Week of April 8, 2026
Week of April 8, 2026
A large grass fire south of Portales has been largely contained as of 7:20 p.m., said Johnny Montiel, an emergency management coordinator for Roosevelt County. Montiel said firefighters were "mopping up" and forward progress of the fire has been stopped. The fire was reported just before 6 p.m. Friday just south of the Portales airport. Portales Fire Department and Emergency Medical Service reported no injuries or structural losses were immediately reported. Fire crews from...
Portales’ police chief has weighed in on the contested race for Roosevelt County sheriff: Christopher Williams is offering “strong support for Floyd Jones.” Williams’ support comes in the form of a letter posted to Jones’ Facebook page on Friday morning. “In an era where public safety requires both expertise and a steady hand, Floyd is the clear choice to lead our county forward,” Williams wrote. Jones is one of three candidates seeking a four-year term as Roosevelt County sheriff. The field also includes...
Months without measurable precipitation may be coming to an end across eastern New Mexico. The National Weather Service predicts scattered showers and thunderstorms starting Friday afternoon and continuing through Saturday night. The chance of precipitation is better than 50% most of the weekend for Clovis, Portales and Tucumcari. Rainfall totals could exceed half an inch in places, NWS predicts, and some storms could produce severe weather. The region’s best chance for significant rainfall is Saturday, according to...
Three years ago, Portales’ utility rates froze, despite a five-year plan to raise them annually. City officials failed to realize the oversight, until recently. On Tuesday, City Manager Scott Mitten alerted City Council members and the public to the error and announced it will be rectified. Beginning May 1, Portales residents receiving water, trash, and sewer services from the city will see a rate increase that Mitten said will average $30 per household. The increase was approved in late 2022 by the City Council,...
Clovis Booked The following were recently booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center: • Jimmy Apodaca, 41, failure to pay fines • Mark Aragon, 33, criminal trespass, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer • Malcom Boutte, 21, failure to pay fines • Alexander Carrillo, 34, probation violation, failure to comply with specific requirements • Kenneth Carter, 40, battery upon a peace officer, assault upon a peace officer, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct • Sara Carter,...
Clovis’ Deborah Watters won the newspaper’s Bracket Mania contest, scoring 132 points and correctly picking Michigan to win college basketball’s national men’s championship. Watters and Eric Lucero of Clovis were the only two players who selected Michigan to win the title. No players picked Connecticut to play in the title game. The Wolverines defeated UConn, 69-63, on Monday night. Lucero finished second in the Bracket Mania contest with 130 points. Here are the top 10 finishers and the team each player selected to...
TUCUMCARI — The city’s Lodgers Tax Advisory Board largely agreed to aid requests from organizers of forthcoming events except one — a mural-painting event where members wanted more information before making a decision. The city’s tourism marketer also said he changed his mind about the benefits of Placer.ai and urged the board to buy $13,500 one-year subscription for the location-data service. Regarding lodgers-tax aid, the board endorsed these amounts for the following events — $10,000 to the Tucumcari Elks Lodge...
An Albuquerque woman was reunited last week with her dog that had gone missing for more than a year. The emaciated and injured animal turned up in rural Tucumcari, nearly 200 miles from home. A microchip implanted in the pitbull mix, named Luna, confirmed the female dog belonged to Vanessa Suarez, who lives in northeast Albuquerque. The dog was among several that Suarez owned that jumped a fence at their home. In a phone interview Friday, Suarez said she didn't remember...
A clean audit, hosting the annual New Mexico Municipal League convention and adding more color and bang to the Smoke on the Water July 4 fireworks display were approved April 2 by Clovis City commissioners. Commissioners also reappointed Randy Rodriguez to their Public Works Committee. Auditor Farley Vener, president of Hinkle & Landers accountants in Albuquerque, praised the city and City Clerk LeighAnn Melancon for a “clean opinion” and excellent record keeping. He noted just one finding and said it was a minor issue...
