Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Parmer County’s per-capita rate for COVID-19 cases is well above Texas’ state average. But county officials are not tying those cases to the Cargill meat-processing plant near Friona. “I can’t tell you how many total cases have come out of Cargill,” Parmer County Judge Trey Ellis said on Tuesday. “I just know that out of the 21 I’ve been told about (in Parmer County), there’s only two out of Cargill.” Ellis said one confirmed case of the virus has been reported in Farwell, five have come out of Bovina and the rest are in t...
SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other state officials have planned a remote news conference for Wednesday afternoon, “to provide an update on COVID-19 efforts and emergency public health orders in New Mexico,” according to a news release from the governor’s office. It begins at 4 p.m. and will be streamed live on the governor’s Facebook page. Much of New Mexico’s business community is hoping Lujan Grisham might announce plans to relax restrictions in her stay-at-home order that’s scheduled to expire on Friday. Bu...
Chris Mathys is basically a fringe candidate in the Second Congressional District of New Mexico, as if there’s such a thing as a fringe candidate in Donald Trump’s Republican Party. It’s almost laughable how Mathys and his party opposition — Yvette Herrell and Claire Chase — are all trying to out-Trump each other. Herrell and Chase are accusing each other of Trump disloyalty even before the man took ownership of their party, but Mathys is using another approach. He’s suggesting that he has an ideological kinship with the pr...
I would expect, given the record of failure, this coronavirus experience would cause people to reconsider their belief in the credibility of government. From past experience, I know hope — or something darker — springs eternal. Most people are desperate to believe government is capable and credible in spite of 5,000-plus years of evidence to the contrary. As face masks become mandatory in more places, don’t forget those same government experts were ridiculing people who were w...
When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos decided to revisit the rules governing sexual assault accusations at colleges, some victims’ advocates feared she would make it too difficult to hold assailants responsible. But the rules released Wednesday make reasonable changes for the most part, curbing some of the excesses of the previous system. This has been a fraught topic from the start, its history one of pendulum swings. A decade ago, colleges and universities routinely swept allegations of sexual assault under the rug, d...
Booked The following were booked into local jails (Friday-Tuesday): Clovis ∞ Markus Hidinger-Novo, 20, probation violation ∞ Beannder Alford, 26, failure to appear on misdemeanor charge, failure to pay fines ∞ Roy Kincaid, 28, criminal trespass, possession of drug paraphernalia ∞ Jaime Sanchez, 25, failure to pay fines ∞ Dequan Banks, 21, failure to pay fines ∞ Juan Ceniceros, 21, failure to appear on a felony charge, probation violation, failure to appear on misdemeanor charge ∞ Fernando Mendoza-Tovar, 33, battery against a...
Our church went back to church on Sunday. Our governor had said that we could, within some COVID-19 guidelines. Our little bunch chose to wait a week longer than required and, just speaking for me, myself, and I, I’m glad we waited. One size does not fit all, though we’re all trying to plot a way through this mess. Backseat drivers are already plentiful, and, though toilet paper was hard to come by a few weeks ago, I suspect, once we get a bit past this present pandemic cri...
On this date ... 1970: Doctors offices at 1217 Pile had been extensively damaged by fire. Clovis police investigators said a back door to the building had apparently been pried open with a tire iron. The would-be burglar then “rifled through cabinet drawers” before setting the building on fire with lighter fluid, the Clovis News-Journal reported. Police Det. Caleb Chandler said the burglar was probably looking for narcotics, though he noted doctors were forbidden by law from keeping narcotics in their offices. The off...
Four ag producers receive grants Four Clovis-based ag producers received emergency grants from the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association, according to an association release. The money is part of $110,000 given to the first round of applicants for the association’s COVID-19 Local Food Supply Chain Response Fund. Grants awarded include 56 individual producer grants and eight collaborative grants representing 23 New Mexico counties. Curry County recipients ($1,000 each) are: • Charles Benny Adams, Field of Dreams Marke...
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Health has announced free COVID-19 testing is available for all workers in the state. A state news release specified government employees, utility and construction workers, grocery and pharmacy employees, retailers and wholesalers and anybody in food service or other service industries. However, any New Mexican at work can receive access to a test, regardless of symptoms. “Increased testing allows for increased case surveillance and contact tracing which helps us mitigate community spr...
The federal government rolled out programs to help agricultural producers during the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will use about $16 billion from the CARES Act to directly support farmers. But navigating new rules is challenging with many federal initiatives like the Paycheck Protection Program. “By the time everybody got up to speed, the bucket was empty,” said Jeff Witte, Cabinet secretary of New Mexico’s Department of Agriculture. “But we’re seeing more success in the second round.” Some indust...
New principal selected Rodolfo Arceo has been selected as new principal at Lockwood Elementary, according to a release from Clovis Municipal Schools. Arceo, who first joined the district in 2011 as a Spanish teacher at Clovis High School, will begin his new position this week. He replaces Debbie Westbrook, who was selected in January as the district’s deputy director of child nutrition and well being. A 2006 graduate of Portales High School, Arceo holds a bachelor’s degree in modern and classical languages from Eastern New...
