Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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CLOVIS — Clovis Municipal Board of Education members received positive news on a collaboration still in its infancy, the Clovis Early College High School program, during its Tuesday meeting. Melissa Winn, a CHS counselor who oversees the program, reported the program more than doubled in its second year, with 146 students enrolled compared to 65 in 2019-20. The population is 93 female and 53 male, which runs close to CCC’s demographics of 70% female. The program includes 56 students, or 38% of participants, who are first-gene...
While it appears Mother Nature is going to have an impact early this week, it’s apparent this year’s early voters will easily outpace those from the 2016 presidential election in Curry and Roosevelt counties. Roosevelt County has already seen more early voters in 2020 than it had in all of 2016. Curry County will likely see the same, maybe as early as today. Monday was a light day for early voting in both counties with inclement weather concerns that were anticipated to continue over the next few days. In Roosevelt Cou...
CLOVIS - Following a COVID-19 spike at Plains Regional Medical Center, city and county leaders joined Interim Administrator Jorge Cruz on Friday in asking the community to follow COVID-safe procedures. The press conference, held at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library and streamed on the city's Facebook page, followed a Thursday that saw PRMC start the day with eight COVID-19 patients and end it with 20 - the highest number the hospital has treated at once...
PORTALES - While the pandemic sidelined her basketball career, Jena Mehlbrech got a start on her prospective career by job shadowing a physical therapist in Portales. Now after helping rehab eastern New Mexico residents, the junior guard is hopeful she and her Greyhound teammates can rehab Eastern New Mexico University's playoff aspirations that were so suddenly taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 8, Mehlbrech and her teammates had just returned home from the Lone...
PORTALES - Save a few weeks for a visit to family in Virginia, Garrick Sherrod has largely spent his last few months in Portales even as Eastern New Mexico University went online only for the fall semester. For the junior guard who aspires to be a college coach, Sherrod said being in the Portales community gives him support and peace of mind as he works on his degree and the game of basketball. The latter has certainly picked up, with Sherrod and his Greyhound teammates back...
CLOVIS — A tort claim has been issued to the Curry County Commission alleging negligence and improper handling of COVID-19 at the Curry County Adult Detention Center. The claim, filed Thursday by Portales attorney Eric Dixon, indicates the facility has at least 67 or more inmates currently diagnosed with COVID-19, and that it is “unfit for human habitation at this time” and should be shuttered. The claim indicates that inmate Daniel Heil, 40, tested positive for COVID-19 Oct. 9, and has received no medical treatment for t...
CLOVIS - A renovation for the Curry County Courthouse is close to what everybody wants. The Curry County Commission is hopeful plans can get a little closer. The commission moved to table a request to enter the design development stage of the renovations, due to concerns raised by County Sheriff Wesley Waller and commissioners. It will be handled, likely via special meeting, in the next two weeks. Bob Calvani of NCA Architects schematic design was complete on courthouse...
SANTA FE — Four strikes will now mean two weeks on the bench for New Mexico businesses. And restaurants will be required to keep track of customers who choose to dine in. Those are two of many new measures that will be put into place Friday in efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Some retail businesses may also be required to start closing early. The changes were announced Tuesday afternoon by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The state will begin to give a daily watchlist of rapid responses, which take place when a...
Independent business owner Steve Jones, Republican Yvette Herrell and Democratic incumbent Xochitl Torres-Small are candidates for the Second Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives. Interviews were conducted by phone, with candidates asked the same questions on the spot. Multiple attempts to secure an interview with Torres-Small were unsuccessful. Yvette Herrell Q: What do you believe should be the role of the federal government? The federal government’s role should be way more limited than it is now. I...
CLOVIS — Optimism during a pandemic always hinges on the next round of testing results, and detention facilities are the rule rather than the exception. The Curry County Adult Detention Center staff was hopeful it would mostly have a COVID-19 problem eliminated in its walls by the end of this week. But Thursday results showed otherwise, with the center confirming 27 new cases. Of those cases, 26 are in the facility and one person who was since released has been notified of the positive test. On Thursday, before test r...
Las Vegas attorney Teresa Leger Fernandez is the Democratic nominee for the Third Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives. She is running against Portales native and Santa Fe engineer Alexis Martinez Johnson, the Republican nominee. There is no incumbent, with Ben Ray Luján vacating the position to run for New Mexico’s open Senate seat. The interview with Fernandez was conducted by phone. Multiple attempts to interview Johnson were unsuccessful. Teresa Leger Fernandez Q: What do you believe should be th...
CLOVIS - Riley Rohrbach was ready to go, and so were her Texico teammates. The Wolverines entered the fall as six-time defending volleyball champions, and it appeared not even the COVID-19 pandemic would slow them. The players, Rohrbach said, had the mindset to be adaptable, and felt more optimistic every day when the University of New Mexico football team was cleared to practice and sports workouts went from groups of five to groups of 10. But COVID-19 infections roared...
