Serving Eastern New Mexico and West Texas
CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Voters overwhelmingly defeated two bond questions aimed at building a $33 million jail and courthouse. Sharna Johnson Curry County Commissioner Frank Blackburn doesn’t know what will happen next, but he heard voters’ message loud and clear on Tuesday. “The citizens of Curry County have spoken, so we’ll have to make […]
Liliana Castillo At midnight Tuesday, voters were approving three of the four bonds created by the 2010 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act with 92 percent of the votes in. Bonds A, B and C passed and Bond D failed. Bond C will devote more than $5 million in bonds to the improvement of public […]
CNJ staff photo: Alisa Boswell Nina Bjornsson takes her English 319 class back to the topic of literature Thursday after the class discussed voting. Alisa Boswell To vote or not? When the question was put to Eastern New Mexico University students recently, the answers revealed a deep divide. Just as many previous generations, this group […]
Tough decisions await voters Tuesday Over the past several months, the Curry County Commission, members of the court and county management have tried to answer and provide educational materials to every voter in Curry County on the complicated issues regarding the proposed judicial complex on this upcoming ballot. The two issues before the citizens of […]
It is up to voters to decide the question of general obligation bonds for the design and construction of a courthouse addition, as well as whether a 1/4 cent addition should be made to the county’s gross receipts tax, designated for the design and construction of detention center renovations and expansion. As a judge of […]
The following is a sample of the Nov. 2 general election ballot as it will appear to DeBaca County voters: United States RepresentativeDistrict 2Vote for one:• Harry Teague (D)• Steve Pearce (R) Governor and Lt. GovernorVote for one:• Diane D. Denish and Brian S. Colon (D)• Susana Martinez and John A. Sanchez (R)• Declared write […]
CNJ file photo Two Clovis men filed a petition Monday asking the court to force Curry County to remove an informational video that plays continuously in the the courthouse lobby. The petition claims the video violates state law regarding campaign materials near polling places. Two Clovis men filed a petition in district court Monday seeking […]
Sharna Johnson Overseas voters from New Mexico have been granted an extension after ballots in six counties, including Curry County, were sent out past deadline for the Nov. 2 General Election. To be counted, voting ballots sent to military and overseas voters — 844 total statewide, 102 of which missed the Sept. 18 deadline — […]
Liliana Castillo Curry County still has two magistrate court judges. But this election, voters will only have a chance to vote for the one that lives in their division. County commissioners, under court order to adopt an ordinance dividing magistrate elections into two divisions created on the basis of racial demographics, approved the change last […]
On Nov. 2, thoughtful voters have plenty of reasons to vote against the $33 million judicial complex that Curry County officials want. We believe they should vote no on the two tax issues that will be on the ballot, for these reasons, among others: • The jail’s poor construction is not why prisoners keep leaving […]
CNJ staff photo: Sharna Johnson District Judge Teddy Hartley points to a door inside the courthouse that has been blocked to secure the building. Court officials have said the building is outdated, has security flaws and is too crowded. Sharna Johnson Curry County has paid nearly $20,000 for a video, yard signs, brochures and mass […]
Staff and wire reports RUIDOSO — Lincoln County voters have approved a five-year gross receipts tax aimed at helping Ruidoso Downs racetrack. The tax proposal passed by 420 votes in Tuesday’s mail-in election. County officials reported 3,719 votes supporting the tax and 3,299 opposed. The county will increase the gross receipts tax by 3/16ths of […]
Lance Pyle The Curry County Commission voted Aug. 9 to put two critical issues on the November ballot, both related to the safety of Curry County residents. First, voters will decide whether to issue up to $16.5 million in general obligation bonds for the design and construction of a courthouse addition. The second question will […]
CNJ staff report The Melrose City Council approved a resolution Thursday supporting a proposed $33 million Curry County criminal justice complex. The council supported both ballot questions voters are being asked to approve in the Nov. 2 general election. County voters are being asked to approve a $16.5 million bond and a one-quarter cent increase […]
Voters will determine in Tuesday’s special election whether to support a $16 million bond issue for Clovis Municipal Schools construction projects. Those include building a third middle school and replacing one elementary school and several other significant remodeling and replacement projects. We urge voters to consider the following questions and applicable facts: • Are the […]
CNJ staff photo: Sharna Johnson Curry County Commissioners voted Monday to let voters decide if taxes will be raised to pay for a new courthouse and renovations to the existing historic courthouse on Main Street. CNJ staff Voters will be asked to decide in November if Curry County will raise taxes to get a new […]
CNJ staff Curry County commissioners meet Monday to consider posing a bond question to voters in the November general election. The bond, if approved by voters, would pay for a judicial complex. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the commission room at the courthouse. Commissioners will also consider a bid and contract for the […]
Freedom Newspapers Last week’s indictment of a Texas justice of the peace is just the latest in a long history of that state’s justices who either don’t know or don’t care about the laws they are sworn to enforce. A Hidalgo County grand jury indicted Mary Alice Palacios on three counts of official oppression for […]
Sharna Johnson County commissioners are expected to decide today if a proposed judicial complex that includes a new jail will be put before voters in the November General Election. The project is expected to cost $33 million split between a .25 percent gross receipts tax increase and a general obligation bond raising property taxes. The […]
