Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Col. Jeremy Bergin is the commander, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon Air Force Base. Bergin took command in May. Also in this interview is 27th Special Operations Wing Chief Master Sgt. Colin Fleck. Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. What inspires you? What frightens you? What makes you laugh out loud? A: (Bergin) Both my mom and my dad served in the Air Force....
The U.S. Air Force has announced that 300 to 500 military personnel stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, along with seven MC-130J aircraft are transferring to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. “in the upcoming fiscal years.” The announcement came Friday in a news release sent jointly by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.); U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, and Clovis Mayor Mike Morris. The exact timeline for the move has not been determined, according to the news release. The trans...
Weil Construction Co. of Albuquerque will construct a 41,400-square-foot livestock pavilion at the Curry County Fairgrounds, the Curry County Commission decided on Tuesday, with a few exceptions to Weil’s proposal. The exceptions included eliminating skylights from the plan, leaving galvanized steel walls in rest rooms, and painting over some iron construction pieces. Commissioner Seth Martin said skylights “attract hailstones” and would be damaged. He also suggested leaving the steel walls up in the rest rooms to avoid...
New Mexico agricultural producers and researchers from New Mexico State University will have an opportunity to learn from each other Tuesday at the annual field day at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Clovis. According to a news release from the science center: The field day will begin with registration and refreshments at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the science center, 2346 NM-288, about 13 miles north of Clovis. Abdel Mesbah, the center’s superintendent, will provide a welcome and introduction. Admission is free. A t...
A “significant transition” in agriculture was a key topic in discussions about Roosevelt County’s final annual budget during Thursday’s regular Roosevelt County Commission meeting. “The lack of water and with the struggles of water that we’re facing, we do not have the same agricultural elements within our county that we once did. We don’t have the farming. We don’t have the dry land farming, we don’t have the irrigated (farming). Our crop rotations have changed, it’s just have been a significant shift,” County Mana...
Xcel Energy announced on Wednesday that it will invest approximately $770 million in existing Texas and New Mexico power generating facilities by extending the life of two older natural gas-fueled units, constructing solar generating systems and adding battery storage. According to an Xcel press release, the investments are designed to “meet growing electricity needs and retire power plant generators that have served customers for close to seven decades.” Xcel Energy’s plan is to extend the life of the two natural gas units a...
An 80-year-old Clovis, Calif., woman gave about $10,000 to a scam artist last week. She realized her mistake when she looked up the name of her city’s police chief and discovered it was not Roy Rice. Rice is the police chief in the New Mexico city of Clovis. Rice said in an interview with the News on Friday that the woman was called from a phone number that appeared to be from the Clovis Police Department in California. The scammer said his name was Roy Rice and began requesting money. The woman reported the incident after s...
The Clovis City Commission will hold a special meeting at 3 p.m. Monday to decide whether to approve adoption of fiscal year end results and adoption of a final budget for fiscal year 2024. Fiscal year 2023 ended June 30. Fiscal year 2024 began July 1 and will end on June 30, 2024. The meeting will b held in the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Library....
EPCOR Water has closed Thornton Street between Christopher and Yucca, and the closing will remain in effect until Friday, according to press release from the city of Clovis. The closure is expected to allow EPCOR to find and repair a water line break, according to the press release. The city has requested drivers to ovey all traffic signs....
The Roosevelt County Commission will hold a special meeting at 11 a.m. Monday to adopt a 2023-2024 fiscal year budget with an amended investment schedule, according to a notice from County Manager Amber Hamilton. The meeting will be held in the Commission Room of the Roosevelt County Courthouse, 109 E. First St., Portales....
The Curry County Commission is seeking letters of interest from persons who would like to serve on the commission’s new Mounted Patrol Arena Improvement Committee, according to s news release from the county. “This is a new committee that will meet and discuss possible improvements and modifications to the Mounted Patrol Arena” to be presented to the County Commission, the news release stated. Commissioners will meet on August 22nd to review candidate letters and choose committee members. The Mounted Patrol Arena is an outdo...
The search continues for a new hospital administrator at Plains Regional Medical Center (PRMC). Tim Johnsen, chief operating officer, Presbyterian Delivery Systems on Thursday issued a statement that read, “ We continue our national search for a successful, dedicated chief hospital executive to lead PRMC. While we engage in this process, we’re confident in our PRMC team and interim leadership to continue helping our community access the care they need.” In the meantime, he said, “PRMC remains committed to providing quality...
County and city officials will gather at 11 a.m. Wednesday for discussion of possible locations for a behavioral health facility that would serve the eastern New Mexico region, according to news release from the city and county governments. According to the news release: • The meeting will begin with a tour of the HOPE Children’s Center, 2210 Mabry Drive Clovis, followed by lunch at the Clovis Civic Center, 801 Schepps Blvd. • As proposed, the behavorial health center would be a 48-bed 65,000 square foot facility. • The dis...
