Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Two High School seniors from Portales and Elida are among 23 New Mexico high school seniors named Daniels Scholars. Kaylynn Belew who attends Portales High School and Jeremiah Woodruff who goes to Elida High have secured up to $100,000 in college funding toward an undergraduate degree. Belew is one of Portales High School’s senior students. Belew has been taking courses at Eastern New Mexico University according to her aunt, Woody Rebrovich. She is expected to graduate with honors from PHS. Belew plans to attend Angelo State...
I don’t like taking drug tests, but not for the reason you may think I don’t like taking drug tests. I don’t like taking drug tests because the whole shebang takes up precious time. It’s a drive over to the drug testing place, most likely sit in a waiting room waiting your turn, do the drug testing “thingy,” and then mosey on. The first drug test I ever had was for a construction job in Albuquerque years ago. I already had the job, I just had to report for a test. After a few days passed I wondered what became of my drug test...
Jamaal Williams may have been born in an Air Force town, but when it came time to join a branch of the military he chose the U. S. Navy. His Navy tour took him to the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, Paris, Rome, Croatia, Jerusalem and other locales. And when he was done, he came home. Sitting in his Clovis home Tuesday, Williams shared stories of his life with The News. Q: So you are an eastern New Mexican by birth? A: I was born and raised here in Clovis. I went to Cameo...
The biggest issue with US 60/84 between Clovis and Fort Sumner is the vehicles passing on the highway. Curry County Commissioners heard this from Michael Smelker, Assistant District Engineer – Construction from Roswell with the District 2 office of the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Smelker addressed the commissioners at their Tuesday regular session. Smelker said the highway is being evaluated to identify the “level of service” needed between mileposts 325 and 383. Smelker said NMDOT is looking at three alter...
A Fort Sumner man was found guilty Friday in a double homicide that happened in early October 2022. The Fort Sumner jury deliberated for just over two hours. Kelby Randolph, 55, was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, each with a firearm enhancement, in the shooting deaths of Brian Beaver, 48, and his wife Rachelle Beaver, 38. Sentencing will be soon, according to Judge James Waylon Counts in his concluding address to the court. Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb said Randolph faces a maximum sentence of 32 years...
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories looking at Clovis Municipal Schools plans for closure and repurposing. The series will continue over the next three weeks. Among the changes proposed by Clovis Municipal schools in their Facilities Master Plan is the moving of the CMS Freshman Academy to the campus of Clovis High School. Some local residents seem to support the proposal. Michelle Bjorklund had two of her three children recently attend the Freshman Academy. “I wish they would have done it sooner. My kid...
U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) Monday welcomed over $227,000 in federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Portales Municipal Airport for necessary upgrades and long-term development. The funding was made possible through the Infrastructure Law. Portales Community Services Director Kelly McClellan oversees airport operations. McClellan said Tuesday she will be working with Mayor Mike Miller in specifically i...
Once I had a job, a lazy soul’s dream, low stress too, I got paid to drive cars all day. I remembered it when a Facebook memory popped up from eight years ago, a photo of the car I got to drive, a Toyota FJ Cruiser. I don’t know if you’re familiar with this vehicle but it’s kind of an oversized Jeep in bright colors, looks like some kind of big ol’ toy. I drove it and discovered, eh, I didn’t like it so much. I’m glad I didn’t spend “big coin” on one and find I didn’t like it.. It was big and clunky, it was more vehicle than...
In his career with the U.S. Air Force, Kent Creamer had been on a remote assignment out of the country. When the assignment was over the only place offered as a choice to be assigned was Clovis. He came and stayed and became pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church. Creamer told his story to The News on Wednesday. Q: You're from West Virginia. Tell us about that. A: I grew up in Martinsburg. It's similar in size to Clovis, but things are much more accessible there. An inte...
Spring storm season is underway in Eastern New Mexico. Says Jennifer Shoemake, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. “Spring is our primary storm season across Eastern New Mexico. There are no firm dates, but typically March through June,” Shoemake said Wednesday. Shoemake outlined three things that are needed for storms: Moisture; lift, which comes as storm systems such as troughs, low pressure systems or storm systems in general cross the area; and instability. “With severe weather there’s a fourt...
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories looking at Clovis Municipal Schools plans for closure and repurposing. The series will continue over the next three weeks. Since the announcement of the possible closure of Cameo Elementary School last week, residents have banded together in opposition of the proposal. “It’s a poor decision, that’s all,” community activist Josefita Griego said Monday. Forming a group called Save Cameo Elementary School and Lockwood Elementary, Griego said she wants to represent the famil...
Roosevelt County Commissioners voted at a special meeting Monday to offer a figurative “olive branch” to the Portales city government regarding the payment and non-payment of fees between the two governments. Commissioners voted 4-1 to engage in “mutual in-kind” services immediately. Commissioner Rodney Savage voted against the measure. “We are all one community,” Commissioner Dennis Lopez said of the Roosevelt County/Portales relationship. In the action, commissioners voted to continue paying Portales for dispatch se...
