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Articles from the March 21, 2021 edition


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  • Air Force updates residents on chemicals

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Mar 23, 2021

    CANNON AIR FORCE BASE — Officials with the U.S. Air Force updated residents Wednesday on the steps it is eyeing to mitigate groundwater damage done by its use of firefighting foams that contained the “forever chemicals” of PFOS/PFOA. Those who attended the 90-minute virtual forum expressed frustration, disappointment and anger those steps aren’t already happening, more than two years after it first disclosed the contamination surrounding Cannon Air Force Base. Meeting moderator Mark Kinkade said the public meeting was the...

  • One dead near Clovis apartment complex

    The Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    CLOVIS — A Clovis man was arrested Thursday on charges he fatally stabbed his neighbor over a dispute involving the suspect’s family. Tonekwueme Hamilton, 43, is being held without bond at the Curry County Adult Detention Center for the death of Jose Fernando Sena, 46, of Clovis. Hamilton made his first appearance Friday afternoon at Curry County Magistrate Court. He will remain at the CCADC unless provided bond in a pretrial detention hearing this week in district court. Acc...

  • Four-run eighth boosts UAFS past Hounds

    the Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    FORT SMITH, Ark. — Arkansas-Fort Smith erupted for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday to post a 7-3 Lone Star Conference baseball victory over Eastern New Mexico University, completing a doubleheader sweep. The Lions held on late to take Game 1 from the Greyhounds 9-7. The teams were to finish the three-game series with single contest on Saturday afternoon. Pinch-hitter Trevor Brown’s two-run single off reliever Alex Kuhn (0-1) snapped a 3-3 tie. Brown later scored on a wild pitch, while second bas...

  • Wolverines cruise past rival Lions

    Dave Wagner, Staff writer|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    TEXICO - Except for the first play of the night and the final minute of the game, Texico pretty much had its way with rival Santa Rosa on Friday night. The Lions stunned the home team when senior Ricardo Chavez brought the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a score. But it was all Wolverines after that, and Texico rolled to a 43-21 victory behind five touchdowns from senior quarterback Gabe Dickerman (three passing, two rushing). In fact, the Lions managed only one more score...

  • Buffs rally to nip Tatum

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    MELROSE - After outscoring their first two opponents 100-12, the Melrose Buffaloes seemed primed for an easy home victory against a young Tatum squad. Somebody forget to tell the Coyotes that. But the defending eight-man champion Buffaloes left the March upsets to the basketball brackets, blanking the Coyotes in the second half and scoring twice in the final seven minutes for a 30-22 victory Friday night. Senior Tate Sorgen ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more,...

  • Lady Rams fall to Artesia in District 4-4A opener

    Dave Wagner, Staff writer|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    PORTALES — The season and District 4-4A opener was a while coming for the Portales High girls soccer squad. Meantime, Artesia was playing its fifth match of the campaign. The Lady Bulldogs took advantage of an edge in speed to dominate early en route to a 5-0 victory over the Lady Rams on Thursday at Greyhound Stadium. The contest, originally slated for Tuesday, was originally postponed due to high winds. “We started good and ended good; in the middle we struggled,” Lady Rams coach Bonnie Britton said. “But conside...

  • Clovis school district receives credit downgrade

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    CLOVIS — The Clovis school board got some bad news Tuesday about its credit rating going forward. But at least it was let down gently. In a rather short meeting, the board heard from Moody’s credit analyst Heather Correia about the district’s downgrade of one level from Aa3 to A1. Moody’s, Correia said, is reevaluating how it gives credit ratings for school districts, after previously treating them like other governmental entities. “We felt as though school districts were unique from cities and counties,” Correia said. “They...

  • More eligible to receive vaccine doses

    the Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    SANTA FE — New Mexico has moved to phases 1B and 1C of its COVID-19 vaccination plan, meaning more than 96% of New Mexicans 16 and older are now eligible to receive vaccine doses. The state also passed the 1 million dose mark Friday. As of Friday, 37.4% of New Mexicans 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose and 22.4% are fully vaccinated. Previously, four groups were eligible for vaccine doses in the state — Phase 1A (health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities), New Mexicans 75 and...

