Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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CLOVIS - For years, Bob Casey has been searching Clovis for recyclable cans. This weekend, most of Clovis has been searching for Bob. Dozens of volunteers in at least three different groups on Saturday morning were combing areas between Clovis High School and Plains Regional Medical Center, hoping to find the 83-year-old man who went missing Wednesday. "He walks around all the time. Everybody in Clovis has probably seen him walking around picking up cans. It's nothing for him... Full story
CLOVIS - Take that, coronavirus. Though COVID-19 wiped out much of the annual Draggin' Main Festival, it couldn't stop people from cruising down Main Street literally - and Memory Lane figuratively - on Saturday night. Cars of both the vintage and recent varieties jammed Main Street for the Draggin' Main cruise, so many of them headed southbound that it sometimes felt more like Laggin' Main. But that was a good thing. Lots of people out in the fresh early-night air, socializin...
PORTALES — The Roosevelt County Commission heard both extremes when it came to precipitation during its regular meeting Tuesday morning. About a dozen people, mostly county officials, filled out a socially distanced Jake Lopez Building and heard County Manager Amber Hamilton detail the ramifications she knew so far from a Monday night storm with widespread hail reported. Hamilton said there was obvious damage to a few roofs of county buildings, and numerous county vehicles took substantial windshield damage, but a complete r...
By writing today’s column, I am breaking a promise, one that I made to myself. I didn’t make myself take an oath aloud or sign anything. I suppose it was less a promise than a mental warning not to stroll into any mine fields. The topic is difficult and highly charged, a tough one for any of us to deal with wisely and rationally and one where many folks seem to opt quickly for foolishness and irrationality. The best of writers could be easily misunderstood on this sub...
SANTA FE — New Mexico lawmakers concluded a historic special session Monday by granting final approval to legislation requiring police officers to wear body cameras and authorizing up to $400 million in low-interest loans to help small businesses survive. The state House passed the two measures inside a mostly empty Capitol — two days after the Senate left the building, having already completed its work. The bills now head to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who called the Legislature into special session Thursday, although the...
Booked The following were booked into local jails (Friday-Tuesday): Clovis ∞ Danielle Parks, 21, failure to appear at time and place stated in citation ∞ Naomi Owen, 21, failure to appear on misdemeanor charge ∞ Jaime Sanchez, 25, aggravated driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug ∞ Ashley Alley, 33, failure to appear on a felony charge, shoplifting, concealing identity ∞ Kirstyn Langevin, 23, out of state fugitive ∞ Gilberto Anaya, 19, battery ∞ Adelaido Negrete, 71, aggravated driving while...
It’s a mortality check, I know, but if you remember these things from 25 years ago today ... you might be an old-timer: • The Dora Cafe was open for business. It had been vacant for months. Newlyweds Jim and Jolene Wall opened on June 12 and were already so busy they had to hire two waitresses. The Walls lived in the house behind the restaurant. • McDonald’s was promoting itself on Batman’s back. “Holy double meat, Batman. Big Macs 99 cents,” read one newspaper ad. And four Batman collector’s glass mugs could be purchased for...
ALBUQUERQUE — The coronavirus pandemic has officially claimed another victim. The 49th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been postponed until Oct. 2-10, 2021, which means the 50th fiesta will now be pushed back to 2022. The fiesta is the largest balloon rally in the world. In 2019, it drew 588 balloons from across the nation and 17 foreign countries, attracted more than 866,000 visitors during its nine-day run, and generated an estimated economic impact on the Albuquerque area of $186.82 million. The decision to t...
If you are my age or older and grew up in rural Roosevelt County, I’ll venture a bet that you spent at least a nickel or a dime — maybe even a quarter or a dollar — at some point in your youth in Dollie Gordon’s store across the road from the Floyd schools. To say that Dollie Gordon was a pillar of the Floyd community is an understatement. In the 70-page index of the community history book, “Floyd: One Hundred Years,” there are few names with more page number references than h...
Plains Regional Medical Center Administrator Drew Dostal, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has agreed to regular discussions with The News. Here are parts of a Q&A conducted Monday: Are there any COVID-19 patients being treated at PRMC? There is one, who just came in today. Have you had to take patients from other facilities due to COVID-19? We have not. How many open beds are there as of Monday? Right now, we have about 25. We are remaining flexible so we can go back (to higher amounts) if we need to, but...
PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico University Regents will hear updates on president searches for two of its three branches when it holds a virtual meeting Friday morning. To attend the 9:30 a.m. meeting, the public can email [email protected] or call 575-562-2091. Regents are conducting searches to replace Chancellor and Portales campus president Jeff Elwell, along with Ruidoso campus president Ryan Carstens. The regents have appointed Patrice Caldwell as interim chancellor, while Carstens is still at the Ruidoso c...
CLOVIS — The Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority will discuss possible establishment of a groundwater development committee when it meets Thursday. The 3 p.m. meeting will be held at the Clovis-Carver Public Library’s North Annex. In-person attendance will be limited due to state public health orders for social distancing. To participate via phone, call 402-867-1159, and enter 655743220# at the prompt. Other items on the Thursday agenda include: • Two separate items for easement agreements for Finished Water 3 const...
