Road boss reports on tumbleweeds, grass fires

A "bumper crop" of tumbleweeds is plaguing Roosevelt County and the county road department is doing all it can to deal with them.

The new plague of tumbleweeds was discussed at Tuesday's Roosevelt County commission meeting.

"There are mountains of tumbleweeds," road superintendent Rick Lovato reported to the commissioners. "We continue to move tumbleweeds, crushing them as we go along. Sometimes we cover gates and we don't mean to."

"I know you're getting calls about the tumbleweeds," commissioner Rodney Savage said. "But I know you're doing everything you can."

Lovato also reported to the commissioners on the road department's involvement in battling recent grass fires at Arch and Midway.

"The season's going to be pretty bad," Lovato said.

Arch fire chief Jay Lang appeared before the commission to request a continued declaration of extreme drought and fire danger in Roosevelt County.

Lang told commissioners he had spoken to a number of fire chiefs in the county and most indicated approval for an extended declaration. County commissioners voted unanimously to extend the declaration with an agricultural exemption allowing for the controlled burning of agricultural refuse.

Eastern New Mexico University's chancellor Patrice Caldwell presented a campus update to the commission.

Caldwell reported that the university administration has retained the services of an executive search firm to find a new ENMU president as Caldwell is retiring. She indicated the search is ongoing and on a national level.

Caldwell reported the graduating class this May will be a large one.

"We have a grandmother coming from Jamaica for her granddaughter's graduation," Caldwell noted.

Caldwell said "Eastern in Action Day" is April 23, a day when ENMU students will be out around the area "cleaning up the community."

ENMU's solar farm near Greyhound Stadium is under construction by Affordable Energy of Albuquerque and Xcel Energy, Caldwell reported.

Caldwell addressed ENMU's enrollment noting that the campus numbers "suffered through the pandemic."

Caldwell reported that with 4,500 students enrolled ENMU ranks third in the state in enrollment.

"We have less than 2,000 students on campus," Caldwell said. "We have low figures on first time enrollments. Accepted applications are up 15 percent."

"We are doing everything we can to build enrollment," Caldwell said as well as encouraging students to live on campus. "We are working to support our community."

County treasurer Layle Sanchez reported that collected taxes are at 62% of the expected total for the year, slightly up from previous years at this time.

Detention Superintendent Shayla Ramsey reported to commissioners that the detention center's garden area is being prepped to grow vegetables for the season.

"And we're getting our lawn equipment ready for the season," Ramsey said.

After an executive session, commissioners voted unanimously to have Roosevelt County join Lea and Chaves Counties in a congressional redistricting lawsuit that was started earlier this year.

"We want our area represented by more local people than people from the northern counties," District III Commissioner Shane Lee said when asked of the interest in joining the lawsuit.

Redistricting has put Roosevelt County in the third congressional district along with portions of Lea and Chaves Counties.