Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Articles written by Gabriel Monte


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  • Muleshoe High band director charged with enticing minor

    Gabriel Monte, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 13, 2021

    LUBBOCK — The Muleshoe High School Band director will remain held at the Lubbock County Detention Center until a federal judge decides whether he is a flight risk or a danger to the community. William Alan Shelly, 61, of Portales, on Thursday appeared with his lawyer, Lubbock attorney Keltin Lee VonGonten, before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant for an initial appearance hearing. Shelly, who has been held at the Lubbock jail since Monday, was indicted Wednesday by a f...

  • Muleshoe jail escapee sentenced to 14 months

    Gabriel Monte - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Syndicated content|Updated Feb 27, 2021

    U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix on Thursday told Juan Anthony Cordero that the facts of his case outweighed the lenient punishment both his defense attorney and federal prosecutors requested. However, the judge acknowledged Cordero's role - after his arrest - in the capture of the man he helped escape from a Muleshoe jail and reconsidered the heavier punishment he planned to dole out and sentenced Cordero to 14 months in a federal prison. Cordero, 25, has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since August...

  • Man pleads guilty to escaping Muleshoe jail

    Gabriel Monte, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|Updated Nov 21, 2020

    A 39-year-old Plainview man faces up to 35 years in prison after he admitted to escaping from the Bailey County Jail where he was being held while awaiting his sentencing for a separate federal drug and weapons charge. Mark Anthony Lucio, who is now being held at the Terry County Jail, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a count of escape from federal custody, which carries a prison term of up to five years. Lucio entered his plea in person before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant. In exchange for his guilty plea to the escape...

  • Clovis man fatally shot

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    A state police officer was defending himself when he fatally shot a Clovis man Sunday, a police spokesman said Monday. Capt. Jimmy Glascock of the New Mexico State Police said Benjamin Selgado, 29, was crouching behind a wall in a parking lot at the La Vista Inn on Mabry drive when he pointed a gun at the approaching officer. Selgado was shot three times, Glascock said. He died at the scene. The incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. Glascock said state police officer Bryan Conner, a nine-year veteran, clocked Selgado...

  • Selgado's brother: 'He wasn't an aggressive person'

    Gabriel Monte CMI staff

    The brother of a Clovis man shot by a state police officer on Sunday says he was a loving person who's criminal past did not define him. Benjamin Theodore Selgado, 29, was shot and killed by a New Mexico State Police officer at the La Vista Inn parking lot after a short pursuit. State Police Capt. Jimmy Glascock said Selgado pointed a gun at officer Bryan Conner, who shot him in the chest three times. Benjamin Selgado Matthew Lopez, 28, of Clovis said criminal records don't...

  • State police: Officer was defending himself in shooting

    Gabriel Monte CMI staff writer

    A state police officer was defending himself when he fatally shot a Clovis man Sunday, a police spokesman said Monday. Capt. Jimmy Glascock of the New Mexico State Police said Benjamin Selgado, 29, was crouching behind a wall in a parking lot at the La Vista Inn on Mabry drive when he pointed a gun at the approaching officer. Selgado was shot three times, Glascock said. He died at the scene. The incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. Glascock said state police officer Bryan Conner, a nine-year veteran, clocked Selgado...

  • Slow and Steady

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Symon Segura, 10, left, and John Anchondo, 6, place their box turtles in a starting pit during Saturday's Great American Turtle Race at the Curry County Fair. Segura won third place while Anchondo came in at fourth place. Symon Segura of Clovis eyed the eight turtles making their way out of the 10-foot ring Saturday at the Curry County Fairgrounds' Kevin Roberts Show arena. But he couldn't tell which one was his as a fourth turtle made its way out of the ring, ending the...

  • Puppy power

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    LaKenley Young, 7, loves playing with her dachshund Duke in her parent's back yard. She said aside from playing catch the human, she and Duke also dance as her 4-year-old sister, Katelynn, sings Bible songs. CNJ staff photo: Gabriel Monte LaKenley Young, 7, runs with her pet dachshund Duke at Thursday's youth pet show at the Curry County Fair. Young and three other children won first prize for their pets. On Thursday, Duke and LaKenley did their dance for an audience of about...

