Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Warnings of fire danger were issued early this week and concerns will remain through Friday. But forecasters expect cooler temperatures and a good chance of rain this weekend. Wind gusts could top 50 mph today across New Mexico, with Clovis-Portales-area high temperatures in the 70s. “We’re going to see blowing dust, and we’ll have problems with crosswinds on the roads and widespread critical fire conditions everywhere except the Four Corners area and some of the higher terrain above 8,000 feet,” said National Weather...
SANTA FE – As expected, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday signed into law Senate Bill 10, repealing a 1969 state statute that criminalized abortion. “A woman has the right to make decisions about her own body,” the governor said in a news release. “Anyone who seeks to violate bodily integrity, or to criminalize womanhood, is in the business of dehumanization. New Mexico is not in that business – not any more.” Republicans had argued strongly against the bill, proposing multiple amendments, including attempts to ban abor...
New Mexico's education community was stunned Thursday to learn about the death of Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Karen Trujillo. Trujillo, 50, died Thursday evening after being struck by a vehicle while walking her dogs. Trujillo had been LCPS superintendent since September of 2019, moving into the position after a long career as a New Mexico educator and researcher who served briefly as the state's public education secretary. "Dr. Trujillo was a revered educational...
As COVID-19 cases continue to decline across New Mexico and the region, hospitals are relaxing some restrictions on visitors. That includes Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis and other hospitals operated by Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Patients with COVID, or those suspected of having COVID, still cannot have visitors for the most part. But most other patients will be allowed a visitor or support person, though they will still be subject to safety measures. Beginning March 1, the Clovis hospital will allow one...
New Mexico is asking a federal court to reverse a decision that combined its lawsuit against the Air Force over contamination at military bases with lawsuits filed in other districts. At issue is PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a class of toxins in the firefighting foam used for training exercises at Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases. The New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico state attorney general filed a petition for writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Monday....
Wednesday was “an unbelievable day” and “one of the most historic and amazing things I have ever seen,” Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin said on a video after he attended the rally in support of the president in Washington, D.C. He also said the American people have been awakened and are going to clean the country up. He said they were going to do so even if Trump himself backs down. “We could have a 2nd Amendment rally on those same steps that we had that rally on yesterday and if we do then it’s going to be a sad da...
New Mexico's statewide minimum wage will increase by $1.50 on Friday, to $10.50 per hour. The tipped minimum wage will go up 20 cents to $2.55 per hour under legislation passed in 2019. The timing, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has crippled the state's economy, won't be welcome news for many small business owners, said Ernie Kos, executive director of the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce. "I have concerns for some of our small businesses," Kos said. "I t...
Much of New Mexico will close out 2020 with two storms and a week of cold wind gusts, snow and rain. The Clovis-Portales area is not expected to see significant moisture, but today’s high temperature is forecast at 39 degrees with sustained winds at 20 to 30 mph. Today’s low temperature will be near 18. The region likely won’t see 60 degrees the rest of this week. Chuck Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the week’s first winter storm was slated to begin impacting much of the state T...
Roel Munoz had been at Muleshoe's schools on Friday morning, visiting with the cafeteria staff he supervised. That afternoon he went to Lubbock to pick up some fruit and then to Walmart to purchase additional items. Munoz was killed in the Walmart about 3:15 p.m. Friday in what police have said appears to be a random shooting. "I got the call Friday night at a ballgame and I just couldn't believe it," said Muleshoe schools Superintendent R.L. Richards. "He was so gentle and...
Roel Munoz had been at Muleshoe's schools on Friday morning, visiting with the cafeteria staff he supervised. That afternoon he went to Lubbock to pick up some fruit and then to Walmart to purchase additional items. Munoz was killed in the Walmart about 3:15 p.m. Friday in what police have said appears to be a random shooting. "I got the call Friday night at a ballgame and I just couldn't believe it," said Muleshoe schools Superintendent R.L. Richards. "He was so gentle and...
Eastern New Mexico can expect a bitter cold week ahead. The National Weather Service warns of temperatures in the low 20s, winds whipping 20-30 mph and a possibility of light snow today and tonight. “Gusts near 45 or 50 mph are likely behind the front, which will make it feel like temperatures are in the single digits or teens,” NWS reported. Today’s high is expected to be in the mid-30s in Clovis/Portales, with a low of 21. Thursday’s temperatures are expected to range between the low 40s and low 20s before a warmup begins...
SANTA FE — Sen. Greg Baca will replace longtime New Mexico Senate GOP floor leader Stuart Ingle in the latest shakeup for a chamber that will have new faces in several key posts come January. Senate Republicans voted during a closed caucus meeting this week to elect Baca, R-Belen, as the new Senate minority leader. Ingle said the body doesn’t disclose vote totals, but noted the vote to elect Baca was close. Ingle, a Portales farmer, has represented the Senate’s 27th district since 1985 and was first elected Senate GOP leader...
After nail-biting days of vote counting across battleground states, multiple media outlets reported Saturday that Joe Biden managed to pull together a winning electoral coalition to end Donald Trump's presidency. Biden issued a statement that said he is “honored and humbled” to be the nation's 46th president following an election that saw a record number of Americans vote. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris tweeted that the victory was “about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it.” But Democrats were unable...
