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Price Change Spot $86.89 + 1.19 Posted $83.50 + 1.50 Sour $78.00 + 1.50 N. Gas $3.798 - .031 West Texas intermediate Inside Today O IL PRICES Obituaries ...........................2 Mark the date ....................3 TV ........................................3 Fun & Games ......................5 Weather ..............................6 Sports ..................................7 Classifieds............................8 Lottery...............................10 Community News Hobbs Hispano Chamber of Commerce hosts a 5 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE at KeyAudio, 424 N. Dal Paso, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Lea County Republican Party’s ANNUAL PIG ROAST will be at 6 p.m. Sep. 29 at the Lea County Event Center. Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry will emcee the event while Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., will be the speaker. Tickets are $60. For information, call 393-6020. The Llano Estacado Art Association will hold its annual FALL OPEN ART SHOW Sept. 28 to Oct. 29 at the Center for the Arts, 122 W. Broadway, Hobbs. Entries will be taken Sept. 28 from 3-7 p.m. USW is seeking nomina- tions for Alumnus of the Year and Distinguished Young Alumnus. Contact Laurie Dean at 492-2108. News-Sun Since 1927 No. 238 50 cents JAL EUNICE HOBBS LOVINGTON TATUM SEMINOLE DENVER CITY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 Certified Dell Partner Computer Tune-up & repair Virus Removal & Data Recovery Certified Dell Partner 1021 E. Bender, Hobbs, NM (575) 391-NOTE (6683) 1501 N. Grimes Hobbs, NM 88240 575-397-2411 GENERATIONS OF QUALITY SALES AND SERVICE FOR YOUR TRUCKING NEEDS! SUBMITTED PHOTO 9-11 project Members of University of the Southwest’s student government recently attended a spaghetti dinner and presentation with about 25 Hobbs firefighters. The dinner was part of the Student Government Association’s 9-11 project. BETH HAHN NEWS-SUN Hobbs city commissioners approved two incentives designed to jump start affordable housing developments in the city during Monday’s meeting. The two measures are split at Sanger — up to $300,000 in incentives for developments south of Sanger and up to $150,000 for developments north of Sanger. City planner Joe Dearing said the money will go toward helping devel- opers install infrastructure. Additional incentives such as reim- bursement of land costs were also approved. To qualify, housing developers must meet city and state Mortgage Finance Authority criteria for affordable hous- ing, Dearing said. “They must have a good track record of developing and managing afford- able housing,” he said. Dearing said the incentives can go toward multi-family housing such as apartments or infill development of single homes on vacant lots. The goal, Dearing said, is to attract new developments to the city. City commissioner Jonathan Sena said he supports the incentives. “This is exactly the kind of stuff we need,” he said. Commissioners also passed a $250,000 program to help commercial property owners remove dilapidated structures during Monday’s meeting. City manager Eric Honeyfield said the funds will provide four 40-yard roll-off Dumpsters for commercial Hobbs approves housing incentives $300,000 south of Sanger $150,000 north of Sanger Incentives BETH HAHN NEWS-SUN In an effort to smooth city boundaries, the Hobbs Planning Board moved for- ward with plans to annex two proper- ties on Grimes and Spears. The properties created an island between two properties inside the city limits — Permian Toyota and Strategic Properties. City planner Joe Dearing said Strategic Properties plans to build a small shopping center at Grimes and Spears and petitioned to be annexed into the city limits. Because the annexation would leave Tina Shoemaker and Malcom Coombes as an island of Lea County inside the Hobbs city limits, city ordinance allows for the addition of their properties as well. Coombes and Shoemaker told the Planning Board they are unsure about annexation into the city. “We’ve been there for 30 years. I don’t really see any benefit to being inside the city,” Shoemaker said. Coombes agreed and said he already has city water and sewer service. Dearing said annexation would reduce the cost of water and sewer bills for the Coombes and Shoemaker properties, but both owners said the price reduc- tion would not affect them much. “I feel like we’re not being taken care of,” Shoemaker said. “I also don’t feel Annexation targets express concerns LANCE CRENSHAW NEWS-SUN As a woman competing in a pre- dominately male sport, Kelsi Purcell has faced many obstacles as a jockey. Purcell has had to deal with not being hired as a rider because she is a female. But she hasn’t let it get her down. Instead, she goes out and lets her racing do the talking for her. Purcell has earned over $318,000 so far this year in horse racing. In 316 starts, she has placed first 20 times, second 22 times, and third 30 times. In her career, she has earned just over $1.5 million. “I don’t even think about the whole man-woman thing, because I can ride just as good as the guys,” Purcell said. “It frus- trates me that some people don’t hire me because I am a woman, but I persevere.” Purcell, 34, is originally from western Canada, and she now lives in San Antonio and in Hobbs during the racing season. She travels the country all year long racing. Recently, she competed at Kelsi Purcell gets escort- ed to the track in a race earlier this year. Purcell is one of a few female jock- eys who race at Zia Park. SUBMITTED PHOTO Resolve pays off for female jockey ALMA OLIVAS-POSADAS NEWS-SUN Construction on the new building for Mettie Jordan Elementary in Eunice is on schedule. The $26 million new school will replace the current building, which was built in 1936 and has plumbing problems. “The walls are going up, they are really working hard on that project,” said Eunice Mayor Matt White. “It is really going gang- busters.” Eunice Schools Superintendent Dwain Haynes said the construction is on schedule and the building should be completed by April. New Eunice school on schedule SEE HOUSING, Page 4 SEE ANNEXATION, Page 4 Native of Canada still dreams of competing in Olympic show jumping SEE JOCKEY, Page 4 The new Mettie Jordan Elementary in Eunice is under construction. DARRELL PATTERSON/NEWS-SUN SEE EUNICE, Page 4

