Todd Fuqua
Alamogordo News
tfuqua@elritomedia.com

Emerson Fulcher recounts his flood survival

RUIDOSO – For one hour on Tuesday, July 8, 13-year-old Emerson Fulcher experienced fear and terror. During that same hour, he showed remarkable composure and courage.

Raging floodwaters following rains that fell on burn scars from last year’s South Fork fire in Ruidoso had overspilled the banks of the Rio Ruidoso and were taking aim on his family’s house at the Riverview RV Park, 640 Sudderth Drive. His parents, Jason and Lindsey Fulcher, own the park and rushed outside to warn others about the rising water while Emerson and his 7-year-old sister Addy hunkered down inside.

“I was sitting at my computer in my room when my mom called me and told me to get somewhere high up, because the water was coming in,” Fulcher said. “I got my sister and we went into my parents’ room. But I knew that room was going to come down, so we went to my sister’s room and closed the door.”

He remained on the phone with his mother, unable to see what was happening outside but able to hear the outer walls of the house cracking and giving way. The only room that remained relatively unaffected was the room he and his sister were in, and the water was rising.

Black, dirty water seeped under the door as Emerson and Addy climbed onto the bed. The mattress began floating, and soon they were holding onto a ceiling fan to steady the makeshift vessel.

“I heard this giant crash, and the entire house shook, which was a trailer crashing into the house,” he said. “That’s when all the water started coming into the room. I knew I had to calm down if we were going to get out of this situation.”

When he lost the phone connection with his mother, Emerson wasn’t sure if he’d see his parents again.

By then, the water had almost crested and Fulcher’s phone had fallen into the water that was surging into the room. He didn’t know if his parents were OK; he only knew that he and Addy were hanging on.

Addy still had her phone and they were able to call the emergency line for help. Eventually, rescue crews from the Ruidoso Fire Department broke open what was left of the door to reach them.

“They busted down the door – no ax, no sledgehammer, they just beat it down with their fists,” Emerson said. “They asked us if we were OK, and we were fine, no broken bones or anything. They grabbed us out of the house, took my sister first. I waited for two minutes, then they grabbed me, my dog Indy and my cat Remy.”

“I’m happy I’m alive,” he said. “There were a bunch of miracles taking place in that house. I don’t know how we made it out, but we did, thank God.”

Todd Fuqua is Assistant Editor for the Alamogordo News and can be reached on Instagram at @toadfox1.

Staff Reports

July 5

FIGHT

1:22 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to a fight in progress.

SUSPICIOUS

1:36 am – Officer dispatched to 200 block of N 4th St. in reference to a suspicious person.

DOMESTIC

3:04 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of Bowman Dr. in reference to verbal domestic.

DISTURBANCE

6:00 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 13th St. in reference to disturbance.

VANDAL

8:27 am – Officer dispatched to 3300 block of W. Main St. in reference to vandal.

WELFARE

8:37 am – Officer dispatched to S. 1st St. and W. Runyan Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

9:12 am – Officer dispatched to E. Hermosa Dr.  and S. 1st St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

DISTURBANCE

10:04 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to a neighborly disturbance.

WELFARE

11:51 am – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of S. Heath St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

1:56 pm – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of N. 15th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

ACCIDENT

4:36 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of W. Lolita Ave. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

SUSPICIOUS

4:39 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of N. 1st St. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

5:39 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

ACCIDENT

7:20 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

SUSPICIOUS

8:22 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of W. Ray Ave. in reference to suspicious activity.

July 6

UNWANTED

1:36 am – Officer dispatched to 600 block of N. 8th St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

THREATS

8:28 am – Officer dispatched to 3300 block of W. Main St. in reference to threats.

SUSPICIOUS

10:40 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to suspicious activity.

WANTED

12:51 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of Cannon Ave. in reference to a wanted subject.

RECKLESS

12:54 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 20th St. and W. Grand Ave. in reference to a reckless vehicle.

WELFARE

1:46 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of W. Quay Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

STOLEN

2:00 pm – Officer dispatched to 1300 block of S. 8th St. in reference to a stolen vehicle.

WELFARE

2:25 pm – Officer dispatched to 900 block of S. 1st St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

SUSPICIOUS

4:56 pm – Officer dispatched to 900 block of W. Washington Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

4:56 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of W. Hank Ave. in reference to a suspicious activity.

DOMESTIC

7:58 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to verbal domestic.

