Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Case counts for COVID-19 are spiking with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, and it’s difficult to not notice. Statewide, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced efforts to temporarily employ National Guard troops and state workers as substitute teachers and childcare workers. Locally, both Curry and Roosevelt counties only needed the first three weeks of January to report the highest number of new cases in any month since the pandemic began in March 2020. Portales schools closed on Friday due to a surge in cases. Kaye G...
While the toolkit definitely has its drawbacks, the takeaway so far with Wednesday changes to the Public Education Department's COVID-19 mitigation toolbook is an optimistic one among area school leaders. The PED announced new guidance with the surge of the Omicron variant that mostly matches guidance provided Dec. 27 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and adopted for the general New Mexico population on Jan. 6. Quarantines are reduced from 10 days to five for students and staff who have been exposed to...
PORTALES - Nate Davis has a simple philosophy for every aspect of college athletics. "Be a good teammate," said Davis, senior associate athletic director at Pittsburg State Wednesday morning on the Eastern New Mexico University campus. Davis is seeking to be the top teammate as one of four candidates for the college's vacant athletic director position. Davis was the second to go through the on-campus interview process. The university last week interviewed former University of...
By Kevin Wilson EDITOR [email protected] CLOVIS - Handing a first-time offender 182 days in jail for a petty misdemeanor is a rarity. But the state argued the position and public trust afforded to Chris McCasland justified it, and District Judge Drew Tatum agreed Monday afternoon by giving the former Roosevelt County sheriff's deputy the maximum sentence for possession of stolen property. McCasland, convicted in a Feb. 21 bench trial, attended in person with assisting counsel Tye Harmon, while defense attorney Dean...
By Kevin Wilson EDITOR [email protected] PORTALES — With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every part of life, and school operation no exception, “same thing as last year” has become one of the rarer statements uttered. But that’s the approach Portales Municipal Schools is taking with the 2021-22 school year, as board members approved next year’s calendar with the dates one day different due to the shift of a year. Instruction will begin Aug. 16, and conclude May 27. The calendar includes 176 instructional days and seven...
CLOVIS — Legislation that would allow Clovis to use economic development dollars to lure retail businesses cleared the biggest hurdle on the state level, with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signing Senate Bill 49 on Thursday. Now the next hurdle remains for Clovis officials — selling the change to its voters. Economic development is one of two allowable exceptions to the state’s antidonation clause, along with affordable housing. Senate Bill 49, passed 63-5 in the House and 36-4 in the Senate, allows municipalities of all sizes...
CLOVIS - There was no blue trophy to play for, no district boasting to be had and no real semblance of a rivalry Saturday at Leon Williams Stadium. But Saturday represented a final time on the gridiron, and a double shot of unprecedented with a bowl game in April, as Clovis dealt Roswell a 26-6 setback to end the abbreviated spring season for both teams. The Class 6A Wildcats (3-2) won most of the physical battles, outgaining the visiting Coyotes 375-258, including 196-81 on...
CLOVIS — On a night where Jeston Webskowski had plenty of surprises, the biggest might have been going the entire third quarter without touching the football. He did more than enough the other three quarters, accounting for five touchdowns and 366 yards of offense as the Clovis Wildcats routed the Carlsbad Cavemen 55-20 to close out the Class 6A regular season for both teams. Both teams will be back in action this weekend after opting into bowl games. Clovis will host R...
CLOVIS — The Clovis Wildcats hadn’t played a meaningful down of football in 468 days, so it could be understood and probably condoned if the rust outweighed the rhythm Saturday night at Leon Williams Stadium. But rust and rhythm eventually gave way to resiliency, and the Wildcats simply found a way to top rival Hobbs 14-10 and keep the “Rebel” traveling trophy in Clovis — where it has stayed since 2014 and will be at stake again later this year when the spring 2021 season ce...
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- After eight seasons with Eastern New Mexico University, Kelley Lee is heading across the border to take over as head coach and athletic director at Veterans Early College High School in Brownsville. The hiring of Lee was announced Tuesday evening by Gilbert Leal, athletic administrator for the Brownsville Independent School District that includes six high schools. Leal told The News 35 qualified applications were received to run the Class 5A Chargers, and...
CLOVIS — More than seven miles of pipeline, signed, sealed and delivered. That was the report from Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority Administrator Orlando Ortega, who reported he signed the certificate of completion Wednesday for the authority’s Finished Water 2 project. “This has been a good project,” Ortega said during the authority’s Thursday meeting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library, “with good people that guaranteed its success.” The project is part of the authority’s interim groundwater project, a pipe...
PORTALES — Despite a pandemic-forced change in how it was conducted, Eastern New Mexico University reported a mostly clean audit for the previous fiscal year, as presented to its board of regents Friday morning. Vice President of Business Affairs Scott Smart, along with Audrey Jaramillo and Scott Eliason of Jaramillo Accounting Group, went over the recently completed audit before regents accepted it on a 3-0 vote. “Our financial condition remains relatively unchanged and our reserves continue to be healthy,” Smart said....
