Serving the High Plains

Articles from the October 2, 2019 edition


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  • Record crowds at Fired Up

    Ron Warnick|Oct 2, 2019

    The ninth annual Fired Up festival in downtown Tucumcari on Saturday drew a record crowd of 4,271, according to an official count kept by the organizer, Tucumcari MainStreet. That number was 6% higher than last year's previous record of 4,024, though the 2018 total was incomplete because a volunteer lost one of the clicker counters, and it never was recovered. Connie Loveland, who became executive director of Tucumcari MainStreet at midyear, said Monday she was confident the number was higher...

  • Logan named Blue Ribbon school

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Thursday named Logan Elementary School a recipient of the National Blue Ribbon Award, one of only three schools in New Mexico to receive the honor this year. The other New Mexico schools to receive the honor were Career Enrichment Center and Early College Academy Magnet High School in Albuquerque and Ladera Del Norte Elementary School in Farmington. A total of 362 schools in the U.S. earned the National Blue Ribbon Award this year. DeVos and the agency will celebrate with the honorees at an awards...

  • Wastewater plan another step closer to reality

    Steve Hansen|Oct 2, 2019

    A $5.5 million plan to keep treated wastewater from Tucumcari’s wastewater treatment plan out of waterways came significantly closer to reality Thursday. The city commission approved publication of the ordinance that will make it official and authorized final payment for land that will host the project. Before it becomes official, the ordinance must be published and undergo a public hearing, then a final commission vote. Under the plan, financed by $770,000 in local funds and a $4.7 million loan through the New Mexico Environment Department’s C...

  • Take care not to wrongly identify evil

    Leonard Lauriault|Oct 2, 2019

    Recently, I wrote about picking up trash along U.S. 54 and that on one such occasion, I found a pair of unmatched left-handed work gloves. I threw them away because they didn’t match, and I don’t have two left hands (I do have two left feet, however!). That previous article’s point was we’re to test everything holding on to the good and throw out the evil. Another thing that reminded me of was, until not too long ago, naturally left-handed individuals were forced to learn how to write and do other things right-handed. Maybe that’s why I onl...

  • Tucumcari man faces two felony charges

    Ron Warnick|Oct 2, 2019

    A Tucumcari man faces two felony charges after being accused of attacking a woman when she brought a meal to him. Lawrence Poncho Rivas Jr., 24, was charged in a complaint filed Sept. 24 in Tucumcari magistrate court of aggravated assault against a household member with a deadly weapon, felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), tampering with evidence, interference with communications, possession of drug paraphernalia and assault against a household member (unlawful act, threat or conduct). The counts of aggravated assault...

  • Menus - Oct. 2

    Oct 2, 2019

    Note: San Jon and House menus weren't ready by press time. Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Ham and egg biscuit sandwich, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Beef nachos with shredded cheese and round tortilla chips, egg and cheese chef salad with whole-grain crackers, pinto beans, shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, salsa, fruit, milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Cinni mini, ultimate breakfast round, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Cheeseburger, ranch potato wedges, romaine lettuce, fresh tomato sli...

  • Calendar - Oct. 2

    Oct 2, 2019

    • Friday-Saturday — First Presbyterian Church rummage sale. The Presbyterian Women are accepting donations for the event. The sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Volunteers are needed to help us set up and take down the sale (and volunteers get discounts). Call 575-708-0860 for more info. 306 E. Aber St., Tucumcari. • Saturday — Paws and Claws is offering basic obedience lessons Saturday mornings. The six-week classes are at 9 and 10 a.m. on Saturdays. Participation is limited to 10 dog/handler teams per class, so reserva...

  • 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...

  • Owl protection decision should be more just

    Oct 2, 2019

    A recent U.S. District Court ruling over the Mexican spotted owl is halting all “timber management actions” in New Mexico’s five national forests. That means no new permits will be issued for woodcutting for personal use firewood, vigas or latillas until further notice. People with existing permits are urged to get their wood as soon as possible as the ruling may soon affect them as well, according to the Carson National Forest. The judge says the Forest Service hasn’t done enough to ensure the owl’s habitat is protected and improved....