ENMWUA work on water should proceed I have read both letters to the editor published in The Eastern New Mexico News by Warren Frost, plus all of his other articles respecting the water pipeline from Clovis to Ute Lake at Logan. Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority is the “smarter” in proceeding with the pipeline. As for costs, the value of the pipeline today and its value in the future support the pipeline. Look, even Portales can’t furnish sufficient water for its population today by pumping. What about Cannon Air F...
Most people move because of a job. But nowadays, some are moving because of the politics. That’s according to a recent Associated Press report that highlights people who are packing up and moving to other states because they don’t feel they can express themselves freely where they currently reside. AP reporter Nicholas Riccardi gives examples of individuals and couples who have left their “blue” state for a “red” state, and visa versa. The list includes conservative Californians who moved to Idaho, and liberal Texans movi...
A recent cartoon by John Trever highlights the vastly different approaches toward governance of New Mexico and Texas. The cartoon is of the state border circa 2030 as New Mexicans head to Texas for gas-powered vehicles while Texans visit NM for abortions and marijuana. These are hardly the only differences between the two nowadays as Texas has no income tax or job-killing gross receipts tax. It is a right to work state, and state spending per-person is less than half of what i...
“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force! Like fire it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master; never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” This quote is often attributed to George Washington, but scholars insist he never said it. Scholars consistently fact-check away intelligent quotes that support liberty. The most accurate quips and observations are usually denied as ever having been said. That’s too bad; if Washington had said...
During the past two years, five Marine recruits have died during boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. These deaths were caused by a variety of reasons and some of them remain under investigation to determine the cause. As a result of one of these deaths, the drill instructor involved is facing trial for negligent homicide. In addition, the commanding officer of the 1st Recruit Training Regiment and his sergeant major were relieved of their leadership positions “for loss of t...
These song lyrics are the latest dividing line in the culture wars: “Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk “Carjack an old lady at a red light “Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store “… Well, try that in a small town “See how far ya make it down the road,” Jason Aldean sings. Aldean’s critics include rocker Sheryl Crow. “I’m from a small town,” Crow tweeted. “Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence....
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will test samples of well water free of charge for the first 100 attendees who can bring properly prepared samples to the Clovis Farmers Market on Aug. 12. Free testing will be available 9 a.m. to noon, Aug. 12, at Farmer Market, located in the North Plains Mall parking lot, 2809 N Prince Street, Clovis, according to an NMED news release. Well water tests typically cost about $150 but will be free to the first 100 participants or while supplies last, and test results will be...
Who is putting up the large crosses along the main roads leading into Clovis? Bill Adams is a member of the group that has erected the Christian symbol on North Prince and South Prince streets and just west of Texico on US 60/70/84 between Texico and Clovis. "The western cross has been built and we are waiting to erect it. Then we'll have one on every highway coming into Clovis," Adams said Wednesday. Adams said the group spearheading the crosses is a men's non-denominational...
I’ve yet to see the new “Barbie” movie that has turned the nation pink this summer, with all manner of merchandise available in that unmistakable hue, from corn tortillas (excuse me?) to lawn furniture. This Barbie-mania has brought back memories of my own less-than-traditional encounters with those iconic 11-inch-tall fashion dolls. Mattel’s Barbie was introduced to the world in 1959, only a couple of years before I made my own appearance, so she’s been around my whole lif...
With the first day of school just around the corner, the Portales and Clovis school districts have been boosting security measures in response to concerns of students, parents and school employees. Portales is implementing a new system called Rave Panic. This consists of an app that all teachers and administrators will have access to on their phones. It allows them in emergencies to dispatch law enforcement to their location with the push of a button. "It's for fire, ambulance...
In 2021, the United States Air Force awarded a $16.6 million contract to AECOM and Brice Environmental for a pilot study that would install a small-scale water treatment system at the southeast corner of Cannon Air Force Base. The purpose is to clean water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). On July 11 this year, contractors broke ground on construction for the pilot study, and some people – including Curry County Commissioner Seth Martin -- are concerned. Martin said the water contamination was d...
The summer break ends on Aug. 7, the first day of classes, for students in Grady and Melrose schools, with classes to begin on dates ranging from Aug. 9 to Aug. 21 in other districts in Curry and Roosevelt counties. Students and parents should be ready for somewhat longer school days as schools have additional time requirements to help bring student achievement levels up after the COVID-19 pandemic. Following are first days of classes and other important information for students and parents to know before class begins. Some...