UNWANTED

8:20 pm – Officer dispatched to 300 block of S. 39th St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

DISTURBANCE

8:41 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to disturbance.

ARMED SUBJECT

10:27 pm- Officer dispatched to 1900 block of JJ Clarke Dr. in reference to an armed subject.

VANDAL

10:32 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 7th St. in reference to vandalism of a structure.

MISSING

11:32 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 Airport Rd. in reference to a missing aircraft.

July 7

Arrest

Denise Dawn Duran arrested for failure to appear.

Jackie Marie Schneider arrested for battery inflicting great bodily harm or death with deadly weapon.

Lena Segura arrested for fraud, falsely obtaining services or accommodations.

WELFARE

4:18 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

SUSPICIOUS

5:51 am – Officer dispatched to 3700 block of W. Grand Ave. in reference to suspicious activity.

5:56 am – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of N. 13th St. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

6:04 am – Officer dispatched to 1500 block of W. Cannon Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

STOLEN

9:05 am – Officer dispatched to 200 block of W. Main St. in reference to a stolen vehicle.

UNWANTED

9:07 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of S. 39th St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

9:55 am – Officer dispatched to 2000 block of W. Main St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

VANDAL

9:55 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of W. Quay Ave. in reference to structure vandalism.

LARCENY

10:57 am – Officer dispatched to 2200 block of W. Main St. in reference to larceny.

WELFARE

1:50 pm – Officer dispatched to 1500 block of W. Yucca Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

4:16 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

DISTURBANCE

2:00 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of W. Gilchrist Ave. in reference to disturbance.

DOMESTIC

9:26 pm – Officer dispatched to 1200 block of W. Washington Ave. in reference to verbal domestic.

10:20 pm – Officer dispatched N. 10th St. and W. Cannon Ave. in reference to verbal domestic.

HARASSMENT

9:34 pm – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of W. Merchant Ave. in reference to harassment.

July 8

Arrest

Secia N. Reyes arrested for failure to appear.

WELFARE

1:33 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of W. Dallas Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

SHOTS FIRED

3:38 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 13th St. in reference to a gun shot wound.

SUSPICIOUS

8:56 am – Officer dispatched to 900 block of S. 4th St. in reference to suspicious trespass.

ALARM

9:03 am – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of W. Hermosa Dr. in reference to a burglary alarm.

ACCIDENT

9:58 am – Officer dispatched to W. Chisum Ave. and N. 5th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

DISTURBANCE

2:31 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of Bowman Dr. in reference to family disturbance.

SUSPICIOUS

2:34 pm- Officer dispatched to 1400 block of W. Yucca Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

ACCIDENT

2:54 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Main St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

DOMESTIC

4:07 pm – Officer dispatched to 1700 block of S. 17th St. in reference to physical domestic.

DISTURBANCE

6:39 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to family disturbance.

BURGLARY

6:50 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of W. Hermosa Dr. in reference to burglary.

WANTED

6:55 pm – Officer dispatched to the 1800 block of Feather Ave. in reference to a wanted subject.

DOMESTIC

8:20 pm – Officer dispatched to N. 26th St. and W. Richey Ave. in reference to domestic.

July 9

DOMESTIC

12:10 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to physical domestic.

WELFARE

9:40 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

10:02 am – Officer dispatched to W. Washington Ave. and S. 12th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

1:49 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of n. 8th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

5:00 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of Gilchrist Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

VANDAL

10:35 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to vandal.

WELFARE

8:58 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of W. Dallas Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

SUSPICIOUS

9:12 pm – Officer dispatched to 1500 block of S. 1st St. in reference to a suspicious person.

9:53 pm – Officer dispatched to 100 block of W. Gage Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

July 10

WELFARE

8:43 am – Officer dispatched to 900 block of N. 13th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

SUICIDAL

9:42 am – Officer dispatched to 1500 block of W. Grand Ave. in reference to a suicidal subject.

THREATS

11:55 am – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of S. 20th St. in reference to threats.

SUSPICIOUS

12:02 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of Hank Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

12:39 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of Catalina Dr. in reference to the welfare of a child.

1:47 pm – Officer dispatched to 2100 block of N. 1st St. in reference to the welfare of a child.

SUSPICIOUS

6:52 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of N. 1st St. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

7:52 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

GRAFFITI

9:29 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of Yucca Ave. in reference to graffiti.

