Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Voters head to the polls Tuesday to determine the fate of Curry County's troubled jail for the second time in the last two years. Commissioners are asking voters to approve a $9.3 bond issue to pay for expansion of the jail. CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Curry County Detention Center trustees work in the center's kitchen Friday preparing meals for inmates. Approval wouldn't increase property taxes. Commissioners plan to extend by another 20 years an existing property tax...
The $9.3 million jail Curry County commissioners are asking voters to approve April 3 only covers the cost of a building and equipping a new 60-bed expansion of the existing jail. It won't cover other expenses such as land acquisition, additional staff and renovating the existing jail, according to commission Chairman Wendell Bostwick. The estimated $1.5 to $2 million needed to complete the plan will have to come from cost savings and the county's $7 million cash reserve fund, Bostwick said Friday. "We should have close to $5... Full story
Five years ago today the most destructive tornado in the city's history tore through Clovis, causing millions of dollars in damage and forever changing lives across much of eastern New Mexico. The storm spawning the twister skipped across the High Plains, sending residents running for cover in Dora, Elida, Farwell and Texico, dropping tornados on Grande Vista dairy near Portales and flattening 30 homes the small town of Logan in Quay County. In Clovis, two people died from injuries suffered during the twister. Another 35...
Five years ago today the most destructive tornado in the city's history tore through Clovis causing millions of dollars in damage and forever changing lives across much of eastern New Mexico. The storm spawning the twister skipped across the high plains, sending residents running for cover in Dora, Elida, Farwell and Texico, dropping tornados on Grande Vista dairy near Portales and flattening 30 homes in the small town of Logan in Quay County. In Clovis, two people died from injuries suffered during the twister. Another 35...
A 16-year-old Clovis boy faces an assortment of felony charges after he is alleged to have stolen 10 guns from a local business "to take care of the bullies" in his life, Police Chief Steve Sanders said Thursday. Sanders said the boy gave officers a list of names of people he planned to get even with and officers confiscated 10 loaded guns from his home. They also reported finding two letters; one containing the Nazi oath and another with writings about love and hate. "He had a list of folks that he felt were bullying him... Full story
A Clovis Realtor resigned from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday, saying he may get involved in a recall of Mayor David Lansford. Brent "Bud" DaBell said he was resigning because Lansford called Barack Obama an illegitimate president and "the carnal manifestation of evil." "Any belief that Mayor Lansford's position will not be a tipping point in future endeavors and government funding for Clovis ... can be nothing but naive," DaBell said in his letter of resignation. "I feel that my time can be spent...
The $9.3 million Curry County Commissioners say they need to expand and renovate the jail covers only the cost of the building, not furnishings or additional staff that may be needed. Commission Chairman Wendell Bostwick acknowledged as much Tuesday during a sparsely attended public forum designed to answer questions about the project. Bostwick, however, pointed out the county would be saving almost $770,000 a year it has been paying to house inmates at facilities outside the county. "I do feel," Bostwick told the 12 people...
Clovis Mayor-elect David Lansford is interviewed by a television crew from Amarillo Tuesday after winning the race for mayor at Clovis City Hall. Lansford won 2,914 to Brumfield's 1, 1718. Roads and streets across Clovis will take on new priorities. Recreation and other quality of life projects will continue as planned, newly elected Mayor David Lansford said Wednesday. Lansford said infrastructure improvements, particularly streets and roads in Clovis, will be a major focus for him as mayor. "A lot of things are in motion,"... Full story
Clovis mayor-elect David Lansford listens and takes questions from local and Amarillo media Tuesday at Clovis city hall. Larry Moreno, left, a supporter and friend, congratulates Mayor-elect David Lansford upon his arrival Tuesday to Clovis city hall. Clovis Mayor-elect David Lansford is interviewed by a television crew from Amarillo after winning the race for mayor at Clovis City Hall. Lansford won 62.5 percent of the vote. In the end, newly elected Mayor David Lansford said it seemed to matter less what he thought of the... Full story
If Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has started a war within her own party as some political bloggers are speculating, few are talking about it for the record. Speculation centers on two of eastern New Mexico's senior Republican senators: Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales and Clint Harden of Clovis. Harden announced his retirement in February, about a month before the deadline to file for his District 7 seat. Harden said at the time he took pride in being able to work with both Democrats and Republicans for the g... Full story
If Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has started a war within her own party as some political bloggers are speculating, few are talking about it for the record. Speculation centers on two of eastern New Mexico's senior Republican senators: Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales and Clint Harden of Clovis. Harden announced his retirement in February, about a month before the deadline to file for his District 7 seat. Harden said at the time he took pride in being able to work with both Democrats and Republicans for the g...
The plan includes a two-story, 60-bed addition to the north side of the existing jail on property already owned by the county. Curry County commissioners kicked off a campaign to sell a special $9.3 million bond issue Friday by unveiling plans for the jail expansion and renovation the cash would be used to complete. The plan includes a two-story, 60-bed addition to the north side of the existing jail on property already owned by the county. Commissioners praised the plan as the answer to many of the problems at the troubled... Full story
Curry County commissioners were poised Friday to delete a grievance procedure from their employee personnel policy. Then, four department chiefs objected and the measure failed in a flurry of confusing motions and procedures. "This is ridiculous," said Commissioner Frank Blackburn, who minutes earlier had aligned himself with Commissioner Robert Sandoval to leave the grievance procedure intact by killing a motion supported by Chairman Wendell Bostwick and Commissioner Caleb Chandler to accept the change. The debate centered...
