Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Three people found dead in a Clovis motel parking lot were likely victims of carbon monoxide poisoning, police said Tuesday. The victims -- Hector Flores, 29, Alizara Gallegos, 19, and Flores’ young son, Aaden Flores -- were found in a running car on Saturday afternoon outside the La Vista Inn. Police immediately said they did not suspect foul play. Inspection of the vehicle, described in police records as a black Chrysler, showed its “exhaust pipe was broken in half … it lo...
On this date … 1950: A 54-year-old tenant farmer was found dead in a ditch about 12 miles southwest of Muleshoe. Officials said the man tied a rope around his neck, fastened the other end to the steering wheel of his car, and jumped out of the car while it was in motion. Investigators estimated the car traveled 200 yards after the man’s body hit the ground; it was found stalled in a field. 1956: Officials at Clovis Air Force Base were asking residents to avoid trespassing on the Melrose Gunnery Range. Lt. Col. Bernie Bas...
Let it rain and snow, New Mexico. The beginning of November brought a dramatic change from the unusual heat October had to offer. Storm systems in New Mexico will bring anywhere from small bursts of snow in certain parts of the state to several inches of snow in other places. In eastern New Mexico, freezing temperatures are expected this week with snow/rain mixes starting tonight and lasting through Friday. Cooler temperatures are expected to remain next week as well, but moisture is less likely after Friday. The region has a...
Eastern New Mexico University’s basketball teams are slated to open the regular season this weekend in a South Central Region crossover event at Durango, Colo., matching teams from the Lone Star Conference against foes from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Both Greyhounds squads play host Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands, in reverse order. The men face Fort Lewis at 7 p.m. on Friday and NMHU at 4 p.m. on Saturday, while the women take on Highlands at 1 p.m. on Friday and the Skyhawks at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Men ...
If you designed a banner declaring, “The world is full of crazies” and ran it up the flagpole, assuredly, I would salute it. On the other hand, as Veterans Day approaches, I realize the world is also full of opportunists – opportunists who devalue the dangers faced by the nation’s military personnel. We’ve all witnessed it with increasing frequency: some office-holder, bureaucrat or celebrity (a) gets pushback for a totally outrageous statement or (b) finally gets busted engaging in some flavor of financial...
When I was young, I didn’t know how good I had it. My family wasn’t rich, but we had enough. My parents loved their children unconditionally, taught us the value of service and gave us all a foundation for lives well lived. Moreover, I grew up with a hero in the house — my father. He wasn’t a war hero, a great athlete or television star. Instead, he was a good and decent man who made sure our home was filled with love and laughter, and I never stopped looking up to him as an example of how someone should live their life. W...
Editor’s note: This is the first in an ongoing series of questions/answers related to the Ute Water Pipeline, a project intended to provide a sustainable municipal and industrial water supply for several eastern New Mexico communities and Cannon Air Force Base. The water will come from Ute lake reservoir in Quay County. Editor David Stevens is submitting the questions to Mike Morris and Orlando Ortega, chairman and director, respectively, of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. Readers may suggest questions by e...
There’s still work to be done, but Portales High’s volleyball team put itself in good position in District 4-4A on Thursday night. After dropping the first set, the Lady Rams came back for a 19-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-22 victory over Artesia at the Ram Athletic Center. PHS (13-8, 3-1 district) completed a three-match season sweep of the Lady Bulldogs (11-10, 2-2), including a victory in a midseason tournament. The Lady Rams stayed tied for the top spot with Roswell Goddard (11-10, 3-1), which thrashed winless Lovington 25-...
Portales High was all but assured of a berth in the state Class 4A football playoffs before Friday night. Now, after a 44-19 District 2-4A win over Chaparral at Steve Loy Stadium, the Rams are thinking possibly a fourth seed and first-round bye could be in store in the 12-team bracket. Ranked sixth in 4A coming into the game by MaxPreps, Portales was to learn its fate when the New Mexico Activities Association releases playoff pairings this morning. PHS (6-4, 4-2 district) led only 17-13 after three periods but added four...
I once read there should be a law that requires every economist who is asked a question to begin his answer with, “I don’t know, but….”. The same edict should apply to statisticians and opinion writers, especially those who claim to go by military analysts. During wars, casualty numbers are hard to nail down because both sides lie about them. They do this for a number of reasons, primarily to maintain morale on their own side as well as to disguise losses from the enemy....
ALBUQUERQUE -- Expect a big and enthusiastic crowd when former President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally Thursday in Albuquerque - as well as a boost for GOP candidates up and down the ballot, said Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce. "When that plane rolls up, and he steps out, I will guarantee you you're not going to be able to control the enthusiasm," Pearce said. Others, are less enthusiastic. "I'm disappointed that Donald Trump is bringing his cruel,...
Bill Southard must have enjoyed Halloween. At least he wrote a lot about it when he was managing editor at the Clovis News-Journal for much of the 1970s and early 1980s. Some of his spooky reports were funny – we'll get to the naked woman in a minute – and some were real-life scary – like the time Clovis leaders asked kids to skip trick-or-treating due to concerns about poison candy. He wrote about the "good old days" of the holiday, "when kids used a good deal of ingenuity in the tricks they performed." There was the time...
