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  • Governor signs red-flag bill

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 25, 2020

    PORTALES - Roosevelt County officially made its opposition known Tuesday morning, just hours before Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the red-flag gun bill into law. In a news release from her office, Lujan Grisham said the measure enhances public safety and reduces "the risk of mass gun violence." Senate Bill 5 will allow law-enforcement officers to "temporarily disarm individuals who present a clear danger to themselves or others in emergency situations. It is a...

  • Housing, breweries among topics at KTQM forum

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 22, 2020

    CLOVIS - Most municipal election candidates seem focused on encouraging economic growth and many are determined to learn from the city's past mistakes. Candidates on Tuesday crowded into a small room at the KTQM studio for two hours, answering questions submitted by listeners in a free-for-all open forum. Mayoral candidates are Raymond Mondragon, Michael A. Morris, Stephen B. North, R.L. Rube Render and Sandra Taylor-Sawyer. District 1 City Commission candidates are George...

  • Clovis' Ira Pottard dies at 97

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 22, 2020

    CLOVIS - Ira Pottard was well known in Clovis as one of the oldest remaining buffalo soldiers. His family knew him better as "Pops," a father and grandfather who loved playing dominoes and making music with his keyboard and guitar. Pottard, 97, died last Sunday at his Retirement Ranch home. Pottard was born in Greenville, Texas to Sinclair Pottard and Almeta Williams. He was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 19, serving from 1942 to 1949 as a member of the 9th Cavalry...

  • No quorum at 'red flag' meeting

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 18, 2020

    PORTALES — Around 40 people packed into the Roosevelt County Commission Room on Tuesday morning to see Roosevelt County Sheriff Malin Parker bring a resolution to oppose the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act — the red-flag gun bill. But he never had the opportunity. The meeting ended immediately after it started since three of the five commissioners were not in attendance. With no quorum, Vice Chair Tina Dixon said she would be unable to take action or even hear the resolution and so the meeting was adjourned. Dixon and Shane...

  • Students head to ENMU for drama workshops

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 18, 2020

    PORTALES — High school students from around New Mexico will flock to the Eastern New Mexico University campus this week for three days of drama performances and workshops. The 65th annual ENMU Drama Festival will go from Wednesday to Friday, bringing hundreds of students to the ENMU campus. The visiting students will be performing their own plays and receiving critiques and advice from ENMU students and staff. Between performances there will also be various workshops for students to learn more about film, acting and r...

  • Keeping legacy alive

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 18, 2020

    CLOVIS - Norman Petty spent much of his life making rock 'n' roll history in Clovis. Now, 36 years after his death, Petty's friends and fans are doing what they can to keep that legacy alive. A Clovis native, Petty began his long career as a musician, songwriter, producer and recording engineer in 1953. He began running his own recording studio in Clovis in the early 1960s. Over the course of his career, he worked with legendary rockers who included Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox...

  • Officials grill treasurer about lost interest

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 15, 2020

    CLOVIS — Curry County missed out on about $2,700 in interest earlier this year when it took a month to get excess funds moved into a savings account. County commissioners on Feb. 6 grilled County Treasurer Debbie Spriggs for 30 minutes about the lost interest. After the commission received its latest Investment and Financial Outlook presentation from Rob Burpo on Dec. 19, Spriggs was asked to invest $3 million, but the money wasn’t moved until mid-January, county officials said. County officials estimated the county was mis...

  • CCC hosting tribute to musical legends

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 11, 2020

    CLOVIS — A taste of Broadway and a tribute to two musical legends will be making its way to Clovis soon as Cruising Steady brings the music of Motown. Cruising Steady: The Music and Friendship of Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin will be the next entry into the Clovis Community College Cultural Arts series, featuring some of Robinson's and Franklin's greatest hit songs performed by Broadway singers Patrice Covington and Jesse Neger. The lineup includes hits “Respect,” “I Second The Emotion,” “Chain of Fool,” “Ooh Baby Bab...

