Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Articles from the August 2, 2003 edition


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 25 of 29

  • Gymnasts do well in nationals

    CNJ STAFF

    Katlin Luscombe of Texico and Ann Marie McLelland of Clovis were part of a team of ninth athletes representing Muleshoe-based Acrospirit Trampoline and Tumbling to participate in the USA Gymnastics National Championships from July 12-22 in Sacramento, Calif. Luscombe, who will be a sixth grader at Texico Elementary this fall, and McLelland, a third-grader-to-be at Zia Elementary, helped the team have a successful performance which included four gold, eight silver and two bronzes medals. Luscombe, a first-year gymnast, and McL...

  • Best steps down from rodeo post

    Kevin Wilson

    PORTALES — In a sense, Wendell Best traded one set of children for another. Best, 70, recently retired from his post as the national director for the New Mexico High School Rodeo Association. He leaves behind 30 years of service to what he considers his extended family throughout high school rodeo. “When I decided I was going to quit,” Best said, “one feller came to me and said, ‘I don’t know why you keep going. You don’t have any kids or grand kids in this.’ “I told him (that) at last count, I had about...

  • Eastern's coaches are ready

    Kevin Wilson

    PORTALES — For Eastern New Mexico University fans, the football season lasts from September to November. For the players, it lasts from August to spring football in March — not including summer workout programs. For the coaches, it’s a 12-month process, and it comes full-circle this week when practices begin on Thursday. Not including walk-ons, 157 are scheduled for workouts for the Greyhound football squad. Going from zero to 157 is something the coaching staff builds up for “as soon as spring football gets done,... Full story

  • Fair holds values as those of days gone by

    Despite drought and price declines, Roosevelt County farmers and livestock breeders will put their best foot forward this week when they bring in their entries for the county fair. So reported The Portales Daily News — 50 years ago. The annual county gathering was held in September back then, but some things never change. The fair was focused on agriculture and entertainment in 1953, and even then some promoters were worried about the event’s future. “The fair isn’t all tinsel and cotton candy,” fair board...

  • Past papers paint Portales picture

    Remember Roosevelt County in 1953? Here are some of the top stories from the pages of The Portales Daily News: -- The Farm Bureau adopted 12 resolutions during its annual meeting. Among them: “We believe the best way to secure and maintain world peace is by trading with other countries.” And “We urge less government action, ownership or control in agriculture, business and labor. -- “Never Let Me Go,” starring Clark Gable and Gene Tierney, was among movies that showed at the Tower in Portales. -- Tommy and...

  • Seven vie for fair queen title

    PNT Staff

    Seven young ladies in Roosevelt County will compete in the 2004 Fair Queen Competition. The contests are divided into two portions: horsemanship and personality. The following contestants will put to test their people and horseback-riding skills in an effort to claim their prospective crowns: -- Amber Kinsey, 16, of Dora, who enjoys volleyball and is a member of Business Professionals of America, is competing in the Queen Contest. Her future goals include owning her own Christian Beauty Salon that focused on inner beauty....

  • Livestock key players in fair competition

    PNT Staff

    This year’s Roosevelt County Fair will have more than its share of live animals: from bouncing rabbits to oily pigs, lactating heifers to bull-nosed steers. And it’s these livestock animals — the county’s finest — which will be the subject of competition in various shows, vying for various honors. And though some may not know, many people will cheer and jeer them. For the box turtles, the cheering may be excessive, especially with $1,000 worth of prizes on the line for a race to the finish line. Officials at the Roo...

  • Best of the county can be baked, canned or painted

    PNT Staff

    Whether you have an eye for images and snapshots, you’re handy with a paint brush or you just enjoy harvesting tasty produce, the fine arts category of this year’s Roosevelt County Fair may be worth an entry of your finest productions. With an array of categories to choose from, fair officials are inviting everyone to compete. “We think there’s enough categories for everyone, and hope everyone decides to enter in at least one competition,” said Connie Moyers, Roosevelt County Extension Home Economist. With categorie...

