NM graduation rate improving

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TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014
50 cents
N.M. graduation rate improving
JAYCIE CHESSER
NEWS-SUN
After being ranked at the bottom
and at times dead last of education
lists for years, New Mexico’s high
school graduation rate is starting to
see some favorable results.
“We have, for the last three years,
had a steady increase in our graduation rates,” TJ Parks, Hobbs schools
superintendent, said. “In 2011 it was
69.8, in 2012 it was 78.9 and in 2013 it
was 81.8.”
According to a report released by
Education Week, a weekly newspaper
reporting on American education
issues, the state’s graduation rate
increased more than any other state’s
between 2007 and 2012.
“We know that when students graduate from high school, their opportunities for success in life improve, as
does the quality of the work force in
our state,” Gov. Susana Martinez said
in a statement. “But as we raise standards and put an emphasis on graduation, the response from our teachers
and students should be commended.
We must continue this progress.”
The report found in 2012, 74 percent
of New Mexico’s high school seniors
graduated in four years, up 15 percentage points from 2007 when 59 percent graduated on time.
Education Week’s method of calculating graduation rates was based on
a survey from the National Center for
Education Statistics. This differs
from the state’s method, which tracks
individual students.
“Gov. Martinez’s education reforms
have started to work and show positive results,” State Rep. David
Gallegos R-Eunice, and Eunice
Schools board member said.
The report states that the Martinez
administration adopted an education
reform that establishes an A-F grading system for schools, making it simpler and easier for students and parents to understand the performance
level of their educational institution.
In addition, the Public Education
Department has put into effect
teacher evaluations, which are to
ensure teachers in need of assistance
receive it, while teachers excelling in
the classroom are recognized.
These measures have been under
fire from teachers, parents and other
similar groups in their effectiveness
to help with the educational process.
Teacher and parents groups have stated the additional time for testing,
which the teacher evaluations are
graded from in part, take too much
SEE GRADUATION, Page 4
New CDC
director
named
The EUNICE CITY
COUNCIL will meet at
5:30 p.m. today at
Eunice City Hall, 1106
Avenue J. For more
information, call 3942576.
NEWS-SUN STAFF REPORT
which are being built as we speak. The
back-up is working well so far, but at
this time we don’t have main power.”
Lovington received mild damage
compared to Eunice and Hobbs.
After three months of searching, the Community Drug
Coalition (CDC) of Lea County
announced the hiring of
Rhonda Tyler as its executive
director effective July 1.
Tyler has a Bachelor of
Science degree from College of
the Southwest, a Master of
Education
degree
from
University of Florida and is
currently completing an Ed.D.
Educational Leadership degree
from
Liberty
University,
Lynchburg, Va. She has spent 23
years in the education field.
“We are happy to have an executive director of this caliber,”
said Kathi Bearden, chairwoman of the
CDC board.
Tyler recently worked
at University
of the Southwest as associate provost
of
Student
Success
&
Community
Engagement.
She has also Tyler
worked
at
Hobbs Municipal Schools as a
math specialist and Advanced
Placement mathematics teacher
and has served as a part-time
CASA coordinator for CASA of
Lea County.
A Hobbs native, Tyler is passionate about the tenets of the
CDC mission and has a life long
commitment to the community
and Lea County.
“The board is excited about
the opportunity to work with
Rhonda,” said Bearden. “She
brings education, knowledge
and a deep commitment that
will ensure success of our mission and goals.”
The CDC of Lea County has
been without an executive
director for almost three
months after previous executive
director Dennis Kelley left.
“We had a real tight search
originally. Then we expanded
the search and once we did that
we got quite a few more
résumés,” Bearden said.
Tyler has volunteered with
The United Way of Lea County,
Rotary Club, Habitat for
Humanity,
MyPower
and
College of the Southwest Board
of Trustees, among others. She
SEE STORM, Page 4
SEE CDC, Page 4
The Hobbs Public
Library Children’s
Department hosts
MAD SCIENTISTS for
fourth- through sixthgraders from 10-10:55
a.m., Wednesday. The
programs are free,
but registration is
required. For more
information, call 3979328.
