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Articles from the December 16, 2020 edition


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  • State eliminates 75-person limit at grocery, big box stores

    The Staff of The News|Updated Dec 17, 2020

    SANTA FE -- Effective today, New Mexico businesses are granted increased capacity inside essential retail spaces, with grocery stores and big box locations seeing the biggest benefit. Changes in the amended public health order effective today, allow essential retail spaces to operate at 50% occupancy at the green level, 33% at the yellow level and 25% at the red level. Previously, those spaces had to operate with the smaller of occupancy percentage or a specific number of customers at a time. The amendment eliminates the... Full story

  • COVID-19 vaccines arrive in New Mexico

    Lily Martin|Updated Dec 16, 2020

    New Mexico received its first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. Christus St. Vincent hospital in Santa Fe was the first facility to receive the vaccine early Monday morning, and began administering it to frontline healthcare workers that afternoon. “Today we begin to turn the tide. Protecting ourselves and our communities and moving past this terrible virus toward a brighter day,” said Tracie Collins, New Mexico’s health secretary designate. Collins said an initial shipment of 17,550 doses is being priorit...

  • Faith: Taking some time to reflect on God's suffering servant

    Curtis Shelburne, Religion columnist|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    For 16 years now, during the second and third weeks of Advent (the word has to do with “coming”), a centuries-old traditional time of “preparing our hearts” before Christmas, I’ve led some brief morning devotions with readings and prayers for a little group gathering briefly to bow in our little church sanctuary. It’s not a large thing and certainly not a large crowd, but that’s one of Advent’s main lessons: little and quiet can accompany the most magnificent meaning, and meek...

  • Farwell boys take seventh straight win overall

    Dave Wagner, Staff writer|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    FARWELL — Farwell’s boys rely on multiple players to be able to shoot 3-pointers and try to break down defenses. On Saturday, that strategy paid off handsomely for the Steers. Senior Jonathan Mora and junior Grayson Waldrop each converted three of the team’s nine 3s, spread among four players, and the Steers posted their second win of the weekend and seventh in a row overall by beating Class 4A Dumas 59-46. Seven of the trifectas came in the opening half, and helped the Steers (8-1) step out to a 12-point lead en route to a...

  • Coaches: No cons to Feb. 1 start date

    Alisa Boswell-Gore, Correspondent|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    There is no downside to restarting New Mexico high school sports on Feb. 1, according to local high school athletic directors. That’s the latest date given to high school officials by the New Mexico Activities Association. But as with previously approved starts, the Feb. 1 date is dependent on what health guidelines will be coming from the office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham at that time. “Pretty much, we have been told that if we are not able to start football at that point, there would not be a football season or vol...

  • Roosevelt awards trio of grants

    Lily Martin, Staff writer|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    PORTALES — Roosevelt County announced the recipients of the last round of their small business CARES Act Grants during their Tuesday meeting. The $60,289.77 awarded this round effectively used up the remainder of the grant before the Dec. 31 deadline. County Manger Amber Hamilton said that the entities receiving funds were Thompson Dentistry, Clovis Wireless LLC., Juanitos, and McCarteys Cafe each for $10,000. Rosies Hair Salon received $4,821, Ramiros Tire Shop received $6,047, and Roosevelt Nail Salon received $9,224. A...

  • Pages past, Dec. 16: School dress code, and a new chamber man

    David Stevens, Publisher|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    On this date … 1960: Checks and cash totaling $3,450 had been taken from Denton's Grocery and Café in Kenna. Roosevelt County Deputy Sheriff Glenn Widener said someone broke into the store after 9 p.m. on a night when roads were hazardous because of snow and ice. Traffic was sparse in the small town, the Portales Daily News reported, providing the burglars with little chance of being noticed. 1970: About 100 school administrators participated in a workshop on student dress co...

  • Christmas 'branch' our family tradition

    Betty Williamson, Local columnist|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    After some hemming and hawing last week (or perhaps I should say hemming and sawing), I put up our annual Christmas branch. Yes, branch. We are Christmas branch people at our house, and with few exceptions always have been. Our house is surrounded by towering old Arizona cypress trees planted by my grandfather probably in the 1930s or 1940s. These trees have supplied many a Christmas branch to us for two reasons: They are fresh and they are free. Along with that, they happen...

  • Opinion: Hope state not star-struck by film industry

    Tom McDonald|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    COVID demands the occasional distraction, for the sake of our sanity. I thought Virgin Galactic’s touristee launch into space from New Mexico’s Spaceport America would be a welcome diversion, but the first attempt was an aborted disappointment, not the milestone we’d hoped it to be. So instead, let’s turn to New Mexico filmmaking for our entertainment. Like the space industry, it has a long and storied history in New Mexico. Filmmaking here goes back to the silent picture shows. The original Las Vegas in particular was a h...

