Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 126 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
May 25, 2014
www.rdrnews.com
Heavy rains dampen Roswell’s busiest weekend BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
As the old saying goes, “be careful what you wish for.” Those in the Roswell area longing for rain got a boatload early Saturday, and during the most inopportune time, the city’s busiest tourism weekend of the year. Chaves County emergency manager Karen Sanders said the Roswell International Air Center received 4.39 inches of rain Saturday, following earlier rainfall Thursday night and Friday morning. “That was the most within this area,” Sanders said. “There was just a lot of residential street flooding all throughout the city of
Roswell. We like the rain, just maybe not so much at one time.” Mayor Dennis Kintigh said the nearly 4.4 inches of rain was a record rainfall in a 24-hour period at the airport. “The terminal was flooded for a while this morning,” Kintigh said Saturday. “Water came in through the west doors. They ended up putting some sandbags out there. The first flight was at least 2 hours late.” Several flights were delayed Saturday. “By the time I got there at 9 (a.m.), it had been dried out,” the mayor said. “The water was gone from the terminal.” Sanders said within about 50 minutes, almost 1.5 inches of rain fell early
Congrats Roswell grads!
Saturday at the airport. “That’s in addition to what we already had,” Sanders said. “Throughout the city, there were just tons of streets that were flooded.” A total of 1.95 inches of rain were recorded in a 24hour period between 12:01 a.m. Friday and midnight Friday at the Daily Record’s weather monitor. The sudden rain delayed by several hours Saturday’s kick-of f of the Hike It & Spike It flag football tournament at Cielo Grande. The first games were set to start at 8:30 a.m., but did not get under way until 11:30 a.m. Game halves were shortened from 12 minutes to 8 See RAINS, Page A2
SUNDAY
Timothy P. Howsare Photo
Enough rain fell during Friday night’s thunderstorms to form this small lake in The Home Depot parking lot on North Main Street. Drivers of trucks and SUVs with high clearance seemed to enjoy taking a jaunt through the water rather than driving around it like those driving smaller vehicles.
‘Gritty’ NMMI cadets graduate from Old Post BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
“Grit,” defined by Merriam-Webster as “firmness of mind or spirit” and “unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger,” was the word of refrain at Saturday’s commencement programs at the New Mexico Military Institute. Indeed, the Institute’s 120th commencement program Saturday had its own challenges, as the program was divided into two sessions and held indoors at Pearson Auditorium due to inclement weather.
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-Hobbs, a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, gave two addresses Saturday, one to the Institute’s junior college graduates in the mor ning, followed by another speech to the Institute’s high school graduates later in the morning. Pearce joked he was asked by an Institute official if he believed in free speech. Pearce said he replied that he did. “Well, will you give another one?” Pearce quoted the
VA approves more private care for vets
Randal Seyler Photos
Above: Roswell High Valedictorian Katelyn Jordan takes a selfie before delivering her address to the Class of 2014 on Saturday night at the Wool Bowl. The class of 219 seniors graduated under darkening skies, but the rain held off until the very end of the evening. Right: Excited seniors wave to their friends and family during the Roswell High School Commencement 2014 ceremony, held Saturday at the Wool Bowl. For more photos, see Page A6 in today’s Roswell Daily Record.
WASHINGTON (AP) — More veterans are being allowed to obtain health care at private hospitals and clinics in an effort to improve their treatment following allegations of falsified records and delays in treatment.
In a statement issued Saturday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki also said VA facilities are enhancing capacity of their clinics so veterans can get care sooner. In cases where officials cannot expand
See GRADUATE, Page A3
capacity at VA centers, the Department of Veterans Affairs is “increasing the care we acquire in the community through non-VA care,” Shinseki said. Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for this policy change as the VA confronts allegations about treatment delays and falsified records at VA centers nationwide. The department’s inspector general says 26 VA facili-
State can’t recover Colyer takes pulpit as lead pastor June 1 taxes paid in error
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — The New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld a ruling this week that effectively shields cities and counties from losing money because of tax errors by taxpayers. The three-judge panel issued its decision Tuesday, affirming a previous ruling made by the Lea County District Court, the Albuquerque Jour nal reported. In the ruling, Judge Linda Vanzi said the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department can only recover gross-receipts taxes that were incorrectly paid within a year of their distribution. Regarding the ruling, S.U. Mahesh, a department
spokesman, said “the department is still reviewing it and evaluating potential ramifications while keeping all options open.”
The case stems from a business that discovered in 2012 it had been erroneously paying grossreceipts taxes for three years to the city of Eunice. The business, which was unidentified in court documents, realized it was actually considered to be in an unincorporated area of Lea County. As a result, the business’ owners filed 36 amended tax returns. The state Taxation and Revenue Department reimbursed the business $2.3 million in January 2013.
HIGH 87 LOW 61
TODAY’S FORECAST
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER A new voice will be heard in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church next Sunday, when Aaron Colyer preaches his first sermon as lead pastor of the historic Roswell church. The young minister is more than ready to face the challenge of being shepherd to his Roswell flock. For the past five years, Colyer served as student pastor at MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving, Texas.
• DANIEL “DIRTE DAN” GRAHAM • TYSON BROWN
His position in Roswell will be his first as lead pastor — and he is looking forward to getting to know all of his church members as well as the larger community of Roswell. “A mentor of mine said, ‘love is spelled t-i-m-e,” Colyer said. “I am looking forward to spending time with people.” Colyer, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in Austin and a master’s degree from Souther n Seminary in Louisville, Ky., said he
See COLYER, Page A2
• HUGO MARTINEZ • FRANK LOOP • GARY LEE ST. LOUIS
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A9
See VA, Page A2
Randal Seyler Photo
Aaron Colyer is set to preach his first sermon as lead pastor of the historic First Baptist Church next Sunday. CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1
COMICS .................C4
ENTERTAINMENT .....B8
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........B8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10