News-Sun - Hobbs Chamber of Commerce · Lottery.....10 Community News Hobbs ... Year and Distinguished Young Alumnus. ... new developments to the city

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Price ChangeSpot $86.89 + 1.19Posted $83.50 + 1.50Sour $78.00 + 1.50N. Gas $3.798 - .031

West Texas intermediate

Inside Today

OIL PRICES

Obituaries ...........................2Mark the date ....................3TV ........................................3Fun & Games ......................5Weather ..............................6Sports ..................................7Classifieds............................8Lottery...............................10

Community News

Hobbs HispanoChamber ofCommerce hosts a 5O’CLOCKSOMEWHERE atKeyAudio, 424 N. DalPaso, from 5:30-7:30p.m. on Thursday.

The Lea CountyRepublican Party’sANNUAL PIG ROASTwill be at 6 p.m. Sep.29 at the Lea CountyEvent Center.Albuquerque MayorR.J. Berry will emcee theevent while Rep. StevePearce, R-N.M., will bethe speaker. Tickets are$60. For information,call 393-6020.

The Llano Estacado ArtAssociation will hold itsannual FALL OPENART SHOW Sept. 28 toOct. 29 at the Centerfor the Arts, 122 W.Broadway, Hobbs.Entries will be takenSept. 28 from 3-7 p.m.

USW is seeking nomina-tions for Alumnus of theYear and DistinguishedYoung Alumnus.Contact Laurie Dean at492-2108.

NNeewwss--SSuunnSince 1927 � No. 238 50 cents

JAL � EUNICE � HOBBS � LOVINGTON � TATUM � SEMINOLE � DENVER CITY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

Certified Dell Partner

CCoommppuutteerr TTuunnee--uupp && rreeppaaiirr

VViirruuss RReemmoovvaall&& DDaattaa RReeccoovveerryy

CCeerrttiiffiieedd DDeellll PPaarrttnneerr

11002211 EE.. BBeennddeerr,, HHoobbbbss,, NNMM

((557755)) 339911--NNOOTTEE ((66668833))

1501 N. GrimesHobbs, NM 88240

575-397-2411GENERATIONS OF QUALITY SALES AND SERVICE FOR YOUR

TRUCKING NEEDS!

SUBMITTED PHOTO

9-11 projectMembers of University of the Southwest’s student government recently attended a spaghetti dinnerand presentation with about 25 Hobbs firefighters. The dinner was part of the Student GovernmentAssociation’s 9-11 project.

BETH HAHNNEWS-SUN

Hobbs city commissioners approvedtwo incentives designed to jump startaffordable housing developments inthe city during Monday’s meeting.

The two measures are split at Sanger— up to $300,000 in incentives fordevelopments south of Sanger and upto $150,000 for developments north ofSanger.

City planner Joe Dearing said themoney will go toward helping devel-

opers install infrastructure.Additional incentives such as reim-

bursement of land costs were alsoapproved.

To qualify, housing developers mustmeet city and state Mortgage FinanceAuthority criteria for affordable hous-ing, Dearing said.

“They must have a good track recordof developing and managing afford-able housing,” he said.

