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Articles from the December 11, 2022 edition


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  • ENMU women's game reset to Monday at Greyhound Arena

    THE STAFF OF THE NEWS|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    PORTALES — Saturday’s scheduled women’s basketball game between Eastern New Mexico University and Northern New Mexico at Clovis High’s Rock Staubus Gym was postponed by ENMU on Friday. The game has been moved to Monday at Greyhound Arena, with tipoff now set for 6 p.m. CHS officials announced on Thursday that the school would be closed until Monday, forcing the change of location and date. ENMU squads are set to return to Lone Star Conference action on Thursday when they host Texas-Tyler....

  • Opinion: Whelan decision shows president not really in control

    Michael Reagan, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Too bad Paul Whelan is not Black or gay or someone who openly hates America. Too bad he’s white, male and a former U.S. Marine. Otherwise, he would not still be rotting in jail in Russia on trumped-up espionage charges. Also otherwise, Whelan would have been the American prisoner in Russia who was exchanged last week by the Biden administration for Viktor Bout, aka “The Merchant of Death.” But instead of Whelan, it was Black lesbian basketball star Brittney Griner who was s...

  • Lady Rams winning big at Stanton

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    STANTON, Texas — Through three games in Stanton’s Hooptown tournament, it’s been a cakewalk for the Portales Lady Rams, After beating Texas foes Big Spring (46-19) and Rankin (82-33) on Friday, PHS (4-3) was averaging nearly 63 points and allowing about 22 heading into Saturday’s final games against Lamesa and Colorado City. “Our defense is what’s making us go in this tournament,” said PHS assistant Nate Chavez, who filled in this weekend with head coach Wade Fraze away to attend to a family matter. “I’m proud of the way...

  • Farwell teams gain finals

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    FARWELL - When it came to Farwell's boys semifinal match against Sundown on Friday in the Farwell Invitational, it was clear the bigger, stronger, more athletic team won out. Junior Corey Stancell scored 22 points - all but two in the first half - and the host Steers coasted to a 54-45 victory over the Roughnecks. Farwell (5-2) faced Littlefield (5-5), a 61-52 winner on Friday over Portales, in Saturday night's title clash. The girls final also matched the same teams after...

  • Cats need late comeback to get past Goddard

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    ALBUQUERQUE — If nothing else, Clovis High’s boys received a good wake-up call in the Joe Armijo Invitational, hosted by Albuquerque Academy. Easy winners in their first two games of the season, the Wildcats (3-1) found themselves playing for fifth place in the event after rallying for a 45-40 victory over winless Roswell Goddard — a team they had drubbed by nearly 40 points in their season opener — in Friday’s consolation semifinals. On Thursday, the Cats suffered their first loss of the season, a 55-52 setback in the quart...

  • Littlefield tops Rams in semifinals

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    FARWELL — Portales High’s boys had no trouble shaking off a season-opening loss in Thursday’s quarterfinals of the Farwell Invitational. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a smaller, overmatched foe. Senior guards Xodus Gomez and Davian Lucero and senior forward Markus Aranda combined for 44 points and the Rams cruised past Class 1A Silverton 66-35. In Friday’s semifinals, though, Portales (2-2) dropped a 61-52 decision to Littlefield and was slated to face Sundown in Saturday’s third-place tilt. Gomez and Aranda finished wi...

  • CHS industrial arts building slightly damaged by fire

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    An early morning fire, which began in an unoccupied classroom used for metal work instruction, caused significant damage to a building on the Clovis High School campus Thursday. A news release from Clovis Municipal Schools administration reports around 3 a.m. Thursday, school and fire officials were made aware of an active fire on the CHS campus. The blaze, which began in a metal work classroom, was extinguished by approximately 6 a.m., prior to staff and students arriving for the day. Due to the time of the incident, no one...

  • Pages past, Dec. 11: 4 Rams among best in state

    David Stevens, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    On this date ... 1962: Four Portales Rams football players had been named to the United Press International’s all-state football team. Halfback Larry Ward, guard Otha Britton, end Jim Webb and center Bill Schumpert, all seniors, were selected to the Class A elite squad. The four led the Rams to second place in District 4A. Ward, a 165-pound tailback, rushed for 905 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, despite missing a game with injuries. 1964: Singer Sam Cooke, the “King of Soul,” was shot to death by the manager of a Los Angel...

  • Opinion: Lights, camera, action - and Miranda rights?