DISTURBANCE

11:42 pm – Officer dispatched to 300 block of W. Gage Ave. in reference to disturbance.

July 11

BURGLARY

12:17 am – Officer dispatched to 2300 block of W. Missouri Ave. in refence to burglary.

LOUD

12:18 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to loud music.

UNWANTED

7:11 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Champ Clark Ave. in reference to an unwanted subject.

WELFARE

7:25 am – Officer dispatched to 13th St. and W. Richardson Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.  

SUSPICIOUS

9:06 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

11:05 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of W. Chisum Ave. in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

VANDAL

11:13 am – Officer dispatched to 200 block of S. 2nd St. in reference to vandal.

5:03 pm – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of S. Yates St. in reference to vandal.

DOMESTIC

7:57 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of W. Washington Ave. in reference to domestic.

FIREWORKS

8:28 pm – Officer dispatched to 1700 block of S. 17th St. in reference to fireworks.

9:19 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Runyan Ave. in reference to fireworks.

UNWANTED

9:35 pm – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of S. 13th St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

Glen Rosales
For the Current-Argus

ALBUQUERQUE – As an independent businessman, Artesia native Peyton Yates looms large.

And his ability to build consensus, unity and work toward a common good was noted Friday at a special awards ceremony during the annual meeting of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico at Sandia Resort and Casino.

“I’ve been to plenty of these award ceremonies, and most of them, you hear people speak of the honorees in a manner that simply regurgitates what would be an ideal LinkedIn profile for a CEO,” said his son, Hanson Yates. “But (Friday), you have noticed that most of the comments are about character and contributions to others.”

Yates received “Special recognition for a lifetime of service to IPANM and the industry,” said Jim Winchester, the Association’s executive director as he handed Peyton Yates a retro, antique brass kerosene lamp, symbolizing the infancy of the industry.

Yates, managing member of Santo Petroleum, was instrumental in the founding of the Association in 1978.

“It’s a real privilege to be here,” he said at the ceremony that included many members of the Yates extended family. “It was a real struggle participating with a group of folks that worried about the fact that independents weren’t getting a proper voice in New Mexico.”

Hanson Yates, as well as longtime land manager and company vice president Randy Patterson, and State Sen. Jim Townsend (R-Artesia), lauded not only Peyton Yates’ work with the association, but also what he’s done philanthropically.

“My father has too many professional and civic accomplishments to cover in the time allotted today, but one of his most lasting and influential accomplishments was his involvement in the formation and initial leadership of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico in 1978,” Hanson Yates said. “And 47 years later, IPANM is arguably as vital and as important as it has ever been, and my father remains as strong of an advocate of the organization as he has been in each of its previous 46 years.”

Peyton Yates helped get the Association started, but also served as its first president.

“My father led IPANM as board president during his first full year in 1979 and he helped establish the framework of the organization that lives on today,” Hanson Yates said. “That framework included the forced collaboration between the southeast and the northwest via the rotating president concept.”

Patterson and Townsend both mentioned Peyton Yates’ work with the Haven of Hope — a living space and training center for single mothers — as well as constructing a new civic center and the Artesia Aquatic Center among the many ways he’s helped improve the community.

“I can tell you, Peyton Yates is the kind of person you want to be around,” Patterson said. “He’s congenial, he’s supportive, he’s good to work for, and he’s good to work with. And basically he’s just a nice guy.”

And Townsend added, “I think it is really important that this organization has taken the opportunity to recognize him, and I don’t think there’s a person in the room that wouldn’t look at what has been said and will be said that Peyton has done a wonderful job at life, and for that, congratulations.”

Todd Fuqua
Alamogordo News
tfuqua@elritomedia.com

RUIDOSO – Days after the most destructive flood in Ruidoso’s history, New Mexico’s U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan were given a tour of the worst-affected areas, from the Upper Canyon to Ruidoso Downs Racetrack.

The driving tour on Friday included Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford, village councilors Rafael Salas, Joseph Eby, Susan Lutterman, Darren Hooker, Village Emergency Manager Eric Quellar, Village Manager Ron Sena, Lincoln County Commission Chair Mark Fischer and Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns.

Heinrich and Lujan expressed their commitment to seeing the area receive all the funding and planning it needs to recover from – and prepare for – flooding of this magnitude.