TUCUMCARI - A 74-year-old woman at large for about three months due to felony drug charges was caught last week when she unexpectedly appeared in a district courtroom with Tucumcari's police chief present. TPD Chief Lorenzo Emillio said he had just completed testimony on another case at the 10th Judicial District courtroom at the Quay County Courthouse on March 30 and was about to leave when suspect Virginia Martinez walked through the courtroom doors. "I couldn't believe...
Today *Clovis Community College Board of Trustees – 8 a.m., CCC, 417 Schepps Blvd., Room 512, Clovis. Information: http://www.clovis.edu/about/administration.aspx or 575-769-4003 *City of Portales Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board – 9:30 a.m., Memorial Building, 200 E. Seventh St., Portales. Information: 575-356-6662 *Eastern Plains Council of Governments – 10 a.m., EPCOG office, 418 N. Main St., Clovis. Information: 575-762-7714 *Friends of Clovis-Carver Public Library meeting – 11:30 a.m., Ingram Room, Clovis-Carver...
Today through Thursday *Muleshoe Art Association 2026 annual spring art show – Bailey County Senior Center, 319 S. Main St., Muleshoe. Jon Birdsong, judge. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, charcoal/pastel/pencil, photography, mixed/miscellaneous media. Cash prizes. Fajita luncheon (tickets $6) on Thursday 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (CDT) followed by awards presentation at 2 p.m. (CDT). Information: 806-272-5357 Today through Friday *Pre-health fair fasting blood draws available – 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Roosevelt General Hospital Clinic,...
On this date … 1941: Two discharged Works Progress Administration employees and two other people said they would continue picketing the WPA office in Tucumcari until the former workers received new assignments. A spokeswoman for the group said one worker was laid off from an irrigation ditch project, and another was a helper on a WPA hot lunch program at Central School. Grievances also were filed. The picketers carried signs that read “Billions for War, Pennies for Food” and “WPA Is Unfair, We Want Our Jobs Back....
TUCUMCARI — The city likely will increase fees for zoning variance applications after a city commission work session last week to consider updates to those ordinances. Mayor Marcy Willis, who presided over the work session, said she hoped to update zoning and planning ordinances “in a quick fix” before the next fiscal year begins in July. Willis, since her election by fellow commissioners as mayor in January, has called for weekly work sessions so changes can be made quicker. Yvonne Curley, administrative assistant...
TUCUMCARI — An arrest warrant was issued for a trucker scheduled to stand trial this summer for his alleged role in a 2024 fatal wreck on Interstate 40 west of Tucumcari. Tenth Judicial District Judge Timothy Rose issued the no-bond warrant on March 30 after Gurwinder Singh, 29, of South Richmond, New York, allegedly failed to comply with the conditions of his release. The state of New Mexico will extradite Singh from anywhere in the continental United States, the warrant states. Singh was not in custody as of Monday...
A Clovis motorcycle rider was killed late on the afternoon of March 31 in a crash that also involved a tractor-trailer rig. Portales police posted on their Facebook page that the victim was Woodrow Wyatt Nease, 29. The wreck happened just after 5 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 70 and East Spruce St. Nease died at the scene. “The Portales Police Department conducted an investigation, and preliminary findings indicate that the motorcycle rider was traveling at a speed more than the posted speed limit prior to the...
TUCUMCARI - Mesalands Community College last week took delivery of a new semi-truck, marking a step in reviving its commercial driver's license program. The college aims to soon set up a CDL training program that would turn enrollees into professional drivers within six weeks. Students also can gain micro-credentials from the course to give them an edge in job-seeking, a news release from the college stated. Dates for the CDL course will be announced soon. The college...
In response to out-of-the-ordinary warm and dry conditions, the New Mexico state forester has enacted statewide fire restrictions in an effort to prevent wildfire starts. State Forester Laura McCarthy said in a statement Monday the current conditions are "highly conducive" to wildfire starts and spread. "We're already in a particularly high-risk period for above-average fire potential, which is not expected to let up anytime soon," McCarthy said. "... These restrictions are necessary to reduce that risk for the duration of...