  • Fresh faces starting at next ENMU regents meeting

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    PORTALES — When the Eastern New Mexico University regents meet this week, they’ll do so with plenty of new faces. Confirmed to positions Monday by the New Mexico Senate for six-year regent terms were former Public Education District 9 Commissioner Trish Ruiz and former Central New Mexico Community College Vice President for Student Affairs Phillip Bustos. Also approved was ENMU vocal performance major Chandlar Head for the two-year student regent term. They will replace Terry Othick, Ed Tatum and student regent Joseph Gergel....

  • Opinion: Vaccine comes at expense of lost lives

    Christine Flowers, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    I’m pretty open about my pro-life views. I want abortion criminalized, banned and recognized as an act of inhumanity. I agree with Mother Theresa that “abortion has become the greatest destroyer of peace, because it destroys two lives, the life of the child and the conscience of the mother.” I am also a Catholic, and I am quite proud of the fact that my church is the most vocal, most unapologetically pro-life among the three great monotheistic traditions. I know there are s...

  • Opinion: Need to lose 'leaders' who don't value US's core mission

    Leonard Pitts, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    On the issue of guns, John Kavanagh has a record unblemished by sanity. Indeed, a scroll through Vote Smart, the nonpartisan, nonprofit voter information clearinghouse, suggests the Arizona state lawmaker has never met a pro-gun measure he didn’t like. That includes bills authorizing concealed carry in public buildings, firearms sales without background checks and even one prohibiting the state from keeping records on gun owners. So, yes, the man loves guns. The man thinks e...

  • Opinion: Old books needing change should not inspire rage

    Walt Rubel, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    I did not like “Green Eggs and Ham.” I thought the book to be a scam. I knew that it could not be right for all the eggs I'd seen were white. I was then too young to see the humor in absurdity. The notion of an egg gone green seemed a most distasteful thing. But I did so love that scruffy cat with the yellow fur and floppy hat. His face would twist into disgust when offered up his green breakfast. It did not matter what time or place he would not have a single taste. Until many days had long gone by he finally gave green foo...

  • Opinion: Biden's first 60 days a disaster

    Michael Reagan, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    I can hardly wait to see how President Biden’s second 100 days in office go. So far he’s ripped up Trump’s successful immigration policy by the roots, stopped work on the wall and created a super-crisis on the Southern border. He and his masters in Congress are preparing to screw the rich and corporations with higher taxes on incomes and profits. And because he stupidly agreed with George Stephanopoulos on TV that Vladimir Putin is “a killer,” Putin got mad and recalled...

  • Opinion: Dems would regret busting filibuster

    Rich Lowry, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    There’s nothing that ails Joe Biden’s agenda, we are supposed to believe, that ending the filibuster wouldn’t fix. President Joe Biden showed a little leg on changing the filibuster in an ABC News interview, while almost every Senate Democrat wants to ditch it. Even Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who still supports the filibuster, said a couple of weeks ago that resorting to it should be more “painful.” Senate Democrats probably remain a few votes shy of really being able to t...

  • Opinion: Maybe somebody wants to own a nice collection of our region's history

    David Stevens, Publisher|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    New Mexico’s third governor lived in Portales about 100 years ago, and Washington Ellsworth Lindsey’s house is still standing. Any building that old deserves our respect and our admiration, no matter its condition. The 80-plus windmills Bill Dalley collected at his home on South Kilgore were once listed by roadsideamerica.com as one of the “neat places off the beaten path” to visit in the United States. Now at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds, they’re still a delight for all who love fresh water and the life it gives us...

  • Meetings calendar - March 21

    Updated Mar 20, 2021

    Meetings are subject to change due to coronavirus concerns. Monday • City of Clovis Strategic Planning Session — 1:30-5:30 p.m., North Annex, Clovis-Carver Public Library, 701 N. Main St., Clovis. No public access. Public is invited to view the meeting on Suddenlink channel 10, at www.cityofclovis.org, or on Facebook at City of Clovis, NM (City Government). Questions phoned in to 575-763-9200 will be shared with the group. Information: 575-769-7828 Tuesday • Eastern New Mexico University Regents new regent training and work s...

  • Events calendar - March 21

    Updated Mar 20, 2021

    Monday-April 1 • Friends of the Portales Public Library “pay what you can” used book sale — front lobby area, Portales Public Library, 218 S. Ave. B, Portales. Large assortment of used books sorted by genre available for sale during regular library hours. New stock added daily. Access will be limited to 30 minutes and no more than 10 shoppers at one time; social distancing enforced, masks required. No set prices; donations of all sizes welcome. All proceeds used to support year-round programs at the library. On final day of s...

