Rain canceled Saturday morning’s hot air balloon launch at Artesia’s Eagle Draw Park during Balloons and Tunes, but the event continued later with live music, food trucks, the Oil Patch Market and tethered balloon rides. The evening concluded with a balloon glow and fire concert featuring balloon burners, the Artesia High School band and cheerleaders.

Former local prosecutor Lance Jaggers has been appointed assistant U.S. attorney in Roswell, restoring a resident federal prosecutor to the city for the first time since 2020. Jaggers will support border security and prosecute violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking across southeastern New Mexico, drawing on experience in state prosecution and child welfare law.

Gabe Vasquez’s decisive reelection victory over Greg Cunningham in New Mexico’s closely watched 2nd Congressional District offers lessons for both parties. The race suggests voters rejected Donald Trump’s unpopular immigration policies, while Cunningham’s close alignment with Trump overshadowed his credentials. Vasquez, now a more moderate voice, faces pressure to represent the district’s conservative and liberal voters.

Republican incumbent Rhonda Hatch won a second four-year term as Eddy County assessor, defeating Democratic challenger Gemma Ferguson with 71% of the vote. Hatch received 11,239 votes to Ferguson’s 4,688. The assessor determines property values used for tax bills. County turnout was nearly 42%, while other local races were uncontested.