Dearing said the incentives can gotoward multi-family housing such asapartments or infill development ofsingle homes on vacant lots.

The goal, Dearing said, is to attractnew developments to the city.

City commissioner Jonathan Senasaid he supports the incentives.

“This is exactly the kind of stuff weneed,” he said.

Commissioners also passed a$250,000 program to help commercialproperty owners remove dilapidatedstructures during Monday’s meeting.

City manager Eric Honeyfield saidthe funds will provide four 40-yardroll-off Dumpsters for commercial

Hobbs approves housing incentives� $300,000south ofSanger

� $150,000north ofSanger

Incentives

BETH HAHNNEWS-SUN

In an effort to smooth city boundaries,the Hobbs Planning Board moved for-ward with plans to annex two proper-ties on Grimes and Spears.

The properties created an islandbetween two properties inside the citylimits — Permian Toyota and StrategicProperties.

City planner Joe Dearing saidStrategic Properties plans to build asmall shopping center at Grimes andSpears and petitioned to be annexedinto the city limits.

Because the annexation would leaveTina Shoemaker and Malcom Coombesas an island of Lea County inside theHobbs city limits, city ordinance allowsfor the addition of their properties aswell.

Coombes and Shoemaker told thePlanning Board they are unsure aboutannexation into the city.

“We’ve been there for 30 years. I don’treally see any benefit to being inside thecity,” Shoemaker said.

Coombes agreed and said he alreadyhas city water and sewer service.

Dearing said annexation would reducethe cost of water and sewer bills for theCoombes and Shoemaker properties,but both owners said the price reduc-tion would not affect them much.

“I feel like we’re not being taken careof,” Shoemaker said. “I also don’t feel

Annexationtargetsexpressconcerns

LANCE CRENSHAWNEWS-SUN

As a woman competing in a pre-dominately male sport, KelsiPurcell has faced many obstaclesas a jockey.

Purcell has had to deal with not

being hired as a rider because sheis a female. But she hasn’t let itget her down. Instead, she goesout and lets her racing do thetalking for her.

Purcell has earned over $318,000so far this year in horse racing. In316 starts, she has placed first 20times, second 22 times, and third30 times. In her career, she hasearned just over $1.5 million.

“I don’t even think about thewhole man-woman thing,

because I can ride just as good asthe guys,” Purcell said. “It frus-trates me that some people don’thire me because I am a woman,but I persevere.”

Purcell, 34, is originally fromwestern Canada, and she nowlives in San Antonio and in Hobbsduring the racing season. Shetravels the country all year longracing. Recently, she competed at

Kelsi Purcellgets escort-ed to thetrack in arace earlierthis year.Purcell isone of a fewfemale jock-eys whorace at ZiaPark.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Resolve pays off for female jockey

ALMA OLIVAS-POSADASNEWS-SUN

Construction on the new building forMettie Jordan Elementary in Eunice is onschedule.

The $26 million new school will replacethe current building, which was built in1936 and has plumbing problems.

“The walls are going up, they are reallyworking hard on that project,” said EuniceMayor Matt White. “It is really going gang-busters.”

Eunice Schools Superintendent DwainHaynes said the construction is on scheduleand the building should be completed by April.

New Eunice school on schedule

SEE HOUSING, Page 4

SEE ANNEXATION, Page 4

� Native of Canada stilldreams of competing inOlympic show jumping

SEE JOCKEY, Page 4

The new Mettie JordanElementary in Eunice isunder construction.

DARRELL PATTERSON/NEWS-SUN

SEE EUNICE, Page 4

Ugly Counter Top ContestDo you have a countertop that is unsightly, held together with duct tape or just plain Ugly?- Ugly Counter Top Contest. The winner will be awarded new countertop ofup to 45 sq/ft of Livingstone Solid Surface (Escape or Adventure Series). Send a pic-ture and 25 words or less describing your Ugly Counter top to: Hobbs Chamber of Commerce 400 North Marland, Hobbs, NM 88240or E-mail [email protected] Entry dead line 9/28/11.The Ugliest counter top will be chosenfrom finalists by a vote of attendees atExpo in the Desert at The Lea CountyEvent Center on Oct 4, 2011.For complete rules go to Hobbs America .com

575-441-0146

TEENCENTER

For More Information391-9505

from 4:00 to 9:00 pm

620 WEST ALTO

TEEN DANCE!Saturday, September 24

7:30 pm to 10:30 pm7th to 12th GradeFREE ADMISSION!