  • Clovis holding Census celebration

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 4, 2020

    Once every 10 years, the U.S. conducts its countrywide Census, gathering data that will be used to make major decisions over the next decade. That includes deciding where over $800 billion in federal funding will end up. The city of Clovis and Curry County have decided to hold a celebration Saturday in honor of the Census, and hopefully answer any pressing questions the population might have about how it works. “This is our Census awareness event. We want to put on a celebration so that when everyone gets their Census they h...

  • Courts to celebrate Valentine's Day

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 4, 2020

    CLOVIS — Valentine’s Day stands out as a day for couples to celebrate their love. The Ninth Judicial Court District in Curry and Roosevelt counties has decided to go the extra mile to make it a little more special for some couples. The local courts will be offering free wedding services on Valentine’s Day for the second annual Cupid Court event on Feb. 14. The Roosevelt County Courthouse will be open from 9 a.m. to noon for the event, while the Curry County Courthouse will open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. All that’s require...

  • Candidates split on city priorities

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 1, 2020

    CLOVIS - Recreational marijuana will soon be legal, whether they like it or not, and no one supported the idea of declaring Clovis a "sanctuary city" for hot-button political issues. But while they all basically agree on those topics, Clovis' five mayoral candidates have wide-ranging views on city priorities. About 50 people crowded into the Ingram Room of the Clovis-Carver Public Library on Thursday evening to listen as each candidate attempted to distinguish themselves from...

  • Portales to consider tax increase

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 1, 2020

    PORTALES — City residents could see a gross receipts tax increase of up to 0.6125 percent this year after the city council adopted a notice of intent to consider it during a regular meeting Tuesday. If the max amount of 0.6125 percent is approved, it would add an additional 61 cents in tax to a $100 purchase and generate an estimated $1,335,250 in annual revenue for the city according to Portales Finance Director Marilyn Rapp. City Manager Sammy Standefer said after the city had calculated its final predicted budget for l...

  • About 400 gather for rally

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Feb 1, 2020

    PORTALES - One of New Mexico's most controversial bills was approved by the Senate Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday, prompting Second Amendment activists across the state to come together in protest - Roosevelt County residents included. Around 400 people gathered around the steps of the Roosevelt County Courthouse for a rally Thursday morning to advocate for Second Amendment rights and discuss the "red flag" gun bill, Senate Bill 5. At the state 2020 Legislative Session,...

  • Juvenile detention center may close

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 28, 2020

    CLOVIS - Curry County may decide to close the doors of its juvenile detention center this year, which would leave only five JDTs in the state, the closest then located in Lea County. Curry County Manager Lance Pyle said it may be in Curry County's best interest to close its JDC, which in many ways has become the regional JDC for eastern New Mexico, taking juvenile offenders from Roosevelt, Quay, Eddy, Chavez and De Baca counties as well as Curry. "There are six counties that...

  • 'Attendee' winning word of Curry County bee

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 25, 2020

    CLOVIS - After nine rounds of duking it out with other students in a free-for-all battle of letters and words, spelling "attendee" was the final challenge eighth-grader Brandon Hughes overcame to become the last man standing in the Curry County Spelling Bee. Schools across the county sent their best spellers to compete in the bee held in the Clovis Community College Town Hall on Friday. Two students - Brandon and Porter Kidd - earned the opportunity to advance and compete in...

  • Roosevelt bees go 20 rounds, 74 words

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 25, 2020

    PORTALES - Students from Lindsey Steiner Elementary School proved they were a cut above the rest when it comes to spelling on Friday, taking all the top spots at the Roosevelt County Spelling Bee and sending a representative to the state competition. The top spellers from schools across Roosevelt County met in the Becky Sharp Auditorium at the Eastern New Mexico University campus for 20 rounds and 74 words across two bees at the senior and junior level. Becky Carruthers,...

