greatly after three days. But weather modeling based on historical rec...
The next time you buy stamps from the post office, they might have been designed by a man with extensive ties to Logan. Ryan Feerer, a professor of graphic design at Abilene Christian University in Texas, created the original art that led to four stamps being created for the U.S. Postal Service. The stamps feature western wear: a belt buckle, a cowboy hat, a pearl-snap shirt and cowboy boots. The stamps can be purchased at post offices or online at store.usps.com. They are so-called "forever" st...
A Tucumcari man remains jailed after he was accused shooting a gun at another man after an argument on a street. Rodney Lewis Hodges, 46, was charged with receipt, transportation of possession of a firearm by a felon, shooting at or from a motor vehicle (no great bodily harm) and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The gun-possession count is a third-degree felony that could lead up to three years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000. The other two counts are fourth-degree felonies. According to a criminal complaint filed Friday by Tucumcar...
On this date ... 1972: “A substitute for a groundhog? Sorry about that, but we tried to find a groundhog with no avail. Shown above is ‘Pepe’ — a Pekepoo dog — who is celebrating his fifth birthday today and who volunteered against his wishes to try to see his shadow. Once outside he couldn’t have cared less. In case you are still interested, the sun was out if that means we are supposed to have six more weeks of cold weather. If you desire later information then you will have to wait for news from the town in Pennsylvania that we can’t spell...
Note: Events subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • April 29-May 1 — Tucumcari Rawhide Days. The event will include a Texas longhorn show on April 30, a film festival, cattle drive on Route 66 and more. For more details, go to tucumcarirawhidedays.com. • June 24-26 — Rockin’ Route 66. This event will feature live music, classic cars and more of classic Americana. More details will be announced later at rockinroute66.com. • Aug. 4-7 — Tucumcari Rattler Reunion. This annual event for all Rattler alumni primarily will take place at...
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 schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Pancake sausage on a stick, fresh pear, apple juice, skim or 1% milk; Lunch: Ham and cheese chef salad, three-cheese grilled cheese, french fries, tomato soup, fresh orange, skim, 1% or chocolate skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Bagel, cream cheese, craisins, orange juice, ski...
A man whose body was found along an Interstate 40 frontage road near Bard in September has been identified. According to a news release Monday from New Mexico State Police, the dead man was identified on Jan. 12 by the Office of Medical Examiner as Travis Villella, 30, of Norman, Oklahoma. “His death has been determined to be an unattended death,” wrote Ray Wilson, public information officer for state police, in an email. “There is no suspicion of foul play being involved.” Villella’s body was found on Sept. 6 at about milepost 361 near a tr...
Five juveniles were apprehended by sheriff’s deputies after they stole a car on Sunday and abandoned it south of town on Highway 209. Sheriff Russell Shafer said Monday afternoon the youths were identified and apprehended at the McDonald’s restaurant in Tucumcari. Quay County Emergency Management sent out a text Sunday night that deputies were searching for five juveniles who fled from a stolen vehicle about six miles south of Tucumcari on Highway 209. Law enforcement personnel surged those who lived in the area to lock doors to their res...
While state legislators consider a proposal requiring financial literacy be taught in high schools, it might be a good idea if they took a class themselves in investing wisely. Just two years ago, lawmakers and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham created a state early childhood trust fund to help pay for expanded prekindergarten and other early childhood programs. The fund received a $300 million startup infusion from the state and gets energy-related tax collections in years when total state cash reserves exceed 25% of spending levels. The strategy...
Here’s something you probably don’t hear every day: I dislike obedience. Obedience is not something to be encouraged or celebrated; it’s one of the most dangerous human traits there is. Obedient people have caused far more problems than rebels. It’s not even close. The Holocaust can be laid directly at the feet of obedient people -- including people who weren’t otherwise bad, but who were obedient. It wasn’t only the Nazis and those who enabled them, their victims were also too obedient. You may think that’s a rare case; surely obedience is...
