Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The prospect of a possible five-day work week this fall at Tucumcari Public Schools already is leading to the departure of several educators. Interim superintendent Dave Johnson said during the school board’s regular meeting last Monday at least five to seven teachers or staffers “are not coming back” for the 2024-2025 school year. He said five to seven educators are looking for positions at another school district or another vocation because they don’t want to commute to Tucumcari five days a week. He said some of those teachers reside...
Quay County manager Daniel Zamora said Monday during a budget work session he would advocate a $1-an-hour raises for employees for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, plus additional pay for hard-to-fill positions. Zamora said he considered $2-an-hour raises across the board, but “I don’t see having that wiggle room.” He said he wanted input from commissioners before proceeding. Commission Chairman Robert Lopez agreed with generally keeping raises at $1. He said there were indications that growth in gross receipts tax revenue was beginning to level...
The Tucumcari Film Festival returns Friday and Saturday, and this time all the entries will be screened at the historic Odeon Theatre in what likely will be a last hurrah for the venue's owners. Christy Dominguez, general manager of the Odeon and co-owner with her husband Robert Lopez, said last week they have accepted a local buyout offer for the Odeon, though she wasn't sure when the deal would be completed. Dominguez said they have a second offer awaiting if the contract falls through. This...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Pancake sausage on a stick, assorted cereal, cinnamon graham cracker, fruit cocktail, orange juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk; Lunch: Meatball hoagie, turkey and cheese hoagie, french fries, steamed seasoned corn, fresh broccoli, ranch dressing, fruit cocktail, 1%, skim, chocolate skim or strawberry skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Assorted cereal, blueberry muffin, string cheese, cinnamon graham cracker, fruit cocktail, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk. Lunch: Pepperoni pizza, ham and cheese san...
On this date ... 1974: State Sen. Jerry Apodaca of Las Cruces, a Democratic candidate for governor, told the Quay County Democratic Women’s Club it cannot assume their candidates will win at the polls in November just because of the Watergate scandal in Washington. “There is a disenchantment with the political system in general,” he said. “Watergate is not the only reason, but the main concern of the people of New Mexico is the creditability of their elected officials. “The No. 1 challenge for the next governor of New Mexico is to improve c...
The Quay County Clerk’s Office announced last week that voters registered with a major party in New Mexico can request an absentee ballot for the June primary election at nmvote.org or by contacting the County Clerk. All registered major party voters in New Mexico can apply for, receive and vote with an absentee ballot in the primary. This year, voters can opt to be part of the permanent absentee list when requesting their absentee ballot. When a voter chooses this option, he or she will receive an absentee ballot in the mail for every s...
Friday-Saturday — Tucumcari Film Festival. The annual event, themed “Visions of Frontier,” will feature films of adventure, drama and high stakes at the Odeon Theatre. For more information, go to filmfreeway.com/tucumcarifilmfest. May 4 — Quay County rabies clinics. These four locations will offer $15 rabies shots for dogs and cats: Nara Visa fire station from 10:30 to 11:30 Central; Logan city warehouse behind the Annex from 1 to 3 p.m.; San Jon old fire station from 4 to 5 p.m.; and in Tucumcari from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. at...
The region’s 911 center took another step to moving into new headquarters when it hired an engineer to oversee the transition. The Tucumcari/Quay Regional Emergency Communications Board voted Wednesday to hire WHPacific of Albuquerque, aka NV5, to be the project manager in moving the dispatch center from the Tucumcari Police Department to the former Bob’s Budget Pharmacy building at 511 S. Second St. The contract’s cost would be $51,804, which county manager Daniel Zamora said was below the threshold for more stringent procurement rules for c...
New Mexico’s governor last week announced the appointment of Heidi Adams as district attorney for the 10th Judicial District. Adams’ appointment was effective April 15, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The 10th Judicial District serves Quay, Harding and De Baca counties. Adams, who lives in rural Tucumcari, had served as chief deputy district attorney at the 10th Judicial District since 2015, prosecuting misdemeanor and felony cases. Adams’ appointment to be the region’s district attorney had been expected. Her predecess...
Last fall, the owner of a Tucumcari automotive repair shop offered to crowd-source repairs for a teen's pickup truck for free in exchange for showing the rebuilt vehicle at a street-rod show. He called it "The Dream Build." Nine months later, the teen's parents filed a lawsuit, alleging the repairs hadn't been completed and that the truck be returned. Tony and Rosalee Olguin filed the complaint for return of property and damages on April 11 in Tucumcari District Court against Robert Moore Jr. an...
The Mesalands Community College board of trustees during a special meeting last week approved a memorandum of understanding with the Office of the State Auditor regarding the fiscal-year 2023 audit. The audit, which also will cover the college’s foundation, will cost the college $98,280, according to the document. Mesalands interim president Allen Moss said approving the pact could have waited until the board’s next meeting on April 30, but officials “don’t want to be seen as dragging our feet” regarding the audit. The Office of the State Audit...
These individuals were booked into the Quay County Detention Center from April 15 to April 21: — Adrian Julian Rivas, 24, Tucumcari, probation violation. — Seth A. Chavez, 36, Tucumcari, contempt of court. — Danford Cross Jr., 38, Tucumcari, battery against a household member. — Daniel Hoffman, 44, Sarasota, Florida, criminal trespass (unposted) and concealing identity. — Nickolas Anson Fragale, 21, Tucumcari, breaking and entering, aggravated battery (no great bodily harm) and criminal trespass (unposted). — Nathan Donald Sims, 39, Tucumca...
