Serving the High Plains

Articles from the March 13, 2019 edition


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  • Resident weighs in on sanctuary county status

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    A Logan resident commended the Quay County Commission for “taking a stand” and passing its “Second Amendment sanctuary county” resolution last month. During the public-comment portion of Monday’s meeting, Kent Terry thanked the commission for unanimously passing the resolution after Sheriff Russell Shafer urged the measure during its Feb. 11 meeting. Terry said the commission’s action has prompted him to pay more attention and be more involved. “Things are happening we don’t like ... so we’ll probably be here more often,” Terry said during h...

  • Tourism company touts success

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    A company hired by the city of Tucumcari to boost tourism is “turning heads” around the state with its video and soon will launch advertisements that potentially could reach millions of people, the city’s Lodgers Tax Advisory Board learned during its regular meeting Wednesday. Joanie Griffin, CEO of Sunny505 (formerly Griffin and Associates) of Albuquerque, said during a conference call with board members the state tourism department “loves” the video the marketing company produced for the city’s main tourism site at visittucumc...

  • Daycare workers sentenced

    David Grieder|Mar 13, 2019

    PORTALES - A mother-daughter pair of former daycare operators were sentenced March 5 for leaving two young girls suffering hours in a hot car the afternoon of July 25, 2017, in Portales. Mary and Sandi Taylor were given 36 and 30 years in prison, respectively, after an emotional hearing that included impassioned pleas from people at both ends of the full courtroom. On the victim side were calls for accountability and justice; on the defense side for compassion and forgiveness. Judge Donna...

  • Residents gather for storm training

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    About a half-dozen Quay County residents gathered Wednesday night in a classroom at Mesalands Community College to learn how to become SKYWARN weather spotters for the National Weather Service. A weather spotter isn't the same as the adrenalin-junkie storm chasers risking life and limb to capture video of tornadoes. "We don't advocate that," said meteorologist Jennifer Shoemake, who ran the class as part of the college's Community Education program. Shoemake is based out of the NWS' Albuquerque...

  • Man jailed on felony arson charge

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    A Tucumcari man landed in jail for several days on a felony arson charge after being accused of setting a fire that damaged a vacant home. James J. Lucero, 26, was detained March 2 on a complaint of negligent arson, a fourth-degree felony that can lead up to 18 months in prison or up to a $5,000 fine. Negligent arson is described as recklessly starting a fire or causing an explosion that damaged or destroyed a building. In a complaint filed March 4 in magistrate court, Tucumcari police officer Shaun Slate wrote he was sent to investigate a...

  • Three arrested in connection with burglary

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    Three people were arrested last week on felony charges after being accused in connection with at least one burglary in Logan. The people detained were: • Bernadine Gutierrez, 56, of Logan, on one count of residential burglary; • Stanley Ralph Brown, 56, of Logan, on one count of residential burglary; • Lawrence W. Barranca, 55, of Tucumcari, on one count of receiving stolen property (over $500 but not more than $2,500) and one count of tampering with evidence. All of the complaints were filed Wednesday in Quay County Magistrate Court in Tucum...

  • Pages past - March 13

    Mar 13, 2019

    On this date ... 1969: The bodies of two airplane-crash victims are being shipped back to their home bases of Milwaukee. Charles G. Olsen, 41, and Janet Marochinski died when Olsen’s Cessna 180 private plane crashed 10 miles southeast of Tucumcari. Olsen, president of Steel King of Milwaukee and Mercury Manufacturing Co. of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, was flying to Springerville, Arizona, on a business trip. Members of the New Mexico Civil Air Patrol found the wreckage of the plane. • American Legion Post 20 will celebrate the 50th ann...

  • Calendar - March 13

    Mar 13, 2019

    • Wednesday through Saturday — 21st annual Iron Pour. The weeklong event at Mesalands Community College includes an art show and slide show in Building A on Wednesday, a “meet the artists” event from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday at the foundry in Building D, and the opening ceremony with the iron pour at noon Friday at the Building D foundry. For more information, call 575-461-4413. Mesalands Community College, 911 S. 10th St., Tucumcari. • March 22-23 — March Mud Madness. The second annual event will begin with a meet-and-greet at Dynotraxx Motorsport...

