Serving the High Plains

Articles from the November 27, 2019 edition


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  • Ron Wilmot dies at age 68

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Ron Wilmot, a former publisher of the Quay County Sun, a former manager of the Tucumcari Convention Center and a longtime staffer in the Tucumcari office for U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, died Nov. 18 at Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari. He was 68. Ray Mondragon, an economic development and government affairs official with the Eastern Plains Council of Governments, said before a legislative forum Wednesday at Mesalands Community College that Wilmot had suffered a heart attack. Mondragon said one...

  • Housing authority decision delayed

    Steve Hansen|Nov 27, 2019

    The Tucumcari Housing Authority board Thursday delayed a decision on whether to turn over the management of the city's public housing to federal Housing and Urban Development regional authority or to keep it local. The board, which consists of the Tucumcari City Commission and Timothy Durkin, a public housing resident, decided to table the matter Thursday to weigh pros and cons of the move a little longer. Board members agreed they needed more time to take into account new information that had...

  • Issues on tap at forum

    Ron Warnick|Nov 27, 2019

    It's a good problem to have, compared to previous years. Two area lawmakers talked Wednesday about the New Mexico Legislature being flush with money from oil and gas revenue and the tension between spending much of it and being prudent with the cash when lean times inevitably return. The lawmakers and audience members that nearly filled a 65-seat auditorium discussed other issues - jobs, roads and a desire to revitalize Conchas Lake during a legislative forum at the North American Wind Research...

  • Calendar - Nov. 27

    Nov 27, 2019

    • Thursday — Free Thanksgiving dinner. The Tucumcari Baptist Church will offer a free Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church’s fellowship hall. For more information, call (575) 461-2724. 321 E. Center St., Tucumcari. • Saturday — Christmas at the Depot. Join in on a Christmas tree lighting event at the historic Tucumcari Railroad Depot from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Other details will be announced later. 100 W. Railroad Ave., Tucumcari. • Dec. 4 — Quay County Family Health Clinic open house. This event will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at t...

  • Pages past - Nov. 28

    Nov 27, 2019

    25: Tucumcari Mayor Kenneth Schlientz, president of the New Mexico Municipal League, and his wife will be among the 4,000 municipal officials attending the National League of Cities next month in San Diego. n Damon Kvols, president of the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, offered his thanks to city crews during a special city commission meeting for putting up the Christmas tree and new lights and decorations in town for the holidays. • A fire gutted a home in the 300 block of North Third Street of Tucumcari. Vivian Gaffney of C...

  • MainStreet awarded $600,000

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Tucumcari MainStreet and the city learned Monday it had been awarded a $600,000 capital outlay grant from New Mexico MainStreet and the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Tucumcari will use the money for Great Blocks on MainStreet, a beautification and infrastructure improvement initiative, for Second Street Phase 1 construction in downtown. Connie Loveland, Tucumcari MainStreet executive director, said Phase 1 would cover two blocks of Second Street, south of Main Street. “It is sidewalks, new lighting, pavement, beautification in t...

  • Menus - Nov. 27

    Nov 27, 2019

    Tucumcari schools Wednesday — No school, Thanksgiving break. Thursday — No school, Thanksgiving break. Monday — Breakfast: French toast sticks with maple syrup, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: information not available. Tuesday — Breakfast: Blueberry muffin with string cheese, cereal choice with cinnamon goldfish graham cracker, fruit, juice, milk; Lunch: information not available. Tucumcari Senior Center Wednesday — Chicken salad, creamy coleslaw, carrot raisin salad, crackers, vanilla pudding. T...

  • Yesway announces completion of Allsup's acquisition

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Yesway announced last week it completed its acquisition of Allsup’s Convenience Stores, a 304-store regional chain based in Clovis that includes stores in Tucumcari and Logan in Quay County. Yesway, which operates a store in San Jon, now has 421 stores and has stated it wants to increase that number past 500 to become one of the top 15 convenience retailers in the United States, according to a news release from the company. Yesway initially announced its acquisition of Allsup’s in October. Yesway Chairman and CEO Thomas Nicholas Trkla said the...

