Serving the High Plains

Articles from the February 20, 2019 edition


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  • Sheriff says he's open to 'red flag' bill

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    The sheriff who persuaded county commissioners Feb. 11 to adopt a resolution declaring Quay County a “Second Amendment sanctuary county” said days later he was open to possibly supporting a “red flag” gun-control bill in the New Mexico Legislature because it may reduce the number of suicides. Also, one of the objections Quay County Sheriff Russell Shafer had against an unsecured-gun bill was rendered moot because of amendments added after his comments before the commission. He continues to oppose the bill because he says it opens gun...

  • Officials bank on racino

    Steve Hansen|Feb 20, 2019

    The Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday passed a resolution that would commit $240,000 in funds raised through existing gross-receipts taxes to street, water line and sewer line improvements to accommodate the Coronado Park Racetrack and Casino if the state chooses Coronado Park to receive the sixth “racino” license. Warren Frost, a Logan attorney who has led the racino effort in Quay County, told the commission the resolution would help strengthen Coronado Park's case for receiving the sixth and final state racino license. District 1...

  • Racino license on commission meeting agenda

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    There may be light at the end of the tunnel regarding the New Mexico Racing Commission awarding a sixth racing license. The possibility of awarding a sixth license is on the commission’s agenda for the regular meeting Thursday, but it remains unlikely it will take action on that item while a legal matter against it is pending. However, commission executive director Ismael “Izzy” Trejo said in an email Monday a court hearing is scheduled for April 4 on an injunction request from a Lordsburg license applicant. Applicants from Tucumcari,...

  • Tucumcari author remembered

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    Those who knew Debra Whittington said it seemed appropriate a reception after her funeral Thursday was held at her Dollhouse Bed and Breakfast in Tucumcari. Whittington, a local author and longtime columnist for the Quay County Sun, died Feb. 11 after an extended illness. She was 61. A few years ago, she and Mark bought a 1908 Victorian house near downtown Tucumcari, restored it and renamed it the Dollhouse Bed and Breakfast in 2017. Todd Smith, a member of the First Baptist Church in Tucumcari...

  • Calendar - Feb. 20

    Feb 20, 2019

    • Wednesday — Blood drive. Vitalant, formerly United Blood Services, is hosting a blood drive at agriculture building behind the auditorium at Tucumcari High School from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (505) 357-4094. 1100 S. Seventh St., Tucumcari. • Feb. 26-27 — Beef Artificial Insemination School. The NMSU Quay County Extension will host an artificial-insemination school for beef producers. Dr. Craig Gifford, NMSU beef cattle specialist, and Dr. Marcy Ward, NMSU livestock specialist, will instruct. It is for...

  • Menus - Feb. 20

    Feb 20, 2019

    Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Strawberry yogurt parfait, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Walking beef tacos, ham and cheese wrap, Spanish brown rice, pinto beans, shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, fruit, milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Ultimate breakfast round, bagel with strawberry cream cheese, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Cheese pizza, garden salad, baby carrots, fruit, milk. Monday — Pancake sausage on a stick, yogurt with granola, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Chili con carne with...

  • Incessant lottery tinkering does no one any good

    Rio Grande Sun|Feb 20, 2019

    It’s become a perennial expectation that a senator or representative feels the need to tweak the lottery scholarship formula. They can’t stand to leave it alone. This year the honor has gone to Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Bernalillo. His Senate Bill 283 is titled as limiting the operational expenses and, if passed, it would do that. This is assuming no one comes along next year and changes the law again. History dictates, that is likely. However, it also removes the 30 percent of minimum revenue that would go toward scholarships and replaces...

  • Take care in how you use, read labels

    Feb 20, 2019

    Warning: the following contains satirical material that may be offensive to sensitive readers. It’s easy to write real news using the same facts as the fake news media. Here’s how fake-news Associated Press covered a murder case involving an immigrant father and son: “A former Ivy League student whose murder trial in the slaying of his father ended in a mistrial has pleaded guilty to federal gun charges. “Charles Tan pleaded guilty on Friday to three gun charges, including having someone buy the murder weapon at a Walmart. Tan was a...

