Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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PORTALES - If Brock Wissmiller could invent a time machine, he probably wouldn't need to hold any job, let alone be an athletic director. But the associate AD of Upper Iowa University said a team's 20-year reunion would be the best indicator of what a program did. Are they on campus celebrating a title, or are they at a restaurant in another city bonding over hatred of their coach? Wissmiller took a few trips through time during his public interview to become the next AD at...
CLOVIS — A Clovis parent told the Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education he and other parents would like the board to take stances on various issues at its Tuesday meeting. Josh Parkin, a parent of three students in the Clovis system, said in the meeting’s open forum section he would like the board to use a future meeting to discuss topics like mask wearing and critical race theory, “because we would like to see where the board stands on that.” Parkin said he attended a recent Public Education Department meeting on upco...
PORTALES — With no noted opposition, and no change in annual dues, the Portales City Council decided Tuesday night to continue services with the Eastern Plains Council of Governments. Executive Director Sandy Chancey said the council provides various services for the $2,964 annual fee, and that a resolution authorizing services is intentionally broad because the council wants to provide service first without being tied down to a resolution’s boundaries. “We’re still providing the same services,” Chancey said, “but in t...
CLOVIS - The Clovis Soap Box Derby was bound to feature some new racers following a one-year hiatus. But Saturday's slow runs down Sycamore Street overwhelmingly went to the newest crop of racers. Jeremiah Vigil, 14, led a field of first-time racers to claim a berth in the All-American Soap Box Derby. Vigil, who will be an eighth-grader at Marshall Middle School, beat out 16 other racers in the double-elimination format and held off runner-up D.J. Padilla and third-place finis...
CLOVIS - The Custom Classic is a longstanding conglomeration of double-elimination softball tournaments at Guy Leeder Softball Complex. That's the techincal definition. But a stroll through the complex Friday night often felt more like a family reunion. The tournament made its return Friday after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tournament organizer Roger Jackson said this year's tournament fielded only three fewer teams than the 2019 version. He predicted the...
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE - Col. Robert Masaitis could have never predicted what he'd see when he first took command at Cannon Air Force Base in 2019. On Friday he left with pride and appreciation for an assignment he called the honor of his career, as he handed the reins of the 27th Special Operations Command Wing to Col. Terence G. Taylor. The News covered the ceremony virtually. Air Force Special Operations Commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife credited the 27th for ability to focus on...
CLOVIS - Without a music festival to bank on, organizers of the Draggin' Main festivities concentrated on making the greatest experience possible for car and motorcycle enthusiasts. With the weeklong festivities complete, organizers felt it was mission accomplished. "It was the best one ever," longtime organizer Gene Porter told The News. "The only thing that would have made it better is if we'd have had the music festival concerts with it." Thom Moore, chair of the Draggin'...
PORTALES — Roosevelt County Commissioners quickly approved a measure continuing a premium pay stipend for its detention center personnel through the rest of 2021. Following the request from Detention Administrator Justin Porter, commissioners voted 4-0 to continue the $150 stipend per pay period. County Manager Amber Hamilton said the costs would be covered through federal dollars for pandemic expenses. Porter said detention center employees take on a tough job without COVID-19, and staff have taken more than 500 tests and a...
A local superintendent and a group of state legislators are questioning the Public Education Department's effort to update social studies standards at New Mexico’s K-12 schools. Reps. Randy Crowder, R-Clovis and Martin Zamora, R-Clovis, are two of 15 House Republicans who signed on to a letter Wednesday asking the Legislative Education Study Committee “so that policymakers and the general public can thoroughly understand the process of rewriting K-12 social studies standards, ascertain what impact these ‘guiding princ...
PORTALES - Should he be selected as the next athletic director at Eastern New Mexico University, Paul Weir has three standards he wants to apply to every decision. Will it improve resources? Will it improve enrollment? Will it improve retention? "There has to be a guiding directive," Weir said during a community back-and-forth Wednesday morning at Greyhound Arena. Weir, former head coach of the University of New Mexico men's basketball team, was the first of four candidates...
CLOVIS — The Clovis city charter is somewhat of a nebulous area in New Mexico law. Its term limits for city commissioners are unenforceable because of state standards, but its recall procedures remain in place despite different state standards. Charter review commission members discovered just why that is during their Tuesday meeting to help determine the future makeup of the city’s governing document. The charter, first adopted in 1971, requires a citizen vote for changes. Such elections can be scheduled at any time by the...
PORTALES - Rose Richards has no idea why anybody would ever fire a bullet into her Portales floral shop. But the longtime owner of Hestands Floral did learn quite a bit about the community in the aftermath. Richards and staff closed the shop on Tuesday following the early morning vandalism, and were able to do enough cleaning to reopen the shop Wednesday while various suppliers gave estimates on items beyond Richards' ability to fix. "We don't know if we were targeted...
CLOVIS - Mark Yannotti loved his Harley-Davidson, his granddaughters and the San Francisco Giants. But he was most known around Clovis for his love of animals, a love that often extended beyond the walls of the Hillcrest Park Zoo where he worked since 1988. Yannotti, the zoo's assistant director, died June 6 in his sleep. Family members didn't know the specific cause of death, but noted he had suffered a heart attack just a week prior. Yannotti was pretty much synonymous with...