  • Slice of fair life

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Texico fire fighters Jacob Gaines, left and David Scioli dig into pie baking contest entries Wednesday night at the Curry County Fair office. Gaines and Scioli are serving as first responders at the fair and were asked to judge the contest. As a Clovis firefighter, Lt. Mike Jouett said he is ready for anything. Wednesday night, however, he may have bitten off more than he could chew at the Curry County Fair. Fork and plate in hand, Jouett huddled over a table with two other...

  • Statue returning to Hotel Clovis

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    An Indian statue will soon rejoin six others atop the city's tallest building, according to city officials. Clovis City Manager Joe Thomas said officials with Tierra Realty LLC of Taos, the firm renovating Hotel Clovis, picked up the statue approximately two weeks ago with the intent of having it refurbished and reinstalled at Hotel Clovis. Clovis Mayor David Lansford said the statue is still being repaired. However, city officials could not say when the statue would be reinstalled. The hotel, which opened in 1931, featured...

  • What to know about the Curry County Fair

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Curry County residents will celebrate the county's 92nd annual fair from next week and organizers are expecting increased attendance. Kevin Jolley, Curry County Events Center and Fairgrounds general manager, said last year's attendance was about 35,000. The year before had 30,000 attendees, he said. He said entertainment activities such as concerts and arena cross racing have drawn people from West Texas and New Mexico. "I think we have seen growth in the last few years," Jolley said. "One of our goals is to keep growing."...

  • Officials approve resolution opposing rule change

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Clovis City Commissioners approved a resolution during their Thursday meeting opposing an addition to the state's community development council rules that officials say could put future grant monies in jeopardy. Clovis Community Development Director Claire Burroughes said the Community Development Council is proposing an amendment to its rules to authorize the council to loan money to private entities using Community Development Block Grant money as a guarantee. Communities with populations of less than 50,000 people compete...

  • Cannon housing privatization delayed

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    A delay in housing privatization at Cannon Air Force base will not impact the influx of military personnel, according to a base spokesman. Negotiations with investors have delayed housing privatization at Cannon Air Force Base from an Aug. 1 start date to January 2013, according to Maureen Omrod, a spokeswoman for Balfour Beatty Communities, the developer contracted for the project. "Balfour Beatty Communities and the Air Force are working diligently to finalize the details of the military family housing privatization...

  • Field day to focus on doing more with limited resources

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Doing more with less is the theme of this year's field day set for Friday at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, according to organizers. File photo Presentations at the New Mexico State University field day at the agricultural science center at Clovis will focus on producing more crops with less resources, according to organizers. Researchers will talk about new tillage techniques and potential herbicides and fertilizers used in sorghum...

  • Spokesman: Xcel confident it can meet power demands

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    An Xcel Energy spokesman says the utility company is confident it will be able to meet power demands today one day after asking customers to conserve energy. Xcel Energy spokesman Wes Reeves said the company issued the alert after a power generator in Texas was taken offline for maintenance on Monday when tubes in a boiler ruptured and needed replacing. Reeves said the utility was able to meet power demands on Tuesday without outages but issued an alert to consumers to scale back power use. Xcel Energy serves 17,000...

  • Customers steady despite heat

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    The heat is on. And according to the National Weather Service, it's about to get hotter after reaching 97 degrees Monday. Albuquerque National Weather Service forecaster Amanda Martin says a high pressure system that has settled on the Texas Panhandle will help bring temperatures eight to 12 degrees above normal. According to the National Weather Service website, high temperatures will range between 97 and 98 degrees in Clovis and between 99 and 100 degrees in Portales this week. For local businesses, the heat hasn't made an...

  • Baby giraffe Jerrica turns 6 months old

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    This baby's come a long way. CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Zookeeper Cody Machen gives Jerrica some attention Wednesday, while her mother Jael looks on. Jerrica turned 6 months old Wednesday and has become one of the zoo's biggest attractions. Jerrica, one of Hillcrest Park Zoo's main attractions, turned 6 months old Wednesday. Measuring about 8 feet tall, the rothschild-reticulated giraffe mix has helped attract more than 170,000 visitors at the zoo since her debut in...