There was a mixture of confidence and relief across three local school districts Tuesday night, as voters passed bond measures in a series of three all-mail elections. Voters in Curry and Roosevelt counties approved bond or mil levy questions in all-mail elections that concluded Tuesday evening for the Clovis, Portales and Floyd school districts. Tax rates will not change for voters in any school district. Clovis’ election had a pair of questions. The first question to renew $10 million in bonds, last renewed in 2017, p...
CLOVIS - Defeated in their October effort to seek industrial revenue bonds through the city, a group of developers for a hotel in north Clovis made a second pitch Thursday with more favorable terms to the city. But the devil was in the deal, not the details, as the commission again rejected a temporary tax abatement for the Xenia project by a 5-2 vote. The project, when complete, will add 149 hotel rooms to the city and create 28 jobs. Chase Gentry, executive director of the...
CLOVIS - Megan Palla, and four other longtime community staples, were asked Thursday night why she would want to join the Clovis City Commission and fill its vacant District 4 position. "I'm a firm believer in the adage 'to whom much is given, much is expected,'" Palla said. "Clovis gave me my first home, Clovis gave me my first real job out of college, and Clovis has helped raise my family. This city has given much to me, and this is me giving back." The commission gave...
CLOVIS - Eastern New Mexico was no exception to the smack of winter weather felt across the country over the weekend. Area snowfall totals from the weekend, according to the National Weather Service's Albuquerque office, were between 1.5 and 4 inches, with drifts reported up to four feet. The powder may stick around for the next few days, with a cold start to the week. The Clovis Municipal Airport reported a Monday morning low of minus-11. "The previous low was 0 degrees, we... Full story
CLOVIS — The Clovis City Commission will be down a member in less than two weeks, as District 4’s R.L. “Rube” Render tendered his resignation, effective Jan. 20. In his resignation letter presented at Thursday’s commission meeting, Render referred to recent events in his personal life that led to “some difficult decisions.” He referred to his time on the commission as a good fortune and a high honor, and thanked the mayor, commissioners and the city administration and employees for all they have done. The move was not a sur...
CLOVIS — Tchicaya Williams, friends and family members said, always tried to make everybody happy, and she was at one of her life’s happiest points when she was killed Sunday night. Williams, 38, died of an apparent gunshot wound while she was in her Clovis apartment in the 1500 block of Echols Avenue. Police and family members declined to discuss details of the shooting, though Williams’ cousin, Teola Haskins, said Williams was not the intended target. Clovis Police Chief Doug Ford said Tuesday morning the depar...
PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico University regents didn’t waste time Monday during a special meeting, taking just six minutes from open to close on an architect selection. Regents voted 4-0 Monday in a virtual meeting — Terry Othick, Lance Pyle, Dan Patterson and Joseph Gergel — to accept Dekker/Perich/Sabatini as the architect for the university’s renovation of the Roosevelt Science Hall. The regents had voted 3-2 against the same move three Fridays ago. Regents raised no issues with the firm, but voiced disappoin...
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...
PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents met just 15 minutes in closed session Friday to discuss the path to selecting a permanent Portales campus president and chancellor for its three-campus system. The path ended at Patrice Caldwell, who was named to the position after holding the interim title since April. By a 5-0 vote, regents also extended her contract to June 30, 2022. “We are so thankful you have agreed to continue your position with the uni...
PORTALES — A virtual bond hearing Wednesday for a pair of former daycare owners appealing their 2019 conviction was largely outlined last week by the New Mexico Supreme Court. However, some changes were made for Sandi and Mary Taylor, over objections of the family of a child who died in July 2017 after being left in a hot car nearly three hours while under the Taylor Tots daycare service. Maliyah Jones, 22 months, died as a result of injuries suffered. Aubri Loya, then 23 months, was seriously injured. The Taylors were g... Full story
CLOVIS — State Human Services Secretary David Scrase spent about 30 minutes Tuesday morning with the Curry County Commission, and found himself on the wrong end of a few uncomfortable questions from commissioners. Scrase spoke for about 15 minutes during the commission’s virtual meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic and Curry County’s progress and worked through slides that featured public dashboard information. “A lot of people think this data is a secret,” Scrase said. “It isn’t a secret. You can go online, you can choose yo...
CLOVIS — A rally that was planned for Saturday morning at the 2400 block of Ashford is not happening. But, other events in support of President Trump are set to take place. A rally asking New Mexico voters to unite for a “legal peaceful protest” lost support from most of its key speakers and one of the groups it planned to honor earlier in the week, and City Manager Justin Howalt told The News a permit filed for the Saturday rally at 2420 Ashford has been withdrawn and the permit payment refunded. A flyer stated the rally wou...