  • Clovis basking in the glow of retail industry's growth

    Gary Mitchell

    Construction workers work on the new Lowe’s Home Center building Friday on North Prince Street in Clovis. Photo by Eric Kluth. The sudden emergence of Clovis as a business destination for national chains is due to a change in perception, according to local officials and developers. The designation of the Clovis-Portales area as a microplex and the recognition of the area as a strong agriculture-based community are two of the biggest factors, they said. Because microplex designation allows the Clovis-Portales area to be...

  • Preparing for practice

    Kevin Wilson

    For Eastern New Mexico University fans, the football season lasts from September to November. For the players, it lasts from August to spring football in March — not including summer workout programs. For the coaches, it’s a 12-month process, and it comes full-circle this week when practices begin on Thursday. Not including walk-ons, 157 are scheduled for workouts for the Greyhound football squad. Going from zero to 157 is something the coaching staff builds up for “as soon as spring football gets done,” according to...

  • Fair draws near

    Mike Linn

    Freshen up those pretty pigs and voluptuous heifers. Get ready for carnival rides that rank high on the thrill meter. And super-shine those dancing boots. Once again, it’s time for the Roosevelt County Fair. A year’s worth of planning and preparation will come to fruition on Wednesday at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds, and fairboard officials boast of another year of fun, great food and new contests and rides. “This year is going to be great,” fair board President Kent Best said. “It’s a great way to end off the...

  • Shoppers get a break from the tax man

    Janet Bresenham

    Ashley Whitt, 12, left, and her mother, Amanda Whitt, both of Clovis, shop Saturday at North Plains Mall during tax-free days. Photo by Eric Kluth. Some shoppers didn’t have to travel far to find back-to-school bargains at the North Plains Mall this weekend during Tax-Free Days. The Clovis mall’s tax-free sales event, which began Friday and continues today, even attracted some shoppers from across the Texas border. Lia Marquez and her daughter Elisa, 14, drove from Littlefield, Texas, specifically for Tax-Free Days...

  • Letters to the Editor 8/3

    Editor’s note: The Clovis News Journal will publish thank-you letters of public interest on the first Sunday of each month. Letters should be less than 300 words and must be signed. Writers should include telephone numbers and addresses for verification purposes. Letters may be edited for clarity, content and space considerations. Names of for-profit businesses may be deleted prior to publication. We would like to thank the city of Clovis and all of its fine citizens for sponsoring this year’s High Plains Junior Rodeo...

  • 'Warrior parents' learn to help mentally ill children

    Jack King

    One day recently, Katrina Olguin said, she woke up to find her 4-year-old daughter, Kira, sneaking into her bedroom, not to surprise her with morning kisses, but to catch a black and white kitten cowering under the bed and choke it. Olguin has other stories to tell, of Kira tossing the kitten around like a rag doll, of how her other daughter has to lock herself in her room for safety when Kira flies into a rage, of how everything in her home has to have a lock on it, from the refrigerator to the toilet. And yet she sighs... Full story

  • Two arrested for embezzling

    Darrell Todd Maurina

    Two state employees face charges of stealing at least $2,900 from accounts meant to assist low-income Portales residents, according to 9th Judicial District Attorney Brett Carter. Ricardo Mendez, 37, of Clovis, and Julia Tapia, 49, of Portales, were arrested Friday on charges of fraud over $250 and conspiracy to commit fraud over $250, fourth-degree felonies, and misdemeanor theft of identity. Carter said the charges carry a maximum penalty of nearly four years in jail and $11,000 in fines. Mendez and Tapia were released Frid...

  • Group declares war on mental illness

    Jack King

    Katrina Olguin with Warrior Moms & Dads of Clovis speaks Saturday during the first Warrior Moms & Dads Mental Health Awareness Event at Greene Acres Park. Photo by Eric Kluth. One day recently, Katrina Olguin said, she woke up to find her 4-year-old daughter, Kira, sneaking into her bedroom, not to surprise her with morning kisses, but to catch a black-and-white kitten cowering under the bed and choke it. Olguin has other stories to tell, of Kira tossing the kitten around like a rag doll, of how her other daughter has to...

