Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Linda Sumption is an English professor at Eastern New Mexico University. She is 70 years old. Tell us about yourself. I came here in 2003 after looking on the job market and I didn't know a lot about this part of the country. I knew nothing about Portales or eastern New Mexico in general. But those job searches are national and for some reason they chose me. I published something about some pioneers in the Southwest and ENMU offered me a campus visit and then a job. I'm...
CLOVIS — Curry County is now an “emergency area” in response to COVID-19 concerns. That means officials have laid groundwork for potential state and federal funding to help with ongoing shutdowns. The Curry County Commission met Friday morning via teleconference for a special meeting at which it made the declaration. County Manager Lance Pyle said he’d been advised to do so by the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, National Association of Counties and other entities. As of March 20, the county has lost roughly...
CLOVIS — Curry County is now an “emergency area” in response to COVID-19 concerns. That means officials have laid groundwork for potential state and federal funding to help with ongoing shutdowns. The Curry County Commission met Friday morning via teleconference for a special meeting at which it made the declaration. County Manager Lance Pyle said he’d been advised to do so by the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, National Association of Counties and other entities. As of March 20, the county has lost roughly...
About 11,000 people filed for new unemployment claims in New Mexico last week. For perspective, officials said the state’s average number of new claims in a week is about 800. With COVID-19 shutdowns in full swing, many workers have found their hours cut drastically or have been sent home altogether. The New Mexico Department of Workplace Services has been working to educate the public on the best ways to file for unemployment given the scope of the situation. “We’re hearing the same story from all around the state,” said Bi...
Most local educators aren’t taking the chance that the coronavirus shutdown will end by April 6. They’re preparing to teach remotely. From Portales to Texico, teachers are beginning to arrange lesson plans via online teaching platforms, putting together work packets or even loading what students need onto flash drives and preparing to pass out tablets or computers. “We are all making internal backup plans right now if we’re directed to go online, but all the schools are really in the same boat, “ Dora Superinte...
PORTALES — A Portales City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday on whether or not to approve a tax hike was canceled after a new public health order from the governor. The hearing would have allowed the public to speak before the council decided whether or not to raise local gross receipts tax by up to 0.6125 percent. For now, the meeting has been canceled to comply with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's order Monday to limit gatherings to five or less people. A new date to readdress the issue has not been set, but Portales C...
Coronavirus concerns will force many churchgoers to stay home this weekend. But larger churches will be doing what they can to bring Sunday morning service to the comfort of their members’ homes. While houses of worship are exempt from most government-mandated edicts, most local churches have closed willingly to help cope with the ongoing pandemic. But people of faith are finding ways to worship together, just separately, thanks to live-streaming technology. Faith C...
Cannon Air Force Base has about 100 airmen and dependents who are self-monitoring while isolated in quarters, though it has had no confirmed cases of the coronavirus so far. Representatives from the base said it is important to differentiate between several terms related to the epidemic. Self-observation is when individuals are aware of the symptoms and monitor themselves. Self-monitoring is synonymous with quarantine and involves 14 days of staying in quarters, but is a self-enforced status and less legally binding. The...
PORTALES — The Portales City Council on Tuesday made a tentative agreement with Elite Medical Transport to expand local emergency resources for the Portales Fire Department. Fire Chief T.J. Cathey said the agreement would provide a valuable resource for his department and provide an extra ambulance. He added it would help facilitate transportation for patients home or to different facilities, with no fiscal impact for the city. Other items from the meeting include: • The council reviewed and accepted its 2018-2019 audit rep...
CLOVIS — Security cameras missing from the Curry County Adult Detention Center plans in December will cost the county an extra $226,535 and extend the renovation and addition project about 151 days. Travis Coker, chief operating officer for HB Construction, broke the news to the Curry County Commission on Tuesday. Coker also promised to begin taking a direct hand in getting the project finished after three months of delays. Coker said he could not answer all of the commissioners’ questions, claiming he had just stepped int...
New Mexico had 23 positive cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning. None were in eastern New Mexico, but Roosevelt General Hospital and Plains Regional Medical Center continue to ready themselves for a potential flood of patients. For now, officials from both hospitals have asked patients to call ahead of time if they think they might be infected and only visit the hospitals if they have a confirmed need. Patients are encouraged to call the state hotline, emergency room or a local clinic, which will help identify if someone...
CLOVIS — Despite the close date being pushed back several months, the Curry County Adult Detention Center’s renovation project remains a standout issue for the Curry County Commission. Commissioners on Thursday received an update regarding security cameras, but it was brief and left them with concerns. Levi Weckar of HB Construction assured the commission more information would follow soon with a more thorough presentation scheduled for Tuesday. Weckar referenced a change he said was requested for an additional 11 cameras tha...
Presidential candidates will likely be decided by then, but eastern New Mexico voters will still have work to do in the June 2 primary elections. Curry County has two contested elections and Roosevelt County has three, in addition to a crowded field in the U.S. Representative races. Curry County will have one contested race for a seat on the county commission as Republican candidates James D. Ridling and J. Albin Smith vie for Ben McDaniel’s spot representing District 2. McDaniel termed out this year, leaving the position up...