Inside Today
Obituaries ...........................2
Lottery.................................2
Mark the date ....................3
Fun & Games ......................5
Weather ..............................6
Public records .....................6
Sports ..................................7
Scoreboard..........................8
Classifieds..........................10
TV ......................................12
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575.392.0664
KIMBERLY RYAN/NEWS-SUN
Israel Villegas examines his dad’s tree at 2209 N. Fowler that snapped in half after being struck by lightning Saturday
night. The National Weather Service confirmed 13 tornados struck New Mexico in storms over the weekend.
Thirteen tornados reported across New Mexico last weekend
Storm damage hits Lea County
JAYCIE CHESSER
NEWS-SUN
According to the National Weather
Service, 13 confirmed tornados struck
New Mexico in storms that descended
over the past weekend.
Lea County managed to escape the
twisters. However, a few cities in the
area still experienced damage resulting from high winds, lightning and
hail among other things.
“I know of two trees here in Hobbs
that were damaged,” J.J. Murphy,
Hobbs city manager, said. “There is
one on Fowler and one on Zia.”
The massive tree located in the front
yard of a home belonging to resident
Eric Villegas on Fowler snapped clean
in half after being struck by lightning
Saturday.
“We were actually on vacation when
it happened and we had my sister-inlaw looking after the house,” Villegas
said. “Fortunately it didn’t fall onto
the house but we are still going to have
an insurance adjuster come out and
inspect it because some of the outlets
and panels in the front of the house
were damaged.”
Gusts were recorded as high as 58
miles per hour during the weekend,
lightning storms could be seen from
miles around and golf ball size hail
was reported in some locations.
A tree section lays across a yard at the corner of Zia and Alto after
Saturday night’s storm.
“We had a lightning strike that blew
out the electrical breakers and switches in our sewer plant, so we are running on back-up power right now,”
Mary Moore, Eunice city manager,
said. “All of the breakers are big so we
had to special order replacements,
Cell: 575.631.8789
4220 Lovington Highway
Hobbs, New Mexico 88240
email: [email protected]
website: www.hobbstrailersnm.com
David Moghaddam - Owner
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REBECCA
LONG
226 W. Vega
Hobbs, NM
88240
575-393-2661
[email protected]
auto • home • life • commercial
Hobbs man beats stage four colon cancer
JAYCIE CHESSER
NEWS-SUN
Bruce Keen, 56, a Hobbs native, was
diagnosed with stage four colon cancer
nearly four years ago. Today, the cancer
survivor lives to tell his tale.
“It was a life changer,” Keen said. “I
was devastated when I found out.”
Keen has been in remission now for 19
months. However, he still has to receive
regular CT scans every three months to
ensure the cancer does not return.
“Cancer runs in my family,” Keen said,
“but it’s one of those things you don’t
expect to ever happen to you.”
In stage four colon cancer, the disease
has spread through the blood and lymph
Relay for Life
nodes to other parts of the body, such as
the lung, liver or abdominal wall.
“I had to undergo colon resection surgery and 24 months of chemotherapy,”
Keen said. “It was horrible. I was very
sick, always tired and just worn out.”
During the resection procedure, part of
Keen’s colon was completely removed.
“My surgery was done in Lubbock, my
chemotherapy here in Hobbs at Kymera
and I had to go to MD Anderson in
SEE CANCER, Page 4
Bruce Keen, a
stage four
colon cancer
survivor,
poses with
grandkids
Maddie (left),
Liam (in
back), Jack (in
front) and
Mackenzie
(right).
SUBMITTED PHOTO
FROM
HOBBS NEWS-SUN • TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014
Pearce backs Chaves
chicken decision
FOR THE NEWS-SUN
Last week, Chaves County
Commissioners became the
latest local leaders to stand up
against the federal government in the fight against the
Obama
administration’s
increasing agenda to target
New Mexico ranchers, oil and
gas producers, industry and
jobs.
The county commission has
decided to join in an effort by
the Permian Basin Petroleum
Association, and others, to sue
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Department of
the Interior to overturn the
recent disastrous prairie
chicken listing as a threatened
species.
“I support Chaves County in
its decision to stand up to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
against its destructive decision to list the prairie chicken,” said Congressman Steve
Pearce, R-N.M. “The FWS’s
decision to cater to environmental groups and disregard
science will devastate New
Mexico’s way of life. New
Mexicans will pay the price in
lost jobs, industry, ranching
and oil and gas production.
