Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Huge tornado hits Oklahoma, kills 51
Vol. 122, No. 121 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
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May 21, 2013
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MOORE, Okla. (AP) — A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 200 mph. At least 51 people were killed, and officials said the death toll was expected to rise. The storm laid waste to scores of buildings in Moore, a community of 41,000 people south of the city. Block after block lay in ruins. Homes were crushed into piles of broken wood. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside. The National Weather Service issued an initial finding that the tornado was an EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale, the
second most-powerful type of twister. More than 120 people were being treated at hospitals, including about 70 children. Rescuers launched a desperate rescue effort at the school, pulling children from heaps of debris and carrying them to a triage center. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin deployed 80 National Guard members to assist with search-and-rescue operations and activated extra highway patrol officers. Fallin also spoke with President Barack Obama, who offered the nation’s help and gave Fallin a direct line to his office. Many land lines to strickSee TORNADO, Page A3
AP Photo
A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday.
SO looks into child’s death
Water main breaks at Alameda and Union
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Starting just after 8 a.m. Sunday, a water main broke under the intersection of West Alameda Street and South Union Avenue sending a geyser of water that at one point shot higher than the traffic light. The 12-inch pipeline broke through the asphalt, creating a hole that covered the entire right-turn lane. The water, although with less pressure, was still running until almost 11 a.m. Another break took place at the same time at South Cahoon Avenue and East Jefferson Street, but that intersection re-opened Sunday afternoon. The Alameda and Union break is fixed, but roads will only be opened north to south and reduced to one lane. Waste Water manager Art Torres said the department hopes to have the roads completely re-opened later today.
A 19-month-old infant was found dead by his mother at the Rio Felix Apartments, 221 W. Argyle St. in Hagerman, Thursday. The boy’s mother contacted the Hagerman Police Department around 11:30 a.m. to report that she had awakened and saw the child unmoving and unresponsive. When emergency services got to the location, they said it was too late to help the child. Later the local representative of the Office of Medical Investigation came to the scene and confirmed the child’s death. Deputies from Chaves County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the apartments to secure the area. The Hagerman Police Department turned over the case to CCSO. Deputy District Attorney Michael Murphy was also called to the
More aides knew of audit; Obama did not Trial defense witness killed
WASHINGTON (AP) — White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and other senior advisers knew in late April that an impending report was likely to say the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups, President Barack Obama’s spokesman disclosed Monday, expanding the circle of top officials who knew of the audit beyond those named earlier. But McDonough and the other advisers did not tell Obama, leaving him to learn about the politically perilous results of the internal investigation from news reports more than
See INFANT, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
AP Photo
In this Wednesday file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House.
Roswell police officers responded to Pecan Place, around 9:45 p.m. Sunday in reference to a shots fired call. Upon arrival the police found the body of Juan Gonzales, 26, who had passed away from gunshot wounds. Gonzales, also known as Pun, was a defense witness in the Gregory Hobbs trial. Hobbs was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Ruben “Hammer” Archuleta, Sr. in February. The shooting occurred on the night of June 15, 2012, in the 300 block of East Bonney Street. Gonzales had been charged with shooting at or from a motor vehicle as a result of the same incident. Hobbs said he shot Ruben Archuleta Jr., who was armed at the time, in defense of Gonzales. Gonzales testified to being in a life-or-death struggle with Archuleta Jr. over the weapon. Hobbs was not charged with the younger man’s death since it was viewed as self-defense. The police investigation is continuing and detectives are asking for the public’s assistance. People who may have information about Sunday night’s incident are asked to the police department 575-624-6770, or Crime Stoppers, 1-888-5948477. j.palmer@rdrnews.com
Protest at Valley Meat Co. reawakens concerns about horse slaughter See AUDIT, Page A3
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER A small but determined group of five protesters in a mini, gas-ef ficient car called a press conference Monday in front of Valley Meat Co. near Roswell to voice objections to the plant’s intention to be the nation’s first horse slaughterhouse. Valley Meat’s owner Rick De Los Santos apparently continues to wait for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s grant of inspection approval following a successful walk-through permit inspection in late April.
The plant on Cedarvale Road remained shuttered as the group stood outside. “There is a health issue involved in horse meat because the FDA said in the past horses are companion animals,” said veterinarian Lester Castro Friedlander of Wyalusing, Penn. “There are legal and health issues for humans. These are important issues.” Friedlander was joined by Betty Pritchard and Patience O’Dowd of the Wild Horse Observers AssoSee PROTEST, Page A3
Jill McLaughlin Photo
Lester Castro Frielander, left, a veterinarian from Wyalusing, Penn., stands with fellow protesters outside of Valley Meat Co. near Roswell, Monday.