  • Fire still under investigation

    Staff report|Mar 13, 2019

    A fire that destroyed a vacant trailer and threatened other structures in Tucumcari is being investigated. Tucumcari Fire Chief Doug Hogan said the blaze was reported at 2:17 a.m. March 4 in the 1400 block of South Jackson Street. Firefighters in Logan and Rural District 1 were dispatched for mutual aid. “The first fire units arrived on-scene at 2:22 and confirmed that a single-wide trailer home was fully engulfed; flames and burning grass were threatening the neighboring home,” Hogan wrote in an email. Hogan stated the fire was ext...

  • Donut shop shutters in Santa Rosa

    Staff report|Mar 13, 2019

    The operators of Tucumcari Donuts shop, which closed that business in early January and resurfaced later that month with another shop in downtown Santa Rosa, apparently have shuttered that location, as well. The Communicator in Santa Rosa reported in last week's edition that Blue Hole Donut Shoppe had quietly closed the previous week. The newspaper reported the building's owner, Kenneth Flores, said he wasn't aware the business had closed until after the fact. “The donut shop started off with a strong influx of customers, but their business h...

  • Menus - March 13

    Mar 13, 2019

    Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Egg and cheese muffinwich, 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: Sausage breakfast pizza, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Cheese pizza, garden salad, baby carrots, fruit, milk. Monday — Breakfast: Blueberry muffin and string cheese, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graha...

  • Both parties have discrimination issues

    Steve Hansen|Mar 13, 2019

    When is it offensive? Congressional Democrats stumbled all over themselves and each other last week trying to answer that question. Then they scrambled to cover any culpability that might result from any answer that may hint that any Democrat anywhere might discriminate in any way against anyone or any group. Here in my view is what happened: Democratic freshman legislators in Congress have made a habit of trumpeting points of a far-left agenda that is every bit as offensive to most people as any racially charged statement from Iowa GOP Rep....

  • Good laugh may be medicine for anger

    Tom McDonald|Mar 13, 2019

    Trump. Climate change. Liberals. Conservatives. Socialists. Capitalists. Bet you don’t think any of these charged-up words are funny, but maybe you should. Recently I heard a segment on NPR’s Morning Edition connecting anger and humor, part of a series called, “The Other Side of Anger.” I found it familiar to my upbringing and how I’ve been conditioned to cope with the stresses of life. “All comedy starts with anger,” the NPR piece quotes Jerry Seinfeld saying, before delving into how stand-up comedy turns anger into laughter. George Carlin...

  • Daylight saving change may cause more confusion

    Los Angeles Times|Mar 13, 2019

    The biannual shifting of the clocks took place Sunday morning, and you may be a little discombobulated. The transition to daylight saving time each March means losing the extra hour of night we enjoyed when the clocks shifted back four months earlier, and it can take a while for sleep schedules to adjust. If the twice-a-year clock-resetting leaves you grumpy, you’re not alone; there’s a growing global movement to end this pointless and, frankly, weird 20th century tradition that has persisted despite having no real practical benefit. The Europe...

  • Righteous lesser magistrates still needed

    Gordan Runyan|Mar 13, 2019

    Some counties in New Mexico have stirred the pot, declaring themselves “sanctuary counties” in defiance of anticipated gun-control laws coming down from Santa Fe. This tactic is not new, even recently in America, as we have also seen “sanctuary cities” defying federal immigration laws; and, Colorado declaring federal marijuana laws null and void in its state. In response, some have spoken up and suggested that these lower levels of government have no business opposing the bigger, higher governm...