  • Let's vow to be mindful of others this holiday season

    Nov 27, 2019

    We’ve seen thousands of sad stories in our time, but the case of a man found in his North Texas apartment three years after his death ranks right up there as one of the saddest. Ronald Wayne White, believed to be a Navy vet working as a defense contractor, was last in contact with his mother in New York three years ago. He apparently moved several times and traveled extensively so several police departments told his family they couldn’t treat him as a missing person, his family said. His body was recently discovered on the floor of his apa...

  • No shortage of Thanksgiving advice

    Steve Hansen|Nov 27, 2019

    If you’re going to visit family for Thanksgiving in Denver or Dallas, about six hours away each, don’t leave on Wednesday. (I apologize if you’re reading this for the first time on Black Friday.) This according to Mental Floss magazine. Better to be in motion before 6 a.m. on the actual holiday, Mental Floss says, because traffic is lighter both in the country and city on the actual holiday. When I was a commuter in the Los Angeles area, the home-bound Wednesday-before drive could take three hours. The distance was 35 miles, and now I know...

  • Trump accusations small potatoes

    Michael Reagan|Nov 27, 2019

    “Laws are like sausages,” Otto von Bismarck supposedly said. “It is better not to see them being made.” Suffering through far too many hours of the House impeachment reminded me of the truth of that political quip. Making laws is a dirty, smelly, partisan, often corrupt business, even in the best democratic republics. Making foreign policy is just as messy, as the parade of witnesses from the state department who appeared before Adam Schiff’s intelligence committee proved again and again. Schiff’s carefully chosen cast of “fact witnesses” wa...

  • Board to discuss deeding land for Mesalands dorm

    Ron Warnick|Nov 27, 2019

    The Tucumcari Public Schools board of education in future meetings will discuss the possibility of deeding land used for an annual pep-rally bonfire to Mesalands Community College so it can build a 100-unit dormitory. Schools superintendent Aaron McKinney told the board during its regular meeting Nov. 18 the college’s president, John Groesbeck, wants to offer more collegiate sports, but the lack of on-campus housing hinders that effort. Constructing a dorm would help resolve that problem. Mesalands offers rodeo as a collegiate sport and will ad...

  • Give thanks all year round

    Leonard Lauriault|Nov 27, 2019

    It's Thanksgiving week, and I pray all travelers and those staying home will have a safe and happy holiday. While we should be thankful to others for kind deeds or service they do for us, including our veterans, current military and first responders, the ultimate recipient of our thanksgiving should be God. Often, when I thank someone, I also thank God for sending him or her into my life, but a real eye opener occurs when I do something for someone else and receive a blessing. I immediately count that as a blessing for entertaining an angel...

  • Logan players earn all-district

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Logan had four players earn all-district honors from a squad that advanced to the state semifinals in eight-man football. Running back-linebacker Nick Brown, quarterback-safety Wyatt Wright, fullback-linebacker Park Strong and linebacker Ryan Fair each earned honors for the 6-5 Longhorns in the District 3 eight-man league, which included state runner-up Tatum and state champ Melrose. Tatum, which won the district title, had six players on the all-district team and Melrose had five. Logan finished third in district play with a 3-2 mark....

  • Three from Logan in all-state volleyball

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Three players from Logan’s state-champion volleyball team earned all-state honors Monday, and one from Tucumcari earned second-team honors. Senior outside hitter Karli Webb, senior middle hitter Jordan Hines and senior libero Julianna Garcia were named all-state in Class 1A for the 22-4 Lady Longhorns, according to the New Mexico High School Coaches Association. Sophomore outside hitter Kyndall Ragland was a second-team selection. For Tucumcari, senior outside hitter Jasmine Jones earned second-team honors in Class 3A. All-district players for...

  • Lady Rattlers face tough test

    Ron Warnick|Nov 27, 2019

    No creampuffs to start the season for the Lady Rattlers. The Tucumcari girls basketball team faces a tough first test of the season at perennial Class 2A power Texico on Dec. 3 while their all-state guard is still recovering from a lingering illness and the squad is breaking in new varsity players. The Lady Rattlers' first home game at the Snake Pit won't be until Dec. 17, when they host East Mountain. The Lady Rattlers return most of a core that finished 22-5 last season, won a district title...

