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Articles from the December 31, 2023 edition


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  • Year in review: Fires brought tragedy in 2023

    David Stevens, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    If eastern New Mexico's top news of 2023 had to be summarized in one word, that word would be fire. House fires took the lives of six people in Clovis – four adults on Jan. 12 and two young children on May 3 – while a Sept. 3 fire at Walmart may have been the most economically significant blaze in Clovis' 116-year history. The year's first tragedy happened just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 12 at 511 N. Wallace St. Neighbors said they could hear people inside the house screaming for...

  • On the shelves - Dec. 31

    Updated Dec 30, 2023

    The books listed below are now available for checkout at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. The library is open to the public, but patrons can still visit the online catalog at cloviscarverpl.booksys.net/opac/ccpl or call 575-769-7840 to request a specific item for curbside pickup. “Faking Christmas” by Kerry Winfrey. Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She most definitely does not run a farm, but one tiny misunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twi...

  • Likely to spend much of 2024 reinventing myself

    Karl Terry, Local columnist|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    I’ve always heard that in order to move forward in life these days a person has to continually reinvent himself. As 2024 rolls in, it looks like I’ll be doing just that one more time. Change should invigorate us, challenge us, even scare us. As I get ready to retire from my career as a Chamber of Commerce executive director, I expect to experience all of that and even more. I don’t yet know my last date, other than telling my board I wanted to be done before Medicare started i...

  • Our people: Portales healthcare provider: 'Let's do this'

    Grant McGee, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Casey Turnbough operates her own mental health services office in Portales. She took some time out of her schedule Tuesday to talk with The News about her life. Q: What's the story of you making Portales your home? A: I'm not from Portales, I grew up north of Clovis. I've worked in hospitals throughout New Mexico: Tucumcari, Clovis, Hobbs, Santa Rosa, Las Vegas, Portales. I'm a nurse so I went to different places where they needed me. I'm an emergency room nurse and I worked...

  • Lady Broncos defeat San Jon, notch first victory of season

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    FLOYD – Junior Nevaeha Brown and senior Jona Baros combined for 32 points on Friday night, and Floyd's girls picked up their first win of the season with a 41-38 triumph over San Jon. Brown scored 17 points and Baros added 15 for the Lady Broncos (1-6), who erased a seven-point halftime deficit with a 16-9 surge in the third frame. Senior Sarah Archuleta led the Lady Coyotes (1-5) with 15 points. In the boys' half of the twin bill, Floyd overwhelmed the Coyotes from the s...

  • Rams finish fourth in Stu Clark tournament

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    LAS VEGAS, N.M. – It was a disappointing ending to the Stu Clark Invitational for the Portales Rams. After winning its tourney opener, PHS dropped the next two games, including an 86-67 decision to Belen in Friday’s third-place contest. Junior guard Damian Avila poured in six of the Eagles’ 11 3-pointers en route to 33 points. He got 22 of them in the first half, when Belen (5-6) opened a 45-33 lead behind a 28-point second quarter. Junior guards Alan Moreno and Jasode Harris each had a pair of 3s and finished with 18 and 1...

  • Lady Cats cruise to win

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Really, there was never a doubt that Clovis High's girls were going to win Friday's matchup against Santa Fe High at Rock Staubus Gym. It certainly took the Lady Wildcats a while to get going, though. Trailing 7-3 early and leading only 16-11 with just over two minutes left in the half, CHS went to fullcourt pressure and allowed the Lady Demons to score on just two more possessions – a 3-point basket to open the second half and a four-point play in the final stanza – en rou...

  • Lady Rams go 3-1 at Littlefield meet

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    LITTLEFIELD – Senior guard Audrey Paden flirted with a triple-double on Friday as Portales High’s girls closed out play in Littlefield’s Wildcat Classic tournament with wins over Dumas 41-35 and Pecos (Texas) 53-23, the latter coming in what was essentially the seventh-place game in the 11-team tournament. PHS (8-3), which went 3-1 in the three-day event, had its hands full with Class 3A Dumas (3-16), but used an 18-11 run in the second period to establish control against the Lady Demons. Junior forward Evannie Fulfer had 11...