Cheech & Chong’s public relations people called Bossman at The News, wanted to know if we were interested in an interview when they came to Clovis. Who grew up in the late 20th century doesn’t remember Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong? The interview became my assignment. “The place’ll be packed,” The Lady of the House predicted. “A crowd? In Clovis?” I said. It was an interesting concept to me. So I visited Mike Wood, Great American, who works at the weed store they’d visit. He was confident there’d be plenty of parking. When...
A long-planned project to improve U.S. Routes 60/84 where they pass through Clovis is underway, surprising some area motorists as to what the project actually means in terms of getting around town. Area residents apparently weren’t expecting the closure of the Prince Street overpass as evidenced by comments on social media. Candace Barela, public relations spokesperson with the New Mexico Department of Transportation District 2 office in Roswell said the overpass closed March 11 and “will be closed for 90 days, weather per...
It will no longer cost $30 to graduate from Eastern New Mexico University. ENMU has been levying the fee for years. Last year the fee generated $30,000 for the university. The action came at Friday’s regular session of the ENMU Board of Regents. Tony Major, Vice President Business Affairs and System Chief Financial Officer, put the proposal forward along with a proposal to lower ENMU’s online fee from $17 to $14 per credit hour. The remaining fees will transfer to the “mandatory student fee” of $106 per credit hour raising...
Curry County commissioners on Wednesday heard arguments for building a county sports complex from a real estate advisory company. Steve Haemmerle and Emily Connor of Hunden Partners based in Chicago presented commissioners with a “Community reaction and sports complex study.” Haemmerle said the company has handled over 200 studies for youth sports facilities such as the one proposed for Curry County. In the study, Hunden surveyed more than 700 area residents to determine if there is a need for a sports complex. “Po...
If you spend some time with Clovis' Christy Mendoza you may believe she speaks directly, forcefully. "I was taught to speak so everyone could hear. People think I'm angry, but I'm not," Mendoza said. Mendoza stopped by the offices of The News on Thursday to talk about her life. Q: So you were born in Los Angeles? A: In the Queen of Angels hospital. I lived there until I was 10 years old. Q: What are some of your memories of Los Angeles? A: Downtown L.A. The Bradbury Building,...
Area residents at Tuesday’s school board meeting were overwhelmingly opposed to Clovis Municipal Schools’ plans to close and repurpose campuses. During the “open forum” portion of the session, eight people spoke to the board with concerns ranging from teacher/student ratios to classrooms being located in portable classrooms that wouldn’t stand up to eastern New Mexico weather. The room was filled to capacity with another two-dozen people waiting outside when the meeting began. Here’s a summary of some of the community c...
I find it strange how some folks don’t know or care about their ancestors … what they did, how they lived, what they accomplished. I think that’s just sad. When I think about “my people” who lived long ago, I believe we honor them by knowing a bit about them. I learned a lot about some of my ancestors from my father’s mother, my grandma, a great storyteller. Grandma was one of seven children of an iron ore mining company superintendent and his bride. Grandma was from the Appalachian Mountains in western Virginia near the We...
Dudley Boone says he is distantly related to Daniel Boone, the noted figure in American history. Boone has been a military pilot, flown in combat zones, been a commercial pilot, worked for the Federal Aviation Administration and been a Santa Fe railroad engineer. Boone also has ties to Clovis. He was born here. The California man has businesses in Clovis and flies into town periodically to take care of things. During a recent trip he paused for a talk with The News about his l...
Some time ago I was pedaling my bicycle through an old section of Clovis, passing some houses that surely dated back a hundred or so years ago. I wondered if some of the big, old, rambling hulks had once been boarding houses. A boarding house is a place where people rent rooms … like someone might rent an apartment … .and part of the rent goes for “board” or meals with the boarders sitting around a big table chowing down. I once pondered having a place at an old-fashioned boarding house many years ago. I wouldn’t have been...
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. “The Osborns” by Joe Osborn. This book was given in Honor of Joe Osborn. This genealogy book takes us through six generations of the Osborn family. From Alexander Osborne (1705-1755) to Edgar Monroe Osborn (1870-1960) and five generations of Edg...
When you walk into the office at Westgate Self Storage in Clovis you might notice something about most of the pictures on the wall. They're of the South Korean "boy band" BTS. "I go fangirl over them," Beth Delavega said, laughing. Delavega is receptionist at the business. She spent some time with the News on Monday afternoon talking about her life. Q: Where were you born? A: I was born in El Paso, Texas. When I was two months old we moved to California. We moved around a lot...
Robin Jones, interim president of Clovis Community College in the wake of the resignation of Charles Nwankwo last year, will be resigning the position on July 1. “I’ve given 27 years to this college and it’s time to see whatever life brings. That’s all I have to say,” Jones told The News after Thursday’s regular meeting of the Clovis Community College Board of Trustees. Jones’ resignation was not discussed by trustees at Thursday’s session. Among the items that were discussed, Board President Lora Harlan gave a presidential...
Gail Tarson believes she won the District 2 seat on Clovis’ City Commission because she represents the conservative values and priorities of the community. “As a small business owner, I understand the importance of fiscal responsibility and economic growth. My commitment to upholding traditional family values resonated with many voters who prioritize stability and traditional principles,” Tarson wrote in an email to The News after Tuesday’s municipal elections. Incumbents won the day as voters returned Chris Bryant, Helen Cas... Full story