  • Tucumcari boys shoring up weaknesses

    Ron Warnick|Nov 27, 2019

    Longtime Tucumcari boys basketball coach John Span has taken steps to shore up a major weakness that surfaced on last season's team - free-throw shooting. The Rattlers struggled to a 5-20 record in the 2018-2019 season, but they arguably could have doubled their wins total had they simply shot 60% from the foul line. Instead, Tucumcari suffered through several sub-50% foul-shooting games, and it lost nine contests by six-point margins or less. Midway through last season, Span changed his practic...

  • Grady/San Jon starts season with victory

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    The Grady/San Jon boys basketball team began its season Saturday night with a commanding 77-40 victory over visiting Des Moines. Dustin Bryant led the Bronchos with 26 points. Chad Becerra added 16 poiints, and Chisum Rush chipped in with 13. “I was very pleased with our intensity throughout the game,” Bronchos coach Jonathan Langan said. “We played inspired and got after it on the defensive end. Still some things to improve on, but for our first game of the season, we have really developed chemistry since last year.” It also was the season...

  • Grady/San Jon girls defeat Des Moines

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    The Grady/San Jon girls basketball team opened its season Saturday night with a 47-46 overtime victory over visiting Des Moines. Lady Bronchos coach Alicia Rush said her team trailed 46-45 with five seconds left in overtime. “I called a timeout, drew up a play for Isabelle Martinez to get the shot,” Rush said, “but she was covered, so Bailey Montoya made a great decision to hit the open player, which was Kamryn Harris, who hit the game-winner at the buzzer. She was about 10 feet from the goal.” Teryn Foote scored 23 points to lead the Lady Br...

  • 18 at ENMU named to All-LSC

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    RICHARDSON, Texas - Senior fullback Paul Terry and senior placekicker Tyler Vargas were named to the All-Lone Star Conference first-team offense in football in awards announced on Friday by the league office. They headed a list of 18 ENMU players chosen to All-LSC selections, which included Logan native Wyatt Strand. Terry, from Amarillo, finished off a record-breaking year with four touchdowns and 97 yards rushing in the Greyhounds' season-ending 35-27 victory at Western Oregon. That gave him...

  • Jail log - Nov. 27

    Nov 27, 2019

    These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from Nov. 20 to Nov. 21: • Mathew Cordova, 20, no address listed, indecent exposure and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. • Albert Jess Chacon, 33, San Jon, probation violation. • Michael Romero, 41, Tucumcari, contempt of court. These individuals were released from the Quay County Detention Center from Nov. 20 to Nov. 21: • Nicolas Alexander Garcia, 31, Logan, to electronic surveillance program. • Tiffany Garcia, 30, Tucumcari, time served. • Crystal Marie Jones...

  • Tucumcari police officer receives Wreath of Valor

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Tucumcari police officer Daniel Lopez received a Wreath of Valor, the "highest award the department can give," Police Chief David Lathrom said Thursday for his actions in preventing a suicide Nov. 6 that involved a risk to Lopez's safety. Lopez received the award at Thursday's regular meeting of the Tucumcari City Commission. Lathrom said when Lopez arrived at the 11th Street bridge over Interstate 40 on about 5:30 p.m. Nov. 6, person stood at the railing and threatened to jump off the bridge....

  • Police blotter - Nov. 27

    Nov 27, 2019

    These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from Nov. 18 to Nov. 24: Monday • 3:02 a.m.: Breaking and entering in 700 block of West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. • 5:22 a.m.: Domestic disturbance in 700 block of West Sunset Avenue, Tucumcari. • 7:58 a.m.: Hit-and-run with property damage in 200 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. • 9:30 a.m.: Traffic accident with damage at Washington Avenue and First Street, Tucumcari. • 11:23 a.m.: Property damage in 2400 block of Quay Road 71, Logan. • 11:58 a...

  • Quay County 4-H holds achievement program

    Staff report|Nov 27, 2019

    Quay County 4-H held its end-of-the-year achievement program Nov. 17 at the Quay County Fair Exhibit Center. The C-C 4-H Club served as host club and chose the theme “4-H Glow Party.” 4-H clubs provided entertainment in the form of club skits and performances by Redneck Wonders and Macee Stone. Quay County 4-H began the awards program by honoring those who help the program grow and succeed. Honorary memberships were given to Paul Leonard, Richard Primrose, Bev Lake and Brenda Bishop. Meritorious Service Awards were given to T-4 Cattle Co. and...