Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
For those of us old enough to remember when television brought families together — in the same room at the same time, with commercial interruption because that was the only choice back then — Thursday was a sad day. Roy Clark died. He was country, the song goes, when country wasn’t cool, back when Tammy Wynette was standing by her man. But he was more than a singer, more than a gifted entertainer. He was a generation’s best friend, maybe your dad’s buddy from work or a local cotton farmer who chose to spend his Saturday night...
Historians estimate more than 115,000 Americans died in the first modern-day Great War we’ve come to call World War I. That casualty list included about 500 in New Mexico; dozens from our part of the state have been identified as killed in action or dead from wounds, accident or disease. Sunday, Veterans Day, marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Veterans organizations throughout the region are celebrating the end of the first “war to end all wars” with a series of open houses and ceremonies. Clovis’ annual V...
Some parents of Portales public school students are upset with school officials. They think someone should have told them about a threat of violence as soon as that threat was received — not after the threat was contained. Those parents are not wrong. Portales Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain said he never felt the threat, received on Thursday evening, was credible and police agreed with him. That’s why he decided not to alarm parents. But rumors of a supposedly planned shooting got around, as rumors always do in sma...
Some special interest groups would have us believe crime increases on Halloween night. This might be true, or not, depending on many factors: the weather, the night of the week, whether communities offer organized activities, etc. All we know for sure is that pumpkins tend to get smashed in streets around this time of year and vehicles are ripe for vandalism anytime the weather’s warm and after-dark activities are encouraged. Also, the National Safety Council reports children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car a...
We’ve basically published this editorial before, most recently prior to the General Election in 2016, so please excuse the repetition, but we think it is important: We don’t endorse political candidates. That’s primarily because we seldom see any who reflect our core values of limited government. Those seeking office on Nov. 6 are mostly well-intentioned people. Their hearts are in the right place, but their goals are seldom to make government smaller and individual responsibilities greater. We like asking candidates, “What i...
It’s not time to panic. Even if your water well should test positive for PFAS contamination, there are filters you can buy, and we don’t have evidence to fear the contamination has been there for long, meaning exposure has likely been limited. But the United States Air Force — the likely cause of this contamination with chemicals found in foam used for firefighting — and state/federal health agencies are not helping alleviate concerns with their lack of response to area residents’ questions. We’ve heard from multiple re...
High school football can build character. There is little doubt the sport teaches young people the value of work ethic, discipline and camaraderie. And when emotions spiral out of control, there is another lesson the game can convey to its players, and their supporters: perspective on right vs. wrong. We applaud the decision made this month by Espanola Valley school officials after a brawl broke out between players at the Oct. 5 Homecoming game between Espanola Valley and visiting Bernalillo. Espanola Valley decided to...
We don’t often editorialize strongly on behalf of green grass, sunshine or happy faces. Everybody loves those things, so there’s no reason to start a discussion on such topics in hopes of exchanging ideas that might lead to greater understanding and resolution. But here’s some good news we feel strongly about that might not be obvious to everyone unless they take the time to consider our position: October is the best month of the year. We know some will argue December is better because of Christmas, or June is better becau...
If crowd size and enthusiasm were determining factors, the New Mexico Racing Commission could have rubber-stamped a horse-racing license to Tucumcari well before the end of the Oct. 4 hearing. It was hard for anyone to not be impressed by the more than 1,100 people who showed up at the Tucumcari Convention Center to express support for a proposed Coronado Park horse-racing track and casino on Tucumcari’s east side that would create 400 jobs. The presentation by Coronado Park’s principals often was greeted by spontaneous app...
CLOVIS — We need more businesses in town. We need more jobs, with higher pay, and more reasons to spend our entertainment dollars at home instead of traveling to Lubbock or Amarillo. But a few folks don’t want just any new businesses — they only want family-friendly businesses. And, of course, they want to decide what family-friendly means for all of us. As best we can tell, they have decided family-friendly businesses sell guns, alcohol, cigarettes, and scratch-off lottery tickets. At least we have plenty of busin... Full story
Music royalty visited Clovis last week. Robert Plant stayed just long enough to remind us we still have one of the most iconic connections to rock and roll history hidden away on West Seventh Street. Plant, lead singer for Led Zeppelin and performing in Lubbock last Thursday, tweeted his reasons for being here: “76 shows into a mammoth tour, we reach Lubbock and why? Cos this is where one of the greatest influences of my singing life, kicked off a short meteoric career. “Across the stateline to Clovis, NM ... Norman Pet...