  • Hoping impeachment move wise

    Steve Hansen|Oct 2, 2019

    Whether to impeach President Donald Trump, which seemed clear cut to me only a week ago, has gotten muddier since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last week that impeachment inquiries would begin. If the July conversation between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the new president of the Ukraine, is the issue on which impeachment rests, however, it stands on wobbly legs. Anyone who has been pressured by a manipulative boss knows what was going on in that conversation. Amid the flattery each laid on the other as thick as the filling in a double...

  • Congress, president stuck in past

    Michael Reagan|Oct 2, 2019

    I remember when every office in Congress had at least one calendar on the wall. That is either not the case now or, if they have calendars, no one is turning the pages. Democrats currently running Congress appear to be stuck in December 2016, wondering how Hillary lost and what they can do about getting rid of the winner. Grasping at straws doesn’t begin to define their desperate mindset and monomaniacal focus. First, it was maximizing the leaks and innuendo concerning the Mueller Report. That was a two-year holding pattern as they waited for t...

  • Tucumcari takes 54-0 loss to Robertson

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    Robertson’s defense put the clamps on Tucumcari during a 54-0 Rattlers loss Friday night at Las Vegas. Tucumcari (1-5) managed just three first downs, 63 yards of offense and was intercepted three times. TJ Lampkin was the Rattlers’ top offensive producer with 31 yards in 10 carries. The Cardinals (5-1), ranked fifth in Class 3A by MaxPreps.com, racked up 378 yards and 11 first downs en route to a 35-0 lead at halftime. Quarterback Matthew Gonzales threw for four touchdowns — three to receiver Antonio Padilla — and ran for a fifth TD. “They c...

  • Buffaloes defeat Logan

    Ron Warnick|Oct 2, 2019

    MELROSE - In the first one-third of the game Friday night, Logan's defense had held Melrose, the state's top-ranked team in eight-man football, to one touchdown from scrimmage, stopped two drives in the red zone and forced a fumble. Then half of the field's lights abruptly went out, leading to a 20-minute stop in play until they flickered back on. That 20 minutes was all Melrose coach Caleb King needed to make vital adjustments to his team's offense. After that, the Buffaloes (5-0) scored on...

  • Melrose tops Lady Longhorns

    Ron Warnick|Oct 2, 2019

    MELROSE - The top-ranked and unbeaten Lady Buffaloes played a nearly perfect district volleyball match Friday afternoon and No. 2 Logan didn't, leading to a rare three-game loss - 14-25, 23-25, 23-25 - for the Lady Longhorns. Melrose, which improved to 10-0 overall and 2-0 in their district, undoubtedly had their sights on Logan after losing four of five of their matches last season, including in the Class 1A state championship. "We played exceptionally well," Lady Buffaloes coach Casey Jackson...

  • ENMU takes first LSC victory of season

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    PORTALES - Eastern New Mexico ran all night, save for a lengthy weather delay, and claimed their first Lone Star Conference victory of the season. Senior quarterback Wyatt Strand had 195 yards rushing and two touchdowns, part of a 515-yard rushing effort as Eastern New Mexico outlasted Texas A&M-Kingsville 48-34 to improve to 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in LSC play. In total, the Greyhounds had two 100-yard rushers, with Paul Terry going for 179 yards on 26 carries. Johnny Smith was near the...

  • Record broken at Wheels on Fire

    Ron Warnick|Oct 2, 2019

    Jon Kulas of Santa Rosa broke the course record by nearly 25 minutes during the fourth annual Wheels on Fire 100 bicycle race Saturday, averaging nearly 25 mph over the 100-mile road loop in southern Quay County and a part of Curry County. Perhaps the most impressive part was he did about one-third of the course by himself. Most elite cyclists ride behind others to cut down on wind resistance and conserve energy. For the first 65 miles of the race, he did that with a cyclist from Colorado. Then...

  • Mountain Road construction begins

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    Staff report long-awaited reconstruction and improvement project of Mountain Road in Tucumcari recently began and will continue through winter 2020. The public will be informed of lane closings and restrictions along U.S. 54, aka Mountain Road, and Interstate 40 for the project. Access will be maintained to all businesses on Mountain Road, although the speed limit was reduced to 15 mph in construction zones last week. According to a news release, the $10.5 million project involves one mile of...

