Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The attorney of a Tucumcari man accused of fatally shooting another after a graduation-party spat said during a hearing she may have found “exculpatory” evidence for her client. Public defender Anna Aragon of Las Vegas said during a June 13 status hearing that recent legal depositions brought up “new issues” that may delay the early September trial for murder suspect Tyje Garrett. Aragon said the victim’s cellphone may contain “critical evidence” in the case. She said a search warrant was obtained for the phone, but law-enforceme...
The second suspect in a fatal dog-mauling case in Tucumcari pleaded not guilty to two felony charges in district court. Kristopher Jaquaris Morris, 27, of Tucumcari, appeared by phone Wednesday in front of District Judge Albert Mitchell Jr. during an arraignment by videoconference. Morris’ public defender, Brett Phelps of Las Vegas, waived the formal reading of charges and entered a plea of not guilty on all counts on Morris’ behalf. Phelps also asked that Morris remain freed on similar conditions set by the court shortly after his arrest. Dist...
The Tucumcari Historical Museum that organized this year's Tucumcari Rawhide Days aimed to keep the festival alive as it underwent a leadership transition. It accomplished that, with robust crowds at the museum and at the Quay County Fairgrounds during the weekend. The event pays tribute to the "Rawhide" television show of the late 1950s and early 1960s that starred Tucumcari native Paul Brinegar and a young Clint Eastwood. Several scenes from the western drama were shot at ranches in the...
The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors didn’t allocate any water during its regular meeting last week, and it couldn’t even if it wanted to. The district will need three to four weeks to repair damage to its irrigation canals after the May 25-26 storms brought hail and flooding to the region. But the district’s manager and president signaled optimism it could allocate water to farmers as soon as its next meeting in July, or sooner if members call a special meeting. District manager Franklin McCasland said in his report durin...
On this date ... 1973: A Tucumcari man was nabbed with 800 pounds of marijuana worth nearly $250,000 during an apparent airborne attempt to smuggle it into the region. According to the Bernalillo County sheriff, the man was arrested on conspiracy to possess and conspiracy with intent to distribute marijuana. A low-flying aircraft dumped the bundle of marijuana attached to a parachute over Tijeras Canyon southeast of Albuquerque. The marijuana was hidden under bales of alfalfa. The man was arrested when he drove a four-wheel drive vehicle right...
• Saturday — Down at the Depot. Bring your lawn chairs and join Tucumcari MainStreet for live music, food, shopping and family fun at these monthly summer events. Steven Blea will provide the music. Nonprofit organizations will be the focus of this event. • July 14 — Down at the Depot. Bring your lawn chairs and join Tucumcari MainStreet for live music, food, shopping and family fun at these monthly summer events. National Park Radio is making a return appearance in Tucumcari to perform the music. The event will salute area first responders. ...
Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Pork red chile tamale, pinto beans, squash and corn, sliced pears. Thursday — Baked chicken with chicken gravy, wild rice, asparagus and onions, biscuit with margarine, tropical fruit. Friday — Meatloaf, potatoes au gratin, California veggies, roll with margarine, applesauce. Monday — Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad with dressing, Italian blend vegetables, garlic knot, spiced peaches. Tuesday — Oven baked chicken, oven roasted zucchini, roasted beets and carrots, strawberries and bananas. Logan Sen...
It’s June 21, the longest day of the year, although God made one or two days longer (Joshua 10:12-14; 2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38:1-8). In both cases, God looked to his people’s best interests and, in Joshua’s case, he increased torment for his people’s enemies. I’d bet the Israelites thought, “When will this day ever end!” after the all-night march and despite the fact they, or actually God, was winning, although I suspect God gave them sufficient energy to finish the battle. God’s battle for Israel against evil was part of a war started in...
The Quay County Extension Service’s new family consumer science agent won’t need a lot of break-in time to help the area’s 4-H programs in the next few months: Her two children are involved in the club, and she was a 4-H member as a youngster. Erin Smith, previously an elementary teacher at Tucumcari Public Schools for 17 years, assumed her post at the extension office in Tucumcari on June 1. Her predecessor, Suzann Mikkelson, took a similar position at the Guadalupe County Extension Office in Santa Rosa last spring. Smith acknowledged she h...
SAN JON — A usually routine approval of an Open Meetings Act resolution resulted in a change in the dates of future meetings of the San Jon Municipal Schools board. Board member Cynthia Lee during the board’s June 12 meeting suggested changing the date of its meetings for the 2023-2024 fiscal year from the second Monday of each month to the second Wednesday of each month. Lee said she suggested the change “for those who want to be more active” on the board but find it difficult to do so because of their work schedules. None of the other b...