It’s difficult to know how much the New Mexico Racing Commission will weigh public comments in deciding where it will place the state’s sixth racino. If public comments are an essential part of its deliberations, you can bet the family farm Clovis won’t be hosting state-sanctioned horse races anytime soon. For that, you may thank some of the city’s more prominent elected officials. They can say they’re speaking as private citizens, not as public officials, but David Lansford is still Clovis’ mayor, Gary Elliott is still a... Full story
Critics site the potential for more crime, more poverty and more opportunity for addiction. Proponents point to economic benefits and “something fun to do.” They’re both right, of course. Horse races outside a casino — or racino — would bring more people, possibly more trouble, and certainly more entertainment to eastern New Mexico. But while all voices are welcome on this issue, those that should matter most belong to the New Mexico Racing Commission — which ultimately decides who, if anyone, will receive the state’s six... Full story
A Texico man was found shot to death Thursday afternoon at a Curry County dairy. One man is in custody and has been identified as the suspected shooter, Sheriff Wesley Waller said in a news release. Mairon Franco Rodriguez, 23, was found deceased inside a milking barn, the release said. According to the news release: • Deputies about 1:30 p.m. Thursday were dispatched to a dairy located at 197 New Mexico State Road 77 regarding a person shooting at employees. • Upon arrival, deputies detained an individual, who was rep... Full story
We don’t always agree with local public officials, especially those who favor back-room negotiations over transparency and “majority rules” over what’s right and just. That should come as no surprise as we’ve not been shy about sharing our positions over the years. And so it’s important to also point out those in community leadership positions whose actions respect the taxpayers who have entrusted them with their best interests. Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Directors and its superintendent, Jody Balch, have set example...
CLOVIS — On Friday, our newspaper published audio recordings of 911 calls placed to Clovis Police dispatchers during the horrific shootings at our city library on Aug. 28. As one might expect, those calls were emotional and haunting. Readers responded with myriad opinions, as they did with our decision to publish court records connected to the deadly shootings and arrest of 16-year-old Nathaniel Jouett weeks earlier. We have been praised, criticized and analyzed, which is appropriate. Some readers thanked us for doing our j... Full story
The first call for help came from the Clovis-Carver Public Library at 4:13 p.m. on Monday. Twelve minutes later, ambulances were already making their way to Plains Regional Medical Center with injured shooting victims and the man police say was responsible for the violence was in custody. The suspect — Clovis High School sophomore Nathaniel Jouett — was likely in custody five or six minutes after police were called. Two people died and four more were injured, but the first responders saved countless lives with their qui... Full story
The Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority, and its predecessors, have been trying for decades to build a water pipeline from Ute Lake to the Clovis-Portales area. Millions of dollars have already been spent, millions more are needed, construction is underway in some areas and will be getting started soon in others. Pipeline proponents are determined nothing will stop them. That includes residents of Quay County whose livelihoods depend on the water levels at Ute Lake and it includes any individuals whose properties are n...
City of Clovis officials have been warning us for years and they started the process on Thursday: Taxes are going up. Commissioners say they practically have no choice because of actions taken by the state in 2013 that have already reduced city revenues by more than $550,000. They don’t want to raise taxes, they tell us; they just don’t have much choice. Mayor David Lansford explained it fairly in his remarks during Thursday’s meeting: “It’s been my opinion the implementation of at least one-eighth percent gross receipt t...
Three things we will always remember about Eric Roanhaus: • The success of his Clovis High School football teams; • His, um, political incorrectness; • The loyalty that went both ways with his players. Roanhaus, 69, announced his “resignation” on Wednesday. He said he is not retiring because “retirement is for old people” and he may want to coach again in a year or so. Whether he’s finished or not, his legacy is secure. Roanhaus spent 39 seasons as Clovis’ head football coach, won more games — 343 — than any other high school...
Travis Tritt is coming to Clovis and it’s going to be great, right? He’s a member of a “Country Club,” you know, and if “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’” he can run into “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” A lot of us love his music and it’s great to see our little community attracting Grammy Award-winning entertainers. It’s too bad government is involved. Clovis’ City Commission on Thursday approved $10,000 in lodger’s tax funds to help promote the Tritt concert, which is scheduled Jan. 13 at the Curry County Events Center. Spectra Presents, a...
PORTALES — Oops. Somebody accidentally pushed a button Wednesday morning and cops swarmed around the Student Academic Services building on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. At the same time, students, faculty and staff were instructed to "Shelter in place," and "Mute cell devices." Those off campus mostly just prayed or worried about the supposed "Active shooter on campus" endangering their friends and loved ones. Now we know it was all a mistake. There was no active shooter or any kind of emergency at the P...
This fishing report, provided by Bill Dunn and the Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities. Northeast Cimarron River — Stream flow below Eagle Nest on Monday was .42 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week. Conchas Lake — Fishing was slow to fair using blade baits and jig and grub combinations for walleye and...