The Hobbs Chamber of Commerce Ambassadorsare proud to announce their

1st Annual Tradeshow

Tuesday, October 4th • Noon-8PM Lea County Event Center Ballrooms

• Gain exposure for your business• Make new contacts by networking with

other exhibitors

For More Information Call

Hobbs Chamber of Commerce

575-397-3202Chris Elliott

575-318-9857

8’ x 10’ Booths are $200available on a first come,

first serve basisnon-profit rate $100

FROM THE FRONT PAGE 4HOBBS NEWS-SUN • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

Dear Willie,

We thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new.

We thought about you yesterday and days before that too.

We think of you in silence, we often speak your name.Now all we have are memories and

your picture in a frame.Your memory is our keepsake with

which we’ll never part.God has you in His keeping;

we have you in our heart.

Love always, Nikki, Bradee and numerous family and friends

property owners to use to cleardebris.

“We’re hoping to stimulatesome activity that would oth-erwise not take place,” he said.

Mayor Gary Don Reagan saidthe commercial cleanup pro-gram does not replace thecity’s condemnation processfor any property.

Use of public funds to clean upcommercial properties will bedetermined on a case-by-casebasis by city staff, Honeyfieldsaid.

In other business, the com-mission:

� Proclaimed September as“Recovery Month” in Hobbs.

� Condemned buildings at519 E. Byers, 1523 N. Cobb, 220N. Burk, 804 E. Skelly and 313W. Clinton.

Property owners are able tocontest the condemnations.

� Approved a resolution insupport of an additionallicense for Zia Park and BlackGold Casino.

Zia Park and Black GoldCasino applied to the stateGaming Commission toexpand the number of slots

and build a hotel on its proper-ty on the 3900 block of WestMillen.

Sena and commissionerCrystal Mullins voted againstthe resolution of support.

Sena said while he supportsZia Park, he can’t vote toexpand gambling “on princi-ple.”

Rick Baugh, assistant gener-al manager of Zia Park,thanked the commission forthe resolution.

“It’s very humbling to hearthis commission brag on us,”he said. “We appreciate thesupport.”

Housingfrom PAGE 1

like we should have anyone telling uswhat you can and can’t have. If we want toraise horses, we should be able to havehorses.”

Shoemaker said she wants a guaranteefrom the city that she can continue to havehorses on her two-plus acre parcel nearGrimes and Spears.

Shoemaker also said some of her con-cerns include inadequate police and fire

protection.“We don’t have enough police and we

don’t have enough firefighters,” she said.Dearing said comments from area resi-

dents will be considered by city commis-sioners before the annexation is finalized.

City commissioners will review theannexation plan at least once during anOctober meeting, he said.

Planning Board member Sam Cobb saidhe thinks adding the Coombes andShoemaker properties to the annexationplan is in the best interests of the city.

“We want to keep our boundaries con-tiguous,” he said.

Board chairman Tres Hicks said if theproperty owners want to protest theannexation to the city commission, theyshould carefully consider their argumentsagainst being added to the city.

“I would encourage you to consider yourreason,” he said. “We’re trying to bringour boundaries where we get the full ben-efit of taxes being paid ... the city is pro-viding services to your properties, but notgetting any tax benefit.”

Annexationfrom PAGE 1

Zia Park, and plans on racing at Zia Parkuntil the season is over.

“I race at other tracks around the area aswell,” Purcell said. “But for right now, Ilike being in New Mexico, and this is agood track. There is a lot of money to bewon at Zia Park.”

Purcell has been a jockey for six years,and before that, she was a professionalequestrian rider.

“My dream is to one day ride in theOlympics, in show jumping,” Purcell said.“My background is in show jumping andequestrian riding, and I know I wouldcompete well at that level.”

Purcell also competes in rodeo, when shefinds the time. She participates in barrelracing at rodeos across the southwest.

“It’s been a while since I have done anyrodeo, but when I have the time, I try to getin as many as possible,” she said. “I usedto be a professional pony and gallop girl,then came the show jumping, then camethe rodeo competitions. When I wasapproached to be a jockey, it kind of camesecond nature to me.”

Purcell started out her jockey careerwith one the most predominant racingfamilies in the business, Keith andMaryland Asmussen. Her first race was atLone Star Park in Houston under theAsmussens, and she raced for them forthree years.

“They are the ones who got me started,”Purcell said. “I owe them a lot of credit.

They took the chance to hiring a femalerider, and I didn’t let them down.”

