Board Signup Light ❏ Four Area School Boards Will See Contested Elections; 14 Races Are Unopposed
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WEDNESDAY,DEC. 21, 2016 ESF: Pages Past: 75¢ Clovis Municipal On this date in 1971, a Schools eyei signing Worley Mills tandem bonuses to recruit teachers. truck overturned north of the city. — Page 5A — Page 3A Vol. 88 ◆ No. 227 SERVING CLOVIS, PORTALES AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES EasternNewMexicoNews.com KEEPING THE STREETS SAFE Board signup light ❏ Four area school boards will see contested elections; 14 races are unopposed. BY THE STAFF OF THE NEWS Clovis, Fort Sumner, Grady and Texico are going to have contested school board races come Feb. 7. Every other area school board, though, appears it will have just one candidate per position, following Tuesday’s candidate signup day at the Curry, De Baca and Roosevelt county clerk’s offices. In Clovis, Kyle Snider will be challenged by Joshua Crisp in his run for a second board term in District 1. Cynthia Osburn does not have a challenger in District 2. In Fort Sumner, six people are running for three positions. The election is an at-large contest between Kyle Sparks, Krestin Madrid, Brent Moyer, Scot Stinnett, Mary Kenyon and Sharon C. West. The top two-vote getters will Staff photo: Tony Bullocks receive four-year terms in Positions 4 and 5, Tonya Valenzuela, 3, and her brother Tonio Valenzuela, 11/2, test drive their new police cruiser Tuesday afternoon, while while the third-place finisher will serve out the remaining two years of Position 2. their mother, Elsi Gonzalez, follows along on Dartmouth Street. Grady has both of its races contested. In Position 4, Colten Grau will run against Quentin Wood and Emory Jones will run against Phillip Borden in Position 5. Positions 4 and 5 are also contested in Texico, with Justin Barnes and Bethany Prosecutor remembered for integrity Stevens running for Position 4 and Clifford ❏ Peterson spent 10 years the two in Portales for many, many years,” “He was one of those prosecutors who Franklin running against Troy Teague in Reeb said, recalling her former colleague’s knew all his cases, knew all the facts about Position 5. calm demeanor and firm resolve. them, and he worked hard, and he was very, The following races are uncontested: as child support officer ■ “Kent was one of those guys who took it as very fair. He was always so prepared that he Portales: Alan Garrett for Position 3, until his 2013 retirement. it came, and was always really relaxed about Antonio Sanchez Jr. for Position 4. knew the ins and outs of every case and he ■ all the things he had to do in court; never let wanted to do what was fair in them. He dis- Dora: John Mohon for Position 2, Jana By Eamon Scarbrough it ruffle his feathers. He was missed many cases, but he also wanted to Roberts for Position 4, Gary William STAFF WRITER just laid back and calm, and Simposione for Position 5. protect people as well, and he did that,” said ■ [email protected] he was just extremely skill- Lindsey, adding that Peterson’s personality Elida: Garland Creighton for Position 3, Virginia Clemmons for Position 4 and Scott ful in the courtroom,” she was as impactful as his work ethic. Whether in the courtroom or in his person- Burton for Position 5. said. “He was a great men- “He was very easy to get along with. He al life, former attorney Kent Peterson was tor to me as a prosecutor, ■ Floyd: Vicki Banister for Position 1 and was always willing to help. He had a great remembered as a consummate professional and then, I know that, when Jeffrey Essary for Position 2. and a man of integrity by some of his closest he went on to do child sup- personality, great sense of humor,” he said. ■ Melrose: Cedar Rush for Position 3, associates. port hearings, he did a great Reeb remembered her mentor as man Tyler Belcher for Position 4 and Larry whose understated personality belied a pro- The 60-year-old Peterson, who passed Peterson job with that as well.” DeVaney for Position 5. away Friday in Lubbock, worked for 18 years After his 18-year prose- found intelligence. Positions are for four years, with the excep- as a prosecutor with the New Mexico District cution career, Peterson became a child sup- “He was just so laid back and relaxed, and tions of Position 2 in Fort Sumner and Attorney’s Office, spending several of those port officer and served for 10 years in you would never probably know how intelli- Position 3 in Melrose. In each case, the seat is years in Portales. Roosevelt County until his retirement in gent that man was unless you sat down and up because the original board member Ninth Judicial District Attorney Andrea 2013. tried a case with him, or had one-on-one con- resigned and was placed by an appointee, and Reeb credited her expertise in the courtroom Defense attorney Daniel Lindsey of versations with him. It was just his laid back, whoever wins the position will serve the to time spent alongside Peterson in the 1990s. Lindsey Law Firm in Clovis remembered relaxed personality, always telling me, ‘Don’t remaining two years. “When I first became a prosecutor in 1996, Peterson as someone who strove for excel- let it get to you. Relax.’ It was a real pleasure Write-in candidates must file by Jan. 3. he was my supervisor in Portales. We were lence in all aspects of his job. to be around him on a daily basis,” she said. Terms begin March 1. Manager stresses audit improvements By Alisa Boswell findings from the 2015 fiscal year Sanchez with the sheriff’s office solve problems. Operation and Oversight — MANAGING EDITOR audit were resolved this year, was diligent in correcting a prob- “We had a long year filled with Significant Deficiency [email protected] “which is typically unheard of, lem with documenting fleet cars a lot of corrective plans; we really “The county is in the process of I’m told, even by the state auditor and exception reports. enhanced a lot of services; we implementing a comprehensive PORTALES — County himself. So we’ve made huge ■ “Gross receipts taxes were the worked on internal controls; we documented internal control struc- Manager Amber Hamilton stressed strides in correcting that, and it’s other substantial issue,” Hamilton had multiple ‘significant deficien- ture,” the report reads. “However, improvement as she addressed definitely been a team effort.” said, “and we just missed record- cies’, ‘material weaknesses’ and we noted ... areas in which the Roosevelt County commissioners The following were deficiencies ing the two months prior.” our audit report was just ‘quali- county does not have sufficient on the county’s 2016 audit report. found in the 2015 audit that were ■ Improper recording of travel fied’, so it was a tough year,” key internal controls in place.” “It has been phenomenal to see remedied for the 2016 audit, and per diem has also been Hamilton said of the 2015 audit ■ Accounts Receivable Cutoff the way this team has worked according to Hamilton: resolved. year. “What’s awesome about your — Material Weakness together, and I think you all will ■ Deficiencies in internal con- ■ Improper preparation and county, Gentlemen (commission- “We noted that the county incor- see that,” Hamilton told commis- trols were reduced from a “materi- submission of Public Employees ers), is as soon as they learn what rectly excluded the June accrual of sioners during their final meeting al weakness” (the highest defi- Retirement Association reports. they need to work on, your team is GRT ... In addition, it was deter- of the year on Tuesday. ciency level) to a “significant defi- “They were all in,” Hamilton very, very willing to make those mined during audit procedures Hamilton said county officials ciency.” said, “but they were not match- changes.” performed over grants receivable and auditors wanted to “get down ■ An issue with the clerk’s ing.” The following were findings in that $548,479 in grant revenues into the details, and we really office and sheriff’s office regard- Hamilton said the 2015 audit the 2016 audit: were incorrectly excluded from wanted them to find everything.” ing past collections was resolved. year was tough all around, but it ■ Deficiencies in Internal Hamilton said that 11 of the 14 Hamilton said Lt. Javier showed the county’s ability to Control Structure Design, AUDIT on Page 2A Forecast: Today Sunday Sunday Index Calendar............................3A Crossword ........................5A High: 60 High: 35 High: 55 Classified ..........................6B Markets ............................2A Comics ..............................5B Obituaries..........................2A Low: 26 Low: 28 Low: 30 Commentary......................4A Sports ............................1-3B PAGE 2A ✦ WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21, 2016 LOCAL THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO NEWS FAREWELL, FRIEND Obituaries Cindy J. Williams July 31, 1957 – December 19, 2016 Cindy J Williams, 59, of Clovis, NM passed away Monday, December 19, 2016, at Plains Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, December 22, 2016, at The Chapel, 1500 Thornton, with Pastor Stormy Swann officiating. Cindy was born July 31, 1957, in Fort Sumner, NM to Raymond McLain and Car- lene Hopper McLain. She married Michael Williams July 21, 2009, in Farwell, TX. Cindy enjoyed reading, gar- dening, and baking birthday cakes for family members. She collected Indian Arti- facts. Cindy loved her dogs. Survivors include: her husband; Michael Williams of the home, two sons; Justin (Amanda) Robinson of Cookville, TN, and Daniel Robinson of Clovis, NM, mother; Carlene (Derle) Keith of Clovis, NM, three sisters; Vickie (J.R.) Bur- nett of Lantana, TX, Debbie (Tim) Walton of Texico, NM, and Shelly (Stormy) Swann of Lubbock, TX, brother; Brian (Carol) McLain of Oklahoma, one granddaughter; Rowan Robinson, and numerous nieces and nephews.