  • Police: Man dies after apparent hit and run

    Updated Dec 30, 2023

    A 24-year-old man died early Saturday, the apparent victim of a hit and run near 14th and Sycamore streets in Clovis. Police said a passing driver at 12:43 a.m. reported someone lying in a field. Emergency responders began life-saving measures and transported Matthew Gibbs to Plains Regional Medical Center but he did not survive. Officers noted debris in the roadway where they believe Gibbs was struck by a motor vehicle that left the scene, according to a Clovis police news release. The Clovis Police Department Major Crash Te...

  • Cats thump Eldorado, win Poe Corn title

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    ROSWELL – Clovis High’s boys completed a dominant run through Roswell’s eight-team Poe Corn Invitational with an impressive win in Friday’s championship game. Senior guard Keilyn Parker led four Wildcats in double digits with 20 points and CHS opened a 17-point lead in the opening stanza en route to a 75-59 victory over Eldorado in a game played at Roswell H.S. Senior forward J.J. Jones added 15 points while brothers Marvin and Jayden Cox tallied 14 and 12, respectively, in what coach Josh Mattox said was “certai...

  • Lobos overcome slow start, hand ENMU 87-54 loss

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    ALBUQUERQUE – Realistically, no one probably expected Eastern New Mexico University to walk into The Pit and beat New Mexico. Still, the Greyhounds had their moments early in Friday’s clash, taking advantage of cold Lobos shooting – they began the game 3-for-18 – to lead 13-6 with nearly seven minutes gone. In the end, though, UNM simply had too much firepower, using a 20-0 run to take control just before halftime en route to an 87-54 victory. Senior guard Jaelen House led five Lobos in double figures with 22 points while s...

  • Pet of the week - Dec. 31

    Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Yuumi has been a permanent snuggle buddy since owner Aurelia Patrick found her under the Christmas tree four years ago. Patrick said her husband gifted her the American shorthair when they started dating. Now that Patrick and her husband are married, Yuumi makes sure Patrick is warm during the holidays while her husband is deployed....

  • Paw prints: Portales hopes to establish dog park

    Madison Willis, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    The city of Portales has received a $997,000 quality of life grant to better its economic development. One of the major projects the grant will be used for is establishing a dog park in La Buena Vida Park, said Portales Community Services Director Kelly McClellan. Public Infrastructure Projects Coordinator Administrator Jo McVey said it has yet to be decided how much of the grant will be dedicated to the dog park, but she plans on making a park that is enjoyed by the community. “We would like to give something for the communi...

  • Pages past, Dec. 31: When case of beer cost $4.95

    David Stevens, The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    On this date ... 1940: A Portales woman had added airplane to her long list of travel modes. Fannie Black, 90, said she had wanted to ride in every vehicle imaginable. “She lives near the Portales municipal airport where students fly daily, and felt the desire to get her feet off the ground,” said Leon Jones, a Portales merchant who made Black’s flight dream come true on Christmas Day. After her airplane trip, she listed other ways she’s traveled: ox carts, ox wagons, horse w...

  • Clovis resident to join Rose Parade

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    We’ve all seen the Rose Parade on TV. A Clovis couple will be watching in person in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday – and Roger Cherry will be in it. Suzie and Roger Cherry, actively involved in Clovis’ Lions Club, recently entered a raffle during a district Lions Club meeting in Gallup. That’s how they won their trip. The Cherrys said they will be allowed to see where parade judging takes place and they can help decorate the Lions Club float that will be part of Monday’s event. Roger’s raffle ticket gives him a seat on the floa...

  • Opinion: New year promises to be even more extreme

    Tom McDonald, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    As intense as this year has been, next year promises to be even more so. For one thing, 2024 is a presidential election year, even though 2023 almost felt like one. This year will go down in history as the year when 91 felony charges were leveled against a former president, stemming from four major cases against him — and with each set of indictments making him an even stronger presidential contender, at least in his own party. In next year’s general election, however, he’ll be facing Joe Biden, who contends — perhaps...

