County Eyes Thin Budget for 2017-18
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WEDNESDAY,MAY 3,2017 Pages Past: Sports: 75¢ Reports from 1962, Texico gets top seed in 1937. 3A baseball touranment — Page 2A — Page 1B Vol. 89 ◆ No. 28 SERVING CLOVIS, PORTALES AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES EasternNewMexicoNews.com Faith leaders: Prayer day vital ❏ Organizers say event, The event, originally instituted in “The United States of America is the the spring by former plumb line that all the world is meas- set for noon Thursday, Fast facts U.S. President ured against, and without us, there’s Harry Truman, will nobody that has the integrity or the has unifying qualities. take place at noon ■ What: National leadership to keep everybody in line,” Thursday on the he said. “We need for them (leaders) to By Eamon Scarbrough Day of Prayer steps of both the ■ regain some integrity and start leading STAFF WRITER When: Noon Curry and the instead of trying to figure out how to [email protected] Thursday Roosevelt county make their lives so much easier.” ■ Where: Curry courthouses. The event will begin in Portales with Though they mentioned the health of and Roosevelt The country’s music by residents Gavin and Amy the country and the integrity of its county courthouse continued success Nash, and will feature a speech by res- leadership, the organizers of the steps as a stabilizing ident Leon Nall, which will emphasize National Day of Prayer in Clovis and force in the world prayer as vital to the nation’s health, File photo Portales found it difficult to specify requires prayer, Bennett said. what they will be praying about this according to The National Day of Prayer will be noon Thursday in year. Portales organizer Charles Bennett. PRAYER on Page 6A front of the Curry and Roosevelt county courthouses. SEE NO NEEDLE, FEEL NO NEEDLE County eyes thin budget for 2017-18 ❏ Meeting shows wind farm was deposited in county savings, leaving $8.5M in expenses, $340,000 for commissioners to work with for the upcom- $7.5M in revenue. ing fiscal year. By Alisa Boswell That still leaves the county more than $100,000 in the red MANAGING EDITOR for next year, which Hamilton [email protected] said will have to mean cut- PORTALES — County backs. Manager Amber Hamilton Hamilton told commission- told commissioners Tuesday ers that for the commission the best-case scenario for the budget, IT costs will increase 2017-18 fiscal year is no cap- due to items being added to ital outlay and lowered gross the budget for routine mainte- receipts and oil and gas taxes. nance and new software. She After hearing the last of the said State Equalization and county needs for the upcom- Small Counties Assistance ing fiscal year from Hamilton funds also continue to decrease. and other department heads Insurance benefit costs and organizations at a decreased due to new com- Tuesday budget workshop, missioners not using their full Staff photo: Tony Bullocks commissioners faced a budget benefit packages. Clovis Community College nursing student Jaime Nguyen of Clovis turns her head away Tuesday morning where expenses outweighed Hamilton said expenses for while Ashley Melendez with United Blood Services prepares to draw blood at CCC Health and Fitness Center revenue by $1 million. transfers and disbursements Gym. Melendez said the goal for CCC was collect 18 units of blood. Total expenses were $8.5 have risen by $25,145 due to a million, a $500,891 increase decrease in state funding and over last year’s budget, while an increase in road depart- total revenue was $7.5 mil- ment expenses of more than lion, a $26,140 decrease from $360,000. last year. Most expense While property taxes increases were due to each increased for revenue, oil and Plane destined for Clovis county department having gas taxes dropped as well as additional needs from last Neither hospital nor airport offi- According to Hilton, the NTSB Gross Receipts Taxes (GRTs) ❏ Crew in fatal Amarillo year. cials would disclose information on dropping by $50,000. and FAA should be finished with the Hamilton told commission- the PRMC patient, either where the Hamilton said GRTs have a crash en route to PRMC investigation by Saturday. ers $100,000 of the county’s patient was scheduled to go or what for transfer of patient. According to the Amarillo Globe $441,000 Payment in Lieu of was done as an alternative course of Taxes (PILT) for a county BUDGET on Page 6A action after the crash. News, devices were in place on the By Stephanie Losoya The aircraft crashed shortly after single-engine Pilatus PC-12 which STAFF WRITER departing the runway, said will offer information regarding the [email protected] Berkshire. status of the aircraft for the investi- DAIRY WORKER RALLY AMARILLO — An ambulance air- The Clovis air ambulance was not gators to understand what caused the craft heading for Plains Regional running due to inclement weather Saturday, according to a Plains accident. Medical