Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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FLOYD — The Floyd School Board didn't change its mind about implementing state-mandated COVID-19 mandates Monday night, and it doesn't plan on going anywhere after declining to follow them. With an audience encouraging them to hold firm, board members declined to reverse their July 26 votes to make face coverings, social distancing and other COVID protocols optional at Floyd Municipal Schools. Instead, the board unanimously voted to place Superintendent Damon Terry on paid a...
The public will have a month longer to weigh in on the proposed listing of the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is extending the deadline for public comment to Sept. 1 for the grouse, which has seen its populations dwindle from 2 million in the 1800s to about 38,000 across five states because of climate change, industrial development and agriculture. In late May, federal wildlife managers proposed relisting the bird - known for its colorful spring mating display - to...
Lubbock’s health department is offering expanded COVID-19 vaccination opportunities — including some gift card incentives — as the city’s vaccination rate lags behind the rest of the state. The city will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic to coincide with the Texas tax-free back-to-school shopping weekend from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the South Plains Mall at 6002 Slide Road, according to a city of Lubbock news release. The clinic will be located inside the mall, near the main entrance by Barnes & Noble Bookstore. The fir...
A medical sales representative who also owns an indoor shooting range on Sunday became the sixth Republican to announce an attempt to unseat the state’s Democratic governor. Louie Sanchez, 56, announced his campaign in a news release that targeted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, in part for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Sanchez’s work takes him to cities and towns across the state, where he said dilapidated main streets signal a need for change. “You go down the main streets of these towns and they...
On this date … 1971: New Mexico tax collectors were on the lookout for more than 50,000 galloping ghosts. The state had recorded about 24,000 horses in compiling its annual property tax on livestock. But the State Livestock Board was reporting it had issued 70,000 free vaccinations for Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis. And the state expected to issue at least 10,000 to 20,000 more free vaccines before the federal program was over. Where were the missing horses? Some of t...
One of the more amazing entities within our district is Food Services. Under ideal circumstances, the daily feeding of up to 8,000 students — twice in a day — seems incredible. However, during this past year of the pandemic, the performance of this department was nothing short of miraculous. While most stayed home, figuring out how to function in the new virtual, online work environment, our incredible Food Services folks never missed a beat as they continued to function, as...
I had a weekend craving for a meal I hadn’t eaten for at least 20 years, so I texted three people who I thought might have the recipe written down. One replied immediately that she did, and that she’d “just have to find it.” A few minutes later, a photo arrived of what was clearly a much-used recipe, handwritten on a stained piece of note paper, which had been folded and unfolded so often that it was almost in pieces. It set me to thinking. Like many of us, I get a lot of...
CLOVIS — With encouragement from Mayor Mike Morris to be “the extra eyes and ears” for law enforcement, Clovis city officials restarted an effort for neighborhood watch programs Monday night. The town hall, which was covered virtually by The News, went about 20 minutes. Morris began the town hall by noting Clovis wasn’t without its problems, its citizens support law enforcement and neighbors look out for each other. A neighborhood watch program, he said, aligns those traits. Morris was confident many Clovis residents already...
CLOVIS — The Curry County Commission will hold a work session 9:30 a.m. Friday for input on a cannabis ordinance, according to a county release. The work session at the commission room at 417 Gidding will focus on “time, place and manner of cannabis sales, manufacture and consumption in the unincorporated areas of Curry County,” and is open to the public. Information: County Manager Lance Pyle, 575-763-6016 or [email protected]....
This year’s United Way “Stuff the Bus” campaign to collect school supplies from the community will be held from 9 am to 4 p.m. on Aug. 7 at the Walmarts in Portales and Clovis and at the Big Lots and OfficeMax in Clovis. Erinn Burch, executive director of United Way of Eastern New Mexico, said that weekend is “tax free weekend” in New Mexico. On those days, gross receipts taxes are not collected on most school supplies and select clothing and computer items. United Way volunteers will be at the store sites to collect d...
CLOVIS — The Clovis Civic Center will host a free back-to-school expo noon-4 p.m. Saturday, with free school supplies offered for families. The expo, sponsored by Pattern Energy in conjunction with the Clovis Economic Development Corporation and the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce, will feature a dog show and a fashion show, along with various food and shopping vendors. Any vendors still wishing to take part can contact the civic center staff at 575-935-5000. Families will be entered into a drawing for a new laptop o...
To aid families in school shopping, the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is suspending collection of gross receipts taxes on certain items this weekend. The annual tax holiday runs 12:01 a.m. Friday and concludes midnight Sunday. The tax-free status is applied to computers $1,000 or less, computer hardware of $500 or less, clothing or shoes of less than $100 and school supplies $30 or less. Items specifically excluded by statute are available at tax.newmexico.gov....
Booked The following were booked into local jails (Friday-Tuesday): Clovis • Iesha Ramirez, 29, failure to appear on misdemeanor charge • Kevilyn Turner, 31, battery against a household member • Matthew Roberts, 30, probation violation • Brian Maestas, 48, probation violation, battery against a household member • Julio Camargo, 20, failure to appear on misdemeanor charge • Desiree Martinez, 36, failure to appear on a felony charge • Anthony Moore, 34, battery against a household member • Jesus Anaya, 27, failure to appear on...