“When you see the videos that were posted, that alone was incredible, but you don’t get a sense of depth across the watershed and across the community,” Heinrich said. “To be here on the ground and see the scale of what needs to be rebuilt gives you a sense that we’re going to be in this for the long term.”

The flooding left three dead, 7-year-old Sebastian Trotter and his 4-year-old sister Charlotte Trotter, as well as an adult male identified as Benjamin Timothy Feagin. All were swept into the water from the Riverview RV Park.

The deceased children’s parents, Sebastian and Stephanie Trotter, were injured and treated in an El Paso hospital. Sebastain Trotter is a soldier stationed at Fort Bliss.

The latest damage estimates from Emergency Management indicate as many as 200 homes were damaged or destroyed by Tuesday’s flooding, with that number likely to rise as officials continue surveying the area.

Mayor Lynn Crawford told reporters at a news briefing at the Village Emergency Operations Center Wednesday that several other people were hurt badly enough that they had to be hospitalized at Lincoln County Medical Center. He said all were in stable condition Wednesday morning.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday requested and was granted a federal disaster declaration, mobilizing resources through the Federal Emergency Management Administration for life-saving measures and immediate recovery.

Additional requests made by the governor for relief funds to pay for rebuilding homes and other properties in Ruidoso, along with temporary housing, supplies and debris removal were under review as of Friday.

The ferocity and volume of the fast-flowing current shocked even longtime residents who have lived here through many monsoon seasons and had seen the Rio Ruidoso do serious damage before.

The damage seen during Friday’s driving tour was stark. In the Upper Canyon, where spires of chimneys remain as the only remnants of homes that once stood among clear-cut hills, mud and debris had cut through the remaining structures along the river and road crews toiled to fix bridges and clear roads torn up by the violence of the deluge.

Officials also saw the devastation at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack, where floodwaters crested at 20 feet and flooded the entire infield, track and barn area, forcing the track to close and move the remainder of its race meet to Albuquerque Downs.

Sen. Lujan said the flooding is a reminder that fires and floods go hand in hand, and that the two should be viewed as a single event.

“Looking at how FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has looked at these situations, it’s clear to see that we need to amend a chapter in the FEMA charter that combines fire and flood,” Lujan said. “It’s also a matter of years, not just one year. When the fire and flood first happens, you might get some waivers and support that first period. But then next year there’s another flood and there’s a whole other study and they treat it like it’s a different event, but this is one event, and that’s how it should be treated.”

Tuesday’s flood was the result of rains that fell on the burn scar from the 2024 South Fork fire, with the ground unable to absorb the rushing water. The flooding surpassed even last year’s devastating floods that followed the South Fork and Salt fires.

“As someone who is a former engineer,” Heinrich said, “I can see that we need laws in place to build to where we are now, not just rebuild what was there before. This watershed has changed, the climate has changed, and we need to build something that can survive the floods we’re seeing.”

Todd Fuqua is Assistant Editor for the Alamogordo News and can be reached on Instagram at @toadfox1.

Photos and story by Adrian Hedden
Carlsbad Current-Argus
achedden@currentargus.com

Carlsbad’s Head Start parents offer summer events amid uncertainty for federally funded preschool

Brittany Dye looked out at the gathering of children as she turned the page in her book “Muddy Paws.”

She was reading the children’s book on the banks of the Pecos River to a group of students from Carlsbad’s Head Start preschool program administered by the Southeast New Mexico Community Action Corporation.

The program was temporarily shuttered and thrust into confusion by federal funding cuts this spring, leading to the furlough of 135 local employees between Eddy and Chaves counties on May 22, and the suspension of the preschool program many parents have come to depend on.

The nonprofit program, which relies on federal grant funding, provides preschool for 659 children at five centers in Carlsbad, Artesia, Roswell and Dexter.

In June, funds began trickling back and the organization’s executive director, Sherra Hester, said the program will likely return in August as normal with a “skeleton crew.” Enrollments were being accepted as of June 31.

“It’s a relief as far as being a parent,” Dye said. “A lot of people depend on it and early childhood education. Hopefully, everything will go back to normal.”

But Hester said the program may look “a little different” than before as she expected to operate with a smaller staff.

Head Start also may contend with new federal guidelines for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, Hester said, which could impact how teaching practices are tailored to students from different backgrounds. The administration of President Donald Trump called on all federal agencies to end such practices or face steep financial penalties.