  • On verge of constitutional emergency

    Tom McDonald|Feb 20, 2019

    Sound the alarm! We’ve got a national emergency on our hands! Well, it’s really more of a constitutional emergency, as President Trump has opened the door for all future emergency declarations to be defined by politics, not real threats to our health and safety. He has conjured up a national security crisis at our southern border and, in doing so, has opened a new world of absurd possibilities. Allow me to illustrate … Let’s start with hair. The way Americans have decided to comb, cut, style and color their hair these days is causing gr...

  • Turbine topples amid high winds

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    High winds apparently toppled a wind turbine Saturday near House in Quay County. No one was hurt during the mishap, but it caused a lot of chatter on social media. Shana Shoemaker Stowe of House shared an album of photos of the downed wind turbine on Facebook. As of Monday morning, it had been shared more than 2,900 times on the popular social-media network and prompted hundreds of comments. Bryan Garner, a media-relations representative for NextEra Energy Resources that runs the Casa Mesa Wind...

  • Olympic dreams

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    An 11-year-old girl from Tucumcari holds dreams of becoming a member of the Team USA gymnastics team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and she is inspiring other children in town to consider taking up the sport. To think it all started because of her viewing YouTube videos online. For the last 18 months, Aliyah Marez has trained twice a week at KATZ Gymnastics in Clovis. She's in the middle of competition season, with the team state championships coming up in mid-March. Aliyah is at the Sil...

  • Rattlers fall to Dexter

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    The Dexter boys basketball team Tucumcari defeated more than two months ago wasn't the same squad that defeated the Rattlers 68-58 during a district matchup Feb. 12 at the Snake Pit. Jaxon Arguello led Tucumcari with 18 points, and Jesus Ramos added 16 as the Rattlers fell to 3-17 overall and 1-2 in 4-3A. The Rattlers committed 10 turnovers and endured shooting woes as the Demons staked a double-digit lead during the first half. Tucumcari downed Dexter 60-51 on Dec. 6 during the West Las Vegas...

  • 13 wrestlers headed for state

    Ron Warnick|Feb 20, 2019

    Thirteen Tucumcari High School wrestlers - including four district champions crowned Saturday - qualified for the state tournament that begins Friday in Rio Rancho. Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias knew Saturday afternoon at least nine wrestlers would advance. He didn't know until Sunday afternoon another four had qualified for wild-card spots for the Class A-3A state tournament. Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias couldn't have been happier with his team's performance over the weekend. "It was great....

  • Lady Rattlers defeat Dexter

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    The Tucumcari girls basketball team crushed district foe Dexter 79-22 in a game Feb. 12 that saw eight Lady Rattler players score. Ashley Shipley scored 24 points to lead Tucumcari, while teammates Kalani French added 20 and Aliyah Herrera 10. The Lady Rattlers led 31-5 after the first quarter and 59-12 at halftime. “We started off slow, if you can believe that,” Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said. “We did not score for the first two minutes. “We got the press really going, and our halfcourt defense was clicking. We ran the floor really...

  • Fort Sumner outscores Logan

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    The Logan boys basketball team suffered a key district loss, 77-62, on Saturday at home against Fort Sumner. The Foxes took control of what was a close game by outscoring the Longhorns 44-30 in the second half. “We let them get rolling in the second half offensively, and we were cold,” Logan coach Kyle Griffiths said. “They are tough to beat when they get hot.” Logan and Fort Sumner both sport 6-1 records and are tied for first place in Class 1A, District 6. The Foxes have only host Melrose left on their schedule Thursday; the...

  • Lady Longhorns defeat Fort Sumner

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    The Logan girls basketball team stayed in the district-title hunt with a 55-41 victory Saturday against Fort Sumner. The Lady Longhorns, ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by MaxPreps.com, improved to 20-4 overall and 6-1 in District 6-1A. Melrose (17-6), ranked No. 2, also has just one loss in district play. Logan has just Grady left on its regular-season schedule this week. Melrose faces Grady and Fort Sumner this week. Harlie Roach led the Lady Longhorns with 16 points, and teammate Makenna Brewer added 13. Logan coach Glynna Strand said defense,...