New Mexico Supreme Court Justice David K. Thomson last Wednesday was sworn in as chief justice of the court. The justice was elected by his colleagues on the five-member court and will serve a two-year term. He succeeded Justice C. Shannon Bacon, who had served as chief justice since 2022. "I am honored and privileged to assume the leadership of the state's judicial branch of government," Thomson said. "I am grateful to work with all of our committed judges, court staff and judicial partners to...
These calls were made to the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center from April 15 to April 22: April 15 — 7:32 a.m.: Juvenile problem in 200 block of South First Street, Tucumcari. — 8:29 a.m.: Harassment in 200 block of East Center Street, Tucumcari. — 12:57 p.m.: Trespassing in 100 block of West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 2:50 p.m. Harassment in 1300 block of East Reed Avenue, Tucumcari. — 3:57 p.m.: Trespassing in 100 block of West Tucumcari Boulevard, Tucumcari. — 4:41 p.m.: Domestic disturbance in 900 block of So...
Four possible updates to Tucumcari Public Schools' five-year facilities master plan would lead to the tearing down of its middle school due to stagnant enrollment and underused buildings. TPS held a community meeting last Monday in the Mesa Cafeteria to discuss possible options for the district. About 30 people - many of them district employees or administrators - attended. Susan Miller, a senior director of strategic consulting for Ohio-based Woolpert, led the meeting. She said her company was...
The Tucumcari Public Schools board during a special meeting Monday evening voted unanimously to hire Carl Marano to be the district's next superintendent. Marano, an assistant superintendent at Santa Fe Public Schools, has family ties to Tucumcari. His mother and brother live in the city, and his father Richard was the public-address announcer for years at Rattler football games before his death in 2021. Marano will replace Aaron McKinney, who retired on Jan. 1 after 18 years of leading the...
The Tucumcari Public Schools board interviewed three candidates for superintendent on Friday, though a decision on who to hire probably won’t happen for another 10 days or so. The board interviewed current Tucumcari Middle School principal Lendall Borden, Santa Fe Public Schools assistant superintendent for instruction and school support Carl Marano and Explore Academy of Albuquerque assistant principal Anthony Branch for the position. A fourth candidate scheduled to be interviewed, Lovington Municipal Schools principal Steve Barron, dropped o...
The Tucumcari City Commission approved a first reading to an update to its personnel policy, but not without hearing about its possible repercussions to the police force. During a work session last Tuesday, Police Chief Patti Lopez said the policy contains a measure that requires employees to reside within 10 miles of the city to take home city vehicles. Lopez said her department already has lost an officer who resides in Logan 25 miles away, and another Logan officer said he would quit if the policy took effect. “The minute it goes into effect...
On this date ... 1974: The second annual Logan Bicentennial Banquet drew a record crowd of 425 people at Logan High School. S.L. Abbott, regional director of the Bicentennial Administration, presented certificates to Logan Mayor Robert McFarland and Tucumcari city commissioner King Aitken, recognizing the municipalities as the first Bicentennial Village and Bicentennial City in New Mexico. The banquet dinner was provided by the Fireside Inn Cafe. — Organizers of the Tucumcari Performance Tested Bull Sale proclaimed it the most successful in i...
April 26-27 — Tucumcari Film Festival. The annual event, themed “Visions of Frontier,” will feature films of adventure, drama and high stakes at the Odeon Theatre and the Tucumcari Railroad Museum. For more information, go to filmfreeway.com/tucumcarifilmfest. May 4 — Quay County rabies clinics. These four locations will over $15 rabies shots for dogs and cats: Nara Visa fire station from 10:30 to 11:30 Central; Logan city warehouse behind the Annex from 1 to 3 p.m.; San Jon old fire station from 4 to 5 p.m.; and in Tucumcari from 9 a.m. to noo...
A federal grand jury on Thursday added criminal charges against a South Carolina man accused of fatally shooting a New Mexico State Police officer west of Tucumcari last month. The grand jury returned an indictment on Jaremy Alexander Smith, 33, on charges of carjacking resulting in death, causing death by the discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and interstate transport of a stolen vehicle. If...
Tucumcari schools Wednesday — Breakfast: Blueberry and yogurt parfait, assorted cereal, graham crackers, banana, apple juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk; Lunch: Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, ham and egg chef salad, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, ranch dressing, mandarin oranges, 1%, skim, chocolate skim or strawberry skim milk. Thursday — Breakfast: Apple frudel, assorted cereal, graham crackers, fruit cocktail, orange juice, 1%, skim or strawberry skim milk; Lunch: Cheeseburger, ham and cheese sandwich, french fries, baby carrots, fru...
Nearly 2,000 Xcel Energy customers in Tucumcari lost power for almost 90 minutes on Friday night. Wes Reeves of Xcel stated in an email Saturday the outage was caused by a damaged line connection near the Campbell Avenue substation in Tucumcari. “They were able to restore power after a repair was made,” he wrote. Reeves stated the outage lasted for 83 minutes for 1,989 customers in Tucumcari. Most of the outage was reported on the city’s east side....
The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors unanimously voted last Tuesday to allocate 2 inches of water per acre for area farmers for the coming growing season. On a day it rained during the board’s meeting, members were reluctant to allocate more water to its irrigation canals due to meager inflow to Conchas Lake so far this year. District manager Franklin McCasland reported the lake’s elevation that morning at 4,172.19 feet, which was about one-third of a foot higher than the previous month. He reported the lake received 2,3...
Jack Huffman of Michigan is walking across the country to raise awareness and money for disabled veterans, but his second takeaway from the journey is the generosity from fellow Americans. Huffman on Thursday had trodded 60 miles east from Santa Rosa and made it into Tucumcari that evening. During a phone interview from a room donated by the Motel Safari, Huffman had just eaten a meal given to him from Watson's BBQ. He said such kindness has been "incredible" since he began his "Sundog Run" to W...