Much of the snow from last week’s record-breaking storm has melted in central and northern New Mexico. And eastern New Mexico’s record-breaking low temperatures have given way to more seasonal norms. Now, the state is gearing up for a return to warmth and sunshine. Clovis, Portales and Tucumcari, which dipped into the teens last week, could have high temperatures in the mid-80s this week. Albuquerque is expected to hit a high of 73 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, and 70 degrees on Friday. Clay Anderson, a met...
New Mexico on Monday set another record for its seven-day average of confirmed coronavirus cases, and officials at Albuquerque hospitals said they are already in the throes of a surge. “If we continue the current trend we have in our state for another month, we won’t have enough healthcare workers, we won’t have enough hospital beds,” said Dr. Jason Mitchell, the chief medical officer at Presbyterian Healthcare Services. “There isn’t enough staff anywhere that will be able to get us out of that.” State officials rep...
Samantha Rubino enjoyed coloring and reading books from the library. She also liked writing stories. And she had a vivid imagination. That information comes from her obituary. The 8-year-old girl died Aug. 1. Police say her father killed her, then wrapped her body in a plastic bag and placed it in the bottom of a trash bin outside their Carlsbad home. Juan Lerma, 32, this month pleaded not guilty to a charge of child abuse resulting in death. He is in the Eddy County Detention Center, without bond, waiting a trial date of...
New Mexico’s average number of coronavirus cases has dropped dramatically in the past week — from 330 to about 200, records show. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham described the trend as strong progress toward reducing the prevalence of the disease, though she said late last week it’s too early to substantially relax the state’s business restrictions. Locally, Curry County extended its number of consecutive days with at least one positive case to 57. Curry County averaged 11.4 new cases per day last week, but Roosevelt, Parmer...
New Mexico’s business restrictions and face-covering mandate are set to remain in place until Aug. 28, as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday it’s still not safe to downshift amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Also Thursday, a second nursing home in Clovis was added to the state’s list of facilities with positive COVID-19 tests. Wheatfields Senior Living officials on Thursday confirmed two positive tests. The governor, who has faced pressure from Republicans and some local officials to relax restrictions, said...
An outbreak of cases at a privately run detention center near Grants spurred New Mexico’s number of reported coronavirus cases to a new single-day high on Monday. In all, Department of Health officials announced 467 new COVID-19 cases, with 170 of the cases coming from the Cibola Correctional Center in Milan. The 467 new cases shattered the state’s previous single-day high of 343 cases, an amount reported on July 23. Curry County cases also continue to soar. The county has seen 46 consecutive days with at least one pos...
Cities and counties in New Mexico soon will be able to apply for $150 million in federal coronavirus relief funding. Debbie Romero, acting Cabinet secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration, told the Legislative Finance Committee on Wednesday that “simplified” applications and requests for reimbursement from the state for CARES Act funding likely will be available this week. Applications for $28 million that was set aside for tribal governments were distributed Friday, she said. “It’s a simple agreeme...
SANTA FE — Immediately after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced New Mexico would begin giving $100 fines to those who violate its face covering mandate for public settings, at least two things were clear: Enforcement of the more aggressive approach will be tricky and the governor’s decision had not slowed the spread of debate. While some business owners welcomed the governor’s announcement, others suggested it could hurt their sales. And at least one county sheriff said he does not plan on issuing citations or fines to th...
It looks hot and dry out there. Eastern New Mexico was under a “red flag” warning on Tuesday, meaning “critical fire weather conditions” persisted, according to the National Weather Service. But there is hope for moisture on the horizon. As we like to say in the drought-stricken High Plains: It’s monsoon season. “We’re kind of getting into that pattern where we’ll have those daily chances of showers and thunderstorms each day,” said Scott Overpeck, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Albuquerque office. While dry...
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s top medical official said Friday state officials are putting off for at least two weeks a plan for greater reopening of businesses and other activities. In recent days, state officials have re-evaluated whether to take the next step in the gradual relaxing of some business restrictions. New Mexico had a “major setback” in a surge of new virus cases recently, and the state’s intensive care beds “were more than 100% full,” said Dr. David Scrase, cabinet secretary for the state Human...
ALBUQUERQUE — One man was shot in Old Town as a protest over the “La Jornada” sculpture in front of the Albuquerque Museum erupted into violence Monday evening. The shooting occurred during a clash following a peaceful protest to remove the controversial sculpture, a monument that features conquistador Juan de Oñate. The FBI is assisting in the investigation, according to an APD spokesman. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, meanwhile, called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the shooting. Albuquerque police said t...
PORTALES — Roosevelt County Detention Center officials on Friday reported an officer has tested positive for COVID-19. The officer, who was not named, was tested on Tuesday and is quarantined at home. The positive test is the first confirmed by the Department of Health at the facility, according to a county news release. The release stated that on May 19-20, all of the RCDC staff and about 75% of detainees voluntarily took tests, with all coming back negative. In partnership with Wellpath, the center’s onsite medical provider...