  • Pages past - Feb. 20

    Feb 20, 2019

    On this date ... 1969: The “tool bandit” of Tucumcari struck again. City police are investigating $216 worth of tools stolen from Jene Klaverwiden’s Texaco gas station at First Street and Gaynell Avenue (Route 66). Taken were an air-impact wrench valued at $130, a muffler gun valued at $50, a 12-volt battery valued at $36 and various other items. • Snow and stormy weather socked in a total of 26 small aircraft at Tucumcari Municipal Airport for two days. Pilots had to clear snow and ice from the wings of their planes before taking off...

  • Poetry readings coming back

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    The Gallery Etc. is bringing poetry readings back to Tucumcari after a hiatus of more than three years and invites creative writers to register for a chance to read their works to an audience. The readings will be from 6 to 8 p.m. March 2 at The Gallery Etc. at 201 S. Second St. for those who register on or before Feb. 28. Jake Walker, a local actor, poet and songwriter, will host the reading, and Levi Mericle, a published Tucumcari poet, will be a featured reader, according to an event flyer....

  • Logan FFA teams place in contests

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    The Logan FFA Greenhand Parliamentary Procedure Team recently finished second at the state contest and will be a runner-up to compete at the national competition. Logan competed against Fort Sumner, Silver City, Artesia, Carlsbad, Texico and Clovis. Eastern New Mexico University in Portales hosted the state contest Jan. 26. Each team must complete opening and closing ceremonies and complete 12 motions and three debates for each member in less than 12 minutes. Members of the team were Micah Lightfoot, president; Kyndall Ragland, vice president;...

  • Police blotter - Feb. 20

    Feb 20, 2019

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Feb. 11 to Feb. 17: Monday • 7:51 a.m.: Traffic accident with damage at mile marker 104 of Highway 104, Tucumcari. • 9:07 a.m.: Suicidal person in 1900 block of South Mountain Road, Tucumcari. • 12:14 p.m.: Property damage by vehicle in 1300 block of South Adams Street, Tucumcari. • 1:29 p.m.: Theft in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. • 2:22 p.m.: Theft in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. • 6:38 p.m.: Hit-and-run with...

  • Jail log - Feb. 20

    Feb 20, 2019

    These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Feb. 11 to Feb. 14: • Joseph James Aragon, 33, Conchas Dam, felony contempt of court. • John Thomas Coston, 27, Tucumcari, charge not listed. • Santiago Lucio, 35, Farwell, Texas, aggravated driving while in the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug (refusal), leaving the scene of an accident (property damage) and failure to give immediate notice of accident. • Samantha Alexis Montano, 25, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Caleb Seth Pender, 25, Tucumcari,...

  • All of God's word is holy

    Leonard Lauriault|Feb 20, 2019

    Our 4-year-old grandson and another little boy were talking together at a church potluck recently. I’m not sure what sparked our grandson’s question, but he eventually said, “I have a Bible. It’s a real one. Do you have a real Bible?” I don’t know if the other little boy answered, but our somewhat older grandson interjected, “I have three Bibles: A story Bible, a Holy Bible and an NIV (New International Version) that I read all the time.” Hmm? I understand a child’s reasoning a Bible story book isn’t the whole thing, and I...

  • College requesting iron donations

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    Mesalands Community College is requesting donations of cast iron, such as radiators, bathtubs and sinks, for the 21st annual Iron Pour on March 10-16. These items must be breakable. Engine blocks cannot be used for this purpose. To donate, contact the Fine Arts Department at Mesalands Community College at (575) 461-4413, ext. 167....

  • Man faces felony sex charges

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    A Tucumcari man faces four felony charges after being accused of having sexual contact with a child. Fernando Samaniego, 42, remained in the Quay County Detention Center on Monday morning after being booked Thursday on three counts of criminal sexual penetration and one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor. The complaint filed in magistrate court by Tucumcari Police Sgt. Shaun Slate offered few details, except that the victim was younger than 13 years old and it involved sexual contact with the child’s anus, mouth and genitals from...

  • Customer service training offered

    Staff report|Feb 20, 2019

    Just in time for the beginning of tourist season, Quay County Extension Service, Tucumcari-Quay County Chamber of Commerce and Tucumcari Economic Development Corp. are holding a customer-service training workshop Feb. 27 for frontline employees. “We are using the new customer service training recently completed by NMSU’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and the Cooperative Extension Service. ‘New Mexico True Hospitality’ uses the latest in customer-service training tools and incorporates a New Mexico flavor,” said...

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