Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Taking a ride in a hot air balloon was something that Clovis native Susan Montoya always wanted to do, one of the adventures on her bucket list that she talked to friends and coworkers about. So when word came down that the assistant principal at Albuquerque's Georgia O'Keeffe Elementary School was transferring to another school, teachers and coworkers took it upon themselves to make that dream come true. They chipped in to purchase a balloon ride for Susan and three guests...
In the mid-1970s, Charles E. Becknell, then in grade school, attended one of the first official Juneteenth celebrations in New Mexico. At the time, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery was an obscure one to many people outside the Black community. "The Black community always knew about Juneteenth," said Becknell, 53, now head of the Africana Studies program at the University of New Mexico. "It was and is a celebratory experience for native African New Mexicans." "Ask the average New Mexican if they know it's a state...
SANTA FE — New Mexico added more than 110 fatalities to its official COVID-19 death toll Monday as the Department of Health announced the completion of an audit of public health records. The adjustment pushed the state’s coronavirus-related deaths to 4,245 — a jump of 114 fatalities since the final report of last week. All but one of the deaths — that of a man in his 60s from Bernalillo County — was due to the audit of health records, according to the state figures. David Morgan, a spokesman for the Department of Health, s...
Warm, dry weather has fueled multiple wildfires across New Mexico this week, but forecasters are hoping a midweek storm will provide some relief to the drought-stricken state. The best chance of rain in eastern New Mexico is today, though thunderstorms are expected to be isolated. High temperatures are expected in the upper 60s today and Thursday in the Clovis-Portales area, with rain chances 30-to-40 percent today. But the region will quickly dry again Thursday as winds are expected in excess of 40 mph. Rain chances fall off...
MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer charged with George Floyd's death last year was convicted on Tuesday afternoon. The jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Jurors, who were sequestered, reached their decision after hearing closing arguments from the prosecution and defense Monday. They started deliberations afterward. Jurors heard from 44 witnesses over 14 days of testimony. The trial began seven weeks ago, on March 8, with jury s... Full story
Low temperatures, snow and high winds will sweep across New Mexico today, including the Clovis-Portales area. Daniel Porter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a “deeply cold air mass” will drop statewide temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below normal today. “That’s going to set the stage up for significant snowfall accumulations, because the atmosphere will be plenty cold enough to support snow for most locations across New Mexico,” Porter said. Eastern New Mexico is expected to see less than an inch of s...
New Mexico could see about $9 billion as part of the virus relief package President Biden signed on Thursday. And more than $23 million is earmarked for government entities in Curry and Roosevelt counties. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said the exact amount New Mexico will receive is still being calculated. But the $9 billion within the 628-page bill includes $2.5 billion for New Mexico governments; individual benefits most people in the state will qualify for; grants for businesses and farmers; $1.2 billion to school...
New Mexico could see about $9 billion as part of the virus relief package President Biden signed on Thursday. And more than $23 million is earmarked for government entities in Curry and Roosevelt counties. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said the exact amount New Mexico will receive is still being calculated. But the $9 billion within the 628-page bill includes $2.5 billion for New Mexico governments; individual benefits most people in the state will qualify for; grants for businesses and farmers; $1.2 billion to school...
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...
