Mere weeks after state officers eased COVID-19 restrictions, the illness got here roaring again in the course of the second half of 2021 within the type of the fast-spreading Delta variant.
The numbers inform the grim story in Quay County: Greater than 1,000 confirmed instances of the illness had been reported after July 1, greater than tripling the overall quantity for the reason that pandemic started in early 2020.
The variety of complete COVID-19 deaths rose within the county from 11 on July 1 to twenty-eight by means of Dec. 30. That included greater than a dozen confirmed deaths in lower than eight weeks within the fall.
State officers reported an unlimited variety of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 resulted amongst individuals who had been unvaccinated, although waning efficacy of vaccinations greater than six months previous additionally performed a smaller issue. Quay County’s vaccination charge has lagged greater than 20 proportion factors behind the state common.
On account of surging instances generally, the state reimposed indoor masks mandates, no matter vaccination standing, in July.
Later within the yr, state well being officers urged boosters of vaccines, citing declining efficacy after six months of the preliminary sequence of pictures.
The specter of the Omicron variant, which first was detected in New Mexico in early December, additionally loomed. Well being officers conceded Omicron was extra contagious than any earlier variant however remained not sure on the severity of its well being results or how efficient vaccinations could be in opposition to it.
Quay County additionally noticed transitions to longtime companies. Del’s Restaurant, Tucumcari’s oldest eatery, acquired a brand new proprietor. Love’s Equipment Gross sales and Service additionally noticed its first possession change in almost 50 years.
Listed here are the opposite high tales within the Quay County Solar, listed by version date, in the course of the second half of 2021.
Tucumcari native acquires Del’s
July 7: A Tucumcari native fulfilled his dream of buying town’s oldest restaurant after working there as a younger teenager. Chase Waters, 30, closed the deal on Del’s Restaurant, which has operated on Route 66 since 1956.
Officer videoed physique slamming suspect
July 14: The actions of two Tucumcari cops will endure an inside evaluate after one was seen on video selecting up and slamming a suspect to the bottom throughout an arrest at a grocery retailer lot. The officers later had been cleared of wrongdoing.
Masks mandate lifted for the vaccinated
July 21: New Mexico secondary-school college students, together with academics, employees and volunteers, is not going to be required to put on masks at college this fall in the event that they present they’re absolutely vaccinated, in accordance with new steering issued by the Public Training Division.
Roch named superintendent of yr
July 28: Logan Municipal Faculties superintendent Dennis Roch was named 2021 New Mexico Superintendent of the 12 months by his friends.
La Plaza Court docket restoration begins
Aug. 4: David Brenner, proprietor of the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, launched into a quest he is deliberate for about seven years – restoring the west facet of a long-closed property that was La Plaza Court docket motel.
Senior Heart reopens
Aug. 4: For the primary time in 16 months, the Tucumcari Senior Heart opened to serve meals to its purchasers inside its facility after being closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Metropolis spending cuts authorized
Aug. 4: The Tucumcari Metropolis Fee authorized a remaining price range for fiscal yr 2022 that exhibits a deficit of about $417,000 and assigns spending cuts starting from 2% to 7%.
Rattlers reunite
Aug. 11: An even bigger-than-expected crowd of an estimated 450 to 500 Tucumcari Excessive College alumni descended on town for the fiftieth version of the Rattler Reunion.
County to obtain cash for street security
Aug. 11: Quay County’s street superintendent advised county commissioners it’s going to obtain $1.5 million from the state to make security enhancements to the intersection of U.S. 54 and Airport Highway northeast of Tucumcari.
State reimposes masks mandate
Aug. 18: New Mexico’s governor introduced she was re-implementing a statewide requirement that every one masks be worn in all indoor settings no matter a person’s vaccination standing.
Logan removes masks decision from agenda
Aug. 18: The Logan Board of Training was scheduled to vote on a decision opposing the state’s masks mandate, however divided board members eliminated it from the agenda earlier than they might take motion.