  • Parent raises school Internet access concerns

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 21, 2020

    CLOVIS — Parents beware: Google Chromebooks issued to students by Clovis Municipal Schools may not always prevent children from being exposed to inappropriate content. A Clovis parent learned this lesson recently after she said her child received sexually explicit messages while using a school-issued computer at home. The parent, whose name is being withheld by The News to safeguard the student's privacy, said her child was playing an online Facebook game called “Immortal Night” when sexually explicit messages and propo...

  • Clovis Safety Lane recognized

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 21, 2020

    CLOVIS - For the last 75 years, Clovis Safety Lane has served as an auto shop in the city, easily recognized by the tall smiling bear sign that towers over Seventh Street. In honor of its many years of service to the community as a small business, the three-person auto shop will receive the Star Business Award from the Clovis Community College Small Business Development Center. The Star Business award is given every year and each of the 19 Small Business Development Centers...

  • AMVETS audit discrepancy grows

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 21, 2020

    CLOVIS — A $20,000 discrepancy found during the audit of local American Veterans Post #14 has grown more than tenfold. A five-month investigation turned up over $233,000 in debts and missing funds, according to Post 14’s board of trustees and the AMVETS Department of New Mexico. The doors of the local post closed last July as AMVETS District VI began an investigation. Local leadership and post members said they were confused as they arrived to find the locks changed and sparse information available on the situation. In Sep...

  • Crowd turns out for march

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 21, 2020

    PORTALES - To honor one of the nation's greatest civil rights leaders, roughly 500 students, teachers, city officials and Portales community members marched down the streets of the city Monday evening to honor Martin Luther King Jr. After marching from the Memorial Building to the Campus Union Building at Eastern New Mexico University, members of the march met in the CUB Ballroom for entertainment and awards. After a combined performance by the Portales High School and ENMU...

  • Curry to consider tax cut

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 18, 2020

    CLOVIS — The Curry County Commission is considering a tax cut. “It’s a rare opportunity,” said Commission Vice Chairman Seth Martin. “More times than not they end up re-allocating funds to another program or use and I think this gives us the opportunity to show how serious we are about promoting business and growth in the county for all residents. “It may not be a huge reduction, but it will save our residents an extra bit of their hard-earned money.” The 0.1250 percent Environmental Services Gross Receipts Tax was put in pl...

  • Trio to bring unique sound to Clovis

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 18, 2020

    CLOVIS - Using their backgrounds in classical music to take a string-instrument spin on hit songs old and new, the musical trio Take3 will bring their unique sound to Clovis this week. It's part of the Clovis Community College Cultural Arts Series. "Their reviews are dynamite and they've been opening their sets with a Pitbull song of all things," said Cultural Arts Series Director Christy Mendoza. "I asked them to start with that for our audience and I'm sure the kids here...

  • King celebrated

    Mathew Brock - Staff|Updated Jan 18, 2020

    CLOVIS - Students from all grades in Clovis spent weeks putting together art projects, essays and speeches in honor of one of the nation's most influential civil rights leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. Those projects were put on display Saturday morning at the annual Clovis MLK Scholarship Breakfast at Clovis High School alongside music and speeches highlighting the importance of King's vision. The event opened with students from the Arts Academy at Bella Vista and La Casita...

  • MLK events set in communities

    Mathew Brock - Staff writer|Updated Jan 14, 2020

    The accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. have echoed throughout generations and every year groups in Clovis and Portales make sure to celebrate his legacy. This Saturday, the Clovis chapter of the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission starts the celebration early with its 28th Annual Scholarship Breakfast at the Clovis High School Cafeteria. Tickets are $10 a person or $100 for a table and the event will feature a speech by James B. Lewis from Albuquerque. Students and...

  • Curry commission approves jail X-ray

    Mathew Brock - Staff writer|Updated Jan 14, 2020

    CLOVIS — The Curry County Commission broke in the new year by approving the purchase of new security equipment at the detention center during their first meeting Tuesday morning. Mark Gallegos said the jail is in need of an advanced system to help screen new detainees for contraband. The new system would replace searches by staff with an x-ray machine and drastically streamline the screening process for new entries. “The primary job of this will be able to reduce and minimize the amount of contraband that might make it int...

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