Serving the High Plains

Articles from the November 6, 2019 edition


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  • Big 'T' revitalization efforts stalled

    Ron Warnick|Nov 6, 2019

    Negotiations with a landowner to revitalize the big "T" on the north face of Tucumcari Mountain have stalled for two months, and the city commission is getting involved in an effort to jump-start talks again. Al Patel, owner of the Desert Inn motel in Tucumcari and a member of the Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, said landowner Ronald Mueller hasn't returned any of his phone calls since the Rattler Reunion in August. Mueller's permission to access the land is needed to begin the project....

  • One incumbent defeated in Tucumcari city, school elections

    Ron Warnick|Nov 6, 2019

    One incumbent each in the Tucumcari City Commission and Tucumcari school board went down in defeat during nonpartisan elections Tuesday in Quay County. Two House school board incumbents were leading close races. Their victories are likely but won't be final until provisional ballots are tallied next week during a canvass of election results at a special county commission meeting. Voters also easily approved school-bond issues in San Jon and House. Results remain unofficial until the canvass...

  • Complaint against judge dismissed

    Ron Warnick|Nov 6, 2019

    A legal complaint against a Quay County magistrate judge over an alleged lack of courtroom access was dismissed last week after the plaintiff’s attorney requested it, citing a resolution of the case. A notice of dismissal was filed Oct. 25 in the 10th Judicial District Court because the “the matters raised in the petition … have been resolved.” Tucumcari attorney Donald Schutte, who filed the complaint on behalf of Sue Moore, said by phone Friday that District Judge Albert Mitchell Jr.’s interim order after the complaint “removed the hurdles” f...

  • Internship incentives

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is launching the Agricultural Workforce Development Pilot Program to offer incentives to agricultural businesses to hire interns. The program is the result of the Agricultural Workforce Development Program Act signed into law in April. The pilot program intends to provide hands-on educational opportunities for students wanting to begin careers in agriculture, as well as young or beginning farmers and ranchers. Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte said the desire to close a gap was at the heart of the...

  • Fire destroys home near San Jon

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    A fire likely caused by lighted candles destroyed a woman’s home near San Jon the morning of Oct. 29. San Jon Fire Chief Craig Brashear said the department was alerted about the blaze at 2030 Route 66 west of town about 8:30 a.m. By the time firefighters arrived, flames had engulfed one side of the house. “It was an old house, and it went pretty quick,” Brashear said. “It collapsed into the basement.” Brashear said the woman was living in her grandmother’s house after she had moved to Florida. He said the house had no electricity, and the wom...

  • Storm causes closings, accidents

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    An early winter storm Wednesday caused school closings and accidents across Quay County, followed by a drop in temperatures Wednesday night and Thursday morning that proved unseasonably cold for late October. A coating of freezing drizzle, followed by light snow, caused hazardous driving conditions Wednesday morning and early afternoon. Accidents prompted the closing of Interstate 40 in two short stretches between Tucumcari and Santa Rosa. The Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications...

  • Calendar - Nov. 6

    Nov 6, 2019

    • Saturday — VFW Post 2528 Bike Rodeo. Registration starts at noon. Event begins at 1 p.m. Events include slow race, keg race, weenie bite, pole in the hole and fuzzy ball race. Cost is $10 per game. Prize is 50/50 of entry fee. For more information, call Nick at (505) 715-2493. • Saturday — Veterans Appreciation Breakfast. This breakfast sponsored by the Tucumcari Elks Lodge and Daughters of the American Revolution will be given at no charge to veterans and $5 to everyone else. The meal will be served from 7 to 9 a.m. Elks Lodge, 2118 S. Adam...

  • Menus - Nov. 6

    Nov 6, 2019

    Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Sausage and cheese breakfast bagel sandwich, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Thanksgiving meal for first and second grades. Thursday — Breakfast: Newton breakfast muffin and egg meal, Trix cereal bar, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: Pepperoni pizza, garden salad, cauliflower, fruit, milk. Monday — Breakfast: Apple cinnamon muffin and string cheese, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit...

