Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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The Roosevelt County Commission expressed some concerns to a representative from the Human Services Department regarding easier access, privacy and technology at their regular meeting Tuesday morning. Karmela Martinez, the Income Support Division Director, was at the meeting to give a presentation on what the department does. However, she said early on that she was there to listen to what the people had to say and how they can make improvements for those in the area. After her presentation, Commissioner Dennis Lopez started...
After having to make cutbacks to staff hours last month, Roosevelt General Hospital has announced that some of its front-line staff is returning to regular full-time hours. Chief Executive Officer Kaye Green on Tuesday presented an update on where the hospital stands to the Roosevelt County Commission. Green said in May the hospital had to make the cutbacks to staff hours due to "financial strains." The cutbacks affected every employee, even those with leadership positions....
Longtime area basketball coach Jimmy Joe Robinson passed away at the age of 87 last weekend, and the news has affected many locals that knew and loved him. According to his obituary, Robinson began his career as a coach and teacher at La Casita Elementary in Clovis where he taught 6th grade and coached football, basketball, gymnastics, and track. He then went on to teach other grades and coach other sports at various schools, but it was his coaching career at Clovis High Schoo...
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) along with the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) are discussing two different alternatives that would potentially decrease traffic congestion at the railroad crossing between Farwell and Texico. The departments have been working together to find a solution to the route after years of complaints from travelers because of high train volume in and out of the area, according to Kylan Francis, the Lubbock District Director of Transportation, Planning, and Development. “S...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of interviews with local officials. Dr. Albert Kwan, 70, recently retired from Plains Regional Medical Center as medical director for three years and an overall 40-year career as a general surgeon. Q: Describe what it was like to work at PRMC over the last three years. A: The entire staff is outstanding, they're very dedicated to improving the quality and safety of patient care. They serve the best interests of the citizens in...
I don’t usually get to write a column, but since I was given the opportunity, I thought why not? I’ve been given some free range to write about whatever makes me happy in this column. When I know there’s something joyful to report on, sign me up. We all need a little more positivity in our lives anyway. Well, there are a lot of things that make me happy. I’d say the one constant thought in my life nowadays is the fact that I’m about to become a mom. Yes, Baby Sena is expected this November, and there’s nothing that makes...
The New Mexico High School Coaches Association (NMHSCA) will soon honor three coaches from across the state by inducting them into the Hall of Honor. One of those coaches is an eastern New Mexico local, and it’s safe to say he’s well known to many. Dickie Roybal of Melrose has been coaching for nearly 30 years. He recently learned of the accomplishment, and he credits all his success to the many athletes he has coached along the way. “It’s hard to take credit for anything that I did, because it was the kids, and it always...
The Clovis Community College (CCC) Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a supplemental graduation list that showed a 6.8 percent increase over last spring, according to Executive Vice President Robin Kuykendall. At their monthly meeting Tuesday morning, the BOT learned with the list that they ended up with a total of 404 graduates. The BOT also heard several presentations at Tuesday’s meeting. One of them was on a nonprofit organization they’ve recently been involved with, CHESS: Collaborative Higher Education Shared Ser...
Summertime means lots of things here in eastern New Mexico, and one of them is shopping trips to the local farmers markets. Clovis and Portales are gearing up for the busy season, despite all of the recent rain and flooding. “It’s always good to get started again,” said Margie Plummer, who manages both markets. “There’s just not a lot of stuff that’s ready yet.” Evelyn Ledbetter runs Ledbetter Chile with her husband, and they make an appearance at the farmers markets every year. Green chile usually comes later in the season...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Dan Heerding has been the emergency management director for the city of Clovis since 2013. Q: What has the last month been like for you? With all of these storms? A: The 24th (of May) was an interesting night. That was an anomaly, absolutely. But they (three tornadoes) were two or more miles north of Grady, and one was along 209. So thankfully, there was nothing really...
Justin Volpe had his share of trauma growing up, which in turn led to years worth of struggling with addiction and mental health issues. He shared his road to recovery to those in eastern New Mexico Tuesday for a behavioral health symposium presented by the Eastern New Mexico Behavioral Health Leadership Council. Volpe started his presentation with his upbringing in New Jersey and how his grandparents suffered from mental illnesses. His grandfather became intrigued with Jehovah’s Witness and eventually started his own c...
Will city vendor fees be waived for Draggin’ Main this year? Yes … and no. “The vendors on Main Street during the Saturday night (June 17) cruise will still pay a fee, but that fee will go to Draggin’ Main,” said Vicki Reyes, the assistant city clerk. The city fee is $100 for any vendor selling an item. The fee comes from a state statute, City Manager Justin Howalt said. “Allowing individuals on to city property to vend and utilize would be in violation of the anti-donation clause,” he said. New Mexico’s anti-donation c...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Lance Pyle is the Curry County manager. Q: A $49 million preliminary budget for fiscal year 2024 was presented at the last commission meeting. Talk about the key components and how does this compare to previous budgets? A: The budget is down a little from last year's preliminary budget of $48.8 million, but we will start to work next month on the final budget that is due...
