Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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The climate at the Republican National Convention has changed from what was expected – “but not in that we’re fearful, just the opposite. We are more determined and united than ever,” said Tina Dziuk on Monday. Dziuk of Clovis is a member of the New Mexico delegation serving on the RNC Committee on Arrangements for the convention being held this week in Milwaukee. Following Saturday’s apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, Dziuk said “there is nowhere in the nation that is more secure than...
A Portales woman, missing since Saturday, remained missing early this week. The case of Mary Stinnett, 58, who has early Alzheimer’s Disease, came to the attention of Roosevelt County Sheriff Javier Sanchez and his department when officers were called to a county property Saturday regarding alleged trespassers. “They weren’t trespassers, they were members of Mary Stinnett’s family looking for her,” Sanchez said Monday. “This is not the first time she has wandered off,” Sanch... Full story
Portales and New Mexico State Police on Wednesday afternoon arrested murder suspect Anthony Ortega after an hours-long standoff in the 1200 block of North Avenue M. Capt. Chris Valdez of the Portales Police Department said police received a tip Ortega was staying at the unoccupied residence owned by a family member. Ortega is accused of killing Benigno Castillo, 51, on Monday. Castillo was shot in his pickup after he attempted to assist a woman who told police she was afraid of Ortega. When first approached, Valdez said... Full story
Portales Police have named Anthony S. Ortega as a suspect in Monday morning's shooting death of 51-year-old Benigno Castillo. An arrest warrant for an open count of murder has been issued for 36-year-old Ortega of Portales. PPD Chief Christopher Williams in a "wanted" posting wrote, "Anyone with knowledge of (Ortega's) whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Portales Police Department at 575-356-4404 option #1 or Roosevelt County Crime Stoppers at 575-356-...
Portales police are investigating the early Monday shooting death of 51-year-old Benigno Castillo. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning, District Attorney Quentin Ray said. It was the region’s first shooting death since two Texico women were slain in Ned Houk Park on May 3. A suspect was arrested in that case two days later. Portales officers at 3:24 a.m. Monday responded to a 911 call in the area of West Kaywood Street and North Avenue B, according to a police news release. Upon arrival, officers found Castillo, w... Full story
The Roosevelt County Commission on Tuesday rescinded its offer to Gowan Hays for the county manager position and unanimously voted to instead offer the job to Annette Kirk. Commissioner Tina Dixon said she and other commissioners planned to talk to Kirk about the job on Wednesday. Commissioners last week agreed to offer Hays, a Dora High School graduate, a one-year contract at $105,000 with “benefits similar to those offered” Amber Hamilton, who is leaving the position July 26. Hays told the News on Monday that he and cou...
The Portales woman with Alzheimer's, missing since Saturday, was found dead late Wednesday morning, Roosevelt County Sheriff Javier Sanchez said. “Family members … located her on the opposite side of the railroad tracks from (U.S.) 70. It’s like a little ditch area,” Sanchez said. Mary Stinnett, 58, was found "relatively near where she was last seen," the sheriff said. Sanchez said searchers flew a drone over the area several times but had no luck locating Stinnett. The sheriff said he did not immediately have any additio... Full story
The spectacular collapse of New Mexico's criminal prosecution of Alec Baldwin in the deadly "Rust" movie shooting laid bare nearly three years of errors by state officials who were eager to prove themselves on a world stage. Legal experts had long said it was a risk to charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, for the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, whom the actor accidentally shot while preparing for a scene with a firearm. Baldwin had been told...
The would-be assassin's gunfire that wounded former President Trump and sent panic through a Pennsylvania campaign rally on Saturday was unleashed at a time of increasing hostilities in American politics. They have roused extremes on the left and the right and further inflamed divisions ahead of the November election. Multiple shots rang out across a field. A bystander was killed and two were seriously wounded. The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who w...
In Corey Comperatore’s final moment, he did what came naturally to the father of two daughters: He protected his family. With his own life. “He shielded my body from the bullet that came at us,” one daughter, Allyson Comperatore, wrote in a social media post. “He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us.” Comperatore was shot and killed Saturday at a rally for former President Donald Trump. Two other spectators were wounded: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pa., and James Copenhaver, 74, of M...
One day, almost 60 years ago, when I was just a small lad growing up at 125 N. Goliad Street, in Amarillo, Brock Bronson scared the living daylights out of me. Someday, I’ll get around to describing a “living daylight,” but suffice it to say now that I’m still short of them. Brock’s fault. Brock Bronson. Now there’s a name that means business. Especially if it’s attached to a teenaged bully sort of guy. Especially if you’ve barely broken into double digits age-wise yourself. E...
A patchwork portrait of the man who tried to kill former President Donald Trump began to emerge early this week after his gunfire killed a spectator at a Butler County, Pa., rally, injured two others, and left the former president bloodied and ducking for cover. Who, exactly, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was, though, remained murky. He was armed Saturday with an AR-style 5.56-caliber rifle, according to the FBI, and investigators found “rudimentary” explosive devices and bomb-making material inside his car and in the hom...