“The best thing is we’re bringing staff back,” Hester said. “We’re going to start cranking away on things we left a month ago. It’s hard to imagine there’s any room for waste. Every penny is counted.”

‘I was about in tears’

Hester said it was unclear how much program funding or staff levels would be reduced but she maintained that an operating budget would be in place for the program by August.

The funding reductions and furloughs came amid continuing actions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), helmed initially by billionaire Elon Musk who since stepped down from the federal government and an administration-wide effort to reduce government spending.

Cuts to the nationwide Head Start program were suggested in March by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In a March 27 press release by his department, Kennedy did not name Head Start specifically but said HHS would cut $1.8 billion in costs, targeting programs Kennedy labeled as “wasteful” and “inefficient.”

“Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants,” Kennedy said in the release. “This overhaul will be a win-win for taxpayers and for those that HHS serves.”

Although the connection between Head Start and HHS’s planned restructuring was murky, the release coincided with southeast New Mexico’s Head Start being placed on furlough with little explanation, Hester said.

After pressure from Congress and supporters of Head Start, Kennedy appeared to backtrack the following month and said during a May 14 congressional hearing the federal government would maintain some funding for Head Start.

In a May 17 statement, a week before Head Start workers in Carlsbad were furloughed, Kennedy said he intended to fund the program he described as crucial to educating low-income students and supporting their families.

“I am committed to protecting the promise of Head Start, as envisioned by my uncle who created the program 60 years ago …. And I will ensure that the next generation of families living in poverty have access to this vital program that offers what they need to thrive.”

Although Kennedy credited his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, with “envisioning” Head Start, the program was created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “war on poverty” in 1965, about two years after Kennedy was assassinated.

Despite the reversal, several Head Start programs across the country, including in southeast New Mexico, faced staff furloughs over the summer – and in the case of Carlsbad, restricted access to the building on San Jose Boulevard for summer programming.

In response to the cuts, Dye, 27, and a group of parents on Carlsbad’s Head Start Parents Committee began hosting events throughout the summer, including weekly story times held at the Lake Carlsbad Beach Park area in lieu of the summer preschool. The story times and other volunteer events provide “in-kind” hours used to help fund the program.

Due to inclement weather during the summer rainy season, Dye said the weekly story times – held every Thursday at 6 p.m. – were moved to the Pecos River Recreation Center. The center is owned and operated by the City of Carlsbad.

The federal government provides about 80% of the funding for Head Start, through the Department of Health and Human Services. The other 20% comes from in-kind hours, which are assigned a different dollar value each year to provide the matching funds. Dye said with the summer programs alone, the parents had generated 69 hours as of July 1.

Another $500 was earned just in direct donations from local organizations and individuals, Dye said. Little Caesars provided pizzas for the events, which Dye said attracted heavy support from the community.

“I was about in tears,” she said of the moment she heard the program might be cut. “We just had to power through it.”

What is Head Start?

Southeast New Mexico Community Action operates Head Start programs funded through the unique combination of federal dollars and volunteer hours in Carlsbad, Artesia and Roswell. Head Start programs are similarly structured across the U.S., operated through the Office of Head Start in Washington, D.C.

Since being launched in 1965, the programs have operated in every state through 1,600 agencies, according to Head Start’s website.

The preschools are intended to provide life skills to young children up to the age of four and provide a respite for many working parents. Students are trained in basics such as tying their shoes and brushing their teeth and assisted with other tasks young children can struggle with such as reading and counting.

Even more beneficial, Dye said, is the opportunity for socialization Head Start offers the children.

“The kids that come through there, they’re knowledgeable,” Dye said, referring to her 4-year-old daughter Ariyah Monroe. “She’s much more social.”

Dye is also raising her 7-year-old sister Adeline Heater, and 9-year-old son Elijah Monroe, and said that being able to ensure her youngest gets a good education at the start of her childhood was invaluable amid the chaos of raising three children.

“They’re too smart to just be sitting at home. There’s not a lot of places for them to go,” Dye said.

The debate for New Mexico’s Head Start funding entered the halls of Congress in the weeks after the cuts were proposed.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), who said he participated in the program as a child, criticized the Trump administration for suggesting funding cuts.

Heinrich and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) signed an April letter to Kennedy, demanding he unfreeze Head Start funding, hire back laid-off workers and continue to support early childhood education for those in need.

“The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low-income children and families across this country,” read the letter. “There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation.”

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.