Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date …
1952: Three Roosevelt County businesses had been hit by burglars, but the only significant loss was $40 from a Portales farm supply store’s cash drawer, soft drink and candy dispensers.
An Elida service station reported two old automobile batteries were missing, but new batteries were left behind.
The service station was also missing a gallon of milk.
A Roosevelt County Sheriff’s deputy said it wasn’t clear if the three burglaries were related.
1952: Authorities were investigating the poisoning of 16 head of cattle near Dora. Fifteen of the cattle, which belonged to Joe Burney, died of arsenic poisoning in September. Another died 60 days later.
1958: Clovis city commissioners debated an ordinance aimed at prohibiting consumption of alcoholic beverages in city clubs.
Commissioner Roy Walker opposed the plan, contending it was “not within our jurisdiction.” He also said the proposal “would be in conflict with the religious liberties, personal privileges of the individual and the New Mexico state statutes.”
1966: Plans had been approved for a $1.2 million addition and remodeling of Roosevelt General Hospital. Architects Rowland Associates of Roswell had started preliminary drawings.
1974: Kmart, located at 21st and Prince in Clovis, was preparing for a big sale on television sets.
A 13-inch model with an “automatic color system,” was regularly priced $328.88, but on sale for $250.
A 19-inch model, with a button for “color, tint, brightness, contrast and fine tuning,” went for $320 — $98.88 off the regular price.
1974: More than 100 law enforcement officers convened in Clovis for the fall meeting of the Texas South Plains and Eastern New Mexico Peace Officers Association.
The session focused on mutual problems and new approaches to solving them.
Police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors were represented, along with one of the FBI’s top firearms instructors.
Topics included the death penalty and a proposed five-year mandatory prison sentence for anyone committing a crime with a firearm.
Clovis’ Assistant District Attorney Bill Bonem talked about officer-prosecutor relations, emphasizing the need for prosecutors to confine themselves to the role of advocates, leaving police to do the investigative work, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