This is not a space that routinely applauds government intervention. If it doesn’t involve securing the blessings of liberty, government needs to back off. The recent actions of the city of Portales’ animal control department clearly fall within the U.S. Constitution’s introduction for how “We the people …” will consent to be governed. Nobody’s happy that city officials are planning to euthanize more stray dogs in a shorter amount of time. But we don’t need another Tucumcari incident in our communities. “People have been complaining about...
As if his political career wasn’t perverse and horrid enough, Donald Trump now holds the distinction of being the first former president in U.S. history to face federal criminal charges. Trump was arraigned last week on 37 separate counts over his handling of classified information, including willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. Predictable, some high-profile Republicans have rallied to Trump’s defense. “Today is indeed a dark day for the Unit...
The Democrats and the liberal media were back in Trump Heaven last week. When Donald Trump was indicted on 37 charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, they couldn’t contain their joy or hide their biases. When Trump pleaded not guilty and walked free, the hopes of the permanently “Deranged Ones” at CNN and MSNBC were once again dashed. They wanted to see Trump put in shackles and leg irons and thrown into a jail cell for the next several years. During their saturation coverage of Trump, the unbalanced and unfair “jour...
Four Mesalands Community College athletes returned home empty-handed after the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, concluded Saturday. Stampede athletes Andy Guzman and Marco Juarez in the bull riding, Jeremy Hennen in the bareback riding and Bryan Huey in the saddle bronc riding failed to score in any of their competitions during the week. The no-scores had to be particularly frustrating for Guzman, who finished fourth in bull riding at CNFR last year and earned Rookie of the Year honors. Guzman also was champion in the event of...
If Tucumcari High School's new football coach doesn't succeed, it probably won't be because of a lack of effort. Tarik Embrack, who was informed on June 8 he got the job as the Rattlers' gridiron coach, repeatedly used the words "hard work" during a phone interview last week. He said he'll wake up early each day to prepare his players for practices and games. "I expect the kids to give the same energy," he said. "Over time, you develop those habits, you outwork your opponent, study film, doing...
The Quay County Little League All-Stars fast-pitch softball team’s first-ever foray in to the postseason was a short one, with it losing both its games Saturday at the District 4 Tournament in Las Vegas. Quay County, an age 9 to 11 team, dropped its opener 16-4 to Las Vegas on Saturday morning, then was eliminated 19-1 by La Plaza later that day during the double-elimination tourney. Quay County coach Jakus Martinez said nerves and a lack of experience bedeviled his team. “It was the small things, the little plays, that separated us,” he said....
Tucumcari High School's STEM team last week presented their alert-system invention to an actual and virtual audience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Diamondback STEM team was one of only 10 teams in the United States last fall that landed a prestigious $7,500 grant and other support from the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam program to build a problem-solving invention. Tucumcari was the only New Mexico team to receive the grant and only the fourth in the program's nearly 20-year history....
The Logan Municipal Schools board last week approved a resolution that schedules an election this fall for general-obligation bond issue of up to $1.1 million. Superintendent Dennis Roch said the bond issue won’t raise local property taxes. “I’m proud of the way that the board has been very intentional about managing the long-term finances of the district to stabilize rates for our local taxpayers while ensuring we can accomplish our facility goals,” Roch stated in an email. The question will be on the Nov. 7 ballot. Early voting for the mea...
Governors from the eight states along historic Route 66 were invited last week to sign onto a consortium that establishes a model for cooperation and partnerships across state lines for the highway’s centennial anniversary in 2026. The framework for the consortium was drafted and proposed to governors in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California by the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission, according to a news release from the New Mexico Tourism Department. By joining the consortium, each state may d...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from June 12 to June 18: Monday — 7:59 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 1700 block of South Seventh Street, Tucumcari. — 8:27 a.m.: Arrest warrant in 100 block of West Center Street, Tucumcari. — 9:14 a.m.: Harassment in 300 block of South Third Street, Tucumcari. — 10:01 a.m.: Harassment in 600 block of East Hines Avenue, Tucumcari. — 11:50 a.m.: Reckless driving at South Third Street and East Dehoney Avenue, Tucumcari. — 12:47 p.m.: Child abuse in 2200 block of...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from June 12 to June 18: — Jungkyoo Lee, 73, Los Angeles, contempt of court. — Derell Hanson, 42, Clovis, battery against a household member and two counts of intentional child abuse (no death or great bodily harm). — Angela Finn, 26, Tucumcari, battery against a household member. — Clayton John Martinez, 47, Tucumcari, driving while license suspended or revoked and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. — Joshua Tussenbroek, 31, no address listed, two counts of contem...
