Year in review: Fires brought tragedy in 2023
Dec. 30—If eastern New Mexico's top news of 2023 had to be summarized in one word, that word would be fire.
House fires took the lives of six people in Clovis — four adults on Jan. 12 and two young children on May 3 — while a Sept. 3 fire at Walmart may have been the most economically significant blaze in Clovis' 116-year history.
The year's first tragedy happened just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 12 at 511 N. Wallace St. Neighbors said they could hear people inside the house screaming for help, but were unable to rescue the two men and two women inside.
Investigators said the cause of the blaze was undetermined, but they "could not rule out the portable stove or electrical system from the area of origin" as possible sources.
All four victims died from smoke inhalation, reports show. The smoke may have left them disoriented, one official speculated, preventing them from exiting the home.
Then on May 3, two toddlers died when a house at 206 Axtell caught fire about 9:30 a.m. A "small infant" and the baby's parents escaped the fire, officials said.
A police news release said the fire was not started by any of the large appliances in the area of the fire. The release also said it was unknown whether the fire was intentional, an act of neglect or an accident, but was being investigated as a "potential homicide."
No criminal charges had been filed in connection with the incident by year's end.
Criminal charges were filed in connection with the Walmart fire that officials estimated caused $42 million in damages.
Jimmy Guillen, 59, a transient who came to Clovis just a few days before the fire, was charged with arson and jailed without bond after being declared "dangerous and a threat to the community," District Attorney Quentin Ray said.
Security cameras show Guillen accessed the store after it had closed by walking through an area where shopping carts were kept.
Cameras also show him "grabbing multiple bottles of propane canisters off store shelves and starting a fire by placing a torch with an open flame on the shelves where other propane canisters are located," court records state.
Employees were stocking merchandise elsewhere in the store when the fire started, but all evacuated safely. Guillen was treated for burns, but no other injuries were reported.
Walmart, by far the region's largest retailer, was closed for about two months before a partial reopening in early November.
Multiple area grocery stores and meat markets — including the Walmart in Portales — reported substantial increases in business in the weeks following Walmart's shutdown. The Albertson's manager reported the store hired 49 new workers to accommodate the increase in customers.
The year's other top news stories:
The U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade put abortion at the top of many public entity agendas early in 2023.
The Clovis city commission on Jan. 3 and the Roosevelt County Commission on Jan. 10 approved ordinances that would ban abortion clinics in Clovis or unincorporated Roosevelt County.
The titles of both ordinances included the words, "to comply with federal law," referring to the 150-year-old Comstock Act, which prohibits the use of the U.S. Postal Service or any common carrier to deliver medical supplies and equipment intended for use in performing abortions.
The Clovis and Roosevelt County ordinances followed similar actions taken by the Hobbs city commission and the Lea County Commission.
The local actions spurred state government to challenge the eastern New Mexico ordinances, claiming they are "preempted by state law."
Lawyers for the municipalities countered they have the right to adopt federal laws.
The state Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue but had not made a ruling by year's end.
Mayor calls out commissioner
Clovis Mayor Mike Morris on June 23 publicly called for the resignation of City Commissioner David Bryant. Morris accused Bryant of "misuse, if not theft, of public funds."
The mayor alleged Bryant failed to attend a training seminar in Santa Fe, which the city paid about $650 for Bryant to attend.
Bryant said he attended the meeting, but declined to offer specifics or say how long he was there, just that, "I've attended every session of the program over my attendance at two separate offerings."
Bryant said the mayor's actions were "retaliation" for a disagreement over the anti-abortion ordinance the city passed in January.
Bryant resigned in August.
"The continued hostility directed at myself by others has become not just a distraction but the constant barrage of personal attacks has taken its toll on myself, my family and my constituency," he said. "I have decided that ultimately the best thing I can do for my community is to allow them access to a representative who hopefully is able to do what I was unable to do."
The Clovis city commission appointed Debbie Zamora to fill Bryant's District 3 seat.
CCC presidentNwankwo out
Clovis Community College trustees on Feb. 1 unanimously approved accepting the resignation of embattled President Charles Nwankwo.
Nwankwo had been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 3 after three faculty groups wrote letters saying they had "no confidence" in his leadership.
An Inspection of Public Records Act request filed by The News revealed the college agreed to pay Nwankwo his regular salary of $185,000 through Feb. 17, 2024, plus the cost of health insurance, an unspecified amount of accrued leave and other benefits. College trustees and Nwankwo also agreed they would not make disparaging comments against each other.
The college paid investigators more than $71,000 to look into allegations of misconduct against its former president, records showed, but results of that investigation were not made public.
Robin Jones, CCC's executive vice president of academic affairs, was named interim president.
Trustees have said they hope to have a new president hired by April.
Executive faces fraud charges
In November, the former longtime executive director of New Mexico Baptist Children's Home in Portales was charged with 28 felony counts of fraud.
