Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 122, No. 227 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
September 21, 2013
GOP House: Keep govt open, hit ‘Obamacare’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Charting a collision course with the White House, the Republican-controlled House approved legislation Friday to wipe out the 3year -old health care law that President Barack Obama has vowed to preserve — and simultaneously prevent a partial government shutdown that neither party claims to want.
“The American people don’t want the government shut down, and they don’t want ‘Obamacare,’ Speaker John Boehner said as members of his rank and file cheered at a celebratory rally in the Capitol moments after the 230-189 vote. He stood at a lectern bearing a
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slogan that read, “(hash) Senate must act.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it will — but not the way Boehner and his tea party-heavy Republican contingent want. Assured of enough Senate votes to keep the government open and the health care law in existence, the Nevada Democrat accused Republicans of attempting “to take an entire law hostage simply to appease the tea party anarchists.”
Behind the rhetoric lay the likelihood of another in a series of complex, insidethe-Beltway brinkmanship episodes as conservative House Republicans and Obama struggle to imprint
Praying or preying?
widely differing views on the U.S. government. In addition to the threat of a partial shutdown a week from Monday, administration officials say that without passage of legislation to allow more federal borrowing, the nation faces the risk of a first-ever default sometime in the second half of next month. House Republicans intend to vote to raise the nation’s debt limit next week to prevent that from happening. But they have said they will include a oneyear delay in Obamacare in the measure to reinforce their determination to eradicate the program. The same bill will include
SATURDAY
provisions to reduce deficits and stay within the administration’s environmental agenda as the GOP seeks gains for its own priorities. Raising the cost of Medicare for financially better -off beneficiaries is one likely provision to be added, according to numerous officials. So, too, is a ban on federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.
Obama, who has said repeatedly he will not negotiate over debt limit legislation, called Boehner late in the day to tell him that directly. The speaker expressed disappointment, his office said, and responded that Congress “will chart the path ahead.”
AP Photo
Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio and Republican members of the House of Representatives rally after passing a bill that would fund the government for three months while crippling President Barack Obama's health care law, at the Capitol, Friday.
SO seeks info on vehicle in shooting JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
A praying mantis walks along the top of a fence, Wednesday.
The Chaves County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in the county around 6:30 a.m. Friday. One man was injured. The bullet penetrated his ar m and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The incident occurred on East Gallina Road, north of Highway 70, off of the Old Clovis Highway. Lt. Britt Snyder said they ar e still sorting through details and interviewing witnesses. Accor ding to curr ent reports, several people came to a residence and an altercation ensured. Between six to eight people were present at the time of the shooting.
“All the parties wer e known to each other,” said Snyder.
The victim’s wounds were described as not lifethreatening. Gunfire also penetrated the walls of the home. “It was a miracle nobody else was shot or killed,” Snyder said. The CCSO is looking for a 1998 Ford extended cab pickup, either green or blue, with New Mexico plates FAP486. The suspect’s vehicle is believed to still be in Roswell.
They ar e seeking the assistance of the public in locating this vehicle. Anyone with information should contact the Sherif f’s Of fice at 575624-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-594-TIPS (8477).
Colo. oil spills found; RFD receives improved ISO rating flood delays cleanup
DENVER (AP) — More spills were revealed Friday in a Colorado oil field swamped by floodwaters as cleanup efforts remained stalled due to high waters and regulators cautioned that more oil releases were likely to be found in coming days.
The latest spills include 2,400 gallons of oil spilled from a group of storage tanks, about 900 gallons from an oil tank that floated away and at least two others from damaged storage tanks that involved unknown volumes.
That brings the known volume of oil released since massive flooding began last week along Colorado’s Front Range to at least an estimated 22,060 gallons. That’s about 525 barrels. Most of the oil releases reported to date came from storage tanks or tank farms operated by Anadarko Petroleum Co. near the South Platte River or its tributaries. The Texas company is just one of many working in norther n Colorado’s See SPILLS, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Roswell Fire Department announced an improvement in its ISO Class rating, from 3 to 2. ISO stands for Insurance Service Organization, which is one of two rating organizations. The ISO rates fire services for insurance companies across the nation. This is good news for the citizens of Roswell, since it may eventually be reflected in their insurances rates. Although Deputy Fire Chief Devin Graham said
they could not guarantee a reduction, they hoped this would be the case. The ISO scale goes from 1 to 10, with 1 being the top rating. Fire Chief Chad Hamill told City Councilor Steve Henderson that the RFD had held its previous 3-rating for 10 years. Roswell now ranks as one of six fire departments in New Mexico with a 2-rating. No fire departments in the state have achieved a Class 1 rating. Graham said: “The ISO Class 1 is dif ficult to obtain. It is a goal we will
The long courtship of Byron and Pat Smith It was 1943. England’s WWII had been going on for nearly four years, and although it impacted the country as a whole, there were some who took the less-than-ideal circumstances and found a silver lining within the chaos. Pat Smith was one such person. Being only 12 when the war broke out, Smith was not as distraught as her older sister. But when 1943 rolled around, her world — unbeknownst to her at the time — was forever changed.
Her family owned a small pub, The Seven Stars, and although women weren’t typically allowed to run them (“When men get tipsy they don’t just get tipsy, Smith explained) her mother was allowed to carry on with the business in her father’s absence so long as no problems arose.
This little pub with its round tables ended up attracting five American officers – one of whom was named Byron “Smitty” Smith.
They walked in, sat down and asked Smith’s mother what there was to drink. After hearing the list, one man swiftly replied:
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TODAY’S FORECAST
“Well, I’ll tell you what: Everybody has decided they’d like a beer. I’m going to pay, but I’m going to let you explain the money to us, and let you handle the money. I know you won’t diddle us.” After that The Seven Stars became their local haunt. Even after 10 p.m. when beer could no longer be served, they would drop by just for the camaraderie and atmosphere of the pub.
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AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
• MARY ELLEN BENNETT • DANIEL “DANNY” MAINELLO • BARBARA JEAN ACOSTA
“They would come around closing time,” Smith explained. “Mother would say, ‘Come in and make yourselves comfortable, but I can’t sell you any beer.’ And they said, ‘That’s OK. We just want to get to know our British family.’” Smith wasn’t even supposed to be in the bar as See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3
•.MARJORIE CLOYES PINSON • SIMON HILARIO SANCHEZ
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
work for in the future.” He explained that the new rating has been in preparation for many years. “It is the result of years of hard work. Changes in recordkeeping is a big portion of the improved rating.” He credited Division Fire Chief Jason Wheatfield for his work on the new documentation system. The ISO studies three main areas, receiving and handling of fire alarms, the department itself and water supply. However, the ISO also inspects the quality and maintenance
of equipment, training, documentation and manpower. The place where RFD falls short, according to ISO inspectors, is in the number of personnel. The 91-person fire department is more than sufficient for state requirements and for the National Fire Protection Agency, the federal agency that monitors fire safety. Hamill said the RFD would have to hire 60 more people to achieve the number 1-rating. Graham praised the See RFD, Page A3
Amy Vogelsang Photo
Pat Smith, 86, holds a photo of her late husband, Byron, from his days in the military. CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B4 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B5
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8