Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 124, No. 141 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
June 13, 2015
Saturday
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Memorial service held for USDA pilot By Jared Tucker MulTiMedia JournalisT A memorial service and funeral were held Friday for a Roswell man killed in a plane crash near Raton June 5. According to the New Mexico State Police, 54-year-old Kelly Hobbs and Shannon “Bubba” Tunnell were killed while conducting low-flying aerial predator control operations near Raton around 6:48 a.m. under the Animal Damage Control Act. Hobbs, a pilot and Tunnell, a United States Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist, were
conducting the operation to control the troublesome coyote population with assistance of a groundbased spotter, according to the preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board. The operation, according to the NTSB, consisted of Hobbs flying the Cub Crafters CC18180 at a low altitude while Tunnell fired a shotgun to kill the animals in an area with a history of livestock damage. The report states that according to the plane’s GPS device recovered from the crash site, Hobbs and Tunnell took
off from the Raton Airport at 6:15:43 a.m. and headed east towards the target area. The spotter reported that Hobbs had established radio contact with him shortly after the plane passed over the mesa which borders the western edge of the target area. Hobbs located a coyote behind the spotter’s location, and radioed his intent to maneuver a low-altitude pass to terminate the coyote. Using his binoculars, the spotter located the coyote and Hobbs and Tunnell went in for the shot. “He (the spotter) report-
ed that he heard 2-3 shotgun blasts as the airplane passed through his fieldof-view on a northeast heading. He remained focused on the coyote as the airplane exited his field-of-view,” the report states. “Shortly after the airplane had exited his field-of-view, he heard the sound of an impact.” There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction of the plane, the report states. The spotter told investigators the wind was calm at 1 mph at the time of the crash, with mostly clear skies. The spotter looked up from his binoculars and
saw the plane wreckage about three quarters of a mile from his location, the report states. Hobbs and Tunnell were good men, who were passionate about their careers and families, according to long time friends and a local politician. “They met their maker doing what they loved to do,” Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell said. “These two young men were outstanding in what they did.” Hobbs had been a pilot with the federal program since 1992, and had over 13,500 hours of flight experience, according to
the USDA. Tunnell had been working since 2009 for the agency and had extensive training in predator management. Teresa Brewster knew Hobbs for 15-20 years through the Roswell Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. She said he was a kind, gentle man who had several kids whom he loved dearly. “They were very important to him,” Brewster said. Multimedia journalist Jared Tucker can be contacted at 575-622-7710, ext. 301, or mmnews@ rdrnews.com.
An out of this world trip
Bill MoffiTT record corresPondenT sTory and PhoTos In the above photo, members of the Alien City Riders motorcycle club listen as former Mayor Bill Owen, off camera, gives some final instructions and words of advice before
starting off on a four-day ride Thursday. The ride will take them through Arizona and Utah including the “Devil’s Highway” — a 90-mile stretch from Springerville to Morenci in Arizona with more than 500 curves. Right: A group from the Alien City Riders motorcyle
club meets with trip organizer Bill Owen, far left, before setting off on a fourday ride with 50 fellow bikers Thursday morning. The 1700-mile trek will take them to eastern Arizona and Utah before the return ride home. Shown are: Joe Harton, center, Don Alsup, and Dale Smith, far right.
City asks for route GOP retains edge in Chaves County to honor memory of MLK, Chavez By Jeff Tucker record sTaff WriTer
By Jeff Tucker record sTaff WriTer The Roswell City Council adopted a resolution Thursday night requesting the renaming of the Roswell Relief Route in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez. The resolution unanimously approved by the city council encourages the New Mexico Transportation Commission to rename the relief route, also known north of West Second Street as the the U.S.
Route 70 Bypass, in honor of the civil rights leaders. The resolution states the relief route on Roswell’s north, west and south sides is a prominent roadway used by countless residents and visitors every day and would be an optimal route to be named in honor of King and Chavez. “Whereas both Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez during their lives contributed to the greatSee ROUTE, Page A3
Donation thief arrested Todd WilderMuTh rosWell Police PuBlic inforMaTion officer A 22-year-old Roswell man was arrested Thursday afternoon (June 11), less than 24 hours after he allegedly carried out two armed robberies in which he used a knife to threaten and rob his mother before going
to a local store and, after again producing a knife, ran off with a jar that was being used to collect donations to help pay for funeral expenses of a young boy who recently died in a tragic vehicle-pedestrian accident at Bottomless Lakes State Park near Roswell. Investigation by Roswell See THIEF, Page A2
Republicans maintain a 60-40 advantage over Democrats in Chaves County, according to the most recent voter registration numbers. As of Thursday, there were 14,821 registered Republicans in Chaves County and 9,779 registered Democrats, said Cindy Fuller, bureau of elections chief for the Chaves County Clerk’s Office. There were 5,460 registered voters in Chaves County who declined to state a party affiliation, and 1,012 Chaves County residents registered with minor political parties. New Mexico residents
currently may register with the minor political parties of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico, the Green Party of New Mexico, the Constitution Party
of New Mexico, the Independent American Party of New Mexico, and minor national parties. In New Mexico, only those registered as Dem-
ocrats or Republicans may vote in the respective Democratic and Republican primaries. In total, there were See GOP, Page A3
Turf at Cielo Grande fields set for improvements sTaff rePorT The athletic fields at the city’s Cielo Grande Recreation Area are about to be renovated in order to improve the playing surfaces. The project to install
new grass on the two main competition fields and boost the quality of the existing grass on the outlying fields is to be completed in early September. The work at the complex used for soccer and other events will be done by the
TODAY’S FORECAST
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B5
HIGH 95 LOW 65
• GERALD DEE WILLAMSON • JASON CARL SMITH
city Parks and Recreation Department. The two main fields will be replanted with a high-performing Bermuda grass seed that will provide a “faster” surface for youth and adult soccer games, as well as produce
a safer surface by covering the fields with a single type of grass rather than multiple types as have existed on the fields. Multiple grass varieties compete with each See TURF, Page A2
INDEX CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7 COMICS .................B6 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL .............B5
GENERAL...............A2
OPINION ................A4
HOROSCOPES.........A8
SPORTS .................B1
LOTTERIES .............A2
WEATHER ..............A8