Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 281 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
November 23, 2013
www.rdrnews.com
SATURDAY
Smith officially sworn in as police chief JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Local law enforcement and area dignitaries gathered at the Roswell Police Department, Friday morning, to welcome the new chief of police, Phil Smith, during his formal swearing-in ceremony. Magistrate Court Judge K.C. Rogers issued the oath of office. Mayor Del Jur ney praised the police department as a whole during his opening statements. “I want you to know what a talented bunch of people we have here, people who are dedicated, committed and loyal to what they do. We don’t say that nearly enough.” City Administrator
Larry Fry referred to Smith’s installment as a big day for the city. He noted how important leadership is to the police department, but he concurred with the mayor about the caliber of command structure, officers and staff when he said, “The success of law enforcement depends on all the men and women of the police department.” After the ceremony, Fry acknowledged his appreciation of the leadership of former police Chief Al Solis. Chief Phil Smith kept his comments brief, emphasizing the RPD’s commitment to the quality of life for Roswell’s citizens. He reiterated his vow to
be “fair and consistent” in his management of the department.
Sheriff Rob Coon said that the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office was looking forward to working with Smith and the police department.
Coon complimented the chief. “He is a good quality person.”
New Mexico State Police Capt. Dina Orozco added her commendation to those made by other members of law enforcement and city officials. “I’ve been working with him (Smith) for two years. I think he has a lot of good ideas and has done good things for the department already.”
Jessica Palmer Photo
Roswell’s new Police Chief Phil Smith was sworn in to his office by Magistrate Court Judge K.C. Rogers
Harkness receives prison sentence for firearm possession
Wonderland
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
Moose, an Australian Labradoodle and the newest CASA service dog, makes himself at home during the Winter Wonderland Christmas Auction benefiting Chaves County CASA at First American Bank, Friday evening.
Storms create difficult conditions on highways
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A winter storm system was bearing down on much of New Mexico on Friday as freezing temperatures and a mix of snow and rain made for difficult driving conditions on some highways. Interstate 25 and roads throughout northern New Mexico were icy and packed with snow. Crews were busy plowing and spreading cinder on numerous roads across the region, according to the state Department of Transportation. The wintery weather also prompted some schools to delay opening Friday, while others closed early. Eastern New Mexico University in Portales closed its campus, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park in the southeaster n cor ner of the state closed due to worsening road conditions. Forecasters with the
National Weather Service in Albuquerque said the first wave of the stor m would end Friday night but the brunt — what they called the “Big Kahuna” — would be moving across the Arizona state line and into New Mexico late Saturday and early Sunday morning. “The state’s going to get pounded by a good dose of rain, a little bit of sleet and a lot of snow in the higher elevations. Even the lower elevations Saturday night are going to pick up snow,” said meteorologist Chuck Jones. Where the bands of snow ultimately set up will depend on the effects of east winds, Jones said. Some freezing rain was reported Friday afternoon in the Roswell area, but the weather wasn’t as bad as forecasters had e x p e c t e d . H o w e v e r, b y
HIGH 32 LOW 24
TODAY’S FORECAST
Sunday, the system would bring several inches of snow to the lower elevations and between 1 and 2 feet to the northern mountains, with some peaks getting close to 3 feet, they said. The wind has also been howling. At the Albuquer que airport, gusts reached 51 mph Friday. A winter stor m war ning was in effect Friday throughout the northeast and a hazard weather outlook was issue for parts of northern and central New Mexico. November has been a fairly dry month so far, but Jones said the next 48 hours will help to turn that around. He said the state’s ski areas can expect to pick up “quite a bit more” snow. Sipapu is already open, but several more ski areas are scheduled to open for the Thanksgiving weekend.
• BETTY JEAN HOBBS
Court records state the federal charges against Harkness arose out of a domestic violence incident when Roswell Police Department of ficers responded to a call from Harkness’ wife who reported that Harkness hit her and pointed a firearm at her. When the officers executed a search warrant at the Harkness residence in Roswell, they found a .22 caliber rifle, two loaded pistols and ammunition.
In June, Harkness pleaded guilty to charges of being a felon in possession of a firear m when he admitted that he unlawfully possessed the rifle and two pistols.
Braving the cold
Mark Wilson Photo
Amor and her friend, Jose, walk to a nearby bus stop after making a brief visit to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, where the pair sought warmth on a cold and damp Friday afternoon. Snow and freezing rain are in the forecast for the weekend, with temperatures hovering at or below the freezing mark.
SALVATION ARMY TO DELIVER THANKSGIVING DINNERS Most people are familiar with the Thanksgiving Dinner held at the American Legion, 1620 N. Montana Ave., where more than a 1,000 gather each year. Fewer people know about the free dinner held
• ORBAN WAGGONER
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
• ROETTA OVERSTREET • FAUSTINO RODRIGUEZ
Roswell resident Harley Harkness, 41, was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in a federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms. Harkness will be on supervised release for two years after he completes his prison sentence. Harkness was arrested in March, on a criminal complaint charging him with unlawful possession of firearms and possession of a stolen firearm. According to the criminal complaint, Harkness committed these offenses on Jan. 13. At the time, Harkness was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted on charges of residential bur-
glary and tampering with evidence in Oct. 2001 and battery against a household member in Oct. 2003.
at the Sale Barn Café, 900 N. Garden Ave. Some of the elderly, disabled and low income families, though, are not in a position to travel or drive. For those people, the Salvation Army delivers
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT .....B8 FINANCIAL ..............B6
Thanksgiving dinners.
“All they have to do is call and ask,” said Capt. Mandy Perez. To order a meal, contact the Salvation Army at 575-622-8700. The deadline is Tuesday.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION..................A7
OPINION .................A5 SPORTS .................B1 WEATHER ............A10 WORLD ..................B5