  • Clovis chips in on feasibility study

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    CLOVIS — Calling it a needed project, the Clovis City Commission chipped in Thursday on a feasibility study to bring a regional inpatient psychiatric hospital and mental health facility to Clovis. By an 8-0 vote, the commission on Thursday pledged $29,400 — 49% of the total cost, based on its population that would be served — to the study. The study, recommended by the United Way of Eastern New Mexico’s Youth Service Program, would assess the overall need, costs of land acquisition and employee recruitment, and availab...

  • Vision care clinics planned in Clovis

    the Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    CLOVIS — Adventure Vision and the Lions Club are partnering to host vision care clinics over four days in March and April at the Matt 25 Hope Center, with a goal of helping children get eye exams in underserved Medicaid markets. The vision care days will be March 30-31 and April 13-14. The clinic will accept Medicaid or Lions Club Vision Vouchers if the children aren’t covered by Medicaid. “This year our commitment is to take what we do on the road and go to those areas without access to make a big impact on the kids that...

  • Clovis hires new parks director

    the Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    CLOVIS — The city of Clovis has hired a new parks and recreation director, with Russell Hooper coming to Clovis from Dallas. Hooper, who has 14 years in the parks and recreation field, will begin duties Monday. He succeeds Mark Dayhoff, who retired at the end of 2020. Hooper most recently served as Dallas’ District 1 manager for park maintenance and operations, and is a certified parks and recreation professional. The city decided on Hooper in its second hiring round to replace Dayhoff. The chosen candidate in the first pro...

  • Muleshoe band director pleads not guilty

    the Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    LUBBOCK — A Muleshoe High band director accused of enticing a girl in January for sexual activity has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, and currently remains behind bars ahead of his May 10 trial. William Alan Shelly Jr., 61, appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, and is for now declining to fight a motion to keep him in jail for the duration of his case. He retains the right to file a future request for pretrial release on bond. A hearing is set for May 10 on his pretrial detention, with f...

  • Public works director reports utility changes

    Alisa Boswell-Gore, Correspondent|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    PORTALES — Public Works Director John DeSha reported city utility changes to city councilors Tuesday night at the Portales City Council meeting at the Memorial Building. DeSha told councilors that many people outside city limits use city sewage without having an active utility account with the city, so city officials will be performing a smoke test to clean out sewage pipes and to show city officials who has sewage service with the city line without having an account. “We will give them 30 days to come open an account, and...

  • Session ends in flurry

    Dan McKay and Dan Boyd, Syndicated content|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    SANTA FE — A proposal to require paid sick leave in New Mexico beat the deadline Saturday and passed the Legislature with less than an hour to spare. But the noon adjournment extinguished any chance of a last-minute deal on cannabis legalization — a proposal that could resurface in a special session. The last 24 hours at the Capitol included a burst of activity as New Mexico lawmakers signed off on proposals to establish an independent redistricting committee, extend public financing to District Court judicial candidates and...

  • Local scoreboard - March 21

    Updated Mar 20, 2021

    FOOTBALL Prep summaries Friday Texico 43, Santa Rosa 21 Santa Rosa 7 0 6 8 — 21 Texico 7 14 7 15 — 43 Scoring summary First quarter SR — Ricardo Chavez 92 kickoff return (Daniel Salas kick), 11:47 T — Gabriel Bailey 56 pass from Gabe Dickerman (Dickerman kick), 10:28 Second quarter T — Cade Collins 6 pass from Dickerman (Dickerman kick), 9:08 T — Collins 23 pass from Dickerman (Dickerman kick), 4:17 Third quarter SR — Chavez 2 run (kick blocked), 7:48 T — Dickerman 7 run (Dickerman kick), 5:34 Fourth quarter T — Seth Griego...

  • Georgia man dies in accident near Farwell

    The Staff of The News|Updated Mar 20, 2021

    FARWELL — A Georgia man was killed in a one-vehicle accident Thursday night northeast of Farwell. Johnney Thomas Mangum, 65, of Blakely, Georgia, was pronounced deceased at the scene on U.S. 70, according to a release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to a DPS preliminary report, a freightliner truck tracker towing a utility bulk trailer was driven by Daniel McDonald, 37, of Blakely. For reasons still unknown to investigators, the westbound vehicle entered the center median and traveled across the e...

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