Close enough. New Mexico will, as planned, move out of its “Red to Green” COVID-19 restrictions on July 1, despite just missing a Thursday goal of 60% of New Mexicans 16 and older receiving their final vaccination dose. The lifting of the color-coded system means all pandemic-related occupancy restrictions for commercial activity will be lifted. Facemasks will still be required for unvaccinated individuals. Businesses can still adopt their own policies above and beyond state guidelines. Until July 1, all 33 New Mexico cou...
State bar to hold workshop ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico State Bar will hold a consumer debt/bankruptcy workshop June 23. The 6 p.m.-8 p.m. workshop will be Zoom meeting ID 921 3305 4058, passcode 381384. The workshop will include an attorney presentation on bankruptcy, followed by one-on-one consultations at no charge for anybody who registers in advance. Registration is available by calling 505-797-6094. Business Digest is compiled by the staff of The News. Contact Editor Kevin Wilson at 575-763-3431, ext. 320, or by e...
CLOVIS - Be they entertainers, public servants or business owners, Purple Pride Hall of Honor recipients gathered Saturday for a ceremony that was larger in some ways, smaller in others, but just as special as any before it. After a year that saw the 2020 banquet wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's induction banquet from the Clovis Municipal Schools Education Foundation did double duty with inductions of the classes of 2020 and 2021. A total of nine were honored -...
Heather Storm is one of America’s more famous road trippers. But she’ll be flying in for Saturday’s Gearhead Gathering, because work’s leaving her a little too busy this time. “I have a great new project I can’t release yet that I’m excited about,” Storm said. “It’s a digital series. I’m still working on a digital series, ‘Drive Yourself Local.’ Those will both be on my YouTube channel. That’s why I’m in Detroit shooting things. It’s a summer full of work.” Storm, former host of “Garage Squad,” said some of her favorite s...
Steve Darnell admits a healthy amount of jealousy of the Baby Boomer era. They had the best cars, gas prices weren’t bad and a car was sometimes how people in the neighborhood knew you. “No-one gives a (expletive) anymore,” said Darnell, star of the Discovery Channel’s “Vegas Rat Rods” series. “You drive a Prius. It’s transportation. Every generation that goes by, it’s going to get worse. The pride’s gone. A kid can’t work on them anymore.” Darnell and his WelderUp crew work on countless vehicles now, and Darnell estimates h...
CLOVIS - Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, last summer was a mulligan for pretty much any social event. This year is about recovery, and Draggin' Main is no exception. After the pandemic wiped out all but an informal gathering last summer, the event celebrating Clovis' car culture is back again. The music festival that normally accompanies Draggin' Main was pushed back for a second year due to various concerns, but festival committee chair Thom Moore anticipates a 2021...
PORTALES - There was little doubt Sarah Austin would be hired as Portales' new city manager during Tuesday night's city council meeting, as she was already sitting in the dais' designated city manager seat when the meeting started. Less than an hour later, assumptions became conclusions, as the council unanimously voted to offer Austin a contract following a 10-minute executive session. The council in May authorized a contract negotiation with Austin, village manager for...
Students awarded scholarships A pair of Curry County students were awarded $1,000 New Mexico School Board Association scholarships during the association’s virtual law conference Thursday through Saturday, according to an NMSBA release. Riley Rohrbach of Texico and Christopher “Tate” Sorgen of Melrose were each valedictorians for their respective class, and two of the three scholarship recipients from the association’s Region V — House’s Evelyn Garrett was the other recipient. A total of 24 students, three for each of the...
PORTALES — Recent rains have caused plenty of inconveniences lately, including the postponement of one high school graduation and countless flood claims by private citizens, businesses and government entities alike. But there are several obvious benefits to the recent moisture, with optimism a notable one at Tuesday’s Roosevelt County Commission meeting. Based on the advice of Portales Fire Chief T.J. Cathey and others, commissioners voted 3-1 to lift the county’s prior declaration of exceptional drought status and associated...
CLOVIS - A suspect in a May 14 homicide in Clovis made his first court appearance Monday. Xavier Lucero, 18, of Fort Sumner, was arraigned in Curry County Magistrate Court on an open count of murder and other charges in connection to the death of 16-year-old Ricardo Gonzales. Three others, all juveniles, are facing murder charges in the case. Juvenile court records are not considered public documents. Lucero was arraigned via video from the Curry County Adult Detention...
CLOVIS — Nearly three weeks after they graduated, about three dozen Clovis Community College students saw their work become official in a virtual board of trustees meeting Wednesday morning. During the meeting, the first the trustees have held since the May 14 ceremony at the Curry County Events Center, a total of 34 spring graduates were added to the rolls. President Charles Nwankwo said the additional graduates picked up 34 associate’s degrees, two certificates of completion and two certificates of achievement. The stu...
PORTALES - Monday was to be the 75th consecutive year Portales had celebrated Memorial Day and honored the local soldiers who gave their lives for their fellow citizens. A few inches of rain was not about to stop anybody. Monday's ceremony at the Portales Cemetery moved a few blocks south, with a makeshift sign letting community members know to head to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3515 instead. The post, decorated already for a free lunch following the service at the...
