Roswell Daily Record
1 dead in house fire THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 41 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
A fire, originally reported as a brush fire that advanced dangerously close to a number of residences on Isler Road near Calumet Road, left one person dead. A body was found on a bed and has been sent to the Office of the Medical Investigator for identification and autopsy. Chaves County Sheriff Office Chief Deputy Britt Snyder said the resident had last been seen walking back to her home at 3 p.m. The 911 call came in to dispatch at 3:13. “Based on the information we have received, we think it was her; but we will not be able to release a name until we have positive
February 15, 2014
www.rdrnews.com
identification from OMI.” Snyder said the SO did not know the cause of the blaze. “The state fire marshal from Albuquerque is conducting the investigation.” A little boy retur ning from school saw the smoke and called 911, fearful that it was his home that was on fire. Neighbor Mary Sharpe was one of the first to notice the fire when she saw flames shooting out of the windows. “I didn’t think twice. I grabbed my keys and drove over there. ... I’ve never seen anything go up like that in my life.” The intensity of the blaze was such that there are few recognizable remains of the structure or its contents, except the bed springs. Sgt.
Pretty in pink
Mike Herrington, one of the first officials to arrive at the scene, said he saw the thick black smoke, but as he pulled up, the residence exploded. According to neighbors, it took 30 minutes for the Berrendo and city fire departments to arrive. The reports of brush fire stem from the fact that the fire that originated in the house at 2400 Isler Road, came dangerously close to other residences. Neighbors had to douse their fences and yards to prevent the fire from spreading to other dwellings. The fire burned electrical wires causing power outages to neighboring homes. Sharpe explained that the house was little more than a shack. “She had holes in her
roof the size of a truck. She had no gas or water, only electricity. She went to my sister’s house to get water in gallon milk jugs.” The resident refused to leave her residence of nearly 50 years. She’d lost her partner of many years and continued to live in the ramshackle residence alone. “CYFD came out here a few times trying to get her to move, but she wouldn’t,” said Sharpe. “A lady down the street was supposed to take her to an appointment this morning. She came here cried and cried when she learned.” Crystal Castaneda said: “It’s kind of hard. I’ve See FIRE, Page A3
SATURDAY
Jessica Palmer Photo
The blaze took two structures, the house and a shed. The picture shows not only the depth, but the breadth of the devastation.
Council approves funds for 2 fests JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson
First- and second-grade girls decked out in tutus dance in the back of a limousine as they leave their school destined for
Police: Man shot threatened woman, children with knife Peter Piper Pizza for a valentine celebration, Thursday.
The man who was shot by Roswell Police officers Thursday morning threatened a woman and her children with a knife, according to a police department news release issued on Friday. “The most current information confirmed through the course of the investigation is there was an immediate threat posed by the male subject to the safety of others,” according to the release. Roswell Police Department officers responded to
a domestic incident on the 500 block of Redwood Avenue at about 1 a.m. on Thursday. A 34-year -old man was shot during the incident. Police say the man, whose name is still not being released at this time, was tasered and then shot as he charged at a woman and her children with a knife. The officer at the scene acted in accordance with his training, according to the release. “In any life threatening
Randal Seyler Photo
HIGH 86 LOW 41
TODAY’S FORECAST
A girl’s best friend
See COUNCIL, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
circumstance, any available tool may be used to stop life threatening actions,” the release stated.
Edie Stevens, the winner of the Roswell Refuge 2014 Diamond Teddy Bear Raffle, shows off her prize, a diamond necklace courtesy of Bullock's Jewelry, during a presentation ceremony, Friday.
The man was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. His condition remains unknown at this time. The names of the officers involved are not being released yet. Officers involved in the incident are on administrative leave per standard Roswell Police Department policy. The incident is still under investigation.
Gonzales brings hugs, hope to dialysis patients
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Johnny Gonzales, at right, invites patients and visitors to the Southeastern New Mexico Kidney Center in Roswell to take home free food on Valentine’s Day. Gonzales was there Thursday and Friday giving out balloons, flowers and stuffed toys as well as food to dialysis patients.
City councilors decided to again support the UFO and Fiddle and Griddle festivals, increasing the Lodger’s Tax funding this year. The UFO Festival, which featured carnival rides and vendors last year, asked for $70,000 but was granted $75,000. Eight councilors approved the funding. Councilor Dusty Huckabee, organizer of the event, abstained and Councilor Jeanine Corn-Best voted against the funding. “I don’t think it’s being run correctly and right,” Corn-Best said. “We see the same thing year after year.” Huckabee explained that attendees at the UFO Festival are counted when they stop by an infor mation booth to fill out cards. They also have an opportunity to
fill out questionnaires at a Chaves County Tourism Council center, he said. That was not a sufficient way to get an accurate count of how many people attend the event, Corn-Best said. “There’s no way on either one of those they can track their statistics,” Corn-Best said. The festival is scheduled for July 3 through 5. Huckabee said he hopes the planetarium will be open this year, and new permanent bathrooms will be completed next to the Chaves County Courthouse. “If you talk to the motels in town, it’s a premier event,” Huckabee said. “We hold these people for three to five days. It’s spectacular … you see people from all over the world.” On July 4, the event will
The small cluster of stuffed bears, puppies and imitation roses might not seem like much at first glance. But for Johnny Gonzales, the toys and flowers mean one thing — hope. Gonzales spread Valentine’s Day cheer Friday at the Southeaster n New Mexico Kidney Center in
• MICHAEL LA BELLA • C.L. “PETE” FAUBUS
Roswell. Patients and family members stopped to greet Gonzales, and he received and gave hugs to passersby and prayed with patients who stopped to visit with him and pray with him. “I see the needs of people’s hearts,” Gonzales, 65, said as he and volunteers handed out toys and food to patients coming and going from dialysis at
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A2
the clinic. “I am a Christian, and I am spreading the word of the Lord, but I am also trying to reach people where they are at.” “I was here yesterday and will be back this afternoon for the second shift,” Gonzales said. “Tomorrow, I will visit shut-ins and take them balloons and toys.” At the clinic, Gonzales said there are several senior citizens who had no
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B4
family, and for them the toys and balloons he gave out were the only reminders of happier times many of them would receive this holiday. “I had one 85-year -old lady yesterday, and Valentine’s Day is also her birthday, and the 10th anniversary of her husband’s passing,” Gonzales said. “She said she hadn’t See HOPE, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A2
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8