Courtesy photo/ Paul C. Reed Architects An architect's three-dimensional concept a new addition to the Curry County jail to be funded by a proposed $9.3 million bond issue before voters on April 3. The addition is the portion marked SHU, which is an acronym for Special Housing Unit. Curry County commissioners kicked off a campaign to sell a special $9.3 million bond issue Friday by unveiling plans for the jail expansion and renovation the cash would be used to complete. The plan includes a two-story, 60-bed addition to the...
Curry County commissioners were poised Friday to delete a grievance procedure from their employee personnel policy. Then, four department chiefs objected and the measure failed in a flurry of confusing motions and procedures. "This is ridiculous," said Commissioner Frank Blackburn, who minutes earlier had aligned himself with Commissioner Robert Sandoval to leave the grievance procedure intact by killing a motion supported by Chairman Wendell Bostwick and Commissioner Caleb Chandler to accept the change. The debate centered... Full story
David Lansford and Gayla Brumfield are vying for the position of Clovis mayor. David Lansford is a former Clovis mayor. He had the job 12 years before stepping down four years ago, opening the door for Gayla Brumfield to best five other candidates for the position. Now Lansford wants the job back when municipal elections are held March 6. He says he wants it because he has always enjoyed being in leadership positions. He believes there is a need for city government to listen more to the voices of all citizens. But Brumfield...
David Lansford doesn't believe his views on national politics are relevant to his quest to once again serve as mayor of Clovis. Lansford said so in an interview Thursday, when asked about his participation with the ATLAH Media Network, including authoring two editorials that argue President Barack Obama isn't a natural U.S. citizen and his election was part of a CIA conspiracy. "I wrote all that," Lansford said. "I absolutely believe everything I said. But I know there are people who will say anybody who believes that is a... Full story
A private investigator has determined Curry County Commissioner Bobby Sandoval and former Finance Director Mark Lansford each broke chain of command in a dispute over a cost of living pay raise for County Manager Lance Pyle. Investigator Doug Shawn of Universal Investigation Services in Albuquerque was hired after Lansford filed a grievance Jan. 5 against Sandoval. Lansford said Sandoval accused him of being insubordinate and said Lansford's behavior was unacceptable. Lansford told Shawn that Sandoval used a "confrontational...
New jail Administrator Gerry Billy said Tuesday he's already achieved "substantial savings" for the county by reducing the number of inmates being housed outside the county. Billy's announcement was part of his first report to commissioners since assuming leadership at the jail three weeks ago. Billy said bringing inmates back to the Curry County jail has resulted in a 7 percent population increase. As of Tuesday, there were 202 inmates in the jail. However, Billy said, that means there are seven Curry County inmates being...
Stephenson Zach Stephenson said he agreed to be a snitch because he thought he had a deal: Turn in drug dealers, lose the trafficking charges he faced after being set up by another police drug snitch. So he signed a contract with New Mexico State Police and was given a code name — Arizona. That's where he was born. Court records show Stephenson tipped state police to at least one big drug bust. That resulted in two arrests, cocaine, methamphetamine, $1,300 cash and a stolen truck. And when Stephenson said he ran across a p...
The good: Tax breaks for energy superstation Tres Amigas. The bad: No driver's license or education reform. The ugly: "The leadership (state Legislature) knows how to use procedure to get what they want and once again thwarted the will of the majority of New Mexicans." — Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Texico. Those are the conclusions of four eastern New Mexico lawmakers fresh from the 30-day budget session of the Legislature that ended Thursday. Roch, Rep. Anna Crook, R-Clovis, Sen. Clint Harden, R-Clovis, and Sen. Stuart Ingle, R...
Tucumcari and Quay County's worries about the future of Ute Lake bubbled to the surface again Thursday at an Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority meeting. Tucumcari City Commissioner Robert Lumpkin said he thought during a committee meeting in January, the authority had agreed it would maintain a minimum of 3,765 feet of water in lake when diverting it to communities such as Clovis and Portales. Lumpkin questioned why that level wasn't specified in a preliminary draft of the authority's drought management plan. Clovis M... Full story
Noe Torres District Attorney Matt Chandler says he met Monday with officials from Chihuahua, Mexico, to finalize the extradition of accused child killer and one-time fugitive Noe Torres of Clovis. Chandler said Friday that Torres, 32, is on schedule to be returned to U.S. soil and Curry County in an estimated 30 to 40 days. Torres was captured Jan. 25 near a religious compound in Chihuahua that authorities said he was as a refuge. His capture and imprisonment in Mexico ended a six-year manhunt. Torres is accused along with...
Noe Torres was arrested last Wednesday in Mexico, according to 9th Judicial District Attorney Matt Chandler. Torres has been on the run since 2005, following the shooting of 10-year-old Carlos Perez. Noe Torres, one of Clovis' and the nation's most wanted fugitives since a 2005 shooting killed a sleeping 10-year-old boy, is in police custody. Clovis District Attorney Matt Chandler confirmed Torres was arrested at 2 p.m. on Jan. 25 near a religious compound in Chihuahua, Mexico. A man claiming to be Torres telephoned the...
Patrick Lyons Two key state officials spent most of Thursday accusing each other of incompetence over an audit that charges the scandal-ridden Public Regulation Commission is corrupt from top to bottom. State Auditor Hector Balderas, a Democrat, set it off in the morning, calling on PRC chairman and Clovis native Patrick Lyons, a Republican, to resign over personal use of a truck in the PRC fleet. "Chairman Lyons is part of the problem, and he should reimburse the taxpayers and resign his position," Balderas said in a press... Full story