Clovis Municipal Schools last week announced Kevin Summers has been named deputy superintendent of Operations, Technology, and Athletics, effective in June. Summers will transition into this expanded leadership role after serving the district as executive director of Data and Accountability. He will succeed Jay Brady who is retiring. According to a CMS news releases: “Summers brings more than two decades of experience in education, including district-level leadership, campus administration, and classroom instruction....
Clovis Municipal Schools bands on April 2 recorded the highest scores possible when they hosted the Southeast New Mexico Music Educators Association Music Performance Assessment. Marshall Auditorium hosted the performances. CMS bands receiving 1 (superior) scores, according to a CMS news release: Clovis High Wind Symphony - on stage and in sightreading CHS Symphonic Band - on stage and in sightreading CHS Concert Band - on stage and in sightreading Yucca Symphonic Band - on stage and in sightreading Gattis Symphonic Band -...
With personal messages of survivorship and resilience, area residents gathered Friday outside the offices of the Roosevelt General Hospital Children's Alliance to place pinwheels in the lawn. A symbol of the whimsy childhood is meant to embody, the pinwheels spun fiercely in the customary high winds of Clovis as participants knelt and pressed them into the ground. "As I place my pinwheel, I do so in honor of myself and my younger sister. We are survivors of child sexual...
More than 600 regional students and community members filed into the Eastern New Mexico University Theatre on April 1. They passed through metal detectors under the watchful eyes of security personnel before quietly taking their seats in the transformed gallery. The stage had been arranged with a long table on the left, two smaller ones on the right and a podium toward the center - not set for a performance, but for arguments. The crowds - most arriving by school bus -...
An eastern New Mexico native with a country song that went viral last year will be among the acts performing at this weekend’s Clovis Music Festival. Tyce Delk, who grew up in Melrose and now lives in Lubbock, will headline the Friday lineup at the two-day music festival. Delk will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. at the Citizens Bank of Clovis Event Center at 1900 E. Brady Ave. The festival is held annually by the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce. Ryan Ainsworth, who organized entertainment for the Roosevelt County...
Massahea Wesley, 17, lost her life after a house party was sprayed with 22 bullets about 12:30 a.m. on March 22. On Friday, Massahea helped save the lives of five people she did not know, donating her organs at University Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital in Lubbock. Rocisela Large, Massahea’s mother, said a large crowd of family, friends and hospital staff were at UMC for an emotion-charged ceremonial donation procession. “I want people to remember my daughter for how she was,” said Large, who shared video of...
A move by Texas lawmakers to study the possibility of annexing parts of eastern New Mexico, including Roosevelt County, has caught local officials off guard. “I have no idea where that originated,” Roosevelt County Commissioner Malin Parker told The Eastern New Mexico News about the idea of Texas looking to add to its territory parts of New Mexico. The prospect of Texas enlarging its borders to include eastern New Mexico counties generated attention late last month when Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock,...
A district court judge has ordered the New Mexico Racing Commission to review its February decision that granted a company’s request to relocate its racino from Farmington to a location set to be built in Clovis. Court records show that on March 30, Judge Erin B. O’Connell of the 2nd Judicial District made the ruling in a case brought by the company Zia Park LLC, the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the San Juan County Board of commissioners. The petitioners are challenging the Racing Commission’s decision approving an...
Daughters of the American Revolution The El Portal Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution met in Clovis on March 14 with Regent Vicky Stratton presiding. Reports presented were the president general’s message; a national defense moment; a Constitution moment; a history of the Taos Pueblo; and a conservation moment. Discussion included observing the America 250 Celebration, creating a basket of goodies for a silent auction at the state conference, and the Blackwater Draw Hands On History Day event scheduled April 18....
Hillcrest Senior Life Center 1704 E. Seventh St., Clovis (575) 769-7908 Menu Today: Boneless pork chop with gravy, stewed tomatoes and green chile; carrots and red cabbage, whole-wheat roll with margarine, tropical fruit salad Thursday: Open-faced red chile burger, hominy, zucchini and diced tomatoes, strawberries Friday: Vegetarian pasta fagioli, California vegetables, whole-wheat roll with margarine, tossed salad with light ranch dressing, apricots, light nonfat vanilla yogurt April 13: Chicken and rice casserole,...