  • Opinion: Governor's agenda will be uphill battle

    Walter Rubel, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    While she has not yet announced her agenda for the 30-day session of the state Legislature that starts Jan. 16, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has made it clear that gun safety will be a priority. Success will depend on her making it the priority. Lujan Grisham overstepped her bounds when she issued an emergency order in September banning guns in all public places in Bernalillo County. While gun violence is an emergency, it is one that must be addressed by the Legislature. No governor should have the unilateral powers that...

  • Opinion: Enemy has a vote in freezing war

    Rube Render, Local columnist|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    The collective West has held multiple meetings with itself to decide what should be done to end the fighting in Ukraine. These meetings have included as many as 30 to 40 countries. Noticeably absent from all of these has been Russia. Most of these meetings have decided that Ukraine should “freeze” the war, with the lines where they are today. This would allow Ukraine time to re-build its military, re-arm and allow it NATO membership. Vladimir Putin recently held his ann...

  • Opinion: I can now say John Fetterman is my senator

    Christine Flowers, Syndicated content|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Regular readers weren’t surprised when I voted against John Fetterman in last year’s Senate race in Pennsylvania. I spent months, and ink, sounding the alarm about a man who was to the left of Lenin on all of the social issues that mattered to me, including and most especially his refusal to consider any limits on abortion. I was also angered by his softness toward convicted criminals who came before him when he was on the commonwealth’s parole board, particularly because one...

  • Opinion: New year time to accept reality

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    There haven’t been many years where, as New Year’s Day approached, I thought “I’m glad I survived this one; I wasn’t sure I would.” This has been one of those years. It was a year marked with unrelated random health emergencies, financial crises partly caused by those health emergencies, and general trouble. I’m glad to see the year end and I’m hoping next year will be better. If your past 12 months were rough, I hope the coming year is smooth sailing. If the past year has b...

  • Opinion: Incidents of drunken driving all preventable

    Lesley Ledbetter, Guest columnist|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    This is the story about how one person’s choice forever changed the life of one innocent little girl and, naturally, her parents’ lives as well. Suddenly, they had to put aside their hopes and dreams they had been having for their little girl and instead pray for her to keep fighting to live and for her not to suffer from any injurious effects from the consequences of another person’s choices. It all began when a woman of 21 went on an all-night drinking binge, then tried to drive home with her infant child and nephew. Her n...

  • Year in review: Portales schools see achievements, improvements

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Between academic achievements and infrastructure improvements, 2023 has been an “exciting year” for Portales Municipal Schools, said Superintendent Johnnie Cain. Cain said the district has faced some great infrastructure improvements this year, especially for several school’s athletic programs. At the Portales High School the track was resurfaced, while Portales Junior High School constructed a new track. “Building the track at the junior high and the complex at the high school consolidates sports at their respective schools...

  • Year in review: Water situation leads most headlines in Portales

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Headlines focused mostly on Portales’ water restrictions, but City Manager Sarah Austin said 2023 had plenty to cheer about. Austin said one of the biggest achievements for the city was a skatepark grant for $728,385. The grant will be used to design and construct the first phase of the project. “It uses no water, has a low impact match and will be friendly for all ages. It is designed for all backgrounds taking (Americans with Disabilities Act) into account. This is going to be a great addition to our city,” Austin said. The...

  • City investigating accidental tornado siren activation

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    Officials on Friday were still investigating the reason tornado sirens sounded accidentally throughout Clovis on Wednesday night. Police Chief Roy Rice said the error may rest with the law enforcement dispatch center. Rice said it’s possible a dispatcher accidentally activated the sirens when calling for an ambulance. “We don’t know for sure. We are waiting on a (technician) to come in and check out the system,” Rice said. Sirens sounded about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, a little more than two hours after the regularly schedul...

  • Hoping we can take time to be awestruck in new year

    Betty Williamson, Local columnist|Updated Dec 30, 2023

    I headed out for an evening walk not too long ago, enjoying one of the last beautiful twilights of 2023. In front of me — to the north — the sky was turning from blue to silver, with nary a cloud in sight. The sun was barely below the horizon over my left shoulder, and I was moving along at a good clip to keep ahead of the chill that was setting in. I was maybe a quarter mile from the house when the universe nudged me to turn around and look back. Behind me, the southern sky...

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