News

Daniel Garcia, 39, of Roswell, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison for a charge of illegally possessing a firearm during the shootout with police, which led to the chase near downtown Roswell, according to a Sept. 30 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico.

Nano Nuclear is reviving plans for a commercial nuclear tailings deconversion facility near Hobbs, taking over a project first proposed by International Isotopes more than a decade ago. Lea County commissioners approved a letter of intent extending negotiations for a 640-acre site. The company also plans future fuel conversion, potentially creating up to 400 jobs.

Artesia City Council delayed voting on proposed golf cart and recreational OHV street regulations after residents questioned safety equipment requirements and age limits, including an 18-year-old minimum for drivers and 12 for passengers. Council will seek further input before a potential November vote. Members also approved rezoning three lots near 13th Street and Hermosa Drive for apartments.

Southeast New Mexico College will host its annual Taste of Culture from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at 1500 University Drive in Carlsbad. The free public event invites community members to sample foods from around the world, learn about cultural traditions, and celebrate Eddy County’s diversity. For information, call 575-234-9200.

A $10 million federal investment is funding repairs to U.S. Highway 285 near New Mexico’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The New Mexico Department of Transportation and Department of Energy began work Oct. 1, with the state given one year to spend the funds. Officials say annual support is needed to maintain WIPP’s aging transportation routes.

A 13-year-old Highland Middle School student accused of shooting and stabbing special education teacher Kelly Matthews will remain in custody, following a Fifth Judicial District Court ruling. RT faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, weapons violations, evidence tampering and resisting arrest. Matthews survived and continues recovering in a Lubbock hospital as investigators work to determine a motive.

Artesia Bullldogs win 51-0 over the Chaparral Lobos.

About 2,000 people attended Artesia’s 11th annual Red Dirt Black Gold Festival despite September temperatures in the 90s. The two-night downtown event featured live music, food, drinks and vendors, with Downshift Brewing serving more than 1,800 beers. Organizers called the festival a success after moving it to Quay Avenue to improve safety and downtown foot traffic.

Los Alamos National Laboratory sent 82 shipments of legacy transuranic waste to New Mexico’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in fiscal 2026, a 91% increase over the previous year. The shipments totaled 370 cubic meters. The increase comes as New Mexico seeks permit changes requiring WIPP to prioritize more in-state waste, while critics question continued shipments from other states.

New Mexico Republican U.S. Senate candidate Larry Marker is urging voters in conservative southeastern counties to turn out in November, saying strong support in Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties could offset Democratic advantages in the north. Despite long odds, limited fundraising and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan’s strong position, Marker cites shifting registration and coordinated GOP campaigning.

Haaland, a former U.S. interior secretary and U.S. representative for New Mexico, rejected the claim that she declined to debate Hull, former mayor of Rio Rancho. At a Sept. 18 campaign stop in Carlsbad, she said her team proposed eight dates for debates to Hull's campaign, which rejected all of them.

Jason Sanchez won a $100,000 settlement from Eddy County after alleging officials suppressed comments criticizing the county sheriff’s office, violating his First Amendment rights. The settlement requires the comments to be read at an October commission meeting, though county officials denied wrongdoing and said the insurer settled to avoid escalating legal costs.