JAL
Since 1927
I
I
News - S u n
EUNICE
No. 52
Community News
THE HOBBS EAGLES
Boys Track Booster
Club is seeking corporate sponsors. For
more information,
contact coach Jason
Cramer at 800 N.
Jefferson.
“CASH FOR COLLEGE”
workshop will be Feb.
26 from 9-11 a.m. at
the Training and
Outreach Facility on
the campus of NMJC.
The workshop is to
assist students in
obtaining the
financial
aid they
require
in order
to
attend a
college
of their
choice. Financial aid
experts will be available to answer questions and provide oneon-one assistance with
FAFSA and NMJC
Foundation Scholarship
Applications. Campus
tours will also be provided for anyone who
would like one after
the workshop.
I
HOBBS
I
LOVINGTON
I
TATUM
I
SEMINOLE
I
DENVER CITY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011
50 cents
Blazes keep firefighters busy
BETH HAHN
NEWS-SUN
Lea County firefighters were busy
Tuesday with several grass fires in the
area and fire crews are preparing for
more of the same this week.
At least four fires burned about 120
acres total in Lovington and Hobbs
Tuesday.
Lea County emergency manager
Lorenzo Velasquez said the first fire
was reported at 8:30 a.m. None of the
fires destroyed any structures.
According to Velasquez, the fires
were:
I 8:30 a.m. — Two separate fires on
Six Shooter in Lovington, caused by a
chain being dragged. The fires burned
about one acre total.
I 10 a.m. — Longview near
Lovington, a bird’s nest ignited by
power lines caused a grass fire that
burned about 67 acres.
I 10 a.m. — Kansas fire near Hobbs; a
welding torch ignited a 50-acre fire.
I 2 p.m. — U.S. 62/180, mile marker 80;
equipment use sparked a fire in the
median that burned less than one acre.
Hobbs Fire Department Chief Manny
Gomez said the Kansas fire was started
A grass fire
came dangerously
close to
residential
homes and
structures
near
Mockingbird
lane
Tuesday.
KIMBERLY RYAN
NEWS-SUN
SEE FIRES, Page 4
Jal lands
biofuels
project
LEVI HILL
NEWS-SUN
on.”
Leighton said the increase to $50 will put the city’s turnon fee at the same cost as the gas company.
Commissioner Arthur Sanchez said he was concerned
the high fees could put a strain on some families who
aren’t trying to cheat the system.
“Is there or could there be a waiver for an emergency?”
he asked Leighton at the meeting.
“We do take that into consideration whenever they call
it in,” Leighton explained.
The city does have waivers for emergency situations
and people who are dealing with an extensive leak can set
The first biofuels project in the
Lea County EnergyPlex has located in Jal.
Using algae to create bio-diesel
while simultaneously making a
feedstock for livestock is on the
cutting edge of renewable energy
research and Santa Fe-based El
Dorado Biofuels, a member company of a federally funded consortium working on biofuels technology, has chosen to locate in Jal.
“The reason we are here is in
large part because of the willingness and cooperation we get working here,” said Paul Laur, chief
executive officer and founder of
El
Dorado.
“I
had the
opportunity to set
up at several different
locations
in
New
Mexico —
Farming- El Dorado Biofuels
ton, Artesia, Roswell — Pecos, Texas,
Durango, Colo., but we landed in
Jal and I am very happy we did
because of all the exciting things
going on here with natural gas
development and solar power and
wind power. It is really a progressive thinking county.”
Laur said one reason his company landed in Jal is because of Lea
County Commission Chairman
Gregg Fulfer. Fulfer loaned 10
acres of land to Laur’s project.
“I really tried to lure them
here,” Fulfer said. “This is a project with a lot of economic potential for our area.”
Laur said Sen. Carroll Leavell,
R-Jal, has also been a major player in the company locating locally.
The project, which will be investigating the best ways to clean
SEE LOVINGTON, Page 4
SEE BIOFUELS, Page 4
Inside Today
Obituaries ...........................2
Mark the date ....................3
Fun & Games ......................5
Weather ..............................6
Sports ..................................7
Classifieds............................8
TV ......................................10
Lottery...............................10
HOBBS SCHOOLS PHOTO
OIL
PRICES
West Texas intermediate
Price Change
Spot
Posted
Sour
N. Gas
$84.32
- .49
$81.00
- .25
$75.50
- .25
$3.976 + .051
Southern Heights performers
Southern Heights fifth-graders pose on the Community Playhouse stage following their performance on
colonial America and the famous names associated with that era. The students spent a week researching
and rehearsing their parts.
Lovington increases turn-on fee from $36 to $50
Water bill cheating prompts change
KELLEY MCMILLAN
NEWS-SUN
Computer Tune-up & repair
Virus Removal
& Data Recovery
Certified Dell Partner
1021 E. Bender,
Hobbs, NM
(575) 391-NOTE (6683) Certified Dell Partner
Lovington city commissioners are hoping to put an end
to residents cheating the system with a new ordinance
passed at a meeting Monday night.
The ordinance will raise the city’s turn-on fee for water
services from $36 to $50.
The increase is designed to prevent residents from
allowing their water to be shut off then turned on again
later for a small fee to avoid paying their bill.
“We have a core group of people in the city who always
fail to pay their water bill,” city manager Michael
Leighton explained at the meeting. “The problem is they
find it less expensive to let it go ahead and shut off and
we have to go out there and shut it off then turn it back