Some fans of horse racing at Zia Parkdon’t let Purcell’s gender get in the way ofwho they bet for.

“When you bet on races, you basicallylook at the horse’s history, then you checkout how well the jockey has done,” saidBryan Harrison, who is a regular at ZiaPark. “Purcell is a talented rider, and Idon’t think it is fair she is singled out

because she is female. Just look at all themoney she has earned as a rider. Theresults prove everything.”

Purcell plans on continuing her careeras a jockey, for the time being. She still hasan itch to get back into show jumping, butthat will have to be pushed back.

“I have been very successful as a horseracer,” Purcell. “The money is good, and Ihave been blessed. I don’t plan on quittinganytime soon.”

Jockeyfrom PAGE 1

SUBMITTED PHOTOKelsi Purcell rides in a race earlier this year. Purcell is one of a few female jock-eys that races at Zia Park.

“It is going up so fast that youblink and half of the building isalready up,” he said. “The con-struction is on schedule, wehave the west wing up rightnow.”

A math lab, a computer laband a science lab will be in thewest wing.

An additional computer labwill be in the library, which is afocal point of the new elemen-tary.

“It is a semi-circle facility, itwill be facing the front of thebuilding as you walk inside thenew facility,” Haynes said. “Itwill be spectacular; it will havea number of options for thekids to progress in reading.”

Classrooms to fit 310 elemen-tary students in the new ele-mentary will be about 960square feet.

The floors for the library and

the gym are poured and Haynessaid construction crews werepouring the floor to the cafete-ria Monday.

Haynes said the cafeteria hasa maximum capacity of 400 peo-ple and will have a stage.

He said a music room and ascience art room will be locatedadjacent to the gym.

“She has just run her courseand it was time to update ourfacility ... building and con-struction is going very well,very safe and very efficient,”Haynes said. “The communityis very happy.”

The superintendent said fund-ing for this project comes froma $42 million bond passed in2009.

“We sure appreciate what thecommunity is doing for it’skids,” Haynes said. “Eunice is agreat community.”

Haynes said there are plans toupdate Caton Middle Schooland the Eunice High School inthe next seven-10 years.

Eunicefrom PAGE 1

FORT WORTH (AP) —Something electrical likelystarted the central Texas blazethat became the most destruc-tive wildfire in state history,fire officials said Tuesday.

The Texas Forest Servicedeclined to elaborate but saidit has finished investigatingthe blaze that started north-east of Bastrop on Labor Dayweekend. The fire about 25miles east of Austin quicklyspread and ended up destroy-ing more than 1,500 homes andkilling two people.

The agency, which did notreturn phone calls seekingcomment, said it would releasecopies of the Bastrop fire

report to media agenciesrequesting it under the TexasPublic Information Act. TheTexas Forest Service contin-ues investigating what causedanother 700-acre blaze inBastrop County near the mainfire, officials said.

The Bastrop County wildfiresforced thousands of residentsto flee their homes, burned outof control for several days andultimately blackened morethan 50 square miles. The fireswere 95 percent contained as ofTuesday, but officials urgedresidents to clear pine needlesand other debris away fromtheir homes to avoid re-ignit-ing some “hot spots.”

State: Texas blaze likelyhad electrical cause

EDNA, Texas (AP) — ATexas man suspected of beinga serial rapist who targetedolder women suffers from mul-tiple personality disorder like-ly brought on by abuse, a psy-chiatrist told jurors Tuesday,though prosecutors dismissedthe suspect’s behavior as aploy to avoid punishment.

Billy Joe Harris, a formerTexas prison employee, haspleaded not guilty by reason ofinsanity in the January rapeof a 59-year-old disabledwoman in Edna. He told jurorsearlier in the trial that he hasthree other personalitiesinside him, including a blackGreat Dane named David.

But prosecutors noted that thesuspect himself once describedhis erratic courtroom behavioras being a show. JacksonCounty District AttorneyBobby Bell played an audiotapeof Harris describing a courtappearance, during which hefell to the floor and shook, asbeing part of a “picture show.”

Authorities allege that DNAsamples also link Harris tofive other sexual assaults orattempted assaults over twoyears in Central andSoutheast Texas. Investigatorsbelieve Harris is “TheTwilight Rapist,” so dubbedbecause most of the attackshappened just before dawn,and say they found evidence ofcareful planning at the manycrime scenes, including cutphone lines outside homes.

Expert: Texasman accused inrapes mentally ill