Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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The Roosevelt County Water Co-op has filed a lawsuit in the federal New Mexico district naming 23 manufacturers of products that contain PFAS and PFOS chemicals. The suit alleges the chemicals have contaminated ground water in areas around Cannon Air Force Base, including sources used by the water co-op, seeking damages and corrective action. Singleton Schreiber, a law firm based in Los Lunas, filed a lawsuit that alleges products containing PFAS from several large manufacturers contaminated water and soil in and around...
Clovis police cars were moving through parts of the city Wednesday night with lights flashing and sirens blaring pursuing a fleeing suspect. They didn’t catch him. The incident began at 8:27 p.m. Wednesday when Clovis Police Department officers observed Bryson Campos, 30, driving a 2005 black Cadillac Escalade in the area of Seventh and Hull streets, according to a news release from CPD Deputy Chief Trevor Thron. Campos absconded from parole in April and has an active warrant...
After being on the other end of the equation a month ago, this week I found myself on the outside looking in at a funeral service. This was no ordinary funeral service, however. Only one person at the gravesite had been personally acquainted with the deceased. Most of the family never met him. The family of Thomas Vernon Long gathered at the Portales Cemetery last week to lay the World War II veteran to rest for the second time. Others have told this incredible story in this...
Zane Brothers has been busy lately. His car repair business is booming with hail damage, and on Thursday, he was still working out details in preparing for Draggin' Main, Clovis' car-centered, eight-day celebration that will beginning this weekend. Cars have dominated Brothers' life for as long as he can remember, he said, but somehow, as the trophies on his office wall attest, he has found time for big game hunting in Africa. Brothers took some time out from a hectic...
The introduction of 75 teen interns to the working world Monday was quite real-world – an hour and a quarter of paperwork. They're all part of Curry County's High School Summer Internship Program. Each earned $15, at a $12-per-hour pay rate, for sitting through a session devoted to filling out forms and a little advice about showing up on time, dressed for the job and ready to devote employer time doing the employer's work. Forms dealt with matters like permission to use i...
Eastern New Mexico University Foundation has announced it will be awarding a record-breaking number of scholarships for this upcoming academic school year. According to an ENMU news release the foundation will be awarding 479 scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. The foundation has gathered $679,000 in scholarships to help support the ENMU-Portales campus students. Donations to these scholarships were from alumni and community members were able to help increase funding by $179,000. “We were delighted that we c...
Booked The following were booked into local jail (Tuesday - Friday): Clovis • Anthony Cordova, 31, assault upon a peace officer • Stephen Caseman, 32, driving while license suspended or revoked, operating vehicle without required headlamps • Collin Brooke, 32, criminal damage to property • Nichole Blacklock, 29, probation violation • Roxanne Dixon, 39, failure to appear on a felony charge • Jeral Murcia, 22, failure to appear on misdemeanor charge • Floyd Gutierrez, 52, aggravated battery on a household member • Isaac Rodri...
Clovis Regional Airport will be filling its runways with competitive aircraft and car shows on Sept. 23 for the third annual Wings ‘N’ Wheels event. In preparation, the city is hosting a t-shirt design contest with a July 7 deadline to enter. The event will also be celebrating “Girls in Aviation Day,” said Airport Director Amanda Brungart. She said the goal will not only connect with the community but also encourage young girls to get into aviation. “It is an event to show the community the airport and let them experienc...
Did you know the New Mexico Department of Agriculture has a peanut grading station located in Portales? Did you know this facility monitors the quality of peanuts grown in New Mexico and West Texas? We all know New Mexico to be the nation’s leader in green chile production and No. 2 in pecans, but rarely is the state associated with milled peanut production. However, according to the 2021 New Mexico Agricultural Statistic Bulletin, New Mexico ranks No. 11 in peanut production in the United States. The NMDA Peanut Grading S...
What are the most dangerous intersections in Clovis and Portales? When you read our featured question did you immediately think “21st and Prince” for Clovis’ most dangerous intersection? No, it’s the second most dangerous. According to Clovis Police Department Captain Roman Romero from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, The intersection of North Prince and Texas streets, directly in front of Walmart, was the site of the most traffic accidents – 45 -- in Clovis from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. That’s according to statistics...
City of Clovis administrators are looking for area citizens to serve on boards and committees according to a news release from the city manager’s office. Applications are being taken for one representative to serve on the Civil Aviation Board, one representative to serve on the Clovis-Carver Public Library Board and for a representative from District 3 to serve on the Parks, Recreation & Beautification Committee. The release reports for all duties and responsibilities associated with these openings, interested people s...
SANTA FE — A state judge on Thursday rejected a challenge to Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s authority to determine whether New Mexico laws targeted for repeal are exempt from referendum under the state Constitution. The ruling by 13th District Court Judge James Noel represents a setback for a coalition of groups who have sought to annul six laws passed this year by the Democratic-controlled Legislature via the rarely used referendum process. Several of those laws, which deal with abortion, elections and gen...