  • Woman files complaint against local magistrate judge

    Ron Warnick|Oct 2, 2019

    Alleging an act “contrary to law,” a Quay County woman filed a complaint against a local magistrate judge after she said she was denied access to a courtroom to attend a criminal case that involved a family member. A Tucumcari district judge issued an interim order days later to address the case, but the New Mexico Supreme Court was asked to review it and may intervene. Sue Moore filed the complaint Sept. 17 against Quay County Magistrate Judge Timothy J. O’Quinn after she and a relative, an alleged victim in a criminal case, “were not allowed...

  • Pages past - Oct. 2

    Oct 2, 2019

    On this date ... 1969: Tucumcari police officers Bill Owings and Gordon Edwards were dispatched behind George’s Texaco on Route 66 in Tucumcari because a cat was stuck in a pipe there. They called plumber Jack Speigelmire, who freed with animal with the help of a lasso around its neck. • Richard D. Spence, the son of Myrtle Spence of Tucumcari, was appointed vice president of the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. Spence, 44, was the youngest vice president the company has ever had. He was a trainmaster, assistant superintendent and superintendent o...

  • Logan man receives mostly suspended sentence

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    A Logan man recently was given a mostly suspended jail sentence in Tucumcari district court after being accused of dragging a woman by the hair, throwing her down a set of stairs and kicking her. Santiago Romero, 24, was convicted of a misdemeanor count of aggravated battery against a household member. He initially was charged with a felony count of that charge that could have led to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. District Judge Albert Mitchell Jr. give Romero a jail sentence of 18 months, with all but three weeks suspended, and was...

  • Heinrich staff holding office hours

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    Staff from the office of Sen. Martin Heinrich will hold mobile office hours in eastern New Mexico this week, according to a release from the office. The office hours will be 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Tucumcari Senior Citizens Center at 523 S. Third St. and 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Eastern Plains Council of Government office at 418 N. Main St. in Clovis. Staff can help with things like Social Security benefits, Medicare, veterans benefits, student loans, immigration, and other federal programs. Anybody who can’t make t...

  • New cell tower going up nearby

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    The erection of a new cell tower south of Tucumcari should improve cellphone coverage for AT&T customers in Quay County and give its first responders faster and more reliable service. The new tower went up near the intersection of Highway 209 and Highway 256, near Forrest. The upgrade also benefits first responders on FirstNet — a dedicated, nationwide communications platform for public safety, according to a news release Thursday from AT&T This new tower also brings FirstNet Band 14 spectrum to the region. Band 14 is nationwide, h...

  • Police blotter - Oct. 2

    Oct 2, 2019

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Sept. 23 to Sept. 29: Monday • 7:32 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 600 block of West Laughlin Avenue, Tucumcari. • 9:03 a.m.: Traffic accident with damage at milepost 321 or 322, U.S. 54, Tucumcari. • 9:14 a.m.: Vandalism in 800 block of West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. • 2:07 p.m.: Child abuse or neglect in 300 block of South Second Street, Tucumcari. • 3 p.m.: Domestic disturbance in 700 block of West Sunset Avenue, Tucumcari. • 3:46 p.m.: Threa...

  • Jail log - Oct. 2

    Oct 2, 2019

    These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Sept. 20 to Sept. 27: • James Dean Cordova, 40, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Victoria Lee Krym, 26, Tucumcari, charge not listed. • Lawrence Poncho Rivas Jr., 24, Tucumcari, aggravated assault against a household member with a deadly weapon, felony possession of a controlled substance (narcotic drug), tampering with evidence, interference with communications, possession of drug paraphernalia and assault against a household member. • Jackson Douglas Talvitie, 41, Tuc...

  • Flu shots available

    Staff report|Oct 2, 2019

    Presbyterian Medical Group will provide free seasonal influenza shots Oct. 19 in Tucumcari and Logan. Inoculations will be given at these times and locations: • 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 19 at Trigg Memorial Hospital at 402 E. Miel de Luna Ave., Tucumcari. • 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 19 at PMG Family Medicine, 600 Gallegos St., Logan. The vaccine will protect against four strains of seasonal flu: influenza A HeN2-type virus, influenza A H1N1-type virus and two influenza B-type viruses. The free flu shots at these clinics will be offered until vaccines are...