Year in review: Cannon honored in rankings in 2014

Staff report

Cannon Air Force Base was selected one of the 10 best Air Force bases in the Air Force Times’ annual list in 2014. More than 50 bases were considered, officials said.

The designation was among highlights of news involving Cannon this year.

A representative from Cannon said the publication factored in a wide spectrum of issues for the rankings, many having to do with economy and quality of life. The representative said the special operations wing is investing $1.3 billion into base projects and quality of life improvements, including housing, squadron and maintenance buildings and restaurant openings and renovations.

In other local military news in 2014:

• In December, the Committee of Fifty announced it had successfully facilitated New Mexico’s purchase of 600 acres of farmland adjacent to Cannon as a gift to the Air Force.

• Balfor Beatty Communities celebrated the first move-ins to its 671-unit housing project at Cannon in October.

• In April, Clovis was passed over for one of four proposed sites for new rural veterans’ cemeteries in New Mexico. There are roughly 12,000 veterans in Curry, Roosevelt and Quay counties eligible for burial in a veterans cemetery.

• When a nightmare scourge of tumbleweeds invaded Clovis in February, some of the more visible volunteers were airmen from the base.