FRIDAY,DEC. 29, 2017 Inside: 75¢ Hold your fire on New Year’s Eve. — Page 5B Vol. 89 ◆ No. 234 SERVING CLOVIS, PORTALES AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES EasternNewMexicoNews.com Transition, tragedy in Clovis ❏ Three hold city manager position across 2017. By Kevin Wilson MANAGING EDITOR [email protected] CLOVIS — For the city of Clovis, 2017 was a year with nothing left out. Whether it was transition, tragedy or triumph, every- thing played a part. Most recently, the city approved the first steps in what Mayor David Lansford said would set the current Clovis City Commission apart as a visionary body. After nearly a year of forma- tion, commis- sioners unani- year mously approved a in review master water 2017 plan focused on ensuring a 40-year supply of water for the city. Staff photo: Tony Bullocks The draft includes five action plans — Clovis firefighters climb a ladder to reach the roof at a house fire Wednesday afternoon on Wallace Street. effluent water reuse, water banking, playa lake restoration, conservation land and water trust and the Ute Water Project. The final plan is the long-discussed plan to Cold weather brings out firefighters pump water from the Ute Reservoir in Quay County to Eastern New Mexico BY THE STAFF OF THE NEWS visible in downtown Clovis before respon- Nolen said he was not sure how extensive Water Utility Authority members, with ders extinguished the blaze. the damage was but the utilities have been Clovis funding about three-quarters of the CLOVIS — It’s cold outside and that The entrance to the building appeared shut off due to the fire and the house cannot authority. means it’s house fire season. scorched as firefighters wrapped up but the be occupied. “I don’t think it’s going to make any Clovis firefighters were called to residen- building stayed intact. Nolen said the house won’t be inhabitable changes in my life,” Lansford said. “But it’s tial fires on Wednesday afternoon and “It’s just an abandoned, vacant building again until after the investigation is complete going to improve the quality of life for Thursday evening. and it was most likely arson,” said Battalion and the house has been determined to be up future citizens of eastern New Mexico.” While no injuries were reported, both fires Chief Dale Hand. “There’s no utilities to the to code. The water plan echoed to part of the caused damage and major problems for building.” Nolen said he did not know how many city’s transition, as well. Over the course of property owners. The official cause of the fire is still under people lived in the house or where they will the year the committee was led by On Thursday, firefighters were called to a investigation, Hand added. Firefighters have stay in the meantime, but an offer of assis- Commissioner Ladona Clayton, and more shed fire near 8th and Edwards streets in responded to a report of a fire at the same tance from the Red Cross was declined. than one city manager played a role. The Clovis about 5:15 p.m. A neighbor said she location at least once before in the past year. Nolen said there are always more fire haz- city had three overall for 2017. reported the fire a few minutes earlier after On Wednesday, firefighters responded to ards when the weather turns colder. First was Larry Fry, who came to the city seeing smoke from the small abandoned an attic fire at 1110 N. Wallace St. in Clovis. “All the heaters get turned on, the electric in April 2015. He left early in the year, suc- white building next to her house. It was under control in about 45 minutes, heaters are running more of the time and we ceeded by Tom Phelps as interim manager Two fire trucks and an ambulance were on Clovis Fire Chief Mike Nolen said. have more fires,” he said. in April. scene for close to an hour, with the intersec- Nolen said there was possibly insulation Nolen advised those especially with elec- Phelps’ run continued until October, tion on 8th Street blocked off by police burning in the attic and the fire was believed tric heaters to pay attention and make sure when Justin Howalt was hired for the spot. cruisers between Edward and Davis streets. to be electrical in nature, but the cause the cords do not get hot, as well as keeping In his six months, Phelps had plenty to deal A large plume of smoke from the fire was remains under investigation. children away from heaters. with. Just a few months into his time, the city faced tragedy when 12-year-old Gevion Lewis went under water during a July 4 swim with friends at Hillcrest Park. He was pulled out of the water a few min- Wind, storms pounded Roosevelt County utes later by first responders, but died two weeks later at a Lubbock hospital. The ❏ pond was drained when the water tested More than positive for cholera, and later filled. 