To steal a quote from former GOP President George H.W. Bush, the Republican Party of New Mexico is in “deep do-do” these days, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better anytime soon. Already the Republican Party is powerless statewide, since the Democrats control both legislative chambers as well as all statewide offices from the governor on down. But it’s recent news out of Washington, D.C., that has the state GOP stepping in its own mess. Last week the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capi...
Despite missing six starters due to injuries and other factors, the Tucumcari wrestling squad saw four of its athletes finish third at the prestigious, 14-team Cardinal Classic on Friday and Saturday at Robertson High School in Las Vegas. Nathan Aragon, a senior in the 220-pound weight class, and Josh Pacheco, a freshman at 145 pounds, each finished in the top three in the boys competition for Tucumcari. In THS girls grappling, eighth-graders Sadi Collins (at 107 pounds) and Naomi Garcia (138) each finished third in their weight classes....
Las Vegas native and Robertson alumnus Larry Chavez will be joining an exclusive group later this year. He will become the 112th member of the New Mexico Activities Association Hall of Fame. Chavez also spent some of his career in Tucumcari. Chavez retired in June as the district athletic director for Rio Rancho Public Schools. Prior to that, Chavez coached at Santa Rosa, Tucumcari and Cleveland High School, coaching cross country, baseball, basketball, and track and field in his Hall of Fame career. Chavez’s name is synonymous with high s...
LOGAN - The San Jon boys basketball team appeared to be OK early in their district clash against Logan, taking a 3-2 lead. Then the roof caved in. The Longhorns scored 58 unanswered points over the next two quarters en route to a 90-10 victory on Jan. 24. Logan coach Kyle Griffiths emptied his bench throughout the game and saw 12 of his 13 players score. Brock Burns led the Longhorns with 14 points, while Haden Judd and Diego Sanchez each added 12. Tristan Reed and Marvin Reese each scored four...
LOGAN - Both the San Jon and Logan girls basketball teams were missing key players due to illness. How they responded couldn't have been more different. The Lady Longhorns, missing potent eighth-grader Desta Rose, dominated from start to finish in a 60-14 victory over the Lady Coyotes during a district clash Jan. 24. Logan made nine 3-pointers, including five by Hailee Robertson in a 15-point performance. Kyra Conway scored a team-high 16 points. In all, nine players scored for Logan. Logan coac...
A team with the Logan FFA chapter recently won a state championship in a parliamentary procedure contest and will advance to the national competition this fall. Logan FFA adviser and coach Clay Lightfoot said seven members of the chapter began learning about parliamentary law and the effective way to run a meeting in October. Members of the team are Peyton Merrill, Mitchell Wall, Braeden Lightfoot, Kyleigh Phillips, Mylee Stone, April Lansdell and Javida Roberts. "This FFA contest, Greenhand...
Four students from House Municipal Schools placed in the top three at the New Mexico Scholastic Press Association’s recent state contest. House students earned three second-place finishes and a third-place finish in individual contests at the Jan. 22 competition, which was held online due to concerns about COVID-19. Awards were announced Saturday. Senior Gilbert Swaim finished second in news photography, while sophomore Christian Chavez was runner-up in feature photography. Swaim has participated in the state competition in the past, earning a...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Jan. 24 to Jan. 30: Monday — 12:07 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 6400 block of Quay Road AL.4, Tucumcari. — 12:54 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 500 block of North Fourth Street, Logan. — 8:07 a.m.: Fight in 1700 block of South Monroe Street, Tucumcari. — 1:01 p.m.: Civil dispute in 1700 block of South Seventh Street, Tucumcari. — 2:14 p.m.: Hit-and-run accident in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. — 6:56 p.m.: Civil dispute in 400 block of East...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Jan. 24 to Jan. 31: — Manuel Cook, 39, San Jon, failure to register as a sex offender. — Jason Reid, 39, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Deon Y. Cooper, 42, Tucumcari, four counts of forgery (issue or transfer). — Rodney Hodges, 46, Tucumcari, possession of a firearm of destructive device by a felon, shooting at a dwelling or occupied building (no great bodily harm) and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. — Sofia E. Maez, 30, Santa fe, warrant from other counties or s...