  • Opinion: Gun control doesn't stop shooters

    Kent McManigal|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    A couple of weeks ago, I was in Lubbock for a while. Before heading home I stopped by a Lubbock Walmart so I could grab a few items without being herded like a cow through a chute. As it happens, I missed a fatal shooting there by moments. I was almost surely still in the parking lot when the tragic crime occurred. Crimes — real crimes against life, liberty, and property — infuriate me. There is simply no excuse. There is also no excuse for enabling such crimes with ign...

  • Opinion: Time for Biden to show nation his integrity

    New York Daily News|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    Hunter Biden has told the world he’s just learned his “tax affairs” are under investigation by Delaware’s U.S. attorney. The burden is now on his father, President-elect Joe Biden, to ensure the nation that his attorney general and federal prosecutors will follow the evidence wherever it leads. First, to dispense with the pro-Trump conspiracy theories predictably choking the internet: No, there was no deep state plot to boost Biden by withholding potentially explosive information during campaign season. Rather, the Justice...

  • Clovis native selected for RPNM

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    ALBUQUERQUE — A Clovis native was selected Sunday as the new executive director for the Republican Party of New Mexico, according to an RPNM release. Nike Kern, a fourth generation New Mexican, will supervise party operations, help set the party agenda, oversee a statewide network of GOP operations, help recruit candidates, manage RPNM staff and guide the party into the future, according to the release. She replaces Anissa Tinnin, who has held the position for the last two years but decided earlier this year not to continue i...

  • Lighthouse to hold celebration

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    CLOVIS — The Lighthouse Mission will hold a socially-distanced Children’s Christmas Celebration Saturday at its headquarters, according to Executive Director Richard Gomez. The event will be a curbside delivery 5 p.m. at the mission at 407 L Casillas Boulevard. Information: 575-769-7775....

  • Wheatfields to hold event

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    CLOVIS — Wheatfields Senior Living Community is hosting “Light Up Wheatfields” from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Helen Younger of Clovis, who has family in the facility, helped organize the event, intended as a social-distanced greeting to Wheatfields' residents. The drive-through event will feature Christmas music, organizers said. Area residents and businesses have donated more than $2,000 to help fund the lights display and Younger said the goal is to raise $5,000....

  • Trials to resume in February

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court issued an order Monday that will resume civil and criminal jury trials in February. The Court last month suspended jury trials — but not grand juries — as a public health precaution to help control the spread of COVID-19 when new cases of the virus were spiking in New Mexico. The decision did not impact jury trials that had already started. “The Supreme Court and its Emergency Response Team constantly monitors public health conditions and will continue to take every step necessa...

  • New Mexico takes a victory in water dispute

    Theresa Davis, Albuquerque Journal|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    Not so fast, Texas. The U.S. Supreme Court handed New Mexico a victory Monday morning in a Pecos River water dispute with Texas. The court’s opinion, delivered by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, says the court-appointed Pecos river master was correct in giving New Mexico delivery credit for water that had evaporated from Brantley Reservoir. The court denied Texas’ motion to review the river master’s decision. “Here, the water was stored in New Mexico at the request of Texas, so New Mexico’s delivery obligation must be reduced b...

  • Portales schools prepping for bond election

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    PORTALES — Staff at Portales Municipal Schools is getting set to encourage voters to keep a bond in place that would provide $7 million over four years for various projects. Superintendent Johnnie Cain discussed the Feb. 16 all-mail election, and said a pamphlet of the various projects the $7 million would fund should be distributed later this month. The Roosevelt County Clerk’s Office will handle the election, with the district covering the approximate $12,000 cost. Ballots will be mailed to the district’s registered voter...

  • Curry commission says farewell to outgoing chairman

    Kevin Wilson, Editor|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    CLOVIS — The Curry County Commission's lone meeting of December was a long one, stretching four hours from Tuesday morning into the afternoon. It was also an emotional one, with commissioners saying farewell to outgoing Chairman Ben McDaniel. Tuesday marked the final scheduled meeting in McDaniel's eight years aboard the commission. McDaniel was term limited, and will be succeeded by James Ridling in January. Commissioner Chet Spear led a surprise presentation in honor of McDaniel, with a plaque that would be presented l...

  • Clovis roper takes national title

    the Staff of The News|Updated Dec 15, 2020

    ARLINGTON, Texas - Shad Mayfield, in a season compacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, won big early and gave himself quite a cushion in the tie-down money lead entering his second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He needed every bit of that lead. The Clovis native had to sweat it out after posting a no time in the 10th and final round of the NFR, but held just enough of a lead to claim the tie-down championship Saturday night at Globe Life Field. For the season, Mayfield earned...