New Mexico on Monday reported no deaths related to COVID-19 for the first time since April 15. But also Monday, the number of local deaths related to the virus doubled as two Parmer County residents were listed among Texas’ victims. And the Bailey County jail in Muleshoe is reporting 36 of 87 inmates have now tested positive for the virus. Prior to Monday, the region’s only reported deaths associated with COVID-19 were in Tucumcari and Portales. The Parmer County deaths brought the local number of fatalities to four. No det...
CLOVIS — The city’s first Parks, Recreation and Beautification meeting since February gave board members new and old optimism about upcoming projects and improvements to existing city facilities. The committee met Monday evening at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library, seated throughout the room to establish social distancing for the 11 people in attendance — three city staff, seven committee members and the media. Two items took the majority of discussion during the 20-minute meeting — a proposed shootin...
While hindsight is 2020, this year is moving so fast it’s a blur. It’s hard to keep up — and yet, if we focus on the bigger issues that have enveloped us, we can get a pretty good glimpse of what’s coming. So here I am, looking down the road: A look at national and world trends tells us COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. In fact, here in the U.S. it will probably get worse before it gets better. Here in New Mexico, we topped 10,000 cases and 450 deaths just before Juneteenth, with the worst outbreaks in Navajo country...
It’s finally over. The bronze of Don Juan de Oñate astride his horse is gone. Native Americans, antifa, Black Lives Matter and everyone associated with the various and sundry movements can rejoice. Racism is over. Much like the questions of pro or anti-abortion, gun control, gay marriage and love/hate the cops, the pro and anti-Oñate folks will never find middle ground. Both sides have their collective heels dug in deep, ready for the long haul. The statue was unveiled Oct. 12, 1992. The $108,000 price tag was ins...
Why is there so much anger in the world? People fight over statues; over differing opinions on gender, race, and policing. Over masks and whether to end the shutdown or keep society imprisoned until everyone is perfectly safe — which can never be. Activists are even protesting to abolish the Fourth of July ... without mentioning Independence Day. I guess if they are successful, future calendars will skip from the third to the fifth ... unless the activists are confused. W...
The New Mexico Public Education Department has released guidance for the upcoming school year, including a regional approach and a requirement for social distancing and face coverings for all students and staff. A message from Education Secretary Ryan Stewart notes that while state measures that included a three-week closure of schools followed by a transition to online instruction helped flatten the curve early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains “profound uncertainty” about the pandemic’s impact on the 2020-21 schoo...
On this date ... 1970: Summertime was movie time in Portales, according to promotional advertising at the Tower theater. And the most popular movies were westerns. Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine were starring in “Two Mules for Sister Sara” at the Tower. Showtimes were 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The Varsity drive-in also featured cowboy movies: “For a Few Dollars More” and “Barquero.” All three movies were rated GP, for “all ages admitted, parental guidance suggested,” according to the Motion Picture Association’s f...
Program seeks host families The World Heritage Student Exchange Program is looking for local host families for high school students from more than 30 countries, according to a program release. Families can choose to host a student for a semester or full school year. Each student is fully insured, has personal spending money and understands there is a requirement to contribute to household responsibilities and take part in normal family activities. Interested families can contact Southwestern Area Coordinator Nancy Rodriguez...
PORTALES — BJ Bernet is back for a second run as spirit squad coach at Eastern New Mexico University and is accepting online submissions for tryouts, according to a school release. Bernet first coached the program from 2005 to 2009, and has also been an owner at Dance and Cheer Force in Clovis and cheer coach at Clovis High School. Her cheer experience includes her time as a student at the University of Las Vegas and both the Las Vegas Sting arena football and Las Vegas Dust soccer teams. Tryouts can be submitted to Bernet v...
Clovis already knows what Hesston, Kansas, is about to find out. Clovis High knows what it's like to have the services of Aydan Everett for both soccer and basketball, knows what a difference she makes. Two-year Hesston College is soon going to have those services. Everett was recruited to play women's soccer there, received a partial scholarship. She was then asked if she wanted to walk on to the women's basketball team. She did. So, in August when Everett takes her talents...
PORTALES - The 1600 Cherry Street building that has housed Eastern New Mexico University presidents since 1973 will continue in that regard for the foreseeable future. The $650,000 in capital outlay originally allocated by the state has been swept back under Senate Bill 5. The award was one of 80 taken back under the bill totaling $13.9 million, but that total does not account for funds entities have already expended. The bill passed 36-6 in the Senate and 68-1 in the House...
Hail, high winds, even one report of a funnel cloud near Floyd, reminded eastern New Mexico on Monday night that it's still storm season. And there was rain. Glorious rain. "I've heard discussion from folks saying the damage was worth it just to get the moisture," said Roosevelt County ag agent Patrick Kircher. "I can't tell you how many people told me they just sat on the porch and watched it rain." Much of the region enjoyed its first significant rainfall since April 14....