And just like that, the orb weavers are back. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such an unpleasant … surprise … if there had been some sort of warning. A little “you hoo, I’m here” or a glittery message woven into the webs. But no. I found out they’re back from their summer break by walking into one of the elaborate webs. That was my cardio for the day. I’m not sure who was more surprised, me or the spider. Maybe the neighbors from my shrieks. Once my heart rate was back to normal...
PORTALES — Staff and faculty at Eastern New Mexico University are excited to welcome students back to campus this fall, as the fall semester officially kicks off Aug. 14 with the annual Dawg Days events. “ENMU-Portales can’t wait to welcome back our students and faculty to the fall semester, with all the classes, events, and activities that mark a fully open campus,” said ENMU System Chancellor Patrice Caldwell in a school release. “A major part of our back-to-campus activities is connecting students with faculty and staff...
The past week or two have been, for my wife and me, surreal. Having done everything we prudently could do not to contract COVID-19, we managed to welcome the little beastie aboard. Delta variant. Nasty guest. “Prudence,” I think, involves a needle times two (and, if a booster, Needle #3, is offered, yes, please, ASAP!). I’m glad most of my friends are happily inoculated. I love deeply more than a few who have chosen differently. I wish they’d reconsider. I’m happier when my m...
PORTALES — Season tickets are now on sale for the upcoming Greyhound football season, according to a release from Eastern New Mexico University’s athletics office. The schedule includes six home games, beginning Sept. 2 against Central Washington. “Our team is beyond excited to play football this fall,” Greyhound coach Tye Hiatt said in the release. “After missing out on the football season a year ago, I believe our team is looking forward to training camp and having the opportunity to play in front of our fans and community...
PORTALES — It’s been a long time coming, but Eastern New Mexico University’s football program will finally hit the field for the season’s first practice at 9 a.m. on Saturday. First-year Greyhounds coach Tye Hiatt expects to welcome around 115 candidates this week, including 61 from the 2019 season under then-coach Kelley Lee. They’re slated to check in on Thursday, four weeks before their season opener. The Lone Star Conference did not have a football season in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though some member schools...
CLOVIS - It hasn't been that long since the COVID-delayed 2020-21 New Mexico Activities Association football season ended. For Clovis High's squad, though, the new campaign couldn't come soon enough, coach Cal Fullerton said. "The kids were excited to be out there and be in a helmet again," he said of Monday's opening drills in shorts and T-shirts. "They're excited to play, and they're coachable." The Wildcats, who went 3-2 in an abbreviated schedule during March and April,...
We’re now entering crisis territory with the Delta variant, and collectively, it’s our own damn fault. Maybe we should call this latest variant “COVID-21” because it’s more contagious, and therefore more dangerous, than the 2019 version. Thankfully, the vaccines are proving themselves effective against it, and despite some “breakthrough cases” — vaccinated people who get the virus but with milder symptoms — this latest outbreak is mostly “a pandemic of the unvaccinated” that makes the vaccinated majority less caring...
New Mexico’s government may be flirting with COVID-19 mandates again. Did you think government would just step aside when it became obvious it keeps doing pointless things? I will not accept this “new normal” of endlessly recurring threats of mask mandates, shutdowns, and lockdowns. You do what you want, but I’m not going to accept going backward. I hope businesses don’t get targeted this time. I feel bad for business owners forced to choose between betraying their customers...
Last week, the family of Texas firefighter Elijah Snow paid their last respects, still unsure of exactly how he died in Cancun, Mexico. After receiving conflicting reports, they are understandably concerned about whether justice is being served, in addition to grieving the loss of a husband, father, son and colleague. Sadly, that murkiness is not uncommon in tragic cases that cross the border. Dozens of Americans die or go missing in Mexico every year, and their families are often left in limbo, with no one on the case. The...
COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Mexico reached 148 patients Monday — more than twice as many as a month ago. Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis also reported a spike in COVID-related patients: Hospital Director Jorge Cruz said Tuesday the facility had 12 patients with the virus, including two in intensive care and one pediatric patient. Cruz said seven COVID patients were hospitalized in Clovis on Friday, up from four on July 27 and two on July 22. Cruz said no COVID-related deaths have occurred in the hospital the pas...
After 23 years of dealing with stray animals in Clovis, including a zebra, a camel and an ostrich-like emu, Clovis' animal control supervisor Marty Martinez has retired. Martinez last week announced his retirement at age 59, ending a career of dealing with wayward pets and occasional misplaced wild animals that began in 1998. Martinez said that while his retirement may have seemed sudden to some, "you can tell when it's time." The time came some time before Monday, but on...
Demonstrations on Saturday in Portales and on Tuesday in Clovis protested state education policies that require students, especially in elementary schools, to wear masks in response to changing guidance on COVID-19 prevention. "Parents need a choice" about whether their children should wear masks at school, said Nicole Tivis, organizer of the Portales event. "We shouldn't have it shoved down our throats." About 50 protestors gathered Saturday in front of the Roosevelt County...
