Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 4, abolishing the qualified immunity defense in state civil court.  Qualified immunity is the legal principle granting state actors immunity from civil suits such as being sued, unless the plaintiff can prove the state actor violated ‘clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would…

Jobs news in Lea County has improved but continues to be bleak in the latest state jobs report. The county had 11.8 percent of job seekers unemployed at the end of February. New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS). Nationally, 6.2 percent of would-be…

In recognition of the ongoing need exhibited by local food pantries – many of which around the country are struggling to meet the demands caused by COVID-19 hardships – the Hobbs Police Department is organizing its first-ever “Cram the Cruiser” event to collect non-perishable foods and household goods on May 1st. All of the collected…

With more than half of its adult residents already vaccinated – making it the first state in the country to attain such a distinction – New Mexico is rapidly preparing to enter the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations in its quest to attain herd immunity and make all of its residents safe against the pandemic….

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is aiming to start a New Mexico ‘camp’ for local descendants of Union servicemembers. The proposed Captain Alexander McRae Camp would be stationed in Albuquerque, becoming the fourth SUVCW camp in the Southwest Department which covers Arizona and New Mexico. Dating back to 1881, the…

The dream of a hygiene station for Lea County became a reality Thursday morning as the new Salvation Army facility officially opened. Hobbs mayor Sam Cobb was just one of many who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony that marked the grand opening.  Today’s celebration was also very special for Hobbs Salvation Army Corps Officer Lt….

Two local community members have been named Devon Hometown Heroes as a result of their devotion to bolstering the strength of the community during a widely difficult past year. Jennifer Armendariz and Lorenzo Velasquez were both recognized for the honor. Armendariz is the Emergency Manager for the Eddy County Office of Emergency Management. In this…

In a joyous return to in-person performances, the Community Players of Hobbs performed to raucous laughter with their first play of their 84th season: Mama Won’t Fly. The comedic play was well received by audiences both in-person and streaming online, particularly in light of the year’s need for comedic relief. Written in 2012 by Jamie…

A ferocious storm kicked up a massive amount of dust in Lea County and West Texas on Monday afternoon. The haboob (dust storm) caused residents in the area to lose power and telephone services. Strong wind gusts up to 80 mph damaged 30 transmission poles, and several wooden distribution poles, Lea County Electric Cooperative said….

To protect and to serve may be the motto of police departments across the country, but it’s the Hobbs Police Department that will be a little more protected now. A grant was recently approved by oil and gas company Oxy that enabled the Hobbs Police Department to purchase several Biomist sprayers to act as a…