The forecast is for coronavirus. So everyone's gone to the grocery store. "I'm not scared of the coronavirus thing, but I am taking certain precautions," said John Erdmann on Saturday as he searched among empty shelves at Clovis' Big Lots. "I think certain people might be going overboard, but I think we do need to be prepared." And prepare is exactly what many area residents are doing as local stores have seen an unexpected flood of shoppers stocking up on everything from...
In wake of recent statewide coronavirus concerns, most gatherings at local senior centers have been canceled until further notice. Activities at Baxter Curren, La Casa and Los Abuelitos senior centers have been canceled until further notice. Friendship Senior Center, which houses the Curry Resident Senior Meals Association and offices for senior service personnel, will be open regular hours. City Manager Justin Howalt said the city will monitor attendance. Meals will not be served at the Portales Community Senior Center or...
Editor's Note: The event has been postponed, due to a state order banning large gatherings. Guns, knives, coins and more — even fudge — can be found this weekend at the Clovis Civic Center. The twice-annual Clovis Evening Lions Club Gun, Knife and Coin show begins Friday, going from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. It continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The show is set to feature 112 vendors selling an assortment of firearms, knives, accessories, art, food and more. Some firearm vendors will be Federal Firearm Licensed de...
ELIDA - Cheston Fair believes God put him on the path to becoming a pastor 15 years ago and has now called him to Elida to serve in the role for the first time. Fair, 39, is a Portales native, but he spent the last 13 years in Logan, mostly working on ranches as a cowboy. During that time he felt a higher calling and eventually began working as a youth pastor. Now he is bound for Elida to fill the position of pastor at First Baptist Church. "There's a difference between a...
Incumbent Richard Wills defeated longtime Muleshoe police officer Benny Parker in the race for Bailey County sheriff on March 3. Wills received 597 votes to Parker’s 334. Both candidates ran as Republicans. There were no Democrats on the ballot. In other Texas primary election results, Bailey and Parmer County voters chose Donald Trump and Joe Biden as their presidential preferences. Trump received 91 percent of the Republican vote in Bailey and 96 percent of the vote in Parmer. Six other candidates received votes in the R...
PORTALES — The Roosevelt County Commission approved an assessment by RFP Architecture and Engineering Professional Services for the county courthouse to address several issues with the building during a special meeting Monday. County Manager Amber Hamilton said the courthouse has water seepage issues and issues with brick sealing that need to be looked at. She added the county clerk's office also needs to be checked for any structural issues. Once the problems are identified, Hamilton said they can be added to capital o...
PORTALES — State representatives for the Portales area had mixed feelings about the legislative session this year, where recreational marijuana remained a discussion item while a “red-flag” gun bill became law. Following the 30-day legislative session, senators and representatives from eastern New Mexico visited the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on Thursday to share the highlights from this year’s session. Rep. Phelps Anderson, who represents Rooseve...
PORTALES — Brady Brunson said he’s been doing his best to clean up the aftermath of a structure fire on his property from last summer. But progress has been slow-going and the Portales City Council has decided to take action to clean up the “dangerous” debris. Council members on Tuesday approved the filing of a formal complaint with the district court to abate the nuisance property at 210 N. Ave., which was burned in a structure fire last July and declared dangerous during a meeting in August. Brunson was in attenda...
PORTALES — Monica Eppinger wants to save as many Portales animals as she can from euthanasia at the local shelter. She even founded the non-profit Labor of Love Project to help do that. But she faces one major problem: The Labor of Love’s president has been barred from the shelter’s property and said she doesn’t know why. Linda Sumption, an English professor at Eastern New Mexico University and volunteer at the Portales shelter, went before the Portales City Council on Tuesday to bring attention to a string of “misund...
PORTALES - Around 40 employees were laid off at the Ready Roast Nut Company peanut plant in Portales on Friday, including Plant Manager Jim Lucero. The layoffs follow the recent purchase of the plant by Hampton Farms, which already owned a peanut processing plant in Portales prior to the purchase. Officials from the Portales Ready Roast plant said they were unable to comment on the layoffs, but said a press release would be out later this week with more information. Leonard...
CLOVIS — Curry County’s fiscal year 2019 financial audit came back mostly clean this year, with just a few suggestions for county improvements to note. The Curry County board of commissioners received a presentation by Bobby Cordova of Cordova CPAs, LLC on its audit during a special meeting Wednesday. There was one notable finding in the financial statement regarding internal controls, which was addressed with a corrective action plan. Four findings in prior years were found to be resolved. Cordova noted that the cou...
While New Mexico has yet to see any coronavirus cases, authorities and hospital officials are preparing for the worst. “People are worried about the unknown and this is a new virus,” said Dr. Michael Landen, the state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health. “(W)e’re still learning about it, but we do know it causes a fever, cough and shortness of breath as the main symptoms.” While most of the region is still focused on the annual influenza outbreak, Texas had identified 11 confirmed coronavirus cases as...
