Articles from the December 25, 2012 edition

Kevin Wilson

There's nothing like a Christmas Day NBA broadcast to make me feel a little reminiscent, even as I cringe at the "back in time" ads: - I really hope if Blake Griffin finds a time machine, he doesn't waste the opportunity by going back to pitch a car that doesn't exist yet to a Blake Griffin who's years away from a driver's license. - And I have to question Phil Jackson when he says Michael Jordan playing through the flu in the 1997 NBA Finals, "made me a believer." To that point, Jordan had four titles, four regular season...

Staff and wire reports

Clovis and Portales residents woke to a white Christmas Tuesday morning as the area was sprinkled in less than one inch of snow overnight. Snowfall at the Clovis Municipal Airport began around 2 a.m. Tuesday and stopped around 7 a.m., according to Mark Fettig, a general forecaster at the National Weather Service, Albuquerque. There were no traffic accidents reported in Curry and Roosevelt counties, according to New Mexico State Police and local law enforcement. Fettig said no storm systems will affect the area the remainder...

Portales police, sheriff and fire call logs: Friday - 4:31 p.m.: Caller reported an auto burglary, 1700 block of South Globe. - 5:02 p.m.: Caller requested a close patrol until Saturday, 1400 block of South Avenue J. - 5:05 p.m.: Caller reported fraud, 500 block of West 18th Street. - 5:10 p.m.: Caller requested an ambulance, State Road 267, Floyd. - 5:50 p.m.: Caller requested a standby, police station. - 6:46 p.m.: Caller requested a subject be removed, 600 block of West 14th. - 6:49 p.m.: Call in reference to a domestic...

Tom Philpott Military Update

House-Senate conferees have agreed to the more modest House-passed plan for raising drug co-payments on military family members and retirees who fill prescriptions at TRICARE retail outlets or through mail order. The fee increases are scheduled to take effect Feb. 1, TRICARE officials said as the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill, with many other provisions impacting the military community next year, moved toward final passage. The new pharmacy fee plan includes a requirement that beneficiaries 65 and older have all...

Few New Mexico legislators have left a more significant legacy of service than the late New Mexico House Speaker Ben Lujan, who died last week after a three-year battle with lung cancer. He was 77. Lujan was elected to the Santa Fe County Commission in 1970 and to the state House of Representatives in 1974. He was the chamber's second-longest serving member. The House Democratic caucus elected him majority whip in 1983 and majority floor leader for the 1999 session. He became speaker in 2001. As speaker he kept a firm grip... Full story