Randy Rankin and Clovis contractor Jose Lopez were accused of bilking the charity of over $1 million over several years.
Rankin's attorney denied the allegations. "They're 100% false," Eric Dixon said.
Criminal deaths plague region
Clovis reported nine homicides in 2023, while Portales had two in addition to a reported murder-suicide.
None of the slayings appeared to be connected.
Three juveniles were tied to shooting deaths, including a 14-year-old boy, records show.
Weather outside:It was frightful
The year's most memorable weather event occurred May 24. That's when a supercell thunderstorm dumped more than 3 inches of rain across eastern New Mexico and left scores of area residents with broken windows and trees and damaged rooftops and vehicles.
Three tornadoes were confirmed, but the damage was caused by tennis-ball-size hail and winds reported in excess of 80 mph.
The days that followed saw more heavy rainfall, which closed roads and washed away a bridge under construction in Quay County.
The Agriculture Science Center located 13 miles north of Clovis recorded 10.26 inches of rain in May, making it one of the wettest Mays in the region's history.
The wettest May on record in Clovis was in 1941 when it claimed 11.87 inches of rain. Portales had 12.05 inches of rain in May 1941, and its record for moisture in May came in 1914 when it recorded 12.67 inches.
Another memorable 2023 day for weather extreme occurred Feb. 26.
High winds were blamed for three house fires in Muleshoe, the loss of a church roof in Portales and an estimated 10,000 homes being without electricity for hours.
Dora recorded an 84-mph wind gust and the entire region faced 60-mph sustained winds most of the day and into the evening. No serious injuries were reported, but trees, fences and power lines were knocked down by the storm.
And 2023 will also be remembered for excessive heat.
The region's summer saw 14 days in which temperatures climbed above 100 degrees, including three consecutive days three times, according to the National Weather service.
Portales city officials on June 28 declared a water emergency due to "a combination of extended drought, extreme heat and a decline in wellfield capacity."
The designation, which remained in place at year's end, banned outdoor landscape watering except for trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens. Failure to follow the restrictions would result in disconnection of water service, city officials said.
NWS officials said August was among the hottest months recorded in New Mexico history. The ag center north of Clovis recorded the mean temperature for August 2023 at 94.0 degrees, compared to 86.3 in August 2022.
Transitions
A number of well-known, longtime public officials and local celebrities passed away in 2023.
They included:
Duane Ryan, the man credited with bringing the Public Broadcasting Service television network to Portales, died on April 6. He was 90.
Ryan was director of broadcasting at Eastern New Mexico University for almost 50 years before retiring in March.
He was inducted into the New Mexico Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2015.
Jimmy Joe Robinson, one of the region's most successful basketball coaches over a career that spanned three-plus decades, died June 11. He was 87.
Robinson led Clovis High School to eight state basketball tournaments, including a state championship in 1979.
He won three state championships at Melrose after retiring from Clovis.
Longtime Eastern New Mexico University football coach Carl Richardson died Aug. 16. He was 102.
Richardson was the Greyhounds' head coach for 17 seasons, compiling a 59-37 record. His team was undefeated in 1957.
In all, he coached 37 years at ENMU, guiding teams and individuals in tennis, golf, baseball, basketball and track.
Clovis' Rothschild's giraffe, Jael, died of a heart attack on Nov. 11, city officials said. She was 22,
Hillcrest Park Zoo Director Stephanie Chavez said Jael had not appeared sick prior to her death, which occurred overnight when zookeepers were not present. Chavez said giraffes usually live 20 to 25 years in captivity.
Jael was 16 months old when she arrived at Hillcrest Park Zoo in November 2002. She quickly became one of the zoo visitors' most talked-about attractions. She was mother to the zoo's only other giraffe, Jerrica, who was born Jan. 25, 2012.
Curry County Sheriff Mike Reeves, whose law-enforcement career spanned more than 35 years, died Dec. 4 in a hotel room in Santa Fe where he was attending training. He was 59.
Officials did not announce a cause of death but Undersheriff Michael Brockett said no foul play was suspected.
Reeves was among the initial group of law officers who entered the Clovis-Carver Public Library on Aug. 28, 2017, minutes after a mass shooting left two dead and others injured. He was awarded a citation for valor for his actions that day.
Reeves, who enjoyed a second career as a nurse, also was recognized for saving the life of a choking child in August of 2008.
Several public events honored Reeves' service, including an "End of watch" ceremony outside the county courthouse on Dec. 9. Police Capt. Roman Romero played "Taps" and "Amazing Grace" on trumpet.
"The performance of 'Amazing Grace' was on the fly," Romero said. "(It) wasn't practiced or planned ... we didn't have a bagpiper and my friend rated 'Amazing Grace.'"
Wilma Fulgham, one of the region's most iconic promoters of the Western lifestyle, died Dec. 5. She was 92.
Fulgham grew up milking cows and raising chickens on a ranch in Melrose during the 1930s, delivered newspapers horseback as a teenager, and became New Mexico's first State Fair queen in 1950.