CLOVIS — After some back and forth over a higher contract rate and a budget for monuments, the Clovis City Commission approved a contract for the upcoming year with Clovis MainStreet during its Thursday meeting. The organization, part of New Mexico MainStreet, provides various services to downtown businesses and the city as a whole. Specific items in the contract, which runs through June at a cost of $28,333.33, include managing various capital outlay projects, implementing economic transformation strategies, facade improveme...
SANTA FE — New Mexico officials reported three straight daily records of COVID-19 infections in a trend Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday called “alarming” and “untenable” for healthcare providers. The state reported 819 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, topping the short-lived record marks of 672 Thursday and 577 Wednesday. Friday’s count included a local record with 76 new cases in Curry County. Eight new cases were confirmed in Roosevelt County. The count also included six deaths, including a Roosevelt County fema...
PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University announced Tuesday a return to campus for some of its student-athletes next week, with plans to bring back more in the coming weeks. That’s despite the university going to an online-only model for the fall semester. Men’s and women’s basketball players can return to campus Tuesday, with student-athletes from other programs cleared to return the week of Nov. 2. All student-athletes will be tested for COVID-19 once they arrive on campus and must document a negative test result prior t...
SANTA FE - While no immediate changes were made to public health orders, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham warned the state was "at extreme risk of uncontrollable spread" of COVID-19 during its weekly press conference. "This is feeling week after week like we're preaching ... but the reality is still the same," Lujan Grisham said Thursday. "This is a deadly virus. We're in a global pandemic." Also, the governor said, the state will not update its public health order to...
To be even an average teacher, one needs passion, love and patience. Patricia Bass had an overabundance of all three, and local children benefited for parts of five decades because of it, friends and family said. Bass, who died Sept. 21 from complications related to dysphagia, was described by family and former coworkers as someone who enjoyed the small details of life and worked tirelessly to make sure they weren't missed. She spent 37 years teaching, including the last 35 te...
CLOVIS — A local bar and grill has been cited for violation of the state’s public health order. According to the citation filed by the New Mexico State Police, more than 200 people were in Kelley’s Bar and Grill at 10 p.m. on Oct. 2, above 25% of the estimated capacity of 480. The citation also alleges patrons were not wearing masks, and social distancing was not being enforced. Manager Heidi Baca was given the citation, but owner Jef Beyer said he would appear alongside Baca if they do go through with any court proce...
From the Oval Office to the New Mexico Legislature to numerous county offices, local voters have to make decisions on plenty of candidates in the general election. But there are plenty of other items for consideration on the Nov. 3 ballot, including constitutional amendments that could overhaul the Public Regulation Commission, bond issues that could mean nearly $14 million for area entities and decisions on whether district and appeals court judges stay on the bench. Here is a look at some of those ballot items: Bonds...
CLOVIS — After nearly a quarter century of instruction in Clovis and Cannon Air Force Base, Wayland Baptist University will close its Clovis campus at the end of the year. The move is part of a series of cuts to various programs and operational budgets due to lower enrollment trends and challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. Dean Gary Mitchell said Thursday he understands the decision from the administration and trustees board in Plainview, and noted enrollment has been down at WBU-Clovis the last few years like other college...
Randal Brown What do you believe should be the role of the state government? Primarily, the government is responsible for providing funding for schools; more than 50% of the budget goes towards that. A significant portion goes to healthcare and Medicaid. There are a number of services it performs that the state relies on - roads, support for cities and counties. I believe the state government is there to provide appropriate services for people of the state. What makes you the most qualified candidate for this seat? The...
PORTALES — A grand jury hearing is scheduled Oct. 16 for three people alleged to have participated in a drug deal turned fatal shooting. A juvenile accused of being the gunman, however, will not be part of the hearing. Prosecutor Quentin Ray said the district intends to charge a 14-year-old male as an adult for fatally shooting Brady Vallejos, 19, of Roswell. Vallejos died Sept. 29 at University Medical Center in Lubbock, 18 days after he was shot. Those matters are being held up, Ray said, pending a determination on w...
CLOVIS — Starting with their next paycheck, employees at the Curry County Adult Detention Center will see a small boost to reflect work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Curry County Commission unanimously approved a request during its virtual Tuesday meeting to provide a stipend of up to $100 per pay period to all detention center employee going forward. The commission plans to review the stipend in its Dec. 15 meeting, but Commissioner Chet Spear already wants it to become permanent. “Pretty much everything they do is on a...
CLOVIS — The Clovis City Commission congratulated Ernie Kos Thursday on her 25th anniversary as director of the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce. Kos said there was no better way to celebrate than by helping out pandemic-affected businesses with CARES Act continuity grants. The commission agreed, and approved a pair of agreements for local entities to help distribute more than $4 million over the next few months. In unanimous votes, commissioners approved up to $60,000 to the chamber for awarding $4.2 million in s...
CLOVIS - After playing what could best be described as a different type of table tennis, Clovis city commissioners on Thursday declined to provide a tax inducement for a local hotel project. Before making the 7-1 vote against a resolution that would have started the process for industrial revenue bonds of up to $18 million for the Xenia LLC hotel project, commissioners voiced concerns about setting precedents and attacking short-term problems with long-term fixes. The city's...