The books listed below are now available for checkout at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. The library is open to the public, but patrons can still visit the online catalog at cloviscarverpl.booksys.net/opac/ccpl or call 575-769-7840 to request a specific item for curbside pickup. “Building Her A Home” by Lisa Carter. When country music singer Noah Brenden walked away from fame to raise his orphaned niece, he made a vow never to stay anywhere long enough to be recognized. So when a blast from his past, music teacher...
This past week has been a little like reliving my childhood. Only my childhood seemed to have a little more sense of adventure. With the launch of Artemis II, America is returning to the moon. This first happened a little over 50 years ago while I was still in grade school. Back then, we watched the landing on TV in the afternoon and stayed up late to watch coverage of the astronauts doing the original moon walk before Michael Jackson’s version. Walter Cronkite talked us...
Guillermo "Memo" Ramirez has been busking along Route 66 in Tucumcari with his guitar or ukulele several days a week since arriving back in town in January. He livestreams his performances on Facebook. When not playing music, he works odd jobs, including at Tucumcari Animal Hospital. Ramirez, an alumnus of the now-defunct Rattler Marching Band, said he is working to bring a live music venue back to Tucumcari and pledged to use all donations from his busking for that project....
Services Click Here to View Obituaries • Tristyn Balch, 24, died April 8. Information: Muffley Funeral Home • Charles Bertram, 61, died April 6. Information: Ellis Funeral Home • Jene Evans, 81, died April 9. Information: Wheeler Mortuary • Martha Hardwick, 78, died April 7. Information: Muffley Funeral Home • Irma Leal, 93, died April 6. Information: Ellis Funeral Home • Jerry Milner, 85, died April 11. Information: Wheeler Mortuary • Lonnie Mitchell, 72, died...
TUCUMCARI – Area boys and girls will be competing at the powerlifting state meet later this week at Rio Rancho Events Center. The boys compete on Friday, and the girls on Saturday. Lifting begins at 10 a.m. each day. Entries will be competing in the squat, bench press and deadlift. Below is a list of area state qualifiers by school and their weight division in their respective enrollment classifications. Class 1A-3A boys Tucumcari: freshman Julian Moralez, 123 pounds; senior Isaiah Ureste, 220 pounds Texico: senior Daniel...
PORTALES – Portales High’s softball team opened a three-game homestand last week in grand fashion, blowing out Las Vegas Robertson 10-1 on March 31, before dropping both ends of a Thursday doubleheader to St. Michael’s 10-2 and 13-11. The Lady Rams were slated to host Clovis High in a twin bill on Tuesday night. Next up is the District 4-4A opener, a 4:30 p.m. single tilt against Lovington at home on Tuesday. PHS 10, Robertson 1 – The Lady Rams erased a 1-0 deficit with a six-run second and cruised past the...
TUCUMCARI – Eighth-grader Kimberly Gardea played a sizable role in the Lady Rattlers' doubleheader sweep on Friday over the Portales junior varsity. Gardea earned complete-game victories in the circle in Tucumcari's 19-4 and 22-5 decisions over the Lady Rams. The right-hander, who has been pitching fast-pitch for years in the Quay County Little League, recently became the Lady Rattlers' No. 1 starter by default after sophomore Melanie Lisabelle left the team. "She's...
HOBBS – Clovis High’s girls won three events while the Portales boys picked up a pair of victories in Hobbs’ Gene Wells Relays on Thursday. Artesia captured the team title in the 14-team boys division with 125 points to 110 for Andrews, while Portales finished seventh with 53 points and Clovis ninth with 40. Seminole (Texas) dominated the 13-team girls field, posting 182 points to 110 for Andrews. The Lady Wildcats were seventh with 52 ½ points and Portales placed 11th with 15. Clovis’ girls picked up their most...
