Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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After surviving two separate diagnoses of cancer, Sean Swarner figured there was nowhere to go but up. His definition of “up,” however, was a bit higher than average. Swarner, 43, went on to reach the highest summits of all seven continents, a journey documented in part by “True North: The Sean Swarner Story,” which premieres at 10 a.m. Sunday on KENW TV. The focus of the documentary, according to a press release promoting the show, is Swarner’s trek to the North Pole, “towing 300 pounds of gear through the frozen tund...
If you could build a stronger community through the youth, how would you do it? That question is guiding an upcoming series of “community conversations,” hosted by the United Way of Eastern New Mexico. In order to best improve the lives of the residents of Curry and Roosevelt counties, UWENM Director Erinn Burch said, her organization must focus on the young people who will eventually decide the future of both communities. However, the organization doesn’t have a full picture of how best to serve area children, accor...
CLOVIS — Cold weather poses a problem for many people, but especially those without the luxury of a regular place to live. That means an increase in overnight guests at Clovis’ Lighthouse Mission. Director Richard Gomez said he has seen a few more guests than usual in the past week, as temperatures have dipped into the teens, and below, the past few days. One family heading south was sleeping outside before landing at the Lighthouse. “They said they had started a fire, they said they didn’t care if anyone came and tried t...
It's a new year, and the future is uncertain, so why not make a resolution that makes you happy? That is exactly what Lazbuddie resident Anna Jennings has in mind; her goal in 2018 is to travel to Australia. While the continent may seem like the far-flung reaches of the earth to some, it represents an exotic place full of wonder to Jennings. Her fascination with Australia began over 30 years ago, when she wrote a report about it in the eighth grade. She added that the warm cli...
PORTALES — Roosevelt County had a wet and windy summer in 2017, with storms flooding over 60 miles of roads and pulverizing homes and buildings. The weather ranked among the year's top stories for county residents. The largest storm of the season hit on Aug. 3, flooding areas north and west of Floyd through to parts of the county south of Portales. County Manager Amber Hamilton, seeing the scope of the damage, met with state officials just days after the storm hit to assess t...
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series reviewing the year’s events in eastern New Mexico. 2017 heralded significant changes in Portales’ city government, the most notable perhaps being an announcement that Mayor Sharon King won’t seek a third term in 2018. King, who was elected in 2010, said her health is too great a concern to dedicate herself completely to mayoral responsibilities. “I’m trying to be a good mayor and balance my health at the same time. It’s time to concentrate more on my health and less on other thin...
PORTALES — The Portales City Council voted on Tuesday to sign a document reiterating its commitment to paying two loans by the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority, but it had some questions first. The loans were in the amount of $1.5 million and $1.6 million for the Ute pipeline project, which would bring water from Ute Lake to Portales, Clovis, Melrose, Elida, and other eastern New Mexico communities. The signing of the loan agreement was the second time the city has committed to paying its portion of loans on the pro...
PORTALES — Roosevelt County commissioners on Tuesday approved a plan to prepare county buildings to accommodate disabled visitors. Geographic Information Systems Technician Johnny Montiel presented the plan — which covered 19 county buildings — as "a guide to help us to get started into assessing and implementation of our county buildings." Using a template from the U.S. Department of Justice, Montiel "went through each building with a fine-tooth comb," noting how the count...
PORTALES - After over an hour of discussion, the Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents on Friday developed a plan to address concerns about an oversight policy introduced in November. The policy, which would give three staff members (chief information officer, human resource director, and vice president of business affairs) oversight of the Portales, Ruidoso, and Roswell ENMU campuses, was tabled until the board's January meeting to hear concerns from the Roswell...
PORTALES — Hats will fly, new chapters will begin, and Eastern New Mexico University’s 10th president will officially be inaugurated at the university’s 2017 fall commencement ceremony on Saturday. Starting at 10 a.m., 491 candidates for graduation are expected to walk through Greyhound Arena and on to the rest of their lives. As one of those graduates, theater major Amy Carter credited hands-on training from caring faculty with helping her earn her bachelor’s degree. “I think mostly the training (helped bring her closer to...
PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University is one of 2017’s most valuable online colleges, according to an international education magazine. The Knowledge Review, in its list of the “10 most valuable online colleges” in 2017, said ENMU “combines a traditional learning environment with 21st century technology to provide a rich educational experience.” The publication cited utilization of technology, a wide variety of online degree options, and close ties with surrounding communities as reasons it was chosen. “Excellent...
PORTALES — A Portales attorney on Tuesday filed a civil lawsuit against Roosevelt County Sheriff Malin Parker and the Roosevelt County Commission, citing civil rights violations in a 2016 pursuit that left one woman dead. The complaint — filed by attorney Eric Dixon on behalf of Elisa Hernandez, mother of the late Irisema Hernandez, 33 — accuses Parker of negligence, aggravated assault and battery, vicarious liability, and three other counts in an August 2016 pursuit. Irisema Hernandez was killed after her friend Eduardo Lope...
PORTALES — The Portales Junior High School cafeteria is set to receive renovations in 2018 which, according to its designers, will greatly increase functionality and safety for students. The Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education on Monday approved the design phase of the project, presented by Project Manager Michael Rael of construction firm Nick Griego and Sons and Tina Reames, owner of Cherry/See/Reames Architects. Reames told the council several architectural improvements would be made, including a covered c...