60 miles of roads Additionally, new signs were placed at the pond to indicate swimming was not permit- damaged by weather. year ted there. Phelps was championed for his leader- By Eamon Scarbrough in review STAFF WRITER 2017 CLOVIS on Page 3A [email protected] this has mirrored or even exceeded, at this point, the dam- PORTALES — Roosevelt age that we sustained during the County had a wet and windy Goliath (snow) storm in 2015,” summer in 2017, with storms she said. flooding over 60 miles of roads and pulverizing homes and That work eventually culmi- File photo buildings. nated in a December declaration A large storm ripped through Roosevelt County on Aug. 3, by New Mexico Gov. Susana The weather ranked among severely damaging property, including Jon’s RV Storage on Martinez that the county receive the year’s top stories for county New Mexico 206. residents. up to $750,000 for “resources The largest storm of the sea- and services necessary to avoid miles,” she said. ing, our round pen was miss- or minimize economic and son hit on Aug. 3, flooding areas Several county residents were ing,” she said. north and west of Floyd through physical harm until the situation also affected by the Aug. 3 becomes stabilized.” Some structures were to parts of the county south of storm. destroyed in the storm, includ- Portales. Hamilton said the funds “Everything just went white ing Jon Skinner’s RV storage County Manager Amber would be used to repair roads, to because of the amount of hail Hamilton, seeing the scope of which rain damage was estimat- that was hitting the house,” said business. ed to be roughly $4.5 million. The building was devastated, the damage, met with state offi- Julie Rooney, who lives in south File photo cials just days after the storm hit “Though we will not be able Roosevelt County. with pieces scattered in a ditch to assess the situation. to repair each and every road “When it stopped briefly, we on the opposite end of New Teenager Nathaniel Jouett is charged “Our road department super- damaged this past summer, we looked out and our bird barn with the deadly shooting at the Clovis’ intendent said that, rurally, that will be able to repair numerous was missing, our shed was miss- ROOSEVELT on Page 3A library. Forecast: Today Saturday Sunday Index Calendars..........................2A Puzzles..............................8A Reach us at: High: 67 High: 59 High: 33 Classified ..........................8B Markets ............................2A (575) 763-3431 Comics ..............................7B Obituaries..........................2A Low: 26 Low: 24 Low: 13 Voices................................4A Sports ............................1-3B PAGE 2A ✦ FRIDAY, DEC. 29, 2017 LOCAL THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO NEWS Events calendar LOCAL ROUNDUP Ongoing The events calendar is a daily ■ Heat back on at Curry part. Chamber awards Artist of the month — Art listing of area events. To place an The tipster said that on Tuesday from Sarah Bice will be on exhibit item on the calendar, call the County offices night, a horse trailer carrying a welder nominations close today all month at Clovis-Carver Public newsroom at 575-356-4481 or e- Library. Information: 575-762- mail: CLOVIS — Just like Glenn Frey’s hit and air compressor was stolen from a CLOVIS — The Clovis/Curry 6359 [email protected] song from 1984, the heat is on at the property by Portales resident Justin County Chamber of Commerce is Curry County Administration Complex. Husted, 43, and was received by accepting nominations for its 2017 Less than a week after the main boil- Roosevelt County resident Shawn annual awards until 5 p.m. today. er malfunctioned at the building, locat- Castaldi, 45, according to Sheriff The nomination form can be down- EC ed at 417 Gidding, heat has been Malin Parker. loaded from the chamber’s website at D . 29 restored, according to a county news The property was reported stolen on clovisnm.org. release. Wednesday and recovered at approxi- Annual awards include 2017 On this date ... The boiler stopped working last mately 1 p.m. the same day at Citizen of the Year, 2017 Chamber Friday morning due to a short that 1972: Elida students Castaldi’s residence east of Portales, Volunteer of the Year, 2017 Business burned the boiler’s circulation motors, said Parker, adding that the anony- were performing a play of the Year, 2017 Heart Award, the according to Facilities Maintenance mous tip led to the quick recovery. called “Thirty Minutes with 2017 Ken Huey Patriot Award, 2017 Santa Claus.” Superintendent Ben Roberts. “We followed up on that tip and The clerk’s, assessor’s and treasurer’s recovered the property,” Parker said.