Center in Clovis Saturday “Our department fully supports crashed according to the Amarillo Regional employee who declined to Police Department. be identified. Rico Air,” says Michael Nolen, chief Rico Air crew members, pilot The investigation into the cause of of the Clovis Fire Department. “All Robin Nash and flight nurses Misty the crash is ongoing, according to of our department is deeply grieved Nicholson and Scott Riola all died in Hilton. After the APD secured the by the loss of the flight crew who area, the National Transportation the crash, according to Officer Jeb often serve our community.” Hilton of the Amarillo Police Safety Board and the Federal Department. Aviation Administration took over According to the Amarillo Globe APD had no further information investigations. News, the aircraft crashed in a regarding the crew members’ ages. “We are in the fact-gathering grassy field in an industrial part of The crew was en route to pick up a stage,” said Terry Williams, a the city, but nobody outside the spokesman for the National patient from Plains Regional plane was injured. Staff photo: Eamon Scarborough Medical Center in Clovis to receive Transportation Safety Board. “The urgent medical care elsewhere, aircraft has been moved and we Portales resident Isabel Ramos, left, leads dairy workers according to Clovis Municipal should have a preliminary report out — The Associated Press con- and families in a chant at a rally in support of immigrants Airport Manager Kyle Berkshire. in about 5-7 days,” he said. tributed to this report and dairy workers Monday afternoon in front of the Roosevelt County Courthouse. The rally was part of International Workers Day, and was held in Portales to “Our department fully supports Rico Air. All of our department is deeply grieved by the loss of the make residents aware of the role of immigrants in the flight crew who often serve our community.” dairy industry, according to Marina Pina, a community — Clovis Fire Chief Mike Nolen organizer with New Mexico-based civil and worker’s rights organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido.. Forecast: Today Thursday Friday Index Calendar............................2A Crossword ........................3A High: 68 High: 71 High: 82 Classified ......................5-6B Markets ............................2A Comics ..............................4B Obituaries ......................5-6A Low: 41 Low: 44 Low: 48 Commentary......................4A Sports ............................1-3B PAGE 2A ✦ WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017 LOCAL THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO NEWS Retrial in place Events Today shop — 1 p.m. at Clovis Chamber of Commerce. end project. Registration is required. Information: ■ Preschool storytime — 10:30 a.m. at Cost: Free. RSVP by Wednesday. Information: 575-769-2811 Portales Public Library. Activity: Cinco de Mayo. 575-763-3435 ■ Afterschool at the Library — 4:30 p.m. at for next week Information: 575-356-3940■ Tween program — ■ National Day of Prayer — Noon at Curry Portales Public Library for grades K-6. Activity: 4:30 p.m. at Portales Public Library for ages 9- County CourtHouse or Legacy Life Church in Play your way. Information: 575-356-3940 BY THE STAFF OF THE NEWS year enhancement due to a 12. Activity: Xbox One free play. Information: case of inclement weather, Clovis. Information: ■ Three Rivers Education Foundation lit- prior drug trafficking convic- 575-356-3940 575-763-3435 eracy night — 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at Floyd school. CLOVIS — A retrial for a tion. ■ National Day of Prayer — Noon at Reading and games for all who come. Clovis man accused of first- The New Mexico Court of Thursday Roosevelt County Courthouse, Portales. Information: 575-478-2211 degree sexual penetration ■ Appeals ordered a new trial Teen program — 4:30 p.m. at Portales Information: 575-356-8541 remains in place for May 11- ■ Colour Creators Ongoing because the court did not Public Library for ages 13-18. Activity: Block out — 10 a.m. at Clovis- 12. poetry. Information: 575-356-3940■ Preschool Carver Public Library. Information: 575-763-9683 ■ Pintores artist of the month — Heather qualify an expert witness in Daniel Bayless, 43, storytime — 6 p.m. at Portales Public Library. Hancock is the featured artist for Mayl at Clovis- appeared before Ninth the original trial. Reeb said Activity: Cinco de Mayo. Information: 575-356- Tuesday Carver Public Library. Information: 575-769-7840 Judicial District Judge Fred the witness did have special- 3940 ■ Nonagenarian Tea — 2 p.m. at Baxter- ■ Young Masters juried student art show Van Soelen Tuesday morning ized knowledge, but was not ■ Carson & Barnes Circus — 4:30 p.m., Curren Activity Center, 908 Hickory, Clovis, for all — Through June 16 at Eula Mae Edwards with his attorney, Virginia determined to be an expert 7:30 p.m. at Curry County Events Center. senior citizens age 90 and older. Please RSVP.