Clovis police cars were moving through parts of the city Wednesday night with lights flashing and sirens blaring pursuing a fleeing suspect. They didn’t catch him. The incident began at 8:27 p.m. Wednesday when Clovis Police Department officers observed Bryson Campos, 30, driving a 2005 black Cadillac Escalade in the area of Seventh and Hull streets, according to a news release from CPD Deputy Chief Trevor Thron. Campos absconded from parole in April and has an active warrant for his arrest. Officers attempted to initiate a t...
The Clovis Community College (CCC) Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a supplemental graduation list that showed a 6.8 percent increase over last spring, according to Executive Vice President Robin Kuykendall. At their monthly meeting Tuesday morning, the BOT learned with the list that they ended up with a total of 404 graduates. The BOT also heard several presentations at Tuesday’s meeting. One of them was on a nonprofit organization they’ve recently been involved with, CHESS: Collaborative Higher Education Shared Ser...
Crazy weather we’ve been having lately, don’t you think? Lots of rain and hail, well ahead of the monsoon season. After 18 years living in New Mexico, I’ve come to appreciate the volatility of our weather, having been through several extreme events through the years. I once drove across Bobcat Pass at the Taos-Colfax county line in a blizzard. I drove — more like crawled, actually — over the pass with maybe 10 feet of visibility and down into Red River, where I was able to get behind a state truck “salting” and plowing its w...
The effort to create a civilian review board for the Las Cruces Police Department threatens to create a rift between the City Council and some progressive voters during a municipal election year, when police and crime will undoubtedly be a major topic. There’s little disagreement as to the need for reform. Fatal police interactions with Amelia Baca (settled for $2.5 million) and Antonio Valenzuela (settled for $6.5 million) have cost taxpayers $9 million, and taken beloved members from two families. Jonathan Strickland s...
While we prize the prosperity that has accompanied our information-driven economy, a serious threat to our prosperity has surfaced. We risk widespread electricity shortages due to the Biden Administration’s nonsensical plan to force the shutdown of coal plants before replacement power is available. If you’re not worried about the possibility of cascading blackouts from the loss of power, you should be. The impact on our society from system-wide power shortages would be profound. This new crisis underscores a serious iss...
I once had a discussion with a friend about the U.S. flag and how it should be displayed. The issue he raised was how did I feel about groups who displayed the flag upside down. I immediately replied that I thought it was wrong to display the flag in this manner unless it meant those displaying like this were in an emergency situation and required immediate assistance. He then said, “How ’bout if the flag is held by a group of wounded war veterans who feel they are being den...
I need more money. I think it’s time I raise my debt ceiling. The creditors get no vote. I’ll still be broke, but as long as I can spend someone else’s money I won’t notice. I’m accustomed to a certain standard of living and it would be unreasonable to expect me to be more responsible with my spending. After all, people make demands of me and I can’t just say no. There might be unpleasant consequences! So every year or so I’ll increase the amount of debt I allow myself to be...
A reader wants to know: “How are you able to publish something such as the piece on having “PRIDE” when whoever wrote it can’t even spell folks properly? How is anyone supposed to take that article or piece serious if it’s illiterate?” Ariana Rodriguez-Duran was referencing a June 4 guest column written by Laura Wight under the headline “Pride a place for all in eastern NM.” In the article, Wight wrote, “There are folx in our communities of Clovis and Portales who don...
Draggin’ Main returns this week for its annual mix of good times, vintage cars, and reminiscing. And just like those days back in the day, the cops will be there, too. “The Clovis Police Department has always been supportive of events such as these, which draw our community together,” Clovis Deputy Police Chief Trevor Thron wrote in an email. Thron said events like Draggin’ Main give officers an opportunity to “mix and mingle with the public on a more personal level, which is something we always enjoy.” That opportunity...
Keeping an even keel seemed to be the order of the day Wednesday as the Eastern Plains Council of Governments (EPCOG) held its annual meeting in Elida. The council board of directors re-elected Roman Garcia, the mayor of the town of Vaughn, as its chair: Cynthia Lee, clerk of the village of San Jon , as vice chair and Leona Powell, clerk-treasurer of the town of Grady, as treasurer for the next year. Garcia faced off with Kim Summers, clerk-treasurer for the town of Elida....
I've been to a lot of funerals and memorial services. It comes with the territory when you live in a small community for a long time. The one for World War II veteran Thomas Vernon "Louie" Long held Thursday on a picture-perfect morning at the Portales Cemetery was one I'll never forget. For one thing, it was performed with full military honors, a moving ritual infused with tradition, beauty, respect, and precision that never fails to bring a lump to my throat. But what...
Summertime means lots of things here in eastern New Mexico, and one of them is shopping trips to the local farmers markets. Clovis and Portales are gearing up for the busy season, despite all of the recent rain and flooding. “It’s always good to get started again,” said Margie Plummer, who manages both markets. “There’s just not a lot of stuff that’s ready yet.” Evelyn Ledbetter runs Ledbetter Chile with her husband, and they make an appearance at the farmers markets every year. Green chile usually comes later in the season...
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Dan Heerding has been the emergency management director for the city of Clovis since 2013. Q: What has the last month been like for you? With all of these storms? A: The 24th (of May) was an interesting night. That was an anomaly, absolutely. But they (three tornadoes) were two or more miles north of Grady, and one was along 209. So thankfully, there was nothing really...