MCC enrollment greater than quadruples
Aug. 25: The president of Mesalands Neighborhood Faculty reported early enrollment on the faculty had greater than quadrupled in comparison with the identical time final yr.
Storm causes outages, flooding
Sept. 1: A extreme thunderstorm system that parked itself over Tucumcari for a number of hours precipitated energy outages, flooding and property injury that included a wind gust ripping a roof from a Mesalands Dinosaur Museum storage constructing.
Equipment retailer adjustments palms
Sept. 8: Love’s Equipment Gross sales & Service in downtown Tucumcari formally modified palms after being owned by Ray and Norma Love since 1973. Longtime worker Robert Marroquin took over the keys to the enterprise.
Tucumcari inhabitants falls barely
Sept. 8: Tucumcari’s inhabitants dropped barely within the 2020 census in comparison with 10 years in the past, however its decline was smaller in comparison with many earlier census counts. The precise rely additionally exceeded the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 estimate.
New murals painted
Sept. 15: Two new murals commissioned by the founding father of The Most Well-known Artist collective had been painted on buildings final week that had been half of a bigger effort to convey extra artwork and financial growth to Tucumcari, with a mural competition attainable within the spring.
Tucumcari’s fireplace ranking falls
Sept. 15: Tucumcari owners seemingly would see a rise of their insurance coverage premiums attributable to a fire-protection ranking downgrade. Town supervisor expressed optimism it’s going to have its earlier ranking restored earlier than mid-2022.
Altrusa chapter wins award
Sept. 22: The Tucumcari chapter of the Altrusa Worldwide group gained a global award for its efforts in offering literacy merchandise to native academics.
Ambulance totaled in wreck
Sept. 22: The Tucumcari Metropolis Fee throughout an emergency assembly accepted a proposal to purchase a brand new ambulance after a county deputy’s automobile two days earlier crashed into and totaled its solely well-working ambulance.
Logan approves decision to PED
Sept. 22: The Logan Board of Training authorized a decision to the New Mexico Public Training Division that calls for extra native decision-making by faculty districts, however not earlier than no less than two residents criticized the board for not difficult the state’s masks mandate.
Man walks away from crash at airport
Sept. 22: A Tennessee pilot walked away with no obvious accidents after his small airplane crashed and burned at Tucumcari Municipal Airport.
Metropolis to purchase ambulance
Sept. 29: Town of Tucumcari will purchase an indication automobile to interchange an ambulance broken in an accident Sept. 13, utilizing an emergency allocation from the state.
Trucker receives award
Oct. 6: A pioneering Tucumcari trucker, Betty Aragon, earned the Firm Driver of the 12 months award and $25,000 in the course of the Truckload Carriers Affiliation’s conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Medical transport corporations fined
Oct. 6: A Tucumcari lady’s complaints a few driver’s “excessive and weird” conduct prompted state regulators to fantastic two nonemergency medical transportation corporations and impose new rules.
State imposes rationed healthcare
Oct. 13: The New Mexico Division of Well being introduced it’s enacting disaster requirements of care at hospitals due to widespread nursing shortages and stubbornly excessive instances of COVID-19, largely amongst unvaccinated individuals.
Metropolis approves hashish guidelines
Oct. 20: The Tucumcari Metropolis Fee unanimously authorized a remaining model of its hashish regulation ordinance after minor adjustments concerning out of doors cultivation of the vegetation.
College boards petition to pause replace
Oct. 20: The San Jon and Logan faculty boards, cautious of the alleged affect of crucial race principle and different issues, every voted to petition the state’s training division to “pause” or sluggish a deliberate replace of social research requirements.
Rural fireplace districts to obtain grants
Oct. 27: The New Mexico Hearth Grant Council introduced 5 rural departments in Quay County would obtain greater than $850,000 in grants for tools for fiscal yr 2021.