PORTALES — La Casa De Buena Salud in Portales has received a $402,649 grant as part of a $6.6 million award to 16 community health centers in the state for COVID-19 relief and testing, according to a release from the New Mexico congressional delegation. The money is to be used for the acquisition of personal protective equipment, staff training, acquisition and administration of COVID-19 tests and other essential lab services. The money was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the CARES Act. T...
PORTALES — The Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education spent about two hours Monday afternoon discussing and approving a 2020-21 budget they knew wasn’t going to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, and a Portales High School graduation they hoped would. The proposed 10 a.m. May 23 commencement at the Portales High School parking lot will feature about 185 students attending in their own vehicles before taking part in a student parade once they’re officially graduates. “We’re hoping this will be the only graduation in Portal...
I collect historical tidbits that interest me from area newspapers. Here are a few from Mays past as reported by newspapers in Portales: • May 2, 1910: The Roosevelt County Herald reported Portales was installing "a very comprehensive system of water works, sewers and electric lights," and also working to build cement walks. Another city need was for more trees, which would "doubtless be fixed as soon as the city is able to supply water," the paper reported. • May 3, 194...
School administrators are regularly required to make those “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” decisions. You know the kind I am talking about: Wondering if the buses will have time to run before the predicted snowstorm hits, or whether that freezing rain will make the highways too icy to be safe. Decisions about public education during a global pandemic, though. Sheesh. They make calling a snow day look like a walk in the park. And then comes graduation. Celeb...
CLOVIS — Lt. Gov. Howie Morales spoke to The News on Monday regarding the state’s continued mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview with Morales, edited for brevity and clarity, follows: Q: The governor’s office over the last few days has allowed veterinary offices to reopen and dental offices to provide non-emergency services. What data do you need to see for further relaxation of restrictions? A: I think we want to continue to see the flattening of the curve. We want to have enough tests to show us what...
The New Mexico Department of Transportation is urging motorists to begin adopting what it is calling the "zipper merge" in construction zones. Motorists in construction zones have traditionally done what is called an early merge - heading to the open lane as soon as signage indicates a lane closure is ahead. However, state officials said research shows traffic backup lengths are reduced by up to 40% and accident risks are reduced if motorists use both lanes until they reach a...
CLOVIS — Christopher Rousseau came to Portales four years ago with his family, and he hopes he can move to Fort Worth with his family again with a new welding career lined up. However, the Clovis Community College student is finding his plans upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and every day of uncertainty just turns up the heat a little bit more. Rousseau is working toward an advanced level certificate in welding, and is on the final semester of the three-semester program. “We learn how to do specific welds,” Rousseau said....
In Northern New Mexico’s U.S. House race, a packed primary could come down to hefty checkbooks and pricey TV ads. At a time when everyone is a potential vector of a deadly disease, a crowded field of candidates in the 3rd Congressional District is being forced to rely on hands-off methods — television, radio and digital ads — to get the message out. The June 2 primary is only 20 days away, and the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján likely will come down to the winner of the Democratic battle: seven candidates seekin...
Republicans are fighting to turn a historically blue U.S. House district red with potential wedge issues. But first, one of four GOP candidates must win the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional District on June 2. Since the district’s creation in 1983, only one Republican has held the seat. But three candidates on the ballot are using guns, abortion and how Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has handled the COVID-19 pandemic to give themselves an edge. Former Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya, engineer Alexis J...
June 2 primary ballots Federal U.S. President Republican • Donald J. Trump Democratic • Elizabeth Warren • Tulsi Gabbard • Joseph R. Biden • Deval Patrick • Bernie Sanders • Andrew Yang Libertarian • Lincoln Chafee • Arvin Vohra • Jacob Hornberger • Adam Kokesh • John Monds • Jo Jorgensen • Sam Robb • Daniel Behrman • James Ogle U.S. Senator Republican • Elisa Maria Martinez • Mark V. Ronchetti • Gavin S. Clarkson Democratic • Ben Ray Lujan Libertarian • Bob Walsh U.S. Representative District 2 Republican • Claire Chase • Yv...
PORTALES — It’s been a rough spring for everyone, with life almost drawing to a halt due to the coronavirus and restrictions put in place to contain it. New Mexico has been under a stay-at-home order from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham since March 24. And now, murder hornets? Really? All hornets aside, with regard to the coronavirus at least, businesses in Roosevelt County are looking to this Friday as a possible glimmer of light poking through the clouds, hoping the governor announces some kind of re-opening process. Cau...
The countdown is on to Friday when New Mexico residents and businesses hope that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will start easing the state from COVID-19 restrictions into some early form of re-opening. Curry County isn't just sitting in bated-breath mode. The county Chamber of Commerce, in fact, is preparing for a possible re-opening to begin Friday. "We're just following what the governor has come up with as far as her direction," Clovis Economic Development Director Chase...
The skies above Clovis and Portales thundered with appreciation on Monday evening. "Over the last few months healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential employees have selflessly defended the nation against COVID-19," said Cannon Air Force Base Chief Master Sgt. Hope Skibitsky, command chief of the 27th Special Operations Wing. And so Cannon sent three of its MC-130J Commandos and a CV-22 Osprey to deliver "a flying tribute to these resilient Americans,"...