  • School board approves budget adjustments

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    The Tucumcari school board approved several budget adjustments during a special meeting March 4, including one that allowed the district to hire a team of counselors for its students. Assistant superintendent David Johnson said the district had been approved for a Title IV grant the previous week. As a result, the board during its special meeting approved an adjustment that will allow the district to spend $27,146.72 of that money to hire Mesa Counseling of Tucumcari. Johnson said Mesa’s counselors will come to Tucumcari schools one or two days...

  • Logan advances in tourney

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    LOGAN - The Logan boys basketball team roared to leads of 15-2 in the first quarter and 42-17 at halftime during a 79-45 victory Saturday over Cimarron in the first round of the Class 1A tournament. The fourth-seeded Longhorns (21-7) advanced to face fifth-seeded Melrose (22-7) at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals at Bernalillo High School. The district rivals went 2-2 against each other this season, with Melrose winning the last matchup 74-65 on Feb. 28. The winner of that game plays...

  • Lady Rattlers defeat Cuba

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    The Tucumcari girls basketball team scored the game's first 28 points against overmatched Cuba during a 66-28 victory Friday to advance to the Class 3A quarterfinals. The third-seeded Lady Rattlers, who improved to 22-4 with their 15th straight win, were scheduled to play sixth-seed Tularosa (18-9) for a fourth time Tuesday morning. (A final score wasn't available before deadline). Tularosa defeated Sandia Prep 47-36 in its first-round game. The winner of the Tucumcari-Tularosa game plays the...

  • Tucumcari baseball team falls in doubleheader

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    The first day of baseball season often reveals problem or two a team needs to remedy. In Tucumcari's case, that list of problems proved to be lengthy. Errors, balks, walks and blunders on the bathpaths proved fatal for the Rattlers in 12-1 and 21-2 losses during their season-opening home doubleheader Saturday against a fundamentally sound West Las Vegas team. Tucumcari didn't look like the same team that had advanced to state quarterfinals last season. "We've got a lot to work on," Tucumcari coa...

  • Softball team gets new coach

    Ron Warnick|Mar 13, 2019

    The Tucumcari softball team has a new coach, but much of the same team from last season. C.J. Oglesby, the Lady Rattlers' assistant coach for four years, takes over the reins this season after head coach Donald Garcia stepped down following last year's 10-8 campaign. Oglesby said he was confident he can do the job. "I've played softball all of my life, and I've coached all-stars in baseball," he said. "The experience, I've got all that down. It just getting the kids to buy into it." The Lady...

  • Lady Longhorns move on

    Staff report|Mar 13, 2019

    The Logan girls basketball team easily advanced to the Class 1A quarterfinals with a 67-27 victory Friday over Hondo Valley at Logan High School. No. 3-seed Logan (23-6) was scheduled to play No. 6-seed Quernado (21-8) at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Bernalillo High School. Quernado defeated Des Moines 77-64 in its first-round game. The winner of that game will play the winner of Tatum-Animus at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. The championship will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dreamstyle Arena in Albuquerque. On Friday, the...

  • Police blotter - March 13

    Mar 13, 2019

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from March 4 to March 10: Monday • 2:25 a.m.: Traffic accident with injuries at milepost 12 of Highway 469, Tucumcari. • 4:12 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 500 block of East McGee Avenue, Tucumcari. • 11:36 a.m.: Juvenile problem in 1100 block of South Seventh Street, Tucumcari. • 12:22 p.m.: Theft in 100 block of West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. • 12:35 p.m.: Traffic accident with damage in 300 block of South Second Street, Tucumcari. Tuesday • 2:17 a....

  • Jail log - March 13

    Mar 13, 2019

    These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from March 4 to March 10: • Marcus Pacheco, 27, Tucumcari, parole violation. • Richard M. Amparano, 38, Tucumcari, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug), possession of marijuana (one ounce or less) and criminal trespass (posted). • Amanda Ashcraft, 38, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Lawrence Wayne Barranca, 55, criminal solicitation to commit tampering with evidence (capital crime or first- or second-degree felony) and receiving stolen property (retain...