Hearth destroys historic Quay residence
Oct. 27: A suspicious fireplace destroyed a virtually century-old home that when served as Quay’s publish workplace, retailer and gasoline station a long time in the past.
MCC grasp plan authorized
Oct. 27: The Mesalands Neighborhood Faculty board of trustees formally authorized a remaining draft of its 10-year grasp plan that features new residence halls, a black-box theater, a 9-acre photo voltaic farm and eleventh Road being transformed to the campus’ most important entrance.
FFA college students nationwide champs
Nov. 3: Two Tucumcari FFA members had been topped nationwide champions within the Social Science 2 division in the course of the Nationwide FFA Agriscience Truthful.
Maestas wins municipal decide seat
Nov. 3: Christopher Maestas prevailed in a three-way battle for Tucumcari municipal decide in the course of the native normal election.
Tucumcari man accused of taking pictures at cops
Nov. 17: A Tucumcari man confronted eight felony counts after he was accused of taking pictures at metropolis cops after an tried site visitors cease. Nobody was damage.
Tucumcari wins first district volleyball title since 1979
Nov. 10: The Tucumcari Excessive College volleyball workforce gained its first district title in additional than 40 years, defeating New Mexico Navy Institute 25-20, 25-19, 25-22 at Roswell.
Suspect charged in bear spray incident
Nov. 24: A person confronted 4 felony legal prices after he was accused of spraying bear spray on two individuals, then punching a Tucumcari police officer and making an attempt to seize his weapons.
New Mexico Journal honors native man
Nov. 24: A Tucumcari man was certainly one of 10 individuals honored this yr as New Mexico Journal’s True Heroes for his work in serving to the poor and homeless through the Ministry of Hope.
Ballpark plan will get remaining approval
Nov. 24: The Tucumcari Public Faculties board gave unanimous remaining approval to a scaled-down ballpark redevelopment plan, set to start building subsequent summer time.
Metropolis approves increased charges for conference heart
Nov. 24: The Tucumcari Metropolis Fee spent a piece of its assembly on Tucumcari Conference Heart issues, together with the ability’s first price will increase since 2015.
Meat processing facility to open
Dec. 1: Three members of 1 household quickly will open Tucumcari’s first meat-processing facility in a long time. Triple E Customized Meats southeast of Tucumcari solely will butcher cattle and hogs for space farmers, but in addition wild recreation comparable to deer and elk throughout searching season.
County suicide deaths soar
The variety of deaths by suicide in Quay County jumped from one in 2019 to seven in 2020, in accordance with knowledge launched by the New Mexico Division of Well being.
‘Bands’ reduces funding request
Dec. 8: The principals for “Bands of Enchantment” lowered their request for metropolis lodgers tax funds from $300,000 to $200,000 to supply a second season of the music tv present in Tucumcari.
Meals firm considers Tucumcari
Dec. 15: A consultant from the state’s financial growth division advised Quay County commissioners that Paulita’s New Mexico was contemplating a second location in Logan or shifting its operations to Tucumcari.
Hashish ordinance could must be amended
Dec. 15: As a result of a metropolis lawyer’s oversight, Tucumcari’s metropolis supervisor mentioned the city’s hashish ordinance will must be amended or changed, presumably delaying authorized gross sales of leisure marijuana by native companies in early 2022.
Greater than 200 boosters distributed
Dec. 15: A mass-vaccination occasion on the Quay County Fairgrounds distributed greater than 200 COVID-19 booster pictures to residents whereas native an infection caseloads continued to surge.
Tucumcari, San Jon amongst STEM winners
Dec. 22: Groups from Tucumcari’s and San Jon’s excessive colleges had been amongst 30 winners within the third annual New Mexico Governor’s STEM Problem.
Card draw decides Home village seat
Dec. 22: Incumbent Anita Allen gained a card draw in opposition to challenger Steve Foust to maintain her spot on the Home village board after their race within the November election resulted in a tie. The opposite tie within the village board race was determined when one of many candidates conceded.
