Roswell Daily Record
Romney stumps in Hobbs THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 121, No. 203 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
August 24, 2012
FRIDAY
www.rdrnews.com
JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
1.2 MILLION SYRIANS DISPLACED
KAFAR HAMRA, Syria (AP) — Civil war has chased Fatima Ghorab and her brood of some two dozen women and children across Syria in search of safe havens that keep disappearing in the booms of artillery shells. They now shelter in an unfinished apartment in this Aleppo suburb, crowded into two rooms ... - PAGE A6
TOP 5 WEB For The Past 24 Hours
Mark Wilson Photo
Mitt Romney greets admirers following his speech during a campaign stopover in Hobbs, Thursday morning.
Campaigning Thursday in one of New Mexico’s richest oil and gas communities, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney stood before a decidedly receptive crowd in the city of Hobbs and pitched his plan to attain North American energy independence by 2020. The candidate’s proposed five-point plan will “get this country going again and create good jobs and rising incomes,” Romney promised the several hundred individuals who gathered beneath a cloudy sky at a campaign rally at Watson Truck and Supply. “It is achievable. This is not some pie in the sky kind of thing,” he said. U.S. Senate hopeful See ROMNEY, Page A3
• Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest ... • Court: Kanmore incompetent for trial • Sage service to be held Saturday • RPD seeks leads ... • How Roswell keeps going, rain or shine
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Congressman Steve Pearce waves to the crowd Thursday during a campaign rally for Mitt Romney in Hobbs.
COLTS TOP GATEWAY
The age-old saying amongst coaches in nearly every sport is that you can’t teach size. Bianca Walker has plenty of that and she uses it to her full advantage on the volleyball court. The 6-foot-1 sophomore turned in a dazzling performance in her first action as a New Mexico Military ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
There are no obituaries today, Aug. 24, 2012.
RAINFALL
As of 10 p.m., Friday, there was .38 inches of rain in the gauge at the Daily Record.
HIGH ...94˚ LOW ....70˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B2 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD .................A6
INDEX
Mark Wilson Photo
U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson kicks off Mitt Romney’s campaign rally in Hobbs, Thursday morning.
RPD arrests Chavez for kidnapping
Jessie M. Chavez JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell man Jessie M. Chavez, 27, was arrested in Hobbs on charges of kidnapping around 6 p.m., Thursday, after Lindsey Mendez, 28, and her 9year -old son endured 24 hours of terror. On Wednesday after noon, Mendez’s former boyfriend
Chavez, 27, broke into her home and forced mother and son from their residence at knife point in the 300 block of South Kentucky Avenue. The victim’s sister, Courtney Busby, requested a welfare check when she reported to the police around 5:50 p.m., Wednesday, that she was supposed to meet Mendez at 3 p.m. She told the police that she received a text around 3:20 p.m. from Mendez, saying she was still at home. At 5 p.m., Busby went to Mendez’s home and found the place empty, the front window broken and Mendez’s car missing. Busby reported that the family was concer ned because the couple had recently broken up and the relationship became violent. Busby said — and of ficials at 5th District Court confir med — that Mendez had a restraining
order placed on Chavez last week. “Jessie Chavez has been in trouble in the past,” said RPD spokeswoman Sabrina Morales. New Mexico Court Record reveals that Chavez had a history of violence. In January 2011, he was charged with false imprisonment, battery of a household member, criminal damage and interference with communications. The police are unsure of the exact time Mendez was taken, but narrowed it down to sometime between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. The victim’s employer told Busby that she overheard an argument between Mendez and the suspect at 3:51 p.m. The car, a 2002 green Dodge Intrepid, plate number LJC 924, was sighted later in Hobbs. According See CHAVEZ, Page A3
Chaunte’l Powell Photo
Dan Johnson, right, helps Greg Fiser sign up to volunteer at the Democratic headquarters.
Dem HQ opens on Main CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
With the 2012 Presidential Election quickly approaching, the democratic headquarters in Roswell opened on 2801 N. Main St., during a time when voter interest and awareness is nearing its peak, according to the local Vice President of the Democratic Party Eva See DEMOCRAT, Page A3
Working Mother’s Nursery gives back, provides quality child care This article is one in a series of stories focusing on local agencies, which receive support from the United Way of Chaves County, which is currently conducting its annual fundraising campaign.
CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
When you walk into the Working Mother’s Nursery on East Bland Street, you can’t help but admire the hand-painted jungle mural in the cafeteria that sur-
rounds you before you pass through the doors, that spacious yard with the tiny playground equipment and brightly colored flowers. It is on this campus that some of the young leaders of tomorrow are taught to share, color inside the lines, and most importantly, to give back. The Working Mother’s Nursery is an extension of the Family Resource & Referral Center and a direct beneficiary of funds donated by the United Way. The Family Resource &
Referral deals primarily with early childhood and school age care. According to Mayor Del Jurney, the executive director of the program, they work very closely with Roswell Independent School District to provide after -school care for kids until 5:30 p.m. each day so parents can feel comfortable about where their kids are every
day as they finish up their work day. Their after school program has about 650 kids enrolled, while the Working Mother’s Day Nursery has about 120 early childhood kids ages six weeks to about five years. He said that the agency is pretty broad and complex, and the United Way helps fund the Working Mother’s Nursery, primarily. Alexandria Aranda, the curriculum development specialist at the nursery, said, “We provide quality
child care for the community of Roswell, we strive to educate the children with a nice, loving, nurturing environment.” And the funding from the United Way helps them provide scholarships that subsidize the cost of child care for those in need. Jurney feels in terms of child care that there should be an equal playing field, and that all children should have the opportunity to be in an environment See UNITED, Page A3