Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1950: Temperatures dropped to 9 degrees after a high of 50. Buds had started to come out on local fruit trees, but the freeze likely killed the fruit crop, The Portales Daily News reported.
1955: The 22nd session of the New Mexico Legislature ended with a record 735 bills introduced. The previous record was 714, set in 1951. Officials said it would be weeks before the governor would decide which bills would become law.
One bill approved by the Legislature would allow Albuquerque to levy a sales tax. Legislation that would allow other New Mexico cities to tax sales was defeated.
1956: The Portales Lions Club had completed casting and was ready to begin touring for its fourth annual variety show.
“Dixie, ’56” had scheduled performances in Clovis, Portales, Dora, Causey, Elida and Rogers.
Proceeds were to benefit the Lions’ sight conservation fund.
1960: Calton Furniture, at 507 E. Second in Portales, was offering $75 in trade for your old living room suite “regardless of its condition.”
1961: Clovis Juvenile Officer Odell Parrish reported 14 youth were questioned in connection with a series of fights over the past two weeks.
One wire service reported 50 people had been arrested because of the incidents, but Parrish said that was not true.
All 14 juveniles questioned were released to their parents, Parrish said, and no arrests had been made.
“Two or three fights” were being investigated, he told United Press International.
1962: District Judge E.T. Hensley ruled that the bones of outlaw Billy the Kid would remain in De Baca County. An alleged relative and Lincoln County officials had asked the court to move the remains to Lincoln County.
Hensley said one reason he decided to leave the Kid alone was because “it was no longer possible to locate the grave,” United Press International reported.
The judge also said it seemed to him the Kid cared not for Lincoln County, since he broke out of jail there and killed two deputies.
1966: “Kit Larkin” is the “sort of book you will read straight through without stopping and should please those who complain that most modern fiction is plotless,” according to a review from the Clovis-Carver Public Library.
Other new books at the library included the “IPCRESS File” and “Ghosts I’ve Met.”
1987: Les Williams was the new district attorney for Clovis-Portales.
He was sworn in by Judge David W. “Bill” Bonem.
Williams was appointed to the position by Gov. Garrey Curruthers after Bonem was elected judge.
1997: Clovis police announced two arrests were expected to bring an end to a recent rash of residential and commercial burglaries.
Police said teenagers had been charged with burglary and larceny. Additional charges were pending.
“Nine burglaries will be cleared with these arrests,” said Det. David Williams.
Three of the burglaries had occurred in Portales; the others were in Clovis. All had occurred between Feb. 25 and March 11.
The women told police they were stealing in hopes of raising bail money for an inmate.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
