Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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FORT SUMNER — Mike Scott, the longtime cartoonist and western humor writer for the De Baca County News and the Clovis Livestock Market News, has been honored as one of the winners of the 27th Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Awards. A former vocational agriculture and science teacher at Fort Sumner High School, Scott has long been known for his love for horses and team roping. He has worked for several ranches over the years and owned his own small farm. A graduate of New Mexico State University, Scott worked as a count...
FORT SUMNER — The De Baca County Commission on April 10 approved renewal of a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the Wildlife Services cooperative program for fiscal year 2024. The Commission agreed to pay $43,250 to fund the predator protection program provided by long-time USDA employee Dwayne Milliron. The amount is a slight increase over the current contract. Also known as the “government trapper,” Milliron works to prevent predator damage to livestock. He has also been working to help manage a rec...
FORT SUMNER — New federal regulations went into effect April 1 regarding the lesser prairie chicken; regulations that a number of New Mexicans and Texans see as usurping private property owners’ rights. On April 3, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued a news release in which he labeled the new lesser prairie chicken regulations as a continued attack on agriculture from the federal government. County commissioners in Curry and Roosevelt counties have voted to pass resolutions against the new lesser prairie chi...
FORT SUMNER - A green-hued comet has made its closest approach to Earth, attracting night sky watchers from across the Northern Hemisphere. Among those who caught a glimpse of the celestial object as it passed across the sky – for the first time in 50,000 years – was Lee Simnacher of Fort Sumner. Simnacher photographed C/2022 E3 (ZTF) with his 4.5-inch Evscope Unistellar telescope, one of seven telescopes he uses to watch the night sky. He said his mother got him int...
New Mexico’s minimum wage is increasing, effective Sunday, in accordance with an amendment to the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act signed into law by Gov. Lujan Grisham last April. Beginning Jan. 1, the state minimum wage will be $12 per hour and the state tipped minimum wage will be $3 per hour. The minimum wage is the lowest hourly that an employer can pay to workers. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions’ (NMDWS) enforces both the state and federal minimum wage, although the cities of Albuquerque, Las Cruces and San...
Drought conditions in Texas and throughout the U.S. continue to take a toll on cattle numbers, with higher calf prices and less beef production projected for 2023, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist. “Most of the country is in some form of drought,” David Anderson, AgriLife Extension economist in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station, told attendees at the recent South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Brenham. “Drought affects all aspects of the cattle b...
FORT SUMNER — The De Baca County Fair Junior Livestock Sale set a new record for the third straight year Aug. 13, as a combination of renewed interest and new donors proved to be the catalysts. For the first time in history, the sale breached six figures at $119,305, smashing the former record of $81,074 set in 2021. The sale itself totaled $93,000, exceeding the former total without add-ons. But as of Aug. 15, the add-ons had reached the $26,305 mark, boosting the preliminary total to $119,305. Fair organizers said they e...
FORT SUMNER — De Baca County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a burglary in the early morning hours of July 19 at the Outlaw Herbs cannabis dispensary. About $2,000 in marijuana product was reported stolen in the burglary. The business has been open since June 22. According to DBSO reports, owner Joe Eddleman was alerted to an alarm at his business by his security monitoring company at approximately 2:45 a.m. Noting a footprint on top of an air conditioning unit on the south side of the building, Eddleman found the AC...
FORT SUMNER — Village councilors and Mayor Louie Gallegos fielded complaints over new water and sewer rates from a room full of residents during a regular council meeting July 11. The discussion over the rates, which took effect with the June billing cycle, dominated the meeting, even though the issue was not specifically listed on the agenda. Resident and former city employee Jesse Sanchez criticized the rate hikes, saying the council spends money unwisely and does not make good use of employees. He accused city workers o...
FORT SUMNER — Increased scrutiny of off-highway vehicles, both in Fort Sumner and the surrounding area, has irritated some local residents, the De Baca County Commission heard during a special meeting July 5. But that enforcement is being conducted according to state law, said Sheriff Chad Roybal. Commissioners Bill West and Scot Stinnett both said they had received calls about Game and Fish Officer James Lucero stopping OHV operators driving on state highways and paved county roads, for various violations. And while most of...
FORT SUMNER — Fort Sumner’s first legal cannabis dispensary opened Saturday. “Smokin’ Mike’s,” a recreational and medical dispensary, is owned and operated by local couple Fernando and Ashley Lopez. The business is named for the Lopezes’ nephew, the late Michael Gutierrez, who died from injuries sustained in an attack by two suspects. Two Fort Sumner men remain in jail awaiting trial in the incident. The Lopezes said they have sunk their hearts, souls and their own money into creating the dispensary. The business is t...
Fort Sumner Schools employees will see an average raise of about seven percent in 2022-23, as well as a return-to-work stipend at the end of the current year following action March 28 by the school board. Meeting in special session, the board voted unanimously to approve salary schedules for instructional staff, administrators, educational assistants, as well as clerical and maintenance personnel. The raises for instructional personnel range from 14.12 percent to 16.16 percent, depending on teaching level, years of experience...
Fort Sumner will implement its next sewer rate increase a year earlier than expected after action last week by the village council. Acting on a suggestion from auditor Geoff Mamerow of Southwest Accounting Solutions, LLC, the council voted unanimously to increase sewer rates effective June 24. The increase had been originally scheduled for July 1, 2023. Village residents will see the base charge for sewer service increase from $28 to $36 per month for up to 4,000 gallons of water use. Additionally, residents will pay a...