This is a federal government
that is out of control. The only
way change can occur is when
local citizens and their leaders, like those in Chaves
County, start standing up and
demanding it.”
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT
NEWS-SUN
Ready, aim, fire
TOP: Anahi Grado receives
archery instruction from
Eric Menchaca Monday at
the Hobbs Teen Center. This
beginner level class combines structured archery
program with drills and
skills. This is the second of
three monthly sessions. All
participants must be at
least eight years old and
children under 17 are free.
Equipment is provided.
LEFT: Ealen Clayton puts
maximum effort into a shot
during the archery lesson.
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) —
Advocates are keeping the
pressure on Albuquerque
police to quickly adopt
reforms amid a pending U.S.
Justice Department agreement.
Activists from a number of
New Mexico organizations on
Monday launched a new campaign aimed at advocating for
Albuquerque
Police
Department
reforms.
Meanwhile,
demonstrators
arrested for staging a sit-in at
the Albuquerque mayor’s
office are planning to picket
outside of a scheduled city
council meeting.
Last week, 13 demonstrators
were arrested for their role in
holding a sit-in inside Mayor
Richard Berry’s office.
The sit-in forced city officials
to reschedule a city council
meeting. Officials said that
rescheduling stalled important business.
The city is negotiating with
the Justice Department over
police reforms after the federal agency issued a report criticizing the police department’s
use of force.
New trail opens
in Cloudcroft
CLOUDCROFT (AP) — A
new trail in the Lincoln
National Forest is officially
open to the public.
The Alamogordo Daily News
says the New Mexico Rails to
Trails Association inaugurated the trail over the weekend.
President Grady Nicholson
said during a ribbon-cutting
ceremony Saturday that the
trail is part of the original
railroad bed that came
through around 1900. The railroad connects Alamogordo to
Cloudcroft.
Nicholson says the group
funded a bridge to connect the
new trail section to the Trestle
Recreation Area Trails.
Bonnie Brooks, who owns
the property the trail runs on,
decided to deed it over to Rails
to Trails. Brooks can have
access to the property until
death or until she official
gives it to the group.
Epsom salt and a broken
windshield
landed
a
Lovington
man
in
jail
Saturday with drug charges.
Allen Palmer, 42, was arrested and charged with manufacture, distribution/possession
of an imitation controlled substance, a fourth-degree felony,
and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.
Palmer was also cited with
several traffic citations.
According to police reports,
while on patrol on Jefferson
Street, Hobbs police officers
noticed a passenger vehicle
with a broken windshield
allegedly driven by Palmer.
Officers performed a traffic
stop on the vehicle and noticed
the registration expired in
2012.
Hobbs Police Department
policy states that if a vehicle
has an expired registration of
more than 30 days, the vehicle
needs to be impounded.
Palmer told officers that he
allegedly had just purchased
the vehicle and had not registered it yet. He was cited with
vehicles subject with registra-
tion, drivers must be licensed
and no proof of insurance.
The report stated that while
the
vehicle
was
being
impounded, Palmer was free to
go but decided to stay.
While doing inventory of the
vehicle before it being towed,
officers found a small plastic
bag with a white crystallized
substance consistent with the
packaging of illegal narcotics
and a small, purple cloth bag
with six hypodermic needles.
The substance was tested
with a Narcotic Information
Kit and it tested negative for
drugs.
While being interviewed by
officers, Palmer told police
that the substance was Epsom
salt that a friend packaged to
resemble narcotics to sell “to a
person he was mad at,” the
report stated.
He also said the hypodermic
needles belonged to the same
friend.
Palmer was booked on a
$5,000 bond.
Christian Betancourt can be
reached at [email protected]
or 391-5446.
FREE ELECTRICITY
From the Sun
Escaped suspect killed
by Carlsbad police
Activists pushing
police reforms
4
Lovington man
arrested on controlled
substance charge
Briefs
CARLSBAD (AP) — New
Mexico State Police say
they’re investigating a fatal
shooting involving Carlsbad
police officers.