Multiple ceremonies took place in Clovis and Portales on Memorial Day to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. "This isn't simply a day off, this is a day to remember," Col. Harry Seibert Jr., commander of the 27th Special Operations Maintenance Group at Cannon Air Force Base, said in his speech at Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens. The ceremony in Clovis was sponsored by Elks Lodge 1244, and featured other guest speakers, a color guard from Cannon, and a playing of Taps...
Portales is now one step closer to having speed enforcement cameras throughout town after the city council approved to enact them and begin contract negotiations at their regular meeting Tuesday. Police Chief Christopher Williams took the podium once again to answer any questions regarding the cameras: how they work, where they will be placed, and how he believes they will benefit the community. "My goal is to slow people down," Williams said to the council. "I'm not looking...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Sarah Austin is the city manager for Portales. Q: What are some issues that continue to be on the agenda every two weeks? Anything the council is currently working on that stands out? A: We have planning and zoning stuff, as always, that's a big thing on the agenda. And one of the new things the city did recently was go to a consent agenda. Curry County uses it, too, and...
Portales City Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved a property tax increase, but by a smaller amount than originally proposed. Council members voted to hike taxes by 1.47 mills, up from the current 2.796 mills for residential property owners. A mill generates $1 for every $1,000 in taxable value. If property is assessed at $300,000, its taxable value is $100,000 and the property tax would be $100 per mill. The council in February voted tentatively to increase the...
The 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base welcomed a new wing commander Wednesday morning at the change of command ceremony. The wing's guidon (military flag) was transferred from U.S. Air Force Col. Terence Taylor to U.S. Air Force Col. Jeremy Bergin, symbolizing the exchange of responsibility. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, presided over the ceremony and thanked Taylor for his last two years of...
The school year is quickly coming to an end. With kids at home, they’ll probably be searching for fun stuff to do over the next few months. Options? Here are a few from Clovis: • Family Fun Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday -- Free admissions to the zoo and Splash Pad, free lunch from McDonald’s, contests & activities (hula hoop & baby crawling), music from Jocks on Wheels and yard games. • Summer Youth Program from June 5 - July 28. For $30/week Clovis youth ages 5 - 11 can enjoy an 8-week summer camp focused on environmental...
Why are trees on the Eastern New Mexico University campus being cut down? Those trees are diseased, ENMU officials announced last week in a news release. "The University is removing trees on the main campus this summer that pose a hazard to pedestrians or vehicles," read the release from John Houser, ENMU assistant vice president of marketing and communications. Houser wrote ENMU is committed to replacing the trees that are cut down. Houser wrote the trees that are being...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Justin Howalt is the city manager for Clovis. Q: Enforcement of city code has attracted a lot of attention in recent weeks. Are there discussions about changing anything related to signage or yard clutter? A: The city of Clovis updated the ordinances in relation to signs in January 2022 with a minor change in May 2022. There are no plans to make any modifications to this...
Roosevelt General Hospital will be making cutbacks to staff hours due to “financial strains,” according to a news release from RGH. The changes come after a result of “staff shortages and an increase of higher wages to recruit qualified employees, mandated wage increases, skyrocketing insurance premiums, inflation, enormous upsurge in cost of supplies” and multiple other issues, according to Jeanette Orrantia, the hospital’s director of marketing and public relations. “It has been difficult to recover after the pandemic, a...
The federal government on March 27 listed the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species. More than seven weeks later, area farmers and agriculture officials still aren’t sure exactly what that means. “Nobody gives me a square answer on this,” Roosevelt County Ag Agent Patrick Kircher said last week. Kircher said he’s been trying to learn what the listing means to landowners and producers because he’d like to teach a seminar on the matter. “I haven’t gotten very far on it. What I want is to find someone who can speak...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Amber Hamilton has been the Roosevelt County manager since 2014. Q: What are some of the main topics of discussion right now during County Commission meetings? A: The Commission is in the final stages of adopting a preliminary budget. So that's something the commission and county leadership, all the department heads, elected officials and such have been working on for the...
Four individuals are set to be recognized at this year’s Hall of Honor luncheon for Clovis Municipal Schools (CMS). This year, all four recipients are Wildcat alumni. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, an individual must be nominated for excelling greatly after their time at Clovis High School (CHS) or be a large supporter of CMS. The four categories for this year are Government and Science, Business and Industry, Sports and Entertainment, and the Top Cat Award. “The Hall of Honor is really for those who’ve gone above...