    Walter Rubel, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    In June 2012, I succumbed to the hype and joined with millions of others to watch Nik Wallenda attempt to cross over Niagara Falls on a high wire. A few minutes into the walk I realized that, because so much of the promotion had been about the fact he could fall off and die at any moment, a little part of me would feel cheated if he made it across alive. Disgusted by my own human nature, I rushed to change the channel. I got that same vibe recently while watching the new show “On Patrol: Live,” which broadcasts live eve...

  • Opinion: We should all be biased in favor of democracy

    Leonard Pitts, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    On Dec. 3, Donald Trump finally crossed the Rubicon. That is, he took to his social media platform and, for the first time, issued an explicit call to abolish the U.S. Constitution -- the document he once swore to “preserve, protect and defend.” Still fuming over widespread election cheating that exists only in his wounded ego and fragile pride, Trump declared that “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, e...

  • Opinion: Biden letter signers can't be trusted

    Rich Lowry, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    The “Twitter Files” released by Elon Musk give us a more fine-grained understanding of how and why the social media company decided to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story. This was a woefully stupid decision. The New York Post’s account was suspended for two weeks for the offense of coming up with a scoop that we are still talking about and that will surely play a large role in upcoming GOP investigations into Biden family corruption. That’s the kind of thing that newspap...

  • Opinion: Predictions for winners in 2023

    Rube Render, Local columnist|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    My early predictions for the winners in 2023: USA Whoever decided to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines created what Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described as a “tremendous opportunity.” Blinken was correct in his assumption. Without Russian gas, Europe turned to the U.S. to provide Liquid Natural Gas. The U.S. was happy to provide LNG to Europe at a cost 6 times what they had been paying for it. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act provided subsidies for any ind...

  • Opinion: Congress should rethink Real ID implementation

    Las Vegas Review-Journal, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    More than 20 years after 9/11, Americans are still taking their shoes off at airport checkpoints and remain prohibited from packing larger bottles in their luggage. Yet the folks at the Department of Homeland Security continue to be flummoxed about how to implement more stringent identification requirements for airline passengers. On Monday, the department announced it was again delaying enforcement of the Real ID Act, which Congress passed 17 years ago. The legislation imposed certain standards on states for issuing...

  • In tribute: Karen Stanley's family remembers strong, loving woman

    Betty Williamson, Correspondent|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Fiercely independent. Stubborn. Adventurous. Warm and loving. Ornery and cantankerous. That's how the family of Karen Jean Stanley Ranger described their mother and grandmother, who died in Clovis on Nov. 5, a few days after her 78th birthday. Locals may remember her as the wife and partner of the late Frank Stanley, her first husband who preceded her in death in 1988. It was the Air Force that brought Karen and Frank Stanley to Clovis, according to their daughter, District Ju...

  • Illness puts schools on remote learning, buildings deep cleaned

    Grant McGee, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Both Clovis and Portales school systems had decided to close their campuses and switch to remote learning by Thursday due to high rates of absenteeism of students and teachers due to illness.. The closing began with one school, Portales Junior High, with a Tuesday announcement that the campus would be closed for the rest of the week with a scheduled return to campus Monday. Wednesday it was announced the entire Portales school system would be closed until Monday. Thursday, Clovis Municipal schools opted to close all campuses...

  • Clovis area business owners raise concerns about employee shortages

    Kathleen Stinson, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Several business owners in the Clovis area say they are having difficulty finding enough employees. The state of New Mexico’s unemployment rate currently stands at 4.3 percent for October and in the same month in 2021, that number was 6.1 percent, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. The unemployment rate in Roosevelt County for October was 3.3 percent compared to 5.2 percent the same month in 2021, the NMDWS website states. In Curry County, the unemployment rate for October was 3.0 percent c...

  • Respiratory illnesses see uptick

    Grant McGee, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    An uptick in the number of area residents with respiratory illnesses is presenting a challenging situation for Plains Regional Medical Center, the hospital’s chief executive said Thursday. “We are extremely busy and are operating at full capacity right now,” Jorge Cruz said. “We are seeing many more flu cases than usual at this time of year, with many patients seeking care in our emergency department.” Cruz talked about the significant number of people also coming in with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). “We also contin...