  • Pages past - Nov. 6

    Nov 6, 2019

    On this date... 1969: Howard Abercrombie announced to the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce the Bureau of Land Management would donate 80 acres near the San Jon caprock to a sponsoring and qualified organization for public recreation use. The BLM suggested the land be used for a camping and viewing area. The chamber will encourage the Quay County Commission to sponsor the project. n The Safeway grocery in Tucumcari was advertising USDA choice sirloin steak for $1.14 a pound, T-bone steak for $1.29 a pound, ground beef for 53 cents a...

  • Construction expected to begin on auto parts store

    Ron Warnick|Nov 6, 2019

    The project manager for the O'Reilly Auto Parts chain said he expects to begin construction on a new Tucumcari store within a month, with an anticipated completion in April. O'Reilly Auto Parts store No. 5437 is slated at 1316 E. Tucumcari Blvd., site of the closed Cactus RV Park. Jared Minor, a project manager with the Springfield, Missouri-based auto-parts chain, told the Quay County Sun in January he was hopeful construction would begin three months later. Minor said during a phone interview...

  • Keep an eye out when buying firewood

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    If you plan to buy firewood, know what to avoid to get your money's worth. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture Standards and Consumer Services Division enforces the state's Weights and Measures Law, which includes how firewood must be advertised and sold to maintain fairness in the marketplace. State law requires firewood to be advertised and sold by the cord or fraction of a cord. A cord is legally defined as 128 cubic feet of wood and is commonly seen in a tight stack 4 feet wide by 4...

  • Much to learn from raid that killed ISIS leader

    Nov 6, 2019

    There is much to say about the raid that killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and even more to learn. Begin with congratulations to the unknown military and intelligence personnel who pulled it off. The skill and bravery of the planners and the troops on the ground were essential to the success of the mission. It was extremely risky, like the surprise attack in 2011 that resulted in the death of Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. The eight helicopters faced gunfire on their way to al-Baghdadi’s compound in northern Syria. And P...

  • Freedom doesn't have to be pretty

    Steve Hansen|Nov 6, 2019

    Facebook and Twitter are social media platforms that set the world-wide gold standard for their particular brands of dialogue-inducing software. Their inventors set them up as neutral media for communicating and disseminating information. In that way, the platforms are like the printing press, broadcast airwaves and the internet. As with the older media, anybody can put anything on them — informative stuff, warm stuff, cold stuff, funny stuff, good stuff and very bad stuff — anything short of criminal stuff. That’s what freedom looks like...

  • Monopolies bad for energy consumers

    Michael Reagan|Nov 6, 2019

    Tens of thousands of acres scorched by unstoppable wildfires. Thousands of people evacuated from their homes near San Francisco and Los Angeles. Electricity shut off to millions to prevent hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds from downing transmission wires and starting new fires. Wildfire season in California makes headlines every year, but it’s nothing unnatural and nothing new. It’s been a cruel fact of nature up and down the once Golden State since before I was born. When I was growing up my father had a ranch near Malibu. We had some wildfir...

  • Love defined by the law of God

    Gordan Runyan|Nov 6, 2019

    Jesus said the two greatest commandments were commands to love. We are supposed to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. How would you answer if asked about your obedience to those rules? If you’re like most people, first of all, you’ll be afraid to admit there are some you don’t really love. You especially better not admit that on social media. Then, if you’re a thoughtful person, you may take the time to wonder what the real answer is. Do I love God, really? Do I love my neighbo...

  • MCC holds honors ceremony

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    Mesalands Community College held a fall ceremony to induct three students into the Beta Eta Omega chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Inductees are Alyssa Martinez, Lisasha Morales-Ortiz and Toni Wilson. Phi Theta Kappa is based on academic achievement and offers personal development through scholarship, service, fellowship and leadership. Each candidate for PTK membership must have completed 12 credit hours that may lead to a declared associate’s degree with a grade-point average of a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, enroll in s...