  • Company announces plans for wind farm near Grady

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    A Minnesota-based wind energy company announced Thursday plans to built a $30-million, 18-megawatt wind farm five miles south of Grady. Patrick Pelstring, a spokesman for National Renewable Solutions LLC, said the company plans to install nine two- megawatt wind turbines that will generate enough electricity to power 5,000 homes. Construction for the project is expected to start by the end of August and is slated for completion by November. The project, called Broadview Energy LLC., will generate between 30 to 50 construction...

  • Texas mayor: Wind energy good for region

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Wind energy has been good to Nolan County, according to Sweetwater, Texas, Mayor Greg Wortham. CNJ staff photo: Gabriel Monte Greg Wortham, right, executive director for Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse and mayor of Sweetwater, Texas, gives the keynote address during Wednesday's Pure Energy Expo at Clovis Civic Center. Wortham said since the arrival of wind energy projects to the county of 15,000 people, the local tax base has grown from $500 million in 2000 to $3 billion. The...

  • Rains giving wells a break

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Recent rains have given the city water suppliers' 65 wells an unexpected break over the summer. Brian Daly, the general manager of EPCOR, Brian Daly, the general manager of EPCOR said water usage was cut down from 71 percent to 60 percent after the thunderstorm that showered the area with about an inch of rain and postponed the July fourth fireworks display. "It's unusual, in July," Daly said during a city water policy advisory meeting last week, "to have wells off." By this time of the year, Daly said wells are usually at...

  • Fireworks complaints keep law enforcement busy

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Despite a ban forbidding aerial fireworks in the city and county, fireworks complaints kept law enforcement agencies busy. According to call logs from the Clovis Police Department, more than 160 fireworks complaints were logged during the week of the July fourth holiday. In unincorporated areas of Curry County, there were eight complaints, according to Undersheriff Wesley Waller. However, no citations were issued, according to law enforcement spokesmen. Lighting aerial fireworks is illegal in the city limits and is...

  • Clovis man arrested on burglary charges

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Police arrested a Clovis man Thursday morning who they believe may be responsible for close to a dozen vehicle burglaries in the last two weeks. It was the second time this week Fabian Martinez, 18, has been arrested for breaking into a vehicle. Clovis police detective Sgt. Lyndell Stansell said Martinez was arrested Thursday in connection with a vehicle burglary at Lowe's Home Improvement store Wednesday evening. He said Martinez is in jail and his bond has been revoked. Stansell said a Lowe's employee caught Martinez in her...

  • Clovis fireworks display rained out

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    Clovis residents were treated to a different light show than they were expecting as night fell on the Fourth of July holiday at Greene Acres Park. CNJ staff photo: Gabriel Monte Heavy rains drove these spectators under tents set up by Mix 107.5 to wait out the storm, which eventually prompted the cancellation of the Smoke on the Water fireworks display planned for Wednesday night at Greene Acres Park. Of course, the crowd was too busy taking shelter from heavy rains and wind o...

  • Business feature: Budget Inn getting new look, name

    Gabriel Monte CNJ staff writer

    The new owner of the Budget Inn on Mabry drive is giving the hotel a new look and a new name. CNJ staff photo: Gabriel Monte Construction crews work on the facade of the Budget Inn on Mabry drive. Construction started in January and is expected to finish in two months. The hotel was purchased by a new owner last year and will be converted to a Travelodge franchise, according to hotel manager Ashish Bhakta. Once renovations are completed, the Budget Inn will be a Travelodge fra...

  • Farmers seeing crops stunted by weather

    Gabriel Monte CMI staff writer

    Don Wiley hopped onto his shovel, slicing into the dry ground around a garlic bulb, which he plucked and threw behind him. CMI staff photo: Gabriel Monte Curry County farmer Don Wiley holds up bulbs of garlic he grew in his farm. Wiley said harsh weather has stunted his crops. In a good year the garlic bulbs grow to the size of baseballs. CMI staff photo: Gabriel Monte Curry County farmer Don Wiley inspects crop of topsetting onions on his farm. Wiley said the onions will be p...

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