  • Texas roper leads Mayfield at NFR

    The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Texas roper Caleb Smidt moved a little closer to his fourth world championship on Thursday and Friday nights at the National Finals Rodeo. Clovis’ Shad Mayfield, who came into the NFR in first place among tie-down ropers, finished sixth in Thursday’s eighth round, wrapping up his calf in 8.6 seconds. But Smidt finished fourth on Thursday, with an 8.0 time. Both ropers finished out of the money on Friday. Mayfield tied a Thomas & Mack Center record by winning Tuesday’s sixth round in 6.5 seconds, and he’s fi...

  • Anti-abortion ordinance would rely on residents

    Grant McGee, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    The proposed Roosevelt County anti-abortion ordinance set for a vote next month is different than an ordinance passed in Hobbs and tabled in Clovis: The proposed Roosevelt ordinance is intended to rely on legal action by county residents for enforcement. In the ordinance, brought before the Roosevelt County Commission by Commissioner Rodney Savage, there are details about who may bring action against an abortion operation: “The requirements of this section shall be enforced exclusively through the private civil actions d...

  • Clovis police investigating aggravated robberies

    The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Clovis police are investigating three cases of aggravated robberies that they believe were committed by juveniles early Thursday morning. In a news release from the Clovis Police Department Lieutenant Trevor Thron reports between the hours of 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Thursday there were three thefts at three different Allsup’s convenience stores in Clovis. The first call to Clovis dispatch was in reference to two juveniles who had stolen alcohol from the Allsups at Grand and N. Prince streets. Thron reports one of the j...

  • Jury acquits man in 2021 homicide by vehicle case

    The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    CLOVIS — A Clovis jury on Wednesday acquitted a man charged with homicide by vehicle in connection with a 2021 car crash that killed a 74-year-old woman in the bedroom of her home. Mathew Delaware, 23, was accused of driving recklessly on May 29, 2021, when his 2016 Ford Fusion crashed into the apartment building where Gillian Sweeney lived in the 3400 block of Lore Street. The vehicle crashed through a brick veneer and a wall with sheet rock on the inside, then struck the bed with Sweeney on it, records show. Delaware t...

  • Juveniles detained after video shows gun at Clovis High

    The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Two juveniles are in custody after being accused of unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon at Clovis High School. Clovis police on Wednesday issued a news release stating the juvenile males are being held in the Lea County Juvenile Detention Center after being detained on Tuesday. Police Lt. Trevor Thron said police are not aware of any threats being made in connection with the incident. He said one of the boys is suspected of being involved in a drive-by shooting this summer. Social media and school security video led to the b...

  • Jones' CCC presidency extended to February

    Steve Hansen, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    Robin Jones’ term as interim president of Clovis Community College was extended on Wednesday to Feb. 1, 2023, the date of the College board of trustees’ next regular meeting. The board does not meet in January. The CCC Board of Trustee’s voted 4-to-0 to extend Jones’ appointment at Wednesday’s regular meeting. Trustee Laura Leal abstained from voting, as she did for the November and October votes on extending Jones’ tenure. In October, Leal said it was time to put CCC President Charles Nwankwo back to work. Jones was named i...

  • TUESDAY PREPS: Askew's 26 helps Wolverines outlast Tucumcari 57-50

    THE STAFF OF THE NEWS|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    TUCUMCARI — Senior Jahvon Askew scored 26 points and Texico’s boys used a strong second quarter to hold off Tucumcari 57-50 on Tuesday night. The Wolverines (4-1) outscored the Rattlers 13-4 in the period to open a 12-point halftime lead and kept Tucumcari (2-2) at bay from there. Senior Ayden Carey also reached double digits for Texico, scoring 10 points. For the Rattlers, 6-foot-4 freshman Kamren Apodaca tallied 18 points, and senior Curtis Gonzales finished with 15. In other Tuesday area boys tilts: Farwell 56, Dim...

  • THURSDAY PREPS: Buffs, Lady Buffs gain tourney semifinals

    THE STAFF OF THE NEWS|Updated Dec 10, 2022

    MORIARTY — Melrose’s girls managed to keep their early perfect season intact on Thursday, edging Class 4A Roswell Goddard 46-45 in the opening round of the Bruce King Invitational. Meantime, the Melrose boys posted a 67-49 win over Estancia. Both Melrose squads were to face host Moriarty in Friday’s championship semifinals. Senior Isabelle Sena scored a personal-best 24 points to help carry the Lady Buffs (5-0), who opened the season with a win at Class 5A Manzano. She was the only Melrose player in double digits. Senio...

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