  • Orders being taken for wreaths

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    The Tucumcari chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is taking orders for Christmas wreaths to be given to area veterans or placed on a veteran’s grave as part of the annual Wreaths Across America. Wreaths will be placed Dec. 14 on veterans’ graves at Tucumcari Memorial Park cemetery. Wreaths, which cost $15, can be ordered by phone at (575) 403-6959, mailed to Susan Taylor at 2202 S. Second St., Tucumcari, NM 88401 or online at https://www.wreathsacross america.org/NM0059P Wreaths should be ordered by phone or mail by Nov. 30....

  • Rattlers fall to NMMI

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    Tucumcari’s football team played better than it had in weeks but still didn’t have an answer for jump-starting its stalled offense during a 30-0 season-ending loss Friday at district foe New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. The Rattlers, an injury-depleted team that ended the season with a 1-9 record and 0-3 in District 4, lost its last eight games, including its final five by lopsided shutouts. But Friday’s game showed progress in Tucumcari moved the ball twice beyond its 50-yard line on rushing plays. The game also didn’t end early b...

  • Lady Rattlers avenge loss

    Ron Warnick|Nov 6, 2019

    The Tucumcari volleyball team avenged an earlier loss to Dexter and secured a second-place tie in District 4 with a 25-19, 25-19, 14-25, 25-17 victory Oct. 29 in the Lady Rattlers’ last home match of the season. Tucumcari suffered a four-set road loss Oct. 17 at Dexter, hurting the Lady Rattlers’ chance at a district title. Led by Jasmine Jones’ 20 kills in the rematch, Tucumcari pounded the ball down often against the Lady Demons. “Our passing was so much better this time,” Tucumcari coach Dana...

  • Logan ousts Mustangs

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    Logan avenged a season-opening loss to Mountainair by ousting the host Mustangs 48-32 Friday in the opening round of the eight-man football playoffs. Logan next hosts top-seeded Tatum at 7 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals. Mountainair defeated Logan 40-14 on Aug. 23 by jumping to a 16-0 first-half lead. On Friday, it was the Longhorns who jumped to a 20-0 lead in the first half and held off the Mustangs the rest of the way, including scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter. For Logan, Nick Brown scored four touchdowns on rushing plays of...

  • Five runners qualify for state meet

    Staff report|Nov 6, 2019

    Erin Encinias finished second at the District 3/4-3A cross-country meet Friday in Socorro to become among five Tucumcari runners who qualified for this weekend's state meet. Tucumcari's three qualifying girls will compete at the Class 3A state championship meet Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and two boys will compete at 11:35 a.m., with both races at Rio Rancho High School. Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said he was proud of his athletes' performances Friday. “They all ran their fastest times of the year at the district meet,” he said. Encinias' run...

  • Police blotter - Nov. 6

    Nov 6, 2019

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3: Monday • 9:42 a.m.: Fire in 1800 block of South Sixth Street, Tucumcari. • 1:57 p.m.: Juvenile problem in 1000 block of South Fifth Street, Tucumcari. • 3:48 p.m.: Harassment in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. Tuesday • 1:20 a.m.: Domestic disturbance at Second Street and Douglas Avenue, Tucumcari. • 8:50 a.m.: Fire in 2000 block of Route 66, San Jon. • 8:55 a.m.: Arrest warrant in 200 block of West High Street, Tucumcari....

  • Jail log - Nov. 6

    Nov 6, 2019

    These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2: • Mary Francis Espino, 41, Tucumcari, charge not listed. • Tiffany Garcia, 30, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Victoria Lee Krym, 26, Tucumcari, contempt of court. • Merlin Colleen Byrd, 21, Logan, encouraging violation of probation, parole or bail. • Anthony Carroll, 38, Clovis, violation of restraining order prohibiting domestic violence. • Demarious Pearl Evans, 23, Sonora, California, shoplifting ($100 or less). • Lawrence Pancho Rivas Sr., 44, Tucu...