16 May 1996
Page 1
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 5 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Taos News
Location
Taos, New Mexico, United States of America
Date
May 16, 1996
Page
1
Francine Stumpp restored three mahogany chests with marble tops hauled from Kansas to Texas in 1880. On May 5 they and other family antiques burned in the Hondo Fire in Lama, leaving residents sifting through ashes and memories.
As the Hondo fire surged over 300 feet and swept through wind driven areas, Lama residents and forest and volunteer firefighters fought to save homes. Pottery maker Stumpp described temperatures near 2,500 degrees F melting materials while her daughter Celina recalled a two story house reduced to a wheelbarrow of belongings including porcelain doll parts. The fire burned 33 homes, displaced families, and damaged or destroyed structures including a neighbor’s wing and the Blue Willow Clinic home. Fire crews, residents, and volunteers worked to douse flames and evacuate people and pets.
In Taos County the prosecution of Robert Sladek for trafficking and possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia continues after key marijuana evidence vanished from storage. Assistant district attorney Colin Alcott confirmed ongoing evidence against Sladek despite the April raid and missing seized drugs. Police traced the burglary to a Mountain Moving and Storage unit leased by the sheriff’s office and stored as evidence.
Magistrate judge Betty Gonzales fined out-of-town lawyers Thomas Rutledge and Ron Koch $600 each for contempt after they and defendant Daniel Vigil failed to appear at a May 6 preliminary hearing. Koch threatened the Judicial Standards Commission, while Rutledge noted unity with Vigil’s prosecutor. Court warned of jail if noncompliance continued.
In the aftermath of the Hondo Fire Carson National Forest officials warn of a potential surge in major wildfires this summer. Fire management officer Marg Trujillo says fuel build up and dry conditions raise risk as officials discuss prescribed fire and thinning to reduce catastrophic outcomes.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.