Lea County is officially “Going Green” based on the latest COVID-19 reports released by the New Mexico Department of Health. For a county to qualify for a “Green” status in the state, the county must have eight or fewer daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, and a positive test rate of five percent or lower,…

Don’t believe the tripe about Democrats and Republicans not working together. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) and Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-2) both want President Joe Biden to end his 60-day suspension on the approval of federal oil and gas permits. An environmental activist, on the other hand, wants business and politicians to use the pause…

A Hobbs man “was unconstitutionally deprived of the right to counsel when his guilt was determined,” the state Supreme Court ruled March 4. A misdemeanor conviction was overturned. Antonio Cruz asked for a lawyer before a magistrate court after being arrested for breaking dishes and other items in his girlfriend’s home in 2017. The court…

Many Lea County residents have noticed significant increases on their electric bills following the recent cold snap and Texas energy crisis. With stories of Texas residents receiving energy bills as high as 300 times the usual amount, New Mexicans are wondering if their own high bills are part of the fallout from the crisis. The…

With COVID-19 cases decreasing around the country, some states are beginning to ease restrictions, despite concerns from public health experts. Texas governor Greg Abbott announced his order to lift all pandemic restrictions in his state effective Wednesday, March 10. This means Texans will no longer be required to wear masks in public or limit gatherings…

The show must go on – even in the face of a pandemic. The Community Players of Hobbs have a five show 2021 season planned. Covid restrictions in New Mexico currently prohibit CPH from having an in-person audience, so all five performances will be streamed online. Ticket sales for that have not yet begun. If…

Widespread power outages that swept across Texas and parts of New Mexico this week due to extreme cold in the region can be traced back to supply chain failures involving both natural gas and renewable energy sources. On Wednesday, 28,000 megawatts of thermal energy generation, which includes gas, coal and nuclear plants, was offline in…

Officials responded to a pipeline that exploded about one mile from Highway 8 in Monument, New Mexico on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 16. The Monument Volunteer Fire Department, Lea County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and Lea County Emergency Management were at the scene for several hours. The fire resulted only in voluntary…

Texas and some parts of New Mexico are suffering the fallout of an energy crisis brought on by the recent extreme cold to the region. The inclement weather has caused several issues resulting in significant pressure on the electrical grid which has caused power outages, price hikes and controlled outages. Texas Governor Greg Abbott assured…

The Hobbs Police Department is on the lookout for a murder suspect, Steven A. Salazar accused of shooting and killing a man. Salazar had been previously arrested on a drug charge. The victim, Arnulfo Barrientos-Ibarra of Hobbs, was found dead at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound. He was 26 years old. Salazar was…