State police say a man died in
Monday’s shooting, but didn’t
immediately
release
any
details.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus
reports that 24-year-old Troy
Kirkpatrick was shot by
Carlsbad police about 10 a.m.
at the Tia Maria apartment
complex.
The
newspaper
says
Kirkpatrick had escaped from
custody and was facing burglary charges.
He reportedly was taken to
the Carlsbad Medical Center,
where he died of his wounds.
THE FRONT PAGE
LEFT BOTTOM: Gasper
Grado pulls his arrows from
a target Monday during an
archery lesson offered at
Hobbs Teen Center.
KIMBERLY RYAN/NEWS-SUN
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MEET: SOLAR FRED
Cancer
HOBBS RELAY FOR LIFE
from PAGE 1
Houston as well,” Keen said. “Luckily I have a
job (has worked for Schlumberger for 27 years)
that allowed me to take time off whenever I
need it to get my health issues taken care of. I
was out for 10 weeks alone after my surgery.”
Keen has been married for 37 years and has
two daughters and four grandchildren.
“I definitely didn’t want to leave them
behind,” he said. “My daughters and my wife
were really there to support me through everything and the doctors and nursing staff at
Kymera are awesome.”
Keen said he plans to help out with the annual
Hobbs Relay for Life Friday night and Saturday.
“I have always wanted to go to the relay for life
but for whatever reasons, haven’t been able to
in the past,” Keen said. “I definitely want to
help out in any way I can this year.”
Relay for life is a platform for the community
to fight back against cancer and honor cancer
Graduation
from PAGE 1
time from the overall learning
experience of the students.
However, this doesn’t change
the fact that graduation rates
I WHERE: Harry McAdams Park, 500 Jack
Gomez Blvd., Hobbs
I WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday
I EVENTS: Relay for Life, survivors lap,
luminaria ceremony, pageant, bone marrow donor drive
I FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 575318-9982 or 575-631-2985 or visit relayforlife.org/hobbsnm
survivors in the area by running or walking
various distances.
“I think it is pretty cool that we can fight cancer right here in Hobbs now and do a good job of
it,” Keen said.
Jaycie Chesser can be reached at 391-5436 or at
[email protected].
are improving. According to
Gallegos.
“Let’s be grateful for the
direction we are headed, and
always remember to thank our
educators,” Gallegos said.
“PED, school boards, nor the
Storm
from PAGE 1
“We haven’t had anything major reported,”
James Williams, Lovington city manager, said.
“Other than tree limbs and leaves scattered by
the wind, that was it.”
Tatum and Jal managed to stay out of harm’s
way.
“We experienced no damage whatsoever,” Bob
Gallagher, Jal city manager, said. “We had a
good amount of rain, lightning and thunder but
we haven’t had any calls about trees down or
any concern about power lines, so we didn’t
experience anything but a nice rain.”
The National Weather Service affirmed tornado touchdowns in the nearby cities of Clovis,
CDC
from PAGE 1
was named Outstanding Young Woman by the
Hobbs Jaycees in l997 and Educator of the Year
by the Hobbs Jaycees in 2005.
“According to economist and speaker Thomas
Sowell, ‘Knowledge is the scarcest resource. We
plan to educate our community and county
legislators are in the classroom; our teachers are. So be
grateful for our teachers.”
Jaycie Chesser can be reached at
391-5436 or at [email protected].
Texico and Roswell, all in which no injuries
were reported.
Although no twisters blew through Lea
County, area residents remain concerned with
how close the natural disaster came.
“I had a bag packed with supplies and was
ready to evacuate in case I heard tornado sirens
Saturday night,” Lovington resident Zack
Smith said. “Luckily, nothing happened but that
was too close for comfort.”
As for the rest of this week, the National
Weather Service reports Wednesday has a 10
percent chance of showers, but other than that
is it mostly sunny and hot.
Jaycie Chesser can be reached at 391-5436 or at
[email protected].
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about the prevention, intervention and treatment related to substance abuse,’” said Tyler.
In a statement from the CDC, the coalition is
committed to the reduction of substance abuse
in Lea County, thus improving the lives of the
entire community. The CDC will prevent and
end the use of illegal drugs and abuse of legal
drugs by implementing a three-prong approach
of prevention, intervention and treatment.
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