PORTALES – After a rough start to District 4-4A play two days earlier, Portales High's tennis teams were able to earn a non-district split against New Mexico Military on Thursday. Artesia's squads dominated PHS in district duals on March 31, winning both matches by 9-0 scores. Portales was unable to win a set from either the Bulldogs or Lady Bulldogs. Against Roswell-based NMMI, though, the Lady Rams posted a 7-2 victory while the Rams absorbed a 6-3 setback. Against the...
RATON – Raton blew open a close District 6-2A baseball game with seven runs in the fifth inning on Saturday to beat Tucumcari 14-4. The injury-depleted Rattlers (1-7, 0-2 district) trailed just 5-4 midway through the fifth before Raton’s rally. The Tigers added two in the sixth to end the game by the mercy rule. Jadon Navarro and Luis Archuleta each drove in two runs for the Rattlers. Archuleta pitched three innings and took the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two. Nick...
ROSWELL – Looking for a lift from a possible doubleheader sweep, Clovis High’s baseball team instead had to settle for a split against Roswell Goddard. Clovis took an early 6-0 lead and cruised to a 7-3 win in the opener of their March 31 twin bill behind a complete-game two-hitter from senior left-hander Joseph Hernandez. Then, with Game 2 tied 4-4, the Rockets erupted for nine sixth-inning runs and went on to post a 13-4 victory. The result left the Wildcats at 9-9 for the season with two non-district games remaining...
PORTALES – Eastern New Mexico University’s spring football game is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Steve Loy Stadium. “It’s a new era for Greyhound football,” director of athletics Kevin Fite said. “Going to practice and seeing the team compete has been impressive. My observation is that our team members have enjoyed these spring workouts and are excited to show the ENMU community a glimpse of what we will see during the 2026 season. “I’m inviting the whole ENMU community to come support the football team,...
SANTA FE – Portales High’s baseball team split four games last week to move to 7-7 for the season, capped by a 9-6 victory over El Paso Da Vinci in the fifth-place game of an eight-team tournament hosted by St. Michael’s. Sophomore Jacoby Bamforth singled, doubled and tripled in four at-bats, scoring three times and knocking in one. Senior Carson Pfaffenberger also went 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored, while freshman Luis Nunez finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Next up for the...
PORTALES – Eastern New Mexico University's baseball team got some of its best starting pitching of the season against 18th-ranked St. Mary's. Unfortunately, it resulted in only one win for the Greyhounds. After taking Thursday's series opener and dropping a pair of games on Friday, the Hounds were handed an 11-0 loss in Saturday's finale at Greyhound Field – shortened to seven frames by the 10-run rule – to put any hopes of making the seven-team Lone Star Conference...
PORTALES – Eastern New Mexico University's softball team has lost seven of its last eight games after dropping three of four last week at Greyhound Softball Field on its pre-Easter Lone Star Conference homestand. The Greyhounds (15-18, 11-15 LSC) faced some tough competition, managing a Wednesday split against Texas Woman's before getting swept on Friday by Texas-Tyler. ENMU 12-1, Texas Woman's 6-9 – Freshman right fielder Natalie Rodarte was 4-for 5 with four RBIs and...
MELROSE -The Farwell boys track team edged host Melrose on Thursday in the 20-team Buffalo Relays meet, while Logan got past Gateway Christian for the girls' top spot. Farwell's boys finished with 66 ½ points to 58 ½ for Melrose. Logan came in third with 43 points, while Tucumcari was fifth with 36 ½ and Texico took sixth at 35. Grady was 10th with 24 points and Floyd 13th with 12, while the Clovis junior varsity had eight points and Elida two. In girls...
TEXICO – The Texico baseball team put together a dominant week on the field, but it came at a cost. The Wolverines improved to 4-3 for the season with a 12-4 victory at Grady on March 31 and a 27-0 rout of District 2A-4 rival Jal at home on Saturday, while potentially losing sophomore Wyatte Ragsdale to a season-ending knee injury. In the win over the Bronchos (7-4), Ragsdale hit his team-leading second home run of the season before twisting his knee, with an MRI expected in the coming days. “Wyatte drives the ball ...