The De Baca County Commission last week approved a memorandum of understanding with Quay County and the 10th District Attorney’s office to participate in a prisoner monitoring program. The program provides ankle monitors for prisoners released under pre-trial conditions. De Baca County will pay $3.64 per day for each monitor, which is tracked by Scram Systems, a national court and alcohol monitoring company. District Attorney Tim Rose said ankle monitors were purchased through state funding and Quay County acts as the a...
FORT SUMNER — The De Baca County Commission is moving forward with plans for dissolution of a nine-year agreement for trash collection with the village of Fort Sumner. In a meeting Dec. 27, the commission heard Chairman Scot Stinnett say he plans to appoint a working group to tackle reshaping of the Transfer Station’s rate and fee schedule, as well as its staffing and procedures. The trash collection agreement is scheduled to end March 20. At that point, village residents will have the option of using a private con...
FORT SUMNER — Among potential adjustments to De Baca County's 2021-22 budget discussed at a special meeting May 14 are intergovernmental agreements with the village of Fort Sumner for solid waste collection, law enforcement and communications. While the county agreed to provide communications for the village at a rate of $91,000 for the third consecutive year, the agreements for solid waste and law enforcement remain incomplete. The county is requesting a 5-percent increase in fees for solid waste collection and t...
FORT SUMNER — The Carlsbad Irrigation District is planning a large release of water from Sumner Lake starting this week. The release is expected to contain 8,000-10,000 acre-feet of water and will require about 3 1/2 days to accomplish, said Sumner Lake Dam Tender Mike Cantrell. The water will be released at a volume of 1,200-1,300 cubic feet per second, so area residents can expect a full Pecos River during the release. There is no corresponding release from Santa Rosa Lake, so the level at Sumner Lake is expected to drop s...
FORT SUMNER — The Chamber of Commerce board of directors has initiated a new interpretive signage project, which will offer historical background information for several graves within the Old Fort Military Cemetery. The cemetery garners thousands of tourists each year and is touted as one of the most visited cemeteries in the United States. The initiative is partially funded by a Nuestro Vecinos grant from Plateau. Signage will highlight the graves of Henry McCarty (alias Billy the Kid) and his pals Tom O'Folliard and C...
FORT SUMNER — A 30-year-old Louisiana man shot himself following an April 8 high-speed chase involving New Mexico State Police, De Baca County Sheriff’s personnel and Santa Rosa City Police. Jock Waylon Thacker, 30, whose last known address was in Reeves, La., fled State Police on Interstate 40 after they attempted to stop him for speeding near Clines Corners. Driving a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am, Thacker reached speeds of more than 120 mph during a pursuit that covered almost 100 miles, officials said. The chase ended on U.S...
FORT SUMNER — The village’s insurance carrier won’t cover damages to the roof and ceiling at the Old Fort Museum, Mayor Louie Gallegos reported at a special council meeting March 22. Gallegos said roof and ceiling repairs are expected to cost the village about $12,000. He told the council the situation is being considered an emergency repair and that the damage to the facility is progressing by the day. The Chamber of Commerce is renting the facility, but is only partially able to use it due to the extent of the damage and t...
FORT SUMNER — The village’s efforts to reopen the Bain Municipal Pool this summer are being met with a number of significant issues. During a special meeting March 22, Mayor Louie Gallegos told councilors that city crews will soon begin the annual pool cleanup. But standing in the way are issues with aging infrastructure, roof damage to the pool house and falling ceilings in the lobby due to leaks from water pipes broken in the February cold snap. In addition, the pool suffered some degradation in a year in which it was not...
FORT SUMNER — The De Baca County Commission on March 8 gave final approval for a 1/16 of a cent hike in the gross receipts tax. The hike, expected to generate about $12,000 per year for the county, was approved on a 3-0 vote. The vote followed a public hearing on the issue, which drew no comments. The tax rate hike was approved through adoption of Ordinance 2021-01. Commission chairman Scot Stinnett said the commission felt the need to implement the increase as the county is faced with an impending increase in the minimum w...
FORT SUMNER — The village council, meeting in regular session March 8, approved a resolution for the De Baca County Sheriff’s Department to use Law Enforcement Protection Funds to purchase a new patrol unit through a program with the New Mexico Finance Authority. Lt. Mike Gauna said the DBSO seeks to purchase a fully-equipped Dodge Ram 1500 pickup at a cost of $49,622 on state contract. Base price for the truck is $29,695, with the additional $19,927 for equipment, including cameras and emergency lights. Under the Fin...
FORT SUMNER — One person has been arrested and another is being sought in connection with the recovery of a stolen recreational vehicle Jan. 27 at a residence here. Kendra Ammons, 37, remains in the De Baca County Jail after she was found in the 1977 Dodge motor home on Jan. 27. She is charged with transferring or receiving a stolen vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. De Baca County Sheriff Chad Roybal said his office is also seeking to arrest 20-year-old Terrance Abeyta on the same charge. Ammons is also being held on a w...
FORT SUMNER — The COVID pandemic and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's public health orders have come to roost in De Baca County. A recent increase in the number of positive cases in the county — from one to 23 since Oct. 27 — is not the most pressing issue, however. It's the contact tracing factor that has several governmental agencies in the county at the breaking point. With so many persons in De Baca County wearing multiple hats, the ripple effect of state-mandated quarantines is that multiple agencies can be affected by th...