On this date … 1940: Two young male lions were sold to a circus by the Clovis zoo. Cole Bros. Circus purchased the lions and a monkey in a cash transaction following its Clovis performances, the Clovis News-Journal reported. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 1940: Clovis High School band members needed new uniforms and they were willing to work for them. Band members said Nov. 9 was going to be “Hobo Day,” during which they would mow lawns, clean up trash, wash dishes or perform just about any other task in excha...
Donald Trump’s public appearances follow a typical direction. He has a speech in mind he intends to deliver with the help of a teleprompter, but instead he resorts to rambling and discussing odd, bizarre thoughts about all sorts of topics. To put it bluntly, the former president has increasingly spouted rhetoric that is nonsensical and incoherent. MSNBC columnist Zeeshan Aleem convincingly stated that, “Trump has been embedded in the public consciousness as a rule-breaker for...
Here we are, on the cusp of one of the most consequential elections in American history, with the choices for president as different as night and day. Three big questions remain: Who will win the presidency? Which political party will win control of the U.S. Senate and House? And what will the losers do after the winners emerge? Polls and pundits tell us it’s too close to call in the presidential election. I expect Kamala Harris to win the overall popular vote, just as the Democratic candidate has in every presidential e...
Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved an “Equal opportunity/Non Discrimination Policy.” This prompted concerns from some residents about transgender students and whether they could use restroom facilities of their choosing. School Superintendent Renee Russ told The News she would not answer additional questions about the restroom policy, but issued the following statement: In response to questions and concerns from our community, Clovis Municipal Schools would like to clarify our com...
Clovis High figured out a way to move the ball against Class 6A second-ranked Centennial on Friday night. The Wildcats just couldn't push it in the end zone. Suffice it to say, the Hawks could. They scored on their first seven possessions, all of them needing five plays or less, before backing off in the second half and claiming a 49-0 District 3-6A victory at Leon Williams Stadium. Prior to the game, the field at the stadium was named in honor of legendary CHS football coach...
With a 14-5 overall record, which includes five one-goal defeats with three in overtime, the Clovis High boys soccer team believes it deserves a spot in the upcoming Class 5A state tournament. For now, though, the Wildcats just have to wait. Selections will be made today by the New Mexico Activities Association and, despite their record, the Cats entered the week ranked 15th. They last made the 5A state meet in 2018, when they reached the semifinals. The biggest question mark for Clovis is its overall strength of schedule....
Yves Smith at her blog “Naked capitalism” has often opined about how the Collective West likes to negotiate with itself and then present its conclusions as a fait accompli to Russia. This is currently happening with the discussions on proposals for ending the conflict in Ukraine. It is important to remember that Russia launched the special military operation to prevent NATO membership for Ukraine. Russia has stated repeatedly its belief that NATO in Ukraine would be used to we...
Assessing how state court judges perform on the job is difficult, particularly for New Mexico voters in today’s divisive political environment. But information from the state’s Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) can assist New Mexicans in deciding whether to vote “yes” or “no” to retain judges and justices on the general election ballot. JPEC was established to specifically help voters carry out their role in ensuring competent, professional judges in New Mexico. The commission’s evaluations also provide feedba...
Everett Frost was not Eastern New Mexico University’s most famous president. He didn’t make many headlines. There are no streets or buildings named in his honor on the college campus. His work was largely behind the scenes. But Patrice Caldwell, his friend and colleague, credits Frost’s vision and relationship-building with decades of university growth that continues today. Frost, who died Monday at age 82, should be credited with building strong sister campuses at Roswell and Ruidoso, repairing a fractured relat...
Heroes are easy to find but hard to keep. Especially when we’re young, we need our heroes, or positive role models if you prefer, as examples of what courage, sacrifice and success are all about. We typically start with our parents, superheroes in our young eyes, while our imaginations gravitate toward mythical beings like the Man of Steel, the Dark Knight or, yes, that proverbial cowboy riding through a time when right was right and wrong was wrong and what you did, not what you said, was who you are. Parents and action figu...
Former President Barack Obama stirred up some attention this month when he suggested lackluster support for Kamala Harris among Black men is mostly about her gender. “Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives or other reasons for that,” Obama said at Harris’ campaign offices in Pittsburgh. “You’re thinking about sitting out, or even supporting somebody who has a history of...
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday signed an emergency declaration for Chaves County that unlocks $1 million in state funding to bolster flooding relief efforts in and around Roswell. "First responders have rescued more than 300 people since the torrential flooding began in Chaves County on (Saturday)," according to a news release from the governor's office. "My declaration of a state of emergency for Chaves County will help support local recovery efforts in the aftermath...
If you’re looking for a word to summarize Everett Frost’s contribution to Eastern New Mexico University, that word would be stability. That’s according to Steven Gamble, Frost’s friend who succeeded him as ENMU president in 2001. “A university can only grow when it has stability. Everett gave that stability to the institution and the institution advanced accordingly,” Gamble said Tuesday after learning of Frost’s death on Monday. Frost, who turned 82 last week, was ENMU’s ei...