PORTALES — Heavy rains in August tore up rural roads across Roosevelt County. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez this week declared the situation an emergency, which means financial help is on the way. Martinez on Tuesday signed a declaration that will make up to $750,000 available to the county through the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for “resources and services necessary to avoid or minimize economic and physical harm until the situation becomes stabilized.” A “severe and powerful thunder...
PORTALES — Santa will have a sleigh full of presents to hand out on Dec. 16, thanks to donations by Portales school students. Portales Police Chief Pat Gallegos and School Resource Officer Eric Muller on Thursday accepted a check from Lindsey Steiner Elementary School students for Santa Cop, an event the department holds annually to distribute toys to less fortunate children. The $389 check was in good company, joining a $600 check from Portales Junior High School and a donation of 75 toys from Portales High School. The c...
PORTALES - Daycare operators accused of child abuse resulting in death and great bodily harm will be tried in court together, attorneys have agreed. Mary Taylor, 62, and her daughter, Sandi Taylor, 31, were arrested July 25 after Maliyah Jones, 22 months, and Aubriauna Loya, now 2, were left in a vehicle outside the Taylors' daycare for approximately 90 minutes. Maliyah was pronounced dead on arrival at Roosevelt General Hospital. Aubriauna was transported to a Lubbock...
PORTALES — Less is more when it comes to capital outlay requests, the Portales City Council decided on Tuesday. Councilors approved a four-item wish list: • $395,000 for wellfield improvements, • $175,000 for water circulation upgrades, • $50,000 for cemetery expansion, • and $50,000 for a drainage study. The list of city improvements — submitted for the New Mexico state Legislature to consider funding — was shortened from five items to four. City Manager Sammy Standefer recommended the fifth item, the construction...
PORTALES — The Roosevelt County Commission on Tuesday approved a program aimed at preventing opioid abusers from overdosing, despite some initial apprehension from commissioners. Roosevelt County Detention Center Administrator Justin Porter introduced the program, which identifies inmates who may be at risk for opioid addiction and provides them with the overdose-reversal drug Naloxone upon their release from jail. Commonly known as Narcan, Naloxone will be provided to d...
The focus of the 2018 New Mexico legislative session may be on the state’s budget, but there is plenty more that legislators on the east side of the state hope to accomplish. The session runs from Jan. 16 to Feb. 15, and its primary purpose is to develop the state’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, according to Rep. Randal Crowder, R-Clovis. “That is always the priority of the legislature on the even-numbered years. It’s a 30-day session, so that’s the only thing we’re really considering.” That isn’t to say Crowder isn’t...
PORTALES - Family, fun, old Saint Nick himself - what more do you need to have a good time? Not much, if you ask any of the Portales residents attending the city's 31st annual Christmas Light Parade. Over 40 floats traveled a route from the Portales Recreation Center to the downtown square, delighting residents new and old. Shonta Ayers, a new arrival to the city, attended the parade to get a feel for what Portales has to offer. Ayers had a good feeling about Portales, based...
Rain helped cotton growers in eastern New Mexico and west Texas in 2017, but cool weather put a damper on the quality of their crops. Roosevelt County producer Kevin Breshears said he harvested two to three and a half bales an acre this year, which "wasn't a bumper crop by no means," but still a step in the right direction. Breshears remained positive about his crop, but admitted that the quality of the cotton was lower than in years past. "The grades on the cotton are not as...
Santa Claus will make an early visit to Portales on Dec. 16 to hand out presents, but he can't do it without a little help. He needs more than just elves: He has volunteers wrapping presents and baking cookies for the children, the Portales Police Department accepting monetary and toy donations, and one lucky officer putting on his suit. It's all part of operation Santa Cop, a free event described as "a way to give needy children or children (ages up to 17) who may not have a...
A nationwide Christmas tree shortage has had little effect on the High Plains’ ability to purchase the real thing this year, according to local nursery owners. The shortage has driven up prices across the country because of the 2007 recession, according to National Christmas Tree Association spokesman Doug Hundley. But Cameron Simmons, general manager of Hamilton Providence Garden in Clovis, said prices haven’t changed from a year ago, though he had to import the trees from Michigan this time. “Trying to find them was diffi...
Shoppers at the Portales Wal-Mart found Black Friday bargains without the rush typically associated with the “holiday.” Mark Hernandez of Clovis went to Portales on Friday to find bargains that he couldn’t get at home, and walked away with cookery, bedding, a deep fryer, and — his favorite — two laptop computers. Hernandez and his family participated in Black Friday “maybe five, 10 years ago,” and decided to return because of the new found ease of shopping during the weekend. “Of course, Black Friday’s extended out now,...
The holiday weekend began with a reminder of fire danger in the region. A mobile home on the 1400 block of Roosevelt Road 4 in Roosevelt County caught fire around noon Thursday after a controlled burn “got out of hand and got under the mobile home,” said Portales Fire Department Battalion Chief T.J. Cathey. The structure was a total loss, but no injuries were reported, he said. Cathey said he did not know if anyone lived in the mobile home. Friday saw three fires in Curry County, namely around mile marker 11 off of Hig...