On this date ... 1946: Portales hosted a veterans rally and barbecue. Republican senatorial candidate Patrick Hurley and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Safford were guest speakers. About 2,000 people turned out. 1951: U.S. Sen. Dennis Chavez and U.S. Rep. John Dempsey announced the Clovis Air Base would be reactivated on Sept. 1. The base had closed after World War II but reopened after local businessmen known as the Committee of Fifty lobbied Chavez and other lawmakers. The base was to become home to jet fighters and...
Sly Quincy Jones has been confined in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque for 444 days while lawyers, judges and experts considered whether he is mentally competent to stand trial for intentionally setting fires that terrified a historic Downtown-area neighborhood. His criminal rap sheet shows 30 years of misdemeanors, felonies and failures to appear in court in New Mexico and Florida. Since 2012, his alleged conduct in Albuquerque has escalated from disorderly conduct to arson, aggravated assault and drug...
Being far away from home in Iceland and Britain for the last two weeks was perfect timing. Just as President Biden was proving to the whole country that he’s incapable of being president for another four years, or another week, I left the madness of American politics and flew off to Europe for a vacation cruise. As I often have had the pleasure of doing, I traveled with my travel-agent wife Colleen and a bunch of her clients. This time, though, we also took along my two k...
If you need assistance with your federal benefits, you can speak with staff members for U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan at their district offices. If you have issues with the city or county that need to be resolved, you can reach your representative on the city council and county commission at their offices. Constituent services are a vital part of the job for most elected officials. If, however, your problems are with the state, you can try reaching your state senator and representative, but they don’t have an o...
By now, most New Mexicans are aware of the case against the movie star Alec Baldwin. It was getting plenty of play both here at home and abroad until, poof, it went away. It shouldn’t disappear so easily. There are more than enough questions still left to answer. The case against Baldwin was dismissed Friday after it was discovered that ammunition from the set of “Rust” had been “misfiled” and was not disclosed to the defense. That was enough to compel Santa Fe’s First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to grant a mo...
A 21-year-old Portales man was arrested Monday night after leading police in a vehicle chase from Clovis to Portales. Stephen Dubay is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and aggravated fleeing a law enforcement Officer. No injuries were reported in the pursuit. The incident began about 8 p.m. Monday when a Clovis police officer observed Dubay driving erratically in the area of Grand and Gamma streets, according to Police Capt. Roman Romero. Dubay’s vehicle stopped in the 100 block of Beta Street and n...
Xcel Energy has announced it is offering payment options and billing help for customers with high summer bills. According to a news release from Xcel, electricity costs for Xcel Energy’s New Mexico and Texas customers have dropped in recent months, but customers who used more electricity than expected during recent heat waves have options for paying their bills. Adrian J. Rodriguez, president, Xcel Energy – New Mexico, Texas said, “Our customer care representatives are available to discuss these bills and can provide optio...
Spirit Halloween will make its seasonal return Aug. 2 to the North Plains Mall in Clovis. “This the earliest they have ever opened in Clovis,” mall General Manager Leeann Glen said. Spirit Halloween sells costumes, props, masks, accessories, makeup, hats, wigs and more. Glen said the store is also known for its animated Halloween displays....
Aucutt’s Paint Store will be celebrating its 85th anniversary Friday. Store owner Tisha Brothers described Friday’s festivities as a “celebration for customers, employees, previous employees, current and previous sales reps.” “There will be a ‘mini pro show,’ and 40% off storewide, except window treatments,” Brothers said. Brothers said Aucutt’s first opened in 1939 at Fifth and Pile streets in Clovis. Today, Aucutt’s Paint Store is at 2000 Mitchell St. in Clovis....
Roosevelt County Heritage Days is scheduled to kick off a two-day run on Friday. The 39th annual event includes car shows, a fun run, a parade, food and craft booths, games, live music, dancing and more, according to the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce. Heritage Days mostly takes place at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds, 705 E Lime St., in Portales. Friday’s activities begin at 2 p.m. with a talent show set to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday features the annual parade at 10 a.m. Participants are asked to line up at 9:15 a...
I saw an old friend in the grocery store the other day. My old pal was on the superette shelf. Spam. But the stuff wasn’t 99 cents a can anymore. Somehow Spam had risen to the ranks of being “high dollar,” about $4 a can. I ate Spam when I was a kid. I had cans of it stacked up in a kitchen cabinet during my groovy bachelor days. I mean the cost was just right. I’d fry up some Spam slices, get them nice and brown, whip up a box of macaroni and cheese, and bada-bing! A meal fit for a king. But when I started hanging around...
Last month, B.J. Newton showed up to the first meeting for his new magic club with his Kennedy half-dollar coins and magic wand eager to pass on his passion. Ten minutes passed – no one came ... then 30 minutes ... then an hour ... and after two hours no one. So, with his massive hands that once wooed an emir of Kuwait, the magician packed it all up and vanished to his Clovis home. "I figured at least two or three people would show up, you know?" said Newton, 72, who has d...
Col. Robert Johnston is the new commander of Cannon Air Force Base. Johnston takes over from Col. Jeremy Bergin. Johnston assumed the post Monday at a change of command ceremony presided over by Lt. Gen. Michel Conley, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. Johnston is plenty familiar with Cannon. He “was a squadron commander here from 2018-2020 at the 9th Special Operations Squadron, and prior to that he was the operations officer at the 9th SOS as well from 2... Full story