She was elected to the Miss America Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2008 and was a director of the High Plains Historical Foundation, devoted to preserving the history of the Clovis area.
She was perhaps best known for 64 years spent mentoring girls competing in the Miss Rodeo New Mexico pageant.
Other transitions
In April, Presbyterian Healthcare Systems officials announced Plains Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Jorge Cruz had decided to "step away" from his position as of May 26. In September, PRMC announced Bill Priest would succeed Cruz. Priest comes to Clovis from Wisconsin, where he was president of Marshfield Medical Center in Eau Claire, overseeing the operations of a 56-bed hospital and surrounding clinic operations, the news release sated.
James Johnston was inaugurated as the 12th president and third chancellor at Eastern New Mexico University on May 5. Johnston was selected for the job among dozens of applicants and moved into the position in January.
State Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, announced Oct. 25 he is stepping down after 39 years as a New Mexico lawmaker. Ingle, 75, served 10 terms in the Senate after first being elected in 1984. The governor had not named his successor by year's end.
Portales Mayor Ron Jackson announced Nov. 28 he would step down at year's end due to health reasons. City Council members named Mike Miller his successor.
Bill Allred, Clovis High School's band director since 2001, announced plans Dec. 5 to retire at the end of the school year. Under Allred's direction, the Wildcats have been the top-performing New Mexico band at the prestigious Zia Marching Band Fiesta 15 times since 2003. Allred said he plans to go "back east, closer to family" and pursue another position teaching music.
Portales Municipal Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain announced in December he plans to retire at the end of the school year. He's been PMS superintendent 11 years and an educator for 30 years. He said he plans to spend more time with his family and enjoying his hobbies.
In Curry County, Assessor Randa Jesko resigned abruptly in October without public explanation. Commissioners in December named Sam Kelley, an employee in the assessor's office, Jesko's successor until after the November 2024 election. Curry County commissioners also in December named Brockett sheriff until after the November 2024 election.
That was weird
Former House schools Superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot was honored — and ousted.
In March she was placed on paid administrative leave after parents complained about her handling of an alleged threat made against a student. In July, the House school board and Lightfoot agreed to end her employment there and pay her $180,000 in a lump sum.
Then in July, the New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders named Lightfoot New Mexico Schools Superintendent of the Year, citing her "visionary leadership, dedication to inclusivity and a relentless focus on student success."
And there was some good news
— Ernie Kos, executive director of the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce, said the best thing that happened to Clovis in 2023 was the Sendero housing complex, which opened off Llano Estacado in late summer.
"(It's) an off-base dormitory leased as a result of a partnership between Cannon and local community leaders," Kos said.
Officials said building a dorm on a military installation could cost more than $85 million. The public-private partnership allowed the military to partner with civilian contractors who were able to build Sendero for about $3 million, according to Sendero owner Brenner Campbell.
Sendero has room for about 200 airmen and helps alleviate a housing shortage on base.
Kos said the complex is "the first of its kind in the Air Force" and she credited the Committee of 50, the area's military support group, for the initiative.
— Cannon Air Force Base hosted its first air show since 2018 on April 22.
An estimated 11,500 capacity crowd attended. Cannon officials began turning others away in the early afternoon with a line of cars a mile long waiting outside the base gates.
— Jennifer Goble-Poyer, who starred at Eastern New Mexico University in women's basketball and volleyball, was selected to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame on June 26.
Goble-Poyer became the first former ENMU student athlete inducted into the Hall, according to a news release from ENMU's John Houser.
Tucumcari native Danny Villanueva, who played eight seasons in the NFL, was also selected.
— Clovis teenager Kyan Wilhite won the tie-down roping title July 22 at the 75th National High School Finals Rodeo.
Wilhite, 17, had a three-run cumulative score of 27.24 seconds.
He picked up $2,000 in college scholarships, a saddle, boots and a year's supply of jeans and shirts among other prizes.
— Yes, that's a new Santa Fe Railway sign at the end of Clovis' Main Street. Well, it's actually the same sign, but with new neon.
BNSF had it shipped to Albuquerque for lights to be replaced. It was gone about two months but returned in time for the annual Christmas parade, reminding all to "Be Safe."
And kangaroos hopped into town
Some of the best news of 2023 arrived in Clovis on Feb. 17. That's when a male and female joey came to Clovis' Hillcrest Park Zoo from an exotic animal breeder south of Dallas.
The kangaroos, soon to be named Pepper and Jack, were both 7-8 months old on arrival and not much bigger than jackrabbits. They were bottle fed in the arms of zoo staff — and by multiple members of the community excited to interact with the hoppers before they got too big.
By Christmas the roos were on exhibit, next to the bears. They are far too big and wild and strong to hold now. Both are about 3 1/2 feet tall.
Weight?
"Not sure," Zoo Director Chavez said, "we haven't weighed them since they were little. They won't let us now."
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