  • Obituaries, August 3

    Juanita Black, 76 Mrs. Juanita Faye Black, 76, of Melrose, a U.S. Postal Service clerk, died Friday, Aug. 1, 2003, at Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales. She was born Jan. 21, 1927, in Melrose, to Walter and Edna O’Donald Swopes. She was a lifetime resident of Melrose. She was preceded in death by her parents. Survivors include two daughters, Junea Hickman (and husband, Gary) of Melrose and Elisa Spivey (Craig) of Keiser, Ore.; two sons, Kip Black (Becky) and D.A. Black, all of Melrose; a brother, Durwood Swopes o... Full story

  • Water usage drops

    Jack King

    City residents appear to be listening. Following a request by city officials to conserve, water use in Clovis dropped significantly between Thursday and Saturday morning, said New Mexico-American Water Co. operations manager Jim Bonner. “If it keeps up at this rate, we’ll have our tanks filled in four or five days,” Bonner said. Water use dropped 1.5 million gallons between Thursday morning and Friday morning and then a modest 200,000 between Friday and Saturday morning, he said. The city’s water supplier said usage...

  • Police urge safe driving habits

    Darrell Todd Maurina

    The New Mexico State Police has issued a statement urging motorists to drive safely and soberly during the summer months. To catch those who don’t, the state police will be conducting saturation patrols and checkpoints throughout the state, with an emphasis aggressive and impaired driving habits. According to the state police, 226 people died during 2002 in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. For drivers over 21, the allowable blood alcohol content is .08. --- Curry County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up t...

  • Schools plan to battle truancy

    Darrell Todd Maurina

    Clovis school administrators from the elementary to high school level met Friday with the district attorney to plan ways to help schools cut truancy and keep kids out of the justice system. Friday’s meeting was part of a two-day series of administrative meetings to prepare for the upcoming school year. Clovis superintendent Neil Nuttall said students missing classes has been an increasing problem in Clovis, and 9th Judicial District Attorney Brett Carter said an increasing number of crimes in Clovis are being committed by... Full story

  • Police Blotter 8/3

    Darrell Todd Maurina

    Samplings of recent calls received by Clovis-area law enforcement officers, according to reports: A Clovis woman reported late Tuesday that several items were missing from her home at the 300 block of Axtell. The woman said all of her doors were locked but a window to her bathroom was open. A DVD player, assorted DVD disks, a computer, and a computer printer worth a total of about $1,200 were missing. --- Sometime between 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday, unknown persons broke into a home on the 100 block of East Yucca... Full story

  • Two arrested in fraud sting

    Darrell Todd Maurina

    Two state employees face charges of stealing at least $2,900 from accounts meant to assist low-income Portales residents, according to 9th District Attorney Brett Carter. Ricardo Mendez, 37, of Clovis, and Julia Tapia, 49, of Portales, were arrested Friday on charges of fraud over $250 and conspiracy to commit fraud over $250, fourth-degree felonies, and misdemeanor theft of identity. Carter said the charges carry a maximum penalty of nearly four years in jail and $11,000 in fines. Mendez and Tapia were released Friday on... Full story

  • Court Dispositions 8/3

    Here are recent dispositions dated July 2 recorded in 9th District Court: --Roy Lee Daniels, 22, pleaded guilty to battery on a household member and criminal damage to property under $1,000. Sentenced to two consecutive terms totaling 544 days in Curry County jail with credit for one day served. All but 60 days suspended and placed on 364 days supervised probation with special conditions of anger management counseling, $25 per month probation costs, and substance abuse screening. Special permission granted to serve sentence...

  • International lottery scam crops up on the Web

    Well, it looks like I won’t be writing this column much longer. It appears that I have just won a little less than a million dollars, can you believe it? I mean, with all that money, I’ll just be too busy livin’ it up with the rich and the famous to write this column. No, I haven’t “lost it.” I really did recently receive an e-mail telling me that I’ve won all of that money, from the International Lottery — and all I have to do, is give them my bank account number and authorize them to withdraw 3 percent of...

  • Young drivers revving it up

    Bo Mitchell, 12, of Farwell, races in a heat at Ned Houk Motor Speedway on July 25 during a race with the Clovis Kart Association. Photo by Eric Kluth. The go-kart track at Ned Houk Motor Sports Complex north of Clovis may be a far cry from NASCAR, but for some diehard young drivers — and some young ones at heart — it’s the closest thing. Every Friday night from March through September, the small dirt track gets even dustier as Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon-inspired drivers — most of them too young to get a...

Page Down

Rendered 03/27/2024 23:01